Doctor Skywalker: Chapter 1

"Any more questions?" I ask my patient, Ms. Beau Harris, a seventy-nine-year old widow that came to the Emergency Department complaining of shortness of breath. It turned out to be her Asthma acting up, apparently she was having trouble sleeping with shortness of breath, nocturnal cough and was wheezing. Her granddaughter was visiting her here in Boston from Missouri and became alarmed with her symptoms, she called 911 and she was brought here with her grandmother in an ambulance, despite her grandmother not wanting to come in the first place.

Her granddaughter was being cautious, and I can't blame her for that. So going through the motions, I did what I was supposed to do and asked her for her medical and family history, performed a physical exam, administered a lung function test on her, ordered a chest CT scan and at the end of all of my tests, I knew it was her asthma and gave her a treatment on the nebulizer with albuterol. If it was busy, I would've discharged her long ago but its quiet tonight and I don't mind easing the mind of the granddaughter, whom I learned had an ulterior motive for wanting to stay longer, apparently she likes looking at me. That is what grandma told me, when I walked into the room when the granddaughter stepped out to use the rest room.

Can't say that I am surprised by that, its happened before and I don't wear a ring on my finger. I've never been married and probably never will be, I do have a son but his mother didn't want anything to do with him. She never wanted kids, we were both in medical school and she didn't want the life growing inside her, fortunately she didn't do anything drastic and she went through with the pregnancy but she... she still wanted nothing to do with him, even after going through the grueling process of delivering him.

How do you tell that to a kid? He already asked where his mom was and I tell him that she's gone. What does he think that means? I haven't a clue, she isn't gone as in dead, but gone as in not in our lives. Her career was always more important to her and we were in our final year of medical school, she couldn't afford the distraction, which is what she called him. Like she hadn't wanted to sleep with me knowing that no form of birth control is one hundred percent, and with the number of times we slept together... for a math freak like her, she should've known that it would be statistically improbable for her not to get pregnant.

She may not have wanted kids and we may not have been in love but once she saw him, there would've been no way she wouldn't have fallen in love with him and she would've wanted to be there for him. That was exactly why she didn't even want to see him, instead she just signed full parental rights over to me. The only good thing about that is that she can't come into our lives later and try to take Luke from me, he is mine and that paper she signed gave away all of her rights to be in our lives. It is something that I know she will one day regret, but I don't want her anywhere near him after she abandoned him like that. She has no right to ever call herself his mother and I will ensure that, should she ever come back into our lives, that she knows that.

How could she not want to be apart of the life that she was carrying inside of her for nine long months? How could she just turn her cheek on that beautiful little boy? The beautiful little boy that we created? Love upon first sight, that happens only in fairy tales and when seeing the beautiful baby that you had a part in creating, its like art and he was our masterpiece. There is no doubt in my mind that other parents feel the same way about their offspring, if they don't, they're lying to themselves.

"No, I knew it was only my asthma, she just worries too much." Ms. Harris says bringing me back to the present, she looks over to her granddaughter and back at me and sighs. "Laura, we're leaving."

Looking at Laura, I could clearly see her eyes transfixed on me until she sees me staring back at her and she looks away quickly with a cough trying to cover it up. She nods to her grandmother, "okay," she says walking over to her grandmother helping her up. I wait until she stands up on her own two feet and walks out before I follow behind them.

"Thank you, Doctor." Beau says turning around to look at me, I tell her anytime and say goodbye with a reminder to see her primary care physician for a follow-up.

Sitting at the nurses' station, I update my patients charts. Usually, I can't do this until my shift ends, the end of shift varies depending on whether or not I work day shift which is 6:00am to 6:00pm, or night shift which is 6:00pm until 6:00am. I work twelve hour shifts, which I asked for in my contract and love because it means that I only have to work three or four times a week. Working fourteen shifts total a month, it isn't bad especially when I work overnight and get to sleep while Luke is in school or work during the day and come home when it is time to go to sleep.

Either way, it is a win-win situation.

It sucks not being able to spend more time with Luke but he's five now and just started school a month ago, and every parent has to work. Compared to other Doctors, my lifestyle is pretty damn good. That is why I chose Emergency Medicine, not only because it is something that I enjoy doing but because it allows me more time to be with my son and to allow me to do other things outside of work that wouldn't be possible with a hectic schedule like other specialties, such as being a surgeon, who is more often than not, on call. Originally, that is what I wanted to be, back when I was in medical school but then I found out that I was going to be a father and Luke's only parent. I had to be there for him, thankfully I had my mother helping me take care of him during my residency and its because of her that allowed me to finish my training to become a Doctor without having to constantly worry about Luke being cared for.

