* Letting go *
Corran looked up at Cilghal before he attempted to exit the emergency room. "What do I tell them?" His words were clear, blunt and simple.
"The truth," Cilghal answered. It was the only thing she had to offer in the mist of her exhaustion.
Taking a deep breath, the Jedi Master prepared himself as best he could before pressing the activation panel to open the door. It swished shut behind him. Leia had been sleeping on Han's shoulder, but immediately jumped up on her feet when she heard the door open. Han followed right to her side next to Corran. Everyone else hung back considerately. Corran noticed Tahiri at the far end of the room being assisted by Jacen. He saw her limping and holding onto Jacen as if she too had been hurt like Anakin.
Turning back towards Han and Leia, he spoke. "Both Cilghal and I were able to hook him on life support machines."
"So he'll be alright?" Leia choked up the question.
Lowering his head, the Jedi Master took her hand. "No."
"Can we at least see him?" Han asked.
"Before anyone does, you must know, 85% of his face has been melted away, and half of his body is severely burned. Syntheflesh will repair some of the damage, but it will be a while. But I suggest that we wait until tomorrow morning before we allow visitors." His words were gentle and serious. "I'm sorry."
Tahiri dashed past him into the emergency room before anyone else could stop her. When she entered the room, her eyes saw Anakin's badly mangled body lying on the bed. His face was no more; most of his body had been bandaged up. "Ani…" her voice trailed off.
"Tahiri? You are not s—" the Jedi Healer stopped, noticing her distress. "Oh, honey…"
Ignoring Cilghal, the Jedi Knight strolled over to the lifeless human's side and fell to her knees. Opening herself up to the Force, she stretched out to him and felt nothing. Not one inch of life-force was left in his body, all except a single thread completely consumed by the agony of pain damage on his body. The only thing keeping him connected to the pain was the machines. That's when everything inside her snapped.
Her hands began to grab the cords to the life support and began pulling them off him. The machines were causing him only to be connected with his pain even though he wasn't really there.
"TAHIRI!" Cilghal screamed. Someone caught her hands, keeping her from pulling out other wires from Anakin's body. The Jedi Healer quickly plugged in the machine and Anakin's vital signs began to slowly turn back to normal. Turning towards the girl, Cilghal asked fearfully. "Tahiri, what do you think your doing?"
"You're only causing him to suffer in more pain, more hurt. He's gone… he's never coming back! I know that, now everyone here has to admit to that fact." Silence stung the room.
Corran, who obviously been the one to hold her back from doing anything else rash, spoke first. "There still might be some hope, you can't just give up."
"But I felt him. I felt him leave us." Tears swarmed back into her eyes. "Anakin was gone once he was hit. Now the only thing keeping with us is the pain that your making him go through by keeping him on those machines! Check his brain waves if you don't believe me…"
Cilghal looked at her. Both she and Corran hadn't thought it was necessary to check them. Since they, both felt the boy barely holding on in the Force. Cilghal went over and read the brain waves and was disheartened to find what Tahiri claimed was true. "He's brain dead." Her words echoed throughout the room.
"Please, just let him go. He's hurting so much… I can feel it. The burning… it's not worth it. He won't make it, and both of you know it." Tears ran down her fair cheeks, her eyes already swollen from the grief. "I love Anakin, but I can't bare him to go through this much. He may not be able to think but I know he can still feel, and so can I."
"What do we do?" Cilghal looked to Corran for help. "What about his family?"
It was the three most painful words the Jedi Master forced himself to say. "Let him go."
Corran looked up at Cilghal before he attempted to exit the emergency room. "What do I tell them?" His words were clear, blunt and simple.
"The truth," Cilghal answered. It was the only thing she had to offer in the mist of her exhaustion.
Taking a deep breath, the Jedi Master prepared himself as best he could before pressing the activation panel to open the door. It swished shut behind him. Leia had been sleeping on Han's shoulder, but immediately jumped up on her feet when she heard the door open. Han followed right to her side next to Corran. Everyone else hung back considerately. Corran noticed Tahiri at the far end of the room being assisted by Jacen. He saw her limping and holding onto Jacen as if she too had been hurt like Anakin.
Turning back towards Han and Leia, he spoke. "Both Cilghal and I were able to hook him on life support machines."
"So he'll be alright?" Leia choked up the question.
Lowering his head, the Jedi Master took her hand. "No."
"Can we at least see him?" Han asked.
"Before anyone does, you must know, 85% of his face has been melted away, and half of his body is severely burned. Syntheflesh will repair some of the damage, but it will be a while. But I suggest that we wait until tomorrow morning before we allow visitors." His words were gentle and serious. "I'm sorry."
Tahiri dashed past him into the emergency room before anyone else could stop her. When she entered the room, her eyes saw Anakin's badly mangled body lying on the bed. His face was no more; most of his body had been bandaged up. "Ani…" her voice trailed off.
"Tahiri? You are not s—" the Jedi Healer stopped, noticing her distress. "Oh, honey…"
Ignoring Cilghal, the Jedi Knight strolled over to the lifeless human's side and fell to her knees. Opening herself up to the Force, she stretched out to him and felt nothing. Not one inch of life-force was left in his body, all except a single thread completely consumed by the agony of pain damage on his body. The only thing keeping him connected to the pain was the machines. That's when everything inside her snapped.
Her hands began to grab the cords to the life support and began pulling them off him. The machines were causing him only to be connected with his pain even though he wasn't really there.
"TAHIRI!" Cilghal screamed. Someone caught her hands, keeping her from pulling out other wires from Anakin's body. The Jedi Healer quickly plugged in the machine and Anakin's vital signs began to slowly turn back to normal. Turning towards the girl, Cilghal asked fearfully. "Tahiri, what do you think your doing?"
"You're only causing him to suffer in more pain, more hurt. He's gone… he's never coming back! I know that, now everyone here has to admit to that fact." Silence stung the room.
Corran, who obviously been the one to hold her back from doing anything else rash, spoke first. "There still might be some hope, you can't just give up."
"But I felt him. I felt him leave us." Tears swarmed back into her eyes. "Anakin was gone once he was hit. Now the only thing keeping with us is the pain that your making him go through by keeping him on those machines! Check his brain waves if you don't believe me…"
Cilghal looked at her. Both she and Corran hadn't thought it was necessary to check them. Since they, both felt the boy barely holding on in the Force. Cilghal went over and read the brain waves and was disheartened to find what Tahiri claimed was true. "He's brain dead." Her words echoed throughout the room.
"Please, just let him go. He's hurting so much… I can feel it. The burning… it's not worth it. He won't make it, and both of you know it." Tears ran down her fair cheeks, her eyes already swollen from the grief. "I love Anakin, but I can't bare him to go through this much. He may not be able to think but I know he can still feel, and so can I."
"What do we do?" Cilghal looked to Corran for help. "What about his family?"
It was the three most painful words the Jedi Master forced himself to say. "Let him go."