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Ch. 6

Deception's Face

"He's doing fine Qui-Gon, no need to worry so. He'll be at the temple in no time." An-Paj assured as the teen was slipped back into a transporting bacta tank. They were rare, but very well used in a Jedi's world.

"I'm glad you're so certain." Qui-Gon said gruffly as the capsole was closed.

"I have 30 years of practice under my belt, would you like to challenge?" An-Paj, still in a rather light mood.

"I don't think so." Qui-Gon said gracing the blue healer with a small smile.

"You're pretty smart, despite what people say." An-Paj said as they moved forward to make sure the transport received into dislodging well from the hospital's side exits.

Qui-Gon ignored the mock insult and watched tiredly. He was oblivious to An-Paj's eyes going away from the patient's transport and to the person beckoning him to come.

"I'll return shortly Qui-Gon, we'll leave as soon as we can. I'd like to know what Dr. Grandai thinks about this." He excused quickly, not waiting for a reply, and walking away towards the young doctor. Qui-Gon frowned and looked at Mace Windu as he came into the area again. He shrugged at Jinn's expecting gaze.

"It was just a mistake. The explosive was meant for someone else, not Obi-Wan."

Qui-Gon's eyes tightened. "Who?"

"Carlain Grandai." Mace said, his voice shifting from that of certainty to that of a low audibility.

Qui-Gon groaned and turned away, looking back out the window.

"Apparently a young female human died while under her care and the brother held a grudge for the past 3 months." Mace supplied standing beside him, his eyes cast out into the lines of traffic.

"And Obi-Wan was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Qui-Gon added quietly with a frown.

"You're confused." Mace observed feeling it in the air around them strongly.

"Not so much as confused, more like irritated. Something's wrong here, I can feel it. I just don't know what…and for some reason it revolves around that doctor." Qui-Gon replied in frustration. "Something's off about her…and the humanoid--TiFin I believe his name is."

Mace shifted beside him, crossing his arms. "What do you think it is?"

"I don't know. Deception seems to be everywhere."

