Anakin found some lighter clothes for Obi-Wan to wear—clothes Obi-Wan could probably breathe in, at least. He leaned against the wall across the refresher, listening to the run of shower water. Anakin turned to the chronometer again—they were very well into the early morning hours now. Anakin suspected the sun would rise in just a few hours from now. Still, any sleepiness Anakin had felt a little while ago had all but dissipated now. He kept seeing Obi-Wan's pale face hunched over the toilet, kept hearing that horrible breathing from deep inside Obi-Wan's chest.
The shower finally turned off, and Anakin slipped into the refresher just briefly to hand Obi-Wan his clothes. He kept his eyes turned pointedly away and slipped back outside. As Obi-Wan changed, Anakin made his way to the bed. There weren't even any sheets on yet. Anakin just barely suppressed a groan as he headed back to look for some new sheets.
Anakin had only just started to pull on the new sheets when Obi-Wan stepped out of the refresher. "Just a minute," Anakin said, unfolding one of the new sheets.
"I can do that," Obi-Wan said, stepping forward, but Anakin shook his head.
"You just…sit down," Anakin said. "I've got it."
But Obi-Wan was already moving towards the other end of the bed, dragging the new sheets over the mattress. He kept his head down, but Anakin could tell from the sluggishness of Obi-Wan's movements that he would be better off sitting aside.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, securing the sheet over the mattress, "I told you I've got it."
"You don't have to do this for me," Obi-Wan replied. He reached for the next sheet, but before he could hold onto it, Anakin yanked it out of the way. Obi-Wan gave him a resentful look, but Anakin didn't care.
"Just…sit down, will you?" Anakin said, holding up the sheet. "You need to rest."
"I'm not an invalid," Obi-Wan replied.
"I didn't say you were," Anakin said. "I said you needed rest." He folded the sheet over the mattress and made his way around the bed to tug on the last bits of cloth. When he was done, Anakin straightened himself in front of Obi-Wan. He gestured towards the bed. "All yours."
Obi-Wan regarded Anakin warily. "You should go," he said quietly.
"And leave you alone?" Anakin snorted. "Good luck. I'm taking a shower." With that, he headed into the refresher. He didn't care if he didn't have a change of clothes—he just needed to get the smell of vomit off him. Anakin made quick work of washing himself, which wasn't difficult because the water was freezing, anyways. When he stepped back outside, Obi-Wan had at least sat down on the bed, which Anakin took as a sign of progress.
"This is where you sleep now," Anakin said, sitting on a chair across from the bed.
"And you?"
"Not your concern." That was a low blow, and Anakin knew it, but he couldn't help himself. He looked away before the words could sink in and added, "I'm not tired. So you just…go to sleep." He kept his eyes trained on a corner of the room. Eventually, though, from the corner of his eye, Anakin saw Obi-Wan lie down. Anakin kept staring at the corner, though, until he heard Obi-Wan's breaths even out again.
That was when the tiredness finally hit Anakin. He sank to the table, resting his head on folded arms. He told himself he would stay awake for at least a little while longer, just in case Obi-Wan would wake, but then Anakin was sinking into sleep.
Anakin wasn't sure what woke him up first: the thrashing or the moaning, but whichever it was, Anakin jerked himself up from the table to find Obi-Wan twisting in the sheets.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin called, pushing himself off the chair. Heart pounding hard in his chest, Anakin looked down to find Obi-Wan's brows knit together, lines appearing on his face in the strain. Another low moan escaped Obi-Wan's lips, deep and keening that seemed to reverberate through the room.
"Master," Anakin tried again. He grabbed one of Obi-Wan's wrists, registering the heat with some more alarm. He perched himself on the bed and took hold of Obi-Wan's other wrist before it could hit something. "Obi-Wan, wake up."
Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open, and he jerked upright, just barely missing Anakin's forehead. "Hold on," Anakin said, reaching up to Obi-Wan's shoulders. "Obi-Wan?"
Breaths that sounded more like gasps tore from Obi-Wan. Anakin could feel the panic in him, pulled tight and taut like a tripwire. Obi-Wan's eyes were glossy with fever, not quite focused and still crazed, and if Anakin hadn't seen that look in soldiers before (if it hadn't been for Obi-Wan), Anakin would have backed away.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin said again. "Come on—stay with me."
Obi-Wan swallowed. "I—" He lifted his eyes up to Anakin, and only then did the confusion seem to settle in. "Anakin." He glanced down at Anakin's hands still placed on his shoulders. "I woke you."
"You seemed like you were having a bad dream," Anakin said, letting his hands drop from Obi-Wan's shoulders. "I had to wake you."
Obi-Wan hung his head. "I see," he said quietly. He pushed a hand up to his face. "I'm sorry. You should—"
"Don't tell me to leave," Anakin warned. He dragged Obi-Wan's hand away from his face, placed his own hand against Obi-Wan's forehead instead. Frowning, Anakin said, "You're still warm." He stood up. "Don't want to risk you throwing up again, so I'll just get some cold cloths. We have to get that fever down." He paused. "Unless your stomach's feeling up to it." When Obi-Wan shook his head, Anakin headed for the refresher. He returned with the cold cloths and crouching by the bed, he pressed one to Obi-Wan's forehead, his other hand supporting Obi-Wan to stay upright.
