Complicated Matter

The next few days that led up to Harry's second therapy session passed uneventfully, especially for Duo. As usual, Harry helped feed the animals and practiced gymnastics with Trowa, studied with Wufei, and helped make every meal. Quatre was busy with Winner Enterprises while Trowa had circus stuff to do when he wasn't working with Harry. Wufei was less busy, but he wasn't exactly fond of Duo's antics.

Heero stayed close to the pavilion, but he was often busy working from his laptop, so he was a poor companion. Besides, Duo wanted to give him some space. Pressuring the Perfect Soldier was a sure way to get shot. Thus, Duo was decidedly bored, and it was well acknowledged that such a state was dangerous for those around him. It was almost like they didn't need him anymore now that they could ask Dr. Bohren how to handle Harry.

Feeling a bit dejected, Duo busied himself by playing with Harry as much as possible. Currently, he was helping Harry create a psychedelic effect with the limo's lights. He grinned manically as Wufei closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Who do you want to go in with you today?" Quatre asked the little boy as the limo came to a stop in front of the therapist's office.

Harry turned to the blond with wide eyes.

"Today is for you, little man," Duo explained, ruffling the boy's untamable hair. "We'll have our own sessions with the doc, so you can go in by yourself or take one or two of us with you."

"Or all of us," Wufei reassured when Harry began to wring his hands around his stuffed rabbit nervously. "However you wish to proceed."

"Whatever you choose, we won't mind," Trowa added soothingly. "We'll happily wait in the lobby for you."

"Um… I… I don't…" Harry looked around at them, near to tears.

Duo unmasked his serious face and knelt on the floor of the car. "Hey. It's cool. Just think about what you're going to talk about, and then decided who you want to go with you. It's no big deal, I promise."

Harry stared into his eyes searchingly for a long minute.

It was times like this when all of Duo's worries faded and he knew with a certainty that he was needed.

"Um, can… brother Wufei and brother Heero come with me?" he asked in a whisper.

"Of course," Duo assured him with a big smile. "Come on, kiddo. Cat, Tro, and I will wait for you in the lobby, all right?"

Harry nodded and hugged Duo tightly around the neck.

They all clambered out of the car and made their way inside, Harry holding Duo's hand the whole way.

Once inside, Duo handed Harry off to Heero, still smiling. "Love you, Harry-chan! See you when you're done!"

The little boy stared back at him with bright eyes. He pulled free from Heero and ran forward, hugging Duo around the waist one more time. "Love you, brother Duo."

"Go on." Duo ruffled his hair again and gently pushed him forwards. "Do your best!"

Harry nodded and ran back to Heero as Becky showed them back to the therapy room.

Duo sighed and tugged restlessly at his bangs. He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Quatre looked at him with his big blue eyes, and Duo pulled up his jokester grin in self-defense. "So whatcha wanna play to pass the time? Poker? Twenty Questions? Truth or Dare?"

"Actually, I wanted to discuss something with you," Quatre countered, a bright smile lighting up his face.

"Oh yeah?" Duo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it."

Quatre rolled his eyes. "Come here. I want to show you something." He moved to the nearest chair and lifted his briefcase onto his lap.

Duo glanced at Trowa where the teen stood on guard, keeping an eye on all the doors. Duo knew better than to tease or distract him. Others might think they were paranoid, but their caution had saved them more than once, so he kept his nervous energy to himself and settled next to the blond, eyeing the many folders and papers in the briefcase with some curiosity.

"Whatcha got?"

Quatre's grin gained a dangerous edge. "A business proposal."

Duo's eyes widened. "Say what?"

"I've been thinking that there really aren't enough organizations out there to help children like Harry, so I've been drawing up plans for a charity facility for abused children. I want it to be a place where kids can come and play, as well as receive the support they need. I want to make you the activities director. You'll know what these kids will actually enjoy doing. The doctors have their uses and can manage the therapy, but I want these kids to have fun and freedom, too."

"Wow. Cat, man, I don't know what to say." He felt incredibly flattered and proud that Quatre honestly believed he could help the project.

"Say you'll do it," Quatre advised, smiling.

"Yeah. Course I will."

His friend beamed happily and pulled a folder from his briefcase. "These are the specs of the building I'm constructing, one on each colony so far. Eventually, I want to build some on Earth as well, but it's harder to get through the red tape there. Look them over, and if you can think of any additions or alterations that would accommodate the activities you devise, let me know."

Duo eagerly took the file handed to him.

"There's actually another little project I wanted your help with." Quatre expression hardened into the same look as when he developed war strategies and mayhem as he pulled out another folder.

Duo felt himself straighten. Heero was often their field leader, mostly because he ran off on his own and forced them to follow after him, but Quatre was the true commander of their cell. He couldn't help being affected by the authority in the blond's gaze. He noticed Trowa watching them. Was he worried?

Duo turned back to his friend and gave a smile. "Lay it on me, Q-bean," he quipped, only half joking.

"I did research and was appalled at how many abuse cases couldn't be closed due to insufficient evidence. A good fraction of kids were left with their abusers for weeks or months while officials investigated, leaving the child unprotected."

