Ch. 25: "Undying Devotion" - *N Sync, I Drive Myself Crazy
"… questions later," Mace finished as Qui-Gon caught Obi-Wan before his Padawan could hit the floor.
Qui-Gon nodded shortly to his friend. "I don't believe Master Healer Ashthoret will let him out of the Healer's wing until he is completely healed. If you will excuse me?"
"Of course," Mace said.
Qui-Gon reached the ante-chamber when Adi Gallia caught up to him, tucking her comm unit into her belt. "I called Theela," she said, pulling the hover chair over to him and holding it still so he could put Obi-Wan in without struggling too much. "She's ready and waiting for him."
Qui-Gon didn't respond, all his attention on getting Obi-Wan into the chair without hurting him. Then he straightened and sighed. "This worries me," he said. "Obi-Wan usually recovers faster than this."
"He's had a few shocks to his system, Qui-Gon," Adi reminded him.
Qui-Gon snorted. He knew it better than she did, but she'd said it kindly. "That's definitely one way of putting it." He immediately regretted his reaction, and tried to shove the remaining anger into a place he could hide it until he could deal with it. "I'm sorry, Adi. I didn't mean it to come out quite like that." He started to push the hover chair toward the lift. She followed, reaching quickly to right Obi-Wan when he started to slump the wrong way. When the lift doors closed, she settled him a little firmer.
"Do you know what you will do now?" she asked.
"No," Qui-Gon said hopelessly, then straightened. "But we are not done yet."
She regarded him for a moment, and then smiled. "He's been good for you."
Qui-Gon stared at her. "What?"
"Obi-Wan. He's been good for you. I'm glad you apprenticed him. You are more like I remember before…." She let the sentence fade, but he knew who and what she meant.
"Was I that bad?" he asked.
Before Adi could respond, the lift opened on three healers and a hover bed. Working carefully, they got Obi-wan on it and started toward the Healer's Wing. With a grateful look at Adi, Qui-Gon followed.
Theela interrogated Qui-Gon while she checked Obi-Wan over. He could tell the summons had upset her because of the way she snapped out questions and commented on the Council under her breath in irritation between the questions. Finally, she turned to him. "Obi-Wan should be fine," she said. "I'll keep an eye on him, and I suppose you will be here as well?"
Qui-Gon ignored the acerbic part of her question, knowing she didn't aim it at him. "Yes."
"Don't wake him," she stressed. "From what I can tell, he over-exerted himself, and Di'ona's meddling made it worse. I'll speak with Master Satoru and report to him what happened." She nodded shortly at him and stalked from the room.
Qui-Gon settled in the chair next to Obi-Wan's medical couch as soon as the door closed behind Theela. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and meditated, searching for something to help his Padawan. He did not believe they would find it so easy to get rid of Di'ona's meddling, as Theela had put it, this time around. First, they had to find a way around Obi-Wan's now formidable shields. This time, they didn't have someone like Denk willing to help them. He didn't think Kalifa would give up any of her former Master's secrets.
He found nothing, and eventually rose out of the trance, feeling refreshed. He watched Obi-Wan sleep, and thought about Adi's words. It had been worth it, all of it. Obi-Wan had done him good, smoothed sharp corners. Obi-Wan had taught him a lot about forgiveness, both of others and of oneself. He'd forgotten the joy of learning and of teaching until he'd met Obi-Wan. Xanatos had darkened his life, perhaps more than he'd thought, if many of his friends felt the way Adi did. Maybe he would take a fourth apprentice when Obi-Wan passed his trials, see what he could learn from another. The trials would probably happen soon, too. After they got through this last - hopefully last! - bit of Di'ona's legacy.
Much later, Obi-wan stirred, groaning low and pressing his right hand to his temple. Glazed eyes met Qui-Gon's, but that cleared soon enough. Before Qui-Gon could do more than smile and take in a breath to say something, the door opened and Theela came in. She checked the readouts on the instruments, looking at least more composed than she had when they'd arrived. After a moment, she looked at Obi-Wan. "How are you feeling?"
"Confused," he admitted. "I don't remember…." He trailed off. "How long have I been here?"
"A few hours. What is the last thing you remember?"
"I remember being in the Council chamber, and getting a headache. I thought my head would explode."
"You collapsed," Qui-Gon told him.
Theela smoothed the covers over Obi-Wan. "Rest now," she said with a glare at Qui-Gon. "Let me know if that memory doesn't come back."
Obi-Wan nodded, closing his eyes, and Theela left again. Qui-Gon caught something she muttered about the council, but nothing he could - or would - repeat to anyone.
Minutes later, Obi-Wan's eyes opened, blazing in anger. "They told me they'd banished Denk with the rest," he said.
Qui-Gon lifted an eyebrow, although he felt Obi-Wan had a good reason for his anger. He even considered using his negotiation skills on his Padawan, because he had no other way to judge Obi-Wan's mood with the block on the blond. Obi-Wan glanced at him, and calmed himself down with an effort. "Did you know?" he asked.
Qui-Gon sighed. "I saw him in the Archives the day we returned from the Fedlimid mission. The council asked me not to mention it to you. Ordered me not to," he corrected himself.
"Why?"
"They didn't think you'd react well to having him still in the Temple."
Obi-Wan snorted. "I didn't. I must have seen him in the Archives before the mission of Fedlimid," he mused. "When I came back and said I felt so strange."
"It is possible. They kept him out of the Temple when they thought you might see him, but as you and I both know, no plans are perfect."
"I had a nightmare about him that night," Obi-Wan continued, turning to look out the window. "An old memory." He fell quiet, staring out at the buildings across the skyway.
Qui-Gon had no idea what he thought about. He felt helpless, so used to reading Obi-Wan through their bond. Obi-Wan didn't show his feelings very much, and since he spent that year outside the Temple, he'd closed himself off even more. "We have some work to do on your shields," he ventured before the silence could stretch too long. "I don't think Theela will agree to anything strenuous until she says you've healed fully. Master Satoru will probably agree."
Obi-Wan took a deep breath, let it out, and grimaced in pain for an instant. "Yes, Master," he said. He still didn't look at Qui-Gon. He continued to stare out the window, his hands clasped lightly over his stomach.
Qui-Gon could see the white in his knuckles and knew the apparent ease was a sham. "Padawan," he said. Obi-Wan turned to look at him, and Qui-Gon caught his breath at the despair in the younger man's blue-gray eyes. "We will get though this."
Before Obi-Wan could respond, Theela stepped in and checked the instruments by the medical couch again. Obi-Wan watched her, his expression unreadable. She smiled at him, brushed one finger over his hair, and stepped back to address both of them. "I spoke with Master Satoru," she said. "He agrees that we must wait for you to recover from this before he begins to work on your shields. I will not confine you to your sleep couch," she added, "but rest as much as you need to, for as long as you need to."
Obi-wan nodded, and the despair in the Force around him eased considerably.
"I'm going to release you now," she said to Obi-Wan. "Be careful. If that wound hurts, let me know immediately." She half aimed that last comment at Qui-Gon. She waited until they both nodded, then left.
Qui-Gon turned to Obi-Wan when the door shut behind her. "Mace couldn't salvage your tunic," he said gently, "and I haven't had the chance to get you fresh clothes. I can go get you some now, or I can take you back in that."
Obi-Wan looked down and fingered the robe he wore. "This is fine," he said, sounding exhausted.
Qui-Gon helped him back into the hover chair, resting a hand on his shoulder as Obi-Wan made himself comfortable, then they left the room.