Jedi Go Home
Part 10
"Right. The brain scan is normal, any damage the--ah--ants might have left has since healed, and Obi-Wan can start the treatment immediately. Now. I shall try and explain this in terms you can understand,�said Dr. Ra-sek-mun the next morning. He consulted a data pad, then smiled self-consciously.�My secretary wrote this down for me. She says I tend to get bogged down in technical expressions. Well. The memories are still there, but Obi-Wan can�t get to them. We could say that communications inside the brain are blocked. I am going to give him a drug that will help open the connections and allow him to access the information again. This drug is still experimental, but we have had very good results so far.�"How many amnesia cases have you treated in all?�Qui-Gon asked.
"Six, actually.�At Qui-Gon�s astonished look, the doctor began to defend himself.�Total amnesia is very rare, Master Jinn. Also, we�ve only been working on this project for about a year now.�
"And did they all get their memories back?�
"The recovery rate, as judged by the patients themselves when they left the medical center on Sceotan, ranged from sixty to seventy five percent. At the six-month follow-up, each of the patients reported an increase in the things they could remember, which helped me form my theory that being in familiar surroundings is conducive to a good recovery. Now. The drug apparantly has a few side effects during the first few days, the most common one being that the patients have phases where they relive certain memories as though they were happening all over again. These phases generally last from ten to twenty minutes. Second most common was hallucinations, that is, responding to situations which were not part of their memories, and which only they could see. Two of the patients became jittery and nervous. One had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. In contrast, another patient found it hard to wake up, even after sleeping sixteen hours or more. I remember hearing reports of nausea, but also of increased appetite. Well, the bottom line is basically that anything can happen, it all depends on the individual.�
"And how long will he be taking this drug?�
"I�ll give him an injection every morning for seven days. We used to do ten, but it didn�t seem to make any difference after the first week.�
"And will he have to stay here in the infirmary the whole time?�
Dr. Ra-sek-mun smiled.�Master An-Paj told me that Obi-Wan has been here often, but this is not exactly what I had in mind when I said familiar surroundings. He should be at home or in other places that he knew well or where he felt comfortable and happy before the accident. If anything happens that seems out of the ordinary, just call us, and we will come to you.�
Ben, who had been sitting with a sullen scowl on his face, listening to them talk about him as though he weren�t even there, felt vaguely relieved at that statement. He hadn�t been looking forward to spending five days in the infirmary when there was nothing physically wrong with him. The smell still put him off. Still, it wasn�t all that attractive being at �home�, either. It didn�t feel like home to him. It felt like a prison. He was sure that Qui-Gon had slept in front of the door again last night, even though he hadn�t gotten up to try and sneak out. Now that the possibility of treatment was a reality, he had to admit that he was curious about what he would remember.
Would it really be so bad, being a Jedi? Maybe the rumours were only that, rumours, and therefore false. Did Jedi really act for the greater good of the galaxy? It would be good to be part of that...if it were true. Gradually, he had found that he wanted to believe it, but held back nonetheless, craving just a little more proof. And what about this Force that An-Paj had mentioned? He�d wanted to discover more, but he was still wary of Qui-Gon and hadn�t wanted to ask him. There was no chance to talk to anybody else about it. Like a jailer, the tall Jedi never let him out of his sight. The only privacy he had was in his own room, and he spent long hours staring out of the window and wondering what his life had been like when he�d lived here before. What sort of friends had he had? What sort of life had he had here? Had he been happy or had he been dissatisfied and restless? Had he really wanted to become a Jedi, or had he simply gone along for lack of other alternatives? Why did he have a master, but no parents? That blue-skinned boy had a father and a mother--six mothers!
"Are you ready, Obi-Wan?�
He nodded and extended his arm, trying not to shudder with disgust at the Getter�s touch as Dr. Ra-sek-mun pressed the cylinder against the inside of his wrist. Unlike the painkiller he�d given himself on the ship, this injection felt cool and yet somehow itchy against his skin, and he rubbed the spot with his other hand.
