Here's the second chapter for today!! Enjoy!!!!
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Bant had been listening patiently but now she spoke, "What are you talking about? Who?" Obi-Wan's head had dropped into his hands and Bant had to strain to hear him.
"Harenti, on Chandrila, he told me 'Too bad we had to waste the surprise on her.' I was so dazed and confused at the time, I didn't understand what he meant." The sorrow she felt rolling off the Knight was replaced with a fury she had not known in him before. Lifting his head, the turbulent seas became raging oceans, and a new fire began to blaze, his voice strengthening, he asked, "How long do we have?"
"Hard to say. The time spent on Kenyan only accelerated the process. Right now, we've managed to impede its advancement by using a drug that relaxes the ligaments. But the damage has already been done." Both Jedi rose again as he looked toward the door, obviously fighting the urge to go and hunt down the man responsible.
Melancholy surged again as he thought about the person affected by this turn of events. "Does she know?"
"I've been trying to figure out how to tell her. Before it was only a painful problem, now it's a life threatening disease. It's hard to tell someone that there's a strong possibility that they will die a long, slow and agonizing death. As much as it pains me, I can't deny her the truth and there's just no way to sugarcoat it. I'm sorry, Obi." Again her hand found its way to his shoulder. She wished that there was something more she could do to ease the suffering of her friends, but she was a factual Healer as well. She knew the odds were stacked against them, but could not give up all hope.
Obi-Wan tilted his head down, trying to figure out what to do next. His ginger hair covered his stormy eyes. Softly, he stated, "Wait, for a while." He paused, his voice fleeting, then changed his request. "No, give me the chance to talk to her. I - want to - be the one." He found it hard to continue, emotions choking off his words. Pulling away from her grasp, he could sense her slight nod, as he made his way through the pristine halls.
The door to MysAri's room was open, as an orderly busied himself with setting up all the contraptions to monitor her status. He could feel the Knight's frustration at the fuss even before he reached the entryway. She noticed him immediately and smiling she declared, "Well this is a switch. Home-away-from-home-at-the-Healers-Obi-Wan is coming to visit someone else instead of being admitted. Maybe you can convince these heathens that I'm perfectly capable of going back to my apartment."
He couldn't help but laugh at her comment, although he had not shaken the responsibility that brought him there. "As much as I hate to admit it, they do have their reasons." He came to stand at the end of her bed. Glancing over her form, he could see the wear on her body and the lack of extraneous movement. Her voice was strong, but that was probably the last part of her physique that had enough left to protest. Passing some of his own strength to her through the Force, he was determined to be her pillar. They watched the orderly leave before continuing, "How are you feeling?"
"Same as before, except that they gave me something to help with breathing." Her tone slid from defiance to apprehension. "I can't really move too well now." She seemed to sink a little further into the pillows propping her up and her gaze became a vacant stare. "I don't have the results from the tests yet. I was hoping Bant would have something to tell me by now. I'm beginning to think that she's afraid to tell me - that I'm dying." Her admission pierced his heart, since he knew what Bant had discovered. She tried to show a false sense of confidence and smiled meekly at her friend. "It's true, you know. I can feel it."
He could no longer maintain contact with the pain-filled emeralds and dropped his head. Fighting off the despair threatening to overpower him, he gripped the footboard to keep from falling. MysAri was only vaguely aware of the battle being fought in her friend, as he did his best not to be ripped apart by the profound immensity of the situation. "It shouldn't have been you." A wavering voice whispered.
Jaded gems took in the trembling form of the Knight. "I know," she confided. "I had hoped to be rid of this before you could find out." Her confession sent the walls of desolation crashing down around him.
"That's why you didn't tell me?" He realized.
"I knew how you would react. I wanted to save you from it. You already bore too much guilt, it was not necessary to add more." She could only witness the pain that permeated the Knight, since she was unable to move and comfort him physically. She offered the only thing she could; carefully she began to access the Force to send calming waves to ease his suffering.
