When Sickness Rages
It was very early in the morning, the suns of Coruscant just peeking over the tower tops. Qui-Gon rolled over and opened bleary eyes, waking to the sound of knocking on his door. He got up and walked to the door and opened it, surprised at who he saw.
"Obi?" He asked. "What's wrong, little one? Where is your creche master?"
"I couldn't find him an' I don't feel good," the boy replied, his voice hoarse. As if to prove his statement, a loud, wet cough pushed its way out of Obi's throat, which he quickly muffled with the thin sleeve of his pajama tunic.
"Oh, Obi-Wan, come here," Qui said gently, getting up and gathering the boy in his arms. "Come on, we'll take your temp and see what's going on." Obi-Wan allowed himself to be towed to Qui's fresher and tolerated the thermometer probing his ear. Qui gave a low whistle.
"You have quite the temperature, there, little one. 103.4. Come now, take some medicine and we'll get you back in bed. You can stay here for the time being."
Obi-Wan swallowed the horrid medicine only because he wanted to get better, downing the dose with a shudder.
"Atta boy," Qui soothed, guiding the boy to the spare bedroom. No longer had Obi been situated in bed that he threw up all over his pajamas and bedsheets, whimpering at the pain. Qui came rushing back in and carried the tearful boy to the fresher, setting him on the counter.
Obi-Wan cried, but allowed him to divest him of pajama tunic and trousers, and be placed in a warm bath.
"Just soak there for a few minutes, little one, I'll be back in a few with some tea. After quickly sending the soiled bedsheets down the laundry chute, Qui heated a pot of tea and added some honey to the little boy's mug. He returned to the bathroom and offered the tea to the boy, who took it gratefully. He sipped and coughed, spewing the tea down his front. He began to cry as he set the mug on the rim of the tub, his lower lip quaking.
"Obi, it's okay, it's okay," Qui soothed, lifting the sobbing boy from the tub, drying him, and redressing him in fresh pajamas. Obi sobbed into Qui's shoulder as the Jedi Master scooped the eleven year old up on his hip, carrying him out and setting him back in bed. He sent a calming, sleepy wave of the Force towards the boy, and he almost immediately dropped into sleep, whimpering slightly with each breath. Qui ran his fingers through the auburn hair as Obi shifted over into the fetal position.
"Don't worry, little Kenobi," Qui said gently, running a tender thumb down the boy's cheeks, erasing tear trails. "Even when sickness rages, I'll always be there for you."