Chapter 5

I tap around on the screens in my Gundam, looking for anything the technicians at that damned base may've done to Sandrock as I navigate in the direction of a heavy forest. I find nothing and happily check the system updates. Only three are there, two seem to be as a notice and archive of missions from pilot 01 and 03. Seems they had a mission while I was gone. I check the parameters and feel a bit guilty to know that I was supposed to've been in Trowa's place on that mission.

"Well Sandrock," I mumble as I concentrate on checking updates and controlling the Gundam, "there's nothing to be done about that now. I best land you soon, before I pass out from lack of everything that isn't pain, ne bud?"

Oh dear, I think to myself and shake my head ruefully, I'm starting to sound like Duo. I blink twice, trying to clear the double vision that was caused when I shook my head, not the smartest thing to do.

I go back to checking the reports and find that the safe house has moved, but not far from its last location. In fact, only about 5 kilometers west of that. Reading more, I find it was supposed to be relocated farther away, 300 k's in fact. A tear runs down my cheek as I realize the most likely reason the move was delayed: Duo put up a fuss about possibly leaving me behind. He must've because that's the only way they would've stayed there. Heero had always had a soft spot for the braided pilot, most likely thought of him as someone else he needed to protect. But Duo and Heero would never get into a relationship that consisted of anything more than friends. They'd be at each other's throats in a heartbeat. Heero liked to be in control all the time, as well as Duo. Well, I correct myself, Duo doesn't always like being in control, we switch sometimes, but never being in any control would irk him very much, and there was no way in Hell that Heero would let Duo be dominate in anything. It would just end up in one big fight with both of them most likely ending up in the hospital.

I drag my attention away from my thoughts and scan the land below me for a good place to hide Sandrock and myself for a night. There was no way I'd make it home alive if I didn't take care of my injuries and hunger. I swear I can smell the provisions in the storage box, even though I know it's got to be physically impossible. As much as I want to make it home to my beloved, I know it'll be better if I get myself fixed up and healed first. Duo would go on a mass murdering spree if he knew what I'd been through, I've no doubt about that. I've got to make myself look a little more presentable for my koi's welfare.

I land Sandrock and turn on the radar so I won't be taken by surprise if anything's out looking for me. Opening the hatch I walk out onto the platform and stretch my legs, opting for fresh air before anything else. After being locked in a cell for one day short of four months I cherish fresh air instead of the smells of mold, grime, sweat, blood and all the possible bodily fluids one can emit. My stomach grumbles at me quite loudly and I almost double over from the pain. It would obviously be best to get some food into myself before I pass out, and in case of another battle.

I head back into Sandrock and rifle through the storage box in the floor. Pulling out blankets, pillows, a gas stove, cans of food, beef jerky, a pocket knife, some tools, a radio, water, and a first-aid kit. I find something left in the bottom corner of the storage box. I pick it up and realize with a smile that it's a box of my favorite chocolates. I quickly open the box and find a note inside, written with my koi's distinctive handwriting. All thoughts of food are temporarily pushed aside in favor of this note. Though it's only written on a green sticky-note, and has a few chocolate stains around the outside, it seems like the best thing I've seen in a long while.

'Oi Q-koi, I thought you'd like a box of your favorite chocolates for your mission. Ain't I the best guy around? I even ate the kind you don't like and replaced 'em with the kind you do from another box that's waitin for you at home, but only if you eat all these first. Come back to me soon my lil, Angel. ~Shinigami '

My eyes burn with tears and I let go then. All the emotions of sadness that took over when I went Zero race up on me now and reduce me to a sobbing heap on the floor of my Gundam, wrapped up in one of the few blankets that Sandrock had to offer me. I place the lid back on the chocolates, but keep the note in my hand, crumpled and tear-stained, as I curl up into a ball and sob.

