Only a Moment. . .
Chapter 7
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Homeward Bound....
Once again he pulled the sleeping bag around them. More light filtered into their little hole. The rain had stopped coming down and a few birds had started to sing outside in the trees. Wufei was not tired and soon found himself a bit bored. He gazed around for something to do. After counting the holes in the plastic bag door twice, and on his third time counting the individual tree roots hanging next to his head, he found himself needing to answer the call of nature. But Sally was still using him as her personal pillow. He would have to wake her up to move. Wufei brushed some of her hair out of the way, and gazed at her beautiful face.` I should tell her one of these days to smile more often. It makes her look so beautiful`.
"Sally. . . Wake up, you have to move." Holding her shoulders he shook he lightly. She blinked a few times before comprehending what was going on. Yawning she covered her mouth.
"What's going on?"
"Glad to see you sleep well. I have to go, so turn around so I can get dressed alright, and see if you can get that thing working, I want to get out of this forest." He said all the while gathering his things from around him. Most of it was dry, but a few things were still damp. He put them on anyway.
Sally picked up the communicator, "Function, on... Batteries charged, and operational. Its working, now all we have to do is wait." She looked around, but Wufei had already left. " Well at least he's acting normal again." she quickly got dressed.
Outside the sun peaked out from around the clouds, and the breeze was warm. Much different from earlier. Sally went to look for Wufei and found him sitting on the trunks of a trees that had fallen down in the night . He seamed to be unaware of her presence as he watched the sky above. She hopped up onto the log beside him and sat.
"I activated the beacon.."
"Hn."
They sat there longer just watching the sky. The wind pulled the rest of Sally's hair free from her twists. It whipped around her head wildly for a moment causing her to close her eyes and look down. She fumbled in her pocket for an elastic or string but came up empty handed, so she decided to braid it. However without the help of a hair brush it proved more difficult then first imagined. Disappointedly she gave up and let her messy hair hang there.
Clouds moved lazily across the sky chased soon after by the sun. Minutes slowly melted into hours as the day wore on. One minute seamed like the last as neither of them spoke a word. What would they say?
The beacon, beeped and blinked in a rhythmical pattern of SOS just out of ear shot back at the tree. Wufei watched Sally lay there in front of him on the grass. Her eyes had been closed but he could tell she was not asleep.
The warm breeze washed over her body and soul. There was truly nothing besides them within a hundred miles. There wasn't even a jet streak across the sky to be seen. The tranquillity of the area was unbelievable. It was so serene and untouched, as if they were the first to ever set foot on this part of the earth. But after a time the silence becomes very loud, and Sally sought to break it.
"I'm sorry."
Wufei turned and looked at her. "Women you have nothing to apologize. If anything I should be apologizing to you."
"Wufei, I still don't understand. What did you think you did?" asked Sally.
"I could, I should have been with you all this time.. I should have been helping you."
"Wufei, I can take care of myself. I don't need you to protect me, I can fight my own battles."
"But you shouldn't have to fight this alone."
"You can't protect me here."
More silence. She was right, he could do nothing to help her. As much as he hated to say it, he was powerless.
"Thank you anyway."
Wufei smiled slightly. Sally turned her face to him revealing a smile as well. The sun was now staring to set on the western tree tops. They had waited all day for transport to arrive but nothing came. Sally began to wonder if the beacon she made even worked! It seemed as if it should work fine, but maybe the battery was not big enough, or she had set it the wrong frequence or if it just didn't work? They had already wasted a whole day waiting for rescue to arrive, and now it appeared as if none was going to come. They would have to hike back up stream and try to find the plant again, and find their way from there. They were almost out of food, and water.
Humming came from the sky. They looked up to see a black Preventor chopper descending from above. Wufei rushed back to the tree and gathered the rest of their supplies while Sally guided the chopper to an open area where it made a soft landing. A figure leaped out of the open door and ran over to Sally.
"So doll, where's the fire?" Asked Duo as he removed the black helmet. His dark braid cascaded down his back. His eyes twinkling with excitement, and youthful as he looked around. He still had that young strong look about him that he had so long ago. Age was not his enemy, but his ally. It had done wonders for his body, and looks. His voice a little deeper, and a bit taller. All the years working for the Preventors and graced him with a strong well toned body. He was on the skinny side, but it was all muscle.