Duo eyed his friend. "Yeah, Cat. I know. That's just how the system works."

Quatre glared hotly. "I want to develop a team that will facilitate moving abused children out of their homes."

Duo shook his head, feeling suddenly tired, and ran a hand fitfully through his bangs. "It's not that easy. In cases as bad as Harry's, yeah, get 'em out a soon as possible, but in most cases the abuse isn't that bad." He held up his hands when the blond opened his mouth furiously. "Hear me out. Abuse is bad, I'm not saying otherwise, but these kids might be put in even worse situations in foster care. Trust me, I know. I bounced around a few places until they let me stay at the church permanently. Not to mention these kids love their families. They're not going to thank you for yanking them away. I think this charity place where they can go to get away for awhile, have fun, and get therapy is a great idea, but going around and stealing kids from their families isn't going to fix the problem."

Quatre leaned back in the chair and tugged at his tie fretfully. "I just hate it."

"I know." Duo placed a gentle hand on his knee. "We all do."

Quatre straightened, regaining his composure. "I can see your point. I'll have to think about it a bit more, but you can't argue that it's better for a child to remain in a situation where they are being sexually abused."

"No," Duo said slowly. "Of course not, but it's a lot harder to uncover."

Quatre's smile was vicious. "Not necessarily. I have three plans in development. The first is a guardian doll that will come in several different animal forms. My engineers designed a voice activated transmitter small enough to be placed inside. When the child squeezes the ear and whispers inside, their wish will be sent to a database programmed to recognize certain key words. They'll be thousands of wishes to sort through, but I suspect we'll find a few children requesting help."

"Geez…" Duo smiled, bemused, and shook his head.

Quatre ignored him. "The second plan is pretty straight forward. It involves tracking down the source of home videos like the ones Dursley posted."

"The police already monitor those," Duo pointed out, crossing his arms.

"Not very well," Quatre argued. "I'm sure they won't say no to assistance. The last strategy involves sending a professional to schools to hold a workshop that will instruct the teachers and staff how to recognize signs of abuse and encourage them to speak out more."

Duo shrugged. "Those are pretty good plans, Q-bean. Sounds like you have it under control. What do you need my help with?"

"Anything I find with the dolls won't be considered legal evidence. I'll need a team, as I said, to be able to go in and arrange for the authorities to discover the child in need." Quatre's gaze became steely. "In worse case scenarios, I need someone to finish it. Someone I can trust absolutely."

Duo understood in an instant, and his arms fell loosely to his sides in surprise. He and Heero were the assassination experts, but Heero was a Preventer agent. He couldn't be involved in something like this in case it was discovered. Duo thought about the kids who had no one to defend them. Harry's terror-struck face filled his mind's eye. He held Quatre's intense gaze and gave his answer.

"I'm in."

Quatre gave a slow, grim smile. "Good. Hopefully it won't be necessary, but I want all the bases covered."

Duo flashed a cold grin of his own; looked like Shinigami, God of Death, was back in business.

xXxXxXx

Sally Po was in her late thirties. She'd spent over half her life as a military doctor. During the latter half of the wars, she'd even spent a year as a rebel leader. When Commander Une invited her to continue her medical career as a Preventer, she had very nearly turned it down. Like many soldiers, she'd been so sick of the fighting and pointless death. She hadn't thought her heart could handle much more tragedy.

However, she couldn't see herself working idly, either, not after she'd grown used to being involved in such important matters. Nor did she think she could return to ignorance. Sally was no longer blind to the shortcomings of humanity. She'd worked hard, watched friends and loved ones die, to see the end of the fighting. She wasn't about to let fools start another war up again. So she'd told Une yes. The next day she'd been flown to a high-tech hospital and granted the position of Chief of Staff.

Sally had to admit she loved it. It was all she'd ever wanted. She had control over the labs, free reign to work on her research, and could also contribute to the occasional criminal case. These last two years had been happy ones for her. Therefore when Quatre Rababa Winner, former Gundam pilot and multi-billionaire, contacted her, saying he needed her help, she understandably felt some trepidation. She had a nice job that she loved and keeping secrets from her boss was a sure-fire way to lose said job. But she owed the boys a lot. Hell, the whole world and all the colonies owed the pilots their continued existence. How could she say no?

Therefore, she'd called Une and told her she was taking her two-week vacation and booked a shuttle to L3. She wasn't sure where to go after that, but she'd figured the boys would have everything covered. She was right. As she stepped out of the concourse, she found a Winner car and driver waiting for her. Sally still had no idea why she was here or what exactly the boys needed her help with. Her misgivings only grew when she was taken to a fully stocked clinic that was supposedly shut down for remodeling.

"Doctor Po?"

Sally spun around, heart hammering, only to find Wufei Chang standing in the doorway of the clinic. "Wufei!" He'd been the Gundam pilot she'd spent the most time with. She felt a rush of happiness at see him again, despite the mysterious situation. "You look well."

"I am." He inclined his head in a respectful nod. "I came ahead of the others. They will be here momentarily."

Her good mood faded as fast as it had arrived. Sally crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "What's this about, Wufei?"

Dark slanted eyes observed her. "A young child has come into our care. For security purposes, we'd like to keep anything involving him off official records."