Mace nodded slightly, not saying anything in reply.

~~~~~~~~

"Right, well, I think I have all I need now." An-Paj said standing as Mace and Qui-Gon entered the small room used office.

"I think we should get back as soon as possible." Mace said.

"I agree. You must be anxious to see Obi-Wan's condition Qui-Gon…It should have calmed even by now." An-Paj said.

"..Yes, I am." Qui-Gon replied eyeing the healer.

"Thank you for your help Doctor Grandai, I'll keep you posted." The healer said shaking Carlie's hand. She smiled and nodded.

Windu turned leaving with An-Paj quick to follow. Qui-Gon glanced at the young doctor and she didn't do anything, didn't notice him. She suddenly looked up at him.

"Have a pleasant trip Master Jinn." She said, suddenly leaving the area.

Qui-Gon frowned then left as well, catching up to his fellow Jedi.

Was he supposed to be here? It looked a little strange…Bright yet seemingly no where. Hospital room? No. There were no walls and he was standing…He was standing wasn't he?

Obi-Wan looked around him and could find nothing as far as the eye could see. Straining his memory he began to recall what had happened. He'd been following Master Qui-Gon out of Carlie's office when all of a sudden the Force screamed at his slimly trained senses and then there was nothing. He thought he'd heard Carlie on more then one occasion, even Qui-Gon.

So…Where was he now? Had he died? Was this the after life? Was there an after life? Oh boy…he was in trouble now.

"Hello?" He called…it only seemed to echo incredibly loudly.

Kenobi's attention was drawn slightly away at a tingle he hadn't felt in a long time. Deep in his mind…but it was like it was right next to him. It was the feeling of the training bond he'd shared with Qui-Gon. It was the Jedi Master's presence.

Oddly he felt as though he was just out of reach of actually seeing the Jedi. Turning the mist cleared slightly to reveal shadowy figures…and bubbles…He must be in a bacta tank. Great, now he was going to smell like bacta for a week.

Obi-wan nearly laughed at himself. Here he was, probably dying, and he was worried about smelling like bacta!

Strangely enough, there were other bright presences around. Not like the others at the Shadow's Own or at the hospital, but bright signatures. Force sensitives. Where was he?

Suddenly it felt as though sleep slammed into him. He was tired. He wanted to sleep. It wouldn't be so bad right? Sleep would be fine.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes.

"No, he went back coma tose again." An-Paj said to the group of hopeful people around him. Obi-Wan's brain read-outs had jumped a few moments ago and the healers thought the boy would come out of his oblivious state in the bacta. Qui-Gon had been especially hopeful. But with hope was disappointment. Obi-Wan's brain waves dwindled again to sleep mode and his body again relaxed in the tank.

"Is that a bad thing?" Qui-Gon asked suddenly.

"It's actually a very good sign. He's somewhat responsive at times which shows he'll have strength when he wakes. Mental strength anyway. His muscle tone is exceptionally down because of the burns on his right side. Like Grandai recommended, he'll need physical therapy for a long time. His lungs are improving greatly, but he'll still need breathing assistance." The healer had just come from the testing rooms to here as Obi-Wan began to become responsive.

"So he's doing well?"

"Very. We should be able to remove him, if he doesn't wake first, within 24 hours."

Qui-Gon nodded, relieved by the information. He knew, yet, he would still have to wait to talk to the boy about their current situation but at least he'd be on the road to recovery.

"You should get something to eat Qui-Gon, you've been here for 4 hours straight." An-Paj recommended.

"No, I'd like to be here if-"

"He won't wake up for a while yet."

"But he nearly-"

"It's 19 hundred hours, long past evening meal and I doubt you've eaten all day. Go eat before I call Windu." An-Paj ordered firmly, though a gleem in his eyes.

Qui-Gon glared at the blue healer. "I'll be back in 15 minutes at the most." He said pointing at him.

"I'm sure someone will time you Jinn." An-Paj said sarcastically moving away.

Qui-Gon glanced at the limp floating body, and with a sigh walked out of the room of dwindling people.

^^^^^^

Qui-Gon had just come out of the healers wing when something slammed into him. Looking down, surprised, he found a young foreign female with silver eyes. After a moment he recognized her as a friend of Obi-Wan's. Bant…something.

"Are you alright young Bant?" He asked helping her up.

Bant's silver eyes snapped to him, finally seeing who he was. Qui-Gon could see where tears had long run their course on her pink cheeks. "Why didn't you tell anyone?!" She demanded, jerking away from him.

Qui-Gon frowned and knelt down. "Tell anyone what?"

"That Obi was here!" She nearly shouted, sniffling. "You're not the only one that wanted him back Master Jinn…and we're not even the reason he left!!" She snapped. Her voice was higher than normal with fighting tears. She didn't bother to hear his response, just rushed into the healer's wing.

