Chapter Text
Danger screamed at him, Obi-Wan frowned, it felt like cold, dark tendrils whispering at him. The darkness had called to him like a siren’s song before. But here in the Temple? The temple is a sanctuary. It is their home. It is supposed to be safe.
“Too much.”, Obi-Wan wheezed, letting his shields down trying to find the threat, his hands clamped over his ears. Too bright. Too loud. Too many sentients. His filmy shields crumpled under the strain and he let out a gut wrenching cry. Boga reared up on her back legs in the busy, high traffic area outside the Council chambers.
Normally, Obi-Wan would’ve been petrified to have a panic attack in a public space. But right now, he can’t breathe, his lungs heave, “Die, Jedi. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die” It is as if he never left Rattatak some days. His whole body shivered with terror, afraid of suffocating in that damned mask.
Boga screeched when the crowd tried to press too close, baring her teeth and feathered mane. “Stay back.”
“Can’t breathe.”, he wheezed, wrapping an arm around Boga’s middle and pressing his face against her cool scales. She thrummed lowly, licking his face to ground him. The varactyl wrapped her body around him, making a tight, solid ball around him.
Mace Windu and Plo Koon made a distinct sound of concern, finding their newly appointed young Councilor curled into a ball, crying and rocking back and forth with his hands over his ears. Mace could feel the shatterpoint, the angry, migraine threatening to build.
“Plo, please disperse the crowd and call for Master Vokara Che. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask Knight Skywalker and the Chancellor to reschedule. There will be no Council meeting today.”, The Korun Master frowned.
“Of course, Mace. But young Kenobi won’t like that.”, Plo agreed.
“The only thing we are going to do today is get him into a quiet space to decompress and have a cup of tea.”, Mace said firmly.
Kenobi pushes himself on his hands and knees clawing at his skin, drawing blood, “Itchy. Want them out.”, Obi-Wan groaned, as if the muscle maggots were still digging under his flesh and muscles.The bile rises in Obi-Wan’s throat, with a burp, his stomach contents forced their way up violently. With tears filling his eyes, a weak whimper, Kenobi retched helplessly into the front of his tunic. His entire body shook violently with tremors as he was ill.
Once the nausea passed, Obi-Wan was frantic, shouting at an enemy who wasn't present, “You can kill me, Ventress, sweetheart, but I’ll never fall.” Kenobi was transported to a time that had since passed, and wasn’t sure how to make his way home again.
“Boga?”, Obi-Wan said as the haunting passed after an indeterminate amount of time. He didn’t understand why she was here, it’s not safe! “You have to go girl, it’s dangerous here.” Boga pressed her head into his lap with a whine, linking his face. She would not leave him when he needed her most. Boga Woga did not understand why Obi-Wan did not want her to be at his side.
“You’re not supposed to be here, girl. It’s not safe.”, Obi-Wan whispered, tears filling his eyes, he shuddered, feeling the constricting feeling of darkness whispering to him. He whimpered lowly, letting his hands run through her feathered crest.
Boga made a sad sound, there was nowhere else for her to be at his side. This is her job. To keep Master Obi safe. She’s his goodest girl.Senior Padawan healer Jaek Aban made the mistake of approaching Kenobi, “Master Kenobi, help is on the way.”
Obi-Wan snarled, “Stay back.”
The padawan did not heed his warning and pressed forward, med kit in hand. Obi-Wan’s entire body recoiled, as he was poised to fight. Calling upon the Force, Kenobi applied pressure holding the enemy in a choke hold.
“I said stay back.”, Kenobi growled unhappily.
He threw the enemy across the room, and others began to press in against the frightened Jedi Master. Boga roared unhappily, rearing up on her back legs again, her tongue flickered aggressively. She stood up on hind legs, trying to be as large and threatening as she could be.
If not for Master Che’s arrival, fighting might’ve broken out and more healers might’ve gotten hurt. Obi-Wan moved into a defensive position, feeling like a scared, trapped animal, he pressed backwards further into the corner of the room, hiding.
Master Vokara Che frowned at the scene, “Stop. Stop. I want everyone who is not Med Team A to evacuate the area. Give Master Kenobi space and wild berth. Med team B, take care of Padawan Aban.”, she ordered in a measured stern tone.
The med team does not advance, Vokara Che begins by securing the scene. They began to evacuate non-essential persons. The second med team oversaw Padawan Jaek Aban’s care, evacing him to the Halls for a trauma assessment and care. With careful thinking Vokara Che asked for the lights to be turned down lower, and the room as quiet as they could make it. She watched as Obi-Wan’s stress began to decrease substantially.
Boga finally calmed as the crowded, busy space grew more settled, Obi-Wan had crawled underneath the desk check-in station for the Council, making himself small. He whimpered, rocking back and forth until his frantic breathing began to ground himself.
Vokara Che commed for Anakin who was not answering comms, and for Ki-Adi-Mundi. An idea struck her, Obi-Wan believes he is still on Rattatak. The goal is first to calm their patient and get him through this episode safely. Then help him recover from the immediate episode and medical assistance.
Per the med team’s instructions, Mundi agreed to play along as “rescuer” and coax Obi-Wan out of his hiding spot. Eventually Obi-Wan’s mind would realize he wasn’t on Rattatak anymore. It had once been rare for Jedi to have walking
Mundi approached the scene, they watched as Obi-Wan desperately searched for “HELP” He had made a sign of scattered items to spell out “SOS” It was only both Boga and Obi-Wan’s fight or flight instinct had begun to level out, Master Che asked Mundi to approach the desk.
