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By the start of the War, Obi-Wan had spent more years with his hearing aids than without. Most of his closest friends and colleagues were aware he used a combination of mind speech, his aids, and lip-reading. He honestly didn’t think about it too much. Obi-Wan had forgotten, however, to inform the 212th’s medic, Sternum, and Commander Cody. Although he also knew several sign languages and often utilized hand signs on the battlefield.
Obi-Wan’s ears rang sharply. He glanced around, confused after the blast. Ah, broken nose, he thought, head injury probably, maybe a concussion, and his ears throbbed, busted? Drats, he thought. His hearing aids are broken, and he cannot hear the commotion around him. He could taste the copper tang of blood in his mouth.
Cody immediately called for his General, who didn’t seem to react. Obi-Wan was bleeding, pawing at his face to find the source. Cody did what he could to staunch the man’s bleeding nose. It looked like a horror scene.
“Hold on, General Kenobi.” The commander reassured him.
Sternum, the 212th medic, and Cody gently guided the General to sit while Sternum began to conduct a field neuro exam. The medic reset Kenobi’s nose with a crunch and placed some gauze in the nostrils.
“Can you hear me, sir?” The medic asked.
Obi-Wan made a face of confusion. He couldn’t focus well even to read lips. His eyes felt heavy. He wanted to sleep but knew he couldn’t. Instead, he shook his head no, fighting the battle to remain conscious for the medic.
Sternum shot Cody a look of concern. They were under the impression that the blast had caused the hearing loss, not realizing there was more to the story. Obi-Wan was getting increasingly frustrated at not being understood.
“Anakin.”, Obi-Wan whispered, but the medics did not hear him in their frenzy to assess him. Obi-Wan tried desperately to communicate until the ringing of his ears, and the vibrations of the combat nearby made him too nauseous to keep his eyes open.
Before evacuating the General, Sternum and the trauma team braced his neck, head, and spine, unsure how extensive the trauma might be. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, nauseated. He clawed his face, overwhelmed by the whistling in his ears.
He made a pained sound, and Sternum reassured him they’d get him to the medbay for a scan as soon as they could. Cody stayed at his side, squeezing Obi-Wan’s hand, Obi-Wan tried to look up at his Commander, wanting to follow what was being said, but nausea and vertigo quickly caused him to regret that decision.
Obi-Wan couldn’t recall the entirety of what happened next. Time stretched on like an eternity. He recalls vaguely being transported and accessed in the medbay. He had felt cold, overwhelmed, and nauseous, and someone seemed to notice. They lowered the lights, cut away his ruined tunics, and covered him in a light blanket. Sternum began to treat nausea and conducted a series of x-rays assessing his neck and spine.
Upon assessing the trauma sustained in Obi-Wan’s ears, Sternum discovered the still attached but broken splintered hearing aids. He carefully removed them, placed them in a clear medical container, and began to clear the site of any splintered pieces that logged in Obi-Wan’s skin.
“Need’ kin.”, Obi-Wan yelled. He desperately tried to get them to hear him, to have Anakin explain. He wasn’t whispering anymore. He was shouting at them. He couldn’t hear them. They needed to know. A wave of panic passed over Obi-Wan, afraid he wouldn’t be understood. His eyes filled with tears.
“I need to sedate him.”, Sternum said, pushing the needle into Obi-Wan IV. He didn’t want the General’s vitals going haywire, not when he was already in a precarious state.
“No, please don’t!” Obi-Wan pleaded, and he soon felt the cool relief of meds that followed. It is less clear to him what happens next. Sternum had a difficult time alleviating Obi-Wan’s pain. The Jedi fought them tooth and nail, even heavily medicated.
Obi-Wan felt the stick of the IV and the cool relief of meds that followed. It is less clear to him what happens next. He sniffled. Even medicated, Obi-Wan squirmed and resisted the medics. Sternum observed and cleared the room, reducing the trauma team to himself and two assistants.
When there were fewer sentients in the room, Sternum noticed a rapid improvement in Kenobi’s vitals and decreased stress as they kept the room quieter, less overstimulating. Please, Obi-Wan, released into the Force desperately, someone to hear him. He needs Anakin.
It wasn’t long before Anakin arrived. They immediately posted a sign outside of General Kenobi’s hospital door to be mindful of the sound, light, and volume of people in the space so as not to overstimulate him. Anakin murmured something slowly to Sternum, who made a sound of surprise, understanding.
