Chapter 28
The Ties That Bind
"Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan looked up from his place next to the bacta tank. Sabé had been removed three times and replaced just as many during his vigil. She had yet to awaken. The first time he'd sent her into a healing trance to help and he hadn't brought her out of it yet. His gaze collided with a Jedi Master he knew all too well. The same Jedi who'd helped him heal before. "Master Windu."
"How is she?" Mace stepped next to him, his arms folded in his robe.
"Much improved, Master. She's still in the healing trance, but it helps the bacta accelerate her healing process."
"She's been in the trance for long enough." Mace looked at the younger man, noting the strain lines around his mouth and eyes. If Obi-Wan was sleeping it wasn't for long or very well. "You look like you could use some sleep."
"I'm fine Master."
"Care to tell me why the medics don't seem to notice you?"
Obi-Wan looked across the room at the young woman behind the desk. "They don't need to know I'm here."
Mace sighed. "Obi-Wan, mind controlling them isn't going to get you what you want. Diplomacy is better suited for this situation."
Obi-Wan looked at the young woman floating in the tank, her appearance much improved since she'd been placed inside the tank two days previous. He waved his hand, telepathically giving the signal that would bring her out of the trance. Mace watched as Sabé slowly opened her eyes, squinting through the viscous liquid. Obi-Wan placed his hand against the tank at her eye level, signaling to her he was still here. Hers rose slowly, her fingers flexing as if in slow motion as they spread against the glass from the inside. She smiled, and he could see it in the tug of her cheek muscles around the respirator and the glow that came to her eyes.
Obi-Wan looked at Mace. "I don't know if they'd let me stay."
Mace smiled, "If you asked, more than took, you might. You need sleep, my friend. You're dead on your feet. Come, Sabé will sleep normally now, healing, as she should. When next she comes out of the tank you'll want to be here with her."
Obi-Wan said nothing, simply look one last, long look at Sabé as her eyes closed, before following Mace out of the room. The Jedi Master was right.
Sabé stirred as the techs pulled her from the bacta tank almost a full day later. Their hands were gentle but firm as she was put through a cleansing spray, the leftover bacta falling away and back into the recycle unit. She groaned softly as they pulled the respitory mask from her mouth. Air. Fresh air, not the filtered kind. Her eyes opened slowly as her lungs inhaled the clean scent.
A pair of concerned eyes, dark with worry and love, were the first thing she saw. "Obi-Wan?" her voice cracked as he nodded, a smile forming on his lips as she spoke.
She coughed suddenly and the techs pulled Obi-Wan away from the table, taking the opportunity to check over her body. Most of her injuries had healed, thanks to the combined efforts of the Force and the bacta, but Sabé could hear them speaking about something being wrong in a soft voice. She tried to sit up, only to find herself carefully restrained. Whatever was the matter, they weren't going to let her move. Fear closed over her heart. "Obi-Wan?"
He appeared in her field of vision immediately, his hands wrapping around one of hers possessively. "I'm here."
She blocked out the tech's low discussion. "What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing," he told her, kissing the back of her hand as tears shone on his lashes, "nothing at all. You're alive, that's all that matters."
She knew he was lying. "Am I going to die?"
"No!" his word was fierce, his eyes taking on an almost haunted look as they stared into hers. "No, you're not going to die."
She tried to shift her legs and froze. She couldn't feel them. She couldn't even lift her head to see if they were there. She swallowed hard, fighting back the fear of being paralyzed; of being unable to fulfill her duties and responsibilities. Of being unable to walk at this man's side. "I can't feel my legs," she choked, fearing what he might say.
"I know." His hand reached up to brush her hair off her face, his touch gentle. "From what I've heard, it was half expected when you were placed in the bacta tank. Your spine is cracked in four places. That you can feel anything is a miracle to them."
She felt tears sting her eyes and turned her face away. She was half a woman now. Half a person. She couldn't walk, couldn't run, couldn't jump. Obi-Wan placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I still love you, Sabé. I was terrified I'd lost you when I couldn't find you in the Force anymore."
She closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She couldn't look at him. He deserved someone who could stand beside him, fight with him and love him properly. Not a cripple who'd only done her duty and paid the ultimate price. She wished she had died, that Anakin had just let her drown. "You have lost me," she whispered brokenly, turning her face to look back at him as she opened her eyes. "I'm not longer who you knew, Obi-Wan, I'm a shadow of that woman. My life is ruined."