Mundi held his hands out, making his movements slow, controlled, and telling Obi-Wan he was approaching, “Hi Obi-Wan, it’s Master Mundi. Help is on the way. Can you hang tight with me?”
“Oh, Ki-Adi. Thank good news, I was afraid no one would come for us. Alpha and I escaped, but we had no way home.”, Kenobi breathed out a sigh of relief.
“We received your distress calls.”Mundi reassured, they walked together to sit over on the bench. Kenobi accepted the blanket and bottle of water, unsure but he examined the untampered sea of the water bottle Mundi pressed in his hand. Obi-Wan drank as if a man who had gone days without water. Boga laid her head on Obi-Wan’s lap, and they breathed together, talking until Obi-Wan finally broke the scene.
“Master Mundi?”, Obi-Wan asked, with a confused look on his face.
“Yes, Obi-Wan.”
“We aren’t on Rattatak are we?”, Obi-Wan asked, startled, unsure if he wanted to know what happened. When Kenobi and Alpha-17 had left that force-damned planet, they had left a mass of bodies trailing behind them. He prayed that was not the case, he would not be able to live with himself if he hurt innocent persons.
“We are Coruscant in the Temple. There were a number of healers injured, most gravely, a senior padawan. From what I've heard, he has a bruised trachea and head injury, Padawan Aban is expected to survive.”
“Kriff. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.”, Kenobi’s voice broke as the tears filled his eyes again. He worried about the thin medical alert bracelet on his wrist: WARNING: TRAUMATIC STRESS RESPONSE, PTSD, MEDICAL TRAUMA, TREAT WITH CARE AND CAUTION.
“Obi-Wan, can Master Che look you over?”
“Yes, but, I-I don’t want to go to the Halls today.”, he whispered, voice shaking.
Vokara Che offered a kind smile and reassurance as Mundi motioned for her to approach the wooden bench, “Hi, Ben, I’m going to do a quick exam and scan if that’s okay?”
He nodded, fidgeting nervously as she looked at him. Vokara Che was one of the few beings in the world he trusted to care for him. Kenobi had remorse and concern written on his face, he avoided her glaze.
“Obi-Wan, you have a violent startle response. The padawan should never have been put in the situation where he approached you, which is my department’s fault not yours.”, Vokara Che reminded him, squeezing his hand.
“Force, someone could’ve gotten killed!”, Obi-Wan shouted, before wincing and lowering his voice.
“We prepare for this scenario for a reason. If something went wrong, that means I’ve got an investigation and follow training to do. Don’t you dare blame yourself for this.”
“Please keep me apprised of his condition. I’d like to apologize.”
“Of course. I’d put an order in for an updated physiological assessment. It’s been ages since your last.”, She made a sound of disapproval.
“I’d like to suggest grounding you for a few days.”, Vokara suggested.
“There’s a war, Vokara. It won’t wait for anyone.”
“You don’t get a choice in this, Ben. You will need to get medical clearance from your Mind Healer before you can be combat ready.”
Kenobi gave a weary sigh, he understood, he messed up. Hurting a padawan? Even if it was an accident, he knows the procedure of accident incident reporting and investigation. It had been eighteen months since Rattatak, and yet it still haunted him as it was yesterday. Sometimes, Obi-Wan thought it might ever leave him.
“I understand.”, Obi-Wan nodded.
“I don’t think you’re in any state to recall what happened this afternoon.”
Kenobi closes his eyes, he feels exhausted, drained, holding his entire body upright to sit feels like a herculean task.
“Agreed. I'd like to be somewhere else exposed.”, Obi-Wan announced.
“Of course, why don’t you go with Masters Koon, Mundi, and Windu to Windu’s quarters and have a rest?”
Obi-Wan nods, “I think that’s for the best.”, pressing a nervous hand in Boga’s feathered creche. She gives him a soft, kind look of concern.
“Time to go and get some rest, Master Kenobi.”, Mace announced, offering a hand to help his friend and colleague up. Obi-Wan really must be tired if he leans bonelessly against Mace, letting Plo and Mace hold him up right. He’s wrapped in his blanket, and released a sorrowful, sad sound as they made the walk back to Mace’s quarters.
Obi-Wan moved on auto-pilot, feeling numb and struggling to be grounded. He doesn't slip into dissociation until Mace places him on the couch. He stared blankly at the wall, letting someone else take care of him for a change.
It is the sound of the kettle steam blowing and the clink of jade glassware that drags him back into reality. Kenobi realizes he is no longer in his cloak, robe and boots, but a butterfly soft blue pair of sweats, fuzzy socks, and a GAR standard issue t-shirt, the blanket still draped around his small, thin frame.
“Hi, we were worried there for a bit.”, Plo said, putting the tray of tea and snacks on the coffee table.
“How long have I been gone?”Obi-Wan's voice cracked.
“About forty five minuets.”, Mace answered.
“Apologies.”, Obi-Wan worried his hands again.
“Shh, you’ve had a rough day.”, Mace shook his head, pressing a mug into Obi-wan’s hand and a pill.
“Cheers.”, Obi-Wan deadpanned.
Mace takes a seat next to Obi-Wan, and once finishing his tea, the Stewjoni master goes boneless pressing his head against Mace’s shoulder. Mace immediately runs a hand through the younger master’s copper hair, “Rest, we got you.”
Obi-Wan makes a soft, content sound, “Hmm. I think I will.”
Plo covered up Obi-Wan with a blanket, and Obi-Wan ran a hand through Boga’s blue-green-purple crest, “Thank you for staying with me, sweet girl.” She thumped her tail happily against his leg letting out a happy screech. For the moment, they were safe in Mace’s apartment, and Boga rested her head in her Obi-Wan as sleep took hold of him.