Chapter Four
Padawan Lorna showed Qui-Gon how to administer the medication and instructed him on how often to give it to Obi-Wan.
Qui-Gon escorted Obi-Wan to his apartment. "Wow this is nice, you have everything in here. There's a place to sit and relax, separate rooms to sleep in, and your own kitchen. Are all the apartments similar to this one or just the Masters'," Obi-Wan inquired. He looked around the room surveying the various decorative items. The room was clean and neat, but it looked as if no one had lived there for a while. He stared at the few holocubes that rested on Qui-Gon's shelves against a small section of the wall that separated two closed doors.
"All the apartments are basically the same, aside from the furnishings. You can decorate your room, as you like while you're here. The room to your right is my sleep room and to your left is your room," he explained to the awe-struck boy, who immediately opened the door to examine his room.
"I get my own room?" the teenager asks in wide-eyed disbelief. "This is amazing; it has a sleep couch, my own sleep couch. I won't have to sleep on the floor or the ground. This room is wonderful and there's a closet too," he grinned pushing a button causing the doors to slide effortlessly apart. "I can't imagine having enough clothing to fill it. There's a chest of drawers to put even more clothes in, a desk for kids who go to classes. This is nicer than the old woman's apartment. Her place was always cold at night; sometimes I think it was warmer outside."
"The heating unit is right here next to the door, so if you're cold you can adjust the room temperature. As long as you live here you will attend classes. You will have to take a placement exam to determine your correct level of learning and once that level is determined, you will receive assignments accordingly"
"I get to go to classes like a normal boy," he looked at Qui-Gon. The man did not think the boy's eyes could get any wider until that moment. "This is better than I imagined," Obi-Wan grinned. "I never went to classes before, well not that I remember anyway."
Qui-Gon grinned at the boy's enthusiasm. "Would you like a tour of the temple?" Since Obi-Wan had showered at the healers, he noticed that he almost looked like a different person. His hair was a light reddish brown color and his skin was pale without the layer of dirt covering it. His bruises showed up more predominately against his pallid skin.
"Yeah, that would be great," Obi-Wan smiled.
Qui-Gon nodded, "We'll start with the class rooms and the training rooms," Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan nodded and followed the tall Jedi to the door.
**************************
"I saw a ghost," Garen Muln related as he sat beside his friends Reeft and Bant Eerin at a small round table in the Temple cafeteria.
"What do you mean," Reeft asked between bites of last meal.
"Do you remember I had to go to the healers today for my annual check up?" Garen asked.
"Yes," Bant nodded swirling her fork through her bowl of stew.
"Well, when I was leaving the healers on my way to the lift tube, I saw Masters Yoda, Ki-Adi Mundi, and Windu walking toward the healers. Behind them I saw Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and. I. I saw Obi-Wan," he stammered knowing his friends would not believe him.
"Garen, Obi-Wan is dead. You're not funny. How could you make up something like that?" Bant glared at him. She jumped to her feet causing her chair to topple over in her haste. She quickly walked away from the table and headed toward the door.
"Why did you do that? She has just started to accept that he is gone," Reeft glared at Garen then back toward his friend hurrying toward the exit.
"I saw him Reeft, his hair was longer and he was thinner, but I know it was him. Whether or not he is a ghost, I don't know. I don't think a ghost would have looked different from the last time we." Garen stopped mid sentence as he noticed Bant standing motionless near the exit staring at the tall man and boy that had just entered the cafeteria.
*******************************
"This place is like an entire city all by itself. There are even gardens and fountains inside. I can't believe I used to live here," Obi-Wan glanced back and forth as he and Qui-Gon walked toward the cafeteria.
Qui-Gon chuckled, "I guess it is. This is the cafeteria," he waved his hand toward the doorway ahead of them.
"Cafeteria, why do you need a cafeteria if you have a kitchen?" the youngster asked as they entered the dining hall. A Young Mon Calamari female was about to exit as they entered. With a gasp the girl froze and stared open mouthed at Obi-Wan, the piece of muja fruit that she had been holding dropped soundlessly to the floor. Obi-Wan suddenly felt uncomfortable under the girl's gaze and unconsciously backed up looking up to Qui-Gon for assistance. A single tear began to trickle down the girl's face.
