Part1
The hot dusty climate left dozens of laborers streaked with dirt and sweat as they slowly worked the desert soil. The Gila River Camp, a place for innocent Americans, their only mistake, having Japanese blood flowing through their veins. One small boy worked hard among the men, he wiped sweat from his brow and lifted his hoe to strike the earth again. He'd stopped counting hours ago, he no longer cared that he was stronger then most his age. He knew better then to weep for his lost father, or even imagine freedom. He'd been in this awful camp for a year. He only longed for the pitiful meal he might receive. The camp itself lacked many supplies, and its buildings weren't very near completion, the laborers switched weekly, farming or building. The boy, Heero, had caused too much trouble his first few days, the soldiers had placed him with the men to keep him too tired to fight back. His sixteenth birthday had passed, he had heard the soldiers talking and learned the date, June eighth nineteen forty- three.
Heero tensed as someone touched his bare, sun darkened shoulder.
"Hey shorty, your holes not deep enough." A sneering eighteen year old flashed his gritty teeth as Heero slowly turned, a blank look on his childish face.
"Actually, if you measured it you'd know it was three centimeters too deep." Heero calmly stated, turning to start a new hole for the tomato plants tomorrow's workers would plant.
"Your to smart for your own good."
Heero fell forward as the teen shoved him into the dirt. He sprang back up to face his attacker. Wiping blood from his cut lip.
"Knock it off!"
The two boys stopped their intended bashing, as a soldier tossed them to the ground.
"You can forget Lunch today, Yuy." The red haired soldier glared down at Heero, letting the other boy scramble away. "Go see the nurse, then check into latrine duty."
Heero entered the crowded infirmary; many children and adults lay on the dirtied floors, suffering from heat stroke, to Tuberculosis. Only a few nurses wandered from person to person, not a single doctor was wasted on the "Filthy Japs".
"Hey! I can help you over here, you don't look too sick." A seemingly over excited boy gestured to Heero, not many children besides those with Japanese blood were allowed in the camps. Yet Heero was sure that the boy was not of Japanese heritage. He slowly made his way through the mass of sick people and stopped in front of the violet-eyed boy.
"I'm Duo! My mom works here with my dad, I'm trying to help out, but can't understand some of these people, you can speak English, right?" Duo gestured to a chair and grabbed a slightly clean looking washcloth. It took Heero a minute to register all the boy had said, he talked to fast and too much.
"Yes, I'm Heero Yuy."
Duo stared for a minute waiting for Heero to say more, he was disappointed.
"Did you get into a fight or something?" The Violet eyed American asked, dabbing at Heero's swelling lip with the cool cloth.
"I was caught off guard." The Japanese boy sat, relaxing as Duo began chatting about a fight he'd been in. Heero took comfort in the other teens presence and even began to act like he had while living in Los Angeles, he could almost imagine a warm beach and chatting friends, they seemed so far away now.
Part 2
Heero smiled as Duo attempted to lift a steel beam for the medical facilities they were rebuilding. The Japanese boy lifted the heavy beam easily allowing his new friend to at least think he was helping.
"You don't have to help, you know." Heero repeated for the fifth time.
"I don't have anything else to do, and your more interesting then my mom." Duo grinned, a look that Heero was quickly getting used to. The two boys lifted the beam up for the workers on the partly finished wall to take.
"Besides, you'd be getting bashed up again without me here to protect you." Duo was suddenly spitting sand out of his mouth and giving his companion a death glare. The two boys' both knew that Heero could fend for himself, but the joke was becoming a familiar one.
"My dad's coming by tomorrow, I want you to meet him."
Heero frowned, father was the camps main director, someone he'd rather not meet. Duo pulled a small piece of wrapped candy from his pocket and tossed it to Heero.
"I snatched them from my mom's purse, she caught me though." He smiled sheepishly, "I saved you a piece." Duo continued to chat as they lifted another beam. Heero smiled, Duo was the strangest person he'd ever known, and the only friend he'd want to have in such a situation. The boys happiness knew no end, he made Heero think of things he'd forgotten about, like flowers, girls, and living life to its fullest, no matter what hardships had been dealt to him. He actually wanted to smile again.
Part3
Heero felt himself being half dragged down the almost sickeningly fancy hall of the building Duo and his mother stayed in.
