Disclaimer: the characters don't belong to me the song ' In To The West' doesn't belong to me either, spiffy?
My name I Marcalo Sanchez. I am I Jedi Healer in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. This is my story. A story of loses and loves. My life played before your eyes. And the death of a friend and the love of my life.
The force of the explosion set us flying back wards in to the side of the cliff. The impact forced the air from my lungs. Spot swam in front of my eyes. The obsidian cliff barely budged.
To my right, I sensed Obi-Wan already forcing himself to his feet. To my left, Anakin was also scrambling to his feet. The 11 year-old had spunk I had to admit.
I decide to stay right where I was. Time to let the Knight and the Knight in training take care of Jean-Pirie.
I slumped against the hard, cold rock. This mission was more then any of us had bargained for. Apparently the planet wasn't in any danger of the plague. That call was the only reason that I am along for the ride. Fun, right. Well if you can call getting captured by a mad man with a bad accent, then escaping, only to be found and get thrown up against the side of a cliff by a bomb, fun, then you would enjoy this.
Huh. Fun. Yeah right.
What parallel universe are you living in? I mean really.
Another explosion shook the earth. Rocks tumbled down the cliff, nearly falling on me.
I looked up. Oh not good. The cliff was coming down.
Sith!
"Obi-Wan! The cliff!" I called out to the knight, trying to get to my feet.
He spun around. I heard him cruse. He didn't look happy.
The blasts grew more intense, and I was thrown to the ground again.
Jean-Pirie let out an angry snarl. He knew the planet was a ticking time bomb. And it was going to explode any moment.
And you know it was just my luck that it exploded right as I finally got myself up and stable.
The ground shook and I was once again thrown up against the precipice. Darkness ate at the corners of my eyes and the last thing I saw was Ob-Wan landing next to me.
Ha! Just my luck. I thought as I let my self-fall in to oblivion.
111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
"Em! Em, please wake up! You've got to help him!"
I was vaguely aware of a voice calling my name, begging me to do something.
I groaned and rolled over on my side. My head hit something hard. I moaned again. Where in the galaxy am I?
Ha! This was like the time my Master made me sleep on the floor during negotiations on a rather desolate planet called Comnore. Yeah. Now that was fun.
A putrid smell brought me back to the present.
I sat up. Oh! Do know how much this bites!
I opened my eyes and shook my head. I looked around squinting letting my eyes adjust to the dim light. Anakin is knelling next to me.
I shook my head.
"Ohhhh! What happened." I asked him.
Teary blue eyes looked up at me.
"Please you must help him!" Anakin begged me.
"Who, Ani?" I asked, looking around.
I suddenly realized that we were in a makeshift cave. Rocks blocked the entrance. And a solid wall was at my back. Over in one corner Obi-Wan lay. He was deathly pale; well at least I think he was. I couldn't really tell in the low lighting.
"Oh Sith." I muttered to myself, as I crawled my way over to him.
When I reached him I quickly searched for a pulse. Tears came to my eyes when I couldn't find one. My hands shook.
There! Thank the Force! It was weak but it was there.
Pale blue eyes opened and looked up at me. I smiled weakly down at him.
"Mornin'" He whispered through cracked lips.
I laughed softly. "Yeah morning."
He smiled gently at me, but the smile quickly turned into a pained grimace.
I placed my hands on his chest, and closed my eyes, reaching out to the Force.
I lost myself in the warm currents of the Force. I reach out and brushed up against Obi-Wan's mental shields. I felt him lower them. His pain washed over me. And I felt myself shudder. I opened my self completely to his pain and I assessed his wounds.
Tears came to my eyes once again. His ribs were broken and one had punctured his lung. And his spine had been severed. Even if he lived he would probably never walk again.
The Force has a cruel sense of humor.
I opened my eyes and gazed down at Obi-Wan. He was watching me trough glazed over eyes. His breathing was labored.
I am a Healer I can get through this. I have seen people die before. But never before had they been my friends. The only person that –dare I say it- love.
