While You Were Out
Chapter 5
In Sickness and in More Sickness
Anakin paced and checked the chrono for what seemed to be the hundredth time in less than an hour. Leia had begun coughing and gurgling a bit and the moment they had dashed into the healers (adding a few minor casualties on the way) they had swept her out of his arms and into an examination room. By now, Anakin was beginning to feel a little unwell. He assumed that it was only worry, but even for one born and raised on a desert planet such as himself, the room was feeling uncomfortably warm.
Frustrated, he rose to find one of the healers only to be met at the door by a Mon Calamari healer and her Twi'lek assistant. Anakin barely noticed the tray with the specimen bottle and the syringe focusing his attention entirely on the healer.
"My daughter..." he began breathlessly.
"Will be fine..." the Healer assured him. "She has a case of the Alderainian flu. Fairly common this time of year, and small children can be susceptible. I want to run a few more test and keep her overnight..."
"Overnight..." Anakin repeated, suddenly feeling weak. His knees began to buckle and the assistant thoughtfully provided a chair for him to sit in.
"Just as a precaution... has your son or any other family member shown any signs of illness? However mild?"
"My son is in fine form... My wife is away on business... Leia has been a little fussy but I never..." he trailed off, exhaustion setting in on him like a cloud.
"No, it quite alright," the healer reassured him. "However, you master Jedi..."
"I'm fine..." Anakin protested weakly. "I just want to see my daughter..."
"In due time, she's just resting right now. I need a few samples from you, just put out your arm please."
Anakin proffered his right arm, and offered a smile the healer did not return.
He cocked an eyebrow. "Well, it's good for many things... I can get the pod racing results, the latest stock market trends and my middle finger..."
Suddenly, he let out a cry and then a Hutties curse.
"You didn't have to jab me with the damned thing!" he snapped at the healer's assistant who had ignored his outburst.
"Master Skywalker, if you please..."
"What now?"
"Another sample..."
"What are you? A healer or a leech?"
The healer handed him a small bottle. "Can you make it to the fresher or do you need Ameris to help you?"
"No thank you," Anakin grumbled slowly making his way up.
"A SMALL sample if you would, Master Skywalker. I need to do a few test..."
Anakin muttered something under his breath and then sighed.
"I apologize," he said at last. "You must understand..."
"Of course," she replied gently. "You may see your daughter from the observation room in a moment. Do you have anyone you wish to contact?"
"I can't hold her?"
"Please Master Skywalker, she needs rest..."
"She NEEDS her father!"
"Alright," the Healer conceded. "Once we've run the test on you and are sure you're not going to faint dead away on us, we'll put you in a bio suit so you can visit with her. But only for a short while, as I told you, she needs her rest. As do you by looks of things... "
"I will REST once I've seen my daughter..." Anakin added a little bitterly. "Why..." he began but the healer cut him off.
"She will be FINE... as will you in a day or so. Nothing to be worried about and definitely nothing to get upset or blame yourself for. Now, do you have someone you need to contact? Where is your son?"
"He is with Master Obi-Wan, possibly heading to my home..."
"I will have a message relayed to him to have the boy brought here if you'd like, or perhaps it would be better to have him examined at the temple. The flu is highly contagious and you don't want to have your son exposed if he's not infected." She handed him the sample cup. "Now, be a good young man and give us a little, and then I'll have you taken to your daughter..."
Anakin could only nod his consent. Then suddenly it hit him.
"My wife..." he began.
"Tell us where she is and we'll relay the message. We don't need to alarm her unnecessarily..." She turned to Ameris. "Bring Master Skywalker a hover chair, and perhaps when we come back he'll have produced for us..."
Ameris flicked her lectu lightly and smirked.
"Are you sure you won't need any help Master?" she snickered as they headed out the door.
"No," Anakin replied dryly. "That particular honor is held for my wife..."
He leaned back and closed his eyes, hoping that this would put and end to the indignity.
After they left, he realised two things. For a start, the bottle for the sample was indeed a small one, and secondly, the room they had placed him in was normally for non humanoid creatures... the Fresher would most decidedly pose a problem...