Sally struggled to keep her mouth from dropping open in shock. The pilots were taking care of a child? A young child? She could believe that of Winner, maybe Wufei, but the others? She had a horrible vision of the boys abducting some child in the name of justice. "Is this child legally yours?"

"Yuy and Maxwell's. In reality, he is all of ours. We are united in this endeavor."

She could hardly believe it! Heero Yuy had adopted a little boy? With Duo Maxwell? She could not think of a more miss-matched couple. Yuy thought more like a computer than a human, and Maxwell was the most flighty soldier she'd ever met. It was her private opinion that the teen had a severe case of ADHD. It honestly amazed her that Maxwell had come out of the wars alive considering how reckless he'd been.

Come to think of it, Yuy's obsessive behavior toward missions had also led him to consistently disregarded risks to himself. The teen had purposefully blown up his Gundam to prevent it from falling into enemy hands! With himself still inside it! It was a miracle he survived that stunt. And they were raising a child? She was struck speechless! She hadn't even known they were gay. She'd heard rumors about Quatre Winner and Trowa Barton, but wow! What were the odds? And if four out of the five were gay, did that mean Wufei…?

"You should know that Harry has suffered severe abuse," Wufei continued, thankfully oblivious to her train of thought. "We want you to do a thorough examination, as well as a DNA analysis. My teammates have reason to believe his genetics have been altered. You should have all the equipment necessary here in this clinic. Should you need assistance, I am willing and able to provide help. I achieved my doctorate in general medicine last year and am familiar with the equipment you'll be using."

"Wufei, that's incredible! Congratulations!" Sally smiled broadly, sincerely proud. Healing definitely suited him better than war. "Will you be opening a clinic or applying at a hospital?"

The door opened behind Wufei before the teen could answer. Maxwell entered first, walking backward as he spoke to Winner. Barton and Yuy walked close behind the pair, clearly on protective duty. She noted that Winner looked ready to attend a business lunch, wearing an expensive shirt, tie, and slacks. It looked right at home on him, but it was a strange contrast to the more casual attire of the other pilots. Although, Wufei's traditional Chinese silk shirt and pants looked nearly as upper class.

Sally's eyes dropped to the small child practically burrowing into Winner's side. Dark messy hair fell into big green eyes. He looked six years old and had a stuffed bunny in the crook of one arm. He was wearing a black t-shirt and dark jeans with white sneakers. It was clear the clothes were new.

"Hey, Sally! Long time no see!" Maxwell cried, grinning as he struck a pose, lifting two fingers in the victory sign.

"Harry, this is Dr. Po," Winner said softly, demeanor and voice gentle. His winked a bright blue eye at her, and she forced herself to relax.

"Hello, Harry. It's very nice to meet you," she greeted and crouched down to offer her hand.

The boy flinched back and hid behind Winner's legs.

Sally felt a cold shiver race down her back. Clearly Harry was traumatized. What were the boy's thinking, taking in such a child? How could they possibly think they could handle such a fragile boy when they likely haven't even dealt with their own issues? The pilots were good men, the best really, but that didn't necessarily make them good candidates to take care of an abused child!

"Dr. Po is a friend of mine, Harry," Wufei informed the boy, voice remarkably soft. "There's no reason to be afraid."

Sally stood and looked over at the Chinese youth in surprised, her two copper-colored braids sliding over her shoulders.

"We met a few years ago," Wufei continued as he held the child's gaze solemnly. "She helped me understand many things about myself and the world. She is a good woman."

Sally's mouth almost fell open for the second time that day. Last she knew, Wufei was very reluctant to talk about his feelings, especially in a public setting.

Harry looked at her with wide eyes. "Really?"

Wufei nodded and Harry came slowly out from behind Winner, still clutching the blond's hand.

"Doctors make people feel better. Right, Dr. Po? It's not going to hurt?"

"We'll warn you if it'll hurt," Maxwell promised.

"Of course we will," she agreed readily, continuing to smile.

Silence fell again. The five teens and the one little boy looked at her expectantly, and Sally fell back on habit to guide her. "Please come this way. We'll start with the basics."

She led them through the swinging door and took them to an exam room. She wondered why she'd need to run a full battery of tests, and why had Winner arranged for her to have access to an empty clinic? It all seemed a bit excessive.

"Please note Harry's data down on this pad." Yuy handed her a data pad and she took it reflexively. "Do not make any copies or file a report anywhere else."

"Wait a minute. Do you have his previous medical records?" She demanded beginning to feel overwhelmed. "And what exactly am I testing for?"

"Everything," Wufei answered while Yuy ignored her, his eyes on Harry as Quatre lifted the boy onto the exam table. "As I said, we are concerned he has been altered physically by a third party. We don't want to contaminate your findings by saying anything further."

Sally sighed. "Very well. Let's begin." The exam room was rather crowded with five teenage boys, a scared child, and her, but she did her best to ignore the tension and only focus on the job she'd been brought to do. "All right, Harry. Why don't you tell me your name and date of birth to start with."

He stared at her with big anxious eyes before looking desperately to Yuy. She really hoped these boys weren't encouraging Harry to be excessively dependent. That could be crippling for the boy later.

