Gundam Wing and it's characters are copyright Sotsu, Sunrise, and some other people, don't own them and have never claimed to. Please don't sue me, you won't get much....
"Trusting You,"
Part 3
by Shi-chan
http://nothingisforever.cjb.net
Heero sat, eyes blank, in the waiting room of the hospital where they had taken Duo. Even though Duo hadn't stopped breathing again and had made it safely to the hospital where Quatre's sister Iria worked, Heero was still concerned for Duo.
/He's alive. He's in medical care. You've strayed from your mission, but you've saved him. Stop worrying./
//He could be in a coma,// Heero argued with himself. //He might not wake up. I should be in there with him.//
/Why is that?/ the little voice in his head taunted. /Quatre's in there with him. He knows the doctor, we're lucky we haven't been caught. You're leaving yourself open to attack./
Heero feared that his conscience was right, so he waited patiently for Quatre and Iria to return. Wufei and Trowa, sitting on either side of him, looked slightly gloomy but hopeful.
Suddenly Wufei spoke up. "Do you care at all, Yuy?"
Heero started. "I...I saved him, didn't I?" He wondered if he should show some concern for his injured friend. But no, if he let one emotion out his mask of stone might slip.
Wufei crossed his arms and didn't say anything else, and Trowa worriedly watched the door for Quatre's return.
A few seconds later a gloomy Quatre trailed out behind his older sister, who gestured for Heero, Trowa, and Wufei to come with her. The three pilots followed the two Winners wordlessly.
Inside an isolated hospital room Duo lay pale against white sheets, staring at the ceiling. Once they saw their friend alive and awake the pilots relaxed, but the solemn Quatre hung back at Iria's side when the others went to greet Duo.
"Maxwell! Good to see you're not dead." Wufei cracked a smile, but Duo seemed to stare blankly through him. His customary psychotically cheerful grin was nowhere to be seen.
"Duo. It's good to see you're okay, we were worried." Trowa offered Duo a slight pat on the shoulder before stepping back. Wufei still looked slightly perturbed that Duo hadn't responded to his remark.
//Maybe he's drugged. At least he's alive.// Heero finally stood beside the bed with his arms crossed. "I'm glad you made it. I..." /Shut up, Yuy./ "I...wasn't sure you'd pull through."
Duo nodded weakly and offered a ghost of a smile. "Quatre..."
The blond Arab stepped forward. "Yes?"
The American shook his head gravely and looked the other pilot in his turquoise eyes. "Did you tell them?"
Quatre let out a sigh. "I wanted to see if you'd....if you'd...."
Heero looked worriedly from Quatre to Duo. "What's going on here?"
Iria went to stand beside Duo and began to take his temperature. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but I'm afraid Mr. Maxwell is suffering from amnesia. He's having an amount of difficulty trying to remember more than his basic instincts."
Quatre, his lower lip trembling, went to Trowa and stood near the foot of Duo's bed.
Iria continued, "since you run quite a risk of being discovered and will be short a pilot, I would advise that you get him and yourselves into hiding until he regains his memory--which there is a good chance he will--or until he is capable of taking care of himself again."
Quatre added, "We can go back to my colony and pose as civilians, but this is OZ-controlled space. We'd best leave here quickly."
Wufei took charge, as Heero was staring blankly at the wall. "Quatre, you and the doctor get Maxwell ready to go. Medicine, dressings, whatever else he'll need in confinement. Barton, check on Maxwell's Gundam and remove any personal possessions, then destroy it. Yuy, you and I will finish any other details and set up a way out of here."
Heero could only stare, blank-eyed, ahead. Duo hadn't spoken a word since Iria's verdict. //Amnesia. He doesn't remember anything. He doesn't remember _me._//
"Yuy! Come on!" Wufei roared.
The perfect soldier snapped back to reality and growled at his comrade. "I'll take care of Duo's Gundam."
"Why?" Wufei asked suspiciously.
"Because I need to." Heero walked calmly out the door, leaving Trowa and Quatre staring after him. Wufei turned beet-red. "YUY!"
"No matter. We'd better concentrate on getting you and your friends out of here, little brother." Iria threw Duo's bloodsoaked clothing and fresh dressings into a duffel bag. Duo, with Quatre's assistance, climbed shakily out of the hospital bed and dressed in some fresh garments that Iria had found for him.
