Chapter 1:Recovery
by dreamingofani
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to LN, my best friend forever and ever and ever. LYLMSS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am prepared now for myself
I am prepared now and I am fine again.
-Seether-Fine Again
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Padmé Amidala ran in the hanger, hoping, praying that...
She saw him lying there on the cold hard ground. Her heart missed a beat and she only ran faster to him, feeling his pain and agony flow through her more clearly than she could feel her own.
"Anakin!" she cried desperately and fell into his arms...arm.
A flash of hot pain seared through her entire body as she realized his right arm below the elbow was missing. She nearly fainted and fell to her knees at this realization, but she held him tightly, desperately. She clung to him as if her life, his life, depended upon it.
"Oh Ani," she sighed into his ear and began to sob into his chest.
"Shh, shh Padmé, I'm okay," he told her rather unconvincingly and leaned down until his lips met hers. She fell willingly and passionately into the kiss, letting the tip of her tongue delicately explore his mouth. It ended only when the need to breathe became an issue for them. It was a good thing, too, as she looked over Anakin's shoulder to see Obi-Wan watching curiously from a distance. He pulled his eyes away quickly from the couple as Padmé's gaze met his.
"C'mon, Ani. It's time to go," she whispered into his ear. She delicately wrapped her arm around his back to help him walk. They took a few steps before Anakin pulled away.
"It's all right, I can wa--" he said weakly before taking one more step and collapsing on the ground with a thud.
Padmé reached out quickly to grab him, but not in time. She fell to her knees beside him and pulled his unconscious body to her. She buried her face in his soft golden brown hair and wept. It took her quite a while, perhaps too long, for her to collect herself enough to cry out for Obi-Wan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Padmé couldn't stop herself from running down the long hospital corridor. The clean white walls, the shiny metallic droids moving in and out of rooms-- it all became one giant blur as she zoomed past. Two fifty-one...two fifty-two...two fifty-three...
Two fifty-four! She stopped dead in her tracks and threw open the door to room 254. She looked in and saw various medical equipment, a small bedside table, and a bed with a young man attached to a heart monitor. She rushed over to the bed and looked upon the still form that lay there. He looked so serene, so peaceful. His bare chest was only halfway covered by the blanket, and one tan, muscular arm was folded across his heart. His sandy blonde hair was a bit dirty and more tousled than usual, but still soft to Padmé's touch. His thin little Padawan braid was draped across his neck, and a lightsaber lay unmoving on the bedside table. She looked at him and smiled. He was so brave and undaunted, so courageous and strong. And really handsome, she thought with a grin. And he's all mine... Padmé took his hand in hers, feeling the warmth radiate from his entire body. He looked so sweet and innocent, like a little wounded kitten. She couldn't help it, and she reached up to stroke his face. She sighed in contentment.
She sat like that for hours, just holding his hand and listening to the constant beep-beeps of the heart monitor. It was very comforting to Padmé to know that he was alive, and that he was hers...
Several hours later, Anakin began to stir. She waited in anticipation of talking to him, holding him, kissing him...
His eyes flung open and he looked about the room, obviously confused. He blinked a few times, attempting to fully regain focus.
"Where am I... Padmé, is that you?" he asked groggily. She didn't answer, but instead threw her body on top of his and began to kiss him madly. Satisfied, she rolled off of him and slid in place next to him in the bed.
"Mmmm Ani..." she breathed into his ear. He began to wrap his arms around her, as she was doing to him, but stopped suddenly as he pulled his right arm from under the covers. He brought the new mechanical arm close to his face to examine it, then let it fall beside him. He let out an audible sigh of exasperation. Padmé, sensing his unease, tried to console him.
"Shh... Anakin... it's handsome, just like you."
"I don't like it," he decided stubbornly. "It's a piece of junk."
"No..." she whispered, and pulled the mechanical arm over towards her, wrapping it around her waist. "It's perfect," she finished.
He sighed again and rested his cheek atop her curly head. "How's your back?" he asked.
"Oh, okay, I guess. It still hurts a bit," she replied.
"Would it feel better if I kissed it?" Anakin said with a mischievous grin.
"Oh, yes," Padmé told him, and rolled over on her stomach next to him. Anakin sat up a bit in bed and leaned towards her. He gently lifted her shirt a little to expose the wounds. He ran his fingers up and down her back, taking in the familiar sensation of her silky smooth skin. He then began to press his lips against her exposed flesh, again and again. The tip of his tongue traced over the edge of her scars, sending a shiver of delight up Padmé's spine. He stopped and she rolled back over to face him.
"Better?" he asked.
"Much better."
