Chapter 4 A Very Long Night
"Well, go ahead, Anakin. I am sure you would like to speak with her yourself. Before you go back to be with Obi-Wan, I have another request to ask of you." Mace said.
"Yes, of course, Master Windu; what is it?" Anakin replied.
"Speak with Zak. He is very upset right now and neither Master Yoda nor I can seem to help him. You seem to have a way with him, so he may listen to you." Mace requested.
"Well, I will see what I can do. And I have a request for you, could you stay with Obi-Wan until I get back." Anakin agreed.
"I would be happy to, Anakin." Windu answered.
"Thank you, Master Windu. I won't be long." Anakin said as he headed to the comm center.
"I understand, Anakin. There is no need to explain this to me." Padme assured him when he had made contact with her. "How many times have you called Obi-Wan your brother? I would have been surprised if you had not stayed with him."
"I don't feel as I have a choice, Padme. He is really very sick…" Anakin explained.
"I know, love; it's alright. We will see you tomorrow." Padme replied calmly.
"Are you sure, Padme? You're not going to start resenting him again, are you?" Anakin asked pensively.
"Anakin! Of course not. Right now, your place is with him; I told you, I understand this." She answered.
"The Chancellor said there may be some danger, I am worried…" Anakin started.
"Don't be, Anakin. We are well protected here, the Chancellor has seen to that. We will be fine without you tonight. Obi-Wan needs you more than we do, at least for now." She said.
"Somehow I knew you would understand. I love you, you know." He told her.
"And I love you because you care so much about those you love; me, our children and Obi-Wan. Just stay with Obi-Wan tonight and don't worry about us." Padme said. "Good night, Anakin, I love you."
"I love you too, Padme; good night." He answered.
As her image faded, Anakin felt relieved; he had not needed her approval to stay, but he felt so much better that he had it. With that task finished, he headed back to the dormitory to find Zak. He found the boy sitting quietly on his bed in light meditation.
"Zak? Can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked from the doorway.
Zak opened his eyes and beamed at Anakin, "Master Anakin! I was hoping to see you." He answered enthusiastically.
"Master Windu says you're upset. Are you worried about Master Obi-Wan?" He wondered.
Zak's smile disappeared and he looked down, "He's going to die, isn't he." He stated.
"Oh, no, Zak. Who told you that? I won't let that happen, I promise." Anakin assured him.
"But he's so sick, Master Anakin." Zak said.
"I know, but I have just talked to the healer who is caring for him, and he said that Obi-Wan should be much better by tomorrow." Anakin replied.
"You're just saying that because Master Windu told you to." Zak said flatly. "You don't think I can deal with the truth."
"Zak, now you know that's not true; I would never lie to you; if your master was going to die, then I'd tell you that." Anakin answered gently.
Zak said nothing, but Anakin could sense that he was still not convinced.
"Alright, Zak; would you believe me if I showed you?" Anakin offered.
"You mean like you did before? Can you do that?" Zak asked.
"Yes, just like that." Anakin said as he sat down on the bed facing Zak.
"Okay, remember how we did this before? Clear your mind…" Anakin instructed him as he took his head between his hands.
Zak closed his eyes and took a centering breath.
"Yes, that's right; good, now open up and let me in…" Anakin said quietly. "There, yes, that's it. Now, can you feel him?"
Zak frowned, "He's hot, Master Anakin." He observed.
"Yes, that's the fever, Zak, but it will pass by morning. But can you feel his strength, his connection with the Force?" Anakin answered.
"Oh; wait a minute….Oh, yes, now I see!" Zak exclaimed.
"Do you believe me now? Does that make you feel better?" Anakin asked as he let go of their connection.
"I think so, yes; I guess I do." Zak told him after a moment.
"How do you do that, Anakin?" Anakin turned towards the door to see Adi Gallia standing there.
"Master Gallia, I'm sorry I didn't see you there." Anakin replied as he stood up to greet her.
"Well, you seemed to be…occupied and I didn't want to disturb you. But tell me, how did you do that?" She asked again.
"Do what? I was just helping Zak." Anakin answered, "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, of course not; at least I do not think so." She assured him. "I just have never seen that done before."
Anakin was bewildered, "I don't understand, Master Gallia; I thought we were all connected through the Force; am I wrong?"
"Well, yes, we are. But you seem to able to…share that so easily; if you know what I mean." Adi explained.