I - unlike his mother - always wanted to be a parent, I always wanted to be a father. The timing wasn't perfect, I would've waited until I became an Attending (like I am now) but life doesn't always go according to plan, being an Attending Emergency Medicine Physician, I see that all the time. People coming here to the Emergency Department are always here by the unexpectedness of life, they don't exactly mark it on the calendar.

In the end, I wouldn't change anything. I love my son and I'll make sure he knows who his mother is when the time is appropriate without telling him that she didn't want any children. He doesn't need to know that (at least, not until he is older and is able to better understand the gravity of the situation of being a parent, at any age) and I'll make sure that he knows that he'll always be loved, even when he makes decisions in life that I may not agree with. I know that I made plenty of decisions in my youth that my own mother definitely didn't agree with but all kids do that, the rebellious acting-out stage.

I can definitely wait for that.

"Good morning, Anakin." I smile hearing the familiar English accent of Doctor Ben Kenobi, my relief, one of the day time Attending Emergency Physicians as he places a cup of iced vanilla latte down on the table before me. "I take it was a slow night?"

"Indeed," I say to Ben as I lift the coffee up and take a sip through the straw. It instantly gives me a boost, usually I am up and about and love it like the adrenaline junky I am, but I won't complain when there is downtime, it rarely happens and we never complain about it. We savor it, like a nice juicy delicious steak. My mouth waters at the thought of that and instantly my stomach rumbles. "Thanks, Ben." I say thanking him for the latte and for making me think of... that and then return to the task at hand.

"No problem, I buy you a coffee in the morning and you reciprocate by buying me nothing at night." Ben says with amusement, "sounds like a typical relationship with the infamous Anakin Skywalker to me."

I couldn't help but glare at him, squinting my eyes at his teasing. "Now you wonder why I don't buy you anything mister prim and proper." Its hard making fun of the man. He's married to a great woman, has a beautiful daughter and what seems like the perfect life. He never complains about anything and is always happy. He is also ten years older than me, I always remind of that because there isn't much else I can say to the man who taught me how to be the Doctor that I am today. He was my Attending when I was a Resident and he always went out of his way to help me whenever I needed it and he even helped me with Luke volunteering to take him for the day or even weekend when I had work and he didn't. It gave Luke time to play with Mara (who is Ben's daughter and is the same age as Luke) and eased my mind when my mother couldn't watch him for me.

He's a good man but that doesn't mean I can't mess with him whenever I get the chance, just like he does to me on a daily basis.

He sighs. "Just because I am an organized man living an organized life doesn't mean that I am prim and proper." He says with an emphasis on organized, just as he always does.

"If you say so, old man." I reply before he could say anything else. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to finish these charts and go home."

Ben smiles and nods as he walks off to get ready for his shift while I remain sitting and continue to finish mine, but of course he has to have the last word. "Of course, I wouldn't want to distract the great Anakin Skywalker, he may make a typo or input the wrong medical diagnosis."

Damn him!

Just him saying that makes me choose the wrong damn diagnosis! I scowl at his back as he laughs knowing what he did and walks to the lounge as I correct my - his mistake and change the diagnosis from appendicitis to asthma attack. Its a good thing that the chart doesn't update until I click the update button and type in my authorization code - for that very reason.

Because of Ben.

It isn't long before he returns wearing his white lab coat with his white and blue striped collar shirt plainly visible underneath, the man always prefers dressing nicely compared to me who always wears scrubs when working. I had to throw away too many nice dress shoes and dress clothes from patients throwing up on them or blood ruining them and I just learned to wear old sneakers to work and scrubs that I can easily replace compared to nice clothes that I'd have to throw away. Ben just never gets those kinds of patients or he just has a closet full of identical clothes where losing one outfit doesn't upset him.

That wouldn't surprise me.

He is Mr. Prim and Proper, after all.

We quickly go over the patients currently in the Emergency Department and I turn their cases over to his capable hands for him to continue.

I can't be bothered to go into detail about their cases, its funny how I am more tired on a slow night than I am on a fast night where I don't get to leave for a short break or leave in the morning before 7:30, 8:00. Today, I get to leave before it even turns 6:45 and that is a beautiful thing.

