Chapter 4
Qui-gon awoke 4 days later with an acute headache and a drowsy, heavy sensation. The Healers told him that it would pass. He had been infected with a deadly virus. Readily questioned on his symptoms and his lack of action to seek help, Qui-gon managed to pull out this fable about the mission being busy and his symptoms those of a small common cold. He had "had no idea things were so bad." The story didn't fly, but the subject was dropped.
"If you had been found any later, we wouldn't have been able to do a thing." The words were chilling, and disappointing. Now he would never get out of the temple again.
Later that day, Yoda made his appearance. The Master's tone was marred with the same old concern and the lecture of Qui-gon's conduct. His story, of a busy, stressful mission, for one thing, didn't match Master Rawitz's report. "Doing it again you are, Qui-gon. Frightened for you I am." There was no talk on what Qui-gon's freedom status would be. He knew it wouldn't be welcome news.
When Yoda felt he had exhausted the now common topics once more, he brought up a minor investigation that had led to the source of Qui's rescue.
"It wasn't you who found me?" Qui-gon asked confused. Yoda shook his head and explained all that had been found out about Obi-wan's action.
"Felt something he says he has. A bond he described. Deep emotions for you he has. The Force he used to get to you. The Force he senses between you." Know it you do, Qui-gon
"Master, I have no idea what you are talking about. I have sensed nothing." Qui-gon lied. "Perhaps the boy should be aided in finding where his emotions are really leading him." Yoda just shook his head, and took leave. Time will tell, he reminded himself. It may take awhile, but Qui-gon can't fight it forever.
A few more days rolled by, and Qui-gon's condition steadily improved. One day, while he was feeling exceptionally better, he had an unexpected visitor: little Obi-wan, who came bearing a flower and a get-well card, both handcrafted by the youngster himself. As Obi-wan approached Qui-gons bed, both were washed with the most peaceful warmth, wondering if the other had felt it. It grew stronger, Qui-gon thought. Maybe something is going on here...
The young one's face always forced him to smile. He couldn't help it; so glad he was to have this feeling again, he forgot to fight it, and managed to be genial. He was letting himself soften. But how far would he go?
"Well, Obi-wan, we meet again. I am very much in your debt, little one. You saved my life. If you hadn't come when you did... well..."
"You could have died, couldn't you?" Obi said solemnly.
"Yes, Obi-wan. But you were there. And I thank you. And I also thank you for your gifts. They are very nice."
Obi-wan smiled boldly. "You're welcome, Master Jinn. I'm glad I helped you. I'm glad you are ok. You are ok, right?"
Qui-gon nodded."Yes, Obi-wan, I will be ok."
"Good. I better go. Maybe I can come see you tomorrow."
"Yes... maybe." Part of him had wanted to say "I'd like that," but he wasn't going to let all of his restraint off. Not yet, anyway. Just before he walked through the door, Obi-wan turned to ask a question.
"Master Jinn? Have you ever pulled open a door?" Qui-gon looked at him with slight amusement and a touch of unease. Obi-wan wasn't aware that Qui-gon knew what had happened. It was clear the child had been giving serious thought to his uncharacteristically strong arms at that moment. Qui- gon answered quietly after a long silence.
"No, Obi-wan. I haven't." The boy put on a puzzled look, nodded a bit, and left the room. A well put question, Qui-gon thought. The boy's sharp. The boy... What was with this boy?
Three days more in the Healers ward saw Qui-gon back on his feet and home again. More long chats with Yoda got him out of the Temple with an escort. Qui-gon had already began to soften, the old master noticed. Perhaps the wall Qui-gon had built wasn't quite as thick as it seemed.
The transport to Kreinin was leaving late evening. Qui-gon packed a few bags now, just to do something. It was a bright, mild mid-morning. He was happy to be getting out of the temple again, though it didn't seem quite so crucial now. The last few days he had though about Obi-wan Kenobi a great deal. He had let down a layer of his protection with that kid, and he wasn't yet sure it was the right thing to do. But something told him it was. He had to be so careful, so very, very careful.
"I will not let myself go through Xantos twice." That was it. Last week, his definition of preventing repetition would have been to never set yourself up, never take another apprentice. Now, things were different. Qui- gon had let them change. Now the definition was just be absolutely sure.
