Chapter Three
Trowa loaded the tiny cargo of the precious vials carefully. There weren't very many. His main hope was that some of the doctors on the colony would be able to replicate the vaccine somehow. There were only about twenty vials here. Trowa had no experience with large-scale epidemics, but he knew it would take more than twenty shots to wipe the thing out once it got going. He chewed his lip and tried not to worry about Quatre too much. He had already tried to contact him by radio several times, but hadn't been successful. He knew that the sensible course of action was to leave. Trowa hated the thought of abandoning Quatre, especially if he was in danger, but he was practical enough to accept the necessity.
"I know you'll understand, and forgive me," he spoke aloud. Then he had launched himself into space, and forced all thoughts of the blond pilot out of his mind.
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Heero's eyes focused on a tiny blip of green light. His lips creased into what he used instead of a smile. "Hello, Death-scythe," he greeted the glowing dot on his screen. "Hello Duo." He switched into battle mode.
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It was dark and dizzying. Someone was speaking to him in a low tone. "I know you'll understand and forgive me..." Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. There was something he had to do, something very important, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. But now there was something going on around him. Vague rocking motions, and the first slight sensation of pain.
"Just leave him here," someone said.
Quatre felt his body being carried. Colder air rushed across his face. With an act of will, he opened his eyes and sat up. The soldier carrying him nearly dropped him in surprise.
"Let go!" Quatre demanded, fighting to control his own dizziness.
"We have our orders," said the original voice behind him.
Quatre struggled as hard as he could, which wasn't much, and freed himself. As he hit the ground, he offered up a quick prayer that he be able to remain standing and run. He stumbled, but didn't fall. The soldiers didn't seem to be chasing him, which was just as well. He turned a corner, and caught a streetlight for support. Whatever Sarah had given him, it was strong. He had obviously been asleep for more than a day. What medication could have such a strong, lasting effect on him? He couldn't seem to think very straight just now though.
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Trowa scanned his monitors again. He was just over halfway there. The journey would be three hours at most, he decided. A dot suddenly flared up on his screen. He recognized Gundam-Wing. It was Heero', approaching him at an incredible speed.
"Why is he readying his weapons?" Trowa asked aloud.
The cockpit didn't answer him, except with a few alarmed beeps.
"And why isn't he hailing?" The com-link stayed silent. Trowa reached up and tried to activate it. Nothing happened. It was broken. And Heero was preparing for a fight. Trowa examined the situation. He didn't want to fight Heero, especially not now when he wasn't even in his own Gundam. Heero obviously thought he was Duo, and there was no way he could contact him and tell him otherwise.
Trowa found a nearby satellite, and began heading for it. They could land there, resolve the situation, and then continue on together for L2. Or so Trowa hoped.
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Duo found himself walking the streets instead of staying at the small hotel room he had rented. He had already gone into Vincla's hospital and spoken to one of the head doctors there. It had been difficult to get inside in the first place, and the doctor hadn't believed him, dismissing the warning as a childish prank.
Frustrated and worried, Duo now paced about the various familiar streets of his old colony. He was so preoccupied, he almost didn't see the slight figure leaning up against the lamppost, eyes shut and mouth creased with pain. He was just about to walk by, when a slight glance made him stop and turn.
"Quatre?"
The boy's eyes opened and he looked up at Duo with an almost feverish look. "Duo?"
"Are you all right?"
"Just...tired. Too much sedative...It's a long story."
"It's a short walk. Come on, lean on me, and tell it as we go."
By the time they had reached Duo's hotel room, he had heard everything, though most of it had been confused and fragmented.
"And it was your own sister? Perhaps it's just as well I haven't got any siblings to worry about!"
"I have twenty-nine sisters. Fortunately, I think Sarah is the exception, not the rule."
Duo shook his head. "Unbelievable," he commented.
Quatre didn't react. He was already asleep.
Duo shook his head and look at the almost angel-faced boy asleep on the couch, his face troubled and tired.
"There's some quote about the sleep of the innocents, my friend, but perhaps that isn't quite appropriate," he said to the sleeping Quatre. "We're not innocent anymore, only very, very sleepy." And so he ended the one-sided conversation, and curled up on the bed.