"No. Don't say that, never say that," he begged, gently framing her face and placing a kiss on her lips.
She let him, but didn't return the kiss, her heart breaking as he slowly pulled away, confusion written clearly in his eyes. "We can get through this Sabé, please don't tell me I've regained you only to lose you to despair."
She looked up at him, her own heart breaking. "Why would you want me now, Obi-Wan? I can't walk by your side like I wanted to, to be your equal."
"I love you, Sabé, isn't that enough?"
"Is that what it is?" she asked harshly. "I may never walk again, Obi-Wan, what if that happens?"
"I'll take care of you."
She shook her head, feeling the hot tears sliding down her cheeks but couldn't do anything about them. "No. You still have to train Anakin. I won't be what holds you, and him, back. I love you, Jedi, but when you love something, sometimes the kindest thing is to just let them go."
"And If I refuse? If I don't want to be let go?"
"It's not your decision."
"Sabé, please," he begged softly, a tear sliding from the corner of his eye, "don't do this."
Obi-Wan was suddenly pulled from her side by a tech so he could administer a drug. Sabé's eyes quickly closed and she dropped off into slumber again. The tech turned to Obi-Wan. "I'm sorry, the bacta sometimes leaves people feeling disoriented. Master Jedi, I wouldn't put too much stock in her words, she was on a gas that makes people a little unstable when they wake up."
Obi-Wan's gaze was focused on Sabé's still face, her words tearing through him like a lightsaber. Don't put stock in her words? What if she woke up again and felt the same way? Would the techs pass it off as something else? He slowly shook his head, shifting his gaze to the tech. "What happens next?"
He looked back over his shoulder at the rest of the techs who were laying Sabé on a surgical table. "We'll try and fix the damage to her body. I'm sorry, but you have to leave for this."
Obi-Wan, mindful of his master's words the day before, followed the tech's orders. He didn't like it, but he couldn't help in this situation. Stepping from the room, he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. Sabé had to be alright. He'd felt her fear at the thought of never being paralyzed. Felt her determination to be no one's responsibility. Most of all he'd felt her sorrow for being unable to be the kind of woman he wanted. And she was wrong. She was the only woman he wanted. He slowly set his mind. Regardless of whether the surgery worked or not, he was going to convince her that she still needed and wanted him.
The Ties That Bind
"Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan looked up from his place next to the bacta tank. Sabé had been removed three times and replaced just as many during his vigil. She had yet to awaken. The first time he'd sent her into a healing trance to help and he hadn't brought her out of it yet. His gaze collided with a Jedi Master he knew all too well. The same Jedi who'd helped him heal before. "Master Windu."
"How is she?" Mace stepped next to him, his arms folded in his robe.
"Much improved, Master. She's still in the healing trance, but it helps the bacta accelerate her healing process."
"She's been in the trance for long enough." Mace looked at the younger man, noting the strain lines around his mouth and eyes. If Obi-Wan was sleeping it wasn't for long or very well. "You look like you could use some sleep."
"I'm fine Master."
"Care to tell me why the medics don't seem to notice you?"
Obi-Wan looked across the room at the young woman behind the desk. "They don't need to know I'm here."
Mace sighed. "Obi-Wan, mind controlling them isn't going to get you what you want. Diplomacy is better suited for this situation."
Obi-Wan looked at the young woman floating in the tank, her appearance much improved since she'd been placed inside the tank two days previous. He waved his hand, telepathically giving the signal that would bring her out of the trance. Mace watched as Sabé slowly opened her eyes, squinting through the viscous liquid. Obi-Wan placed his hand against the tank at her eye level, signaling to her he was still here. Hers rose slowly, her fingers flexing as if in slow motion as they spread against the glass from the inside. She smiled, and he could see it in the tug of her cheek muscles around the respirator and the glow that came to her eyes.
Obi-Wan looked at Mace. "I don't know if they'd let me stay."
Mace smiled, "If you asked, more than took, you might. You need sleep, my friend. You're dead on your feet. Come, Sabé will sleep normally now, healing, as she should. When next she comes out of the tank you'll want to be here with her."
Obi-Wan said nothing, simply look one last, long look at Sabé as her eyes closed, before following Mace out of the room. The Jedi Master was right.
Sabé stirred as the techs pulled her from the bacta tank almost a full day later. Their hands were gentle but firm as she was put through a cleansing spray, the leftover bacta falling away and back into the recycle unit. She groaned softly as they pulled the respitory mask from her mouth. Air. Fresh air, not the filtered kind. Her eyes opened slowly as her lungs inhaled the clean scent.