Anakin took his place at the head of Obi-Wan’s hospital bed, trying to sign and explain the situation. Though he was unsure how much Obi-Wan understood and remembered, he offered comfort anyway.
Obi-Wan found his ears and head were bandaged as he came to awareness. He made a sound of displeasure. His hands were cuffed. Ah, he had tried to scratch and paw at his ringing ears. Anakin, Obi-Wan thought, would recognize his padawan even if he didn’t have the force or any senses.
“‘Kin?”
“I’m here.”, Anakin signed, squeezing Obi-Wan’s shoulder reassuringly.
Obi-Wan blinked away the tears seeing the ruined hearing aids in the clear plastic hospital container, “Fix them?” Obi-Wan signed.
“Ah, sorry, Obi-Wan. I don’t think I can repair them.” Anakin grimaced as he signed his spoken words. Obi-Wan couldn’t hear them, but he felt the rumble of Anakin’s voice.
Obi-Wan’s eyes filled with tears. It was disheartening information. Obi-Wan’s face crumpled, he made a pitiful sound, “Thanks for trying.”, he signed.
Anakin opens his arms wider, making room to hold his upset Master. He held Obi-Wan until he fell asleep and then the knight tucked him in. Poor Obi-Wan clung to him, seeking comforting. It was likely the Jedi master was feeling overwhelmed and drained from the day.
Once Obi-Wan was asleep, Anakin stepped into the hall to speak with Kix and Sternum.
“How long do you think it’ll take to get a new pair of aids from the Temple? “Anakin asked.
“A couple of weeks. Unfortunately, until the perforated eardrum heals, I’d caution General Kenobi not to use his aids. We do not want to risk infection.”
“He won’t like that.” Anakin frowned.
“I know. All we can do now is give his body time to rest.” The medic was apologetic.
Thankfully Obi-Wan slept for most of the night once they found the night combination to treat his anxiety and pain. It helped that Anakin stayed the night, sleeping on a cot. He did his best to project calm and affection.
Obi-Wan woke up upset about his broken hearing aids. It left him feeling too exposed, vulnerable, and unable to communicate with the other medics. The General laid on his side, hiding his face from Sternum, who had come in to do morning rounds.
Anakin had offered to translate for Sternum. They both realized that Obi-Wan was crying, and the medic immediately sat, pulling a chair up. He waited until Obi-Wan looked up at him and sniffled, signing something rapidly and upset.
“I got scared.” Obi-Wan signed, and Anakin translated the sign for Sternum, who dropped his professional mask and bit his lip for just a moment.
“I’m sorry, Obi-Wan. I’m sure that was overwhelming not being understood.”, Sternum said, squeezing Obi-Wan’s shoulder.
“I don’t want that to happen again.” Obi-Wan made a sad sound, and Sternum had an idea, grabbing his datapad.
“I’d like to learn how to sign, sir. I want the entire med team to learn.” Sternum said.
Obi-Wan’s eyes filled with tears again, but this time for a different reason, gratitude, relief. With Anakin’s help, Sternum talked with Obi-Wan about what they could do better should this happen again.
“Anakin can teach you, and I’ll help when I’m better.”, Obi-Wan signed with emphasis. He seemed to perk up at that.
Sternum held his complicated feelings together while he returned to his work momentarily in the breakroom wanting to chart before decompressing. He didn’t want to forget anything important
Kix seemed to have a six sense about Sternum’s brooding and plodded on the couch next to his vod.
“Is something wrong, Stern?” Kix asked bumping his shoulder against his brother’s.
“I made a mistake.” Sternum said hoarsely.
“Is it about your General?” Kix asked softly.
“This last visit to the med was traumatic, and I hate that for him.” Sternum sniffed, drawing his knees against his chest.
“All I know to do is request his full medical file from the Temple and update the plan of care for him to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”, Kix offered.
“You’re right. I feel awful,” Sternum whispered.
“The fact you care so much about this means you’re one of the good medics, vod’ika.”
“Would you help me revamp the entire 501st and 212th’s plan of care?” Sternum asked quietly, already taking notes about his videos.
“Of course,” Kix reassured.
With the help of Anakin and Cody, the medics had been at work distributing updates to the 212th and 501st’s huds and datapads to ensure they had an essential working guide on Basic Galactic Sign Language. They were going to make sure that Obi-Wan knew that he was loved and cared for. Obi-Wan’s entire mood had changed when he interacted with his men in sign. Never again should he be afraid when with the vod about being misunderstood in an emergency.