"How bad is it, Doc?" he asked hoarsely.
"I- Obi-Wan." I started then shook my head.
He closed his eyes. And took a deep breath. Only to resolve in to a coughing fit.
I quickly wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a sitting position. Blood flowed down his chin. I helped him move over to the wall and let him slump against it.
"I'll be right back." I told him softly.
I stood and looked around the space that we were currently trapped in. My eyes rested on a small crack on the wall. I walked over to it slowly and placed a hand against the opening. A cool breeze chilled my hand.
Air! Air meant away out.
I pulled my hand off it. And surveyed the crack. It was small. I couldn't get through it, but Anakin might be able to.
"Anakin!" I called to the boy. He looked up from his position next to his Master. "Come here!"
I watched him stand and walk slowly over to me. His eyes downcast. Dirt and grime covered his face.
"Yes, Healer Sanchez." He said.
"Anakin, can you fit through there?" I asked.
He examined the space. Tapping his chin thoughtfully. His blue eyes intent. I admired his concentration in this time of pain.
"I think so, Healer. Though it might be a little tight. But I should be able to make it. Why?" He replied, nodding.
"There is an air current. And where air is there is almost certainly a way out. If you can get out then we can get help for Obi-wan." I told him.
Anakin swallowed hard. "What if its not?" he asked me.
I sighed and looked down at the boy. "Then we'll have to think of something else. But for now this is our only chance."
He nodded and shrugged off his small brown Jedi cloak. I pulled out a glow rod from the supply pouch on my belt.
"Here." I handed it to him, "You'll need it more then us."
He took it looking up at me. I saw new resolve in his eyes and a fiery determination.
"I will be back, Healer. I promise." He told me, his voice firm.
"Go straight to the nearest allied town. Tell that we're I trouble and where we are. Tell them that- that it's critical." I said, barely able to keep my voice from breaking.
"I will." He nodded, and pulled himself in to the small gap.
"Oh and Anakin!" I called to him.
He stopped and turned to look back at me.
"May the Force be with you." I told him.
"And with you, Healer Sanchez." He replied, and then disappeared in to the darkness.
I walked back over to Obi-Wan, and knelt beside him. His eyes flickered open.
"Hay." I said softly.
"Hi." He hoarsely replied. His eyes boring into mine.
I brushed sweat-dampened strands of ginger hair out of his eyes.
"Tell me how bad is it?" He asked me.
I sighed. "I just sent Anakin to try to find some help. You're gonna be fine."
He closed his eyes. If he could have shaken his head, he would have. "No. You are avoiding the question, Em. Am I going to die?"
Tears filled my eyes as I watched him. "I don't know." I told him.
I took his hand in mine and gave it a light squeeze. I couldn't lose him. The only person I would ever love. I know it was against the Code but right now I didn't care. He couldn't die without knowing how if felt.
Most girls only love him cause his good looks. I could care less about that. I've seen a side of Ob-Wan that no one else had probably ever seen. He was kind and compassionate towards every living thing.
The Order need people like him, so did the Galaxy. So why was the Force going to take his life.
"Em?" his tired voice brought me out of my thoughts.
I looked up at him with tired eyes.
"I'm sorry." I told him, "I can't save you."
He smiled slightly. "I know. But you can tell me what's wrong." He said softly, and then resolved into another coughing fit.
I tore a piece of cloth from my tunic to wipe the blood from his mouth. My heart was breaking as I listened to him gasp painfully for air.
"You're right. I can." I said smiling gently at him, "But I don't think you would appreciate it."
He began coughing again and I held him close. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. He was going to die. There was no way to stop it. But I could stop the pain.
I called on the Force and used it to stop his pain. Just like I've don't a thousand times in the Temple to an Initiate to help stop the pain of a broken arm.
But this was different. He was dieing, and there was nothing I could do about. I could only sit there and ease his pain and pray that Anakin would hurry.
The fit stopped and his lips were stained red from his own blood. His pale blue eyes were thankful.