"Harry Potter. July 31st. Eight years old," Yuy answered, monotone.

She tried to keep her shock hidden. The boy was much smaller than he should be for his age, and that indicated several very unpleasant possibilities.

"Really? I… I have a birthday?"

Maxwell turned, putting down a container of cotton balls, and ruffled the boy's messy hair. "Course you do, kiddo! It's in the summer, just like Hee-chan!"

Harry looked back to Yuy, clear adoration shinning in his eyes. "Wow."

"Wufei has a birthday coming up," Maxwell chattered on, winking at said pilot. "He and Cat were both born in winter. My birthday is in spring, and Trowa's an autumn baby. Well, we think anyway. Hee-chan, Tro, and me, we don't know our real birthdays, so we picked a day that meant something special to us." He flipped his long braid over his shoulder and struck a triumphant pose. "But we know your birthday for sure! July 31st. You're definitely a summer baby."

Sally's head spun. Sometimes she forgot the childhoods these pilots had. They didn't even know their birthdays? It was incredibly sad, especially considering how much these boys had grown up to do for the world. They deserved so much better. In a daze, she inputted the data for Harry.

"All right. Let me take a quick peek at your ears, nose, and throat. I promise it won't hurt a bit." She gave him a smile that the boy returned weakly, clutching at both his bunny and Winner's hand.

Harry's sinuses, throat, and ears looked healthy. He smiled happily when she informed him of this. As if he'd passed some kind of test. Sally's worries grew, regarding the boy's mental state, but she kept her expression light.

Duo had fun playing with her stethoscope, and even let Harry listen to his heart. Sally almost scolded him, but she caught sight of the happy smile on Harry's face. It seemed Maxwell's antics calmed him, and it wasn't like she had a lobby full of people waiting for her, either. She was here for them. By the time it was returned to her, Harry felt completely at ease with her pressing it to his chest to listen to his heart and lungs.

"So far so good. Now let's measure your weight and height. Come with me, please." She hung the stethoscope around her neck and led them to the hallway where there were scales available.

"I bet I weigh more than you, Cat!" Maxwell taunted and jumped on the scale. It read 141lbs/63.5kg. He jumped down with a big grin. "Well?"

Winner stepped on the scale: 137lbs/62kg. Sally frowned. For a seventeen-year-old boy, Winner was still growing, and he already stood at almost six feet in height. He was the second tallest of this group and should weigh more than that, even as slender as he was. She made a note on the pad to talk to the blond before he left.

"Take that, Kitty-Cat!" Maxwell threw his hands up and gave a cheer, dancing in a small circle, making Harry laugh. "Your turn, Wu-man. I bet I weigh more than your scrawny butt, too!"

Wufei stepped on the scale. He was the same height as Duo. Sally suspected they were actually very close in weight. 130lbs/60kg.

The Chinese pilot scowled. "I am not small," he growled at his madly laughing comrade.

Yuy gave a firm tug to Maxwell's braid. "How much would you weigh if we stripped you of all your toys? Your braid alone must weigh a couple pounds."

Maxwell's smile widened as he batted his exotic violet eyes at the stoic teen. "I'll let you strip me anytime, Hee-chan!"

Wufei's face went red, most likely matching Sally's current state. Barton rolled his eyes. Winner, though, hid a smile behind a polite hand.

A small hand tugged on Maxwell's braid. "When my hair grows out, will it be like yours?"

Maxwell knelt and wrapped the boy in a surprisingly gentle hug. "Course it will, Harry-chan! I'll even get you all your own toys to hide away in there."

Harry beamed as if the promise of been given lock-picks and whatever else the pilot had stashed away was a priceless gift.

Sally shook her head. Harry would likely struggle with morality issues as it was without Maxwell confusing the subject further. "Next, please."

Barton stepped on the scale: 150lbs/68kg.

She nodded; it was a good weight. They were all within the acceptable percentile for their heights, except for Quatre Winner. Obviously, they had continued to stay in shape since the end of the wars. She wasn't surprised. They were all a bit paranoid. She couldn't see any of them letting themselves get too out of shape.

"Your turn, Hee-chan!" Maxwell practically shoved the teen on the scale.

Sally would have been shocked if she hadn't examined Yuy before. The teen weighed 195lbs/88.5kg. For someone standing a few inches short of six foot, he should be grossly overweight or look like the incredible hulk. However, his physique wasn't as muscled as Barton's nor as defined as Wufei's; he looked like someone who only worked out occasionally or played a semi-demanding sport. Very similar to Maxwell, actually, and yet he was sixty lbs, twenty-seven kg, heavier. The cause was the enhanced density of his bones and musculature, which made him much stronger than average. Sally had witnessed Yuy breaking free from steel restraints before. It was definitely something that needed to be seen to be believed.

Harry stepped onto the scale and Sally had to bite the inside of her lip to keep her reaction in check. He weighed only 43lbs/20kg. That was the average weight of a healthy five-year-old.

"Let's check your height," she said, stepping forward before Harry could see the carefully blank faces of the pilots. "Look. 45.5in/115cm." She gave a smile, hiding her dismay. That was the average height of a six-year-old! "I bet you're going to grow as big as Wufei when you're older."