Qui-Gon didn't move from his position. Guilt flamed in him. Both from what Bant had brought to his attention, and the fact that again he was reminded that he was the reason Obi-Wan had left. He didn't need to be reminded of that. He knew plenty well.

Glancing over his shoulder he could see a female twi'lek healer with the young girl braced on her shuddering with cries. Apparently she had learned just why Obi-Wan was here as well.

Jinn stood with a sigh and continued on his way towards his quarters.

2 Hours Later

Soft eyes fell onto the eerie lighted bacta tank. The bubbles inside making the light shift around the figure inside. The color of the liquid itself, raspy goldish, illuminated the room and cast shadows upon shadows.

The limp body shifted slightly towards the entering figure, sensing their arrival as he only would when unconscious.

Gentle hands rested on the thick glass separating the two, feeling the slightly warmer glass to air. The brain waves of the boy stiked a little and he shifted again in the liquid, his hand drifting to the side, lightly touching the area where the hand was.

A small smile graced his movements and the figure moved around the side of the tank to the IV liquid engager. Taking a rather large injection from the sleeve of their coat they gently eased the strong needle into the IV's connection line and injected it slowly. The body inside began to move with reaction.

Just as the last bit was emptying the shadow looked up to see nothing but a streak.

In a movement few people could see the Jedi Master was suddenly out of the chair from the far side wall. He jerked the person away from the tank, the injection shattering on the ground, and pushed them back into a tin supply cabinet. Trays clattered to the ground and glass shattered as the wheeled cabinet moved at the sudden impact.

Qui-Gon glared at the dark eyes keeping one restraining hand on their throat and his other was ball into a fist to the side ready to strick, but his glare quickly turned to confusion. He hadn't seen past the shadows that darkened her face when he had opened his eyes to find her there injecting something into the boy's system. All he saw was someone he didn't know, a large needle, and Obi-Wan reacting to whatever it was.

"What is going on in here?!" A large female species boomed from the door. The ruckas was loud enough to wake a sleeping bantha.

"Intruder." Qui-Gon explained easing his grip on her throat.

"Intruder my ars--- Master Jinn, Dr. Grandai has premission from Healer An-Paj to be in here."

Qui-Gon looked at the female who was glaring back. His cold, accusing eyes turned back to Carlie Grandai as she made no move to struggle still. Finally he released her and she simply cleared her throat.

"What were you doing?" He questioned tightly.

He had allowed himself to sleep in the shadows of the darkened room a while ago and suddenly, when he woke up, there was someone he didn't know at Obi-Wan's side. Cast by shadows he didn't recognize the doctor, all he felt was anxiety, fear, and anger. This would not be what a normal healer would radiate.

"I was observing the progress of a patient." Grandai said lightly, as if nothing happened.

"You were injecting something." Qui-Gon accused.

"A part of his treatment."

"You're not in charge of his treatment."

"I am apart of it though—Whether you like it or not Master Jinn." She added harshly.

"What is the meaning of this?" An-Paj said, not his normal jolly self.

"A misunderstanding." Carlie replied.

"Well settle it, we're going to give Kenobi a healing enhancment."

Carlie snapped to attention at this. "What kind?"

"Cyn-A22." An-Paj replied as he and a few others began to scan across the room, some picking up the mess Qui-Gon and Carlie had made.

"You can't give him that." Grandai said quickly.

An-Paj frowned as did Qui-Gon.

"He's not allergic, we still have his files. It'll be fine." He said beginning to measure the dose.

An-Paj was coming to the connection line when suddenly Carlie rushed forward, stopping him. "You can't." She repeated, swiping the injection from his grasp.

"Grandai." Jinn growled dangerously low.

"What are you doing?" An-Paj asked, more confused then anything with the calm doctor's outburst.

"If you give it to him, his body will over ride and die. You can't."

"I've given this to many patients before, no such thing has happened. Trust me Grandai, now give me the dosage." He said reaching for it.

Carlie threw the injection across the room and sent it breaking against the wall.

"Call escort—Have them met us outside the healer's ward." Qui-Gon ordered grabbing Grandai by the arm and harshly guiding her out.

"There's something you don't know about that boy." Carlie said for An-Paj to hear her.

"Wait Jinn." An-Paj ordered.

Qui-Gon glared at Carlie, releasing her. "What don't we know?" He questioned.

"He's not who you think he is…" Carlie said softly. "That is not your Obi-Wan Kenobi." She said nodding to him. The room fell deathly silent as healers froze.

"Of course that's him." Qui-Gon said spinning around to look at Obi-Wan.

"No..It's not." Carlie said. "…He's a genetically identical, and enhanced human clone.."

TBC…

---Hmmm..Like, yes no? A lot of explaining needs to be done isn't there? I'll do my best to answer all the questions I left so obviously hanging. Next chapter is already being worked on…'Obi' awakens! Just a hint. ;) ---