Obi-Wan was sitting with his data reader on the stone bench under the large tree by the refectory when Coral approached him, her normally cheerful features now arranged into an expression of worry. So much for the few moments of relaxation he had put aside for himself.

"Obi-Wan, will you come with me? Kenji's in the med center. He's asking for you."

Obi-Wan stood up at once. "He's ill?"

"He collapsed in the fields an hour ago," Coral said as they began to walk quickly toward the med center. "He's just regained consciousness."

"He was out of sorts yesterday," Obi-Wan told her. "Though he insisted he was fine. Any notion of what's wrong?"

Coral shook her head. "He was terribly cold to the touch when we brought him in. He's a little warmer now, but weak and light-headed."

Obi-Wan considered this, and wondered why Kenji was asking for him specifically. Like any Jedi, he had basic medical training, but he was no expert. He'd certainly had no idea what was wrong the other day.

The med center was located in a small building and consisted of a few rooms. It was clean and well organized, but by Temple standards nothing fancy. An older model of medical droid greeted Coral and Obi-Wan in the entry chamber.

"We have run some preliminary tests but so far have found no signs of infection or imbalance," it said, looking from one Jedi to the other. "Most curious."

"Quite curious." A short, blonde haired woman had emerged from one of the back rooms, frowning.

"Hello, Eldris," Obi-Wan greeted her. "Coral told me that Kenji asked for me?"

Eldris nodded once. Obi-Wan started to move toward the back room but was stopped by the healer's hand on his shoulder. "I have more work to do," she said quietly. "But I don't think medically there's anything wrong with him. I fear it's something else. Something beyond my expertise."

Obi-Wan understood what she meant, even if he couldn't claim to understand the situation.

Kenji was laying in his bed, propped up slightly by a couple of pillows. His eyes were closed but opened as Obi-Wan approached, and he smiled a weak, joyless smile. His face was grey.

"Thank you for coming. You were right. I should have come here before. But I didn't think it would get this bad."

Obi-Wan took his hand. It was freezing cold. In fact, the air around Kenji seemed to feel strangely cold, as if he were laying under an air vent.

"What was happening when you collapsed?" Obi-Wan asked. "Do you remember?"

"I was in the fields, meditating," Kenji said. "I was actually feeling better than normal. But then I started feeling sick again, like yesterday. And so cold."

Obi-Wan frowned, pondering this. He wanted to help, to do what he could, but hoped that the boy did not call him here because he thought Obi-Wan had the answers, or had any idea at all what was going on.

"It seems to happen more and more now," Kenji continued, and his voice had gotten quieter and a little shaky. "When I try to connect to the Force."

Obi-Wan stared at him. He had heard of such things, of Jedi psychically wounded in various ways being cut off by their connection to the Force. But he had never heard of anyone becoming ill when using the Force. He desperately wished that Qui-Gon were here. Qui-Gon had studied topics like these a bit, but the practical Obi-Wan had always regarded such things as being for Temple soul healers and not for Knights.

"I'm sure Eldris will help you," Obi-Wan said kindly. "Or perhaps if not you could go back to the Temple -"

Kenji turned his head away, but made no reply.

Obi-Wan was about to speak again, but had suddenly sensed the unmistakable presence of his apprentice in the infirmary. Something was wrong.

"He fell," Anakin's voice was saying, presumably to Eldris. "He hit one of the rocks in the river."

Obi-Wan turned to see Eldris and Anakin supporting a wet and dripping Eraan as they helped him to one of the empty beds. The side of Eraan's face was bloody and he had a hastily applied field bandage from a medkit over his right temple, which didn't cover the entirety of the gash. He was conscious but appeared dazed.

Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan, obviously surprised to see him here. "Master. Eraan's hurt," He said, his voice shaky. Anakin looked a mess, wet from the knees down, the front of his tunic smeared with dirt and blood. Obi-Wan also noted a black mark from a lightsaber training blade on his right shoulder.

Eldris and the medical droid had begun working on Eraan, inspecting and cleaning his injuries, and Obi-Wan gently steered his apprentice away from the bedside. Neither one of them needed to be in the way of the healer.

"It's my fault, Master," Anakin told him, throwing a helpless glance toward his friend.

"Go outside, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "I'll meet you out there in a moment."

Anakin went, and Obi-Wan turned toward Kenji again, but the younger man's eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping. He studied him for a few moments, then sighed and left the infirmary, stepping back into the warmth of the summer afternoon.

Anakin had sat down on the stone benth on the side of the building and was resting his face in his hands, the picture of dejection. Obi-Wan sat down beside him.

"Eraan will be all right, I'm sure."

"There was so much blood," Anakin said, not looking at him.

