Chapter 3:
Qui-Gon didn't know what happened afterwards and he didn't care. His eyes never left Obi-Wan even as he was literally dragged from the room. He couldn't hear anything except for that awful monotonous hum. His cheeks felt wet and he realized that he had been crying. He tried to reason with the Healers carrying him out to let him stay. Obi-Wan needed him, couldn't they understand that?
He tried to say something but found that he couldn't. His throat was parched somehow. It was then that he realized he had been screaming and sobbing. Where was that cool, calm, confident Jedi that people always associated with him? Now, Qui-Gon didn't care. All that mattered was his padawan.
Looking through the windowpanes of the Emergency Room, Qui-Gon could still see what was happening. The Healers were frantically moving around Obi- wan's still body.
The boy looked so peaceful, lying there amongst the chaos of the room.
A hand touched gently on Qui-Gon's shoulder.
"Don't worry Qui-Gon, they're doing everything for him. He will be alright"
"Thank You Mace" Qui-Gon replied without turning around to face his friend.
The loud steady and monotonous hum still hung in the air.
Qui-Gon could see An-Paj pull a metal cart next to Obi-Wan's bed. Two pedal-like pieces of metal were pulled from the cart and laid on Obi-Wan's chest.
"Clear!" An-Paj yelled
Obi-Wan's body arched up on response
The loud steady and monotonous hum still hung in the air.
"200.clear!"
The loud steady and monotonous hum still hung in the air.
"Give me 250.clear!"
The loud steady and monotonous hum still hung in the air.
"300!.clear!"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
All the Healers sighed together as they finally heard the precious "beep" returned to the small monitor screen. Qui-Gon let out a big sigh as he allowed himself to collapse to the floor outside of the room. Mace Windu helped him to a seat nearby, but Qui-Gon was still lost in thoughts.
Finally, after a few moments of silence, Qui-Gon turned to his friend. "I'm afraid Mace. For the first time in my life, I'm really afraid."
That was all Qui-Gon could say, but it was enough. Mace Windu knew how his friend felt.the pain, the fear. Obi-Wan meant the whole world to him, and he knew that there was nothing he could do to comfort his friend so he kept quiet. He only hoped the silence would provide Qui-Gon with some peace of mind.
After an hour that seemed to stretch on for an eternity, An-Paj emerged from the Emergency Room, exhausted and dazed. Seeing the Healer, Qui-Gon immediately leapt to his feet.
"How is he?" Qui-Gon immediately asked, wasting no time.
"He's stabilized for now Qui-Gon." An-Paj seemed hesitant, not sure if he should continue.
Qui-Gon immediately saw An-Paj's expression and already a knot began to form inside of him. "Please An-Paj, tell me the truth, what's wrong with him?"
An-Paj let out a sad sigh and motioned for Qui-Gon to take a seat. Sitting down next to Qui-Gon, An-Paj began the dreaded conversation that a Healer must say.
"Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan's been poisoned."
"Poison? How could that be?" Qui-Gon stopped short, realizing just how stupid his question was. "I'm sorry.please continue "
"I understand what you must be going through now Qui-Gon, and I'm very sorry, but Obi-Wan's been poisoned by a rare toxin. It's something we Healers have never encountered before. The toxin is killing his midi- chlorian count as we speak."
"Are you saying that there's no antidote?" Mace Windu jumped in.
"I'm afraid as of now.no"
"As of now, no. As of now, no" Those words echoed incessantly inside Qui- Gon's head. No matter how hard he tried to rid those words and the intonation that his padawan might die, he couldn't. He sat there on that chair, paralyzed with fear. He knew that a Jedi shouldn't feel fear. Funny how many times he'd told Obi-Wan that when Obi-Wan had one of his usual "precognition". But now, it didn't matter if Qui-Gon felt fear or not, all he wanted was for Obi-Wan to be all right.
"Qui-Gon! Qui-Gon!" a voice called him, sounding very distant. After a few seconds, a hand shook his shoulder.
"Qui-Gon! Qui-Gon! Are you alright?" Mace Windu called again.
"I.I.I want to be with Obi-Wan" Qui-Gon finally said as he stood and headed for the room.
"Qui-Gon." An-Paj began. "You know.it's not entirely hopeless. We still need to run a few more tests. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help Obi-Wan"
"I know you will An-Paj. I know"
With that, Qui-Gon left Mace Windu and An-Paj and came into the room. He saw Obi-Wan lying there with tubes and electrical wires attached to him. Yet, despite the immense technical support that kept his padawan alive, the young boy looked so at peace with the world. If Qui-Gon didn't know any better, he would have thought Obi-Wan was just asleep. Just asleep. But as he came closer, the alarmingly pallid texture on his padawan's face shook his very soul. Obi-Wan looked so fragile, lying there.motionless, except for the gentle sound of a monitor that went "beep beep beep".