"I'm sure my dad will like you Heero, I mean who couldn't like someone as stubborn as Heero Yuy." The brown-headed teen practically skipped down the hall.
"Duo, I don't think this is a good ideal." Heero stated trying to pry his fingers from Duo's deadly grip. Heero grimaced as they came to a stop in front of an awfully menacing looking door.
"Jeese, it's not going to eat you Heero." Duo shook his head and slowly pulled open the door, Heero's nervousness suddenly overcoming the teen's anxiety.
"Not me, but it might eat you." Heero growled, awaiting his doom.
"Duo?" A deep not so threatening voice crept out of the small open space between door and wall.
"Dad!"
Heero was jerked into the mahogany office. Duo's dad was tall with brown hair and many of Duo's facial features; the frown on his face as he looked Heero up and down grew. Duo seemed oblivious as he introduced his friend.
"Heero." The older man acknowledged Japanese boy briefly before launching into a discussion with his son. Heero decided the man's likeness to his son was only in physical appearances, the man obviously disapproved of him, and he felt the dislike mutually.
As father and son chatted Heero studied the black and white images of a smaller version of Duo, the infamous dog Heero had heard so much of, and a little girl presided in many of the images. Funny, Duo hadn't mentioned a sister…
Part 4
"You sure your not hungry?" Heero frowned and Duo's silly grin.
"If anyone should be hungry, its you!" Duo plopped down on the bench next to Heero in the crowded cafeteria.
"You know the hospital wing should be finished in a week." Duo stated, suddenly doubling over his small form racked with coughs.
"Duo!" Heero was automatically at the Americans side, he pulled the boy off the filthy floor and settled him in his lap until the coughs resided. Heero frowned.
"Maybe I should take you to the infirmary…" The Japanese boy flashed a glare at the crowd of bystanders; they turned away to carry on their normal conversations.
"Its just a cough… I'm ok, were ya worried?" Duo laughed standing up he wiped his bloody hand on his jeans without the worried older boy seeing.
"Hnnn… You need to stop doing my work, your not cut out for it." Heero turned back to the chalky meal he'd been given. He watched as Duo tried to gain a conversation with a young boy.
"Arigato!" Was Duo's response only after he'd given the boy a piece of candy.
"I hope that's a good thing." Duo grinned at his friend.
"He said "thank you"." Heero frowned again as his friend tried to hide another cough.
Part 5
"Put me down! This is not funny! Heero!" The said boy ignored his friend's fists, which were beating, into his back. After seeing his friend cough up blood just a few days after the first fit of coughs his friend had fallen into. Duo finally gave up, letting himself dangle over his friends shoulder, keeping his "I'm really not wanting to be here" look on his face the whole time.
"Could you at least get your shoulder out of my groin." The American muttered, causing Heero to laugh,
"Sure, if you really want me to." Heero turned into the hospital wing, freezing as two Japanese men carried a dead body past. His sightless eyes seeming to pierce Heero's faltering blue gaze. He held Duo at an angle so he wouldn't see the decaying form.
"You can at least hurry just so we an hear I'm ok and waste my mom's time." Duo grumbled. Heero shuddered before continuing through the room.
Part 6
Two days sense Heero had seen Duo, two days sense he'd even eaten or slept. After Heero had taken Duo to the medial facilities they had made him return to work, and Duo's outcome remained a mystery. Heero's hoe hit the dirt again sending more dust into the air to stick to his sweaty flesh. The memory of those cold eyes kept returning to hunt him whenever he thought of his friend.
"Yuy? Heero Yuy?" A small boy appeared by Heero's side. "Come with me please."
Heero dropped the hoe and rushed to follow the boy, the cold sightless eyes again haunting behind his eyelids.
"To the main building, room 203." The boy muttered pointing to a building before rushing off in another direction. Heero stared up at the building, fear fighting to overcome his hard exterior. Those cold empty eyes…
Part 7
Heero stood just inside the doorway to room 203, Duo was leaning off his bed and coughing into a cloth, each cough sending the boys thin body into harsh spasms. The dirt covered teen waited until the coughs subsided before stepping into the room. Duo's looked up smiling weakly at Heero, trying to keep his usual cheer.
"Sorry Heero, I wasn't able to send for you earlier."
"That's fine." Heero tried but was unable to smile. He sat next to Duo on the bed, pulling his shirt out of his pocket to wipe the dirt from his face.
