chibi heishi - Xan only thinks it is over.
JACarter - thanks
Geri K - Of course.
Jedi Master Misty Sman-Esay - Xan won't do anything that stupid again, hopefully.
LianneZ4 - I was inspired to have Xanatos train Anakin by obi-ew on . I think it is a good match, though I do love Obi-Wan and Anakin as a team also.
beauty0102 - Thanks
not paranoid enough - So do I :)
Chapter 19
The office belonging to Healer Yadira Nuran was neat, warm, and inviting, but its proximity to the healers' ward gave it the same disturbing smells that Xanatos associated with being ill or injured, and his reason for this visit sent his stomach clenching in dread. Sliding down in his chair, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes figuring light meditation would calm him, at least it couldn't hurt.
The door opened and closed quietly, but the presence wasn't who Xanatos expected so he turned to determine the identity of his visitor. A small boy had stepped into the office. He stood with his back towards Xanatos, seeming to not notice that the office was occupied as he watched the door. The apprehension rolling off the young visitor punched out from beneath weakly formed shielding bringing an amused smile to Xanatos' face.
"Hello," Xanatos said, causing the boy to jump and turn to look at him. "You seem to be lost."
"Shhh. I'm hiding," the boy scolded. Now looking directly at the youngster's face, Xanatos could see that the boy's pale skin was flushed. Locks of sweat-dampened hair sticking to his forehead were further betrayers of his feverish state. "I don't like coming here. My room is cold and smells funny."
"I see." Xanatos desperately hoped that whatever the boy had wasn't terribly contagious. Waving him over, he leaned forward and whispered. "If you want to hide from the healers you have to shield yourself better than that." It was an admirable effort for a boy so young, but the essence and light of his aura glowed brightly. "Healers are among some of the most sensitive beings in the Temple."
"I know. They always find me." He wrapped his arms around his small body and crouched down to the floor, obviously tired and fading. Xanatos sighed before shrugging off his cloak and draping it around the boy, who seemed to snuggle into its warmth before looking up at him. "I've seen you with Master Jinn … except, you don't have your braid anymore now."
"You're quite observant." Xanatos placed the face now, remembering hours served with great fear and trepidation in the crèche among a particularly close-knit group of younglings who practically interrogated him about being an apprentice. "I'm no longer his padawan."
"Oh, so you're a knight now," the boy said, suddenly bright and animated.
Xanatos dropped his gaze to hide the pain that undoubtedly had seeped into his eyes as he fingered the place his braid had once been. He was saved from answering by the door opening once again.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are supposed to be in your bed!"
A woman, about fifteen years Xanatos' senior, stood in the doorway with her hands resting on her hips. Though reprimanding, her tones were light and comforting, leaving Xanatos to wonder if healers were purposely trained to have hypnotic speech. There were many times his resolve had been easily deflated by merely a few pleasant words.
She scooted Obi-Wan out the door to a waiting padawan, retrieving Xanatos' cloak as it passed by. He accepted it as it was handed to him, not wanting to think about the germs it had collected on its short journey, before giving the boy a sympathetic smile. His gaze lingered as the door shut and he heard the healer take a seat, not behind the desk, but next to him.
"I'm sorry for my tardiness," she said.
"That's okay. You have your hands full with that one," he teased. He dropped his head and bit down lightly on his lip. "I guess we should get started with you toying with my mind."
"This is meant to help you, not torture you, Xanatos. No one is forcing you to be here." She sighed wearily. "I hope for this to be a safe forum where you can be free to explore what happened without judgment." She sat back, giving him distance. "Nothing said leaves this room without your permission. I won't be reporting back to the Council or to Qui-Gon on you."
"Have you spoken with my master?"
"Yes, I've been meeting with him since he returned from Telos." She nodded her head, huffing in exasperation. "He's the stubborn patient as always."
"So at what point do you drag the two of us together and see if we can speak to each other civilly without drawing lightsabers?"
"I prefer to not put myself between a master and padawan. You two know each other far better than I do and I sense that in time the Force will draw you both back together."
"Do I have to Master?"
"I'm afraid so," Xanatos said. He was not without sympathy. No one really enjoyed being in a bacta tank, and this was Anakin's first experience. "It is the quickest and best way to heal your burns and other injuries."
Anakin looked down into the pink-tinged liquid below him skeptically before clutching on to Xanatos' tunics again and burying his head in his master's chest. "Will it hurt?"
