Title: Heeding Warnings
"Master, may I go for a walk? I need to get some fresh air."
Qui-Gon looked up from his datapad and smiled as he saw his Padawan's pleading expression. They had arrived on V'riy last night after a five week journey, and all of today had been spent inside attending meetings. Long periods of being indoors tended to frustrate his hyperactive Padawan, and he could feel that the boy was eager to get outside and stretch his legs.
No doubt Obi-Wan was also curious about their surroundings. V'riy was a prospective member of the Republic, which was why they were here, but currently the V'riyans had a very strong policy of discouraging visitors. This was mostly due to their position; at the very outer fringes of Republic space, in an area well-known for being a convenient hiding place for a wide assortment of criminals - it was small wonder the V'riyans kept themselves to themselves. Of course, their isolated position also meant that they did not
have all that many visitors to discourage in the first place. The Jedi had got more than a few curious stares when they stepped from their ship.
"All right, Obi-Wan. But stay on the palace grounds. And don't be too long; we're expected for a formal dinner tonight."
Obi-Wan's face had lit up at the thought of going outside. "Yes, Master."
"And don't go into the nature reserve at the far end of the grounds. It's made up entirely of this planet's native species, and some of their plant life produces toxins that are poisonous to humans. Not much is known about them, and many don't have an antidote."
"Yes, Master. I'll be careful." The boy was bouncing on his toes, wanting to get the instructions over with so he could leave.
Qui-Gon took pity on him. "Go on, then," he said with an indulgent smile.
Obi-Wan did not need to be told twice. He was out the door.
Qui-Gon chuckled and turned back to his reading.
* * *
/Probably because of that time when he didn't let me go outside and then found me surfing the infonet at four am,/ he thought. Qui-Gon had had to Force-push him to sleep that time.
He wandered the grounds, intent on seeing as much as he could. He did a quick tour of the formal gardens, but they were similar to those he'd seen on many other worlds and could not hold his attention for long. Hoping to find something more interesting, he began a circuit of the palace.
About halfway around, he noticed a sign warning of a nature reserve ahead.
/That must be the reserve Master Qui-Gon mentioned,/ he thought. He knew that much of V'riy's native forest had been destroyed as their civilization had advanced and more and more land was needed for industry and accommodation. A common enough story. /Just look at Coruscant,/ he thought. /No forests on *that* planet./
The V'riyans had tried to preserve some of their planet's heritage by setting up nature reserves when and where they could. There were many of them, large
and small, dotted all over the planet's surface in an attempt to preserve the great variety of species native to the different continents. But Obi-Wan hadn't known there was a reserve on the palace grounds until Qui-Gon had mentioned it.
Obi-Wan walked a little further and soon found the line of trees that marked the beginning of the reserve. He could see that the reserve itself was quite large, stretching back at least ten kilometers. Slowing his pace, he regarded the green expanse dubiously.
The trees were very large; their low-hanging branches dipping almost to the ground and obscuring all but the merest glimpse of the interior of the forest. From inside, Obi-Wan could hear birdsong and the scratchy chirping noises of insects.
This looked much more interesting than the formal gardens.
Obi-Wan knew full well that he wasn't supposed to go in, but he was very curious about what the reserve might be like inside.
/I won't go in,/ he told himself. /I'll just go close enough to get a look at it. I just want to see what it's like./
Convinced that he had no intention of disobeying his Master's instructions, Obi-Wan walked over to the very edge of the reserve. He noticed the start of a path a little further along and jogged over to it. Standing on the very beginning of the path, not quite under the shadow of the huge trees, he peered into the darkened interior.
To his disappointment, he couldn't make out much. It was a bright, sunny day and the sun had not set yet - and against that brightness, he could see very little of what lay behind the first line of trees. It was *very* dark in there.
Almost unconsciously, he edged a little further down the path, burning with curiosity. Before he knew it, he was under the shadow of the first line of trees.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sudden dimness after the bright sunshine, but once they did, he could not hold back an exclamation of surprise.
"Wow!"
The interior of the forest looked like something out of an adventure holvid. Huge trees twisted up out of the ground, their trunks and branches obscured by a thick coating of mosses and ferns in varying shades of green. The trees were so close together that their branches tangled around and over each another, creating what looked like a huge, aerial jungle gym. Thick, dark red vines snaked down to the ground from the branches, only adding to the chaotic wonder of it.