I finish my charting and sign out as I leave the ED and make my way to the Attendings' lounge. Walking to my locker, I open it and take off my white lab coat hanging it up on the inside door of my locker on the hanger and start taking off my scrub shirt and pants until I am just standing in my black boxers. We're Doctors, it isn't like any of us haven't seen nearly naked men before, I've seen too many actually naked men before and they never even bought me coffee and I sure as hell never bought them any, either.

Ben would attest to that.

That brings a smile to my face as I take out a pair of blue jean pants, step into them and pull them up snapping the button and pulling up the zipper. I then throw on a navy Nike Patriots t-shirt and my warm black work Columbia zip up sweatshirt that simply says 'Boston Memorial Hospital' in white on the upper left breast and underneath that it says 'Emergency Department' in red while on the upper right breast it says 'Doctor A. Skywalker, M.D.' in white and underneath that it says 'Emergency Medicine' also in white, on over my shirt. I take my backpack throwing it over my shoulder and leave the lounge making my way to the third floor where I can cross the bridge in the middle of the hospital connecting the different buildings of the hospital - that are on opposite sides of the street. Once there, I walk right out to the garage and to my assigned parking spot where my black 2017 Chevy Tahoe is parked.

Usually, I bring my motorcycle with me to work but unfortunately its October. Its getting cold and I didn't drive it because its raining and its obviously not safe to drive a motorcycle in the rain. I had to drive my brand new truck to work, I don't mind but I like driving my motorcycle more especially since I can only drive it for half the year and only when I am alone.

I unlock the doors after taking my keys out of my backpack and unlock them using the remote. I open the drivers door and throw my bag over onto the passenger seat, start my truck up by pushing the engine on button and begin to drive her out of the parking garage.

When driving home from work, that is when I don't mind that I'm driving my truck. Traffic sucks and traffic on the motorcycle sucks even worse. It is more standing than sitting at my height and there is no way around that. In my truck, at least I can sit and relax despite the fact that I did that most of the night anyway.

Still, I won't complain.

I turn on the radio and skip through the morning talk shows and the channels with commercials and then listen to one of my favorite songs: Viva La Vida by Coldplay and I sing along as I drive through the city streets and then turn onto the entrance of the highway trying to keep my mind occupied by singing to try and get home faster, or at least to make it seem that way.

I got into my truck at 7:03 and now it is 7:47 as I turn into my driveway. I'll take it as a victory as I normally don't get home until around another thirty or so minutes, at the earliest. I hit the garage open button on the garage opener remote that I keep inside my center console and pull into my driveway, past my mother's car and into my garage. I could already hear my three year old black and tan German Shepherd, Harley barking his ass off at the door and I turn my truck off and step out of it, locking it up as I walk into my house.

Harley jumps all over me and I catch his front paws as he starts to lick me, I set him down and he runs all around me excitedly, I smile at his crazy antics and walk past him down the corridor following the beautiful scent of pancakes. I dismiss the taste of steak that I savored over earlier this morning thanks to one particular Englishman then savor over the taste of pancakes.

Entering the kitchen, Luke is sitting down at the black rectangular granite countertop island while mom is standing on the otherside finishing the pancakes. Luke is still in his boxers not even dressed in his uniform yet while mom is already dressed and ready to go. I have no work tonight, I worked this past weekend and have a couple of days off which means that I can watch him and she can drive the hour back to her farm to be with her husband, stepson and stepdaughter-in-law.

Yeah, I don't care for them but I have no say in her life, she helps me all the time and she is happy with them. I have no complaints, I just don't care for their lifestyle. Farming is not in the Skywalker blood, at least not Anakin Skywalker's blood and I doubt Luke's is any different, considering he has half of my blood pumping through his veins and half of his mother's, I'd be surprised if he doesn't become a Doctor like us.

"Dad!" Luke shouts happily between eating his pancakes, acting like he didn't know I was here. It would be pretty hard not too after Harley's obnoxious barking but like me, Luke likes to eat and we don't get up when we're eating, not even if our lives depended on it.

"Morning Luke," I say kissing him on the top of his head and ruffle his hair taking the seat next to him. "Morning mom," I say turning to face my mother who hands me a plate of a couple of pancakes. I thank her and pour the syrup onto them as I cut the pancakes and start digging in to fill my famished stomach.

"Good morning, Anakin," my mother replies as she makes her own plate sitting down next to me. "I take it work went well?"

