Part 54
Once they landed on Chandrila Padme was immediately taken to the hospital wing of Mon Mothma's palace. Obi-Wan waited outside impatiently as the medical droids and doctors attended to her.
Mon Mothma asked if she should bring Sola and Mara to the waiting room, but Obi-Wan felt it was best to wait until they heard from the doctors.
"I don't want them to worry anymore than they already are" he said pacing back and forth.
"I understand, once I get the okay from the doctors I'll send them over" she said before she turned and left the waiting room.
Finally after three hours of waiting a doctor emerged from the operating room. "We got her stabilized."
"Can I go see her?"
"Yes, but not for long, we just brought her out of the anesthesia, she needs to rest."
When Obi-Wan walked inside he saw Padme hooked up to an IV and a heart machine. "Scaring me half to death has become a habit of yours" he said as he bent down and stroked her face.
She forced a small smile, still groggy from the anesthesia, "Where are the girls?"
"They are on their way; you should get some rest though."
"Not until I see them."
He knew there was no use arguing with her, so he stood beside her holding her hand until their two daughters came into the room.
"Mommy!" Mara shouted as she ran over to Padme's bed, her sister trailing behind.
"Girls be careful" Obi-Wan said but then Padme interrupted him saying, "It's okay Obi-Wan" as Mara and Sola wrapped their arms around her.
Padme let out a small cough and both girls pulled away, afraid they had hurt her. But Padme pulled them both close for another hug.
"I've missed you both so much; I'm never leaving you again, ever."
"Does this mean you are going to stay?" Sola asked hopeful the answer would be yes.
"Yes, I am staying, once I get to leave here."
"Mommy you should see all the pictures I made for you" Mara said tugging on her mother's hand.
"She will Mara, but right now your mother needs to rest" Obi-Wan said pulling her off of the bed.
Both girls kissed their mother goodbye before a medical droid came into the room, administering a sedative into Padme's IV, Obi-Wan walked the girls out as Padme drifted off into a deep sleep, not getting to say goodbye himself.
Once outside the room, Sola went up to Obi-Wan and embraced him. He bent down and wrapped his arms around her. "I missed you Dad" she whispered into his ear.
He hugged her tighter in response, he then felt a small hand touch his shoulder and he looked up and saw Mara smiling at him. He reached out with his other arm and brought her to his chest, holding both girls tightly. His family was together, and safe.
When the hug ended Mara said, "I drew some pictures for you too Daddy."
"Well, let's go see them then" he said as he picked her giving her a piggy back ride as he took Sola's hand as she led the way to their quarters.
Obi-Wan was shocked at how big both girl's room's were, each one had a separate bedroom beside the other. They had to share a room when they lived in their apartment on Roon.
"Looks like Mon Mothma has been treating you two well."
"She's been really nice, but Mara comes and sleeps in my room from time to time."
"I get nightmares" the young girl said in response.
"I'm sure you sister does not mind" Obi-Wan said kissing her on the forehead.
"No, but now she can go into you and Mom's room instead of mine" Sola said teasingly.
"Will you be staying with us too Daddy?" Mara asked.
"Of course he will silly" Sola said annoyed.
"Don't call your sister names, yes, I will be staying too honey."
Suddenly there was a knock at the door followed by Mon Mothma's face peering through the door. "May I come in?"
"Of course" Sola said running over to her and giving her a hug. Obi-Wan smiled at the exchange but wondered just how close Mon Mothma had gotten with both girls. He couldn't help but wonder if his daughters had become closer to her than they were to Padme and himself.
"Master Kenobi I've set up a room for you, all your things have been brought in."
"Thank you Senator."
"I was wondering if Sola and Mara would like to come with me to get some ice cream, that way you will have a chance to unpack your things."
"Can we Dad please!" Sola said looking up at him.
"Of course you can, be good" he said as both girls came over to give him another hug.
He watched as they both walked out of the room hand in hand with the Senator, a big smile on Mon Mothma's face. He knew she cared for them deeply, but he couldn't help but feel jealousy, she had provided a more much luxurious life than the one he gave them on Roon. The kind of life Padme was used to. The kind of life Padme had wanted to give them on Naboo he thought bitterly.
That night he meditated in his room, trying to make sense of all the emotions going through him. He was still concerned about Padme and his family's safety, as well as trying to figure out what happened back on Tatooine. He knew he would have to confront Padme sooner or later.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door interrupting his thoughts. He turned and saw Mara enter his room. "Hi" she said walking over to him.
"You should be in bed" he said as he rose from where he was sitting.
"I had another bad dream."
"It will be alright sweetheart" he said as he picked her up and carried her over to the bed.
"Daddy, will you teach me about the force again?" she asked as he got into the bed beside her.
"Yes, but have you been working on the exercises I gave you to do?"
"I have, I've become very good, I'm much better at it than Sola."
"The force is strong in you, but it is strong in your sister as well."
"She gets mad she can't do what I can do."
"It is harder for her; you must learn to help her."
"I try but she won't let me!"
Obi-Wan chuckled, Sola had Padme's stubbornness. Besides looking exactly like Padme she had her exact temper as well. "I will talk with her."
"I missed you Daddy" Mara said as she looked up at Obi-Wan with her big brown eyes. She too looked a lot like Padme only Mara had his hair color.
"I missed you too" he said wrapping his arm around her tiny shoulders. He watched her as she quickly drifted off to sleep. He was glad she decided to come to him instead of Sola or Mon Mothma. Being on Chandrila gave him a chance to be a father again and he hoped he had another chance to make things right with his daughters.
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The next morning Obi-Wan held Padme's hand as they listened to what the doctor had to say.
"We need to run some more tests to make sure everything is alright."
"Has something happened?" Padme asked with great concern.
"You sustained massive internal damage as well as bleeding. We stopped the bleeding but there may be some problems with your pancreas and liver, as well as your reproductive system."
Padme nodded her head in response. Obi-Wan walked away from the bed and started pacing the room. "Obi-Wan?" she asked noticing his anxiety.
He slammed his fist into the wall and turned around his eyes filling up with tears, "How can you be so calm?"
"Because we have to be strong for our daughters; and because we don't have a choice."
"Sir if you want to talk with one of the nurses…."
"What I want is for you to leave" Obi-Wan shouted his eyes bloodshot with rage.
"I'm sorry, it will be fine" Padme said to the doctor as he looked at her with concern before walking out of the room.
"You need to pull yourself together, this is not like you" she hissed.
"My patience has run thin Padme; there is only so much I can take."
"What is it?"
"I feel I have lost Sola and Mara, and I'm confused by what happened at the Raider camp, aren't you at all concerned about Vader and the Emperor?"
"No, I'm not, what do you mean you've lost Sola and Mara?" she said focusing the attention on them.
"They love Mon Mothma."
"Of course they do, they were here with her for a long time, but they still need their father."
"I think they managed fine without me."
"No, they didn't Obi-Wan, I spoke regularly with Mon Mothma while on Tatooine, a lot of the conversations I had with her you don't even know about. They've grown close to her yes, but they haven't forgotten about us."
"I know they still need you."
"And they need you as well; didn't you say Mara came into your room last night?"
"Yes."
"Well, if she didn't need you anymore she wouldn't have done that, I know my girls."
"It's all just so hard."
"It is, but we are here together with them again, we will get through this."
"I should be the one comforting you" he said as he took her hand in his.
"It's alright, even a Jedi Master can get insecure at times" she said with a grin.
"I'm just so worried about you."
"We have to be strong" she said as she pulled him down for a hug. She wanted to tell Obi-Wan what had happened on Tatooine, but it would have to wait for now.