Work Text:
It wasn’t like he was doing anything strenuous. Or, at least he wasn’t doing anything strenuous by normal Jedi standards. Making repairs to a damaged starfighter was not strenuous work – not usually anyway.
Anakin had been ordered by Kix and several of the other healers on board the Resolute to avoid overexerting himself over the next couple of days. Anakin had been badly injured on the latest mission and was just now allowed to leave the healers.
Anakin had been swarmed by battle droids. He had started to feel overwhelmed by the onslaught and sent a small feeling of distress along his bond with Obi-Wan.
Hang in there Anakin, I’m making my way towards you.
Anakin was unable to send full coherent thoughts back to Obi-Wan, he was too focused on deflecting blaster bolt after blaster bolt with his lightsaber. He was tiring. His moves were becoming less calculated and more defensive.
Almost as if they could sense the young Jedi faltering, the battle droids seemed to pick up their pace. Suddenly Anakin felt white-hot pain radiating through his abdomen. He knew he was hit, but he didn’t have time to pause and look at the damage. He continued deflecting the blaster bolts as best he could, but he nearly collapsed when a second bolt hit him in almost the same spot the first blaster bolt hit.
This time, a scream of agony left his lips even as he continued fighting the droids.
Anakin!
Obi-Wan rushed to his former padawan’s side with a handful of clones on his flank. Together, the Jedi Master and clones made quick work of destroying the droids that had completely swarmed Anakin. Anakin, seeing the fight was over, deactivated his lightsaber, but kept a tight grip on its hilt.
Obi-Wan rushed to Anakin’s side. He put his hands on Anakin’s shoulders and quickly looked over the Jedi knight. The wound on his stomach looked bad.
Master?
Anakin swayed on his feet. He vaguely remembered he was still holding his lightsaber as it fell from his hands. His knees buckled, but Obi-Wan grabbed him and gently lowered him to the ground.
“It’s alright Anakin. We’ll get you patched up.”
Master, my stomach hurts.
I know Anakin. Just hang in there for me okay?
Okay, Master.
Obi-Wan put pressure on the wound while he waited for emergency evac. It worried him when Anakin barely reacted. Anakin’s eyes drifted shut.
“No, Anakin. Stay with me, open your eyes.”
“I’m tired, Master.”
“I know Anakin, but I need you awake okay?”
“Why is it so cold?”
“That would probably be the blood loss,” Obi-Wan said, using sarcasm to hide the fear in his voice.
"Oh... Makes sense."
It was shortly after that exchange that evac had arrived, much to Obi-Wan’s relief. The shuttle carried the two of them to the Resolute where Anakin received some much needed medical treatment.
Kix stitched up his wounds and made sure he received plenty of fluids to make up for the blood loss he had experienced. He was laid up in the medical ward for a whole 28 hours before his whining and complaining had forced Kix to relent and let him go on the condition that he would not partake in strenuous activities.
Of course, Anakin had found a way to make the activity of repairing a starfighter strenuous when he decided the core battery needed to be replaced. Anakin dragged the roughly 200-pound battery core all the way across the hangar floor until he reached the aircraft. He somehow maneuvered it up the small ladder next to the starfighter before physically lifting it over his head and into its compartment near the engine block.
He felt pain in his stomach but ignored it. He continued working on the starfighter.
As time passed, Anakin’s head was starting to feel a little less clear. His vision was tunneling and he struggled to keep from swaying on the ladder he was perched on. Suddenly, the dull ache in his stomach flared with pain. Anakin clutched his stomach but quickly pulled his hand away when he felt something warm and sticky.
Kriff.
Anakin vaguely wondered how long the wound had been bleeding for, but from the look of his darkened tunics, it had to have been a while.
Deciding he should probably do something about the bleeding before he finished the necessary work on the starfighter, he set the wrench he had been working with down and took a step down the ladder. He must have been woozier than he thought because Anakin missed the step completely and came crashing to the ground about 10 feet below him in a way that was not at all graceful or Jedi-like. He landed painfully on his shoulder and he took a sharp intake of breath as the fall only aggravated his wound.
He let out an undignified whimper as he tried to get to a standing position, but only found himself falling back over.
He needed help.