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Heero's face might have been carved from stone. When Trowa had climbed out of the cockpit, they had stood looking at one another for nearly ten seconds. Heero accepted the fact that his quarry had alluded him with apparent calmness. Of course, he accepted most things with apparent calmness, but at least he hadn't tried to kill Trowa. Yet.
"So where are Duo and Quatre now?" he asked softly.
"Duo is probably on L2 by now. And I have no idea where Quatre is," Trowa answered. In as few words as possible, he summed up the latest events.
Heero frowned, obviously contemplating. "We're down by two. Since we have no idea where Quatre has been taken, we must focus our attention on Duo and L2. Let's go." He turned and climbed into his Gundam.
Trowa hesitated for a fraction of a second, then shrugged and climbed into Deathscythe. Heero was right, as always.
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Quatre opened his eyes. He felt feverish and sick. Could the sedative still be affecting him? It had been at least two days now. He knew that it was possible, but it didn't seem probable.
"She might have given me something for the motion-sickness caused by the shuttle, at least," he thought. He knew that doctors could, and often did mix medications that could be given together so that they only needed to give the patient one shot. More than a sedative could have been in that shot she had given him.
Much, much more could have been in that shot.
Quatre's hand suddenly clenched. He stood up; ignoring the wave of dizziness that passed over him, and began weaving his way unsteadily towards the door. How could he have been so stupid? Why hadn't he figured this out sooner? He knew why, of course. It explained a lot. He had known that his mind wasn't working as well as normally. She must have given him something. There were mind-altering drugs out there, most of them completely illegal. There were ones that would slow your though-processes, and make you stupid.
There was a roaring in his ears, and he could barely hear Duo's voice, as the other pilot demanded to know exactly what he thought he was doing, getting up and walking out like that.
"Duo, we have to get out of here. Both of us, now. Pray, just pray Duo, that it isn't much too late already. We've...no, I've been a terrible, terrible fool..." he voice trailed away, and he would have collapsed onto the pavement if Duo hadn't caught him.
"Okay..." he mused. "What now?" Well, Quatre had said they had to get away. But he was obviously in need of medical care. Perhaps he could take him to a hospital or something. That was it! Vincla worked in the hospital nearby!
Trowa loaded the tiny cargo of the precious vials carefully. There weren't very many. His main hope was that some of the doctors on the colony would be able to replicate the vaccine somehow. There were only about twenty vials here. Trowa had no experience with large-scale epidemics, but he knew it would take more than twenty shots to wipe the thing out once it got going. He chewed his lip and tried not to worry about Quatre too much. He had already tried to contact him by radio several times, but hadn't been successful. He knew that the sensible course of action was to leave. Trowa hated the thought of abandoning Quatre, especially if he was in danger, but he was practical enough to accept the necessity.
"I know you'll understand, and forgive me," he spoke aloud. Then he had launched himself into space, and forced all thoughts of the blond pilot out of his mind.
------------------------------------------------
Heero's eyes focused on a tiny blip of green light. His lips creased into what he used instead of a smile. "Hello, Death-scythe," he greeted the glowing dot on his screen. "Hello Duo." He switched into battle mode.
------------------------------------------------
It was dark and dizzying. Someone was speaking to him in a low tone. "I know you'll understand and forgive me..." Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. There was something he had to do, something very important, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. But now there was something going on around him. Vague rocking motions, and the first slight sensation of pain.
"Just leave him here," someone said.
Quatre felt his body being carried. Colder air rushed across his face. With an act of will, he opened his eyes and sat up. The soldier carrying him nearly dropped him in surprise.
"Let go!" Quatre demanded, fighting to control his own dizziness.
"We have our orders," said the original voice behind him.
Quatre struggled as hard as he could, which wasn't much, and freed himself. As he hit the ground, he offered up a quick prayer that he be able to remain standing and run. He stumbled, but didn't fall. The soldiers didn't seem to be chasing him, which was just as well. He turned a corner, and caught a streetlight for support. Whatever Sarah had given him, it was strong. He had obviously been asleep for more than a day. What medication could have such a strong, lasting effect on him? He couldn't seem to think very straight just now though.
------------------------------------------------
Trowa scanned his monitors again. He was just over halfway there. The journey would be three hours at most, he decided. A dot suddenly flared up on his screen. He recognized Gundam-Wing. It was Heero', approaching him at an incredible speed.
