Who: Obi-Wan and Faiza What: On vacation when powers blink off. When: Last weekend Where: Hawaii Rating: PG, mentions of brief nudity, and injury during surfing Status: Complete
It had taken Obi-Wan at least twenty-four hours to adjust to the idea of being on holiday. Time off was something that he never seemed to have time to do. But that was mostly his own design, as he took on more and more work because he liked to keep busy. It had been therapy at first, but now he was a certifiable workaholic.
But the St. Regis Resort in Princetone was a beautiful place to detox. And, to be honest, he had sweated out a lot of his tension with Faiza the night before; so when Obi-Wan awoke on the second morning, it was to a very real sense of peace. Even the sense of being disconnected from the Force didn’t seem as strong.
Faiza felt a little off today, but she didn’t really mind. It felt good to be away. Good to be on vacation. Even if she didn’t dress...down...as much as other people, she still wore colorful clothing in light and airy fabrics, and her favorite headscarf.
She was dressing when Obi-woke. “Good morning!”
The sound of the ocean slowly roused the heavy sleeper. Obi-Wan sat up and smiled a sleepy smile as he watched Faiza quietly for a moment, the covers rolling off his bare chest. “Good morning,” he replied, and rubbed his beard and eyes with his palm. “For a minute there, I had no idea where I was.”
“We’re in a land of beauty,” she said, sighing happily and inhaling the sea air. “This has been just brilliant. I feel so relaxed.”
In California, he had to drive to see the water. It was very out of the ordinary to have it all but lapping at his window. Obi-Wan reached for a glass of water he’d kept by his bedside ovenight and took a sip. “You look nice.” Where the devil had he dropped his suitcase?
“Thank you. You should get dressed, I’d like to go to the beach. I’d like to try surfing! I even bought a swimsuit.” She literally blushed from head to toe.
“Yes, I promised you I’d try to surf, didn’t I?” Obi-Wan mock-sighed as he finally got out of bed and began to look around clean clothes, along with his own water-wear. For a man in his early forties, he could still pull off walking about in the buff. “Let me wash up first.”
He wondered exactly what Faiza meant by swimsuit. He not thought to ask before.
She smiled at him, a little mischievously. She intended to be a little brave, today. Maybe even a little immodest.
Obi-Wan returned from the shower, dressed in gray swimming shorts, pulling a black t-shirt over his head. His hair was damp and slicked back. The idea of surfing sound to him like a potentially bad idea. Without the Force, he was certain he couldn’t trust himself not to embarrass himself in front of Faiza. But he was willing to try it, if she wanted to.
“You look so handsome.” She gave him a light kiss, then grabbed a bag. “Lets go!”
His cheeks turned slightly pink beneath his beard. Obi-Wan clutched Faiza’s hand all the way to the beach, pausing only long enough to rent surfboards at a desk, where instruction was being offered.
Faiza watched with keen interest. “Do be careful. The last thing we need is for you to be eaten by a shark. You’d give the poor thing indigestion.”
He kissed Faiza’s temple. “That’s because of your curry,” his smiled against her skin.
“Well perhaps that will turn off anything that wants to eat you,” Faiza said, innocently. She closed her eyes to the temple kiss and smiled blushingly.
Obi-Wan looked out to the ocean, where the small group of students was preparing. He was the oldest by a good ten years, but he didn’t especially feel it. With another kiss, he jogged down to join the group.
She laughed, and followed, looking for a place to get comfortable so she could watch. This was great fun. She wondered what Brian, Dane or Wisdom would think if they saw her now.
They’d probably wonder how long it would take before she found some pathetic creature that needed fixing.
Unfortunately, about a half-hour later, that creature was Obi-Wan, who didn’t come up for air right after a tumble off the board.
Faiza got to her feet, looking at the ocean with trepidation. Where was he? Why wasn’t he coming up? She ran towards the water.
Obi-Wan finally surfaced, clutching his elbow. His board drifted out to sea behind him. When he’d slipped, something hard had smacked him in the arm. Maybe it was the board, maybe it was the ocean floor, or another surfer. The Force couldn’t tell him. All he knew was that there was pain shooting like lightning from his elbow to his fingertips.
He marched toward the sand.
Faiza rushed in to greet him, taking his arm to look at it. She frowned. She wasn't able to tell what was wrong, so she relied on the old fashioned way.
“Something blindsided me,” Obi-Wan said. “Underwater bus, perhaps.” Moving it at all hurt like absolute hell, but he fought not to show it.
“Perhaps it was that shark,” Faiza said in reply as she squeezed at his arm. “I don’t think it’s fractured... no wait, it might be fractured. Bugger.”
Obi-Wan stopped short and watched Faiza examine him. He enjoyed watching her hands at work. “Oh god, you don’t think it really is, do you?”
“Can you feel that?” She pressed a little. “It’s giving a little too much. Let me see if I can...” She wriggled her fingers and nothing happened. She looked at them.
After crying out a little in pain, he lifted an eyebrow. "Faiza, I know you're used to magic hands, but... it's very possible that won't do the trick at the moment. I don't think our powers are working."
“That’s nutters!” She wriggled her fingers again, then rubbed at her chin. “Right-o then. Lets get a medical kit and I’ll splint you up, but we really should get an X-ray.”
“I think what we really should do,” Obi-Wan replied, “Is go to the hospital. I mean, who knows how long it will be before either of our powers work again.” The thought was suddenly more than a little frightening. Problems such as this that arose in Orange County typically didn’t last very long, but at times there was great danger involved.
“Let me just stabilize you first.” She made a makshift splint out of drift wood, then started to lead him towards their rental car. She would just have to trust other doctors.