I wake up with a start and whip my head up to check my surroundings. I realize I'm no longer in the cell as I recognize Sandrocks' interior. I check the clock, 10:00 pm. Meaning I got a nice three hour nap before something woke me up. Something had to've woken me up, usually I sleep for as long as I need to unless something wakes me up, whether it be a dream, an Oz fleet, or Duo. I don't mind the latter too much, but I do mind the Oz groupies on my tail before I've even eaten anything. I pull myself to my feet and check the navigation unit. Indeed, three Oz Aries are headed this way, I'm assuming that they're scouts for a bigger group out there somewhere. I curse silently and watch the screen intently, hoping that the cloaking device Duo helped me install on Sandrock works as well as he said it would. The Aries get within 25 kilometers before turning away, north-east of where I am, an scanning another area. I sigh in relief and then collapse to the floor in pain as my stomach demands to be fed.

I comply as quickly as I can, rummaging around the pile of stuff I left on the floor and coming up some of the beef jerky in about .5 seconds flat. I practically tear through the carefully wrapped package and eat the whole thing. Realizing my mistake a little too late, I lean on the back of the flight chair as a sea of nausea overcomes me. You see, after going a long time with very little food, its not best to eat something that quickly because your stomach won't be used to it.

I close my eyes and take a swig from the bottle of water. It makes me feel better and the nausea passes. I realize now, I should've eaten as soon as I got the chance, the nap could've waited. I mean, what if the Aries hadn't turned away, would I've been strong enough to fight them? I still don't know, but I'm glad I get a chance now, however small it is, to take care of myself before I have to find that small squad and destroy them.

I force myself to eat another stick of jerky slowly, as I use the knife to cut off the top of a can of stew and place it over the gas stove, waiting for it to heat up. I wince as using the knife causes my hand to start bleeding again because of some of the old barbed wire gashes that never completely healed.

I silently curse myself as I root around through the piles on the floor. The red cross on the med kit catches my attention and I snatch it from under a stack of food cans. I flip open the lid and begin to tend to my injuries. All in all, I'm surprised by the lack of severity of them. Burns, those are taken care of easily. Scratches and cuts, same with those. Only the gash where the bullet grazed me needs stitches, and only eight. Other than that, I'm full of bruises. I wince as I realize I'm going to have to stitch myself up, I'm not very good at that sort of thing. Heero's the one with the exceptional control of pain, not me. It's gonna hurt...like a bitch.

I finish cleaning my wounds, the antiseptic burns but I can deal with it. This stuff was given to me by Heero, made by Dr. J. Now usually I don't trust the doctors worth a damn, but Heero said this stuff's really good at fighting off infection and heals it more quickly than anything they have in hospitals. The bottle's only been used once before, for a gash on my arm that left a scar, but without it I think I would've taken another three weeks to heal completely. Basically, this stuff burns like hell, but it works. The bandages are a lot easier to put on, and I'm done with those in about a half hour. My wrists only slightly bandaged, to allow for maximum maneuverability, I reach for the things for the stitches and bite another roll of gauze to keep from making to much noise as the needle slides through my skin. I go as quickly as possible without being sloppy, and have eight neat stitches. I spit out the gauze and immediately pop some painkillers, wiping the sweat from my forehead. My stomach rumbles again, though not as bad as before, and I remember the soup I had been heating up. I grab it and curse as I burn my hand.

"Great, another burn." I mutter and stick my fingers in my mouth. The burn isn't bad and I use a blanket as an oven mitt after I turn off the gas stove. I plop down in my pilot chair and munch on the stew as I reorganize the files in Sandrocks' database. I come to realize that it'll take a while to get home as my eyes go over the radar systems. I'm 200 kilometers from the base I blew up. Well, I correct myself, the one I'm pretty sure got blown up. They must've moved me...that means it'll take me at least—I do the mental calculations—nine hours to get to the latest safe house. I grumble about the long trip I'm going to have ahead of me and decide to fly back to the Oz base tomorrow morning to 'borrow' a carrier...well, if there're any left.

I put the empty can of stew in the garbage disposal and put everything back into the storage box, leaving out the radio, a blanket, and a pillow. I push the button for the platform to open and am somewhat shocked when I see snow falling before I remember that it's February after all, and snow's a common occurrence. I probably didn't realize it sooner because of the problems I was having. I grumble again and close the platform. There went my ideas for sleeping under the stars.

The pillow lands on the chair with a 'bwat' and I follow it, curling up in the blanket and turning the radio on the a classical station to calm my nerves. I recheck Sandrocks' radar and curl up in the blanket before falling asleep thinking of my violet eyed koi.