The forest floor itself was so thickly covered in shrubs and ferns that it was just a continuous carpet of green, broken only by the trees spiralling up out of it, and the single wide path that stretched off into the undergrowth.
Obi-Wan simply stood and stared, wide-eyed with wonder. He'd never seen anything like it. No wonder the V'riyans wanted to preserve it!
Before he had even realised what he was doing, he was several meters down the path. He stopped short, snapping out of his daze. /What am I doing? Master
Qui-Gon told me *not* to go in here. He said it's dangerous for humans. I should get out of here right now./
But he really didn't want to leave just yet. The forest was wonderful, and exciting, such a blessed relief from the tedium of the day...and knowing that
it was dangerous somehow made it all the more thrilling.
/I'll just go a little further in,/ he thought. /Just a bit further down the path, just to have a look, and then I'll go back. And I'll be very careful. Surely that won't do any harm./
He walked further down the path, still staring around in wonder. /Who'd have thought I'd ever be this fascinated by a forest,/ he thought wryly.
/Considering that the idea of spending my life in the Agri-Corps makes me cringe./
He grinned. /Of course, you don't work with plants like *this* in the Agri-Corps./
He stared up into the canopy, admiring the twisting tangle of branches, turning in a circle so he could see the view from all angles. It was even better when he did that, he thought happily. He turned again, and again...
"Ow!"
Obi-Wan stopped spinning with a yelp when he felt a sharp sting on the back of his hand. He brought it up to his face to find the source of the pain, and saw a small thorn piercing his skin. He noticed suddenly that his spinning had taken him right to the very edge of the path, only inches away from the thick undergrowth.
/Sith. I must have brushed against one of the plants./ He pulled the thorn out of his hand with a grimace, tossing it aside.
Then he suddenly remembered what Qui-Gon had said about some of the plant life being poisonous to humans, and felt a chill of apprehension go through
him. Biting his lip, he turned and hurried back down the path and out of the forest. Once outside, he looked again at his hand. It stung a little, and there was a small drop of blood where the thorn had made it's mark, but that was all.
/But if it's poisonous, that might be enough,/ Obi-Wan thought. /Maybe I should ask to see a Healer.../
But if he asked to see a Healer, he would also have to explain to Qui-Gon why he wanted to do so. And that in turn would mean that he would have to tell his Master that he had disobeyed him.
Even though Obi-Wan was already feeling the first stabs of guilt over his disobedience, telling his Master about it was *not* something he wanted to do. And since he couldn't lie to Qui-Gon, the only way to prevent his Master finding out about his little excursion was to keep his mouth shut.
/Master Qui-Gon only said that *some* of the plant life was poisonous. Not *all* of it. I bet this one won't even do anything to me./
He checked his chrono and realised that he ought to be getting back so that he could wash up before dinner. He'd worry about the thorn later. There probably wouldn't be anything to worry about anyway.
* * *
He forced himself to eat, however, knowing that his not eating would instantly let Qui-Gon know that something was up. He was halfway through a dessert he had barely tasted when he noticed that his hand had begun to throb slightly.
He glanced surreptitiously down at the hand in question, and saw that a red welt had formed where the thorn had pricked him. A chill went through him.
/It doesn't mean it's poisonous,/ he told himself frantically. /I might just be having an allergic reaction to it or something. It still might be nothing./
He forced down the rest of his dessert, and as soon as he could do so politely he went and asked his Master if he could be excused.
"Without seconds?" Qui-Gon inquired with a slight smile. "Are you feeling all right, Padawan? I had thought I'd have to pry you away for that dessert
table."
Obi-Wan blushed, struggling to keep his emotions from showing on his face and hastily reinforcing his metal shields. "Y-yes, Master, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired...I thought I might go to bed early."
Qui-Gon's eyebrows rose at that, but he didn't comment, merely nodding and bidding Obi-Wan goodnight. Obi-Wan walked out of the dining hall at an even pace, but as soon as he got outside the doors, he dropped all pretense at dignity and fled back to his quarters as fast as he could.