I nod, "indeed, it was a slow night and I got out earlier than normal." I tell her between bites, "I was actually wishing for a trauma just to wake me up, I was falling asleep dealing with minor cases all night."

Mom doesn't like that response, she just shakes her head with a knowing smile and begins eating too.

"I take it Luke was good, as usual?" I ask like always and always receive the same answer.

"Of course," she says. "If only a certain other child that looked a lot like him at his age acted the same, I probably wouldn't have as many gray hairs."

I always shake my head with a sigh denying the claim, I was an angel... said no one ever. But, what can I say? I like to call it spontaneous liking to keep her on her toes, to expect the unexpected.

It always worked, thankfully Luke doesn't do what I did or I'd probably have gray hair by now too. Fortunately I don't and am definitely thankful for that.

Of course I had to actually be a parent before I realized how tough it really was, I always thought it was easy and well truthfully never gave it much thought, what kid actually does? Surely not a certain mischievous young Skywalker that was overly curious into how everything works to the point of where he actually took various appliances, tools and technology apart to see the inside and then eventually put it back together if he didn't get... distracted.

That led that little boy to pursuing mechanical engineering in college as a major and then eventually pre-med when he couldn't solve a problem on his own.

I was out of my depth when I was nineteen in my sophomore year of college and my mother called to tell me that she was diagnosed with Stage 2A Breast Cancer.

My whole world flipped upside down hearing that and I took the first flight from San Francisco to Boston to be with my mom. She told me that she needed to start chemotherapy immediately, needed a Lumpectomy and radiation treatment after her surgery to get rid of the pesky cancer cells that may remain behind after surgery.

I'm not ashamed to say that I had no fucking idea what any of that meant. I knew what chemotherapy was, everyone heard of that but I didn't know what a Lumpectomy was. I was there for her as time permitted, nevertheless. She, however, didn't want me to miss class despite me saying that I wanted to be there- for her. She didn't want me to stay with her though, she always was a strong independent woman and didn't want to look weak in front of me. She didn't say that but she didn't have too, I knew because I was and am the same way. I got that from her.

I spoke with her everyday over the phone and was there for her when she had her surgery, it was heartbreaking. She looked so weak from the chemotherapy and was bald but I wouldn't show her how terrified I was. I didn't cry in front of her or shed any tears, she needed me to remain strong and I did my best, at least when I was with her but I lost my control when I wasn't.

I just felt so helpless.

That was when I continued to pursue my degree but also went pre-med wanting to become a Doctor. I wanted to become a Surgeon then, I was always very good with my hands and worked excellent under pressure. I couldn't do that to Luke though with having to be on-call most of the time and working more hours, I also couldn't be an Oncologist. I couldn't deal with it, just seeing the patients fighting for their lives from abnormal cells that have grown out of control and start spreading havoc throughout the body.

I can deal with a man pointing a gun in my face but I can't deal with feeling so helpless due to these little bastards that I can't even see in the body attacking it instead of operating as they should.

Its fucked up.

I couldn't watch them do this to people, yet I had to do an Oncology rotation as part of my Residency and every time I looked at my patients, all that I saw was my mother. They were all strong, stronger than me to be able to fight these suckers and it was hard not to cry but I couldn't because they weren't and I had to be strong for them. I knew how they felt, I may not have dealt with it personally but watching a loved one go through it is hard. Especially when that loved one is the one that raised me since birth and was the only one that was ever there for me and actually loved me unconditionally.

I finish eating and then notice my mother staring at me, I must've had that zoned out look I apparently get when I am deep in thought or thinking about something. She obviously knows what that something is as I tend to get it often when I'm around her and she brings up the past, its a sore point in my life.

The sorest, actually.

She put her hand on my shoulder and squeezes comfortingly, I simply nod and stand up clearing my head. Taking my plate, I walk over to the sink and drop it in, start the water and clean the plate off. I grab Luke's and do the same, I didn't even notice he left the table. Mom keeps staring at me. It isn't helping.

"You do know that it wasn't your fault, right?" She asks, obviously I know it wasn't. I couldn't drive anyone crazy enough to the point of them developing cancer but she's not talking about that, she's talking about me not being there. I always said I should've been, maybe I could've noticed something was wrong sooner, that she was weaker or not acting herself but even if I was, what could I do? I wasn't a Doctor then, I was only Anakin Skywalker not Doctor Anakin Skywalker, M.D.