"No, Padawan."
"Will it be cold?"
"No, you will actually be quite comfortable." Xanatos shifted his position, balancing himself and Anakin, so he could reach into the tank without falling. Scooping out some of the viscous substance, he allowed it to slip into Anakin's outstretched hand to take the edge off of some of the unknown.
"Eeewww, I'm going into that?" Anakin whined, letting the bacta slip around in his hand. "Have you actually ever done this before?"
Xanatos sighed deeply. "More than I care to remember. I lost count a long time ago. I've asked Master Nuran to give you something to help you sleep. You won't even know you are in there." He nodded to the older woman standing nearby and she approached, kneeling down next to Anakin. "I will be right here in the healers' ward when you wake up," he said.
"You'll feel a little sting, Anakin," the healer said in soft tones as she released the contents of a hypospray into Anakin's neck.
He wavered for a minute, squinting as he tried to keep eye contact with Xanatos.
"Don't fight it Padawan," he said laughing. While stroking Anakin's forehead, he delivered a slight sleep suggestion to stop him from resisting the sedative. The boy quickly fell peacefully asleep in Xanatos' arms.
"Another inductee into the Jinn clan," the healer breathed out as she began attaching monitors to Anakin's body.
"What's that supposed the mean?" Xanatos asked, smiling with feigned innocence.
"You know very well what I mean." He might have bristled at the sarcastic retort if he didn't know her better. "You can imagine my joy at finding out that both of Qui-Gon's padawans had taken padawans of their own." She sat back on her heels, nodding her head. "I spent my time as an apprentice putting your master back together. A rescue mission to drag him back to the Temple even served as my trials. I guess it is only fitting I live out the next part of my life putting his apprentices and their apprentices back together."
"Three out of four in one piece really isn't bad."
"We'll talk about that leg when we are done here," she shot back automatically.
"That's nothing," Xanatos said, looking down at the scorch mark where the blast had skimmed his calf. He fingered the hole burned in his pant leg, spying the wounded flesh beneath with a grimace. "Nothing at all."
"I'll be the judge of that." She paused; pushing a stray hair back behind her ear, a gesture that he had learned over the years indicated he wasn't going to like whatever she said next.
"It's not good for Master Healers to have such telling nervous habits," he chided in a teasing manner.
"I want both of you to meet with me or another mind healer. After whatever happened to render you unconscious …"
"No." The response was clipped, leaving no room for argument. But he knew she would protest. She wouldn't be doing her job if she didn't.
"No?"
"I was able to repair our bond. I don't see the need, after what he went through, to have a strange presence poking around in his head. He seemed hesitant to even let me back."
"I would feel better …"
"I will meet with you if you are so worried about my mind. Force knows I have few secrets from you." He took a calming breath before meeting her steely determined gaze, indicating he wasn't going to budge. "You once told me you didn't like to put yourself between a master and a padawan. Give me a chance to work with him first. I think he wants to talk about what happened. If I get in over my head I will let you know." She didn't appear to be amused, but he had learned the best way to deal with a healer, especially this healer, was to fight stubbornness with stubbornness. "I'm not trying to purposely be difficult. I only want what is best for him."
"Fine. I will give you a chance." Her eyes narrowed as a slight smile slipped across her lips. "But I still want to take a look at your leg."
After she attached the last of the monitor and secured the breathing apparatus, they lowered Anakin into the bacta and walked down to the lower level. "Sleep well, Padawan," Xanatos said, pressing his hand against the glass one last time.
Xanatos made his way into the waiting room with a freshly bandaged leg, surprised to see Obi-Wan sitting on one of the padded benches.
"How is Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, standing to meet Xanatos
"He's fine, floating in a bacta tank." Xanatos smiled as Obi-Wan seemed to squirm in his seat. "You didn't have to wait up." He looked around for the boy he expected at his friend's side. "Where's Ben?"
"Sound asleep in our new quarters."
"When did you manage to move in?"
"Some of Ben's friends asked the crèche masters if they could move us since we were otherwise occupied today. It was a nice treat to come back to."
Xanatos motioned to the doors of the ward, intending to return to his quarters briefly and clean up. They walked side by side down the quarters.
"You should be proud of how well your padawan did today," Xanatos said. "He likely saved our lives."
"I know, and I am proud of him."
"Remember to tell him."