Hey all. Sorry it's been a while, l think we all can agree that life gets in the way at the most inconvenient times yeah? Also, I'm having trouble with getting my alerts and story reviews via email so if I don't respond, it's cause I didn't know ok?
Shorter chapter than normal I know. I started out with an idea and it kinda morphed into something else.
Enjoy
Warning: Possible abuse triggers later in chapter.
Chapter 7
Yaddle didn't even try to hide her amusement at the scene she was currently witnessing.
"No."
"No?"
"Are you hard of hearing or are you being intentionally obtuse? I said no"
"They are under our jurisdiction! They are Jedi! We," Master Mundi snarled, at the doctor who was blocking them from entering his infirmary, while he gestured at the other council members who were with him "We are here to debrief the two boys about what happen after they arrived on planet. It is our right and our duty as members of the Jedi Council. Now, I ask you again to please move aside and show us where the boys are currently staying."
Doctor Mikel Sivillé, a doctor with over forty years' experience in the business of saving lives just snorted in contempt at the absolute audacity this being had, to make demands of him in his infirmary! He crossed his arms and gave the so-called Jedi councillor a hard, determined glare.
"You could be the Grand High Poo-bar and Emperor of all the whole kriffing universe for all I care, the answer is still No. You have no right to come in here, making demands of me in regards to those who are under my care and given your current attitudes, I wouldn't let you near them, even if it was possible right now which it is not. Now, leave my infirmary peacefully or I'll call the guards and have you escorted out, or thrown out, I care not as to which option the guards choose." He sniffed in distain as he turned to re-enter his domain.
Yaddle had to smother a laugh at the looks indignation, annoyance and in some cases, anger from being spoken to in such a manner, on her fellow Jedi's faces and decided to intervene before a nasty fight broke out.
"Good morning Doctor Sivillé, I do hope your morning is going well?" Yaddle asked the older gentleman as she strolled casually up to the infirmary's door with a grin on her face.
Mikel's head shot around and he smiled in true pleasure.
"Master Yaddle! I'm pleased to see you this morn. I trust you had a pleasant night?" He asked the small Master, while watching the reactions of the other Jedi he had just not so politely told to kriff off.
He was hard pressed not to smile. Oh yes, he had definitely offended them.
"Oh yes, most pleasant. Your Queen has been most gracious in accommodating us on such short notice, especially in light of the still ongoing myriad of problems that many of your people are suffering through even now. Truly she is a most remarkable person, such a credit to your people and her family." She replied, playing along.
"She is indeed Master Yaddle." He said, a smile of pride on his face.
"You better get in there, young Obi-Wan is likely trying to talk his way out of his bed and around my staff…again. Honestly, that boy has all the negotiation skills and the silver tongue of a veteran diplomat! The sooner I have him out of my infirmary the better! He's corrupting my nursing staff!" He grumbled good naturedly as he held the door open for Yaddle.
Yaddle laughed.
"Oh my, that does sound familiar. I wouldn't worry too much though; he tries it on the Jedi healers too."
"That does not surprise me in the slightest Master Jedi."
Yaddle had met the doctor the previous day when she came to visit the boys and had been subjected to an intense interrogation as to her intentions towards them. His young Queen had apparently made it very clear that Naboo would still be under Trade Federation control if it hadn't been for the heroic actions of these two young Jedi. She had also informed him of the loss of their Jedi Master and he could see for himself that the two young Jedi were grieving the loss deeply. He agreed that they were in no condition mentally to be debriefed by the Jedi council or anyone at the present time. Yaddle admired his dedication to his patient's and profession and wished the Jedi Council had but a fraction of his compassion and common sense.
She had made it quite clear that she was there to support the boys and nothing else. Mikel had believed her and her actions when he finally allowed her to see them supported her words.
Yaddle had just entered the door when she heard Master Mundi speak.
"Why is Master Yaddle allowed to see Padawan Kenobi and we are not?" He demanded.
The Doctor turned a stony visage on the Cerean Jedi Master.
"Unlike you, Master Jedi, Master Yaddle's presence is restful and soothing. It benefits my patients," he told them.
"And" he snarked in derision, "She asked nicely."
He turned his back on the group, entered the door and closed it firmly behind him.
He sighed deeply.