Once there, he took a shower, washing his hand gently but thoroughly and slathering antiseptic cream on it afterwards. Then he changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed, hoping desperately that a healing trance would take care of whatever it was that was wrong. His hand was really starting to hurt now, and he no longer had any confidence whatsoever that the plant had not been of the poisonous ones.
That thought frightened him, and he was struck by a sudden longing to just tell his Master what had happened and let him fix it. But if he told Qui-Gon
about it now, he would also have to tell him how he had tried to conceal the whole mess from him in the first place. Even though he hadn't lied directly, he knew that Qui-Gon would be very displeased with his behaviour. And after they had had such a rocky start...Obi-Wan didn't think he could bear to have
Qui-Gon angry with him.
So he lay in bed and tried to enter a healing trance, feeling more lonely and frightened by the minute.
* * *
And then there was Obi-Wan's reaction when Qui-Gon had called him on it...that blush and the sudden strengthening of shields that Qui-Gon had sensed through the Force. And saying he was going to bed early? That was even stranger.
Something was definitely going on.
* * *
/Oh, Force,/ he thought despairingly. /What am I going to do?/
He started as he heard the door to their quarters open. He quickly turned off the light in his room with a flick of Force and burrowed under the covers,
feigning sleep. If Qui-Gon really *looked*, he would know through the Force that Obi-Wan wasn't really sleeping...but maybe he wouldn't look.
/Please don't let him look,/ he thought fervently. Although a small part of him wished that his Master *would* really look, and would inquire, and would then just pry the whole story out of him and make it better, the larger part of him was still too afraid of Qui-Gon's disapproval.
He heard a soft click as his Master opened his door a little way, to check on him. He lay still, forcing his breathing to be even and trying to ignore his
throbbing hand. After a moment, Qui-Gon retreated, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Obi-Wan lay in the dark and tried very hard not to cry.
* * *
But still, he couldn't shake the niggling feeling that something was wrong.
* * *
/Go and wake up Master Qui-Gon,/ A little voice in his head was saying urgently. /Go and wake him up now!/
But he was still too afraid. Fighting back tears, he buried his face in the pillow and tried to ignore the throbbing pain.
He was not successful. The pain got worse and worse as the night wore on. Obi-Wan's whole arm throbbed, and the nausea had been joined by painful muscle cramps that seemed to be increasing in intensity. Alternating waves of heat and chills swept through his body.
And he was thirsty...really thirsty. He didn't want to move in case it made the pain worse, but he finally decided he wanted a drink more. He slowly sat up, and was startled to realise that his face was streaked with tears. He hadn't even noticed he was crying.
Obi-Wan dragged himself out of bed, unable to hold back a whimper as the movement set off stabbing pains in various parts of his body. He walked unsteadily over to the door and leaned there for a moment, breathing in shallow gasps.
/Deep breaths,/ he thought. /Just take deep breaths./
He tried an experimental deep breath, and a wave of nausea swept over him. He staggered and tried another breath, shallow this time, and the nausea lessened a little.
/OK, don't take deep breaths,/ he thought fuzzily. /Shallow is the way to go.../
Leaning on the wall, he managed to weave his way into the 'fresher. The effort very nearly undid him. By the time he was inside the 'fresher he was panting hoarsely and his vision was blurring. He made it to the sink and turned on the tap, splashing cold water over his face and taking a swallow.
Then another wave of nausea hit him, this time accompanied by a series of painful cramps, and he crumpled to his knees with a low cry. It was simply
too much. He was badly frightened, and all he wanted was for someone to *fix* it. The cry for help was almost instinctive.
/Master!/
Qui-Gon woke suddenly, feeling as though someone had called him. He got out of bed and went out into the living area, trying to trace the source of the call. There was a light on the 'fresher, and on reaching out with the Force Qui-Gon could sense that Obi-Wan was in there...and that he was in a great deal of distress, and - pain?
Feeling a stab of fear, Qui-Gon hurried into the 'fresher, and was horrified at what he saw. Obi-Wan was kneeling on the floor beside the sink, his head
bowed over his knees, moaning in pain. Qui-Gon ran to the boy, dropping to his knees beside him.