Suddenly, his arm swung out. "No! Don't deplete what you have left on me. I beg of you, please." Obi-Wan looked up to enforce his words with the conviction in the turbulent seas. "I can not let you do that."
The intensity in his tone caused her to flinch internally, but he sensed it all the same. Moving to the side of the bed, he tentatively reached for her hand. Lifting it lightly, she tried to hold on, but he could feel no strength behind it. Both hands encased hers and he sat at the edge, trying to pacify the raging war within him. "I have spoken to the Council. I'm taking over your case."
MysAri nodded almost imperceptibly. "I doubt I would have been able to continue. I guess it's only right that you take it over."
Allowing the new direction in the conversation to take its course, Obi-Wan questioned, "Why did you go to Kenyan?"
"We received an anonymous tip that we would find someone there who could help. I see now that it was obviously some sort of ploy, but I don't know what it was supposed to accomplish," she said.
He thought for a moment and then determined, "It served two purposes. One to introduce a second catalyst into your system and secondly, to send me a message."
"Second catalyst? What are you talking about?" Peering at the man, she was obviously perplexed.
"Some of the test results are complete and Bant informed me of what they were." Sighing he forged ahead, "Apparently, while you were on Kenyan a new agent has entered your blood and caused a second mutation. The corrupt cells are now attacking the fibers making up your tendons and ligaments causing them to constrict."
Accepting the diagnosis, MysAri stared blankly at her hand in his. "And that's why they administered the relaxants. To counterattack the effects, allowing me to breathe." Analyzing the information and her current condition she concluded, "I don't have much time left, do I?"
Instead of answering, Obi-Wan moved to sit along side her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Drawing her closer to him, she let her head rest on his shoulder. Without the power to resist, she could only accept the kind gestures. Silently they sat together, and she knew that he didn't have an answer. She let herself be enveloped in his arms as another wave of pain washed through her, slowly accepting defeat.
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Please, Please Review!!! All you have to do is click on the go button next to where it says 'Submit Review.' Please, I'm begging here. *down on hands and knees* I'll take anything!!!
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Bant had been listening patiently but now she spoke, "What are you talking about? Who?" Obi-Wan's head had dropped into his hands and Bant had to strain to hear him.
"Harenti, on Chandrila, he told me 'Too bad we had to waste the surprise on her.' I was so dazed and confused at the time, I didn't understand what he meant." The sorrow she felt rolling off the Knight was replaced with a fury she had not known in him before. Lifting his head, the turbulent seas became raging oceans, and a new fire began to blaze, his voice strengthening, he asked, "How long do we have?"
"Hard to say. The time spent on Kenyan only accelerated the process. Right now, we've managed to impede its advancement by using a drug that relaxes the ligaments. But the damage has already been done." Both Jedi rose again as he looked toward the door, obviously fighting the urge to go and hunt down the man responsible.
Melancholy surged again as he thought about the person affected by this turn of events. "Does she know?"
"I've been trying to figure out how to tell her. Before it was only a painful problem, now it's a life threatening disease. It's hard to tell someone that there's a strong possibility that they will die a long, slow and agonizing death. As much as it pains me, I can't deny her the truth and there's just no way to sugarcoat it. I'm sorry, Obi." Again her hand found its way to his shoulder. She wished that there was something more she could do to ease the suffering of her friends, but she was a factual Healer as well. She knew the odds were stacked against them, but could not give up all hope.
Obi-Wan tilted his head down, trying to figure out what to do next. His ginger hair covered his stormy eyes. Softly, he stated, "Wait, for a while." He paused, his voice fleeting, then changed his request. "No, give me the chance to talk to her. I - want to - be the one." He found it hard to continue, emotions choking off his words. Pulling away from her grasp, he could sense her slight nod, as he made his way through the pristine halls.
The door to MysAri's room was open, as an orderly busied himself with setting up all the contraptions to monitor her status. He could feel the Knight's frustration at the fuss even before he reached the entryway. She noticed him immediately and smiling she declared, "Well this is a switch. Home-away-from-home-at-the-Healers-Obi-Wan is coming to visit someone else instead of being admitted. Maybe you can convince these heathens that I'm perfectly capable of going back to my apartment."