"My dad sent for ya, ya know. I think he's afraid of you though." Duo grinned, lying back on the bed. Heero didn't reply.
"What? I look that bad?" Duo pulled at his pillow and hit the back of Heero's head with it.
"….no." Heero growled, looking at Duo's pale form, his flesh was stretched over his bones.
"I've got… Tuberculosis… sucks huh." Duo laughed trying to hide his fear behind a mask of glee. Heero could see those cold, clear, unseeing eyes again. Many had died in the past year from this dreaded disease, including his own father. Heero smiled sadly nodding his head in agreement, death sucked. The very thought of this boy, who knew only happiness and could see only good in the world was unfair, not right. Heero, who had night after night, preyed for the release only death could bring. Now it was coming, only to take a life that could do so much more for the world then Heero ever could.
"Come on Heero, if you look sad then what am I supposed to do?" Duo sniffed fighting back a flood of tears.
"Gomen Nasi, I apologize." Heero sniffed to, unsure of what to say, he could only think of the two violet eyes' that had always been so full of life. They would soon be glossed over and empty in death.
"Don't worry Heero…" Duo turned away as the cough again wracked his frail body. Heero on a sudden urge yanked Duo into his arms and held him tightly until the cough faded and Duo began to cry.
"Shhh… Miuki." Heero brushed a tear from his friends eyes, feeling his own tears begin to slide down his cheek. The two fell asleep in the comfort of each other's strengths.
Part 8
Heero woke; trying to recall were he was, then the heavy form in his arms brought back an onslaught of emotions. The body was limp and unresponding. Heero couldn't breath as he tilted back his friend's head to look into the cold, empty violet eyes …
"No… please… you can't leave…" Heero pulled the body that was no longer Duo's into his arms.
Part 9
Finally, Heero looked for one last time at the place were his life had fallen apart. The ghost of his friend's lively violet eyes fading to empty orbs would forever haunt him, more then even his hunger and pain of working nonstop for two years.
"September twenty-eighth, nineteen forty five. I leave to live when you could not." Heero vowed, he smiled out at the vast dessert and turned away.
Ja'ne
Miuki, Beautiful Tears
Elizabeth Maria Schmalz-Selm
The hot dusty climate left dozens of laborers streaked with dirt and sweat as they slowly worked the desert soil. The Gila River Camp, a place for innocent Americans, their only mistake, having Japanese blood flowing through their veins. One small boy worked hard among the men, he wiped sweat from his brow and lifted his hoe to strike the earth again. He'd stopped counting hours ago, he no longer cared that he was stronger then most his age. He knew better then to weep for his lost father, or even imagine freedom. He'd been in this awful camp for a year. He only longed for the pitiful meal he might receive. The camp itself lacked many supplies, and its buildings weren't very near completion, the laborers switched weekly, farming or building. The boy, Heero, had caused too much trouble his first few days, the soldiers had placed him with the men to keep him too tired to fight back. His sixteenth birthday had passed, he had heard the soldiers talking and learned the date, June eighth nineteen forty- three.
Heero tensed as someone touched his bare, sun darkened shoulder.
"Hey shorty, your holes not deep enough." A sneering eighteen year old flashed his gritty teeth as Heero slowly turned, a blank look on his childish face.
"Actually, if you measured it you'd know it was three centimeters too deep." Heero calmly stated, turning to start a new hole for the tomato plants tomorrow's workers would plant.
"Your to smart for your own good."
Heero fell forward as the teen shoved him into the dirt. He sprang back up to face his attacker. Wiping blood from his cut lip.
"Knock it off!"
The two boys stopped their intended bashing, as a soldier tossed them to the ground.
"You can forget Lunch today, Yuy." The red haired soldier glared down at Heero, letting the other boy scramble away. "Go see the nurse, then check into latrine duty."
Heero entered the crowded infirmary; many children and adults lay on the dirtied floors, suffering from heat stroke, to Tuberculosis. Only a few nurses wandered from person to person, not a single doctor was wasted on the "Filthy Japs".
"Hey! I can help you over here, you don't look too sick." A seemingly over excited boy gestured to Heero, not many children besides those with Japanese blood were allowed in the camps. Yet Heero was sure that the boy was not of Japanese heritage. He slowly made his way through the mass of sick people and stopped in front of the violet-eyed boy.
