From
Behind The Glass
Part Three
The rhythmic
harmony of the waves continued on as Trowa concluded his late afternoon swim.
Being submerged in the salt water for so long had stung his eyes and dried his
soft skin. Nevertheless, he loved that water as if it were the endless depths
of space. When he was in there, it felt like the currents were carrying him,
rendering him weightless. Indeed, it was very relaxing to leave the weight of
the world behind if only for a few minutes. The dives he took also brought
about new discoveries that stimulated his senses. He realized that when he
traveled deep into the recesses of the sea, he would find all types of unseen
species. He enjoyed seeing the different corals that lined the bottom as well
as the different kinds of fish that swam through their blue surroundings,
ignoring his presence. It was just like the television portrayed it, but even
the most vivid screens could not capture the real thing. There was truly
nothing like seeing the real beauty before your eyes.
Then, all of a sudden, he thought about
Quatre. Today, his love had not joined him on his adventurous journey.
Recently, he was having trouble with swimming for long periods of time. This
was very strange since he was always the good swimmer and he always shared
Trowa's enthusiasm for the world that existed beneath them. He was probably too
tired from taking care of business, now that he though of it. He felt a pang of
guilt as he thought about it. The vacation was meant for Quatre's enjoyment and
yet he had left him behind.
As he continued the rest of the way back to
shore, he felt a strange sensation run through him. The wind blew through his bare skin and then suddenly, he heard
something so familiar from not far away. It sounded like a soft whisper in
through one ear and out the other.
"I love you, Trowa." it said, so sweet and
distant, as if it were a final farewell.
It was about that time that he snapped back
into reality. One look towards the far left suddenly confirmed that strange
sensation.
Trowa ran towards the horrifying scene as
fast as he could. His fears about Quatre had all come true. He knew that it was
just a matter of time before his health would finally fail him. That was why he
had arranged this little 'get-away.' He just hoped that it wasn't too late.
Seeing his Quatre laying down on the sand
from afar was nothing like seeing him up close. He looked so frail and
lifeless.
"Damn it! Breathe!" Duo said as he watched,
horrified as Wufei performed CPR.
Heero was right beside Duo with a complete
display of both shock and guilt on his face. When Trowa came to them, they just
remained where they were without saying a word.
"What happened to him?" Trowa asked, but he
was completely ignored by the two. They were too busy saying their own little
prayers. Seeing Trowa a bit annoyed and frustrated, Wufei decided to answer the
question between breaths.
"He ran out of breath." was all he said as
he continued pumping the pale chest and breathing into the mouth that currently
possessed lifeless blue lips.
Wufei was the first person to arrive at the
scene, being the only one alert enough to notice what was happening. Duo was
too busy teasing Heero that they both didn't notice what was going on. One yell
from Wufei was enough for them to realize what was actually happening.
"He clutched his chest and then just fell
to the ground." Wufei decided to add, though never stopping the process which
he carefully performed.
After what seemed like forever, Quatre
finally responded. He first breathed in deeply, then started to cough
violently. Trowa was by his side in an instant. He rubbed Quatre's back
soothingly, trying to ease the pain that came with the coughing. This went on
for quite some time. When Quatre finally stopped, he looked towards Trowa with sleepy eyes and said weakly "I'm
tired." He then fell asleep in Trowa's arms.
Nobody said a word as Trowa picked him up
and carried him towards the cottage ahead. The three followed behind watching
closely and intently.
When they were inside, Trowa brought Quatre
to their room. He was starting to put him in bed when he remembered that they
were both filled with sand. So, he laid Quatre on the couch as he prepared a
warm bath. When it was ready, he took the sandy clothing off, laying him gently
in the warm water filled with the sweet scent of strawberries. He picked up a
sponge and began washing off the remnants of the beach from his skin. Then, he
washed Quatre's hair delicately, loving the feel of soft, bubbly hair in his
hands.
Outside, the three were having a meaningful
conversation while toweling off.
"I didn't even notice anything."
"That was probably because you were
tickling Heero with that braid of yours."
Duo couldn't say anything in defense.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to blame you.
After all, I wasn't your fault. Yours too, Heero." Wufei said looking at the two who, at the moment were
very much disappointed with themselves. Heero, especially, had been quiet after
he saw what he had caused.
"There is nobody to blame here. I think
that the best we could do right now is to help him in any way we can. First, we
have to find out what's wrong." Wufei added to break the mood. The two agreed
and followed him to the room.
What they saw inside caused them to smile
and yet, break their hearts at the same time. In the middle of the bed, facing
the door was Trowa and Quatre, bathed and in pajamas. They were both
sitting. Quatre was tucked in front
Trowa. Trowa had one arm on Quatre's waist and the other was rubbing his chest
gently. Quatre had his head fall back on Trowa's shoulder struggling to take in
air. It was obvious that he had a hard time breathing. Every now and then, he
would cry out in pain but Trowa was there to hold him, trying to help in any
way he could. Trowa looked at the three by the door, silently asking for a
miracle he knew they could not perform. They answered him with apologetic,
downcast eyes for they knew that there was nothing they could do.
Feeling that same feeling of helplessness
he did at the beach, Duo supported Trowa by wordlessly saying "We'll be here when you need us. Just call."
The look on his face was enough for Trowa to understand and he nodded in
agreement. Duo then guided his two companions out.
"We'll have to bring him to a doctor immediately."
Duo said as he began formulating a plan. "I know one but it isn't very close to
this area. I think it's the best we could do considering our distance from the
nearest town."
"I'll get our things ready and try to
search for the closest hospital or doctor I could find." Heero finally spoke as
he looked towards Wufei who had already started packing up.
Inside the room, Quatre was finally calming
down. The painkillers Trowa gave him were starting to work. Feeling tired for
the third time that day, he was unable to reassure Trowa that he was going to
be fine. No words could be formed from his mouth and dry throat as he laid his
head back down on Trowa's shoulder and fell asleep. Noticing this, Trowa laid
him down on the bed and looked at him. He studied Quatre's face and remembered
that he almost lost him that day. He looked down on his love as a tear slid
down his face.
All he could say was "I told you so."
He kissed Quatre on his cheek. Feeling the exhaustion
from his day's exertion, he fell asleep with his arms protectively around
Quatre.