Before Qui-Gon could say anything, two boys rushed up beside the girl also staring at him. "Obi-Wan?" the human boy finally questioned tentatively. The boy looked frightened that Obi-Wan might disappear when his name was uttered aloud.
Obi-Wan took another step backward as Qui-Gon said, "Hello, I'm Qui-Gon Jinn. Do you know Obi-Wan?"
"No!" Bant exclaimed, "He can't be Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan is dead. He left us on a mission; he never said good bye. My friend would not have left without saying goodbye, if he wasn't really dead," she ended her tirade by screaming at Obi-Wan and quickly running out of the cafeteria.
"Bant!" the human called after her. He hesitated not knowing if he should chase after the girl or stay and find out if this was really Obi-Wan Kenobi standing in front of him.
"Are you really Obi-Wan?" Reeft asked. Garen was unable to leave or even to move; his desire to find out who this boy before him really was took priority in his befuddled mind.
Obi-Wan noticed that everyone in the cafeteria had turned to stare at him and he felt even more uncomfortable. On Luzick he had avoided other people as much as possible. He did not like being the center of everyone's attention. "According to the Masters and healers I am," he finally answered hesitantly.
He watched the human and the other boy, whom he didn't recognize, exchange glances. "You were presumed dead," Reeft told him.
"I think we should go someplace to talk," Qui-Gon suggested. The two boys once again glanced at one another and then finally nodded in unison.
Qui-Gon led the two Padawans and Obi-Wan through the corridors to an empty meditation room.
"Where have you been," Reeft asked suddenly looking at Obi-Wan. "You look terrible."
"Reeft," Garen said glowering at his friend. "We're glad you're back. So is Bant, she was just surprised to see you alive."
Obi-Wan nodded. He stood close to Qui-Gon, closer than he had willingly dared to stand since the older man had found him. A part of him was glad the boy accepted him now. The other part was frightened because he had not recognized the Padawans who were obviously his friends.
"I was on Gala then on Luzick," the scared teen told the other boys.
"But Master Windu said that your Master was found on Phindar," Reeft blurted out earning another glare from Garen.
"My Master, I have a Master," Obi-Wan asked looking up at Qui-Gon.
Garen and Reeft looked at each other again confused by their friend's reaction.
"Obi-Wan has no memory of anything before he woke up on Gala," Qui-Gon hastened to explain in an attempt to ignore Obi-Wan's question. He did not know how to tell the boy that his Master was dead.
"The memory wipe?" Garen's eyes grew wide as he looked from Qui-Gon to Obi- Wan.
Qui-Gon nodded. "It seems that his memory was wiped, but the Phindians lied to us about his death and dropped him off on Gala without his memory to help him."
"So you don't remember us?" Reeft asked.
"No. Who are you?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm Reeft, this is Garen Muln, and Bant Eerin was the one who ran out of here. We were your best friends."
"Still are," Garen corrected him.
Obi-Wan nodded glancing back up to Qui-Gon. "Why don't the three of you go to the cafeteria and eat while you get reacquainted. I have to visit someone," Qui-Gon suggested.
Obi-Wan looked to him with fearful eyes, silently begging the older man not to leave his side.
"Obi-Wan, you're safe here in the Temple. No one will hurt you." Qui-Gon watched as the youngster slid his hand slowly inside his pocket before reluctantly nodding his head. He had noticed that when Obi-Wan was frightened or uncomfortable with a situation, he sought reassurance from his tiny friend inside his pocket.
*********************
Qui-Gon walked into The Room of A Thousand Fountains and reached out with the Force seeking the girl that Reeft had called Bant.
He was sure that a lot of his friends had similar feelings when he had decided to leave the order two years ago. He had kept in touch with Master Tahl. She had been angrier than Master Yoda had been with him for leaving. She told him the same things that Yoda had told him. They were both right, but he was not ready to hear the truth of their words at the time.
Qui-Gon could sense someone in the pond near the waterfalls. He quickened his pace and headed in the direction of the pond. He had been right in assuming that the Mon Calamari girl would seek solace at the pond found in the Room of A Thousand Fountains.
He sat down at the side of the pond and watched her swim gracefully through the water. When the young girl poked her head out of the clear liquid for a breath of air, she noticed Qui-Gon sitting at the edge of the pond and she stared up at him for a moment.
