Perfect

Out of Sight

* * * * *

Obi-Wan was hardly surprised when he awoke to find himself in the Healer's Ward. Most of his more spectacular failures always ended here and this recent failure was his most spectacular yet. Indeed, this particular disaster was the culmination of his lifetime of ineptitude, its result so profound, so damming he wonders why his body bothered to wake at all.

He told him no on Coruscant.

He told him no on the Monument.

He told him no on Bandomeer.

And yet Obi-Wan had persisted and guilted the esteemed master into taking a padawan he didn't want three times over. To reward the master's graciousness, Obi-Wan betrayed him and his duty in favor of people he had just met, people he thought were his friends, but only betrayed him in the end. Betrayed him or died because of him.

Yet, out of duty, the master took him back only to have Obi-Wan kill his best friend, fellow Jedi, and love of his life.

And still the master continued to train him for what reasons Obi-Wan didn't know. Honor, perhaps. His master had promised to raise him to knighthood and his master was an honorable man. So, why should he be surprised when his master fulfilled that promise and moved to escape the burdensome yoke that was Obi-Wan Kenobi, the yoke that had been slowly choking his master for twelve years?

His master, no... Master Jinn had a greater destiny than to remain forever saddled to a Jedi apprentice who, at best, was merely capable and, at worst, was a bumbling idiot and murderer. No, he had the Chosen One to look after now. Even as his world collapsed into ruin around him, Obi-Wan had cause to smile. His master finally had an apprentice worthy of his tutelage.

Unfortunately, the small smile did not go unnoticed.

"Padawan?"

Obi-Wan opened his eyes to find himself staring into the deep blue eyes of his master. No. Not his master. This was Anakin's master. The Chosen One's master just as it should be. Despite his certainty of the rightness of this fact, Obi-Wan felt an ache of disappointment. Without conscious thought he took that pain and went to place it in his box...

"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon yelled as he cradled the face of his padawan between his large, rough hands holding the young man as another seizure took hold of his body. Almost instantly, a healer appeared at Obi-Wan's bedside studying the various readouts before placing a single hand on the young Jedi's chest and closing his eyes. After a tense few moments, the seizure passed and Obi-Wan's body was still once more, though now he was wet with sweat and his breathing was slightly labored.

"What happened?" Songe asked as he moved his hand from Obi-Wan's chest to his forehead. Qui-Gon released his hold on his apprentice's face to clasp a clammy hand instead.

"I don't know. He awoke and he was smiling. I called to him and then he was seizing again," the master answered. Songe removed his hand with a sigh of frustration.

"I don't understand it. I can find nothing wrong with him."

"There has to be something," Qui-Gon reasoned. "Perhaps,"

"Uhhhh..." came a low groan from beneath the two masters. Songe immediately replaced the hand on his head, not removing it until Obi-Wan opened his eyes.

"Obi-Wan," the master healer called out and slowly the disoriented apprentice's gaze drifted over to settle on the Mirialan healer. Songe smiled warmly at his patient. "How are you feeling, Obi-Wan?"