"Actually, no, I don't, I thought we all could do this. I thought Zak just hadn't learned how yet." Anakin replied.
"No, Anakin, we cannot, not without great concentration – you did it so effortlessly; this seems to be yet another one of your special talents. I would like to speak with Master Yoda about it; with your permission, of course." Adi said.
"Of course, Master Gallia, if you think it's that important." Anakin told her.
"It is very unique, Anakin. It may be something you can teach all of us." Adi replied.
"But I don't even know how I do it; how can I teach it to anyone." Anakin asked.
"Just by showing us what you are doing. If we can feel you do it, we should be able to pick it up. It may even help you to understand it." She said.
"Yes, you may be right, Master Gallia." Anakin answered after thinking for a moment.
"Can you do this with other Jedi, or just Zak?" She wondered.
"I don't know, really; I have only tried it with Zak." He admitted.
"Well, after this trial business is over with, I think the whole Council should sit down with you and talk about this. For now, I will speak with Master Yoda." Adi stated. "So I have your leave to do this, then?"
"Yes, yes; that would be fine with me. I no longer wish to hide anything from the Council." Anakin answered.
"I am glad to hear that, Anakin. I will leave you now; I only wished to see how our young Zak was doing. Are you feeling better, Zak?" She said.
"Yes, Master Gallia; Master Anakin has made me feel much better." Zak told her.
"That is good. Now, you need to get some rest; we will have much to do tomorrow." Adi told him.
"I will, Master Gallia." Zak promised.
"Alright, good night then, to both of you." She said; and then quickly left them alone again.
"I am going to leave you too, now, Zak. But you must promise to rest." Anakin said.
"I will, I can now, I think. Can I see Master Obi-Wan first?" Zak asked.
"No, I don't think that would be a good idea. In the morning, he will be better, so you can see him then. Would that be alright?" Anakin replied.
"But why, Master Anakin?"
"Because he's still pretty sick, Zak; and I don't think he would want you to see him like that. I will be staying with him for the rest of the night, so he won't be alone." Anakin said.
"And you promise to tell me if anything happens?" Zak asked.
"Yes, Zak; I promise. But nothing is going to happen except that he will be much better in the morning. Get some sleep now; you have a very busy day ahead of you." Anakin assured him.
With that promise, Zak crawled under the covers. Satisfied, Anakin left to return to Obi-Wan's quarters.
Mace was still there as he assured Anakin that he would be.
"How is he, Master Windu?" Anakin asked as he entered.
"Restless, Anakin. But I think we all expected that." Mace told him. "Did you get a chance to speak with Zak?"
"Yes, and I think he's feeling much better." Anakin answered.
"Good, I had a feeling that you be able to calm him down. I do not know why, but he seems to trust you almost as much as he trusts Obi-Wan." Mace said.
"When all this is over, Master Gallia has asked me to speak to the Council about it." Anakin said.
"Adi? When did you see her?" Mace asked curiously.
"She stopped by when I was…speaking with Zak. She said that I had done something…different and that I should tell the Council about it. I think it must be complicated, though, because she thought it should wait until this whole Amedda business is over with." Anakin answered.
"Well, now I am intrigued, Master Skywalker. Could you at least try to explain it to me?" Mace asked.
"I don't really know where to start, Master Windu. Master Gallia saw me do it, maybe she could tell you about it. I think she was going to tell Master Yoda anyway." Anakin replied.
"Very well, Anakin. I will seek her out now as long as you are here." Mace answered as he got up to leave. "I will check back in the morning."
"Good night, Master Windu." Anakin said as Mace left.
Anakin sat down and settled in for the rest of the night. Obi-Wan stirred restlessly and Anakin put his hand to Obi-Wan's head.
"Easy, old friend. I'm right here." He said gently. "I'm not going anywhere."
Just that touch seemed to quiet Obi-Wan and he sighed heavily and turned on his side, murmuring something Anakin could not understand.
Anakin dozed on and off most of the night, and Obi-Wan drifted in and out of sleep. In his waking moments, though, he was not coherent and did not seem to recognize Anakin. He cleaned Obi-Wan's shoulder twice and just before dawn, Obi-Wan gave a heavy sigh and seemed to relax completely. Anakin leaned forward and touched his forehead. It was cool to the touch. Anakin then let out a sigh of relief, just as Declan had predicted the night before, Obi-Wan's fever had broken. The long night was over.
