So it has been almost a decade since I began this story. Wow that makes me feel so old. The fanfiction world has drawn me back in. I have some ideas on how I might conclude this story. But the question is, since it has been so long, are there enough readers out there who still want the story? If yes speak up now, otherwise I will move on and leave this story unfinished.
Chapter 13
Dr. Mills lightly tapped on Duo's open door, peering inside as he did so. Duo sat at the small desk Dr. Mills had arranged to be placed in the room and was starring at the journal that came with it. When Duo didn't respond to the knock he took a step into the room.
"Duo?"
The young man tugged the back of his braid and looked over at him. Leaning back on the chair he balanced on its two back legs tediously. Dr. Mills looked down at the journal that was opened to a blank page. "Nothing to write?" He crossed his arms as he inquired.
"I just can't." Duo slammed the front chair legs back down and flipped the small leather journal closed. He looked at Dr. Mills. "Not my thing." He sighed, trying to force the frustration out. "It's not, I don't know, not natural." He tugged at his hair again, a habit the doctor recognized as a coping mechanism. "I don't write things down. I don't leave information."
"You're not in a vulnerable state of war." He took a seat on the edge of Duo's tightly tucked in bed. "You aren't writing down battle plans the enemy is going to find. You are just writing whatever comes to you." He had a feeling the journal wouldn't come easily, but that didn't mean he was going to disregard it, it was as a good coping mechanism.
"I'd rather be." He shot up from the chair and paced. "Out there at least I had a purpose! Now-" he waved in disgust at his surroundings, "now I get a journal to express my God damn feelings." Duo emphasized his resentment for the journal by slamming his fist into it.
This was not going well. Time to switch his thoughts, and quickly. Dr. Mills stood up and walked to the door. "Grab your tennis shoes."
"What?" Duo continued to stare at the journal. Stupid thing. Write what you feel, okay sure, I'd never get out of here!
"Shoes. Let's go." Dr. Mills said louder to pull Duo from his thoughts.
Duo looked up at him finally and tilted his head, like a dog trying to understand his owner.
"I need to to lose this" he motioned to the small gut forming over his belt "and you need to let off some steam. A workout will do us both good." He walked out of the room and after five big steps Duo still hadn't followed. He started to slow down and shorten his stride, hoping Duo would come.
Duo sighed again, this time releasing the anger. Okay, a workout it is. He grabbed his ugly pair of white tennis shoes and left, his eyes avoiding the journal mocking him on the desk.
–
"What do you mean the CPA canceled the meeting?" Quatre scowled at the communicator. The Colonist's Agency of Preservation's goal to preserve dilapidated colonies seemed good on paper, but Quatre knew better. Their actions were turning aggressive. "Addison, we have to address their actions." For months now the organization had been using Winner resources without permission. At first Quatre was only amused by them and waved them off. Now the pesky fly had turned into a rogue elephant stomping around with scary unpredictability.
"They did not reply to our messages. I am unable to contact them." Quatre's secretary responded.
"Do we have a status report on them?" He waved his arms around. "Do we even know their location?" He stopped himself from banging his fist on his desk and instead slowly lowered himself back down into his chair. Calming himself he closed his eyes. "What can you tell me Addison?" He quietly asked.
"Our legal team is investigating it sir."
Legal team? It was past that point wasn't it? "Fine. Keep me posted. I am going to do some digging here on my end. Thank you Addison." He cut off the communication and sat still for a minute. What were you up to CPA? Heero's presence in his doorway broke the thoughts he was trying to tape together. Quatre looked up at him, Heero said nothing. He sighed. "Yes Heero?"
"Your ride is here." Heero announced and left.
My ride? Oh, the meeting with Operations was moved to today. He quickly grabbed a blazer and crossed the room. He glanced at the mirror beside the door before leaving. He looked exhausted. Great. I could use Duo's ability to morph his face right about now. He headed down to meet his driver. Working out of Heero's condo was becoming too difficult. He wasn't sure how much longer he could afford to be here.
–
Duo laced up his shoes while Dr. Mills changed out of his dress shirt and slacks into a dark green tracksuit. He laughed when Dr. Mills came out of the dressing room.
