Chapter 8 Unchecked Anger

"I have a few more procedures to perform and then you may go in to see him, if you like." The droid said.

"Yes, thank you." Obi-Wan answered.

"Would you like to stay with him?" The droid asked.

"Stay? For the night?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes, I can arrange it if you wish me to do so." The droid replied.

"Yes, if that's possible I would." Obi-Wan said gratefully. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, Master Kenobi." The droid answered pleasantly and returned to the room.

Obi-Wan glanced down the hall and spotted Chancellor Bail and Boba sitting in the waiting area and walked down to them. The Chancellor stood up when he saw Obi-Wan approach, "Master Kenobi, do you have any news yet?" He asked.

"Yes, good news, in fact. Zak should be up and about within a few weeks." Obi-Wan answered optimistically.

"Oh, that is very good news. I owe that young man a great deal. Breha will be pleased to hear this."

The Chancellor replied.

"Can I see him?" Boba asked.

"Well, he's not conscious, Boba." Obi-Wan told him.

"I know, I just want to see him." Boba replied.

"Alright, but just for a few minutes." Obi-Wan said.

"Thanks, that's all I need." Boba answered happily.

"That is fine, Boba; and then we should leave." The Chancellor added.

"I know, I know." Boba said impatiently.

Boba approached the bed cautiously. He was not sure what he expected, but it was not this. His best friend, his only friend lay motionless in the bed. One side of his head had been partially shaved around a dark bruise with a thin suture line through the middle of it. Zak's right leg was encased in a plasticine cast and elevated in a sling above the bed; and so was his right wrist, folded across his chest. A tube had been inserted in his nose and an IV line ran from his left arm. Boba gulped, "Who did this?" He whispered quietly.

Obi-Wan hesitated, "He fell."

"No, I don't think so; not Zak." Boba refuted. "Who did this?"

Obi-Wan sighed, looked down at the floor and then back at Boba, "Alright, I don't really know what happened, but I don't think he fell either." He said.

"But you must have some idea who did it." Boba argued.

"No, believe me, I wish I did." Obi-Wan answered.

"Well, you're going to find out, aren't you?" Boba asked.

"Oh, yes; whoever is responsible for this will be held accountable." Obi-Wan assured him. "Now, I think the Chancellor is waiting for you."

"Oh, yeah, right, the Chancellor." Boba replied as he pulled something from his pocket. "I was going to give this to him when he came home."

Boba placed a blue stone in Zak's hand and closed his fingers around it, "I found this on Alderaan and it reminded me of your laser sword. I thought maybe sometime you and me could go exploring there, you know, when you're up to it again." He said, and then patted Zak's arm, "Get better soon, right?"

He turned to leave, hiding his face from Obi-Wan as he did, "Just catch whoever did this." He said through gritted teeth.

"I will." Obi-Wan promised as he walked behind him to the door.

He watched Boba walk back down the hallway towards the Chancellor. The Chancellor nodded his head toward Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan made a short bow and then watched them walk toward the exit together. The Chancellor patted Boba on the back and Obi-Wan noted that Boba did not shy away from that touch. He smiled to himself and then went to the desk; he wanted to inform the Jedi Council that he would not be coming there tonight.

"Unnecessary it is for you to contact us, Obi-Wan; we knew already where you would be tonight." Yoda answered when Obi-Wan told him.

"Well, I just thought I'd let you know that I will be staying here until he wakes up." Obi-Wan replied.

"Days that could be, Obi-Wan; your duties to the Council you must not neglect." Yoda said.

"Right now, Master Yoda; my duty is to my apprentice. The med droid said he could wake up any time and I need to be there when he does." Obi-Wan answered. "He'll panic as soon as he realizes he can't feel the Force and I should be here to explain it. You must understand this."

"I do, Obi-Wan; I do. Do this if right it feels." Yoda conceded.

"It is right; and as soon as Zak understands what has happened to him, I'll meet with the rest of the Council." Obi-Wan promised.

"Then speak to the Council of this I will, Obi-Wan; may the Force be with you." Yoda said as his image faded.

