I really liked reading your comments on the last chapter. Hope you like this one. Enjoy!

Rest

Chapter 17

Over the next two days, Padme still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Anakin. Her family brushed it off and tried to reassure her, but Padme really wondered if something had happened and that maybe this was what it was like to be Force-sensitive. A thought flashed through her mind: could the Force-sensitivity of her unborn child be impacting her connection to Anakin? She shook her head, feeling uneasy about the whole thing, and wished with all her might for Anakin to be back with her soon.

She woke constantly tossing and turning in the nights, not able to get comfortable with her enormous middle crushing into her organs and with the torturous dreams of Anakin swimming around her head. She tried lulling herself to sleep by resting on her side, arms around her middle, and dreaming of the hope of their child instead.

After getting out of bed late in the morning, Padme showered in the 'fresher to cool herself off. Everything seemed like a chore this far along in her pregnancy, she thought as she dried her hair with a towel.

Dressing again in the limited clothing selection she had that still fit her, she joined Sola in the kitchen, where her sister sat working from home on a datapad. Sola looked up as she entered the room, and teased, "Oh, I wasn't sure if you were going to get up today."

"Very funny Sola," replied Padme, grabbing for a glass of water.

"There's some shuura fruit in the fridge, and leftover oatmeal from breakfast that I made for the girls before school this morning."

"Okay, thanks Sola," she went to grab a bowl. "How's your work today?"

"Good, just arranging a new shipment for the business," she said without moving her eyes from the screen.

"Hmm. I'm going to go check the holonews…" Padme took her food to the living room.

Sola, intently focused on her work, didn't respond.

Padme turned on the holovid and saw a scenes of different planetary systems celebrating the official end of the war. Padme was glad to see the news play out in celebrations over the many populations throughout the galaxy; it was something she had hoped for and spent her time working towards over her past few years in the senate. Still, she wondered what this meant for Anakin; he hadn't contacted her yet, so where was he?

All of a sudden, the report switched to breaking news.

"…Count Dooku has fallen at the hands of two Jedi soldiers on the Mustafar system. Leaders of the Jedi Council inform us that Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Knight Anakin Skywalker have reportedly taken down the Sith Lord on the lava planet of Mustafar. Kudos to the 'Negotiator' and the 'Hear With No Fear' who, having also defeated General Grievous, were the ones who initially discovered the information leading to the former Chancellor Palpatine's detainment. More news on the events leading to the end of the war to come."

Mustafar? So she was right that he was sent to another mission after Grievous. The lava planet was really not that far from Naboo... "Anakin should be here any day then," Padme thought to herself. She took a deep breath, still not able to shake the worry she felt about him. "He must be making his way here right now…" she told herself.

She set her things down and went to check her private comlink she shared with Anakin. No messages on it; she already decided she'd let him be the first to call her, as to not risk someone else finding the device first… Besides, she figured she still had a few days to go before the baby's due date. Anakin could arrive on Naboo at any time.

She tucked the comlink into her pocket, keeping it close by to answer at the first moment he would call.

-break -

What was left of Anakin Skywalker regained partial consciousness in a bacta tank. While the liquid was working to treat his burns and amputations, Anakin's woken mind realized his body was in absolute agony; the pain of burnt flesh all over his body, the uncomfortable feeling of the ventilator shoved into his throat, and the ghost-like sensation of his missing limbs… Anakin's Force signature screamed out as he regained some of his sense of self.

Obi-Wan's presence fluttered through the Force, and Anakin latched onto it. With all his strength, he communicated, "WHERE AM I?"

Obi-Wan, sensing the immense pain Anakin was experiencing, responded through the Force: "We are on Polis Massa, their healing ward."

Anakin's mind was hazy… but he knew, he knew there was something he needed to communicate before he was out of it again. "TAKE ME, Obi… NABOO. PADME. PLEASE. NABOO. The babe… PADME, TO NABOO. Plea…"

He succumbed back into the darkness. Obi-Wan was startled. Anakin had been in the bacta tank for over two days now, three days since the undertaking of Palpatine that ended the war. The entire galaxy was rejoicing, yet Obi-Wan secluded himself from the media; he needed to take time, meditate, and focus to make sure he and Anakin recovered. What was Anakin trying to communicate through the Force? He needed to go to Naboo? Obi-Wan considered for a moment to contact the senator Anakin was likely referring to, but he had seen on the news that she stepped down from her position on Coruscant about a month ago. If Padme was back her home planet of Naboo, he wouldn't know how to contact her...

Obi-Wan considered and decided that, if this is what Anakin needed, he would try to figure things out for his fellow Jedi… no. Rather, his brother, or his best friend.

