Anakin had sat for minutes rocking Padmé soothingly in his arms. The tears continued to stream down his face at a more steady pace as he looked down at her.
"Padmé, you can't leave me! Not now.." He pleaded. At that moment he heard someone call his name.
"Anakin! Anakin, what are you doing? Did you find her?" Obi Wan stood in the door way staring at Anakin from behind. Anakin turned his face slowly around to meet Obi Wan's.
"What's wrong?" Obi Wan asked, noticing Anakin crying. He stepped closer and looked over Anakin's shoulder. "Is she..." Obi Wan couldn't continue.
"No.." Anakin answered, looking back down at her. "She's still breathing...get help Obi Wan." Anakin's tone of voice began to raise.
"What?" said Obi Wan.
"Get Help!" Anakin shouted at him, his voice muffled by tears and a large knot in his throat. Obi Wan back away and ran out of the room and back up the stair well.
"Padmé, Padmé speak to me! Padmé,....I love you.." Anakin whispered to her. Padmé slowly opened her eyes and needing much effort, managed to turn her head slightly to face him. "I....I...love you....too....Ani...." she replied. Anakin smiled, his first real smile in years. For all this time, he had been hiding his emotions. Anakin continued to rock her gently as he watched her close her eyes once more. He continued speaking to her, to make sure she hadn't left him. But matters got worse, she hardly moved and her breathing became faint. She didn't respond to his movements or when he spoke. Finally, Obi Wan returned with a smaller man at his side.
"Anakin, this is Dr. Gudro. He works at the hospital in this village, he can help Padmé." He told Anakin. The doctor walked over to Anakin, where Padmé lay in his arms. He grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse. He examined her face, and breathing patterns before making an assumption.
"Here,.." He said, pulling out a glass tube from a large pocket in his lab coat. "We will give her this, a sedative. It will help he sleep, but it also regenerates the body's physical restoration system. Her body shall repair herself, but she will need rest and time." The doctor tilted her head bac and forced the liquid down her throat. When Padmé's body accepted it, the doctor stood and waited. "That shall do it, take her home, somewhere safe. Hurry, before whomever did this returns!" Gudro demanded. Obi Wan nodded and signaled for Anakin to get up. Anakin Kissed Padmé's forehead gently and stood up while still carrying her.
"Alright" Anakin said, carrying her back up the stairs over to his racer, obtained from the Sith. He placed her gently in the seat and climbed in the driver's side. He immediately throttled the gas and turbo, speeding to the Senate home. They shortly arrived, he landed his racer close to the entrance and carried Padmé to her room. Anakin placed her on the bed where he sat by her side, waiting anxiously while she slept. "I love you" he said to her, speaking the only words Padmé had lived for.
"Padmé, you can't leave me! Not now.." He pleaded. At that moment he heard someone call his name.
"Anakin! Anakin, what are you doing? Did you find her?" Obi Wan stood in the door way staring at Anakin from behind. Anakin turned his face slowly around to meet Obi Wan's.
"What's wrong?" Obi Wan asked, noticing Anakin crying. He stepped closer and looked over Anakin's shoulder. "Is she..." Obi Wan couldn't continue.
"No.." Anakin answered, looking back down at her. "She's still breathing...get help Obi Wan." Anakin's tone of voice began to raise.
"What?" said Obi Wan.
"Get Help!" Anakin shouted at him, his voice muffled by tears and a large knot in his throat. Obi Wan back away and ran out of the room and back up the stair well.
"Padmé, Padmé speak to me! Padmé,....I love you.." Anakin whispered to her. Padmé slowly opened her eyes and needing much effort, managed to turn her head slightly to face him. "I....I...love you....too....Ani...." she replied. Anakin smiled, his first real smile in years. For all this time, he had been hiding his emotions. Anakin continued to rock her gently as he watched her close her eyes once more. He continued speaking to her, to make sure she hadn't left him. But matters got worse, she hardly moved and her breathing became faint. She didn't respond to his movements or when he spoke. Finally, Obi Wan returned with a smaller man at his side.
"Anakin, this is Dr. Gudro. He works at the hospital in this village, he can help Padmé." He told Anakin. The doctor walked over to Anakin, where Padmé lay in his arms. He grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse. He examined her face, and breathing patterns before making an assumption.
"Here,.." He said, pulling out a glass tube from a large pocket in his lab coat. "We will give her this, a sedative. It will help he sleep, but it also regenerates the body's physical restoration system. Her body shall repair herself, but she will need rest and time." The doctor tilted her head bac and forced the liquid down her throat. When Padmé's body accepted it, the doctor stood and waited. "That shall do it, take her home, somewhere safe. Hurry, before whomever did this returns!" Gudro demanded. Obi Wan nodded and signaled for Anakin to get up. Anakin Kissed Padmé's forehead gently and stood up while still carrying her.
"Alright" Anakin said, carrying her back up the stairs over to his racer, obtained from the Sith. He placed her gently in the seat and climbed in the driver's side. He immediately throttled the gas and turbo, speeding to the Senate home. They shortly arrived, he landed his racer close to the entrance and carried Padmé to her room. Anakin placed her on the bed where he sat by her side, waiting anxiously while she slept. "I love you" he said to her, speaking the only words Padmé had lived for.
