The Winding Path
Rating: T+
Summary: Healing from any condition never takes a straight path.
Disclaimer: All cannon characters are owned by the Great Flanneled One, and now Disney. All others are mine. I make no money off this.
Note: This is a sequel to Consequences
Timeline: 39BBY
Speech: " "
Training Bond communications: /
Internal thoughts: italics
Chapter Eight
Obi-Wan looked over the machines in the physical therapy room. It felt as if each time he was there things were getting progressively harder. And then there was him still not being able to access the Force. At this point he thought he should be able to touch it, but it wasn't happening. He felt the side of his face twitch, but ignored it. Sometimes he felt as if he were cooped up in the Temple once again, even though he hadn't done anything to warrant it.
Nela smiled as he shuffled over to her position. "I know what you're thinking, Obi-Wan. I want you to know that you are doing very well, and have come a long way in the few months you've been here.
"It feels…like a year," he tried to annunciate each sound, but still found it was still rather difficult.
"Yes, I know it does."
He paused, "How long will it…be before I…use the Force once again?"
"That," Nela gave him a pointed look, "I don't want you using the Force as a crutch." She indicated the equipment, "You need to do these things without any assistance."
Obi-Wan furrowed his brow. It almost sounded as if she knew he had been cut off from his ability to touch and manipulate the Force. Instead of openly complaining, he grit his teeth and worked his way through the stretches and exercises. He did have to admit that it was getting easier as the days passed. It was also getting easier to speak, though there were some things he couldn't quite say at this point in time. As soon as his time with Nela was completed he went back to the apartment and his room where he closed the door.
A short time later Qui-Gon entered the apartment and paused in the common room once the door was closed. He looked around for a moment then closed his eyes searching for Obi-Wan. With a frown, he slipped off his cloak and draped it over a chair then went to the door to Obi-Wan's room and knocked on it. When there was no answer, he opened the door.
Obi-Wan sat on the side of his sleep couch leaning over with his head in his hands. "Head…hurts."
"I don't doubt it, Padawan. You're doing a lot of work and your mind is trying to cope with it." Qui-Gon took several steps into the smaller room. "I also think you need to get out more. I don't want you cooped up here."
"I wish I feel…can…could feel the Force."
"That will come back in time Padawan. I don't want you to force it. It's the same for the younglings who are first learning how to walk and talk. Only after that is fully mastered does the mind turn to forging, or recreating other abilities."
Instead of answering, Obi-Wan put his head back in his hands.
"Plus, I do think it would be good for you to spend less of your time here so you can be with your friends.
Obi-Wan's answer was muffled, but his head shaking was more than enough for Qui-Gon to get the gist of it.
Taking a step forward, Qui-Gon squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder then left the room. He understood all too well that there were things that Obi-Wan had to work through on his own. If he tried to do anything to help it would be considered coddling.
Why does everything seem to go wrong? Obi-Wan closed his eyes while thinking through all the problems that he felt were insurmountable. Glancing to the side and to one of the small tables next to his sleep couch was a still holo of Eira. He had to admit he more than missed her.
With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and went back into the common room and sat down on the couch. Qui-Gon waved at the holo-projector, freezing the image. It looked to be some sort of documentary. "Why don't you head down to the gardens? Just feeling the life around you will help."
"I…don't know." Obi-Wan's cheek twitched as he looked away.
"Padawan? In your latest meeting with the healers, did you mention about your facial tick?"
Obi-Wan looked up, not really that surprised at Qui-Gon's concerned look. /Healer Nyj said it would remain. It doesn't bother me./
The look on Qui-Gon's face betrayed the fact that he didn't quite believe him.
Which was where Qui-Gon found himself several days later. The Jedi Master was seated in a chair across the cluttered desk from Nyj. Obi-Wan had continued to state that it didn't bother him, and it was more a nuisance than anything else. He would only worry about Obi-Wan's emotional state when it warranted it, but this, he thought could be answered. "Is there anything concerning this facial tick?"
