four
Over the din of Sweetwater in full swing, Hilde heard the rumble of the building's opening doors. Her heart began to swell with hope as her visitor neared. Delilah and Krista were at odds with each other over what movie some old movie star won an Academy Award for. Midii, on the other hand, was playing charades with Robin, she was a natural at not speaking. Molly was off cavorting through the many halls.
announced a nurse over the speakers, Please come to the nurse's station.
She got up leisurely, and walked over. The clerk at hand, Polly, strapped a wristband around her left hand and told her that she had a visitor. After that, Hilde was led into the white wall with an orderly. She stepped in, and she was by herself. There was a couch and a single, comfortable looking arm chair and a stack of magazines on a coffee table. Hilde sat down at the couch and let her hands fall peacefully into her lap. The doors on the other side of the room opened with harsh light, and Hilde was momentarilly blinded. When the light was closed off, she blinked her eyes numerous times before regaining good sight.
Standing by the doors, was not Duo. Standing at the doors was Heero Yuy. Hilde's heart broke. She lost all expression.
Heero said, walking over to her, not facing the monitor cameras.
She made a quiet whimpering sound, looking directly over his shoulder. Heero kneeled down by her legs. Duo's alive.
Why isn't he here?
Heero, stunned, cleared his throat. Duo's on earth. He's been there all along.
Tears formed and fled down her cheeks.
he whispered, her name lingering on his breath like the scent of flowers, I'm going to take you to him.
Why isn't he here? she repeated.
Hilde came walking back into the rec. room with the saddest look on her face. He left me. He left me.
Midii's hands went to her heart. Robin looked back at Hilde and finally said something, slowly and sadly.
That is what she's in for...now it's just risen another level.
I don't think she should be alone, confided Delilah to Midii. She might do something to herself.
Midii nodded, and in the darkness of the onset of night after the day's troubling events, she went to Hilde's room. Laying in a blanket-wrapped clump on the bed was Hilde, not stirring.
He's on earth, Hilde said without warning, not moving. He left me.
I'm sorry, Midii went to sit down on her bed and rubbed Hilde's back through the covers. I'm sorry, Hilde.
She sniffled. He faked his death to get away from me.
What? No, he wouldn't do that. It had to be a coincidence, Hilde.
The next day, Hilde was less lively than ever. She didn't bother to get up at breakfast, and she didn't even talk to anyone while they chatted in the bathouse. The nurses tsked and pouted as she moped and planted herself on the couch. Robin stayed near most of the day, while Delilah and Krista engaged in an arm wrestling match. Light classical music played, the stereo now off bounds and parked in the nurse's station. Hilde curled up in the corner of the couch. Krista lost the match when Carlene flicked her ear, and ran off to be pursued in a chase. Delilah got up and went over to see Hilde. She stroked her hair a few times and sat down against the couch on the floor.
Where's Midii?
She went to talk to the doctors earlier. They're thinking about releasing her.
Robin looked up. She gazed at Hilde sadly. She knew how much Midii meant to Hilde. They'd been each other's condolences their entire stay. Delilah and Hilde had become close friends due only to their similarities. But Midii and Hilde, they were practically bonded for life now. The year they'd spent together was spent learning from each other. Midii was now well enough to go back to the outside world. Everyone else was too scared to get better and rejoin society. They'd lost the ability to get along with normal people, people who kept their problems on the inside.
Nina finally made another public appearance. She slunk out from her room, hidden on the other side of the corridor. Wearing a pair of shorts and a shirt, an antique looking quilt pulled around her shoulders, she tried her best to inconspicuously find a place to watch TV. Hilde didn't say anything.
Delilah greeted. Come sit over here.
She looked grateful, shaken up as Krista hauled Carly laughing her guts out down the tiled hall and to the nurse's station. Iris stepped around Carlene and hid herself in her room.
Has anyone seen Molly?
Molly's sleeping Moletto off, I think, Samantha answered. Totally out.
So is Hilde, Carlene piped from the floor.
Krista kicked her in the side firmly, but not hard enough to do any damage. Nurse Beverly walked out of the station after closing a vidline. She looked worried, and shooed the girls off when she kneeled in front of Hilde.
she said softly, get up, I need to take you to Dr. Wright's office. Come along now.
Hilde got up so unhurried that Nurse Beverly had Delilah help her stand. She also told Samantha and Robin to go pack Hilde's things out of her earshot. They made their way out of the block and down to the offices. Midii exited Dr. Wright's office just as they arrived, she looked surprised.
she said, what's going on, Beverly?