"What were you dreaming about?" Anakin asked at last, flicking his eyes up to Obi-Wan.
"I don't remember," Obi-Wan replied, but Anakin knew that was a lie.
"Sounded pretty bad," Anakin said, dabbing at Obi-Wan's forehead. He sat on the bed for better support. "And painful."
Obi-Wan didn't say anything. Anakin felt some frustration well up inside his chest, but he forced it down. It wasn't fair—this wasn't fair for Obi-Wan. But at the same time, Anakin wanted to shake Obi-Wan, tell him to talk, because that stupid silence wasn't going to help.
"Just keep this in place," Anakin said, letting Obi-Wan sink back into bed. "I'll change it once it starts to get warm."
"And you'll do that by…"
"I'll set an alarm," Anakin said. He sat back down in his chair. "Don't worry." He rested the side of his head against a propped up fist. His head was starting to ache from the lack of sleep now—a dull, semi-bothersome throb that always crept in during the beginning stages of exhaustion. Still, Anakin tried to keep his eyes open. "I'm staying."
"Stubborn," Obi-Wan murmured, his eyes closing.
"You should talk," Anakin replied. He pulled away his fist and leaned back against the chair instead, turning his eyes up to the ceiling. He closed his eyes briefly and snapped them back open. Focus, he thought, but it was getting difficult. If it hadn't been for the quiet alarm going off every hour or so, Anakin wouldn't have even known how much time had passed. For a while, it was only that alarm that kept Anakin moving.
When Anakin finally re-focused, Coruscant's morning rays were starting to peek through the drawn shades.
He stood up and stretched his arms over his head. Ahsoka would probably still be asleep, and she'd probably be confused when she woke up to realize that Anakin hadn't come back at all during the night. He'd have to call her later and update her on the situation. In the meantime, Anakin set himself back to pacing. He checked the fever reduction medication—just a few tablets should do the trick, if Obi-Wan was feeling up to it.
Anakin sat back down at the table. He let his head sink back into his arms. His eyes drifted back to Obi-Wan. There seemed to be more color in his face now, although whether that was actually the case or just the sunlight, Anakin couldn't be certain. He considered paying another trip to the healers—maybe there was someone more competent who was awake, but every time Anakin considered stepping out of Obi-Wan's quarters, his blood ran cold at the idea of leaving Obi-Wan alone—which was stupid, because Obi-Wan was a grown man and could take care of himself, but Anakin hadn't ever actually heard Obi-Wan have nightmares.
Anakin hadn't even thought Obi-Wan was capable of having nightmares. Or night terrors. There were times when Obi-Wan had trouble sleeping—Anakin knew that for certain. He knew there were nights when it was both just Obi-Wan and Anakin awake because they couldn't shake off the adrenaline or the unease that something was coming. He knew there were nights when Obi-Wan tossed and turned before finally sinking into some form of sleeping. But Anakin hadn't ever seen Obi-Wan like that: small. Scared. Vulnerable.
Vulnerable, Anakin thought, looking back at Obi-Wan. He registered the little lines between Obi-Wan's eyebrows as his former master rolled over in his sleep. The cloth slid off briefly, causing Anakin to move forward. It was time to switch the cloth, anyways. Anakin switched out the compresses—but instead of returning to his chair, Anakin only sat down on the ground, right by the bed. He rested his head against the side of the mattress.
Just until morning, Anakin thought. Obi-Wan would have to get better by the morning.
The gentle knock on the door was what snapped Anakin out of his half-nap. He stumbled towards the door, and, checking that Obi-Wan hadn't woken, Anakin stepped outside. He cringed at the sudden flood of white lights and, once adjusting to the sudden brightness, Anakin looked down at Ahsoka.
"You look terrible," Ahsoka said.
"Thanks," Anakin said, rubbing his eyes. "I haven't gotten a whole ton of sleep."
"I can tell," Ahsoka said. She held up a stack of containers, all wrapped up in a large cloth. "I swung by Dex's this morning," she said, passing the containers to Anakin. The warmth seeped straight through Anakin's gloves. "Some soup. Other hot foods. Just because I figured you guys needed it. And your datapad, in case you needed some distraction." Anakin felt a sudden surge of gratefulness for his apprentice.
"Thanks," Anakin said, meaning it.
Ahsoka smiled back. "You're welcome," she said. She craned her neck over Anakin's shoulder, even though Anakin knew Ahsoka would only be looking at a closed door. "How is he?"