Nyj leaned back in his chair and gave Qui-Gon a kind smile. "Of course you would be concerned about your Padawan. Until he passes his Trials he is under your guardianship. If you weren't here asking questions then I would think there's something wrong with you."
"I would hope not." Instead of being incensed, Qui-Gon was actually amused and took the comment as it was intended.
Leaning forward again, Nyj intertwined his fingers. "What I can tell you about it, which is it something I have seen more often than not, it's a small remnant of maybe the seizures. Does it bother Padawan Kenobi?"
"No."
"Then since it doesn't bother him, I would suggest that you not worry about. I consider it a small price he has to pay for being electrocuted and his mind taking the brunt of it."
The Togrutan's explanation actually set Qui-Gon's mind at ease. It was nice to know that sometimes things were nothing more than a nuisance.
"Other than that, how is he progressing?"
This made Qui-Gon sit up and let a smile cross his face. "Better than expected. It's been over a month and he's walking easily. Healer Nela is working with him to regain his muscle dexterity. Hopefully sooner rather than later I can have all this transfered over to one of the smaller dojos."
"Good." Nyj looked down and then began tapping a screen on his ever present datareader. "And his speech?"
"It's still easier for him to communicate his thoughts through the training bond, but he has mastered, or better yet, remastered all the sounds that we use in Basic. His speech, though, isn't as smooth as before the electrocution, but I would think that would come with time."
"Yes, it will."
"And his connection with the Force hasn't come back yet."
"You know, Master Qui-Gon, I feel as if I'm now repeating myself." Nyj gave him a smile. "So don't worry. Just keep him on the right track, and don't push him too hard. He'll be fine."
Even with Qui-Gon's conversation with Healer Nyj, he still found it difficult to watch as Obi-Wan still struggled with certain things. He sighed as he closed his eyes and took in the life around him in his favorite grotto deep within the Room of a Thousand Fountains. What he found was that he was more worried about Obi-Wan's recovery than his Padawan was. Either that, or he was more perceptive than he realized. Yes, Obi-Wan was physically improving day by day, but sometimes other things were not. He sighed again and tried to connect with the Living Force that was all around him.
The ancient presence of Master Yoda brushed up against him. There was a shuffling sound, and then foliage moved to the side. Eventually Qui-Gon opened his eyes and looked across the small clearing to the small green creature. "Master," he nodded.
Yoda's ears drooped and then came back up as he sat down. "Troubles you, something does, Master Qui-Gon." He leaned his head against the top of his gimmer stick.
Qui-Gon opened his eyes again and leveled a steady gaze on the one before him. Yoda was right, but it really didn't trouble him as much as he assumed things did. "I'm not sure if it I am troubled or not. My Padawan is coming along well with his recovery." He shrugged.
"But you think things should be different," Yoda pointed at him.
"True."
"Recovering well, he is."
"Yes, I do admit that. But I don't know what to think about it."
"Maybe, you it is."
Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes. This was the second person who said almost the same thing. It couldn't be him, could it? "I will say that he's made some comments about not being able to reach out to the Force. I'm not sure if he's worried about that, or not."
"Interesting, that is." Yoda tapped his gimmer stick. "Need leadership he does."
This Qui-Gon knew he could do, though if it concerned his class work, then he wasn't entirely sure he could help especially when it came to engineering and robotics. "I think it would be good for him to work with his old creche master for a time. At least until he's ready to begin his training once again."
Yoda's look turned thoughtful as he nodded. Eventually he grunted as he pushed himself back to his feet and hobbled out of the grotto, leaving Qui-Gon alone once more. Yes he was worried about Obi-Wan, but there was also this Force bond he had to deal with. When there was nothing more he could think about, Qui-Gon rose to his feet and eventually followed Yoda out of the grotto and back into the gardens and then out into the corridors of the Temple. The idea of Obi-Wan working with the Creche masters felt better than when he first proposed it.
TBC...