"Wow! Did you hear that, brother Wufei?" Harry bounced off the scale, smiling happily as he flung himself at his 'brother'.

"I heard. Very good, Harry."

Sally stared as her very reserved friend hugged the boy gently and left a hand resting on his head.

"Now what, doc?" Maxwell demanded, distracting her.

"Oh. Well, we should check his eyesight."

"Cool! I love that part!" Maxwell jumped in the air, pumping a fist.

They made their way to the optometry section of the clinic. Maxwell went through an exam to show Harry what to expect. The boy only looked mildly nervous when it came his turn to sit in the chair. As she scanned his eyes, he grew short of breath, clearly distressed. Winner and Maxwell moved instantly to hold his hands, one on either side.

"It's very important you answer as accurately as you can, Harry," Winner was saying. "Don't say it looks good just to be nice. We want to make your eyes better not worse, okay?"

The little boy nodded slightly.

"Tell me which is clearer. One or two?" Sally asked.

They went through the test as quickly as possible. It took only twenty minutes or so before she pulled the mask away. Harry immediately turned to Maxwell, wishing to be held. Maxwell hefted the boy onto his hip with an easy smile.

"Well, doc? What's the verdict? Will he wear glasses like Wufei?"

Harry looked over, clearly surprised. "You wear glasses, brother Wufei?"

"I do," Wufei confirmed. "Right now I am wearing glasses that are worn on the eye, called contacts. Sometimes I still wear my outside glasses when my contacts become uncomfortable."

Sally smiled. She had a sneaking suspicion that he would suddenly return to wearing his glasses after he heard her report. "Well, Harry. You will indeed have to wear glasses like Wufei. You're nearsighted and have stigmatism. If you wear your glasses and get yearly check-ups, the stigmatism will go away and you might correct your vision a little, too."

"I'll be good," Harry promised earnestly.

Her heart gave a twinge. "I'm sure you will, Harry."

"When can we get his glasses?" Winner asked. He stood next to Maxwell and was absently trying to straighten Harry's hair. The little boy leaned into his touch, tension draining out of his shoulders.

Sally observed this curiously, wondering if Winner was using his empathy. "I'll write a prescription. You can fill it anywhere."

"Thank you." Winner flashed a charming smile, his hand falling away from the little boy.

She gave a brisk nod before smiling at the child in Maxwell's arms. "Okay, Harry. Let's get some X-rays, then I can do an MRI to check your organs and an EEG to check your brain."

Harry's eyes grew huge. "Will it hurt?" he asked in a whisper.

"No, sweetie." Sally reached forward to sooth him, but he pressed himself flat to his protector's chest. She wisely dropped her hand. "I promise I'll warn you if it will. Before the MRI, you'll have to drink some yucky stuff, but it won't hurt."

"I promised, too, Harry. We won't let anything hurt you," Maxwell chided.

Harry looked around at the pilots and nodded shyly. "Okay."

Wufei walked with her as Sally led them down the hallway toward the X-ray machine. She insisted that only Wufei could attend Harry in the exam room, so the others followed her to the imaging station. Wufei maneuvered the machine over Harry's body methodically. He was as good as any professional technician and they had to redo none of the pictures. Maxwell chatted over the intercom, describing the boy's skeleton in fanciful images to distract Harry as the process continued.

Sally frowned intensely at the images on her screen.

"What is it?" Winner asked, concerned.

"Does this machine record every session?" Yuy demanded.

"It can, but I hooked the data pad to the hard drive. Copies will be stored there," Sally answered with a glare of her own. "I do know what I'm doing, Mr. Yuy."

"Are his bones okay?" Winner asked again, distracting her from a scowling Heero.

She sighed and tugged fitfully at one of her two braids. "They are thin and brittle from longstanding malnutrition. Not to mention all these bright little lines indicate calcium buildup from where fractures have healed." She ran her finger over the image of the boy's right forearm. She could count four breaks in the ulna and three in the radial bone.

Winner's eyes widened. "There are so many."

"The breaks seem to have been minor, but yes. There are at least ten in his arms, eight in his ribs, and two in his legs. If you notice, he cracked his skull at least once before. See here, on the side above his left ear. Fortunately, the bone there is dense. Had he received such a blow on the crown or the temple, he would not have survived. I also note hairline fractures that have healed in his right cheek and around his occipital bone." She pointed at the eye socket. "He's clearly been battered repeatedly."

Winner closed his eyes, a hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Barton put a hand on the blond's shoulder and gazed at her with a dark green eye. "What can we do to help him recover?"

She was startled at the bass of his voice, which had only gotten deeper since she'd last seen him. "I assume you're giving him supplements. Be sure to include calcium and magnesium. He'll have to take them regularly for a couple years to correct the damage. Fortunately, I believe it was caught in time. He should make a full recovery."

"What about his scar?" Yuy asked. He didn't wait for her to answer, just leaned past her to see the image of Harry's skull.

She lifted an eyebrow curiously. "An X-ray doesn't pick up scar tissue."

"We feared something could have been implanted inside," Winner admitted, also leaning forward to see.

