While You Were Out
Chapter 7
Sometimes Through The Force You Will See... Too Much
Obi-Wan made his way up to the flat in the Senatorial apartment with Luke resting comfortably on his shoulder. Since they had left the diner, there had been nary a trace of spittle, lunch, or other such 'gifts'. For that, Obi-Wan was not only grateful, but found he was actually enjoying the company of the little one. Luke, for his part, had taken to Obi-Wan quite happily as a stand in for his parents (at least for now) and was already beginning to drift off to sleep.
He reached the door and was surprised to be greeted, not by Anakin, but by the protocol droid C-3PO and the astro-mech droid they had nick named "R-2".
"Master Kenobi! How good it is to see you again!" Threepio chimed as R-2 beeped and whistled anxiously in the background. Turning almost haughtily to the other droid Threepio snapped, "Oh of course you need to play him the message... allow the master to enter first!"
"Where is Master Skywalker?" Obi-Wan enquired, setting Luke down on the living room floor, certain in the fact that he couldn't get into any trouble there.
"Master Anakin is with Mistress Leia at the Healers..."
"The Healers?" Obi-Wan shot back. "Where? When...?"
"If you'll come with me Master Kenobi, there is a message waiting for you over here in Mistress Padmé's office..."
Obi-Wan glanced around the room, making sure that anything too tempting was out of reach and virtually pushed the protocol droid into Padmé's office.
Within moments, he played back the message and returned the Healers holo.
A stern looking human woman appeared before him, even in holo form Obi-Wan felt intimidated by her presence.
"Master Kenobi," she began but Obi-Wan cut her off.
"What's wrong?" He began breathlessly, but felt himself wither under her stare.
"Master Kenobi..." she began again, a little more sternly this time. "Young Leia has a low grade case of Alderainian Flu.... she'll be quite all right although we are keeping her overnight to be sure..." She scowled. "Senator Amidala will be returning from her trip a few days early despite my reassurances..."
"And Anakin?"
"Is suffering from a very bad case of 'OCFM'... he's resting comfortably right now..."
"OCFM?" Obi-Wan sank to the chair, pale. "Is... is it bad??"
"'OCFM'..." Healer Ratchet sighed. "Overly Concerned Family Member... he should also stay with us if at all possible. How's the boy?"
"Luke..." Obi-Wan corrected her under his breath. "Luke, the boy is just fine... perhaps a bit hungry and tired..."
"Can you place him for the night? Perhaps by tomorrow evening we can allow Master Skywalker and his daughter to return home but in the mean time..."
"Luke, the boy, can stay with me..." Obi-Wan found himself answering. "We've seemed to have forged a small bond..."
The Healer seemed on the verge of saying something, but reconsidered. "Very well then," she said at last. "Contact me tomorrow morning and I'll update you on their prognosis... "And without another word she flickered off.
Obi-Wan sighed. He could conceivably take the boy to the temple but it was already getting late and finding a taxi at this time of night would be difficult at best... Besides, they were in the boy's 'home' already, and without his parents about perhaps the trauma might be too much... Obi-Wan knew he was rationalizing... that in his heart he had already made the decision the moment he found that he would have the boy for the night. He headed back to the living room to get Luke settled in, and to his horror, found him gone.
At the Healers, Anakin awoke to find himself in one of the most uncomfortable beds he had ever slept in. Even the Mountain ranges of Rava 5 had been more welcoming than this!
Leia! He had to find Leia! And then that damned beast of a Healer...
He turned his head, which seemed to weigh a ton, and saw that his bed was next to a cradle.
"Leia..." he whispered though a mouthful of cotton, and slowly dragged himself over to her. Yes, he would definitely have a few 'words' with the Healer... later.
The baby was lying on her back with a myriad of electrodes and monitoring devices stuck all over her body. As carefully as he could, he picked her up and brought her to his chest. She fussed momentarily but immediately calmed the instant he pressed her head to his heartbeat.
"Shhh, there there little one..." he said softly. "Daddy's here." He lay back on the bed with Leia on his chest, and drifted back off to sleep, headless of the flashing light that indicated that the silent alarm had been tripped.
Obi-Wan pushed down the panic that tried to rise into his throat.
The floor where he had set Luke down was covered in... Chocolate? But the box had been....
Obi-Wan swore softly under his breath. Force gifted child...
He began a physical search of the rooms, leaving the two droids to try to contact Padmé and the Temple while he looked.
Padmé's office... neat but barren of life... Anakin's work room... an expansive jumble that rivaled their shared quarters at the Temple... Also devoid of life... the door to Dormé's room was locked against intruders. The Nursery... two cribs, various toys and furniture, and oddly out of place, an adult Rocker Chair, but no Luke.
At Last he reached Anakin and Padmé's bedroom and stood at the thresh hold. Some how he couldn't bring himself to enter yet...
Obi-Wan closed his eyes and drew on the force as Qui-Gon's words echoed through his memory.
"Through the Force you will see many things..."
Yes.
"The distant past, the future..."
Perhaps sometimes too much.
Obi-Wan flushed... he knew Anakin and Padmé were... well... passionate... but still...
He cleared his head, or at least tried to. He had to find Luke...
A soft noise... a whimper. Putting aside his resolve, he followed the sound to its source.
There, curled up on his father's Meditation mat was Luke, covered in the remnants of chocolate and fast asleep.
As carefully as he could, Obi-Wan bent down and picked up the little boy and carried him to the fresher.
"Fa-Da?" said Luke sleepily as he made a grab for Obi-Wan's nose again but this time, Obi-Wan was too quick.
"Soon little one..." said Obi-Wan softly. He would clean up the child and make up a bed with Anakin's Mediation mat next to the couch. He was sure that Luke would be fine in his crib, but just in case...
"O-Pee-Wan..." Luke sighed, and rested his head on Obi-Wan's chest. Too soon the familiar warmth washed over his robes, but Obi-Wan found he no longer cared.
"Yes," he crooned. "Oh-Pee-Wan is here for you..."