Qui-gon walked to the common room to drop some bags. The door buzzed. It shook him. Not so much that he was startled, that he knew immediately, without the Force who it was. On the other side of that door stood Obi-wan Kenobi. His prediction was correct. The two looked at each other for a long while, smiling as the peace flowed over them again, before Obi-wan finally whispered his "hello."
"Good-morning Obi-wan. Please, come in."
"Thank you. Sorry I didn't come see you. They wouldn't let me. When I checked today, they said you had gone home. You're all better now, right?" Qui-gon gave a little chuckle.
"Yes, Obi-wan. I'm just fine. I'm glad you came to see me. Would you like something to drink?" Qui-gon was well aware that they had nothing more to talk about up front. But he couldn't let the boy go so soon.
"Yes, please." As Qui-gon worked in the kitchen, Obi wan shrugged off his robe. He noted with disappointment the array of bags near the door. A pit grew in his stomach. He didn't want Master Jinn to go again. The Temple, with all its numbers, had felt empty without Qui-gon. Why was he leaving again so soon? When Qui-gon returned an insistent Obi-wan put forward the question.
"Well, Obi-wan, I am a member of the Jedi Order and I have to go on missions. It's my job."
"But I don't want you to go. Please stay. I... I don't want you to get hurt again. And besides, couldn't other people go? Why is it always you?"
"Other people do go Obi-wan. It's not just me. Someday, you'll go too, be it your destiny. I don't want to get hurt again either, but sometimes it happens."
"But isn't there other work you could do? Maybe you could work in the nursery with the healers. Then we could be together and..." Obi-wan stopped, struck that the words had come out. Qui-gon just stared back at him with the same awe. After a lengthy silence, Qui-gon softly asked:
"Obi-wan, when you pulled that door open, what were you feeling?"
"A flame. Power..."
"Are you feeling that right now?"
Obi-wan nodded. "It's different now. It's quiet..."
Qui-gon concurred absently. "Ok..." he whispered. The two fixed eyes and sat in silence for many minutes.
Qui-gon awoke 4 days later with an acute headache and a drowsy, heavy sensation. The Healers told him that it would pass. He had been infected with a deadly virus. Readily questioned on his symptoms and his lack of action to seek help, Qui-gon managed to pull out this fable about the mission being busy and his symptoms those of a small common cold. He had "had no idea things were so bad." The story didn't fly, but the subject was dropped.
"If you had been found any later, we wouldn't have been able to do a thing." The words were chilling, and disappointing. Now he would never get out of the temple again.
Later that day, Yoda made his appearance. The Master's tone was marred with the same old concern and the lecture of Qui-gon's conduct. His story, of a busy, stressful mission, for one thing, didn't match Master Rawitz's report. "Doing it again you are, Qui-gon. Frightened for you I am." There was no talk on what Qui-gon's freedom status would be. He knew it wouldn't be welcome news.
When Yoda felt he had exhausted the now common topics once more, he brought up a minor investigation that had led to the source of Qui's rescue.
"It wasn't you who found me?" Qui-gon asked confused. Yoda shook his head and explained all that had been found out about Obi-wan's action.
"Felt something he says he has. A bond he described. Deep emotions for you he has. The Force he used to get to you. The Force he senses between you." Know it you do, Qui-gon
"Master, I have no idea what you are talking about. I have sensed nothing." Qui-gon lied. "Perhaps the boy should be aided in finding where his emotions are really leading him." Yoda just shook his head, and took leave. Time will tell, he reminded himself. It may take awhile, but Qui-gon can't fight it forever.
A few more days rolled by, and Qui-gon's condition steadily improved. One day, while he was feeling exceptionally better, he had an unexpected visitor: little Obi-wan, who came bearing a flower and a get-well card, both handcrafted by the youngster himself. As Obi-wan approached Qui-gons bed, both were washed with the most peaceful warmth, wondering if the other had felt it. It grew stronger, Qui-gon thought. Maybe something is going on here...
The young one's face always forced him to smile. He couldn't help it; so glad he was to have this feeling again, he forgot to fight it, and managed to be genial. He was letting himself soften. But how far would he go?