"I'm Duo! My mom works here with my dad, I'm trying to help out, but can't understand some of these people, you can speak English, right?" Duo gestured to a chair and grabbed a slightly clean looking washcloth. It took Heero a minute to register all the boy had said, he talked to fast and too much.
"Yes, I'm Heero Yuy."
Duo stared for a minute waiting for Heero to say more, he was disappointed.
"Did you get into a fight or something?" The Violet eyed American asked, dabbing at Heero's swelling lip with the cool cloth.
"I was caught off guard." The Japanese boy sat, relaxing as Duo began chatting about a fight he'd been in. Heero took comfort in the other teens presence and even began to act like he had while living in Los Angeles, he could almost imagine a warm beach and chatting friends, they seemed so far away now.
Part 2
Heero smiled as Duo attempted to lift a steel beam for the medical facilities they were rebuilding. The Japanese boy lifted the heavy beam easily allowing his new friend to at least think he was helping.
"You don't have to help, you know." Heero repeated for the fifth time.
"I don't have anything else to do, and your more interesting then my mom." Duo grinned, a look that Heero was quickly getting used to. The two boys lifted the beam up for the workers on the partly finished wall to take.
"Besides, you'd be getting bashed up again without me here to protect you." Duo was suddenly spitting sand out of his mouth and giving his companion a death glare. The two boys' both knew that Heero could fend for himself, but the joke was becoming a familiar one.
"My dad's coming by tomorrow, I want you to meet him."
Heero frowned, father was the camps main director, someone he'd rather not meet. Duo pulled a small piece of wrapped candy from his pocket and tossed it to Heero.
"I snatched them from my mom's purse, she caught me though." He smiled sheepishly, "I saved you a piece." Duo continued to chat as they lifted another beam. Heero smiled, Duo was the strangest person he'd ever known, and the only friend he'd want to have in such a situation. The boys happiness knew no end, he made Heero think of things he'd forgotten about, like flowers, girls, and living life to its fullest, no matter what hardships had been dealt to him. He actually wanted to smile again.
Part3
Heero felt himself being half dragged down the almost sickeningly fancy hall of the building Duo and his mother stayed in.
"I'm sure my dad will like you Heero, I mean who couldn't like someone as stubborn as Heero Yuy." The brown-headed teen practically skipped down the hall.
"Duo, I don't think this is a good ideal." Heero stated trying to pry his fingers from Duo's deadly grip. Heero grimaced as they came to a stop in front of an awfully menacing looking door.
"Jeese, it's not going to eat you Heero." Duo shook his head and slowly pulled open the door, Heero's nervousness suddenly overcoming the teen's anxiety.
"Not me, but it might eat you." Heero growled, awaiting his doom.
"Duo?" A deep not so threatening voice crept out of the small open space between door and wall.
"Dad!"
Heero was jerked into the mahogany office. Duo's dad was tall with brown hair and many of Duo's facial features; the frown on his face as he looked Heero up and down grew. Duo seemed oblivious as he introduced his friend.
"Heero." The older man acknowledged Japanese boy briefly before launching into a discussion with his son. Heero decided the man's likeness to his son was only in physical appearances, the man obviously disapproved of him, and he felt the dislike mutually.
As father and son chatted Heero studied the black and white images of a smaller version of Duo, the infamous dog Heero had heard so much of, and a little girl presided in many of the images. Funny, Duo hadn't mentioned a sister…
Part 4
"You sure your not hungry?" Heero frowned and Duo's silly grin.
"If anyone should be hungry, its you!" Duo plopped down on the bench next to Heero in the crowded cafeteria.
"You know the hospital wing should be finished in a week." Duo stated, suddenly doubling over his small form racked with coughs.
"Duo!" Heero was automatically at the Americans side, he pulled the boy off the filthy floor and settled him in his lap until the coughs resided. Heero frowned.
"Maybe I should take you to the infirmary…" The Japanese boy flashed a glare at the crowd of bystanders; they turned away to carry on their normal conversations.
"Its just a cough… I'm ok, were ya worried?" Duo laughed standing up he wiped his bloody hand on his jeans without the worried older boy seeing.
"Hnnn… You need to stop doing my work, your not cut out for it." Heero turned back to the chalky meal he'd been given. He watched as Duo tried to gain a conversation with a young boy.
"Arigato!" Was Duo's response only after he'd given the boy a piece of candy.
