Teaching Moments Four

Anakin walked to the Halls of Healing with a heavy heart. He couldn't believe it. Ahsoka, the poor thing. Now that he was over his dislike of her, realign the explosion was no more her fault than his, he couldn't believe he had ever accused the shy girl who seemed to have nothing but good in her of trying to hurt anyone. The Halls of Healing were as quiet and dismal as ever, Anakin had never liked the place, and avoided it at all costs. No need to spend any more time in here than he had to. As a general rule the only time he was in here was if he himself or Obi-wan was hurt, but Ahsoka was an exception.

"May I help you master Skywalker?" A green skined female Mirilian was looking at him curiously.

"Ahsoka Tano?" He asked.

She smiled sadly and nodded, "Master Kenobi said you might be by, right this way please."

Anakin followed her, "Thank you." She said nothing, Anakin wondered what else Obi-wan might have said about him. Did he mention what he had done to Ahsoka? Did he say what a monster he was? Accuse him of being uncaring? Anakin wouldn't have minded, because it was all true. Every last bit.



The healer stopped outside of a room toward the end of the hall, toward the ICU. "I'll warn you sir," she said after a pause, "It isn't pretty." She pushed open the door and Anakin thought his heart would stop. Ahsoka was laying on the bed, still as death. Her eyes were closed, though Anakin could only see one, the other was covered by bandages. Her headtails were what shocked and horrified him the most. They were covered in small electronic markers, keeping track of her condition, that crisscrossed each other snaking across her still form. Anakin turned and looked at the healer, who staired back sadly.

"We don't know how she'll be. She may have lost her memory permanently for all we know, but she will have most certainly lost several hours before her fall at the least. And I hate to think of the toll on her emotions, her 'tails translate you see? Turn them into something her brain can recognize."

"That's awful," Anakin managed. He crossed the room and sat next to Ahsoka.

"I'll leave you here," the medic said, "Shout if any of the monitors start going haywire, it means something's wrong." He nodded, and she left.

He looked sadly at her still body, all his fault. He told himself, if he hadn't yelled at her she wouldn't have been in that corridor in the first place, there would be no stairs for her to trip down, no danger to her life or mental well-being. She would be safe, probably talking to some friend, telling jokes, heck, she might even be laughing about their horrible new mechanics teacher who had no brain.

"I believe I must object to that Anakin." Anakin jerked around, shocked at the sight of his former master standing in the doorway.

"You are intelligent, thick sometimes, but intelegent nonetheless." Obi-wan frowned as he crossed the room to stand next to the bed, "And her accident was certainly not your doing."

Anakin gave him a doubtful look. "How do you figure?"

"If I told you that you were hideous and you went on a mission and got killed by Dukou, does that make it my fault?"

"No." Anakin said.

"Exactly," The master smiled, but only briefly, his eyes traveled back to Ahsoka and he sighed again. "It's so sad," he said quietly, "To think that, though I doubt it, someone might have done this intentionally."

"Why do you doubt it?" Anakin frowned, his brow creased together, "Kids are cruel."

"This is beyond cruel," Obi-wan shook his head, "If someone were found to be responsible, their place within the order would be at stake. Kids are cruel," he agreed, "But they're not stupid." It was with an odd finality that he said this and Anakin was forced to agree, so they sat there, staring at each other and at her, until a medic finally ran them off.

Anakin stopped by again before class the next day, the healer, who finally told him her name was Barris, admitted him to her room, but seemed startled he was there.

"Master Skywalker," she said, "If don't mind my asking, why are you here? You've never visited anyone else other than your master before."

Caught, "Survivors guilt," he replied, she didn't ask more, and he didn't tell.

Class had a subdued atmosphere. Students filed in, grabbed their work and sat quietly. None of the usual whispers, no sporadic outbursts of giggles. A mournful silence had taken the room. The students were all looking at each other sadly, as if saying, it could have been me, or I hope she gets better, even a hint of, why wasn't it me, she didn't deserve it. Anakin had to admit, if that really was close to their line of though, he would be proud.
He had no idea how wrong he was.