Trowa was at the computer already. "There's a shuttle we can steal, right in the port by the hospital. It should fit at least three Gundams, and the other will play decoy until the shuttle is away. Since Heero's Gundam is more flight-capable than Heavyarms or Sandrock, he is the logical choice, unless Wufei would like to volunteer."
Wufei thought this over for a few seconds before peering at the data over Trowa's shoulder. "Wing is more capable for midair agility than Shenlong. If Yuy wanted a say in this discussion he should not have left, he shows weakness by acting as he does."
Quatre shook his head sadly. "Give him a break, Wufei. I think what's happened to Duo has been a big shock to him."
Wufei grunted in reluctant agreement. "Injustice."
The pale Duo has also gone over to Trowa's computer screen and was trying to make sense of what he saw. Trowa turned to face the grim pseudo-Duo, nothing at all like the cheerful pilot he considered a friend. Until they had the old Duo back, they would have to make this new personality feel accepted.
Trowa offered a hand to Duo. "I'm Trowa Barton. I pilot a Gundam called Heavyarms, and I work in a circus."
Duo nodded slowly. "Circus?"
"For entertainment purposes. In the circus we do tricks that some normal humans aren't capable of."
Duo didn't look like he really understood, but he accepted Trowa's explaination.
Following suit, Wufei gave a Duo a stiff bow. "Chang Wufei, pilot of the Gundam Shenlong. I presume you know what a Gundam is."
Duo brushed his long bangs back from his pale face. "Quatre asked me about my Gundam and I was told more about my occupation."
Wufei frowned. //Occupation? This does not sound like Maxwell at all. Perhaps his personality was also lost with the accident.// As much as Maxwell annoyed him sometimes, Wufei had no desire to see something like this happen to him. He silently hoped that the amnesia would be temporary.
Duo apparantly didn't realize he had said anything wrong, and turned to Iria. "Thank you for your assistance, Doctor."
"Any time. I wish you the best of luck...come visit me again, Quatre, and I'd like to know how Mr. Maxwell's memory is coming along from time to time. Okay?"
"Okay, Iria." Quatre gave his sister a hug and led Duo out of the room, with Wufei and Trowa following behind. Silently Quatre wondered how Heero was doing...his eyes had been blank since Quatre had found the two of them inside the twisted Deathscythe. He wondered what had happened to Heero, but suspected much already.
Quatre slung the bag over his shoulder with one last glance back, and walked out of the hospital.
"Trusting You,"
Part 3
by Shi-chan
http://nothingisforever.cjb.net
Heero sat, eyes blank, in the waiting room of the hospital where they had taken Duo. Even though Duo hadn't stopped breathing again and had made it safely to the hospital where Quatre's sister Iria worked, Heero was still concerned for Duo.
/He's alive. He's in medical care. You've strayed from your mission, but you've saved him. Stop worrying./
//He could be in a coma,// Heero argued with himself. //He might not wake up. I should be in there with him.//
/Why is that?/ the little voice in his head taunted. /Quatre's in there with him. He knows the doctor, we're lucky we haven't been caught. You're leaving yourself open to attack./
Heero feared that his conscience was right, so he waited patiently for Quatre and Iria to return. Wufei and Trowa, sitting on either side of him, looked slightly gloomy but hopeful.
Suddenly Wufei spoke up. "Do you care at all, Yuy?"
Heero started. "I...I saved him, didn't I?" He wondered if he should show some concern for his injured friend. But no, if he let one emotion out his mask of stone might slip.
Wufei crossed his arms and didn't say anything else, and Trowa worriedly watched the door for Quatre's return.
A few seconds later a gloomy Quatre trailed out behind his older sister, who gestured for Heero, Trowa, and Wufei to come with her. The three pilots followed the two Winners wordlessly.
Inside an isolated hospital room Duo lay pale against white sheets, staring at the ceiling. Once they saw their friend alive and awake the pilots relaxed, but the solemn Quatre hung back at Iria's side when the others went to greet Duo.
"Maxwell! Good to see you're not dead." Wufei cracked a smile, but Duo seemed to stare blankly through him. His customary psychotically cheerful grin was nowhere to be seen.
"Duo. It's good to see you're okay, we were worried." Trowa offered Duo a slight pat on the shoulder before stepping back. Wufei still looked slightly perturbed that Duo hadn't responded to his remark.
//Maybe he's drugged. At least he's alive.// Heero finally stood beside the bed with his arms crossed. "I'm glad you made it. I..." /Shut up, Yuy./ "I...wasn't sure you'd pull through."