"He's back getting the rest of our stuff, what took you so long?"Sally shouted above the roar of the chopper blades. Dust flew up in every direction, as small branches close by snapped.
"Hey baby, once I knew it was you who called I came runnin'! I wouldn't leave you out in the middle of nowhere with Wufei. Man I thought he would have skinned and eaten you by now, how did you survive?" His voice twisted with laughter. Making fun of Wufei's short temper was always easy for Duo, and was always a good laugh.
"Ha, I'm just lucky I guess." Smiling she turned to see Wufei emerging from the woods with both their backpacks. Sally reached for hers as he approached but found it being placed in the arms of Duo.
"Here let me get that for ya Sally. I bet its been a long week for ya." Duo said taking the bag from Wufei. "Is that all of it?" The wind from the chopper almost taking his voice away as they approached it. He tossed the bags in the back of the helicopter and hoped in.
"Ya that is all of it!" Wufei responded after he placed the headphones on his ringing ears, and handed the second pair to Sally. Duo sat in the front next to the piolt, and Wufei and Sally in the back. The doors slid shut as they were lifted into the now twilight sky. The forest below stood like a army of soldiers ready to attack an enemy. The horizon was black as far as they could see. If something worse had happened, it was likely they would never have been found.
"Oh, ya. Une wanted me to ask if there was anything happening at the plant." Duo came in over the speakers in the headphones. The ground below them moved far below now as the first few artificial lights started to appear.
"No, it was cold. Didn't look like there had been anything there for years.." Wufei and Duo continued this conversation, but Sally did not listen to it. She gazed mindlessly out the window. It was such a nice night. No clouds to be seen, and the night sky seamed to twinkle with thousands of stars. The chopper flew gracefully through this sea of stars of the night until they arrived at the landing strip in a small town.
"What are we doing here?" Sally asked coming out of her trace like state. The engine turned off and the propellers slowly spun to a stop.
"We need to refuel, or we won't be able to make it back to HQ." Duo informed her unbuckling and opening the door.
"How long is this going to take?" Wufei asked unsnapping his seatbelt and getting up and out the back door of the aircraft. Wufei too had look around himself.
It was a very small airport they had landed at. Half a dozen shadowed buildings stood around them lit up but runway lights on the landing strip. A vehicle appears out of the dark night from one of the buildings Wufei assumed to be the hanger. The dark green jeep had only the left light working on it, and Wufei took note that the engine had a rattling sound to it as it came within ear shot. It pulled up in front of the two who had emerged from the helicopter. A tall thin man with a crop cut stepped out of the drivers side and approached them quickly.
"Hey." he said as he came up to the nearest person which happened to be Duo. "What can I do ya for?"
"Well we would be more then happy if you could lend us some gas. Were kinda low at the moment." Duo said.
"Where you people from anyway? If I may ask." The stranger inquired moving his attention to the jet black chopper. The cannons on the front gleamed from the head light of the truck. His eyes snaked over the gleaming windshield and down to the razor tips of the deadly blades. The back half of it seemed to fade into the darkness around.
"Preventor. That's all you need to know." Wufei answered coldly. He did not feel the need to give this person who they have just met too much information. He could be the enemy. Even though the war was over. Wufei still thought much the same as he did when he was fighting.
The stranger glanced at Wufei. "Oh. Well why didn't you say so? I'll have this beast fueled up in no time! Come on I'll take you to the office, and get everything sorted out, and get you all a place to stay for the night."
Sally stepped down from the copper and approached them as they were talking. `Rest would be good about now. But I haven't done anything all day, why am I so tired? Must be the new pills, doctor said I might be drowsy for a while. When was the last time I took them? When I woke up and started working on the communicator before Wufei woke up. Or somewhere in there, specific time doesn't matter too much, its been at least 12 hours. I'll take another one when I get to a place to lay down.`
They all got into the Jeep except for the piolt, who wanted to stay behind to see his air craft was well taken care of. The jeep drove across the flat land to a large building at the edge of the field. They got out and entered through the two large glass swinging doors. The floor was sculptured marble in an assortment of colors, in sky design. Clouds seamed to float across the room to a desk in the middle of the lobby.
Wufei approached it and rung the bell. A moment later a women appeared from a side door to the lobby.
"Are you the people who were on the air craft that had to make a landing here?" She asked.
"Yes, we're preventor, and we need a place to stay for the night till our craft refuels." Wufei answered figuring if he stated who they were they might be able to got a room faster.