"He's dead. I don't know what kind of sick joke you're trying to play, but he's gone. That boy is not Obi-Wan." He noticed the hitch in her voice as she spoke.
Qui-Gon could see the girl's quivering hands as she waded in the water. "Bant, after believing he was dead for so long it must be hard to see him again, but he is really Obi-Wan."
"I didn't believe that he was dead at first. I didn't want to believe it without seeing a body. As the days and weeks turned into months, I realized that it was true that he wasn't coming back. I know if he was still alive he would have found away to come back to us," Bant said and began to slowly make her way toward the Master.
"I know it is hard to accept, but he is alive and he needs your help."
Bant sat down in the green grass a few feet away and looked up at him, "My help," she repeated.
"Yes. When I found Obi-Wan he was scared of everyone including me. He has no memory of his life as a Jedi. Apparently his memory was wiped, but the Phindians lied about his death. He needs your help to remember his past. I didn't know him before he lost his memory so I will not be of much help to him. I'm hoping that familiar sites and perhaps if you, Garen and Reeft would remind him of his life before, it might trigger the return of his memory. Will you help us?"
"He's really alive and he's here at the temple?" Bant questioned her voice barely audible.
"Yes, he is. Masters Windu, Yoda, and Healer Grien have confirmed that he really is Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said.
"Where is he?" the girl asked shyly.
"He's in the cafeteria eating lunch with your friends. I asked them to make sure that he eats. I think he might be too frightened to eat though."
"He uses any excuse he can think of not to eat," Bant commented. "Master Oxane used to always ask me and Garen to make sure he ate too."
"Yes, Healer Grien told me about his illness."
"Are you taking care of Obi-Wan now? Are you going to be his new Master?"
"I don't know. We have to see if he regains his memory, before we can be certain of exactly what will happen."
Bant nodded, "Well Reeft is always looking for food that others don't finish so he won't be much help and sometimes Garen has trouble getting Obi- Wan to eat, so I better go make sure that he eats."
Qui-Gon nodded with a smile as Bant stood up and walked toward the exit. Qui-Gon could only hope that the three students could help Obi-Wan to regain his memory.
To Be Continued..
Padawan Lorna showed Qui-Gon how to administer the medication and instructed him on how often to give it to Obi-Wan.
Qui-Gon escorted Obi-Wan to his apartment. "Wow this is nice, you have everything in here. There's a place to sit and relax, separate rooms to sleep in, and your own kitchen. Are all the apartments similar to this one or just the Masters'," Obi-Wan inquired. He looked around the room surveying the various decorative items. The room was clean and neat, but it looked as if no one had lived there for a while. He stared at the few holocubes that rested on Qui-Gon's shelves against a small section of the wall that separated two closed doors.
"All the apartments are basically the same, aside from the furnishings. You can decorate your room, as you like while you're here. The room to your right is my sleep room and to your left is your room," he explained to the awe-struck boy, who immediately opened the door to examine his room.
"I get my own room?" the teenager asks in wide-eyed disbelief. "This is amazing; it has a sleep couch, my own sleep couch. I won't have to sleep on the floor or the ground. This room is wonderful and there's a closet too," he grinned pushing a button causing the doors to slide effortlessly apart. "I can't imagine having enough clothing to fill it. There's a chest of drawers to put even more clothes in, a desk for kids who go to classes. This is nicer than the old woman's apartment. Her place was always cold at night; sometimes I think it was warmer outside."
"The heating unit is right here next to the door, so if you're cold you can adjust the room temperature. As long as you live here you will attend classes. You will have to take a placement exam to determine your correct level of learning and once that level is determined, you will receive assignments accordingly"
"I get to go to classes like a normal boy," he looked at Qui-Gon. The man did not think the boy's eyes could get any wider until that moment. "This is better than I imagined," Obi-Wan grinned. "I never went to classes before, well not that I remember anyway."
Qui-Gon grinned at the boy's enthusiasm. "Would you like a tour of the temple?" Since Obi-Wan had showered at the healers, he noticed that he almost looked like a different person. His hair was a light reddish brown color and his skin was pale without the layer of dirt covering it. His bruises showed up more predominately against his pallid skin.
"Yeah, that would be great," Obi-Wan smiled.
