Author's Note: Okay, I lied. Last week I said I'd be posting a normal-length chapter... but this chapter is still shorter than normal. The flow deemed it so. *shrug*. Anyway, content warnings are non-existent. This chapter is very safe and definitely more lighthearted than last time. Enjoy!

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Chapter 9

The nanosecond after Ahsoka bumped the food tray on the counter with her unsteady elbow, she knew she was busted. The tray clattered against the tile floor.

"Ahsoka?"

She groaned inwardly, slapping an unsteady, socked foot down on the still-skipping tray to silence it. "I'm fine, Master! You don't have to—"

But Anakin was already breaching the doorway to Ahsoka's private medical suite, which he conveniently had easy access to from his temporary quarters adjacent the room. Convenient for him, maybe.

"You're supposed to be resting…" His tone held an edge.

Right on cue, her knees shook, to her chagrin. Anakin reached an arm out as if to catch her, but Ahsoka just threw up one hand and clung to the counter with the other. He backed off, crossing his arms over his chest with a scowl. She glared back. The dunk in the bacta tank she'd had earlier made short work of her broken ribs and healing nerves. Ahsoka was grateful the shooting chest pain and prickle-burn was gone, but apparently, feeling good isn't comparable to being good. Which meant her master was right. Ahsoka hated it when he was right.

She had just been trying to walk to the fresher without assistance. She didn't really need to use it, but she wanted to test her strength. It seemed her energy still wasn't where it used to be, probably due to the ruptured spleen, which still wasn't completely healed even with the bacta tank bath. Ahsoka nearly scoffed. Ruptured spleen... It still sounded like a bad joke.

"Let me walk you back to the bed." He asked— no, demanded. Ahsoka glared at him again.

"Master, I'm fine! I just wanted to—"

Anakin waved a hand over her shaking limbs. "You're practically falling over! Would you just lie down?"

He was right again. Her forearms were knocking against the counter in an effort to compensate for her legs, which were not wanting to cooperate. She growled and her voice rose two octaves. "I can—!"

"Knock it off, Snips." Without warning, and surprisingly easily, his tall frame stooped and scooped her into his arms.

"Woah! Hey!"

Anakin dropped her back in the medical bed. "Stay. There."

"Master! I just wanted to use the refresher!"

He bent by the counter to pick up the food and the tray that had spilled off the counter. "Then call a medical droid!"

Ahsoka groaned, her head falling to her pillow with a thump. "Masterrr!"

"Ahsoka, you won't heal if you don't rest! Save it for physical therapy."

Ahsoka wanted to scream. She crumpled the bed sheets in her fists, white-knuckling them. Truthfully, if she could throw a tantrum and not be scorned like a youngling, she would. She hated being stuck in bed, she hated not feeling useful, she hated that she was always tired, and she hated that she couldn't even walk properly or use the refresher by herself. And all that emotion kindled a fire just below her sternum, burning hotter and hotter until she thought she might explode.

"I don't need the Force to sense your frustration." Anakin murmured, still cleaning. The comment was accompanied by a flick at their sealed training bond, which Ahsoka promptly ignored. She groaned in response.

"I just want to get out of this bed. You'd be doing the same thing if you were in my place!"

Anakin just flicked a glance her way, pushing the tray up onto the counter, its food contents strewed carelessly on top. "Probably."

"And you'd probably be halfway to the hanger by now!"

He stood and crossed his arms. "Maybe."

"Then why can't you understand what—?"

"I do understand. Enough to know that if I was in your position, you and Obi-Wan would be doing exactly what I'm doing."

She rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "Master…"

"Relax, Snips." He sat on the edge of her bed and pulled the covers over her arms. "It's only another week before you're cleared, so just do your daily meditations, get some rest, work on your physical therapy, and I'll bust ya out for good."

Her blue eyes roamed over the plain sheets and the plain walls and up to his similarly-colored eyes, her frown deepening. "Another week is a long time."

"You'll survive." He patted her shoulder.

"Your master is right, little one." Obi-Wan stepped into the room, his Force signature billowing with him, a cloud of peace and composure.

"Master!" Ahsoka strained her neck to see around Anakin. As usual, her grandmaster was dressed in standard Jedi robes, off white and tan, contrasting Anakin's darker wardrobe. His face rested in a polite smile, also Jedi standard. Ahsoka pursed her lips. He must have just gotten here from Coruscant. Of his own accord, most likely. The Jedi council couldn't have been keen on granting liberty to one of their best generals for a medcenter visit. Ahsoka scooted forward on the bed. "Did you deliver Poggle to Coruscant?"

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and dipped his chin to her. "It's good to see you too, Ahsoka. Anakin."

Anakin stood and greeted his former teacher with the bow of his head. "Master."

Ahsoka deflated. Pleasantries and protocol. She'd forgotten again. She watched as Obi-Wan nodded to her master, then turned back to the medbay bed. "How are you feeling, Ahsoka?"

"I am well, Master," she said slowly, "but Skyguy here doesn't believe me." Ahsoka crossed her arms, disrupting the blanket draped over her frame. Anakin shot her a glare.

"Ahsoka, you are in no condition for physical activity." Obi-Wan touched his beard with his right hand. "Even without scans, I can see that."

"See, Snips?" Anakin raised his eyebrows. Ahsoka dropped her head to the pillow. She was outnumbered… and exhausted to be perfectly honest. Frustration simmered in her chest again. Even after only a brief stint of being out of bed her body demanded rest, even while her mind was active and rest-less. It was a paradox of endless exasperation.

Obi-Wan placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Rest, Padawan. You will need all your strength to heal."

Ahsoka could tell that Obi-Wan was sending her sleep suggestions through the Force. There was no doubt in her mind that he could sense her fatigue, despite the energy she'd exhausted trying to hide it. She half-heartedly tried to fight, jostling herself alert, clenching and unclenching the sheets in her fists.

"Master…"

"Sleep, Ahsoka."

She closed her eyes and succumbed to unconsciousness.

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Thanks for reading. Hopefully I'll get out another chapter next week. As always, if you feel so inclined to review, I'd love to hear from you!

Until next week... :)