"Oh alright then, I'll give the Grand Hotel in town a call and see if they have any room for you. How many are in you party together? Just 3?" she asked picking up the phone and beginning to dial.
"No theirs 4, the other one is still with the plane, but he will be coming shortly."Duo answered in a sweet voice. "On the other hand we could leave him and take you instead. How does that sound baby?"
Ignoring the comments she dialed up the hotel. "Hi I'd like to get a room for the night........ Oh alright then good night." she hung up the receiver and reached under the desk.
"What is the problem?" Wufei asked getting annoyed already.
"They were full, so I'm trying another place. This time of year there are lots of tourists around so the town gets filled up fast... let me try this place.." This went on for about 6 more places before they found one with room. The pilot of the chopper who's name was Alex, joined them at about the 4th try to find a room.
"How many rooms is there?..2, well..."The women on the phone asked.
"We'll take them both." Wufei cut in. He was now angry and very cranky. `All I want is a bed, is that so much to ask?`
The women reserved the rooms and called a cab to come pick them up and take them there. A few minutes later it arrived at the front main door. All four of them piled into the cab and headed out into the night.
The place where they had reserved the two rooms was a small motel on the side of a hill overlooking a glass lake. The water so calm and smooth it looked as though you could walk right out onto it. Half moon hung above the tree tops on the other side of the pool, lighting up the road ahead of them. Fire flies danced in the tall grass along the lake's edge, also reflecting in the mirror like liquid. The road ran alongside this lake for about half a mile or so before reaching the motel.
It was no problem finding the rooms they had asked for, because they were the only ones left. One room had a single and a double bed, while the other had a double and a couch.
"I've got the big bed!" called Duo before they were even out of the main office.
"I want the other one, I'm not sleeping in the same bed with anyone else." Alex said before Wufei or Sally could get a word in edgewise. They grabbed their stuff and entered the room numbered seven. Everyone else in the motel appeared to be asleep, after all it was about one a. m. Bugs buzzed around the lights above each of the room doors, and crickets sung there high-pitched melody in the ditch near the road. A car drove by, its head lights reflecting off of the windows in the storm doors to the two rooms. Other then that everything was quiet, for the most part anyway.
Duo and Alex entered their room and began to settle in, while Wufei wrestled with the door to his room. "Damn thing's stuck.." he grumbled. He put down his bag and attacked the knob with both hands. Sally stood back shaking her head sadly.
"Oh, Wufei.."Duo began sticking his head out the door once he noticed his comrade still out in the cold night air, and seeing a good opportunity to piss him off for fun.
Duo was answered by a death glare. He reconsidered trying anything at that particular moment without having a gun on hand for protection. Without taking his eyes off Wufei he checked the door knob to see if it was locked. "Oh ahh.. Never mind, good night."
Duo shut the door. "Man I wonder what's up with him? He's more touchy then usual. Got any ideas?"
"Maybe he's lonely? Everybody needs somebody sometimes!.. " Alex sang the last part. Laughed and got into bed. "Or maybe he's tired of being stuck with Sally for over a week? Who knows? All I know is that I'm tired and I'm not going to dwell on it anymore tonight. Good night."
"Ya, Good night."` Maybe he's got a thing for her?` Duo shut off the lights,"Na.".
"What?"
"Nothing."
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Finally the door swung open. The rooms were large and clean for the price they had payed for the night. They smelled clean too. Wufei entered the room and began to get ready for a shower. It was late but it did not matter to him. Gathering up his stuff, and a razor he borrowed from Duo earlier he began to enter the bathroom when he noticed Sally sitting on the end of the bed quietly. She was just sitting there doing nothing. Her eyes not focusing on anything, just staring out into space.
"Women. Do you want to go first?" he asked door half open.
She snapped out of her dreamy trance. "Oh, ah no. That's alright you go first. I want to have a bath."
Wufei entered the small bathroom and closed the door. Relaxing against it he let out the breath he did not realize he had been holding. His mind was spinning once again, how come he was feeling like this? It was only today that he realized his true feelings for this women, but that was in the moment. When she had told him of her fate, and he was faced with the realization of losing the best partner he had ever had. Did he really love her, or was it just a thought that came to him at that moment? Glancing around the light blue bathroom he removed his clothes and turned on the water. The ice cold liquid shot out the shower head and onto his head and back. He jumped back out of the way.