Qui-Gon nodded, "We'll start with the class rooms and the training rooms," Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan nodded and followed the tall Jedi to the door.
**************************
"I saw a ghost," Garen Muln related as he sat beside his friends Reeft and Bant Eerin at a small round table in the Temple cafeteria.
"What do you mean," Reeft asked between bites of last meal.
"Do you remember I had to go to the healers today for my annual check up?" Garen asked.
"Yes," Bant nodded swirling her fork through her bowl of stew.
"Well, when I was leaving the healers on my way to the lift tube, I saw Masters Yoda, Ki-Adi Mundi, and Windu walking toward the healers. Behind them I saw Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and. I. I saw Obi-Wan," he stammered knowing his friends would not believe him.
"Garen, Obi-Wan is dead. You're not funny. How could you make up something like that?" Bant glared at him. She jumped to her feet causing her chair to topple over in her haste. She quickly walked away from the table and headed toward the door.
"Why did you do that? She has just started to accept that he is gone," Reeft glared at Garen then back toward his friend hurrying toward the exit.
"I saw him Reeft, his hair was longer and he was thinner, but I know it was him. Whether or not he is a ghost, I don't know. I don't think a ghost would have looked different from the last time we." Garen stopped mid sentence as he noticed Bant standing motionless near the exit staring at the tall man and boy that had just entered the cafeteria.
*******************************
"This place is like an entire city all by itself. There are even gardens and fountains inside. I can't believe I used to live here," Obi-Wan glanced back and forth as he and Qui-Gon walked toward the cafeteria.
Qui-Gon chuckled, "I guess it is. This is the cafeteria," he waved his hand toward the doorway ahead of them.
"Cafeteria, why do you need a cafeteria if you have a kitchen?" the youngster asked as they entered the dining hall. A Young Mon Calamari female was about to exit as they entered. With a gasp the girl froze and stared open mouthed at Obi-Wan, the piece of muja fruit that she had been holding dropped soundlessly to the floor. Obi-Wan suddenly felt uncomfortable under the girl's gaze and unconsciously backed up looking up to Qui-Gon for assistance. A single tear began to trickle down the girl's face.
Before Qui-Gon could say anything, two boys rushed up beside the girl also staring at him. "Obi-Wan?" the human boy finally questioned tentatively. The boy looked frightened that Obi-Wan might disappear when his name was uttered aloud.
Obi-Wan took another step backward as Qui-Gon said, "Hello, I'm Qui-Gon Jinn. Do you know Obi-Wan?"
"No!" Bant exclaimed, "He can't be Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan is dead. He left us on a mission; he never said good bye. My friend would not have left without saying goodbye, if he wasn't really dead," she ended her tirade by screaming at Obi-Wan and quickly running out of the cafeteria.
"Bant!" the human called after her. He hesitated not knowing if he should chase after the girl or stay and find out if this was really Obi-Wan Kenobi standing in front of him.
"Are you really Obi-Wan?" Reeft asked. Garen was unable to leave or even to move; his desire to find out who this boy before him really was took priority in his befuddled mind.
Obi-Wan noticed that everyone in the cafeteria had turned to stare at him and he felt even more uncomfortable. On Luzick he had avoided other people as much as possible. He did not like being the center of everyone's attention. "According to the Masters and healers I am," he finally answered hesitantly.
He watched the human and the other boy, whom he didn't recognize, exchange glances. "You were presumed dead," Reeft told him.
"I think we should go someplace to talk," Qui-Gon suggested. The two boys once again glanced at one another and then finally nodded in unison.
Qui-Gon led the two Padawans and Obi-Wan through the corridors to an empty meditation room.
"Where have you been," Reeft asked suddenly looking at Obi-Wan. "You look terrible."
"Reeft," Garen said glowering at his friend. "We're glad you're back. So is Bant, she was just surprised to see you alive."
Obi-Wan nodded. He stood close to Qui-Gon, closer than he had willingly dared to stand since the older man had found him. A part of him was glad the boy accepted him now. The other part was frightened because he had not recognized the Padawans who were obviously his friends.
"I was on Gala then on Luzick," the scared teen told the other boys.
"But Master Windu said that your Master was found on Phindar," Reeft blurted out earning another glare from Garen.
"My Master, I have a Master," Obi-Wan asked looking up at Qui-Gon.