Duo nodded weakly and offered a ghost of a smile. "Quatre..."
The blond Arab stepped forward. "Yes?"
The American shook his head gravely and looked the other pilot in his turquoise eyes. "Did you tell them?"
Quatre let out a sigh. "I wanted to see if you'd....if you'd...."
Heero looked worriedly from Quatre to Duo. "What's going on here?"
Iria went to stand beside Duo and began to take his temperature. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but I'm afraid Mr. Maxwell is suffering from amnesia. He's having an amount of difficulty trying to remember more than his basic instincts."
Quatre, his lower lip trembling, went to Trowa and stood near the foot of Duo's bed.
Iria continued, "since you run quite a risk of being discovered and will be short a pilot, I would advise that you get him and yourselves into hiding until he regains his memory--which there is a good chance he will--or until he is capable of taking care of himself again."
Quatre added, "We can go back to my colony and pose as civilians, but this is OZ-controlled space. We'd best leave here quickly."
Wufei took charge, as Heero was staring blankly at the wall. "Quatre, you and the doctor get Maxwell ready to go. Medicine, dressings, whatever else he'll need in confinement. Barton, check on Maxwell's Gundam and remove any personal possessions, then destroy it. Yuy, you and I will finish any other details and set up a way out of here."
Heero could only stare, blank-eyed, ahead. Duo hadn't spoken a word since Iria's verdict. //Amnesia. He doesn't remember anything. He doesn't remember _me._//
"Yuy! Come on!" Wufei roared.
The perfect soldier snapped back to reality and growled at his comrade. "I'll take care of Duo's Gundam."
"Why?" Wufei asked suspiciously.
"Because I need to." Heero walked calmly out the door, leaving Trowa and Quatre staring after him. Wufei turned beet-red. "YUY!"
"No matter. We'd better concentrate on getting you and your friends out of here, little brother." Iria threw Duo's bloodsoaked clothing and fresh dressings into a duffel bag. Duo, with Quatre's assistance, climbed shakily out of the hospital bed and dressed in some fresh garments that Iria had found for him.
Trowa was at the computer already. "There's a shuttle we can steal, right in the port by the hospital. It should fit at least three Gundams, and the other will play decoy until the shuttle is away. Since Heero's Gundam is more flight-capable than Heavyarms or Sandrock, he is the logical choice, unless Wufei would like to volunteer."
Wufei thought this over for a few seconds before peering at the data over Trowa's shoulder. "Wing is more capable for midair agility than Shenlong. If Yuy wanted a say in this discussion he should not have left, he shows weakness by acting as he does."
Quatre shook his head sadly. "Give him a break, Wufei. I think what's happened to Duo has been a big shock to him."
Wufei grunted in reluctant agreement. "Injustice."
The pale Duo has also gone over to Trowa's computer screen and was trying to make sense of what he saw. Trowa turned to face the grim pseudo-Duo, nothing at all like the cheerful pilot he considered a friend. Until they had the old Duo back, they would have to make this new personality feel accepted.
Trowa offered a hand to Duo. "I'm Trowa Barton. I pilot a Gundam called Heavyarms, and I work in a circus."
Duo nodded slowly. "Circus?"
"For entertainment purposes. In the circus we do tricks that some normal humans aren't capable of."
Duo didn't look like he really understood, but he accepted Trowa's explaination.
Following suit, Wufei gave a Duo a stiff bow. "Chang Wufei, pilot of the Gundam Shenlong. I presume you know what a Gundam is."
Duo brushed his long bangs back from his pale face. "Quatre asked me about my Gundam and I was told more about my occupation."
Wufei frowned. //Occupation? This does not sound like Maxwell at all. Perhaps his personality was also lost with the accident.// As much as Maxwell annoyed him sometimes, Wufei had no desire to see something like this happen to him. He silently hoped that the amnesia would be temporary.
Duo apparantly didn't realize he had said anything wrong, and turned to Iria. "Thank you for your assistance, Doctor."
"Any time. I wish you the best of luck...come visit me again, Quatre, and I'd like to know how Mr. Maxwell's memory is coming along from time to time. Okay?"
"Okay, Iria." Quatre gave his sister a hug and led Duo out of the room, with Wufei and Trowa following behind. Silently Quatre wondered how Heero was doing...his eyes had been blank since Quatre had found the two of them inside the twisted Deathscythe. He wondered what had happened to Heero, but suspected much already.
Quatre slung the bag over his shoulder with one last glance back, and walked out of the hospital.