"Damn thing.." he cursed. Waiting for a moment he stepped into the shower again pleased to find it more then freezing. The luke warm water washes over his face and through his black hair. It snakes its way over his bronze skin to every part of his body surrounding him, enveloping him. It runs down his abs and lower stomach to places in conflict with his mind. The urge of his body and soul saying one thing, while his mind says that they are both wrong. These feelings should be overlooked, and forgotten at once! It shall only cause more pain in the future. The liquid glistens as it effortlessly ran down his solid back and his muscular bare legs before onto the bottom of the tube and down the dark drain hole ending its journey over perfection. He opens his eyes and squints into the shower spray, "Women.." The word escaped his lips before he realizes it. It is only a whisper quickly washed away by the water, then silence once more. Just the sound of water.
In the next room Sally sat there at the foot of the bed. There were no lights other then the one coming from under the bathroom door. Moon light overflowed through the window onto her. She looked out the window into the tranquil night.
"Mother.. Is this what happened to you?" She asked the moonlight.
Flash Back
4 Years earlier
"I'm sorry to inform you Miss. Po but your test did not show good results." The man in the white doctor robe said as he placed the chart on the table across from her.
"What do you mean? What is the problem?" Sally's heart skipped a beat. She knew there was something wrong with her, but she didn't think it would be something serious. For a moment she was griped with fear. Maybe it was something that could be cured?
"The results from your test show that you have blood cancer."
"Is that one of the new kinds?" Her metical training on the battle field, and her know-how to take care of flesh wounds and a little of therapy, for those solders who were at wits end, is the reason she became a Perventer. Sally had the ability to strap or mend almost any wound someone could acquire in battle. However on subject like health, and diseases she would have to look up or see someone else about.
"Yes it is. This Blood cancer is a rather new form. It effects the blood stream, and then slowly starts to shut down the rest of the body. If it were one of the older types we could treat you with HP kemo therapy and there would be no problem. But the new forms of this cancer have no cure yet only suppressants. They only work for a limited amount of time, 3 to 5 years at most. For now this is all I can offer you Miss Po, I'm sorry." The medical personal informed her as softly as he could. It is not easy to tell someone they are about to die a slow painful death.
Sally's mind refused to comprehend the new information she was given. There was no way that this could be something so serious. Life was just starting to go good for her. Good job, friends, new partner, well almost perfect. She still had to teach him how to say her name. "What part of my body is going to be effected first?"
"According to your test results it has already shut down your reproductive system. In females who have this it usually starts there. Then it might go to lungs, or muscle reaction, or any possible number of things....." He continued talking but she did not hear.
End Flash back
Sally reached down into her backpack and pulled out a half empty container of water, and a small white pill bottle. She scanned her eyes over the writing on its side. She couldn't make out the words on it, but that didn't matter, she had already memorized them.
Prescription use only
Do not take with food, or other drugs unless prescribed by your doctor!!
May cause sever drowsiness.
Do not take while operating machinery, or driving long distances.......
And a list of other things not to do, or take. Snapping open the lid, she shakes one of the smooth white tablets into her hand, pops it in her mouth and swallows it with the rest of the water. Placing the pill bottle back into her bag, and the empty container on the bedside table. Sally grabs the T.V. remote starts to surf looking for something besides the Saturday night romance. Within minutes the screen starts to blur, and remote slips from her fingers.
TBC....
Chapter 7
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Homeward Bound....
Once again he pulled the sleeping bag around them. More light filtered into their little hole. The rain had stopped coming down and a few birds had started to sing outside in the trees. Wufei was not tired and soon found himself a bit bored. He gazed around for something to do. After counting the holes in the plastic bag door twice, and on his third time counting the individual tree roots hanging next to his head, he found himself needing to answer the call of nature. But Sally was still using him as her personal pillow. He would have to wake her up to move. Wufei brushed some of her hair out of the way, and gazed at her beautiful face.` I should tell her one of these days to smile more often. It makes her look so beautiful`.
"Sally. . . Wake up, you have to move." Holding her shoulders he shook he lightly. She blinked a few times before comprehending what was going on. Yawning she covered her mouth.
"What's going on?"
"Glad to see you sleep well. I have to go, so turn around so I can get dressed alright, and see if you can get that thing working, I want to get out of this forest." He said all the while gathering his things from around him. Most of it was dry, but a few things were still damp. He put them on anyway.
