Trust in the Force

Part 3

In the morning, however, Qui-Gon was practically incoherant and burning with fever. Not knowing what else to do, Obi-Wan tried one of the fever medication cylinders they had on board, but the fever only receded to a less dangerous level. Obi-Wan checked the wound occasionally throughout the morning, but it continued to look healthy. Maybe it wasn�t an infection after all. Maybe it really was a relapse of the Rodian flu. In any case, Qui-Gon would need fluid, and lots of it. He hadn�t woken up enough that day to drink anything. Obi-Wan opened the medical emergency box and found the basic IV equipment; two needles, two tubes, and two small bags of basic saline solution. As he unwrapped the articles and laid them out, he made a note to thank Master Healer An-Paj for requiring both him and Qui-Gon to take part in first aid courses twice a year. At the time, he�d thought it was mostly for Qui-Gon, who had to take care of Obi-Wan�s many injuries, but he�d gone along and practised splinting broken bones, dressing wounds, and--An-Paj had insisted--giving IV�s. Now he was grateful for the practise as he found the vein and slid in the needle in with a steady hand.

Apparantly feeling the tiny jab, Qui-Gon opened his eyes and looked directly at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan smiled reassuringly, but the Jedi Master�s eyes had already slid shut again and he twitched restlessly, almost pulling his arm away from Obi-Wan, who had to grab to get it back. Adding a few strips of sticky tape to keep the needle in place, Obi-Wan then connected it to the tube, and the tube to the bag of fluid. The bag was suspended from the hook situated above the bunk, and Obi-Wan exhaled in relief, then remembered that there was one more thing he could do. Closing his eyes, he laid his hand on Qui-Gon�s shoulder, focusing the Force and letting it flow through him into his master, giving him strength to continue the battle. How often had Qui-Gon done exactly the same for him? Obi-Wan had used to think it would be better to be on the giving side rather than the receiving side, but now he discovered that sheer worry was making him feel sick, too.

A moment later, Obi-Wan left the ship, knowing that the two bags of saline solution would be soon be used up and that he had to get more. It was cooler than the day before, but although there were low, dark clouds, it hadn�t started to rain yet, and he walked quickly. Upon arriving at Market Place, Obi-Wan saw that it was market day, and that the place was filled with stands of every kind, offering fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, and even meat. Obi-Wan eyed one of the steaks hungrily, until he saw the price, and then he looked away. What was he doing, thinking about food when Qui-Gon was so ill? None of the stands offered soft plastic bags of saline solution, not that he�d expected such a thing, and with a sigh, he set off towards the bridge to find a Healer�s office on the other side of the river. That meant losing an entire dennar for the toll, but it couldn�t be helped. Qui-Gon needed that fluid.

The woman taking tolls at the bridge had given him directions to the closest Healer�s office, and he went in. The woman behind the desk mustered him suspiciously, and Obi-Wan wondered if she were considering calling in some kind of security force to save her from the evil Jedi. At last, she finally asked, �What do you want?�

"A friend of mine has been injured and also seems to be coming down with the Rodian flu. Perhaps the Healer could come and have a look at him?�

"One hundred dennars, cash in advance,� she said. �Or you could bring him here for fifty dennars.�

Obi-Wan thought of his few remaining coins and smiled although he wanted to grimace. �What I really need is standard saline solution. Do you have some that you could let me have?�

The Otorian female seemed shocked at the request. �Does this look like a warehouse?�

"Surely you have some here, just in case,� Obi-Wan said hopefully, wondering if he should use the Force on her. �I have enough money for -that-.�

The word money had the expected effect, and the woman�s eyes lit up as she calculated a hefty profit for herself. �Ten dennars a bag.�

With the tiniest help from the Force, Obi-Wan bartered her down to five dennars, the original price of the bags, then took the seven that he could afford, and distributed them into various pockets inside his robe. It would be enough to see Qui-Gon back to Coruscant--it had to be. Exiting with a polite smile and bow, Obi-Wan headed back to the spaceport as quickly as he could go. But he�d barely come through the gate on the other side of the bridge when he felt something through the Force, a cautious probing of the surroundings which touched on him lightly, moved on, and then came back. A moment later, there was movement around his knees, and someone tugged on his robe.

"Can you walk with me across the bridge? Please? I don�t like walking alone; I don�t like the sound of the water.�

Amazed, Obi-Wan glanced down to see a very small girl holding a handful of his robe, her face turned pleadingly up to him. Something about her eyes reminded him of Knight Tahl back at the Temple, and with a start, he realised the girl was also blind.

"Please, just walk across with me, that�s all.�

"All right,� Obi-Wan said, putting the thought of �A waste of time and money!� firmly out of his mind. It would only take five minutes, it would do good, and Qui-Gon would not suffer. �Would you like to take my hand?�

"Yes, I�d like that,� the girl said as Obi-Wan shifted her cold fingers into his own warm hand and led her around to the toll booth, taking another look at her. She wore her hair in two thick, dark plaits, and her face was thin. The knees of her trousers had been patched, and her coat was old and a little too small for her. She clutched her half dennar in her free hand, and dangling from her wrist was a large, heavy cloth bag that had vegetables spilling out the top.

"Shall I carry your shopping for you?� he asked.

She handed it over gratefully and as they set off across the bridge, she said, �I usually go with my Mam. She holds my hand, too, cause she knows I don�t like the sound of the water, but she�s sick to-day. I�m just getting some meat and veg to make soup for her with.�

"I hope she feels better soon,� Obi-Wan said. �I�m sure she will, with you looking after her.�

"I do my best,� the girl said.

"I know you do.�

"You�re nice,� she laughed. �That�s why I chose you. I could tell.�

"You could tell I was nice?� It was a pleasant change from being stared at because he looked different. He sent a small, controlled burst of the Force her way and saw her expression change to one of joyous surprise. �I can tell you�re nice, too.�

She laughed, and Obi-Wan felt a pang of regret that she hadn�t been born inside the Republic. If she�d been identified as Force-sensitive, she could have been brought to the Temple and taught to make the best of her Force talent. Even if she�d figured out how to use it to compensate for her lack of sight, there were still so many other things that she would never learn on her own.

They passed through the gate on the other side of the bridge now, and Obi-Wan said, �Shall I walk you home, too?�

"I know the way from here,� she said, reaching out and feeling for her bag of shopping with her free hand. Obi-Wan handed it over, and had just finished transferring it from his hand to hers when there was a shout.

"Hey! Jedi! Get away from that girl!�

Obi-Wan looked around to see a young Otorian marching up towards him, an angry look on his face. �Leave her alone, you Jedi!�

"He�s not a Jedi, he�s nice,� the girl piped up, her face creased with concern and confusion.

"He�s not nice. You�re blind, you can�t see that he�s a Jedi. They steal little kids like you and take them away to their Temple, where they�re never seen again! What are you waiting for? Get away from him, go home, you stupid blind girl!� The man gave her a little push in the right direction, and she almost stumbled, but then she lifted her head suddenly, as though sensing something that made her nervous, and began to walk quickly away.

"We don�t steal kids,� Obi-Wan said, watching the little girl neatly avoid two men in dark uniforms with truncheons on their belts. They�d been walking towards the bridge with the intention of crossing it, but now they stopped and came closer, looking at Obi-Wan suspiciously. The other man noticed them, too, and called out, �Hey! Patrolmen! This Jedi was trying to steal that blind girl!