Garen and Reeft looked at each other again confused by their friend's reaction.
"Obi-Wan has no memory of anything before he woke up on Gala," Qui-Gon hastened to explain in an attempt to ignore Obi-Wan's question. He did not know how to tell the boy that his Master was dead.
"The memory wipe?" Garen's eyes grew wide as he looked from Qui-Gon to Obi- Wan.
Qui-Gon nodded. "It seems that his memory was wiped, but the Phindians lied to us about his death and dropped him off on Gala without his memory to help him."
"So you don't remember us?" Reeft asked.
"No. Who are you?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm Reeft, this is Garen Muln, and Bant Eerin was the one who ran out of here. We were your best friends."
"Still are," Garen corrected him.
Obi-Wan nodded glancing back up to Qui-Gon. "Why don't the three of you go to the cafeteria and eat while you get reacquainted. I have to visit someone," Qui-Gon suggested.
Obi-Wan looked to him with fearful eyes, silently begging the older man not to leave his side.
"Obi-Wan, you're safe here in the Temple. No one will hurt you." Qui-Gon watched as the youngster slid his hand slowly inside his pocket before reluctantly nodding his head. He had noticed that when Obi-Wan was frightened or uncomfortable with a situation, he sought reassurance from his tiny friend inside his pocket.
*********************
Qui-Gon walked into The Room of A Thousand Fountains and reached out with the Force seeking the girl that Reeft had called Bant.
He was sure that a lot of his friends had similar feelings when he had decided to leave the order two years ago. He had kept in touch with Master Tahl. She had been angrier than Master Yoda had been with him for leaving. She told him the same things that Yoda had told him. They were both right, but he was not ready to hear the truth of their words at the time.
Qui-Gon could sense someone in the pond near the waterfalls. He quickened his pace and headed in the direction of the pond. He had been right in assuming that the Mon Calamari girl would seek solace at the pond found in the Room of A Thousand Fountains.
He sat down at the side of the pond and watched her swim gracefully through the water. When the young girl poked her head out of the clear liquid for a breath of air, she noticed Qui-Gon sitting at the edge of the pond and she stared up at him for a moment.
"He's dead. I don't know what kind of sick joke you're trying to play, but he's gone. That boy is not Obi-Wan." He noticed the hitch in her voice as she spoke.
Qui-Gon could see the girl's quivering hands as she waded in the water. "Bant, after believing he was dead for so long it must be hard to see him again, but he is really Obi-Wan."
"I didn't believe that he was dead at first. I didn't want to believe it without seeing a body. As the days and weeks turned into months, I realized that it was true that he wasn't coming back. I know if he was still alive he would have found away to come back to us," Bant said and began to slowly make her way toward the Master.
"I know it is hard to accept, but he is alive and he needs your help."
Bant sat down in the green grass a few feet away and looked up at him, "My help," she repeated.
"Yes. When I found Obi-Wan he was scared of everyone including me. He has no memory of his life as a Jedi. Apparently his memory was wiped, but the Phindians lied about his death. He needs your help to remember his past. I didn't know him before he lost his memory so I will not be of much help to him. I'm hoping that familiar sites and perhaps if you, Garen and Reeft would remind him of his life before, it might trigger the return of his memory. Will you help us?"
"He's really alive and he's here at the temple?" Bant questioned her voice barely audible.
"Yes, he is. Masters Windu, Yoda, and Healer Grien have confirmed that he really is Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said.
"Where is he?" the girl asked shyly.
"He's in the cafeteria eating lunch with your friends. I asked them to make sure that he eats. I think he might be too frightened to eat though."
"He uses any excuse he can think of not to eat," Bant commented. "Master Oxane used to always ask me and Garen to make sure he ate too."
"Yes, Healer Grien told me about his illness."
"Are you taking care of Obi-Wan now? Are you going to be his new Master?"
"I don't know. We have to see if he regains his memory, before we can be certain of exactly what will happen."
Bant nodded, "Well Reeft is always looking for food that others don't finish so he won't be much help and sometimes Garen has trouble getting Obi- Wan to eat, so I better go make sure that he eats."
Qui-Gon nodded with a smile as Bant stood up and walked toward the exit. Qui-Gon could only hope that the three students could help Obi-Wan to regain his memory.
To Be Continued..