Anakin wasn't exactly sure what happened on Mandalore, but all he did know was that his ship had been blown up, and Obi-Wan had looked terrible. Not injured terrible—but pale face, bloodless lips, dark circles under the eyes kind of terrible. Anakin hadn't said anything, though, mostly because he didn't get to: Obi-Wan was swept away by the Council almost immediately, and when Anakin tried to follow, he was told by a tight-voiced Windu, "these are private matters, Skywalker".
Anakin had bristled at that, but he had taken just one look at Obi-Wan and swallowed back the angry words.
That didn't mean he stayed away, though. Now he waited outside of the Council's doors, silently daring the guards to drive him away. But the guards didn't do anything, and Anakin waited for what felt like hours before Obi-Wan finally walked out.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said wearily. "Shouldn't you be with Ahsoka by now?"
"I told her we're taking the day off today," Anakin replied. "She didn't mind." He followed Obi-Wan down the halls, waiting only for a few moments before asking, "So, are you gonna tell me what happened?"
"No," came Obi-Wan's response. "I'm sorry about your ship."
"You're getting me a new one," Anakin said, only partially joking. He hoped that would at least stir some kind of reaction from Obi-Wan, but his former master remained silent. "Obi-Wan?"
"A new one," Obi-Wan said. "Yes."
Anakin frowned. That wasn't the answer he was expecting. "I was just kidding," he said. "That thing was a heap of junk, anyways." Here was where Obi-Wan was supposed to agree, but no such agreement came. Anakin turned to Obi-Wan. "What happened back there?"
"That's none of your concern," Obi-Wan replied, and even though his tone was as mild as ever, the words still stung.
"None of my concern?" Anakin repeated in disbelief. He stepped in front of Obi-Wan, trying to catch the man's eyes, but Obi-Wan kept looking away. "Obi-Wan," Anakin protested, then stopped short. He examined the dark circles under Obi-Wan's eyes and asked, "When was the last time you slept?"
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said tiredly, "don't do this right now." He moved around Anakin but didn't protest when Anakin followed. They lapsed back into an uncomfortable silence. They wound through the corridors, and it wasn't until they were standing in front of Obi-Wan's quarters did Anakin speak again.
"I guess I'll…leave you to it," Anakin said, stepping away from the door. He was at least relieved Obi-Wan would be resting. "Glad that you're back." He pressed his lips into a semi-smile, which Obi-Wan only mirrored.
"Glad to be back," Obi-Wan replied, and he headed into his quarters, leaving Anakin to stare at the closed set of doors.
Anakin let out a short breath and, giving the doors a resentful look, walked away.
Anakin found himself standing in front of Obi-Wan's door again. He had spent the last few hours alternating between tinkering on his arm, fighting with dummies, and checking repairs on some fighters. But even with all the distractions, Anakin found himself thinking about Obi-Wan's closed door. At the very least, Anakin decided as he had walked back to Obi-Wan's quarters, he could get Obi-Wan to eat something, even if it was late.
Anakin knocked.
No response.
Clearing his throat, he called, "Obi-Wan? You in there?"
Still no response.
Anakin frowned. He stepped back, regarded the door warily. Then, after a moment of consideration, Anakin opened the door himself.
The room was dark. The shades were drawn, letting in only a faint slit of light as Anakin walked inside. But even that small amount of light was enough for Anakin to make out Obi-Wan lying on the floor.
Anakin's heart plunged as he kneeled down next to Obi-Wan's still form. Obi-Wan's face was paler than before, but now Anakin could make out the faint red in his cheeks. Obi-Wan's lips were just barely parted, letting out a loose rattle of a breath that sent a chill down Anakin's spine. He knew those signs. Anakin cursed himself for not figuring it out before—but then again, Anakin had only ever seen Obi-Wan sick once, and that was when Anakin had been still a child. He vaguely remembered dragging Obi-Wan to the medics, being afraid as people with stern faces and hushed voices rushed around him.
He should have known.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin whispered, resting a hand on Obi-Wan's arm. Even there, Anakin could feel the uncomfortable heat radiating through Obi-Wan's clothes. "Come on, you gotta get up."
For a second, Anakin was worried that Obi-Wan was too far gone to even hear him, but then Obi-Wan's eyes cracked open.
"'kin," Obi-Wan mumbled.
"Yeah, that's right," Anakin said, moving his hand up to Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Wanna sleep somewhere more comfortable?" Without waiting for a response, Anakin slid his hand to Obi-Wan's back and pushed him up to a somewhat stable sitting position. His back was warm, too. Everything was warm.
"Okay," Anakin said slowly. "We're gonna get up now." He wrapped his other arm around Obi-Wan's waist and pushed themselves off the floor. Maybe he had moved them up too fast, because Obi-Wan stumbled and crashed into Anakin's shoulder. There was a muffled groan, and Anakin winced. "Sorry, sorry," Anakin whispered, righting Obi-Wan. Anakin turned them towards the bed in the corner of the room. "In we go."