Satisfied, Obi-Wan walked back to the room. The med droid had returned and turned around when he entered, "Ah, Master Kenobi; you're apprentice is doing very well. However, I have detected damage to some of his internal organs." It informed him.

"Yes, that happened when he fell." Obi-Wan explained.

"No, this damage is related to the….hmm…surgery performed on Belarid." The droid corrected.

"Oh, why does that not surprise me." Obi-Wan asked.

"With your permission, I can repair this damage now." The droid suggested.

"Yes; you have it." Obi-Wan consented.

"Very good." The droid answered. "This may not be pleasant; I would suggest leaving the room."

"No, I'd rather stay." Obi-Wan insisted.

"Very well, I will explain what I am doing as I work." The droid said as he pulled back the sheet. Immediately, Obi-Wan noticed the problem; the incision line was bulging and looked as if it would explode any minute.

"I must relieve this pressure first and then I can repair the damage inside." The droid said as he inserted a needle into the incision line. Once the fluid had been sufficiently drained, the droid turned to Obi-Wan.

"Now I only need to go in and cauterize the damaged areas. If he had been brought to us sooner, we could have prevented this from happening. I have already lodged a complaint against the Belarid Medical Association." The droid talked as it reopened the incision and inserted a cauterizing tool.

The droid worked quickly and efficiently and within a few moments, it had finished, "There, I have successfully repaired the damage done; this should not delay his recovery." It said.

"Thank you." Obi-Wan replied.

"Now, I have been informed that your own injury should be looked after." The droid said.

"What?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"The EMD unit on the medical transport warned me that you would neglect to inform us of this. It stated that it was imperative that it be cleaned and dressed again." The droid explained.

"Oh very well." Obi-Wan acquiesced.

"You must understand that this could become a serious problem. Chemical burns are not to be taken lightly." The droid told him. "Now, come over to the counter with me so that I may tend to it."

Obi-Wan nodded and followed the droid obediently, "Please, sit down." The droid requested.

Again, Obi-Wan did as he was asked and placed his bandaged wrist on the counter. The droid removed the bandage, examined the burn and proceeded to clean and dress it again, "It is healing satisfactorily." It stated as he applied more ointment to it, replaced the bacta strip and then rewrapped it.

"I will change this again in the morning." The droid said. "The med droid also informed me that I should be sure that you ate something. I will have something sent in here to you."

"That's fine." Obi-Wan replied as he dragged the chair next to the bed and sat down.

"Please, contact me if you need anything, Master Kenobi. I will return in one hour to see how he is progressing." The droid said before leaving.

"Well, Padawan, we're home. I'm just sorry that things turned out the way they did. I promise I will never make you go back there again; it was a terrible mistake. Boba came to see you, you know; he brought you a gift." Obi-Wan told his apprentice. "He wants you to go to Alderaan with him; would you like that?"

He brushed his hand against Zak's forehead; he wanted so desperately to send his Padawan strength through the Force. Obi-Wan felt anger, again, at the Belaridian doctor who had done this to him and to Zak and fought to push it away. It was wrong to be angry with someone who had acted out of ignorance and superstition; and yet the anger persisted. Why, he wondered, was he having such difficulty controlling it? Did it have something to do with his loss of Force sensitivity? He decided to speak with Master Yoda.

The med droid came and went several times during the night; always voicing optimism at Zak's progressive recovery. Even so, Zak remained unconscious and unresponsive. Despite the droid's assessment, Obi-Wan felt doubt creeping into his thoughts and began to wonder if Zak would ever open his eyes. He slept fitfully in the chair all night dreaming of Anakin and his red lightsaber and Zak, who should be dead like the others; when he awoke in the morning, it was to that same empty feeling of being without the Force. He sighed, looked over at Zak, unconscious still, and touched his cheek lightly before he stood up and stretched. A tray of untouched food lay on the counter; Obi-Wan had no appetite, but knowing the med droid would insist that he eat, he forced the some food down. When the med droid returned on his morning rounds, it was satisfied that at least Obi-Wan had eaten something. Its next order of business was cleaning and redressing Obi-Wan's wrist, to which Obi-Wan only reluctantly agreed.