Don't worry about it, just go and do what the doctors said, Midii.
Dr. Wright smiled at Hilde as Delilah let her walk in on her own. She and the nurse went back to their block. Hilde stared at the doctor, her stoned features not altered by his stature. She simply didn't care any more. He laced his fingers together on top of his desk.
Hilde, I've spoken to a man named Wilson Halloway recently. He wishes me to allow you to go with his assistant to earth for a treatment. His papers are clear, and I surely feel that this treatment might do you good.
He nodded. The young man you were visited by yesterday, he is Dr. Halloway's assistant. I understand that you two spoke?
She nodded. He told me about earth.
We feel that it would be in your best interests to go. And since you are in our custody, you will be leaving shortly. Is this understandable?
Hilde nodded. Minutes passed with mindless dribble from the humorous doctor as he tried to fill in dead air. Heero was still on campus, but they didn't know that. He had been actually hacking into records and preparing the fate for Hilde on earth through his computer mastery. In a matter of minutes, he'd successfully routed Hilde's safe trip to earth.
Are you ready?
Hilde stood at the docking bay with her bags by her feet. Heero went to pick them up and led her into the shuttle. I told you I would get you out.
She tried to smile, but only made herself look all the more pitiful. After her bags had been loaded, she and Heero found their seats. The girls in the block had all thrown a fit, showering her with nick nacks. And Midii gave her one single thing. With a hug, she handed her a golden yellow oenothera flower from the garden. One from the flower beds that they'd planted the year before. Hilde cried most of the time, and Midii told her that she too would be leaving on the next flight out to L3. Their departation was sad, and all the girls seemed to be just a little less extroverted and a little bit smaller than usual.
Heero finally buckled himself in and noticed the flower Hilde had in her clutches. Memories flooded into his foreward mind as she held it. A yellowish, almost orange perennial that he'd seen before. It was the same flower the girl with her dog, Mary, had given him. A sundrop. An evening primrose. An oenothera. He looked away when she glanced over at him.
Duo'd called her from the other side of the compound, I'm absolutely famished. What are you up to?
I was just about to bring you a glass of water, actually. I finished that load of paperwork.
She traversed the compound and found him in a warehouse, stradling part of an old mobile suit. He smiled greatly at her and climbed down. Hilde handed him his water and picked up a wrench. She began squarely dismantleing the hatch of the Leo without any help. Not only could she cook and clean, garden and sew, but she could fix anything and do anything she wanted with a computer at her fingertips. Duo finished off the glass and went to stop her.
Come on, you're making me look bad.
He made her sit down with him on the fallen chest of the suit. She sighed. I just want to feel like I'm needed.
You are, he said distantly, more than you know.
Bill sure seems to need you a lot, you could go do some work for him, he told her cheerfully, betraying his inward feelings.
She chuckled. Bill wants a lot more than work, it seems...
Startled, yet numbed by her most recent bout of anti-depressants, Hilde noticed Heero talking to her. They were stopped at L4 before heading on to earth. Heero had his arms crossed, looking past Hilde and out through the window.
Will you be all right?
She looked down at the flower in her lap. I don't know. I've missed him so much.
If anything's wrong, Heero watched the new passengers board, only a few, tell me and I'll make sure he regrets it.
You're doing all this for me, she said softly, and I want to thank you.
I couldn't let Duo do something like this and leave you in Sweetwater. You don't belong in there. Duo's done enough to himself already. He doesn't need to do anything to you now that he's...
She closed her eyes, tears rimming and about to gush over. Please, I know that he had a reason. I'm just happy that he's still alive. I don't want to hurt him, if he's moved on without me.
You're going to see him, Hilde. He knew exactly what she was getting at.
Heero, I can't.
He sighed. You used to be strong. Duo told me. I know how much he cares for you.
They were quiet as the engines roared behind them. Hilde leaned her head against the wall beside her and willed sleep to overtake her. Heero kept his eyes on her throughout the trip, wary of her delicate condition. He strangely felt inclined to protect her, knowing that she'd become a fallen, misplaced soldier with nowhere else to go except a mental institution with people who weren't anywhere like her. She was like a child's toy, tucked into the corner, gripping the flower so hard that the remaining life in it seemed to wither away in her white, spindly fingers. She'd been small before, but now she was so tiny that she was almost lost in the crevases in the seat.
...to be continued...