Star Wars the Clone Wars - One shots

The rain, it ain't permanent

Anakin learns what autistic burnout looks like through his student.

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Anakin walked from one side of the room to the other.

Pacing had always soothed him in instances like this.

Obi-Wan sometimes joked that he didn't know what Anakin would wear a hole through first- his shoes or the floor.

The sound of his footsteps was calming; the exercise helped his mind focus on something other than whatever had caused him to pace in the first place.

This time, it was the Togruta sat on the edge of a medcot that was his cause of anxiety.

Anakin's boots squeaked as he drew to a halt. His Padawan didn't notice, her focus entirely on the small piece of tape that was stuck to the inside of her elbow. It was holding down a piece a cotton ball. Ahsoka was lifting the corner of the tape off her skin, nudging it with the edge of her nail.

"Quit picking at that," he said, almost snapping.

He expected some sort of reaction from his student, either an eyeroll or a snippy retort. He expected an explosion of frustration from her end of their bond.

But Ahsoka just sighed and dropped her hand, leaving the tape be.

Anakin was certain his eyes were bulging out of his skull.

Who was this girl and what had she done with his Padawan?

Resisting the urge to stomp over to her and give her a firm shake, he resorted back to pacing. He got to the other side of the room, spun on his heel, and headed in the opposite direction. He wasn't determined to stop until he had calmed down.

The Healers would have the answers. They would be able to explain why his student had been acting so strangely for the past week. Until they came back with an explanation, Anakin paced so the anxiety didn't consume him.

Anakin had already ran through every possibility. She'd been cleared at her last medical with no concerns. She didn't have a temperature, or a headache. She sometimes would go quiet like this, but it never lasted more than a day or so. A week of near silence from his Padawan was terrifying.

Halfway across the room once more, he found himself stopping again.

Ahsoka had been quiet during Vokara Che's initial exam. She'd provided one-word answers to the Healer's questions, or not replied at all. She looked sorry for herself as the Healer drew a blood sample, her expression closed off and eyes down.

The entire situation was making his skin crawl, but deep down, he knew it was unfair to take out his frustrations on Ahsoka. After all, she was the one sitting on the medcot.

Anakin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, even making a futile attempt to release his emotions into the Force.

"I'm sorry," he said once he found the tiniest slice of calm to grip onto.

Anakin opened his eyes and walked towards his student.

Ahsoka was staring at the ground, completely disengaged.

He took her shoulders, hating how he could feel that she was thinner.

Her clothes were creased and wrinkled, evidence that they hadn't been changed in some time. He loved this kid, but he could smell her body odour, more proof that she hadn't been taking care of herself.

It was all very unlike Ahsoka. She usually took so much pride in how she presented herself. The girl's lack of motivation to even perform basic self-care was frightening.