"Oh, yes; this looks much better." The droid noted as it examined the burn; the blisters had broken and the area was not as inflamed as it had been. The med droid proceeded as it had done the night before and wrapped a fresh bandage around it when it had finished.

"I have a message for you from Master Yoda; he and Master Windu will be here later to check on young Zak, here, and to speak with you concerning a matter of great importance." The droid informed him before leaving again.

"Thank you." Obi-Wan answered. Now what did the Council want from him? It did not matter to him anymore; without his Force sensitivity, he was of little use to them anyway. Stop it, Obi-Wan, he told himself, "Don't worry, Zak; no matter what the Council wants, I'm staying here until you wake up." He promised his unconscious apprentice as he stroked the boy's forehead. "You're going to need to understand what has happened to you."

Within the hour, Masters Yoda and Windu arrived at the medical center. Obi-Wan, sitting at his place beside Zak's bed, looked up as they entered the room, but did not stand.

"Hmm…little sleep you have had, Obi-Wan; tired you look this morning." Yoda observed.

"No, I have not slept well in a couple days, Master." Obi-Wan admitted.

"Go back to the Temple you should, Obi-Wan; little good you can do here until young Perrin awakes." Yoda replied.

"No, Master Yoda; we have talked about this. Until Zak regains consciousness, I will not leave him." Obi-Wan resisted.

"Obi-Wan, I understand how you feel, but…" Mace began.

"Do you? How close have you come to losing an apprentice?" Obi-Wan interrupted angrily.

"I have not, Obi-Wan, but…" Mace tried again.

"Then don't tell me you understand how I feel; I can't even help him." Obi-Wan continued, angry and frustrated.

"Careful, Obi-Wan." Yoda warned.

"Careful? You should have been more careful before you insisted on Zak going to that place." Obi-Wan countered, his anger growing unchecked.

"Calm down, Obi-Wan." Mace ordered.

"Calm down? Look at Zak, and tell me why I should calm down. Feel for his presence in the Force and tell me to calm down." Obi-Wan continued, his anger building to rage.

Yoda rapped Obi-Wan hard on the shins with his gaffer stick, "Enough, Master Kenobi; control your anger you must. Tired you are; and if stay here you wish, arrangements we will make to make it more comfortable for you." He promised calmly.

The anger Obi-Wan had felt dissolved quickly into helpless frustration and shame. He sighed and rested his head in his hands, "I'm sorry, Masters." He said quietly.

"Now, are you finished, Master Kenobi?" Mace asked.

"Yes, Master Windu." Obi-Wan answered.

"Good, because the reason we came over here was to run midi-chlorian tests on both you and Zak." Mace told him.

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked, curiously.

"Well, we need to know what is causing your sensitivity deprivation." Mace replied.

"You think our midi-chlorians are dead, don't you." Obi-Wan deduced.

"No, we don't think anything yet." Mace assured him.

"Wish to know, do you not, Obi-Wan, whether you will find the Force again…hmm?" Yoda asked. "Or fear the truth do you?"

Obi-Wan paused, running Yoda's question through his mind. What was he afraid of ? Wasn't it better to know one way or the other? "Yes, I was, Master Yoda." He finally admitted. "But I think it would be better to know now rather than go on indefinitely wondering if…"

"Good, settled it is then; wish to test you or your apprentice first do you, Obi-Wan?" Yoda asked.

Obi-Wan paused again; he didn't want to know about Zak yet, not yet, "Me; test me first." He answered decisively.

Yoda nodded, "Very well, Obi-Wan; test you first Master Windu will." He said.

Mace drew a sample of Obi-Wan's blood and inserted it into the portable analyzer he had brought from the Temple, "This should only take a few seconds." He said.

"I know that, Master Windu. I've run enough of them to know how long it takes." Obi-Wan replied irritably.

"Patience, Obi-Wan." Yoda reminded him calmly.