Sally picked up the communicator, "Function, on... Batteries charged, and operational. Its working, now all we have to do is wait." She looked around, but Wufei had already left. " Well at least he's acting normal again." she quickly got dressed.
Outside the sun peaked out from around the clouds, and the breeze was warm. Much different from earlier. Sally went to look for Wufei and found him sitting on the trunks of a trees that had fallen down in the night . He seamed to be unaware of her presence as he watched the sky above. She hopped up onto the log beside him and sat.
"I activated the beacon.."
"Hn."
They sat there longer just watching the sky. The wind pulled the rest of Sally's hair free from her twists. It whipped around her head wildly for a moment causing her to close her eyes and look down. She fumbled in her pocket for an elastic or string but came up empty handed, so she decided to braid it. However without the help of a hair brush it proved more difficult then first imagined. Disappointedly she gave up and let her messy hair hang there.
Clouds moved lazily across the sky chased soon after by the sun. Minutes slowly melted into hours as the day wore on. One minute seamed like the last as neither of them spoke a word. What would they say?
The beacon, beeped and blinked in a rhythmical pattern of SOS just out of ear shot back at the tree. Wufei watched Sally lay there in front of him on the grass. Her eyes had been closed but he could tell she was not asleep.
The warm breeze washed over her body and soul. There was truly nothing besides them within a hundred miles. There wasn't even a jet streak across the sky to be seen. The tranquillity of the area was unbelievable. It was so serene and untouched, as if they were the first to ever set foot on this part of the earth. But after a time the silence becomes very loud, and Sally sought to break it.
"I'm sorry."
Wufei turned and looked at her. "Women you have nothing to apologize. If anything I should be apologizing to you."
"Wufei, I still don't understand. What did you think you did?" asked Sally.
"I could, I should have been with you all this time.. I should have been helping you."
"Wufei, I can take care of myself. I don't need you to protect me, I can fight my own battles."
"But you shouldn't have to fight this alone."
"You can't protect me here."
More silence. She was right, he could do nothing to help her. As much as he hated to say it, he was powerless.
"Thank you anyway."
Wufei smiled slightly. Sally turned her face to him revealing a smile as well. The sun was now staring to set on the western tree tops. They had waited all day for transport to arrive but nothing came. Sally began to wonder if the beacon she made even worked! It seemed as if it should work fine, but maybe the battery was not big enough, or she had set it the wrong frequence or if it just didn't work? They had already wasted a whole day waiting for rescue to arrive, and now it appeared as if none was going to come. They would have to hike back up stream and try to find the plant again, and find their way from there. They were almost out of food, and water.
Humming came from the sky. They looked up to see a black Preventor chopper descending from above. Wufei rushed back to the tree and gathered the rest of their supplies while Sally guided the chopper to an open area where it made a soft landing. A figure leaped out of the open door and ran over to Sally.
"So doll, where's the fire?" Asked Duo as he removed the black helmet. His dark braid cascaded down his back. His eyes twinkling with excitement, and youthful as he looked around. He still had that young strong look about him that he had so long ago. Age was not his enemy, but his ally. It had done wonders for his body, and looks. His voice a little deeper, and a bit taller. All the years working for the Preventors and graced him with a strong well toned body. He was on the skinny side, but it was all muscle.
"He's back getting the rest of our stuff, what took you so long?"Sally shouted above the roar of the chopper blades. Dust flew up in every direction, as small branches close by snapped.
"Hey baby, once I knew it was you who called I came runnin'! I wouldn't leave you out in the middle of nowhere with Wufei. Man I thought he would have skinned and eaten you by now, how did you survive?" His voice twisted with laughter. Making fun of Wufei's short temper was always easy for Duo, and was always a good laugh.
"Ha, I'm just lucky I guess." Smiling she turned to see Wufei emerging from the woods with both their backpacks. Sally reached for hers as he approached but found it being placed in the arms of Duo.
"Here let me get that for ya Sally. I bet its been a long week for ya." Duo said taking the bag from Wufei. "Is that all of it?" The wind from the chopper almost taking his voice away as they approached it. He tossed the bags in the back of the helicopter and hoped in.