Obi-Wan activated his comlink connection to the Jedi council. "Requesting permission to transfer Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker to Theed Intergalactic Hospital on Naboo…"

-break-

Anakin's body was prepared and sent to recovery at the Theed hospital. While being transferred, Obi-Wan was constantly monitoring Anakin's consciousness through the Force, but the pain medication Anakin was being delivered kept him unconscious and unable to communicate. Obi-Wan, although he wanted to hear Anakin's thoughts, was glad Anakin was out of it; he could sense the overwhelming constant pain Anakin would be in if not medicated and unconscious.

After everything was settled in a room at the hospital, Obi-Wan realized he had some time to spare. He went to check the waiting area, where he saw a holovid projecting news stories about the fall of Count Dooku. The story changed to replay about Chancellor Palpatine being a Sith Lord; Obi-Wan marveled at how incredibly powerful Palpatine must have been to hide in plain sight all along.

Obi-Wan went back to Anakin's healing room, all white and sterile with a large area beside the bacta tank for eventual tank removal and surgery. He looked up at Anakin, who was still breathing with assistance through a ventilator while submerged in the tank. He frowned at the realization of what Anakin's injuries would mean for him – the new prosthetics to learn to use, the constant pain, the bodily disfigurement. Anakin had already lost one limb; now he would be nearly half machine. Of how bad the burns could have been, though, Anakin was at least a little fortunate – the burns appeared worst around his thighs, wrapped up around his stomach, chest and back, but faded around his neck and untouched his face and head. Clothed and with prosthetics attached, Anakin would still be completely recognizable.

At this moment a meddroid approached Obi-Wan. It spoke in a soothing voice, "Jedi Master Kenobi. Due to the nature of his injuries, Jedi Knight Skywalker will be removed from the bacta tank in four hours to begin oxygen exposure healing for burns and for prosthetic fitting."

Obi-Wan nodded, "Thank you for informing me." The droid left the room.

Obi-Wan reflected back upon Anakin's mention of Padme through the Force while he was in the bacta tank on Polis Massa. What was it he said about her? Surely now that he thought about it, the senator would be here on her home planet of Naboo. Obi-Wan was not blind to Anakin's child-like attachment to the senator, but what was so important that Anakin would plainly request to be sent here, possibly to be with her?

He considered contacting Padme but was not certain about where to start. The Naboo monarch would probably know the location of their senator on leave, but Obi-Wan sensed this was something he should keep private from the Republic's watch. Senator Amidala might have family on Naboo, but he was not sure where to begin to look; "Amidala" was an elected namesake, not a familial one, and therefore couldn't be used to trace Padme to family.

Something told Obi-Wan to look through Anakin's few belongings that stayed with them on their ship. Therein may lie the answer…

-break -

Upon returning to the landing bay, Obi-Wan searched through the few things left in Anakin's barracks area of the ship. While rummaging through his things, Obi-Wan found a very suspiciously-located comlink hidden between the thin mattress and baseboard. He had seen these kind before, programmed for secure communication between a single, partnering comlink. Only one other person can be contacted through this device; Obi-Wan decided to dial it right away, and waited for the corresponding device to answer.

"Anakin?" A desperate-sounding voice came through the device.

"Senator Amidala?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Obi-Wan?" questioned the voice in startled confusion, now known to be Padme's.

"Padme, it is you," Obi-Wan spoke in relief, having found a way to contact Padme so soon after arriving on Naboo. He considered, "Why does Anakin have this comlink that connects directly to you?"

Padme ignored the question. "Obi-Wan, where are you? Is Anakin with you?"

Obi-Wan replied formally, "Yes, we are on Naboo, at the Theed Intergalactic Hospital. And where are you? I think Anakin requested your presence…"

"The hospital in Theed?" Padme's heart filled with dread. Her voice broke as she spoke.

"Padme… Anakin was injured." Obi-Wan sensed there was a greater importance of Anakin to the senator than he originally thought. He kept his words light. "Perhaps you should come by."

"Injured? Obi-Wan…" spoke the emotion-filled voice over the device.

Obi-Wan reassured, "He's alive and stable Padme. Come to the second floor, room 248. I will meet you outside the room."

Padme nodded, then realized that would not be communicated on the device. "I'm on my way," she managed to say. The communication ended, and Obi-Wan was left in confusion about what had just happened.

-break -

On the other end, Padme felt a panicked rush of adrenaline. She nearly ran out of the house to the speeder. Luckily, Sola caught her before she could manage to get her heavily-pregnant person into the seat. "Padme! Where are you going?" She looked at her sister, who looked frantic and whose face had lost all colour.

Padme could barely get her thoughts out, "Anakin, he's in Theed, at the hospital. Something's happened."