After seating him in the bed, Anakin lowered himself to Obi-Wan's feet. He tugged off Obi-Wan's boots, set them aside. Looked up at Obi-Wan. A strand of Obi-Wan's hair had fallen in his eyes, making him look wearier than ever. Obi-Wan, who was usually so put together.
Anakin's chest tightened. What happened?
"I'll get some water," Anakin said, standing up. He went into the refresher, filled up a cup with water. When he came back, Obi-Wan had already laid down, his back turned to Anakin.
Anakin swallowed. Fine, he thought. He set the cup down on the small table next to Obi-Wan's bed. He looked back down at Obi-Wan, at the sweat soaking through the back of his robes. Still warm, Anakin knew. Without saying anything this time, Anakin walked back into the refresher. He tugged out a cloth and ran it through with the water turned to the coldest setting.
Obi-Wan was fully asleep when Anakin came back. Anakin could tell because he could actually hear Obi-Wan's breaths, even as shaky as they were. Careful not to wake him, Anakin rolled Obi-Wan over onto his back. He held his breath. Obi-Wan was usually a light sleeper, but this time, he didn't stir.
With that reassurance, Anakin set the cloth on Obi-Wan's forehead. He stilled again as Obi-Wan shivered, but his former master didn't wake. Anakin let out a breath of relief and stepped backwards. Obi-Wan hadn't even bothered moving the covers, so Anakin carefully draped the covers over him. He checked the chronometer on the wall. It was getting late.
As if on cue, Anakin's comlink chirped. It sounded too loud in the too quiet room, and Anakin ducked out of Obi-Wan's quarters. The hallways were just as quiet, but Anakin was glad for the privacy as he accepted the call.
"Hey, Snips," Anakin said.
"You're not still working on the fighters, are you?" Ahsoka asked by way of greeting. "Because I really don't wanna have to break you out again."
One time, Anakin thought. "No," Anakin replied. "I'm with Obi-Wan."
There was a silence.
Then, "Master Kenobi's back?"
"Yeah," Anakin replied. "From Mandalore."
"Oh. How is he?"
"Sick," Anakin replied, looking back at the doors. "Listen, don't wait up. I'm just gonna keep an eye on him for now—just until he's in the clear."
"Do you need help?" Ahsoka asked.
Anakin thought about Obi-Wan's turned back. "I don't think more company's a good idea right now," he said. "It'll be okay," he added, already anticipating Ahsoka's oncoming protest. "If things get really bad, I'll call you."
"Fine," Ahsoka said. Then, after a pause, she asked, "You don't know what happened on Mandalore, do you?"
"No," Anakin admitted. Then, furrowing his eyebrows, he asked, "Do you?"
"Just rumors," Ahsoka replied slowly. "Not really sure how true they are though. Garbled messages from Lux, mostly." Anakin had forgotten that Lux had been somewhat involved with Mandalore a while ago—even if that involvement had been with a terrorist group. "He's not entirely sure of the situation either, but he knows about at least one of the deaths."
Anakin's blood ran cold. "What deaths?"
"Pre Vizsla's dead," Ahsoka replied. "For sure. And, um…" She hesitated. "Master Kenobi didn't say anything?"
"No," Anakin replied. "Ahsoka, what deaths?"
Ahsoka didn't say anything at first. If it hadn't been for the still-blinking yellow light on his comlink, Anakin would have thought they lost their connection. But then, her voice so soft that Anakin could have missed it, Ahsoka said, "Duchess Satine."
It could just be a rumor, Ahsoka had told Anakin, but even she didn't sound sure. I mean, she could just be hiding out somewhere.
But Anakin doubted that Obi-Wan would look the way he did if Satine was just hiding out.
Anakin stayed at Obi-Wan's bedside, alternating between bringing fresh cloths and pacing the room to stay awake. Every once in a while, Anakin would think that Obi-Wan was beginning to wake up, but every time Anakin turned around, Obi-Wan had settled back into sleep.
Anakin hadn't known Satine all that well, but he did remember her interactions with Obi-Wan. Mostly the smart-as-a-whip remarks, the cool blue eyes that only seemed to warm by the slightest degree whenever they landed on Obi-Wan. One time, Satine reached up to Obi-Wan's beard, and Anakin distinctly remembered the light pink that had colored his former master's cheeks even after the duchess had left. Whenever Anakin asked, Obi-Wan would direct the conversation into a different topic entirely or just stop talking altogether, leaving Anakin to think that perhaps Satine's feelings weren't one-sided.
If the rumors were true…
Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan from where he sat. Obi-Wan's chest rose and fell in uneven, short breaks, causing Anakin's own chest to hurt. He didn't even know if the makeshift compresses were working. When Anakin tested Obi-Wan's forehead again, it was still hot, maybe even a little hotter than it had been in the first place. Anakin hissed, letting his hand drop to his side. He could get medicine. He should get medicine.
Anakin stood up. He would get it now. He walked away from Obi-Wan's side and hesitated by the door. He turned back around to Obi-Wan. "I'll be back," he said, and hoping that his unheard words counted enough for a promise, he headed out of the quarters.