"Obi-Wan," he said urgently. "Padawan, what's wrong?" He didn't wait for the answer; was already scanning Obi-Wan with the Force. What he saw startled him. Obi-Wan was running a high fever, shivering, and wracked with nausea and cramps. And there was something wrong in his blood...a toxin of some kind?
The main concentration was in his left hand, and Qui-Gon gently reached for that hand, lifting it up to where he could see it...and gasped.
The hand was red and swollen, obviously very painful from the way Obi-Wan moaned when he touched it. Angry red lines traced their way up the boy's arm,
disappearing beneath the sleeve of his pajama top. Qui-Gon had no idea how this had happened. And what was that toxin? He needed to know, and quickly.
"Obi-Wan," he said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder, keeping his voice calm. "Padawan, you must tell me what happened. How did your hand get like
this? Did something bite you?"
"No," Obi-Wan moaned. He turned suddenly and sagged against Qui-Gon, pressing his hot face against his Master's chest. "I'm sorry, Master," he said, almost
sobbing. "I disobeyed you..."
"You disobeyed me? Padawan, what..." Qui-Gon's voice trailed off as he suddenly understood. "Obi-Wan, did you go into the reserve? Did you cut yourself in there?"
Obi-Wan nodded, face still hidden against Qui-Gon's chest. "A - a thorn," he said tearfully. "Master, I'm so sorry..."
But Qui-Gon was already moving. He ran to the communication terminal and contacted the Palace medical bay. A moment later the face of the Healer on
duty appeared on the screen.
Qui-Gon urgently explained to the Healer that his Padawan had been poisoned by one of the plants in the reserve and needed immediate attention. The young
V'riyan looked alarmed, and rightly so. Although it was known that some of the V'riyan plants produced compounds that were toxic to humans and many other races (but often not to the V'riyans themselves), the extreme infrequency of visitors to V'riy meant that not all of the toxins and their effects had been studied in depth. Many had no available treatment.
"Please bring him down here at once, Master Jinn," the young Healer ordered. "I will contact the Senior Healer, we will need her." She signed off.
Qui-Gon wasted no time. He hurried back into the 'fresher and scooped Obi-Wan off the floor into his arms, cradling the boy's head against his chest. Obi-Wan cried out as the movement sent waves of pain shooting up his arm.
"Sshh, Padawan, it's all right," Qui-Gon soothed. "You're going to be fine." Using the Force, he gently extended his awareness into his Padawan's mind. He
used his own controls to dampen Obi-Wan's pain, and the boy relaxed a little as the agony receded. Carrying his Padawan, Qui-Gon headed for the medical
bay as fast as he could.
Senior Healer Bri'ana was there by the time he arrived, still in her nightclothes. Qui-Gon deposited Obi-Wan on a bed, and Bri'ana moved to his side. She ran a gentle hand over Obi-Wan's forehead, smoothing back the sweat-damp hair.
"There now, young one," she said gently. "Just relax and let me have a look at you."
Obi-Wan's eyes were glazed with pain and fever, but he looked up at her trustingly, and lay quietly as she worked.
Qui-Gon watched as the Senior Healer did a quick but thorough examination and then took a blood sample. The results were through in moments and Bri'ana scanned them, her face impassive. She called up several more pages of data on the med computer and swiftly looked them over, her expression never altering. Then she turned to Qui-Gon and beckoned him out of the room.
"Well?" Qui-Gon asked, trying to curb his anxiety.
"I cannot tell you yet, Master Jinn," Bri'ana said gravely. " I have isolated the toxin, and I know which plant it comes from...and the effects it is having on his body are clear. I believe there is something that may counteract the toxic effect, but I am not sure how successful it will be. You must understand, we have very few visitors to our planet, and although we know that some of our plants are poisonous to humans and others, we have had limited experience in treating such cases."
"But you think you can help him?"
"I will do what I can. But I would ask for your aid, Master Jinn. The Jedi can use the Force to heal, can they not?"
"We can," Qui-Gon answered.
"He will have need of your healing, Master Jinn. I will not lie to you; his condition is serious. If I cannot stabilize him..." The Senior Healer broke off. "Let us think of that if it happens. For now, I will do what I can."
She preceded Qui-Gon back inside, and he watched while she gave Obi-Wan two shots, one in his arm, and one in his swollen left hand. Obi-Wan couldn't suppress a moan when his hand was touched, but he didn't fight the Healer's ministrations.