"That�s it for to-day. Feel free to walk around the Temple to places you used to go--I�m sure Master Jinn remembers, even if you don�t. Don�t expect all your memories to return at the same time. They won�t. Expect them to come gradually and at random. It might be a bit confusing at first, but remember, seven days, eight at the maximum, and you�ll be able to sort everything out.�
Ben nodded again, then asked,�How long before it starts to work?�
"Well, it might be a few hours, it might take up to a day. You might not notice anything until after the second injection. It�s been different for every patient so far.�
"Oh.�
"Right, well, if you need anything, just get in touch with us. Otherwise, we�ll see you to-morrow.�
Qui-Gon bowed and went out, and Ben followed. When they were in the corridor again, Qui-Gon said,�If Dr. Ra-sek-mun wants you to be in places where you felt comfortable and happy, we could go to the training rooms. You always loved light saber practise.�
Ben shrugged, and they entered the lift. The movement made him feel suddenly sick, however, and the nausea continued even after they�d got out again. Only vaguely noticing that they were on an observation level, able to look down into several large rooms on either side, Ben tried to concentrate on not throwing up. His concentration didn�t last long.
"Uh--�he began, trying to remember to say Qui-Gon instead of �hey Jedi�, but then he wasn�t able to say anything at all. When he�d finished vomiting, he sagged against the waist-high wall, putting out a hand for support and breathing hard.
"You should have told me you felt sick,�said Qui-Gon.
"It came on so fast,�Ben murmured.
"Do you feel better now?�
He shook his head.
"We�d better go home then.�
"Yeah.�
They made it just in time. As soon as the door whooshed open, Ben rushed for the refresher and barely managed to throw up into the toilet instead of all over the floor. Sweating, but cold, he rinsed his mouth out with water, then moved weakly to his bedroom and sat down, crossing his arms over his stomach. It was cloudy outside, but the window seemed awfully bright to him, and after a moment, he stood up and pulled the shade. The sound echoed loudly in his ears and made him wince.
After he�d been sick the third time, Ben returned to the bedroom and weakly stripped off his clothes, then got into bed. His body tingled unpleasantly all over and the cover of the duvet felt rough against his skin, almost scratchy, in a way he�d never noticed before. He thought back yearningly to the sofa-bed where he�d woken up in the Maethum house. It had felt smooth and somehow soothing, and he wished he were there now, with Rixi making him a pot of tea and then drinking it all herself, and Uncle Fulk checking him over, and Aunt Bedec fussing over him a little. Tears came to his eyes as he realised how much he missed them all.
When the door swished open to admit Qui-Gon, Ben moaned in protest at the way the sound went right through his head. The Jedi switched on the light, and it was like being caught in the full brilliance of the sun.
"Shut it off,�Ben complained, covering his head with the duvet.
"Here�s a bucket, and a glass of water,�Qui-Gon told him, putting both objects in easily accessible places.
"Not so loud, please, not so loud,�Ben begged.
"I�m sorry. I didn�t think I was speaking loudly,�Qui-Gon said, lowering his voice a notch.
"It hurts my ears. And shut off the light, it�s much too bright.�
"All right. I�ll check back on you later.�The Jedi went out and left him in quiet darkness.
*****
"Hello, Obi-Wan, how are you feeling?�An-Paj asked.
"I should have let the Getters execute me,�Ben groaned from under the duvet.�Quick and easy death. Not like this.�
"I don�t think you�re going to die.�Ignoring the boy�s moan of dismay, the Healer continued,�Let me take your temperature.�
Ben cried out and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, covering them with his hands as An-Paj tugged the covers away from his head. When the Healer took hold of his ear and inserted the thermometer into it, he protested again.
"Very slight fever,�An-Paj reported.
"Sensitivity to light and sound,�Dr. Ra-sek-mun�s voice was penetratingly loud.�That�s a side effect I haven�t seen before.�
"And vomiting every twenty to thirty minutes?�
"Well, there was a report of nausea, but as far as I remember, no actual vomiting, no.�
"How long did you say the side effects lasted?�
"Most of them disappeared within three days.�
"According to Master Jinn, he�s been vomiting all day. I don�t want him to get dehydrated, and it�s obvious that he can�t keep anything down. An IV shouldn�t affect the treatment at all, Dr. Ra-sek-mun?�
"Standard saline solution would not interfere with the drug�s effects, and I agree, we should avoid anything close to dehydration.�
"Obi-Wan, I�m going to put an IV in your arm and give you fluids the rest of the night, all right?�
Ben was sick again, and when he�d finished, he had to take a few swallows of water before he was able to ask,�What�s an IV?�
"It means intravenous. I�m going to put a needle in the vein of your arm so that the fluid can go directly to your bloodstream. I�ll just run down to the infirmary and get what I need, all right? You can stay here in your familiar surroundings.�
"Yeah.�Ben lay back and arranged his arm against his eyes to shut out the glare in the room. The constant barrage of vomiting exhausted him, and he had no energy to do anything except rest between bouts.