I became who I am because of her and she thinks that I became a Doctor because I couldn't get her help sooner and she believes that is my way of trying to make up for that. She isn't entirely wrong but I'm not doing it because I'm trying to make up for my tenure as a bad son, rather I am doing this because I am good at it and I can help people when they need help! I can be there for them when I couldn't be there for...

Damn.

I did do it for that reason, didn't I?

Well, I guess I just psychoanalyzed myself so there is no need for Ben to try and do that for me when I arrive at work in a couple of nights and he decides to throw some of his psycho-shit down my throat, that is probably why he gives me a cup full of diabetes every morning- to help wash it down.

Technically psychoanalyzed isn't the right term, I don't have a mental illness but the term seems to fit without the actual definition fitting, I am Anakin Skywalker though, I've always been the unconventional, think outside the box kinda guy.

"Maybe it is," I finally admit with a sigh. "I may not have known what I know now- then, but maybe I would've noticed something. Either way, we'll never know."

She walks over to me and places her hands on my arms, "even if you could've, it wouldn't matter." I want to dispute that but she wouldn't let me with her look, she knows I want too. "The important thing is that I survived and that I am still here and breathing. Don't continue to beat yourself up over the fact that you were living your life by going to college, it isn't like you were up to no good, you were doing good. You did what I wanted you to do, something that I wasn't able to do." Her eyes water up and then mine start to. Damn emotions. "I don't regret anything, neither should you. I am here for you, I am here for Luke and you both are here for me. Don't waste your life over what-if's, neither of us are God, we're not omniscient, we can't know everything."

Logically, I know this. But she's my mother! She never hurt anyone and to see her have to fight to live from these tiny little suckers hurt more than I ever could've imagined. So, I blamed myself because I was off having the time of my life in college while she was here fighting for her life. She may have made that choice for me, by forcing me to go back since I really couldn't do anything, but she always took care of me and when she needed me the most- I should've been there!

Sighing heavily, I nod. I'm not one for believing in a higher power like she does, but I do know that I am not he. I'm not exactly an atheist, but it's hard to believe in a God or in some higher power who could be so cruel as to put my mother through hell. It's hard to believe in a God or a higher power who would try and take her from me! She was all I had, sure there's my step-family but I never got along with them. They're farmers, they wanted me to work on their fucking farm like I was some farmer, like them! Hell, I am no farmer and never wanted to be.

"I know," I finally mutter, my voice failing me. Looking at the clock hanging up on the wall, I use it as my excuse to leave this conversation and to try to forget about it. "I have to go bring Luke to school."

"No, you don't." Mom says, giving me the look. "I'll take him, you go get some rest. You look like you need it, now go say goodbye to your son and go to sleep."

Twenty-nine-years old and she's still giving me orders. "Yes, M'am." I reply, amused and walk off to find Luke. I find him by almost knocking him over when I reach the top of the stairs and turn to go down the hall to his bedroom. He's there with his head down and backpack hanging on his shoulder when I pummel into him, catching him before he falls backwards. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Luke says. He looks up to me, his eyes matching my own and gives me a smile.

"Grandma is going to give you a ride to school," I tell him. "I'll get some sleep now and pick you up afterwards, maybe then, we'll go do something. Sound good?"

Luke nods enthusiastically.

"Good, now let's go." I walk down the stairs with him to mom's car where she sits in the driver seat and I open the back door for Luke, he hops into his booster seat that mom has for her car and I buckle him up. "Be good," I say, ruffling his hair once more. "Thanks, mom."

"No problem, Ani." She says, her window down and the music playing quietly. "Now, go get some sleep."

"Will do," I wave bye to them as she reverses down the driveway and onto the street, before driving out of sight. Harley joins me in the front yard, sniffing around and peeing on the small tree. I shake my head and walk back into the house, he joins me and I make sure he has his food and water before going upstairs and lying down in my bed without even taking off my clothes or sneakers as I fall right to sleep.

A/N: Hope you liked it! This was only a taste of what's to come but the future chapters will see many recognizable faces, they'll just have different jobs since Jedi and Sith don't exist on our planet. Also know that Luke's mother isn't Padmé Amidala, we'll see her in the next chapter and we'll also see Leia who does exist but isn't Luke's sister or Anakin's daughter. This is an Anidala story, they just don't know each other yet but will meet briefly in the next chapter and then things between them will start to develop after that.

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