She took a closer look herself. The scar was unusual, clearly made by a sharp object, likely a knife or perhaps very sharp glass, but she couldn't see any sign that the bone underneath had been chipped, fractured, or impaled. Sally sighed. She understood why these five were so paranoid, but this was just extreme.

Almost afraid of the answer, she asked, "Why would someone implant something in Harry's head?"

Naturally, she didn't get an answer. While the others ignored her as if she hadn't just spoken, Maxwell had the audacity to wink.

"You're done! See that wasn't so bad," he called through the intercom.

Harry sat up with the help of Wufei and flashed a brave thumbs-up in their direction. Maxwell returned the gesture before slipping out of the booth to meet the boy. Sally disconnected the data pad once it finished downloading the images and followed after the pilot. She brought them to another exam room and promised to be back with the medicine that would allow her to check his organs.

She spent the next hour taking MRI images of the damaged little boy. Again, Wufei remained in the testing room to assist the child while the others stood with her in the observation booth.

"How does it look?" Winner asked, acting as the voice for the others.

Sally frowned thoughtfully at the MRI images as they came through. "Well, catabolysis has been stopped, but there is damage remaining."

"What's that?" Maxwell asked with a bemused smile of confusion.

"When the body breaks down muscles and organs for sustenance," Yuy answered succinctly.

Sally nodded, confirming his definition. "There's evidence of mild damage to his organs, but his muscles look healthy. You've clearly had him exercising, which is good as long as you don't overdo it."

"I monitor him closely," Barton assured her.

She believed it. If this boy was out of their sight for one minute of the day, she would be shocked. "His heart looks okay. It's one of the first organs to be damaged by catabolysis, but Harry was lucky in this case. I'll use one of the vials of blood to check for vitamin deficiencies such as anemia, beriberi, pellagra, and scurvy."

"What are the symptoms of those?" Winner asked, crossing his arms and frowning.

"Anemia can result in fatigue, shortness of breath, and an increase in the cardial output. Beriberi causes weakness and pain in the limbs, emotional disturbances, and an irregular heartbeat. He'd show signs of aggression, sensitivity to sunlight, irritated skin, and diarrhea if he had pellagra. As for scurvy, you'd see bleeding of the gums and mucus membranes, paleness, and depression.

Winner's big blue eyes stared at her in horror. "Do you think he has any of these conditions?"

"I'd guess he suffers from a mild case of all of them, but he should recover with regular and nutritious meals," Sally reassured him. "I also don't see any internal scarring. If he suffered any internal damage, it was mild and has healed completely." She looked up, shoulders dropping with relief. "There's no rectal scarring that I can see, either."

The pilots nodded, but there was something about the way their eyes shifted to avoid her stare that had the hair rising on her arms.

"If he was sexually assaulted, I need to know. A more thorough check should be done to make sure there is no damage that was missed by the MRI."

Again, it was Winner who spoke. "The topic was broached in therapy the other day. Apparently Harry's abuser never touched himself or Harry in a sexual manner. He did instruct Harry to pose for videos that were sold, but Harry's young enough that he didn't understand the sexual nature of the situation. He seems to have seen it as just additional unpleasant and unfathomable demands that he was expected to obey."

Sally stared at the young man, speechless. Winner had said all that with a blank expression, tone dry as if reporting figures in a business meeting, and that really worried her. She'd feared for Harry's wellbeing from the beginning, but now she wasn't at all convinced the pilots were best served by having to take care of such a high-maintenance, special-needs child, either.

"All done, Harry-chan! You're doing wonderfully!" Maxwell announced through the intercom.

Her attention slid sideways to the child in the exam room. Harry sat up, leaning more heavily on Wufei this time. He was growing tired. She hurried to meet him, trying desperately not to think about what Winner had revealed.

"Only one more test," she informed him with a patently false smile. "Think you can do it?"

Harry nodded, though he didn't look happy. She hated having to put him through this, and she was just about to question if it was truly necessary, when Maxwell crouched in front of the boy, encouraging him to climb on his back. Harry did so, his smile returning and his eyes lighting up.

"This last test will take a picture inside your head! I bet you have butterflies and dragons flying around in yours," the pilot teased, tickling the back of the boy's knees.

Harry giggled and wrapped his arms around Maxwell's neck. "What's in yours, brother Duo?"

"Chocolate and matches," Yuy quipped, making the others laugh.

Sally almost missed a step, surprised the stoic pilot would make a joke at all. "Here we are," she said and pushed open a door that led to a much smaller machine than the MRI scanner.

Harry sighed as he slid down Maxwell's back to stand on his feet. Wufei took his hand and led him inside. Sally followed after the two and helped get Harry situated in the chair, attaching the required sensors around the boy's skull. She had no idea why they wanted an EEG done, unless they were worried about the old head wound. She hadn't seen any cause to worry about brain damage, however. The boy was shy, but he hadn't evidenced any speech impediments or retardation.

Sally gave him a smile. "I'll be through that window, just like the MRI. Let Wufei know if you're uncomfortable, okay, Harry?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered tiredly, his head drooping.

