"I'm doing what you should have already done, Master." The apprentice boldly stated as he went ahead and switched off the datacom. Obi-Wan's brow was still raised high when he turned back around to face him.
"I've been a little incapacitated, Padawan." The Master replied with slight sarcasm, reaching over to vigorously remove the IV line from his arm and the monitoring clip from his finger. "How long have I been out?"
"Five days." Anakin replied.
Obi-Wan displayed his surprise and quickly swept his legs to the side of the bed, swaying slightly. His student was immediately there to support him.
"Take it easy, Master. You suffered quite a blow to the head."
"But the mission." Obi-Wan murmured, his eyes closed in an effort to regain his equilibrium.
"Master Secura and her padawan have everything under control." Anakin assured him, moving to his seat once he was sure Obi-Wan was stable.
"Aayla?" The Jedi Master confirmed, rubbing his eyes wearily. "I'm glad the council sent her. She's a fine Jedi."
Anakin regarded his Master carefully as he spoke of the beautiful Twi'Lek, but he could sense no hint of favoritism or emotion regarding her.
Obi-Wan was an expert at disguising his feelings.
Except perhaps where the Naboo Senator was concerned, the young man decided as the subject once more turned to the dating service he had been caught snooping in, and a fire lit behind Obi-Wan's normally complacent features.
"Now do you mind explaining to me what you were doing downloading and reading all my personal messages?"
Anakin cleared his throat nervously. "I wasn't reading them for myself, Master. I was reading them for you."
"So I gathered." Obi-Wan stated bluntly. "I heard you."
"You did?" Wizard, the young man thought. His idea had actually worked!
"And I wrote her back." Anakin admitted sheepishly.
Obi-Wan's face contorted into disbelief. "You did what?"
"You owe her an explanation after standing her up the way you did!"
"I don't owe her anything." Obi-Wan stood up and then slowly lowered himself back down when he realized he was still a little dizzy.
"What has she ever done to you to make you hate her so much?" The apprentice's voice raised in volume, but his Master matched his in intensity as well as volume, the older man leaning forward and glaring into the Anakin's eyes.
"She caused the death of hundreds of her own people and my own Master!"
Obi-Wam immediately closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
Anakin recognized the gesture as a calming effort and an attempt to find his center, but where he would normally back off, the apprentice surged ahead. There was no way he was going to let this drop.
"When are you going to let this go? You can't keep living in the past, Master."
"You don't understand." Obi-Wan replied, his voice now much quieter.
"But I do understand." Anakin moved his chair closer to the bed. "Master Qui-Gon meant something to me too. He was the only person who believed in me."
The young man regarded the toe of his boot before continuing. "Padmé told me about everything that happened on Naboo. Well, almost everything." The apprentice grinned as he glanced up and saw the doubtful expression Obi-Wan wore before continuing.
"She was young and she made some mistakes, like we all do. Even you. She confessed and begged for your forgiveness, or so I've been told. You didn't forgive her, and you've been carrying around this grudge for years. It seems to me that you're the one who needs to ask for forgiveness, not her."
Silence filled the room for a several moments.
"She's a wonderful woman, Master. And if you weren't so in love with her, I'd consider going after her myself." Another grin appeared on the apprentice's face as the shock of his statement was revealed on Obi-Wan's.
Anakin waited for his Master to reply. To say something. Anything. But silence once more filled the room and his heart began to fill with worry.
He finally gave up and stood. "I'm going to go find the medic to inform him of your condition, and then I'm going to try to find us something to eat."
He turned to leave, but was stopped by Obi-Wan's hushed voice.
"Anakin. Before you go, could I borrow your datapad?"
A bright smile crept over the apprentice's face. "Sure thing, Master."