Obi-Wan felt trapped. But trapped where? He couldn't see anything. Blackness was everywhere. He felt out for the Force, but hit a wall instead. Where am I? How long have I been here? He tried calling out, but his voice was swallowed by the dark. He started feeling claustrophobic.
Think, Obi-Wan, think! What happened to you? He wracked his foggy brain. Why was it so hard to remember? Wait a minute! Vader! He had been with Vader! Vader had been using his lightsaber to torture him. He then remembered how he had been baiting Vader. I think it worked. Am I dead? If I'm dead, why can't I sense the Force? I should be one with the Force!
Obi-Wan reasoned that he must not be dead. I must be unconscious. Obi-Wan searched for a way out of this dark place, but couldn't find any. He tried calling out again, to no avail. But then, he thought he heard something…
He was hearing voices. They were muffled. He couldn't make out what was being said or who was talking. He could tell that there was more than one voice. He tried to find the source of the voices and move towards it. He couldn't tell where they were coming from! He strained to hear what they were saying. He could only pick up bits and pieces.
"…large…damaged…recover…toll…open…organs…survival…tough…"
This is getting me nowhere! But then he heard a different voice.
"wait…heal…powers…need…work…"
The voices stopped. Now there was only deafening silence. What happened to the voices? Obi-Wan searched and searched, but there was nothing but darkness and silence. He fought down the panic that was trying to take hold. Stay calm! You're a Jedi! I am a Jedi, right? Yes, yes! Focus!
I've been through many dangers in my life, surely I can handle being unconscious! But he'd been unconscious before. He didn't remember it feeling like this. But at least here he wasn't being tortured. At least here, he was away from Vader and Sidious.
Padme! I can't stay here, I need to get back to Padme! I can't leave her alone with them! He renewed his efforts to find a way out. All he found was more blackness and more silence. He finally gave up – frustrated and exhausted.
Then he heard her voice. "Obi? …I…come…now…" Padme! He followed the sound of the voice – more with his heart than with his ears. Her voice was getting more clear! "…if you…hear me…come back…" He kept going. The voice was louder! "Please come back to me, Obi!" I'm right here, Padme! He started to run. He ran right smack into a wall and fell backwards.
He got back up and felt the wall with his hands. Her voice continued, "You're going to be okay, physically." He moved down the wall, seeing if he could get around it. The wall seemed to run on forever. He tried the other direction. No different. Blast! "Obi, you're in a coma." A coma? No wonder this feels different! "You have to choose to come back!" I have chosen, but I can't get past this blasted wall! "Your mind has closed itself off because of all the trauma." He could tell that her voice was coming from somewhere behind the wall. Why couldn't he get to her?
"Obi, I have to tell you something that I should have told you this morning. If you can hear me, I need you to listen closely." Obi-Wan quieted his breathing and listened intently. Padme's voice was full of emotion. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, I love you. I love you so much I can't really even put it into words. I wanted to tell you this morning in private, but I never got the chance. I wanted you to know that it's not just a sentiment born of circumstances."
He heard her sigh. "I've had a hard time telling you how I truly feel because I've been scared. Anakin hurt me so badly…But I want you to know that I'm not scared anymore. I know you'd never hurt me the way he did. I've entrusted you with my life, and now I entrust you with my heart."
Obi-Wan rested his forehead against the wall, tears streaming down his face. I love you, too, Padme! After a bit, he stood up straight, determination set in his face. I am going to find a way past this wall! He started carefully searching every inch of the wall with his hands.
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Padme poured out her heart to Obi-Wan, speaking quietly into his ear. Tears were streaming out of her eyes. "That's why you have to come back to me. I can't make it without you, Obi!" Padme paused. "That's a hard thing to admit. But it's true. You're all I have left! If you don't come back to me, then I've lost my reason for living."
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Obi-Wan suddenly felt something on the wall. A button. He pushed it and a door opened. He stepped through. He saw a tiny light at the end of what looked to be a long hallway. He started running down the hallway. The light grew larger. He ran faster…
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Padme got up onto her elbow and looked down at Obi-Wan's face. She ran her hand through his hair and kissed his forehead. She was so intent on his face that she didn't see his fingers twitch. But then his mouth twitched. She quickly sat up. She saw his fingers twitch. She took in a sharp breath and held it. Her hand went to her mouth as she studied him. His nose twitched, then his eyes.
"Obi! Can you hear me?" His body jerked and his eyes flew open. Confusion was in his blue-gray eyes until they met hers.
"Padme?" Obi-Wan's voice was a whisper.
Tears of joy filled Padme's eyes. "Welcome back!" She smiled down at him.
Obi-Wan managed a small smile. "Thanks." Another person came into sight – a woman he didn't recognize. She was smiling also.
"Obi, this is Laicee. She's a healer."
"I'm glad to meet you, Obi-Wan Kenobi. We've been rather worried about you. How do you feel?"
"Tired," he whispered.
"Well, I should think so, after what you've been through. The best thing for you right now is sleep."
Obi-Wan couldn't disagree. He was losing the battle to keep his eyes open. Before he drifted off, he managed to say, "Padme?"
He felt her take his hand. "I'm here, Obi. I'm not going anywhere."
Obi-Wan relaxed at that and fell asleep.