"How much trouble have I made for my Queen over refusing them access to the boys?" he asked her.
"None, Masters Windu and Yoda will put them in their places. They finally agreed with me about letting the boys grieve and heal a bit more before they speak to them." She gave her own sigh.
And it had only taken four hours of some very loud arguing until they came to an agreement.
"Please forgive them. They are not usually so…brash and rude in their dealings with others. You must understand that losing one of our number to the Sith…well it's not something we were prepared for at all. I'm afraid it had us all a bit on edge and as a result, our manners seemed to have slipped by the wayside in our desperate search for answers."
Mikel gave her a sympathetic look.
"I'm not completely unsympathetic to the Jedi council's need to know what happened. I understand that the Order has a whole has been handed a nasty shock in the form of Master Jinn's death at the hands of a Sith assassin, and at the very fact that a long thought of dead enemy has once again risen from the shadows but that doesn't give the Coruscant Jedi Order the right to just barge in and make demands of those they consider lesser then them." He sighed once again, this time in remorse.
"I'm sorry Master Yaddle that was uncalled for. For the most part, the Jedi deport themselves with the appropriate behaviour but as you said, your Order is currently recovering from a nasty shock. It stands to reason that some normal behaviour would change at this time so the lack of manners is understandable and even forgivable, to a degree, given current circumstances."
He gestured Yaddle towards the comfortable chairs in the empty waiting room, waiting for her to take a seat before he sat himself. He had a feeling that this would be a long and involved conversation.
Yaddle hopped up on the very comfortable chair and settled into her thoughts. He had a point, Mundi had been very rude in his approach and like the Doctor, she understood why but still, bad manners were just inexcusable in a Jedi and especially in a Jedi Master and High Council member but that wasn't what she was focused on. There was something he said that was niggling at her brain. She reached out to him in the Force and studied him closely, her eyes widened in surprise.
"You're Force sensitive!" she gasped.
How had she not sensed it before?
Mikel for his part gave her a rueful look.
"Well, I will have to tell Master Bah'ra that his shielding technique does fool the Coruscanti Jedi, although it's obviously not perfect." He gave a chagrined grin.
"Yes I'm a Force sensitive."
"Master Bah'ra?" Yaddle eyes narrowed at him in speculation as she put the clues together. She knew that name.
"You're from the Corellian Temple. You're a Green Jedi." She stated.
"I'm retired actually but I still keep in contact with old friends there. But Naboo is my home. Here is where I can do the most good. Here is where the Force wants me, that and my wife is a professor at the Naboo Royal Academy." He told her, wanting to head off what would be a long and complicated discussion about his past when what he wanted to speak of was Anakin and Obi-Wan's health.
"Look, we can discuss my past another time but for the time being, I'd appreciate it if you could keep this between us? Our respective Orders have their issues with each other and I've no wish to get involved in a pissing match over which Order is supposedly the more superior one. Right now, I'd prefer to speak to you about young Anakin and Obi-Wan's health, both physical and mental." He said, trying to get back on track.
Yaddle looked at him and nodded her consent. She felt no deception or ill intentions towards her or the Order and couldn't help but agree that now was not the time for old disagreements to rear their ugly heads.
"Very well. Now, what about the boys? Yesterday you said that they would be fine, they just needed a little time to heal." She asked in concern.
Mikel pulled out his datapad and decided to start with Obi-Wan.
"When I said earlier that he had a silver tongue, I meant it. That boy is a born Consular. I'm not sure how he managed it but he managed to talk my very highly trained and professional staff; who do not take bantha shit from any patient, including the Queens, not to do a scan of his injuries. He managed to convince them to just put some bacta on his wounds and leave it at that. Now normally, while I would be irritated that he refused a full scan, he is well within his rights to refuse one as his injuries weren't of a life threatening nature, however, a full scan in this case, especially on his hands would have picked up the deeper injuries to the tendons and joints of his fingers even bone burns on one hand. He had molten metal "rained down" on them which caused deeper burns then what a superficial examination would show. I'm afraid he is going to need surgery on his left hand to correct some of the damage and his right hand should have been soaking in bacta bandages yesterday!" He gave her the harried look that all healers have when dealing with stubborn patients.
"Honestly, what have you been teaching them over the last thousand years? How does ignoring ones injuries and presenting a stoic face to the world help anyone?" he ranted.