Obi-Wan put his hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" He had an idea of course. No doubt some too-rough play, and judging from the mark on Anakin's shoulder, lightsabers had been involved. There was a reason that younger padawans were generally discouraged from sparring without oversight. Young adolescents especially tended not to understand their own strength, especially when emotions ran high.

Anakin swallowed. "We were sparring, Master. It was my fault. I talked him into it, he didn't want to. I guess things got out of hand. He fell." He sniffled and wiped his eye with his sleeve. "I really am sorry."

Obi-Wan sighed. He could only hope the boy had learned something from this. "You were on that log, weren't you?"

"You're probably mad at me, huh?" Anakin wiped his dirty hands on his pants, leaving a smudge mark.

"I can't say I'm happy, but you sound as if you're displeased enough with yourself for both of us," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin scooted toward him and attempted to wrap his arms around his mentor, but Obi-Wan pried him off, not at all in the mood for cuddles from an overwrought and grimy apprentice. "Go back to our quarters and get cleaned up and get your head clear. Dinner's in half an hour."

Anakin regarded him sulkily. "Can't I stay here with Eraan?"

"You'll do no good here. You can visit him later tonight. Now, go."

Anakin reluctantly rose and headed toward their rooms. Obi-Wan watched him go, not quite admitting to himself that he didn't completely trust the boy not to veer off in a different direction to do who-knew-what. Anakin hadn't exactly been a shining example of obedience lately. Not that he ever truly was. But hopefully this unfortunate incident would jar him into thinking about the consequences of his actions, at least for a while. In any case, Obi-Wan planned on keeping him on a shorter leash for a while.

Anakin kept to himself at dinner, having opted to sit at the end of the table by himself instead of in his customary place across from his master. A few people tried to engage him in conversation, some offering their sympathies about Eraan's accident, but he met their friendliness with only shrugs and curt remarks. Obi-Wan watched him sullenly push his food around his plate, not eating, until he couldn't stand it anymore and got up and walked over to his padawan and knelt down beside him.

"I know you're upset about this afternoon but sulking like this is not going to help anyone."

"Can I be excused?" Anakin asked, not looking at him. "I'm not hungry."

"Fine," Obi-Wan sighed. He knew that Anakin was worried about Eraan and no doubt wanted to go check in on him. Forcing his padawan to eat was not a battle he was eager to engage in right now.

Anakin got up quickly, but Obi-Wan stopped him. "I want you back in our quarters by 2000 hours."

"Yes, Master," Anakin nodded, even if he didn't look happy.

Obi-Wan sat back down to eat the rest of his rapidly cooling dinner, though he found most of his own appetite had gone. But he smiled as Declan sat down in the empty seat across from him.

"I heard what happened. With Eraan." He shook his head. "Those kids…." He trailed off. Nothing else needed to be said.

"I think everyone has heard by now."

"You've really got your hands full, don't you?"

"We both do, don't we?" Obi-Wan thought for a moment. "How much do you know about what's going on with Kenji?"

The rueful smile disappeared from Declan's face. "I was hoping to ask you the same thing. I only just got back from town. It's getting bad with him, isn't it?"

Obi-Wan pushed his plate away. "Let's go outside."

They stood outside the dining hall in the pleasant summer evening, Declan glowering into the distance at what Obi-Wan had told him.

"Gets sick when he uses the Force? I've never heard of anything like that." He stroked his chin. "But he's been a little..off..for a while. Since he came back from that blasted place."

"The cave?" Obi-Wan asked.

Declan nodded slowly. "He was gone for days. Seemed okay at first when he came back, but it wasn't long before he started acting weird. Like he was somewhere else. Unfocused. He'd have his moments where he seemed all right but mostly you couldn't have a halfway normal conversation with him."

"We should see what Eldris has to say when she finishes her assessments but I think we should contact the Temple about this," Obi-Wan told him.

Declan gave him a curious look. "'We?'"

Obi-Wan felt a bit embarrassed. He didn't know why he felt so responsible for Kenji. He barely knew the boy. Yet something seemed to be pulling him to this situation. "Perhaps I am overstepping-"

Declan laughed kindly and squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder. "You're turning into your old master, that's what's happening. I'd be glad to have you step up. Yes, let's wait to hear what Eldris says, but if we need to take it to the Temple it sure wouldn't hurt to have a Knight on my side." he looked off into the distance again. "He really belongs to you lot anyway. I probably should have put my foot down and never let him stay here. He's not a farmer."

Obi-Wan thought so as well. But he understood. "You wanted to give him refuge."

"Yeah. But this shouldn't be a place for exiles. Self-imposed, or otherwise." He gave Obi-Wan that rueful smile again. "I'm going to go check on Eraan."

"Anakin was eager to get down there himself," Obi-Wan said. "He says what happened is his fault."

