"How is he?" Qui-Gon quietly asked the Twi'lek Jedi Healer Pos Rn'athu as he stared at Obi-Wan floating in the bacta tank.  His Padawan had been immersed since Mace Windu and four other Jedi had answered Qui-Gon's mental call through the Force two days ago.  Qui-Gon himself had been treated with bacta for a day and urged to meditate to heal himself faster.  Meditation had been hard with thoughts of his apprentice coursing through his mind but he had finally managed for a few hours.

            The green-skinned Twi'lek woman twitched one of her two brain-tails, called lekku, in agitation.  "Your Padawan, Master Jinn, has physical wounds that have healed nicely," Rn'athu said in a voice as equally quiet as Qui-Gon's.  Her pointed teeth showed briefly as she grimaced.  "His eyesight is why we keep him still in bacta.  We hope that with extended care and exposure to bacta, the damage will be either reversed or healed.  You came in time for us to let him test his sight again."  

            The technicians who were standing on top of and around the bacta tank nodded at the healer and one of them, another Twi'lek but with pink skin, maneuvered levers beside her.  Obi-Wan brought his head up, the white breathing mask in the pink liquid making his face seem odd and distorted, and kicked powerfully upward. 

            Qui-Gon and Healer Rn'athu unhurriedly made their way over to where Obi-Wan was being dried off over a grate that allowed the extra bacta that dripped off of his healing body to return to the tank.  On closer inspection of his Padawan, Qui-Gon could see that a conforming bandage covered Obi-Wan's eyes.

            He gestured toward the bandage.  "What's this?"

            "This is to protect his eyes from light while intensifying the bacta's healing effects to that specific area.  We placed it on him this morning," Rn'athu replied, stopping near Obi-Wan.  "Hello, Padawan Kenobi.  How are you feeling this time out of the bacta?"

            Qui-Gon's heart twisted against his ribs as he saw his apprentice reach out to blindly grope for the arm of the Healer.  He wanted to fold Obi-Wan into his arms and comfort the boy in his darkness but he refrained so he could hear his apprentice's answer.

            To his surprise, Obi-Wan grinned, his hand finally finding the soft flesh of the Twi'lek.  "Very boring, Healer Rn'athu.  If I have to go in there again, can you knock me unconscious so I don't have to float there without anything to do?"

            Putting a mild rebuke in his tone, hiding the smile lurking there, Qui-Gon replied, "Padawan, that is hardly a logical or sane suggestion.  Though, if Healer Rn'athu agrees, perhaps I can dig up an old enemy of yours to do the knocking unconscious for her."

            Obi-Wan laughed, feeling lighter than he had since this whole ordeal had started five days ago.  "Bruck might do it, Master.  I'm sure he's eager for the job, though I don't know where he was sent to."

            Now Qui-Gon allowed himself to smile.  "Peace, Obi-Wan.  It's time to check your eyes again."

            Obediently, Obi-Wan allowed the Healer to bend down and, with gentle hands, touch the side that would release the bandage.  With a faint popping noise, the bandage came off to reveal Obi-Wan squeezing his eyes shut.

            Qui-Gon found himself holding his breath, waiting to find out if Balio's malicious stunblast had damaged forever Obi-Wan's vision.  He knew, without being told, that if after two days of constant bacta therapy Obi-Wan's eyesight did not return, then it more than likely would never return.

            "Open them slowly, Padawan Kenobi," Healer Rn'athu urged.  "Let them have time to adjust to the light.  It is dimmer here than anywhere else in the temple so do not fear the harshness of the day."

            Obi-Wan very slowly let his eyelids relax and open.  At first, everything was still blurred and smeared.  Feeling tears form in disappointment, he rapidly blinked them away and as he did so, his vision suddenly swam into focus.  In perfect clarity he could see the green skinned healer and her weaving lekku as she waited on him to speak, and he could see Master Qui-Gon standing with his arms in the opposite sleeves of his robe.  Through the Force and their bond, he could feel his master anxiously waiting on his declaration.

            In answer, he grinned broadly at his master.

The End

Well, longer chapters this time around but I hope you like it as much as the other. I'm thinking of doing a prequel to this one in the future. Let me know what you think!!