Obi-Wan was mostly awake by the time Anakin got to sickbay. He was a bit groggy, but on the whole seemed alert. He was busy discussing the battle with Rex, most likely critiquing Anakin's strategies. Obi-Wan was always the planner. Anakin was merely the fighter.
"That's twenty-nine times now."
"Has it been that many? I swear, Anakin, you exaggerate."
Rex stood up. "General Kenobi, Commander Skywalker, I will alert you when we approach Courscant." He marched out of the room.
"You performed admirably, Anakin."
"We had to order a retreat."
"How one fights a battle can be more important than the outcome. You lost a fellow Jedi and still managed to command a battle. That is quite an accomplishment."
"We still lost too many men."
Obi-Wan's pale hand reached out and grabbed Anakin's. "You did well, Anakin. Regrets are normal – but there is nothing more you could have done. You did save me, after all."
"What happened to you?" Anakin asked, taking the seat Rex had vacated.
Obi-Wan grimaced. "Ventress once again. She seems to have taken a liking to me."
Anakin looked much more concerned and absentmindedly scratched Ventress' last gift to him. "Ventress? What did she do to you? "I found the holocron you had taken, but there's nothing on it but some drug Jenna Zan Arbor was working on. What was Ventress doing with that?"
"I never took a holocron, Anakin."
"I found you with it. I doubt Ventress just gifted you with a copy of Arbor's research."
Obi-Wan was suspiciously silent.
"You're hiding something, Master."
"I'm not your Master anymore," Obi-Wan reminded lightly.
"You'll always be my teacher, Master Kenobi," Anakin lightly mocked, "it just means I can pester you more without getting privileges revoked. So what happened with Ventress?"
"She injected me with one of Arbor's drugs, I passed out, and found myself once again having to be saved by you. I think it's becoming somewhat of a habit."
It was Anakin's turn to be silent. If she had injected him with the drug in the holocron…not only did it have devastating side-affects, but Ventress must be confident an antidote couldn't be found. That was more frightening, the idea that they had the information and couldn't do a thing with it. But how would Ventress ever get hold of Arbor? She wasn't known for helping the Sith or the Jedi. It could Ventress bluffing, trying to play mind games with Obi-Wan.
"Anakin? Are you alright?"
"Did – did Ventress tell you what – "
" – quite a nasty drug, yes, she told me."
"Do you think Ventress really gave it to you? Or do think she's bluffing?"
"I don't think we'll know that until we get to the Temple. I'm sure Bant will love yet another opportunity to have me in her custody."
In other words, yes, Obi-Wan did think Ventress had injected him with the same toxin.
"Anakin, I'm not dying. No need to look so miserable. I've been through worse. It will give Bant a challenge."
"Did she tell you what this toxin is?"
Obi-Wan debated telling Anakin the full truth. He decided with a half truth. "She said it would take away my sense and connection to the Force. Nothing else. I'm sure it will just be another psychotic combined with a Force suppressant. Nothing we haven't experienced before."
Anakin showed Obi-Wan the holocron. "I think – I think you might want to see this then."
Anakin studied Obi-Wan's face carefully. He was keeping his mental shields tightly in place, blocking any emotions from flooding through their bond. His expressions were equally as guarded.
" – subjects lost their vision, sense of taste and smell and touch, hearing – " Obi-Wan tensed and his mental shield slipped. In the few seconds before he strengthen it again, Anakin felt the beginning of panic.
" – experienced drastically lowered mid-chlorian counts." His hands twitched slightly. Anakin reassuringly placed his hand on Obi-Wan's bedside and to his surprise, Obi-Wan placed his own hand in Anakin's grasp.
" –successful and safe to administer." Finger entwined with Anakin's and the grip tightened. Anakin started to run his thumb gently across the back of Obi-Wan's hand. Anakin shut the holocron off as the formulas started to present themselves.
"There is still – still no need to worry yet, Anakin. We shall see what the Healers make of it first."
Until they confirmed it. Then there would be a whole new world of worries and fears to start. Like always, Obi-Wan would refuse to worry until he had conclusive proof that something was wrong. Although for someone who was saying there was no need to worry, his hand was still wound tightly around Anakin's.
"Should I contact the Temple?"
Judging by the way Obi-Wan pulled Anakin's hand closer to him, Anakin would be better off staying by his side. Anakin tucked the holocron back into his pocket and carefully moved from his seat to the edge of Obi-Wan's bed.
"You better get some sleep then. If you show up to the Temple like that, Bant will confine you to bed rest for a week."
He was rather exhausted. It was easier to calm down, easier not to think about Ventress and Arbor and the poison that could already be robbing him of his vital senses, when Anakin was here. Obi-Wan felt almost guilty about having Anakin stay with him. Anakin had been commanding a war, he too must need rest or a chance to contact Padme. Keeping him by his old Master's bedside seemed unfair, but, as Obi-Wan drifted into an uneasy sleep, the warmth of Anakin's presence next to him, he couldn't bring himself to care.
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I know it is a bit of a darker story, but I can promise that there will be lighter moments!