"Well, Obi-wan, we meet again. I am very much in your debt, little one. You saved my life. If you hadn't come when you did... well..."
"You could have died, couldn't you?" Obi said solemnly.
"Yes, Obi-wan. But you were there. And I thank you. And I also thank you for your gifts. They are very nice."
Obi-wan smiled boldly. "You're welcome, Master Jinn. I'm glad I helped you. I'm glad you are ok. You are ok, right?"
Qui-gon nodded."Yes, Obi-wan, I will be ok."
"Good. I better go. Maybe I can come see you tomorrow."
"Yes... maybe." Part of him had wanted to say "I'd like that," but he wasn't going to let all of his restraint off. Not yet, anyway. Just before he walked through the door, Obi-wan turned to ask a question.
"Master Jinn? Have you ever pulled open a door?" Qui-gon looked at him with slight amusement and a touch of unease. Obi-wan wasn't aware that Qui-gon knew what had happened. It was clear the child had been giving serious thought to his uncharacteristically strong arms at that moment. Qui- gon answered quietly after a long silence.
"No, Obi-wan. I haven't." The boy put on a puzzled look, nodded a bit, and left the room. A well put question, Qui-gon thought. The boy's sharp. The boy... What was with this boy?
Three days more in the Healers ward saw Qui-gon back on his feet and home again. More long chats with Yoda got him out of the Temple with an escort. Qui-gon had already began to soften, the old master noticed. Perhaps the wall Qui-gon had built wasn't quite as thick as it seemed.
The transport to Kreinin was leaving late evening. Qui-gon packed a few bags now, just to do something. It was a bright, mild mid-morning. He was happy to be getting out of the temple again, though it didn't seem quite so crucial now. The last few days he had though about Obi-wan Kenobi a great deal. He had let down a layer of his protection with that kid, and he wasn't yet sure it was the right thing to do. But something told him it was. He had to be so careful, so very, very careful.
"I will not let myself go through Xantos twice." That was it. Last week, his definition of preventing repetition would have been to never set yourself up, never take another apprentice. Now, things were different. Qui- gon had let them change. Now the definition was just be absolutely sure.
Qui-gon walked to the common room to drop some bags. The door buzzed. It shook him. Not so much that he was startled, that he knew immediately, without the Force who it was. On the other side of that door stood Obi-wan Kenobi. His prediction was correct. The two looked at each other for a long while, smiling as the peace flowed over them again, before Obi-wan finally whispered his "hello."
"Good-morning Obi-wan. Please, come in."
"Thank you. Sorry I didn't come see you. They wouldn't let me. When I checked today, they said you had gone home. You're all better now, right?" Qui-gon gave a little chuckle.
"Yes, Obi-wan. I'm just fine. I'm glad you came to see me. Would you like something to drink?" Qui-gon was well aware that they had nothing more to talk about up front. But he couldn't let the boy go so soon.
"Yes, please." As Qui-gon worked in the kitchen, Obi wan shrugged off his robe. He noted with disappointment the array of bags near the door. A pit grew in his stomach. He didn't want Master Jinn to go again. The Temple, with all its numbers, had felt empty without Qui-gon. Why was he leaving again so soon? When Qui-gon returned an insistent Obi-wan put forward the question.
"Well, Obi-wan, I am a member of the Jedi Order and I have to go on missions. It's my job."
"But I don't want you to go. Please stay. I... I don't want you to get hurt again. And besides, couldn't other people go? Why is it always you?"
"Other people do go Obi-wan. It's not just me. Someday, you'll go too, be it your destiny. I don't want to get hurt again either, but sometimes it happens."
"But isn't there other work you could do? Maybe you could work in the nursery with the healers. Then we could be together and..." Obi-wan stopped, struck that the words had come out. Qui-gon just stared back at him with the same awe. After a lengthy silence, Qui-gon softly asked:
"Obi-wan, when you pulled that door open, what were you feeling?"
"A flame. Power..."
"Are you feeling that right now?"
Obi-wan nodded. "It's different now. It's quiet..."
Qui-gon concurred absently. "Ok..." he whispered. The two fixed eyes and sat in silence for many minutes.