Sola acted immediately. "Okay Padme, I'll drive you. Wait here. Just let me call and tell Darred we're leaving so he knows to get the girls from school." She left back into the house for a minute.

Padme fretted around nervously walking and waiting. Sola returned in a moment, and Padme nearly jumped into the speeder. All secured, they left to the Theed hospital.

Sola looked to her sister as she navigated. Padme was wringing her hands, and somewhere half-way between crying and hyperventilating. The older of the two sisters was glad to be the one driving.

-break-

They arrived outside of the hospital. Padme almost ran into the building and managed her way up the stairs to the second floor, with Sola following behind. "What was the room number?" Sola asked,

"248," she said, all in jitters. Sola went to ask a healer for direction, and they were quickly redirected to a hallway labelled Bacta Regeneration.

Padme, now both incredibly uncomfortable with anxiety about Anakin and the weight of her baby so near its birth, walked with Sola to the room. She found it almost immediately as Obi-Wan was sitting just outside the door. She never thought she'd feel this relieved to see the older Jedi.

Obi-Wan looked up from his seat, and stood up ready to greet Padme. He was taken aback by Padme's very pregnant form, but Padme did not even notice the reaction. "Obi-Wan, he's in here?"

It took Obi-Wan a moment to process; he didn't expect Padme to look so out of it, and so pregnant. His mind tried to connect his thoughts...

"Obi-Wan! What happened? He's here?" she pleaded, tears in her eyes.

He spoke, "Yes, Padme." He motioned his hand to stop her as she went to enter the room, "Before you go in… you should know it's not pretty. Anakin suffered badly when he defeated Dooku…"

She shook her head. "I need to see him," Padme implored, and she rushed past him into the room.

Obi-Wan and Sola followed behind. The lights in the room were dim, so it took a moment for Padme's eyes to habituate. She looked up and saw the bacta tank containing Anakin. Obi-Wan turned the lights to the room on, and Padme took in the sight before her.

The body of the figure floating in the tank was swollen and red-pink, new skin wrinkled, puffy, and thick under charred pieces sloughing off, and missing all limbs save the right, mechanical arm. Her eyes followed from the enflamed stumped thighs up to his burned torso, and lingered on the bacta-swollen face, luckily untouched from injury. A ventilator covered over his mouth and throat, with the sound of the machine's mechanical breathing deafening the room.

Her heart gave out as she realized this was a burn victim, and she recognized that the worst areas of the skin damage were white, meaning intensely painful nerve exposure and damage. Padme went into shock. She felt nauseated and could barely make out intelligible words through her body shaking, "No. No this is not right, no Obi-Wan. It's not him."

Obi-Wan approached Padme, comfortingly holding her arm. He spoke gently, "He was exposed to the lava on Mustafar after losing limbs to Dooku, Padme. We're… we're lucky he's alive."

"No, no, Obi-Wan," Padme wept, shaking her head in disbelief. "Anakin, this can't be him, he promised he'd take care of himself, not get hurt," she sobbed, hand on her head, the other wrapped protectively around her middle. Padme wobbled unsteadily on her feet, her world spinning around her. "It's not him..." were the last words she said as she began to lose consciousness.

Obi-Wan caught her just in time. Sola ran out of the room to find help.

-break-

Padme came to a few minutes later, in a mobile hospital cot in the hallway just outside of room 248.

"I'm so, so sorry Padme," spoke her sister's voice, who first noticed her eyes opening.

Padme felt in a daze. Her head pounded with the image of the body in the bacta tank. No. Anakin's body in the bacta tank. She spoke slowly, "Where's Obi-Wan?"

"Here, Padme." He stood up so she could see his face; Padme lifted her head up to better look at him.

She was quiet a moment as she gathered herself. She took a deep breath and held back tears, "When… when can he come out? When will he be conscious… same as before?" Padme wiped her eyes.

Obi-Wan used the same calm voice as earlier, "They are removing him from the bacta tank in a few hours to work on his injuries and prosthetics. There was no sign of brain damage, Padme; he will recover." Obi-Wan spoke adamantly, "He's too much of a fighter not to."

Padme rested back, breathing deeply, and quiet again with tears pooling in her eyes. She laid like that for a few more minutes, then decided she needed to do something else, "I'll sit up, now. Sola, can you help me?"

"Are you sure?" asked her sister.

Padme nodded. Sola helped her up to get off the cot and down again to sit in a chair next to Anakin's hospital room. Padme felt lighter in her movements, perhaps guided by an invisible helping hand, to get to the chair. "We can wait for him to wake up, if you like," asked Sola.

Padme nodded, then winced as she felt a slight pain seize her lower abdomen.

"No," she thought to herself. "Not right now, not right yet."

So started Padme's intentional ignorance of her body's early labour signs.