Part Three:
Panic took over as Padme struggled to reach the surface. As soon as she did she hardly had time to gulp even a little air and a mouthful of water before she was pulled under again. She thrashed wildly with her legs and free arm, her other still holding onto the Jedi with a death grip.
The water was so cold, and her body was being pushed and pulled in so many directions. She was already becoming weak from wrestling with the torrent. She felt trapped as her robes tugged and wrapped around her, amplifying her sense of being a doll thrown about by the water. Every once in a while she would be jerked by the Jedi's body being pulled away from her.
Her back hit something that gave slightly. It was sand. She tried to put her feet down but it was useless. She couldn't tell up from down anymore. The sound of the roaring above water was just as disorienting as the muffled thunder below.
Her body jerked as the river tried to carry her downstream but her hand was latched to something suddenly immobile. She felt herself being slowly pulled against the current towards the Jedi. He had somehow managed to grip a rock.
She fought the water that was being forced down her throat and gasped for air. She reached out and grabbed rock, then able to help pull herself up.
The Jedi grabbed both of her arms now, hoisting her out of the water. She was dropped onto the sand of the riverbank, panting heavily. Wisps of hair that had become loose from her once neatly braided hair now stuck to her wet face.
She became aware of how weak she was and how heavy her robes felt as she rolled to her side to see the Jedi. He was laying on his back a few feet away, also trying to catch his breath. What she realized was blood mixing easily with water stained his tunic by his left shoulder and chest. She wanted to crawl over to him, to see how badly he was injured, but she did not yet have the strength.
He closed his eyes for a moment then turned his head to look at her. He could read the weary gratitude and worry in her soft brown eyes.
The warm sun never felt so good. After a few minutes she crawled over to the Jedi as he was beginning to sit up. Without needing to explain she pushed back back his tunic to examine his wound. A piece of rock had caught him. Nothing remained in the wound, thanks to the water, and it wasn't terribly deep. It was a flesh wound, major damage only to the muscle.
She reached inside her robe as the Jedi attempted to examine the injury himself. Just as she had worn conventional footwear, she had grabbed a small med pack that she hid in an inside pocket. It didn't contain much, just a few compressed gauze and bandages, along with an antibiotic pill to fight infection. She was grateful she had snagged it.
"Here," she pressed some gauze to the injury. "Hold that there." She unwound some of the sticky ended bandage and taped it in place.
"You better not try to use that arm, there's visible muscle damage."
"I noticed," the Jedi replied, wincing a bit at the pain that was caused when he slightly moved his left arm.
The two got to their feet, their strength returning to an extent. Padme looked up river.
"They'll be looking for us,"
The Jedi squinted upriver in the sunlight.
"You'll need to take this," she handed him the antibiotic. He looked at it for a moment then pulled something out of a small canister in his belt.
"Here," he muttered as he walked down to the water. Padme looked at the pill he had just handed her.
"What is it?"
"It's so you can drink the water without getting sick. I know you're not going to like it, but we're going to have to drink all that we can before we continue."
She sighed as she trudged back over to the water. She popped the pill in her mouth and bent to scoop some water.
After they were done drinking she turned curiously to the Jedi, who was poking at his bandage.
"Who are you?" She asked.
The surprised Jedi hurried to answer. "Jedi apprentice to Master Qui-Gon-"
"I knew that," she cut him off. "Who are you?" she asked with more emphasis this time. "What's your name?"
The Jedi looked momentarily embarrassed.
"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi."
She extended her hand.
"I'm Padme Naberrie."
Obi-Wan showed the slightest bit of amusement as he shook her hand. "It's a pleasure." They both laughed. After all that had happened to them so far it seemed funny that they didn't even know each other's names.
"Well, Miss Padme Naberrie," Obi-Wan said, looking to the sun. "We best get going."
TBC