"Are you remembering anything at all?�Dr. Ra-sek-mun asked.
"No,�Ben sighed.
"To-morrow you will.�
Then there was silence until An-Paj came back. Carefully shielding his eyes, Ben opened one and squinted up to see him positioning a long pole on a wheeled base next to the bucket. A soft bag of fluid hung from a hook on the top of the pole, and a long tube led down from the bag, through an electronic control box, and came out the bottom.
"Give me your arm, please. This won�t hurt too much more than an injection.�Angling the chair from the desk, An-Paj sat down and took Ben�s left arm, then reached over and picked up a small bottle from the tray. He sprayed something on Ben�s wrist, and the boy jumped in surprise.
"Oww, that�s cold!�Ben protested.
An-Paj looked at the bottle and raised an eyebrow, then replaced it in the tray.�All right, here comes the worst part. You won�t feel it once it�s in, though, trust me.�
Ben watched warily as the Healer broke open a sealed package, removed the protective cover, then slid the needle into his vein. He couldn�t help giving a high, shrill shout of pain and tried to jerk away as it penetrated his skin, feeling like a fiery piece of metal boring straight through to the bone.
"Hold still!�An-Paj thundered, gripping his arm even tighter and jamming the needle in even further.
"Get it out! It hurts, get it out!�Ben demanded, trying to sit up and push the Healer away. An-Paj caught his wrist with his free hand and held him fast.�I could use some help, Dr. Ra-sek-mun.�
Qui-Gon appeared in the doorway as the Getter doctor came forwards to tape the instrument of torture firmly in place.
"What are you doing to him?�he demanded, his voice clearly audible above Ben�s screeches of protest.
"We are putting an IV in to keep him from becoming dehydrated,�An-Paj reported through clenched teeth.�It seems the drug has made him extremely sensitive to pain.�
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!�Ben shouted, then swallowed once and vomited suddenly. It wasn�t very much, but it went all down his arm and across An-Paj�s hand.
"Ugh,�said the Healer.�Qui-Gon, bring us a wet cloth, will you? Dr. Ra-sek-mun, is it safe to let go of him yet?�
"Get it out!�Ben demanded hoarsely.�Get it out!�
"I haven�t quite finished, no,�Dr. Ra-sek-mun reported.
Recovering slightly, Ben began to struggle again. An-Paj thrust him back against the bed in a sudden, unexpectedly violent movement, and when Ben met his eyes with a surprised look, the Healer stared directly at him and said,�Sleep now.�
*****
Thump-slap. Thump-slap. Thump-slap.
Qui-Gon opened his eyes, wondering vaguely why he hadn�t been informed that major construction work was going to take place near the apartment, then realised with a start that the sounds were coming from the living room. Calling his light saber to his hand was a reflex reaction, and then he was on his feet and opening the door. Halfway through it, he stopped in amazement.�Obi-Wan?�
Obi-Wan was bouncing on the couch. At the sound of Qui-Gon�s voice, he stopped briefly to announce, �Look, I can touch the ceiling!�
He jumped up and hit his hand against the ceiling again, grinning with the achievement, then seemed to think of something else.�Watch this!�
From the couch he leaped over the table to land in one of the easy chairs, but it tipped over under his weight and momentum, and Obi-Wan crashed to the floor, banging his head against the wall with a solid thwack.
"Obi-Wan!�Qui-Gon ran to him. Obi-Wan had already burst into tears, holding his head and struggling to sit up, and when Qui-Gon got closer, he got shakily to his feet and threw both arms around the Jedi Master.
"I hit my head!�Obi-Wan bawled, burying his face in Qui-Gon�s shoulder and shaking with sobs.
Utterly astounded, it took a moment for Qui-Gon realise what was going on, and then he remembered. Dr. Ra-sek-mun had mentioned something about the patients reliving certain memories as though they were happening all over again. He�d simply never thought about the fact that Obi-Wan would recall something as trivial as jumping on the furniture when he was younger. Unsure of the best way to react, he hesitantly returned the hug, then began to rub Obi-Wan�s back with one hand.�Shhh, shhh, it�s all right, Obi-Wan, it�s all right.�
"It hurts!�Obi-Wan sobbed.