No one ran into him as he headed down the corridors. There weren't even any healers when Anakin reached the area. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried—maybe it was just too late that all of the healers were asleep. But Anakin knew his way around, mostly because he had spent so much of his time here.
Anakin found the fever reducing medication quickly and ducked out to the hallway. He hurried back to Obi-Wan's quarters, medicine secured in his hand. Again, there was no one. Moonbeams lit up the hallways leading back to Obi-Wan's quarters. Anakin suppressed a yawn. It had to be getting to early morning by now. Anakin's eyelids were growing heavy, too. He would just administer the medication to Obi-Wan and sleep. By morning, things had to get better.
Anakin eventually reached Obi-Wan's quarters. Rubbing a hand over his eyes, Anakin headed inside. "Okay," he breathed out. "Just gotta—" He stopped short. Obi-Wan wasn't in his bed. "What—" he started to say, but then he heard a terrible retching from the refresher.
Anakin swore, setting the medication down on the table before sliding open the refresher door. Obi-Wan was slumped over the toilet, head resting on an arm sitting over the seat. Under the harsh fluorescent lights, Anakin could clearly see the sweat beading Obi-Wan's forehead, the bruise-colored half-moons under his eyes.
"Master," Anakin started, but Obi-Wan was already weakly waving his arm.
"Get out," Obi-Wan groaned. "I'm fine—"
"Like hell you are," Anakin snapped, sitting down next to Obi-Wan. He wiped the seat off Obi-Wan's forehead, ignoring the way Obi-Wan squirmed away from his touch. "You're burning," Anakin said. "I got medicine for that—"
"Don't," Obi-Wan mumbled, breaking away from Anakin's hand. "I'll just…" He gestured helplessly at the toilet.
Anakin wrinkled his nose. "Fine," he said. "But we need to…" His voice drifted as Obi-Wan suddenly lunged for the toilet. Anakin heard another terrible noise that sounded like a cross between a groan and a cry, followed by the distant splash of what little Obi-Wan probably had in his stomach.
Anakin instinctively lifted his hand to Obi-Wan's sweat-soaked back. Obi-Wan flinched underneath him, but he didn't try to move away. He couldn't, Anakin realized with some grim satisfaction. As Obi-Wan shuddered over the toilet, Anakin rubbed his hand in slow circles. "Don't force it," Anakin said. "Breathe."
He sat there for some time, trying to focus on Obi-Wan's breathing instead of the vomit. He felt Obi-Wan's shudders turn slowly into pants, and then those pants turned into quick, quiet breaths. Anakin got used to what Obi-Wan would feel like before he would start vomiting again—felt the sudden tightness in Obi-Wan's shoulders, heard the little gasp from the back of his throat before the dry-heaving would begin. "You're okay," Anakin heard himself say every time. "You're okay." He stood up, ran another cloth under water. He knelt back down beside Obi-Wan. "Look at me."
Obi-Wan just barely tilted his head towards Anakin. It was a small movement—a surrender, really, but Anakin took it. He wiped the cloth over Obi-Wan's face, then stood up for a new cloth. Anakin sat back down and wiped at Obi-Wan's mouth. Not looking at Obi-Wan, Anakin threw the cloths out. He could feel Obi-Wan's eyes on him, though, which Anakin didn't know whether to be pleased or annoyed about. He decided for neither. He stood up, left the refresher. The cup of water he had left at Obi-Wan's bedside still sat there, untouched. Anakin picked it up and returned to Obi-Wan. He handed over the cup. "Small sips."
Obi-Wan listened, and when he was done, Anakin took the cup and set it on the sink. "How's your stomach?"
"Better for now," Obi-Wan replied, his voice so rough and raw that Anakin actually winced.
"Okay," Anakin said. He re-filled the cup of water. "You still think you won't be able to keep down the medicine?" Obi-Wan shook his head.
"Okay," Anakin repeated. "Um…" He looked around the refresher, then looked back down at Obi-Wan. "Do you think you can take a shower? It might make you feel better," he added quickly. "And new clothes," he said, thinking about how the sweat had soaked through.
Obi-Wan gave a barely perceptible nod and rose to his feet, albeit shakily. Anakin moved forward, but Obi-Wan fell back against the wall just in time. "I'm fine," he said, still not looking at Anakin.
"Of course you are," Anakin said, and he hadn't meant to sound sarcastic—but oh, he did, and he regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth, but it was too late now. "I'll wait outside." With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the refresher.
A/N: It's been a hot second since I've written something Obi-Wan and Anakin centric, but here we are. Planning for this sick!fic to be about three chapters, so hope ya'll are willing to go on this roller coaster ride with me! In my head, this takes place briefly after the mess on Mandalore, so um...we're really heading there. Also figured it was a good time to post because TCW is really coming back tomorrow, and I'm not ready.
As always, reviews/constructive criticism are always welcome and appreciated! Next update will come on Saturday!