"Why is he readying his weapons?" Trowa asked aloud.
The cockpit didn't answer him, except with a few alarmed beeps.
"And why isn't he hailing?" The com-link stayed silent. Trowa reached up and tried to activate it. Nothing happened. It was broken. And Heero was preparing for a fight. Trowa examined the situation. He didn't want to fight Heero, especially not now when he wasn't even in his own Gundam. Heero obviously thought he was Duo, and there was no way he could contact him and tell him otherwise.
Trowa found a nearby satellite, and began heading for it. They could land there, resolve the situation, and then continue on together for L2. Or so Trowa hoped.
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Duo found himself walking the streets instead of staying at the small hotel room he had rented. He had already gone into Vincla's hospital and spoken to one of the head doctors there. It had been difficult to get inside in the first place, and the doctor hadn't believed him, dismissing the warning as a childish prank.
Frustrated and worried, Duo now paced about the various familiar streets of his old colony. He was so preoccupied, he almost didn't see the slight figure leaning up against the lamppost, eyes shut and mouth creased with pain. He was just about to walk by, when a slight glance made him stop and turn.
"Quatre?"
The boy's eyes opened and he looked up at Duo with an almost feverish look. "Duo?"
"Are you all right?"
"Just...tired. Too much sedative...It's a long story."
"It's a short walk. Come on, lean on me, and tell it as we go."
By the time they had reached Duo's hotel room, he had heard everything, though most of it had been confused and fragmented.
"And it was your own sister? Perhaps it's just as well I haven't got any siblings to worry about!"
"I have twenty-nine sisters. Fortunately, I think Sarah is the exception, not the rule."
Duo shook his head. "Unbelievable," he commented.
Quatre didn't react. He was already asleep.
Duo shook his head and look at the almost angel-faced boy asleep on the couch, his face troubled and tired.
"There's some quote about the sleep of the innocents, my friend, but perhaps that isn't quite appropriate," he said to the sleeping Quatre. "We're not innocent anymore, only very, very sleepy." And so he ended the one-sided conversation, and curled up on the bed.
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Heero's face might have been carved from stone. When Trowa had climbed out of the cockpit, they had stood looking at one another for nearly ten seconds. Heero accepted the fact that his quarry had alluded him with apparent calmness. Of course, he accepted most things with apparent calmness, but at least he hadn't tried to kill Trowa. Yet.
"So where are Duo and Quatre now?" he asked softly.
"Duo is probably on L2 by now. And I have no idea where Quatre is," Trowa answered. In as few words as possible, he summed up the latest events.
Heero frowned, obviously contemplating. "We're down by two. Since we have no idea where Quatre has been taken, we must focus our attention on Duo and L2. Let's go." He turned and climbed into his Gundam.
Trowa hesitated for a fraction of a second, then shrugged and climbed into Deathscythe. Heero was right, as always.
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Quatre opened his eyes. He felt feverish and sick. Could the sedative still be affecting him? It had been at least two days now. He knew that it was possible, but it didn't seem probable.
"She might have given me something for the motion-sickness caused by the shuttle, at least," he thought. He knew that doctors could, and often did mix medications that could be given together so that they only needed to give the patient one shot. More than a sedative could have been in that shot she had given him.
Much, much more could have been in that shot.
Quatre's hand suddenly clenched. He stood up; ignoring the wave of dizziness that passed over him, and began weaving his way unsteadily towards the door. How could he have been so stupid? Why hadn't he figured this out sooner? He knew why, of course. It explained a lot. He had known that his mind wasn't working as well as normally. She must have given him something. There were mind-altering drugs out there, most of them completely illegal. There were ones that would slow your though-processes, and make you stupid.
There was a roaring in his ears, and he could barely hear Duo's voice, as the other pilot demanded to know exactly what he thought he was doing, getting up and walking out like that.
"Duo, we have to get out of here. Both of us, now. Pray, just pray Duo, that it isn't much too late already. We've...no, I've been a terrible, terrible fool..." he voice trailed away, and he would have collapsed onto the pavement if Duo hadn't caught him.
"Okay..." he mused. "What now?" Well, Quatre had said they had to get away. But he was obviously in need of medical care. Perhaps he could take him to a hospital or something. That was it! Vincla worked in the hospital nearby!