She entered the imaging booth and hooked the data pad into the hard drive and distractedly flipped the screens on. "Please show him the cards one at a time, thirty seconds intermittent," she instructed Wufei through the intercom.

Wufei nodded and stood before the little boy, holding five by ten inch cards in his hand.

Her mind was elsewhere, considering the psychological ramifications of this arrangement, so she didn't realize what she was looking at for a moment. She blinked a few times and then gasped.

"What's wrong?" Winner demanded.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Yuy, Barton, and Maxwell had come to attention, staring at her intently. Under normal circumstances, that would have been nerve-wracking, but the image took all her attention.

"I'm not sure," she said slowly.

"Explain what you're seeing," Yuy demanded, voice low and dangerous.

"An EEG is an imaging technique used to measure the electrical fields in the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp. It offers a very direct measurement of neural electrical activity with very high temporal resolution but relatively low spatial resolution."

"What does that mean?" Maxwell demanded in a snarl. Gone was the playful, silly teenager. She'd fear for her life if she didn't trust these boys implicitly.

"It means it monitors his brain activity pretty accurately second by second, but it can't tell me exactly where that activity is happening. It can only give me a general location," she reworded quickly. "Sorry. I just can't believe this activity!"

"What, do, you, mean?" Yuy enunciated each word forcefully.

"Harry's activity is well above normal. His brain is brighter, shall I say, than the average." Sally stared at the electrical storm going on in the head of that little boy. "Has he ever had seizures?"

"No!" Winner gasped, shocked.

"Sometimes you can get this kind of activity during a seizure. Or you can get it with drugs or other outside stimuli. For example, I bet your brains would have seen higher activity like this while on the ZERO system, or perhaps even higher."

The ZERO system was a program installed in the Gundam robots toward the end of the last war. It allowed the pilot to interface more directly with their machine, but it also enhanced their aggression and increased their reaction time well beyond that of a normal human. Side effects included severe hallucinations and psychological breakdowns. Winner and Yuy had both suffered the ZERO system, although the only one who could use it repeatedly without suffering severe effects was Yuy.

"Is it hurting him?" Maxwell demanded.

Sally continued to stare as she watched the monitors. The activity seemed steady. There were no sudden spikes or valleys. In fact, it looked normal if it weren't for the increased 'noise'. "Does he complain of headaches?"

"He doesn't complain at all," Winner answered, worried. He leaned forward and stared through the window at Harry. "He's been trained not to, I think."

Sally hit the intercom. "Harry, how are you doing?"

"Okay," came the quiet response. He was clearly exhausted.

"Does your head hurt?"

The boy glanced up at Wufei before returning his attention to the window. "No, ma'am."

She released the intercom with a frown. "I don't think it's hurting him. If this is normal for him, then his body has adapted to contain and support such high activity. However, this could explain why he isn't gaining weight as quickly as he should. His metabolism is likely much higher than average. Give him high calorie supplements as well as the vitamins. Let's see if that helps. Please watch for any sign of headaches, dizziness, or impaired vision. If any of these symptoms arise, take him to a hospital immediately."

Yuy captured her attention by leaning close, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Is there any way we can see more clearly what's going on?"

"We could do an fMRI or an MEG. I don't have them here, but I'm sure Winner could get them. The fMRI will show the changing blood flow in the brain associated with neural activity. This allows images to be generated that reflect which brain structures are activated, and how, during the performance of different tasks. The MEG will measure the magnetic fields produced by the electrical activity in the brain via extremely sensitive superconducting quantum interference devices."

The blond nodded, completely serious. "Of course. I'll get you whatever you need."

"What kind of tasks are you talking about for the MRI one?" Maxwell spoke up, shooting her a wary glance.

She was reassured that at least one of them would think of Harry's comfort as more important than results of a test, something she knew Yuy was incapable of. This was exactly why she was so worried about him taking care of Harry. "He'd be placed in front of a video screen. Scenes will play out, triggering emotional responses. He will also be asked to use a joystick to hit indicated targets testing hand-eye coordination and reaction times. During these tasks, the fMRI will reveal how his brain processes these perceptions, thoughts, and actions." She straightened and crossed her arms. "It's a pretty grueling test, so tell me why you feel it is necessary putting him through that."

"Besides his head being lit up like a thunder storm?" Maxwell drawled, jaw tense, fists tightly clenched.

"That is none of your concern," Yuy snapped. "If we feel it is necessary to have this test, then you will do it."

"Heero," Winner cautioned before turning to face Sally. "As we've explained, we suspect Harry's DNA has been altered for unknown reasons. We suspect he will evidence abnormal physiology, and we want to understand his condition to be sure his needs are cared for."

Sally said nothing to this. She tapped the intercom and told Wufei he could stop. The test was over. Harry sighed and wiggled as the sensors were removed from his scalp. She led them back to the original exam room and had Harry sit on the table once more. The boy was falling asleep and didn't even flinch when she took a good amount of blood.

Once that was done, the boy immediately turned to Barton and lifted his arms in a silent request to be held. Barton picked the boy up without hesitation and cradled him. He murmured something into the little boy's ear that made Harry smile sleepily, eyes already closed. She watched, amazed, as the teen placed a gentle hand on the child's head to steady it against his shoulder. The boy was out like a light.