"I know.�Qui-Gon could feel the pain through their bond, but he was pleased nonetheless that Obi-Wan seemed to be feeling better in general to-day. After An-Paj had used the Force on him yesterday afternoon, he�d slept soundly through the night without throwing up once.�You�ll be all right. I�ll just call An-Paj and have him check you over.�
He let go of Obi-Wan and guided the boy to the couch, then sat him down and went over to the comm unit. When he�d finished speaking to the Healer, he turned around to see Obi-Wan looking at him with a very confused look on his face, one hand gingerly probing the swollen part above his ear.
"It was a long time ago,�he said, sounding mystified,�but it still hurts...� "What was a long time ago?�
"I was jumping on the bed...in the creche...and I fell off, I think.�
"You were reliving a memory just now,�Qui-Gon nodded.
"It seemed so real.�
"It was real. You were jumping on the couch, and then you tried to jump into that chair, and you fell over and banged your head.�
"Oh.�Obi-Wan thought about this for a moment, then said,�But I don�t remember jumping on the couch, I remember jumping on the bed.�
"Well, your memory is starting to come back. Dr. Ra-sek-mun said it might be like this. How do you feel otherwise?�Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan�s wrist as the boy wiped his fingers across his cheeks and realised that Obi-Wan must have separated the IV tube from the needle in his arm. There were a few reddish-brown spots of blood on the otherwise white tape.
"I don�t feel sick anymore. It must have worn off over night.�Obi-Wan covered that arm with his other one, trying too hard to act casual about it.
"That�s good.�
"He mind-tricked me into falling asleep, didn�t he?�
"Yes,�Qui-Gon admitted, and steeled himself for a tirade about the stinking filthy Jedi and their stinking filthy mind tricks. To his surprise, Obi-Wan said nothing, merely glanced down at the floor, and Qui-Gon could sense that he actually felt relieved and grateful for the respite he�d been given from the pain and nausea.
An-Paj and Dr. Ra-sek-mun arrived a few minutes later, and both of them insisted on having a look at Obi-Wan�s head.
"No concussion, just a nasty bruise,�said An-Paj at length.
"I don�t think any of my other patients relived jumping on the couch,�Dr. Ra-sek-mun smiled, obviously amused at the idea. Obi-Wan scowled at him.
"It could have been worse for you, Qui-Gon,�An-Paj remarked.
"How?�
"My daughter jumped on me this morning while I was still asleep. If he�d done the same to you, I�d be picking your ribs out of your lungs right now.�
Qui-Gon felt tempted to scowl as well, but settled for a hard look instead as the Healer grinned.
"Why don�t we give you the second dose while we�re here, Obi-Wan?�Dr. Ra-sek-mun said, reaching for his little case.
"I hope it doesn�t make me sick again,�Obi-Wan murmured, extending his wrist with the face of a man going to his own execution.
"Stop, wait,�said An-Paj.�I�m going to put a new IV in, just in case it does. Let me do that before we start with the medication.�
Obi-Wan did not complain as the Healer untaped the needle and removed it gently from the vein, then broke open a new one and inserted it in his other arm. Stoppering the outside end and covering it with a protective bandage of gauze and tape, he said,�There. Now we won�t have to have a repeat of yesterday.�
"It really did hurt,�Obi-Wan explained, following An-Paj with his eyes even as Dr. Ra-sek-mun administered the cylinder.
"I know,�An-Paj assured him, and then they both left. After several minutes of waiting in silence, Qui-Gon finally asked,�Do you feel anything yet?�
"I feel really hungry.�
Qui-Gon smiled. He knew that tone of voice, having heard it often enough on missions. Things were definitely getting better. He was already looking forward to having the old Obi-Wan back again.
"Why don�t you get dressed and we�ll eat breakfast in the cafeteria?�he suggested.
Obi-Wan made a face, and Qui-Gon added�You�re supposed to wander around the Temple to places where you felt comfortable and happy. Anyway, I don�t think I have any bread left.�
"Never mind,�said Obi-Wan suddenly.�I think--I--�
He stood up and raced for the refresher, and Qui-Gon sighed in sympathy. When his apprentice emerged again, he handed him a glass of water from the kitchen.�Try to drink some of it. It�s easier to throw up if you have something inside that can come out.�
"I know,�whispered Obi-Wan, squinting as he took a few swallows.�I should have eaten before I let them give me the next injection.�
Then he dragged himself into the bedroom and the door whooshed shut behind him.