Qui-Gon didn't know what happened afterwards and he didn't care. His eyes never left Obi-Wan even as he was literally dragged from the room. He couldn't hear anything except for that awful monotonous hum. His cheeks felt wet and he realized that he had been crying. He tried to reason with the Healers carrying him out to let him stay. Obi-Wan needed him, couldn't they understand that?
He tried to say something but found that he couldn't. His throat was parched somehow. It was then that he realized he had been screaming and sobbing. Where was that cool, calm, confident Jedi that people always associated with him? Now, Qui-Gon didn't care. All that mattered was his padawan.
Looking through the windowpanes of the Emergency Room, Qui-Gon could still see what was happening. The Healers were frantically moving around Obi- wan's still body.
The boy looked so peaceful, lying there amongst the chaos of the room.
A hand touched gently on Qui-Gon's shoulder.
"Don't worry Qui-Gon, they're doing everything for him. He will be alright"
"Thank You Mace" Qui-Gon replied without turning around to face his friend.
The loud steady and monotonous hum still hung in the air.
Qui-Gon could see An-Paj pull a metal cart next to Obi-Wan's bed. Two pedal-like pieces of metal were pulled from the cart and laid on Obi-Wan's chest.
"Clear!" An-Paj yelled
Obi-Wan's body arched up on response
The loud steady and monotonous hum still hung in the air.
"200.clear!"
The loud steady and monotonous hum still hung in the air.
"Give me 250.clear!"
The loud steady and monotonous hum still hung in the air.
"300!.clear!"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
All the Healers sighed together as they finally heard the precious "beep" returned to the small monitor screen. Qui-Gon let out a big sigh as he allowed himself to collapse to the floor outside of the room. Mace Windu helped him to a seat nearby, but Qui-Gon was still lost in thoughts.
Finally, after a few moments of silence, Qui-Gon turned to his friend. "I'm afraid Mace. For the first time in my life, I'm really afraid."
That was all Qui-Gon could say, but it was enough. Mace Windu knew how his friend felt.the pain, the fear. Obi-Wan meant the whole world to him, and he knew that there was nothing he could do to comfort his friend so he kept quiet. He only hoped the silence would provide Qui-Gon with some peace of mind.
After an hour that seemed to stretch on for an eternity, An-Paj emerged from the Emergency Room, exhausted and dazed. Seeing the Healer, Qui-Gon immediately leapt to his feet.
"How is he?" Qui-Gon immediately asked, wasting no time.
"He's stabilized for now Qui-Gon." An-Paj seemed hesitant, not sure if he should continue.
Qui-Gon immediately saw An-Paj's expression and already a knot began to form inside of him. "Please An-Paj, tell me the truth, what's wrong with him?"
An-Paj let out a sad sigh and motioned for Qui-Gon to take a seat. Sitting down next to Qui-Gon, An-Paj began the dreaded conversation that a Healer must say.
"Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan's been poisoned."
"Poison? How could that be?" Qui-Gon stopped short, realizing just how stupid his question was. "I'm sorry.please continue "
"I understand what you must be going through now Qui-Gon, and I'm very sorry, but Obi-Wan's been poisoned by a rare toxin. It's something we Healers have never encountered before. The toxin is killing his midi- chlorian count as we speak."
"Are you saying that there's no antidote?" Mace Windu jumped in.
"I'm afraid as of now.no"
"As of now, no. As of now, no" Those words echoed incessantly inside Qui- Gon's head. No matter how hard he tried to rid those words and the intonation that his padawan might die, he couldn't. He sat there on that chair, paralyzed with fear. He knew that a Jedi shouldn't feel fear. Funny how many times he'd told Obi-Wan that when Obi-Wan had one of his usual "precognition". But now, it didn't matter if Qui-Gon felt fear or not, all he wanted was for Obi-Wan to be all right.
"Qui-Gon! Qui-Gon!" a voice called him, sounding very distant. After a few seconds, a hand shook his shoulder.
"Qui-Gon! Qui-Gon! Are you alright?" Mace Windu called again.
"I.I.I want to be with Obi-Wan" Qui-Gon finally said as he stood and headed for the room.
"Qui-Gon." An-Paj began. "You know.it's not entirely hopeless. We still need to run a few more tests. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help Obi-Wan"
"I know you will An-Paj. I know"
With that, Qui-Gon left Mace Windu and An-Paj and came into the room. He saw Obi-Wan lying there with tubes and electrical wires attached to him. Yet, despite the immense technical support that kept his padawan alive, the young boy looked so at peace with the world. If Qui-Gon didn't know any better, he would have thought Obi-Wan was just asleep. Just asleep. But as he came closer, the alarmingly pallid texture on his padawan's face shook his very soul. Obi-Wan looked so fragile, lying there.motionless, except for the gentle sound of a monitor that went "beep beep beep".