Unfortunately, the blood loss was making it difficult for him to think clearly. He weakly reached for his comm before realizing it had broken in the fall. He tried to reach into the Force to call for Obi-Wan, but the Force felt so far away.
He was tired, and the last shreds of his resolve were fading. Anakin passed out right there on the hangar floor in a puddle of his own blood.
“Rex, have you seen Anakin lately?” Obi-Wan questioned the Captain of the 501st.
“No sir,” Rex replied dutifully.
“If you see him, can you tell him I’m looking for him and wish to speak with him?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Thank you, Rex.”
“Of course, General.”
Obi-Wan made his way through the long and complex halls of the Resolute, searching for his former padawan. He hadn’t seen him in a while and he hadn’t been in his quarters. He wanted to check in on the young Jedi and make sure he was recovering from his wounds.
He made his way toward the hangar, knowing he always had a penchant for the aircraft that was held there. As he got closer and closer to the hangar, the Force started to feel… off. Obi-Wan put a cautious hand on his lightsaber and kept his eyes alert for any possible danger. He quietly opened the doors to the hangar and immediately saw why the Force was telling him something was wrong.
Anakin!
The young man was lying unconscious on his side. Obi-Wan ran to his side and was horrified to see the growing puddle of blood that was pooling on the floor around Anakin’s abdomen.
He rolled Anakin onto his back in an attempt to slow the bleeding. His skin was cool and clammy, but to Obi-Wan’s great relief, he was still breathing.
“Kix!” Obi-Wan hollered into his comm. “I need medical down here in the hangar right away. It’s General Skywalker.”
“I’m on my way, sir.”
“Thank you, Kix.”
Obi-Wan returned his attention to Anakin.
Anakin? Please, open your eyes.
Anakin stirred at the communication coming through the bond the pair still shared.
That’s it, come back to me Padawan.
Not… not your Padawan.
Maybe not, but I’ll always be your Master. Now please, Anakin, look at me.
Anakin fluttered his eyes open.
“Anakin, what happened?”
“Fell.”
“You fell? Did you fall from that ladder?”
Anakin nodded.
“Was that before or after your stitches broke?”
“After, I think.”
Just then, Kix and a few other medics stormed through the hangar doors.
“What happened?” Kix asked.
Obi-Wan relayed what little information he knew to Kix, who then motioned for Obi-Wan to move out of his way.
Obi-Wan took a reluctant step back and allowed one of the other medics to put pressure on Anakin’s wound. Obi-Wan looked down at his hands that were now stained red with his former padawan’s blood. He followed closely behind the small medical team as they carried him towards the medic’s ward.
“I’m sorry General Kenobi, but I need you to wait out here while I get him patched up again,” Kix said in a kind but assertive tone.
Obi-Wan wanted to protest, but he knew better.
Instead, he went to the fresher to wash the blood off of his hands. He wasn’t a squeamish person, but the thought of where the blood came from made him nauseous.
Afterward, he took a seat in a plastic chair near the front of the medic’s ward. He entered a light meditative state, trying to reach for Anakin through their bond, but Anakin’s side felt fuzzy and distant. He sent waves of calm energy through their bond regardless.
After a short time, but what felt like hours to Obi-Wan, Kix came back.
“I had to restitch his wounds and put him on a bunch of fluids. I have a stronger bacta patch covering the wound now, so hopefully, it won’t get infected. I’ll keep monitoring it to make sure. You’re free to go see him now, but he will likely still be asleep.”
“Thank you, Kix,” Obi-Wan said gratefully. He sent a wave of gratitude in the Force towards Kix and a small smile quirked his lips.
“Of course, General Kenobi.”
Obi-Wan entered Anakin’s small room.
Oh, Anakin.
The younger Jedi still looked quite pale, and he appeared younger than he actually was underneath the blue medical blankets.
Obi-Wan sat by his side for a while before Anakin started to stir.
Master?
Hello, Anakin. How are you feeling?
Cold.
Obi-Wan grimaced in sympathy. He knew how much Anakin despised feeling cold.
What happened?
Your blaster wounds opened back up. I found you lying unconscious in the hangar.
Oh, I’m sorry, Master. I tried to call for you, but I was so tired.
It’s okay, Anakin. I know.
Obi-Wan could see that Anakin was struggling to stay awake.
It’s okay. You can sleep now.
Thank you, Master.
Of course, Padawan.