"Darani."
The youngling was standing in the doorway to the small, utilitarian healing room. He turned and looked at Obi-Wan. "Yes, Master Obi-Wan?"
"Watch over the girl while Master Yoda and I confer with Senator Oregana. Alert us if she comes around."
Darani looked back at the female youngling, the other Padawan. Obi-Wan could not miss the flash of animosity that flashed across his face. Obi-Wan paused briefly. "I would like to speak to you later."
"Yes, Master Obi-Wan."
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Darani entered the room and spotted a small, comfortable chair opposite the bed. He sat nervously, uncomfortable with being in the same room with the female that had taken him away from the Temple. His anger rose once again, the second time since he had awoken. How could she take me away? Why did she have to fight Anakin! They are all dead, and I could not help them! I could not help…! I don't care if I would have died with them! I could have helped….
Tears sprang to the corners of his eyes. He leapt to his feet and walked to the large window. The stars streaked by as the spaceship flew. "There is no reason why we should have lived. By all rhyme and reason, we should be dead! Why could I have not been left in the Temple! I…." He looked at the sleeping human. She was almost lost among the covers. If it were not for her dark brown hair, Darani felt his eyes would have missed her, as pale as she was.
"I don't know what you did, what happened. I wish I knew. I wish I could reverse it. But you…. I don't even know you!" His voice rose. "I don't know you, and you don't know me, but you grabbed at me when you fell! And you, whatever you did made us abandon the others! They needed our help! And I failed them!" Tears were streaming down his face. "How could you abandon them! How could…" His voice began to break. "How could… How could… How could we leave them! I… I…"
He broke down and wept. He fell to his knees as he covered his face.
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Kiva's eyes slowly fluttered open. What…? Where am I? The first thing her eyes gazed upon was the ceiling. She frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. I don't know this place! She struggled to sit up and look around. Where am I? She felt completely drained. As soon as she had propped herself up on her elbows she fell back down against the mattress. Her muscles shook with exhaustion.
As she groaned, someone entered the room. Kiva looked over and saw a medic, followed by… the boy from the Temple? He stood in a corner while the medic pulled back the covers to examine her.
"So you're finally awake. We were worried for you for a while. You're body has been under a lot of strain, but you barely have a scratch! And those are most definitely not the cause. I suspect they are from the battle in the Temple?" The medic paused as she prodded Kiva's stomach and took a look at the bandage there.
Kiva nodded. She was grateful for the nightclothes that shielded her from the boy's gaze as. Thankfully, he was looking at the door, which had closed behind them. His expression was blank, but Kiva could sense the tension within him.
The medic rolled up Kiva's pant leg to expose a bandage around her calf. "I will need to take one more look at this to make sure it's healed properly. Darani, will you assist me?"
Darani looked over and nodded. He walked over and held the fresh bandages as the medic checked the stitches. "Well, we can take these out now. Are you ready?"
Kiva grimaced. "Yes."
"Good." She began to take out the stitches, all the while muttering to herself. "Such a shame, what happened. Awful. No survivors. It's happening all over the galaxy, too. They can't find anybody. The only surviving younglings and Jedi are here, but the younglings are only fourteen and fifteen, and it's not safe for them to be anywhere."
Kiva's heart stilled as the new bandage was put on her leg. "There," the medic said. "That wound should heal in the next two days or so. No vigorous exercise, and get plenty of rest. Though I don't believe your body will allow anything else. You most likely won't be able to get up for the next week. Even then, you will need to go slowly and limit your activities. Can you do that?"
Kiva nodded.
"Then I'll send for a meal for you. You need the nourishment." She left. The whoosh of the door only emphasized the stillness that had overtaken the room.
Tears welled up in Kiva's eyes. The mourning I felt… It must have been for this. She turned onto her side as Darani went back to his seat. The tension curled up into a ball that sat on her heart. It also filled the air between the Padawans. She sensed Darani trying to avoid looking at her.
"I'm sorry." The words spilled from her lips.
Darani sat straight, trying not to show any emotion. "Sorry for what?" He couldn't keep his anger out of his voice.
"For… For this. For what happened. I should have made the alert earlier. But I didn't." Kiva felt her throat tighten up. She buried her head in the pillow.
He looked at her for a few long moments, then left.