He couldn't help but laugh at her comment, although he had not shaken the responsibility that brought him there. "As much as I hate to admit it, they do have their reasons." He came to stand at the end of her bed. Glancing over her form, he could see the wear on her body and the lack of extraneous movement. Her voice was strong, but that was probably the last part of her physique that had enough left to protest. Passing some of his own strength to her through the Force, he was determined to be her pillar. They watched the orderly leave before continuing, "How are you feeling?"
"Same as before, except that they gave me something to help with breathing." Her tone slid from defiance to apprehension. "I can't really move too well now." She seemed to sink a little further into the pillows propping her up and her gaze became a vacant stare. "I don't have the results from the tests yet. I was hoping Bant would have something to tell me by now. I'm beginning to think that she's afraid to tell me - that I'm dying." Her admission pierced his heart, since he knew what Bant had discovered. She tried to show a false sense of confidence and smiled meekly at her friend. "It's true, you know. I can feel it."
He could no longer maintain contact with the pain-filled emeralds and dropped his head. Fighting off the despair threatening to overpower him, he gripped the footboard to keep from falling. MysAri was only vaguely aware of the battle being fought in her friend, as he did his best not to be ripped apart by the profound immensity of the situation. "It shouldn't have been you." A wavering voice whispered.
Jaded gems took in the trembling form of the Knight. "I know," she confided. "I had hoped to be rid of this before you could find out." Her confession sent the walls of desolation crashing down around him.
"That's why you didn't tell me?" He realized.
"I knew how you would react. I wanted to save you from it. You already bore too much guilt, it was not necessary to add more." She could only witness the pain that permeated the Knight, since she was unable to move and comfort him physically. She offered the only thing she could; carefully she began to access the Force to send calming waves to ease his suffering.
Suddenly, his arm swung out. "No! Don't deplete what you have left on me. I beg of you, please." Obi-Wan looked up to enforce his words with the conviction in the turbulent seas. "I can not let you do that."
The intensity in his tone caused her to flinch internally, but he sensed it all the same. Moving to the side of the bed, he tentatively reached for her hand. Lifting it lightly, she tried to hold on, but he could feel no strength behind it. Both hands encased hers and he sat at the edge, trying to pacify the raging war within him. "I have spoken to the Council. I'm taking over your case."
MysAri nodded almost imperceptibly. "I doubt I would have been able to continue. I guess it's only right that you take it over."
Allowing the new direction in the conversation to take its course, Obi-Wan questioned, "Why did you go to Kenyan?"
"We received an anonymous tip that we would find someone there who could help. I see now that it was obviously some sort of ploy, but I don't know what it was supposed to accomplish," she said.
He thought for a moment and then determined, "It served two purposes. One to introduce a second catalyst into your system and secondly, to send me a message."
"Second catalyst? What are you talking about?" Peering at the man, she was obviously perplexed.
"Some of the test results are complete and Bant informed me of what they were." Sighing he forged ahead, "Apparently, while you were on Kenyan a new agent has entered your blood and caused a second mutation. The corrupt cells are now attacking the fibers making up your tendons and ligaments causing them to constrict."
Accepting the diagnosis, MysAri stared blankly at her hand in his. "And that's why they administered the relaxants. To counterattack the effects, allowing me to breathe." Analyzing the information and her current condition she concluded, "I don't have much time left, do I?"
Instead of answering, Obi-Wan moved to sit along side her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Drawing her closer to him, she let her head rest on his shoulder. Without the power to resist, she could only accept the kind gestures. Silently they sat together, and she knew that he didn't have an answer. She let herself be enveloped in his arms as another wave of pain washed through her, slowly accepting defeat.
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Please, Please Review!!! All you have to do is click on the go button next to where it says 'Submit Review.' Please, I'm begging here. *down on hands and knees* I'll take anything!!!