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Padme worriedly paced around her apartment. It was getting quite late and Anakin who had left early that morning, had still not returned. What could have possibly happened that would cause Anakin to be gone this long? Padme then filled with dread, what if there was some sort of emergency and Anakin was forced to return to the Outer Rim sieges and had left before he had gotten the chance to tell her? The baby was due any day now and Padme knew she couldn't go through something this big without Anakin by her side. It was at times like these that Padme cursed herself for not being force sensitive.
She then heard a knock on her door, which was odd since it was so late. She opened it and was surprised to find Jedi Master Mace Windu.
"Hello Master Windu, what brings you here so late?"
"Senator Amidala," he said "Anakin Skywalker has been in a terrible accident and is in critical condition at the healers. Master Kenobi has requested that I come and inform you and bring you to the temple's healer's ward to see young Skywalker."
Padme was absolutely horror stricken, no wonder he hadn't come home.
"What sort of accident?" she asked needing some answers.
"I'll explain it all on the way," said the Master Jedi. He then escorted Padme into a speeder and quickly made his way to the Jedi temple, neither of them saying a word. Padme fought back tears as she thought of her beloved husband injured at the healers. But how had he gotten hurt?
"Master Windu," she said her voice shaking, "what type of accident was Anakin in?" she asked.
Mace sighed, not wanting to relive the horror that had happened that night. "Chancellor Palpatine revealed himself to Anakin today as Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord." he said
Padme gasped, Chancellor Palpatine, leader of the galactic Senate, was the Sith Lord? But Mace continued.
"Anakin told the council about his discovery and he, Master Kenobi and myself went to arrest him. Anakin got a large cut on his shoulder and he was hit hard with Sith lightning. How bad his condition really is, I don't know, but I do know that it's bad. He was coughing up blood" he said softly.
At this, tears began to fall down Padme's cheeks. Her love could be dying, she didn't know how she would live if she lost him. When she had been reunited with him three years ago, she felt as though he had been with her the entire ten years they had been apart. He completed her, made her whole and she needed him.
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Obi Wan ran his fingers through Anakin's damp blonde curls. Anakin's entire body was covered in sweat and was extremely warm. Obi Wan got a cloth soaked in cool water and rubbed it over Anakin's face, neck and chest in an attempt to cool off his heated skin. Anakin's breathing was shallow and uneven. Obi Wan was blinking back tears as he saw his friend struggling for his life. Obi Wan needed him. Anakin had kept Obi Wan going throughout the entire war. Anakin had always been there to reassure him that everything would be all right, even in the bleakest of times. Without Anakin, Obi Wan would have given up on winning the war a very long time ago. Then, Obi Wan realized that the war was won, Anakin had beaten the Sith even though he had been tempted by it's power, he chose the light instead of the darkness. He let go of his attachment to Padme and killed Sidious even though he had offered him a way to save her. He then realized that Anakin had truly grown up. He gently ran his finger over the scar on Anakin's face (A.N. if anyone knows how that got there, please tell me I'd really like to know!) and looked at his robotic arm. Anakin had done so much for the Republic, he'd ended the war, he couldn't die now! Not when he's come so far! Obi Wan's grip tightened around Anakin's hand.
"Oh Anakin," he whispered please don't go." The door to Anakin's room opened quickly and Obi Wan was brought back to reality. It was Padme and Mace.
Padme gasped when she saw Anakin's pale face and bandaged shoulder and knew that Anakin was not in good shape.
"Obi Wan," she said "is he going to be all right?"
Obi Wan took a deep breath not wanting to retell what he had heard from the healers.
"They don't know if he is going to survive." he said, causing a look of horror to come across Padme's face.
"His shoulder is hurt badly and had become infected. He was hit with Sith lightning and that weakened his body and his immune system so he has no strength to fight the infection. He must have been sick before he was hit because he has a very high fever and a terrible cough. I had suspected that the extreme stress that was being put under had been affecting him physically."
At this last comment, Mace hung his head in shame and did not say anything.
Tears began to form in Padme's eyes as she joined Obi Wan at Anakin's side. She embedded Anakin's hand with her own and gently touched his pale, feverish cheek.
"Ani," she whispered so softly that it was barely audible "I need you, please don't leave me." The tears began to fall down her cheeks.
A nurse stepped in and said, "Master Windu, Master Yoda wishes to speak with you." Mace nodded and he tore himself away from the sorry sight and went to see what Yoda wanted.
"Obi Wan," said Padme softly her voice cracking, "What will we do if we loose him?"
"I don't know." he whispered tears now falling down his own cheeks.
"Please Anakin, don't let go, I need you, Padme needs you, the baby needs you, please you have to get better, we all need you."
Suddenly, Anakin slowly opened his eyes. "I'm here" he assured them softly then his eyes closed and his hands tightened around theirs.
Ok there's chap. 10. O was going to have it posted yesterday but my computer wasn't working properly. I'll probably write one more chapter before the story is finished.