"Why criticize our teachings for the last thousand years only?" She asked him curiously.
He snorted in frustrated amusement.
"Because, for the twenty four thousand years before that, your Order actually had common sense AND they actually used when they trained their padawan's!"
Yaddle grinned at him.
"Your bias is showing." She gently teased him.
Mikel groaned.
"And this is why I didn't want to discuss our Orders." He sniped.
"Right back to Obi-Wan. Do I need permission from the council to proceed with the recommended treatment or would they rather wait and let your own healers do the procedure?" he asked.
"What is your recommendation Doctor?"
"Do it now. Those deep tissue burns are harder to heal the longer they are left without proper treatment and I fear that he may be left with some permeant impairment in his left hand if he must wait to receive treatment on Coruscant." He gave her his professional opinion.
Yaddle thought it over for a moment.
"Do it. I give you permission if you feel you need it. I'll deal with the council but they will agree with me. We do still value the health and welfare of our padawan's you know." And she watched as the tension drained from the man's shoulders in relief.
"Thank you. I'll have him prepped for surgery this afternoon. I know your healers are some of the best in the galaxy but it will be much better for Obi-Wan's hands in the long run to receive treatment now and not later." He said in gratitude, having half expected to be told no, he couldn't treat the boy's hands.
"We do have some of our healers with us if you wish for some more specialised assistance?" She offered. Mikel gave her a considering look.
"For Anakin's treatment, perhaps I shall avail myself of your offer but for Obi-Wan's hands, I trust only myself and my surgical team to operate on them. I have forty years of experience in general practice and several areas of specialisation, including limb reconstruction, restitution and cybernetic limbs. I am a fully qualified and licenced surgeon and I have the Force to assist me with the more delicate repairs." He rattled off the most relevant of his qualifications in order to reassure the small Master that the Padawan in question was in good hands.
Yaddle nodded her head, pleased with what she was hearing and knew that young Obi-wan was in good hands…literally.
"Now onto young Anakin. To be honest, I'm not sure what to do here. I've never seen someone so young with this many injuries. He was a slave on Tatooine yes?" He questioned her.
"To the best of our knowledge, yes. Unfortunately, Master Jinn neglected to fill us in on the relative details when Anakin was first presented to us. I understand that Tatooine isn't the best place for a young child, or anyone for that matter." Yaddle said, seriously understating the matter.
She was quietly furious at Qui-Gon for not telling that vital piece of information about Anakin. It would have made such a difference in the way the council looked and judged him at his testing.
Mikel gave her a grave look.
"Honestly, at this point, I don't think it matters anymore as he will not be returning to that situation but still…" He broke off and threw his hands up in disgust.
"Honestly, it would be easier to tell you what bones he hasn't broken! I counted at least fifty broken bones in his scans and I still haven't finished going over them so there's most likely more I haven't found yet, and of those fifty, at least eighteen have healed wrong! It truly baffles me how he's able to ignore the sheer amount of pain he must be in each and every second of the day." He ranted.
"This shows all the markers of systematic abuse. He was beaten regularly and not for discipline either! Thankfully, those marks of abuse are old, he is nine correct? Well the oldest of these breaks is eight years and the newest is only a few days, a week or two at most. Now, Anakin assured me that almost all of the most recent breaks and by that I mean the breaks that he acquired since he and his mother came into Watto was it? possession, come from crashing pod racers and not beatings. He did tell me that his previous owner really didn't hurt him, he was more verbal then physical, a lazy backhand easily dodged or a cuff up the back of his head when he was being cheeky or naughty. Although he did beat Anakin to the point of raising sever deep bruises three times but Anakin admitted that he deserved those ones as he had endangered not only his life but the lives of others as well by doing reckless experiments with pod engines. Not the best way to discipline a child I admit, but again, regrettably understandable given where he resided and his circumstances."
Yaddle stared at the doctor in horrified consternation that only got worse the more the doctor spoke.
One year, three hundred and sixty five days Anakin had lived in innocent peace before he encountered the worst that the galaxy could offer.
He had been beaten early and often enough that his young, still malleable and flexible bones actually broke and healed, sometimes correctly, sometimes wrongly yet always leaving a scar and still, the boy smiled and had hope that things would be better…eventually.