Bri'ana turned to Qui-Gon. "I have given him a drug which I hope will counteract the toxic effects. Although for our species that plant only produces a mild rash, the effects it is having here are very similar to those of a well-known synthetic poison...also not effective on our race. Indeed, the chemical structure of the two is quite similar...see here." She showed him the results she had called up on the computer. Qui-Gon could see the similarity in the chemical structures.
"But not the same," he said, his tone even.
Bri'ana did not misunderstand. "No, not the same. And while this drug works for one, it may not work for the other. But we can hope, Master Jinn. Certainly the effects on his body lead me to believe that the mechanism of action is at least similar." She gave him a sympathetic glance. "I have done what I can. Now, he needs your healing."
Qui-Gon nodded, moving across to where Obi-Wan lay, taking his Padawan's uninjured hand in his. "Is it safe for him to sleep?" He asked Bri'ana.
She nodded. "Yes, and probably the best thing while his body tries to heal. Should I give him a sedative?"
"There is no need," Qui-Gon said quietly. He leaned over to brush a gentle hand over Obi-Wan's damp forehead, and fever-bright eyes opened to look up at
him. "Sleep, Padawan," Qui-Gon murmured, and watched as Obi-Wan's eyes closed again; his breathing becoming slow and regular.
"While he is sleeping, I will aid him in a healing trance," Qui-Gon told Bri'ana. "He is inexperienced, and it will be easier if I can lead him. Do not disturb me unless you must."
At the Senior Healer's nod, Qui-Gon closed his eyes and slipped easily into a meditative state. Through the Force, he found Obi-Wan's buried awareness and
carried his Padawan with him into a healing trance, pouring his own healing power into Obi-Wan, trying to counteract the effects of the poison that was killing him.
* * *
You are visitor #
© 2000 heather.lively@ns.sympatico.ca
Author: Kat
Feedback: If anyone wants to, certainly.
Rating: PG
Timing: Pre-TPM, Obi-Wan is 13
Spoilers: Maybe a teeny bit for the JA books?
Summary: Obi-Wan doesn't listen to his Master's warnings and has a run-in with a poisonous plant.
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to George Lucas. I make no money from this.
*******
Obi-Wan was overjoyed to be out in the fresh air. He hated being stuck inside all day. He had been so restless towards the end of the meetings that it had
taken all the self control he possessed not to fidget. And even then he hadn't been able to fully hide his restlessness from his Master. Luckily, Qui-Gon was usually sympathetic to his excess energy and would give him a chance to burn it off.
Dinner was an impressive affair with a wide variety of foods to choose from, and the array of desserts set out would normally have sent Obi-Wan into a blissful state of extreme sugar anticipation. But tonight he was feeling too worried and guilty to have much of an appetite. Even if he wasn't directly lying to his Master, not telling him what had happened still felt dishonest. Not to mention the issue of poison, which kept creeping into his thoughts no matter how hard he tried to put it aside.
Qui-Gon was puzzled by Obi-Wan's abrupt departure. He had expected his Padawan to fall on the meal with his usual enthusiasm, and had definitely expected to have to haul the boy away from the desserts. But Obi-Wan had eaten quickly and almost mechanically, seeming to wolf down his dessert without even tasting it. And he didn't look like he had enjoyed it much, either.
Some time later, Obi-Wan came out of his rather sketchy healing trance with a little gasp of dismay. From what he could tell, it had done no good at all.
His hand was swollen now, and hurting worse that ever, and what's more the pain seemed to be moving up his arm as well. He felt sick with fear. He was sure now that the plant had been poisonous.
Qui-Gon made his way to his own bed, thinking about his earlier suspicions. But no, Obi-Wan had indeed gone to bed, and Qui-Gon had been reluctant to probe him. He had to start trusting the boy. Obi-Wan had said he was going to bed early, and he had done so. There was nothing going on.
Obi-Wan couldn't sleep. The pain was getting worse and worse, and had now spread all the way up to his shoulder. He was starting to feel nauseous, and was alternatively sweating and shivering with cold. He was really, really frightened now.
TBC
Go to part 2
to come here since October 29, 2000.
Get your own Free Home Page