"It's hard to say," Anakin replied, looking over his shoulder briefly. "He's still too warm." He lifted up the containers. "The food will probably help, though." He turned back around to the door briefly, swung back to Ahsoka. "Did you want to stop in, or…"
Ahsoka grimaced. "Wish I could," she said. "But Barriss wanted to show me something. And it's been a while since I've last seen her, so…" She gave Anakin a sad smile. "Maybe later?"
"We're not going anywhere," Anakin replied. "Go relax."
"Thanks," Ahsoka said. She took a step backwards and added, "Call when you need help."
"You mean if I need help," Anakin quipped, but Ahsoka gave him an odd look that Anakin couldn't decipher right away. But then Ahsoka was walking away, and when Anakin looked down the hallway, he saw that the familiar hooded figure of Barriss Offee was already waiting for her. For the first time in what felt like ages, Anakin felt a smile tug at his lips. He was glad that his apprentice had at least someone else to talk to during this brief break.
With that reassurance, Anakin headed back into Obi-Wan's quarters. He was relieved to find that at least this time, Obi-Wan had stayed in bed. Still, he stirred as the door slid shut behind Anakin.
"Morning," Anakin said, setting the containers down on the table. "Ahsoka brought food." He pulled up a chair by Obi-Wan's bedside. "You should probably have something."
Obi-Wan opened his eyes. To Anakin's relief, they focused on him faster than earlier that morning. "I'm not hungry," Obi-Wan mumbled.
"You need to have something," Anakin said. He didn't want to think about the last time Obi-Wan ate something. "There's soup." Without waiting for another protest, Anakin took out one of the containers. He popped open the lid and sat back down next to Obi-Wan. "At least have some of this."
"I don't—Anakin—"
"Just eat," Anakin said, forcing the container into Obi-Wan's hands. "Okay?" He waited, arms folded across his chest, until Obi-Wan finally took a sip. Slowly but steadily, about half the container was drained before Obi-Wan set the soup aside. Anakin decided to take that as a victory.
"Okay," Anakin said, standing up. "Probably not a good idea to lie back down right now." He turned to the refresher and looked back at Obi-Wan. "Do you want to wash up?" Anakin already knew the answer, even before Obi-Wan slid out of bed.
Anakin also anticipated the stumble before Obi-Wan did, and he just grabbed ahold of Obi-Wan's arm before he could fall over. "Careful," Anakin only said.
"How embarrassing," Obi-Wan murmured, causing Anakin to roll his eyes.
"You're human," Anakin found himself saying. "No one will hold that against you." He wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan's waist. "You got it?"
Obi-Wan gave a small nod, and the two headed towards the refresher. After the door slid closed, Anakin turned to the containers sitting on the table. Ahsoka had brought enough food for the two of them, but Anakin wasn't hungry. He picked up the containers and stored them away in a compartment. He had just closed the compartment door when Obi-Wan stepped back out. He looked better, just tired—but again, Anakin couldn't tell if Obi-Wan was really any better or if it was just the dim room.
"You're not eating?" Obi-Wan asked, nodding at the compartment.
"I'll eat later," Anakin replied. He led Obi-Wan back to the bed, but his former master didn't lie down. He looked tired, though—Anakin noted the slumped shoulders, the dark half-moons still under Obi-Wan's eyes.
"You look tired," Anakin said aloud.
"I could say the same of you," Obi-Wan replied.
"I didn't just come back from a mission," Anakin said, and he stopped. Obi-Wan was already looking away. "Master—"
"Don't—" Obi-Wan's voice was so weak, Anakin stopped short. "Please."
Anakin swallowed. "Fine," he said, even though the questions were already burning up his throat, his mouth. "I won't ask." He looked down at the ground. "I…heard," he said at last. "Some things." He heard a sharp intake of breath from Obi-Wan. Anakin kept his eyes turned down. "Don't know if they're rumors, but if they're true…" Anakin lifted his head up. Obi-Wan had fully turned away. "I'm sorry," Anakin said quietly.
Anakin felt pain—not his, he realized with a sinking heart, but still familiar. The Force only ever allowed Anakin to actually feel Obi-Wan a few times, whether that was the Force or Obi-Wan's own doing, Anakin wasn't always so sure, but now Anakin knew. He could feel the shields drop, fast and hard and heavy, and then all Anakin felt was a sharp, throbbing pain in his own chest that had nothing to do with his own emotions.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, and he sat down next to Obi-Wan. He lifted his arm and hesitated. All previous touches had been different—those had been necessary, and even then, Obi-Wan had reacted, but right now, Obi-Wan looked so small and alone that Anakin let his arm drop on Obi-Wan's shoulders.
Anakin waited to be pushed away, for Obi-Wan to say something, but nothing came. "I'm sorry," Anakin repeated, and then Obi-Wan's head was falling against his shoulder, and Anakin felt small trembles shake Obi-Wan's whole body. Anakin swallowed and lifted his face to the ceiling as they sat together like that, the sunrise slowly lightening the room.
A/N: I don't know, I just feel like Obi-Wan deserves some physical touch? As always, reviews/constructive criticism are greatly appreciated! Next update will probably be on Monday.