When did you develop a fever Anakin?"
Did I just punish a sick child?
"I dunno. I didn't realize." Anakin mumbled in Obi-Wan's chest.
"He may have a fever later Obi-Wan. Don't be scared. It means the vaccine is working well. If it gets too high, then give him a fever reducer. But remember, he shouldn't take a fever reducer in an empty stomach."
Vokara Che said as a Togruta healer found Anakin's favorite toffee in the giant box and gave it to him after his vaccination.
"What should I give him to eat today?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Normal food. Rice crackers, flat cakes etc. Avoid eggs and salthia beans for a week."
"Alright Anakin. Let's sit on the couch. The floor is cold."
Obi-Wan shifted his arm to hold Anakin's left hand, and took him to the sofa.
"How're you feeling? Do you have any pain or nausea, dear one?"
Anakin looked at Obi-Wan for a few seconds and then whispered,"My-my head and right arm hurts."
He got vaccine in that hand.
"That's the exact reason padawan that I told you to rest for a day. I didn't even let you write-"
Tears filled Anakin's eyes again.
Obi-Wan pulled him in an embrace.
"Oh little one, don't cry. I'm sorry. What's done is done. You just sit here, I'll bring you the dinner."
"Here? In the couch?" Anakin asked, bewildered. Obi-Wan never let him eat on the couch.
Obi-Wan's face twitched in a soft smile.
"Yes dear one."
This might be an alluring opportunity for Anakin, but today he wasn't feeling good.
"Master, I'm not hungry."
Obi-Wan already came back with a bowl of soup and four rice crackers.
"Just a few bites, then you can sleep."
"I can't..."
"One rice cracker?"
Anakin agreed, 'considering the fact that he was already so much in trouble.'
He ate one and half rice cracker and two spoons of soup. It tasted very good. Cooking droids never made soup this good.
Noticing Anakin's surprise, Obi-Wan said,"The soup is good, isn't it? It's Qui-Gon's secret recipe. Sometimes, he spoon-fed me this soup when I suffered from a bad migraine."
Anakin became more surprised. He couldn't imagine his master, the silver-tongue, the perfect jedi, lying on a bed, sick and vulnerable.
After a sad sigh, Obi-Wan said,"Okay, dear one. Let's get you to the bed."
Anakin put off his robes and went to the bed. Obi-Wan tucked him up and put his hand on the little boy's forehead.
The fever wasn't too high. He hoped that it won't rise at night.
"How are you feeling, padawan?"
Qui-Gon caressed his padawan's head, as the latter woke up after a 3 hours long nap.
"F'ne, mas'er." Obi-Wan mumbled. The headache drained all of his energy.
"I brought you some soup."
"N't hungry."
"It can't be possible, you didn't eat anything since yesterday."
"Too tired--"
"Tired? Okay then." Qui Gon shifted towards him.
Oh force, did he just say that aloud?
Qui-Gon lifted a spoonful of his special cabbage soup and fed it to his padawan. Obi-Wan hesitated at first, but after that, he couldn't resist himself being spoonfed by his master. That thing was absolutely delicious.
"How's it?" Qui-Gon asked.
"You know the answer."
Qui-Gon laughed. Force! How much he missed it!
"Then have one more."
Obi-Wan was about to eat that, suddenly he felt a disturbance in the force.
Qui-Gon started to fade... and he saw a sick, little boy, trying to catch his breath very hard...
Whispering,
"Master... Help..."
"ANAKIN!"
Obi-Wan woke up with a start.Without wasting a single second, he ran to his apprentice's room.
He opened the door, Anakin was tossing and turning in his sleep.
Obi-Wan immediately came to his padawan's side.
Anakin's face was flushed pink, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Obi-Wan checked his temperature. He's way too warm...
"Anakin, Anakin wake up. It's just a dream. Wake up!"
Anakin didn't seem to wake up. He just murmured,"Amu... Amu..."
Obi-Wan heard this before.
On Tatooine, Amu means mother.
Obi-Wan focused on their bond, and said,"Wake up." Though it.
It worked.
Anakin woke up panting.
"It's okay, you're okay." Obi-Wan rubbed circles in his back and chest.
"Amu.." Anakin still called for his mom.
Obi-Wan said, "Your mother is alright, dear one. She's on Tatooine, she's safe."
Anakin looked at him with his glassy eyes,"She's... Safe? Watto didn't hit her?"
Obi-Wan baffled for a moment.
"What? Why would... Anakin, do you recognize me? Who am I, dear one?"
Anakin looked at him, frowning like he was given a math problem.
Then he replied meekly,"Obi... Wan?"
"Yes, Anakin. You're on Coruscant. Watto is not here."
Anakin looked like he was very confused.
"Are you sure? If.. If Watto isn't here... Then, W-why does my back hurt? Who hit me?"
Obi-Wan felt like he got stabbed in his chest.
His back... Where Obi-Wan spanked him with the hairbrush.
Guilt flooded though his veins, his hands became numb.
"Who hit me?"
"Who hit me, master?"
"You hit me. Like the slaver. Like Watto."
No. Anakin's fever... He needed to bring it down.
"You hurt me, master. Like Watto."
He can't do this... He can't...
Obi-Wan scooped the boy up in his arms and raced for the door... Straight to the halls of healing.
"Promise me you'll train him."