A pair of concerned eyes, dark with worry and love, were the first thing she saw. "Obi-Wan?" her voice cracked as he nodded, a smile forming on his lips as she spoke.
She coughed suddenly and the techs pulled Obi-Wan away from the table, taking the opportunity to check over her body. Most of her injuries had healed, thanks to the combined efforts of the Force and the bacta, but Sabé could hear them speaking about something being wrong in a soft voice. She tried to sit up, only to find herself carefully restrained. Whatever was the matter, they weren't going to let her move. Fear closed over her heart. "Obi-Wan?"
He appeared in her field of vision immediately, his hands wrapping around one of hers possessively. "I'm here."
She blocked out the tech's low discussion. "What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing," he told her, kissing the back of her hand as tears shone on his lashes, "nothing at all. You're alive, that's all that matters."
She knew he was lying. "Am I going to die?"
"No!" his word was fierce, his eyes taking on an almost haunted look as they stared into hers. "No, you're not going to die."
She tried to shift her legs and froze. She couldn't feel them. She couldn't even lift her head to see if they were there. She swallowed hard, fighting back the fear of being paralyzed; of being unable to fulfill her duties and responsibilities. Of being unable to walk at this man's side. "I can't feel my legs," she choked, fearing what he might say.
"I know." His hand reached up to brush her hair off her face, his touch gentle. "From what I've heard, it was half expected when you were placed in the bacta tank. Your spine is cracked in four places. That you can feel anything is a miracle to them."
She felt tears sting her eyes and turned her face away. She was half a woman now. Half a person. She couldn't walk, couldn't run, couldn't jump. Obi-Wan placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I still love you, Sabé. I was terrified I'd lost you when I couldn't find you in the Force anymore."
She closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She couldn't look at him. He deserved someone who could stand beside him, fight with him and love him properly. Not a cripple who'd only done her duty and paid the ultimate price. She wished she had died, that Anakin had just let her drown. "You have lost me," she whispered brokenly, turning her face to look back at him as she opened her eyes. "I'm not longer who you knew, Obi-Wan, I'm a shadow of that woman. My life is ruined."
"No. Don't say that, never say that," he begged, gently framing her face and placing a kiss on her lips.
She let him, but didn't return the kiss, her heart breaking as he slowly pulled away, confusion written clearly in his eyes. "We can get through this Sabé, please don't tell me I've regained you only to lose you to despair."
She looked up at him, her own heart breaking. "Why would you want me now, Obi-Wan? I can't walk by your side like I wanted to, to be your equal."
"I love you, Sabé, isn't that enough?"
"Is that what it is?" she asked harshly. "I may never walk again, Obi-Wan, what if that happens?"
"I'll take care of you."
She shook her head, feeling the hot tears sliding down her cheeks but couldn't do anything about them. "No. You still have to train Anakin. I won't be what holds you, and him, back. I love you, Jedi, but when you love something, sometimes the kindest thing is to just let them go."
"And If I refuse? If I don't want to be let go?"
"It's not your decision."
"Sabé, please," he begged softly, a tear sliding from the corner of his eye, "don't do this."
Obi-Wan was suddenly pulled from her side by a tech so he could administer a drug. Sabé's eyes quickly closed and she dropped off into slumber again. The tech turned to Obi-Wan. "I'm sorry, the bacta sometimes leaves people feeling disoriented. Master Jedi, I wouldn't put too much stock in her words, she was on a gas that makes people a little unstable when they wake up."
Obi-Wan's gaze was focused on Sabé's still face, her words tearing through him like a lightsaber. Don't put stock in her words? What if she woke up again and felt the same way? Would the techs pass it off as something else? He slowly shook his head, shifting his gaze to the tech. "What happens next?"
He looked back over his shoulder at the rest of the techs who were laying Sabé on a surgical table. "We'll try and fix the damage to her body. I'm sorry, but you have to leave for this."
Obi-Wan, mindful of his master's words the day before, followed the tech's orders. He didn't like it, but he couldn't help in this situation. Stepping from the room, he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. Sabé had to be alright. He'd felt her fear at the thought of never being paralyzed. Felt her determination to be no one's responsibility. Most of all he'd felt her sorrow for being unable to be the kind of woman he wanted. And she was wrong. She was the only woman he wanted. He slowly set his mind. Regardless of whether the surgery worked or not, he was going to convince her that she still needed and wanted him.