"What?" He looked down at his green pants and back up at the boy shaking his head.
"When was the last time you worked out?"
Dr. Mills eyed the tracksuit. "Well maybe it has gotten a little tight" he paused and placed his hands on his hips, "but that's why we're here, right?"
"A one hour workout isn't going to get you down two sizes." Duo stood and pulled his sweater off. He tugged his white undershirt down and walked over to the rack of dumbbells.
Dr. Mills noted he still seemed too thin for his height. He would have to start taking a look into his diet more closely. But then again, he was just a little below his normal weight. He had always been petite. Duo grabbed hold of a weight, testing it before grabbing another.
"Want to have a crunches competition?" He moved towards the sit-up bench and patted his stomach.
Duo glanced over at the black leather bench.
"I know, I know, unfair competition. You will pulverize me, but I always enjoy a friendly competition." Dr. Mills sat down on it.
Shaking his head no Duo grabbed another weight. "I can't."
It was now Dr. Mills' turn to tilt his head like a confused dog.
"I broke my ribs too many times." Duo began to do curls. "They weren't given time to heal properly. Scar tissue and inter-something nerves." He continued rhythmically raising the dumbbell.
"Intercostal nerve." Dr. Mills walked away from the bench.
"Yeah something or other. Either way it can be uncomfortable so I work around it."
Alright, Dr. Mills thought as he sat down on a bike instead and adjusted its settings. That's a small opening for an oral journal entry. "I can't do squats." He shared as the machine started beeping an error message. "Busted my knee my last season of soccer." The beeping continued and he randomly began to hit the small buttons. "Missed my chance to finish the season off." His fist pounded down on the control panel. "Damn piece of garbage" he muttered the insult and the machine beeped back at him. "Real shame, I was getting a lot of attention. Who knows, maybe medical school wouldn't have happened if not for Scott O'Flare." The bike begin to calculate the proper resistance and Dr. Mills sighed. "Finally." He pedaled and continued. "Real big scalawag."
Duo snorted. "Scalawag huh?" He placed the dumbbells down and walked over to a pull-up bar.
"Oh yes. I think he purposefully took me out." He peddled harder at the thought. Imagining he was racing after Scott O'Flare he picked up the pace. "Your turn. Tell me just one of your many broken ribs stories. You get to pick. Easy enough?" He felt beads of sweat starting to form on his brow.
Duo hoisted himself up above the bar and felt his grip begin to slip when Dr. Mills said it was his turn. "What is this, swapping battle wound stories now?" He grunted and pulled himself back up.
"That or I can put on some techno work out tunes." He smiled when he heard Duo's sigh.
"Okay then, let's see." His arms were starting to burn. "Well the professors did a number on me when I was suppose to assassinate them." The burning felt good, he continued to push himself.
Dr. Mills ears tuned in and he slowed his pedaling down. "Professors? You mean the men who trained you as a gundam pilot? Why would you want to assassinate them?"
"They had been captured and were building suits for Oz. When I found them I learned they were also secretly building me and Wufei new gundams since ours had been destroyed." He dropped down from the bar and wiped his hands on his sweatpants. "In order to keep them from being exposed they did a number on me and handed me over to Oz." He glanced around at the other equipment and decided to stick with the basics and headed over to a treadmill. "Master O has a mean punch."
"Wasn't that after the girl, was it Hilde, shot your Leo suit down?"
Duo stopped inputting his running preference into the machine.
"I do know some things about the war Duo." Dr. Mills fought back the urge to begin breathing through his mouth as he felt his legs begin to cramp. Should have stretched first.
Duo selected up hill and began a slow jog. "She didn't shoot me down, her carrier did. And she was the one to help get me into the Lunar base." Knowing what his next question was going to be he went ahead and answered it. "And no, I don't know where she is now. We haven't seen each other since after the Eve's War."
"Any reason for that?" He knew he was pushing it with another question.
"No one can live with me for long." He glared at Dr. Mills, signaling the conversation was finished.
Dr. Mills felt satisfied and did not want to press any further. He was curious about what happened between the two, but left it alone and allowed Duo to run in peace with his own thoughts. He looked at Duo as he went from a jog to a sprint. Well, maybe not at peace.