"Thank you." He said slowly.
"Don't mention it." I told him.
I held him in silence for a minute. The only sounds were his labored breathing.
"I'm sorry." He whispered to me.
"For what?" I asked looking down at him.
"For not telling you before." He said slowly his voice barely above a whisper.
"Telling me what?" I inquired.
"I…" what ever he was going to say was lost in another coughing fit.
Tears came to my eyes as I held him. His whole body shook.
His face was even paler when I finally looked down at him. Blood flowed down from the corner of blood stained lips. His pale blue eyes locked with mine.
His breathing went back to normal. And the coughing subsided, for now.
"What were you gonna tell me?" I asked him.
"My supply pouch." He murmured.
Frowning I opened it and took out a small obsidian rock. I held it in my hands.
"The rock that Qui-Gon gave you." I said softly.
"Give it to Ani. When he is ready." Obi-Wan whispered his eyes glazing over.
I felt his life force slowly darken. I shook my head. "No! Not yet! You can't leave me. Anakin will be back soon with medical supplies and we'll get you help. You must hang on, Obi." I said, tears streaming down my face.
"I… love… you." His words were so soft I had to lean forward to hear them.
"Oh, Obi-Wan I should have told to sooner. You can't leave me in this world alone. Please my love." I begged.
He smiled at me, "What?"
"I love you, Obi-Wan Kenobi. But you can't leave. Please. I need you." I cried.
I leaned down and gently kissed his forehead. Tears flowing freely now.
I locked eyes with him once more. His pale blue eyes were glazed over.
"Sleep, now, my love. I will see you in the morning." I said my voice braking slightly.
His eyes slowly closed and his breathing evened out then stopped.
I held him close rocking back and forth, softly signing a song that I had learned as a child.
"Lay down your sweet and weary head. Night is falling. You have come to journey's end. Sleep now. Dream of the one who came before. They are calling from across the distant shore. Why do you weep? What are these tears upon your face? Soon you will see all of your fears will pass away safe in my arms you're only sleeping..." tears came to my eyes and I cried harder then I think I ever had in my life.
Hours past. Or it could have been mere seconds. Time seemed to bleed together. I think I remember lying Obi-Wan's body down on the hard rock floor and crossing his arms across his chest. Then crawling to the wall across from him.
Darkness passed in front of my eyes. Visions of my life. My master. Obi-Wan. I cried, until I could no more. My head fell hard against the wall. All I could hear was the blood pumping in my ears. I was vaguely aware of sounds above me. Voices calling out. Being placed on a stretcher. Warm sunlight hitting my face, as I drifted in and out of consciousness.
The gentle hum of the speeder's engines, lulling me into a fitful sleep. Colors passed in front of my eyelids. A soft kind voice urging me to open them.
"No." I grumbled. Couldn't they understand that I just wanted to be left alone? Could they not grant me that one favor? Apparently not.
I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in some type of medical ward. I could hear the suck- hiss of the ventilator.
A smiling face loomed over me. Kind silver eyes gazed down at me. I blinked up at them.
"Where am I?" I asked.
"In the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Us gave us quite a scare, Em." The voice replied.
I squinted up at the pair of eyes.
"Bant?" I questioned.
She smiled sadly down at me. Her silver eyes suddenly filling with tears.
"It wasn't a dream was it?" I asked trembling.
"No, Em. I'm sorry. I wasn't" Bant replies.
Tears threaten to fall. And I let them. I cry once again. Oh Force how long has it been since Vando. I have no idea. I just cry and I let Bant hold me like a mother comforting her child.
My name is Marcalo Sanchez. This was my story. A story that reflected painfully on the lives of two people. A story like none other. A story of love.
"Love is like sand on a beach. Some times there's way too much; sometimes there's hardly any at all. But in some way it all turns out that it all ends up in the same place." -Kristen Nicole Utterback
A/N please note that I have no intention on keeping him dead. Well maybe I do. But you will have to wait and find out.