Declan shook his head impatiently. "That's very noble I'm sure, but it takes two to spar, doesn't it?" He turned to go. "You coming with?"

"No," Obi-Wan said. "Not now. I don't want to crowd him. I'll see him tomorrow."

They said their farewells and Obi-Wan returned to his quarters, feeling exhausted and looking forward to a little relaxation at last. Although he felt bad about Eraan's injuries, at least it might cause the boys to slow down for a little while. He felt they all needed it.

He was surprised when he entered their chambers to see Anakin was already there, standing out on the balcony. The boy must have heard him come in, but didn't turn to look.

"Padawan?" Obi-Wan said. "You're here early."

Anakin still didn't turn around. "Yeah," he said. There was a bit of a tremble in his voice.

"What's wrong?" Obi-Wan asked. "Please look at me."

Anakin turned to face him, and Obi-Wan saw that his eyes were red. The boy wiped at them self consciously. "He didn't want to talk to me, Master."

"He was angry?" Obi-Wan asked. He had a feeling that more had happened than Anakin wanted to tell him. But it didn't seem wise to push him about it now.

Anakin nodded. Obi-Wan walked out to join him on the balcony. "Don't let it bother you too much. I'm sure he'll come around. He's had a hard day and just needs some time."

The boy didn't respond or look at him, but gripped the rail of the balcony somewhat tightly. Obi-Wan considered his words. There was no room in a Jedi's life for the luxury of wallowing in self pity and regret. He knew Anakin understood this intellectually, but in practice he struggled with that hard truth. And to impress that truth on him in a compassionate and meaningful way had always been Obi-Wan's struggle. He was no Yoda, and he knew it.

"He needs rest," Obi-Wan said, trying to sound gentle. "You do too."

Anakin didn't answer again, and Obi-Wan felt himself begin to grow annoyed. But he made himself inhale and release his irritation with his breath. "Come and meditate with me."

"That's always your answer to everything," Anakin grumbled, not looking at him.

Obi-Wan bristled at the boy's tone. "I find it generally solves more problems than sulking does."

Anakin gave him a look that would have sent a wild rancor fleeing, then turned again.

"All right." Obi-Wan had had enough. "You may stay here on the balcony sulking then. But you're not to come inside until I tell you to."

"Fine," Anakin huffed.

Obi-Wan took another breath and went inside, settling himself down onto the meditation cushions and planning on demonstrating some real Jedi serenity to his ill-behaved apprentice, for all the good it would do. A few minutes passed in relative peace. But Anakin's footsteps passing by him caused Obi-Wan to open his eyes.

"I don't recall giving you permission to come back inside."

"Oh, you were serious?" Anakin said. He didn't wait for a reply. "I'm going to my room with your kind permission, Master."

Obi-Wan stared at his padawan. The boy was really testing him and the whole situation was frankly getting ridiculous. Anakin started to walk back toward his bedroom again, but Obi-Wan rose to his feet and grabbed him from behind, wrapping his arms tightly around his middle.

"You're not going anywhere."

Anakin cried out in outrage, struggling in vain. He'd been growing rapidly, but Obi-Wan was still stronger for the time being. "What are you doing?"

"Teaching my disobedient padawan a lesson," Obi-Wan said. He wasn't feeling merciful. Still gripping Anakin with one arm, he began to tickle him with his other hand, getting him in his armpit.

"Hey!" Anakin gasped, apparently outraged but laughing helplessly.

"If you spent more time meditating and developing inner tranquility maybe you wouldn't be vulnerable to these sorts of attacks," Obi-Wan said calmly, wrestling his writhing apprentice to the ground. "Look, I've brought this mighty Jedi to his knees with only some tickling. He is poorly trained."

"Whose fault is that," Anakin laughed, still struggling fruitlessly against Obi-Wan's grip.

"Insolence, Padawan? Even now?" Obi-Wan said with mock indignation, increasing the intensity of his attack. "Not wise."

"Master," Anakin wheezed, reaching for a nearby meditation pillow and thrusting it feebly at Obi-Wan's head.

"'Master!'" Obi-Wan mocked. "'Oh, Master, please stop! I'll be good.'"

"I - don't -sound like that!" Anakin protested through his laughter.

Obi-Wan at last let go of the boy, sitting back and watching Anakin pant on the floor, still laughing and trying to get his breath back. "Are you all right, Master? Are you losing it?"

"Sometimes I wonder if I am, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed, smiling. An image came to his mind suddenly of the members of the High Council shaking their heads in disapproval at the way he had handled his apprentice. But at the moment he didn't care. Whatever that had been, it had at least shaken Anakin out of his mood.

The padawan laid there, quieter now, even calm. But the silence of the room was broken a moment later by the sound of his rumbling stomach.

"I'm hungry," Anakin sighed.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. "Me too."