"…Be better to bring him to Corellia, he's not going to fit in with your lot very well…"
Yaddle's attention snapped back to the present.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
"I was just saying, that given young Anakin's temperament and his "attachments" as you call them that he might just be more suited to the life as a Green Jedi. We actually encourage healthy "relationships" asour research has shown that a stable, healthy relationship provides some much needed stability in a Jedi's life, so he wouldn't feel strange or be thought of as wrong for actually having an attachment to his mother in the first place. He also wouldn't be the first slave in our Order nor would be the oldest Initiate currently in our temple. I think our current oldest is around…hmm…twenty nine I think?" he mused.
Yaddle gawked at him, her normally calm serene presence currently absent.
"No poaching! Anakin is ours, as is Obi-wan! Go and find your own troublemakers Master Sivillé" She waggled one of her clawed fingers at him in joking admonishment while her grin was unrepentant.
"Perish the thought! Those two would destroy the temple without even trying then Corellia itself afterwards! No, I think I'll let your Order have the privilege of trying to keep them out of trouble." He chuckled.
"Besides, I'm retired remember? Recruiting people for the Order is not my thing." He smiled.
Yaddle snorted in amusement.
"Recruit? No. Recommend them to others? Absolutely. Please, let us be honest. We may not recruit people but that doesn't stop us from sending word to our respective home temples about those with potential so that others can do the "recruiting." No Jedi worthy the name would leave those who need guidance in the Force without some sort of help. Or at least, we never used to…" Yaddle trailed off as she started to realise that her beloved Order had left others without help or guidance in the ways of the Force more often than not.
After all, weren't they debating this very issue in regards to Anakin?
It shouldn't be a debate she realised.
"We've once again strayed away from the point of this conversation. In regards to Anakin's treatment, what do you recommend?" She asked.
"Surgery to correct the internal problems, including re-setting the bones that healed wrong as they will only cause more problems for him as he continues to grow, he'll have to have physiotherapy once the bones have healed. I would recommend regular appointments with whoever is assigned as his paediatrician to monitor his health, and visit to a dietitian for a healthy meal plan. The boy is severely malnourished and is small for his age, which again, is regrettably understandable."
He took a deep breath, he needed the older Master to take the next part seriously.
"I have two major areas of concern. The first is his slave chip. It's lodged under his spine. It shifted there as he grew I imagine. Now, I'm not concerned about the explosive potential as I currently have possession of the chip fob and it is indeed disarmed but the position of the chip raises some concerns."
"What is it Doctor that concerns you" Yaddle asked as he trailed off.
"When I said that the chip was lodged under his spine, I misspoke. The truth is that some of the bone in his spine has grown to encase the chip. When I was first told about the possibility of removing it, I thought it would be an easier surgery as all I had to be cautious of was to not cut anything vital. A simple cut in and removal if you will. This however is an altogether different beast and a longer recovery time."
"Lots of bedrest?" she asked him.
Mikel nodded his head.
"And a three, possibly four day dip in a bacta tank."
And no, that was not going to down well with Anakin, who was more restless then a whole nest of gundarks.
Mikel, who could follow what she was currently thinking, smirked at her.
"I do not envy whoever is stuck babysitting that ball of unending energy." He laughed quietly then his demeanour grew serious once again.
"My second concern is one that actually applies to both young men."
"And what is that?"
"Mind healing, Master Yaddle. They are both in desperate need of a good mind healer. My concern is that given the rumours I've heard over the years about the Coruscant Order's attitude towards mind healing, I am unsure if your Order can provide the necessary healing. Right now, they're grieving, angry, confused, hurting and unsure of themselves and each other not to mention the trauma of the battles they fought and the death they experienced in the Force. I would recommend mind healing for that alone but they both show signs of PTSD, especially Obi-wan. That deflection of my staff, classic symptom of PTSD, luckily, Anakin is still young enough to obey his elders in that regard but the life of a slave is all he knows, all he's ever known since birth, he's going to have trouble adjusting not only to being free but to a completely different way of life to him. Going from the horror and violence of slavery to the peace and ridge discipline of the Coruscant Order is going to throw his young life into disarray."
His serious face gave way to one that was more sympathetic.
"He'll need more support than a grieving Jedi Padawan can give and a grieving Jedi Padawan needs more support than a small child to lean on."