They sat in each other's arms for a while, taking in every beautiful sensation of this moment. Suddenly, Padmé sat up and began to get out of bed.
"I should tell Obi-Wan that you're awake."
"It can wait. Stay a while, Padmé," he invited.
So she climbed back into his comforting embrace, leaning up every so often to kiss him. Soon enough their eyes closed and they both fell asleep like that, each having the best dreams they'd had in quite a while.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obi-Wan Kenobi took his time walking down the hall. He stood at the reception desk, watching all the other desperate people hurrying about impatiently. He chuckled to himself at the difference. Well, he was a Jedi, after all.
Finally a stout little droid came up to him. "Can I help you?" came it's metallic voice.
"Yes. I am looking for Anakin Skywalker's room."
"Room two fifty-four, straight down the hall."
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said politely and turned to the corridor that the droid had indicated. He walked straight down, looking forward to paying a surprise visit to his Padawan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anakin shot straight up in bed. He could sense that presence anywhere...
"Oh Sith!" he cried.
"What?" Padmé mumbled.
"It's Obi-Wan!"
"What do we do?" she asked in a panic. He looked around the room for a minute.
"Hide in that storage closet!"
No sooner than Padmé had sprinted in and slammed the door closed, that Obi-Wan entered. Anakin pretended to be asleep.
"Anakin... Anakin, wake up," Obi-Wan said, shaking him gently.
"Huhdawuh..." Anakin mumbled incoherently. He looked up to see Obi-Wan, and faked surprise. "Master!" he exclaimed.
"How are you feeling, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, a trace of concern in his voice.
"Uh, better. Better."
"Let me see your arm."
He stuck it out in his Master's direction and buried his face in shame.
"Uh, well," Obi-Wan started uncomfortably. "There's no denying that it's a bit-- uh, different. You're going to need some more training to, ah, adjust." Obi-Wan braced himself for the argument that would follow this statement, the whining and complaining. But there was none.
"Yes, Master," Anakin obeyed. Obi-Wan gave him a suspicious glare. Quickly realizing his error, Anakin mentally scolded himself.
Even from inside the closet, Padmé could tell he had slipped.
Suspicion crept into Obi-Wan's voice. "Okay, then..."
Anakin strengthened his mental sheild.
They stared into each other's eyes for quite some time, trying, but failing, to read the other's thoughts.
Padmé leaned against the door, listening for one of them to make a move.
"Well, Anakin," Obi-Wan said at last. "I am glad to see that you are feeling better. How many more days of rest do you think you'll need?"
"One more day should be sufficient, Master."
"Okay, then. Tomorrow you will go back to work."
"Doing what, Master?"
Obi-Wan paused and chose his words carefully. He didn't like this idea, not at all. But Yoda seemed to have confidence in Anakin, and Obi-Wan was not one to disobey the Council.
"You are to escort Senator Amidala home to Naboo."
Even Obi-Wan could feel Anakin's spirit leap at this statement, as hard as Anakin tried to hide it.
"Yes, Master," Anakin replied, a bit too eagerly.
"It's settled then. I will go to the Senator's room to inform her..." he said and turned to leave.
"No!" Anakin half-screamed, but then bit his tongue.
"What?" Obi-Wan asked and spun around in amazement.
"Um... ah.... she... she's not there!" Anakin said pathetically. "She got released."
"All right, I'll call her then." And before Anakin could protest, Obi-Wan had whipped out comlink and was punching in a series of numbers...
...an annoying sequence of beeps came from within the closet.
"Sith," Anakin muttered under his breath.
Obi-Wan walked slowly over to the door and opened it with a flourish. Out tumbled a very surprised Padmé Amidala, comlink in hand.
"Hello, Obi-Wan," she said pleasantly.
"What's going on here?" Obi-Wan demanded.
Both were at a loss for words.
"She uh..."
"He um..."
"She was looking... looking for some ah... gauze!" Anakin lied.
"Yes, gauze," Padmé confirmed. "I came back and all the medical droids were busy, but I needed to change the gauze on my back. Sorry to have disturbed you."
"That's quite all right, M'Lady," Obi-Wan said in disbelief. "So you heard about your departure, then?"
"Yes. Tomorrow will be fine," she answered.
"I'd better go..." Obi-Wan said, obviously desperate to leave.
"Thank you, Master Kenobi," Padmé said in her formal, diplomatic voice.
"May the Force be with you, Anakin," he said awkwardly.
"May the Force be with you, Master," Anakin replied.
"Goodbye," he said and walked out quickly.
Padmé and Anakin locked gazes as Obi-Wan closed the door behind him. All they could do was laugh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: That was fun! More soon. Please review.