"I hope that's a good thing." Duo grinned at his friend.
"He said "thank you"." Heero frowned again as his friend tried to hide another cough.
Part 5
"Put me down! This is not funny! Heero!" The said boy ignored his friend's fists, which were beating, into his back. After seeing his friend cough up blood just a few days after the first fit of coughs his friend had fallen into. Duo finally gave up, letting himself dangle over his friends shoulder, keeping his "I'm really not wanting to be here" look on his face the whole time.
"Could you at least get your shoulder out of my groin." The American muttered, causing Heero to laugh,
"Sure, if you really want me to." Heero turned into the hospital wing, freezing as two Japanese men carried a dead body past. His sightless eyes seeming to pierce Heero's faltering blue gaze. He held Duo at an angle so he wouldn't see the decaying form.
"You can at least hurry just so we an hear I'm ok and waste my mom's time." Duo grumbled. Heero shuddered before continuing through the room.
Part 6
Two days sense Heero had seen Duo, two days sense he'd even eaten or slept. After Heero had taken Duo to the medial facilities they had made him return to work, and Duo's outcome remained a mystery. Heero's hoe hit the dirt again sending more dust into the air to stick to his sweaty flesh. The memory of those cold eyes kept returning to hunt him whenever he thought of his friend.
"Yuy? Heero Yuy?" A small boy appeared by Heero's side. "Come with me please."
Heero dropped the hoe and rushed to follow the boy, the cold sightless eyes again haunting behind his eyelids.
"To the main building, room 203." The boy muttered pointing to a building before rushing off in another direction. Heero stared up at the building, fear fighting to overcome his hard exterior. Those cold empty eyes…
Part 7
Heero stood just inside the doorway to room 203, Duo was leaning off his bed and coughing into a cloth, each cough sending the boys thin body into harsh spasms. The dirt covered teen waited until the coughs subsided before stepping into the room. Duo's looked up smiling weakly at Heero, trying to keep his usual cheer.
"Sorry Heero, I wasn't able to send for you earlier."
"That's fine." Heero tried but was unable to smile. He sat next to Duo on the bed, pulling his shirt out of his pocket to wipe the dirt from his face.
"My dad sent for ya, ya know. I think he's afraid of you though." Duo grinned, lying back on the bed. Heero didn't reply.
"What? I look that bad?" Duo pulled at his pillow and hit the back of Heero's head with it.
"….no." Heero growled, looking at Duo's pale form, his flesh was stretched over his bones.
"I've got… Tuberculosis… sucks huh." Duo laughed trying to hide his fear behind a mask of glee. Heero could see those cold, clear, unseeing eyes again. Many had died in the past year from this dreaded disease, including his own father. Heero smiled sadly nodding his head in agreement, death sucked. The very thought of this boy, who knew only happiness and could see only good in the world was unfair, not right. Heero, who had night after night, preyed for the release only death could bring. Now it was coming, only to take a life that could do so much more for the world then Heero ever could.
"Come on Heero, if you look sad then what am I supposed to do?" Duo sniffed fighting back a flood of tears.
"Gomen Nasi, I apologize." Heero sniffed to, unsure of what to say, he could only think of the two violet eyes' that had always been so full of life. They would soon be glossed over and empty in death.
"Don't worry Heero…" Duo turned away as the cough again wracked his frail body. Heero on a sudden urge yanked Duo into his arms and held him tightly until the cough faded and Duo began to cry.
"Shhh… Miuki." Heero brushed a tear from his friends eyes, feeling his own tears begin to slide down his cheek. The two fell asleep in the comfort of each other's strengths.
Part 8
Heero woke; trying to recall were he was, then the heavy form in his arms brought back an onslaught of emotions. The body was limp and unresponding. Heero couldn't breath as he tilted back his friend's head to look into the cold, empty violet eyes …
"No… please… you can't leave…" Heero pulled the body that was no longer Duo's into his arms.
Part 9
Finally, Heero looked for one last time at the place were his life had fallen apart. The ghost of his friend's lively violet eyes fading to empty orbs would forever haunt him, more then even his hunger and pain of working nonstop for two years.
"September twenty-eighth, nineteen forty five. I leave to live when you could not." Heero vowed, he smiled out at the vast dessert and turned away.
Ja'ne
Miuki, Beautiful Tears
Elizabeth Maria Schmalz-Selm