She gathered the vials and her data pad. "I'll start working on the blood samples. It will take me at least two days to do an extensive DNA analysis, if you wish to return then."

"Do you need assistance?" Wufei offered, also getting to his feet.

Sally shook her head. "No, thank you. I'd rather do it myself to be sure nothing is missed."

"Thank you so much for your assistance. We really appreciate this," Winner said kindly while the others filed out. "I'll have the equipment you need delivered."

"I hope you understand what you're doing," she returned, staring frankly into his eyes. "I'm not sure his placement with you is healthy for any involved."

Winner's expression hardened and closed off. "Thank you for your concern, Dr. Po. Please keep us updated."

Sally sighed as he marched out. Just like that, she was alone in the empty clinic, her suitcase behind the receptionist desk. She stood there for a long moment and allowed the day to sink in. She was in a very unexpected situation, but there wasn't a lot she could do about it. She'd already promised her assistance, and she wouldn't break their trust without a very compelling reason. She would keep their secrets; she just hoped they knew what they were doing.

xXxXxXx

Once Harry was tucked in bed for the night, Wufei and the others gathered in the sitting room. He untied his hair and stretched the band around his fingers in irritation. Quatre was leaning back on the couch, elbow on the couch arm, his head propped up on his hand, while Duo paced. Heero stood by the table, scowling at the far wall. Trowa was the most casual, sitting calmly in the sofa chair across from his lover.

"I will talk to her. She does not understand our situation," Wufei offered.

"Forget that! What about these tests?" Duo demanded, turning sharply enough that his braid almost smacked Trowa in the face.

Trowa leaned away, causing his long bangs to slide away from his face. A very unhappy expression was revealed. Wufei wondered, not for the first time, why his comrade insisted on hiding half his face behind his bangs, but such thoughts were just an attempt to avoid the issue. It wasn't an easy one. It was likely the hardest they'd faced so far.

Duo's glare grew more venomous as the silence stretched. "Well?"

"What do you think about it, Duo?" Quatre asked.

Wufei smiled to himself, amused that Quatre was basically inviting Duo to fling himself on the conversational grenade.

"I say no way," the braided teen answered without hesitation. "I'm not going to take over the scientist's jobs and dissect Harry. His mind is brighter than normal. That's good enough for me. Knowing how his brain works won't help us teach him how to use his power, so what's the point of putting him through more tests except to make Harry into a science project?"

"We should know his condition," Heero snapped, stepping forward aggressively. "Most subjects of genetic engineering aren't stable. They die, Duo."

Wufei wasn't the only one to lean away from the building confrontation.

"We can't undo what's been done!" Duo glared right back and jutted out his chin. "If he dies because of weak genes, what can we do about it? All we can do is make sure he lives happily while he can. Turning him into a test subject isn't what I call a happy life!"

"Why don't we see what Sally's gene analysis uncovers," Quatre intervened, always the peacekeeper.

Wufei shook his head. It took a brave man to step between a pissed off Duo Maxwell and a Heero Yuy who had his mind set on something.

"If she notices any instability, we can do further testing to increase Harry's chances of survival," Quatre continued, clearly distressed by the very idea of Harry's death. "I worry that if we treat him like he has a disease, he's going to pick up on that and think he's different from normal children."

"He is different. Pretending otherwise is foolish," Heero argued, fists clenching with visible frustration. "I don't want him to think of himself as a freak, but we can't deny reality. That isn't healthy, either."

Quatre's hand ran through his thick hair in a fast sweep, disheveling it. "If Harry is like me, his genes are stable. You don't see me going to the doctors and undergoing constant testing. I went through that when I was seven before they knew what was wrong with me, and Duo's right. It's no way to live. He already has therapy twice a week. Including regular hospital visits will be too much."

"I'm not suggesting we turn him into a lab project," Heero nearly snarled at the blond. "He should take the tests once so we have baseline data. If he has physical problems in the future, we'll need such information to better help him."

Duo grabbed the infuriated pilot's arm and spun him around to face him. Wufei tensed, waiting for Heero to explode and lash out, but Heero stood still in Duo's grasp, content just to glare.

"Fine," Duo snapped. "I can agree to him taking that MEG test, but I don't think Harry is ready to take the fMRI. Sally said he'd be shown images to invoke emotional reactions. Harry's not mentally ready for something like that. We may even trigger an unknown phobia. In such a situation, where he's helpless and at another's mercy, a situation we've instigated, Harry could feel betrayed or that we aren't capable of protecting him."

Heero continued to glower, but he gave a sharp nod. "Acceptable, but if Sally finds his genes are unstable, we'll do whatever testing is necessary to better ensure Harry's survival."

"Acceptable," Duo parroted back, a smug smile appearing on his features.

Quatre chuckled quietly as Wufei rolled his eyes. At least a decision had been made.

Chapter end. Please review!

A/N: I decided to do the medical scene from the doctor's POV. I thought it would be interesting to see through the eyes of someone outside the boys' tight-knit group. Do you like occasional POV like this, or do you prefer having the story told through the eyes of the boys or main characters only?