"Ya that is all of it!" Wufei responded after he placed the headphones on his ringing ears, and handed the second pair to Sally. Duo sat in the front next to the piolt, and Wufei and Sally in the back. The doors slid shut as they were lifted into the now twilight sky. The forest below stood like a army of soldiers ready to attack an enemy. The horizon was black as far as they could see. If something worse had happened, it was likely they would never have been found.
"Oh, ya. Une wanted me to ask if there was anything happening at the plant." Duo came in over the speakers in the headphones. The ground below them moved far below now as the first few artificial lights started to appear.
"No, it was cold. Didn't look like there had been anything there for years.." Wufei and Duo continued this conversation, but Sally did not listen to it. She gazed mindlessly out the window. It was such a nice night. No clouds to be seen, and the night sky seamed to twinkle with thousands of stars. The chopper flew gracefully through this sea of stars of the night until they arrived at the landing strip in a small town.
"What are we doing here?" Sally asked coming out of her trace like state. The engine turned off and the propellers slowly spun to a stop.
"We need to refuel, or we won't be able to make it back to HQ." Duo informed her unbuckling and opening the door.
"How long is this going to take?" Wufei asked unsnapping his seatbelt and getting up and out the back door of the aircraft. Wufei too had look around himself.
It was a very small airport they had landed at. Half a dozen shadowed buildings stood around them lit up but runway lights on the landing strip. A vehicle appears out of the dark night from one of the buildings Wufei assumed to be the hanger. The dark green jeep had only the left light working on it, and Wufei took note that the engine had a rattling sound to it as it came within ear shot. It pulled up in front of the two who had emerged from the helicopter. A tall thin man with a crop cut stepped out of the drivers side and approached them quickly.
"Hey." he said as he came up to the nearest person which happened to be Duo. "What can I do ya for?"
"Well we would be more then happy if you could lend us some gas. Were kinda low at the moment." Duo said.
"Where you people from anyway? If I may ask." The stranger inquired moving his attention to the jet black chopper. The cannons on the front gleamed from the head light of the truck. His eyes snaked over the gleaming windshield and down to the razor tips of the deadly blades. The back half of it seemed to fade into the darkness around.
"Preventor. That's all you need to know." Wufei answered coldly. He did not feel the need to give this person who they have just met too much information. He could be the enemy. Even though the war was over. Wufei still thought much the same as he did when he was fighting.
The stranger glanced at Wufei. "Oh. Well why didn't you say so? I'll have this beast fueled up in no time! Come on I'll take you to the office, and get everything sorted out, and get you all a place to stay for the night."
Sally stepped down from the copper and approached them as they were talking. `Rest would be good about now. But I haven't done anything all day, why am I so tired? Must be the new pills, doctor said I might be drowsy for a while. When was the last time I took them? When I woke up and started working on the communicator before Wufei woke up. Or somewhere in there, specific time doesn't matter too much, its been at least 12 hours. I'll take another one when I get to a place to lay down.`
They all got into the Jeep except for the piolt, who wanted to stay behind to see his air craft was well taken care of. The jeep drove across the flat land to a large building at the edge of the field. They got out and entered through the two large glass swinging doors. The floor was sculptured marble in an assortment of colors, in sky design. Clouds seamed to float across the room to a desk in the middle of the lobby.
Wufei approached it and rung the bell. A moment later a women appeared from a side door to the lobby.
"Are you the people who were on the air craft that had to make a landing here?" She asked.
"Yes, we're preventor, and we need a place to stay for the night till our craft refuels." Wufei answered figuring if he stated who they were they might be able to got a room faster.
"Oh alright then, I'll give the Grand Hotel in town a call and see if they have any room for you. How many are in you party together? Just 3?" she asked picking up the phone and beginning to dial.
"No theirs 4, the other one is still with the plane, but he will be coming shortly."Duo answered in a sweet voice. "On the other hand we could leave him and take you instead. How does that sound baby?"
Ignoring the comments she dialed up the hotel. "Hi I'd like to get a room for the night........ Oh alright then good night." she hung up the receiver and reached under the desk.
"What is the problem?" Wufei asked getting annoyed already.
"They were full, so I'm trying another place. This time of year there are lots of tourists around so the town gets filled up fast... let me try this place.." This went on for about 6 more places before they found one with room. The pilot of the chopper who's name was Alex, joined them at about the 4th try to find a room.
"How many rooms is there?..2, well..."The women on the phone asked.
"We'll take them both." Wufei cut in. He was now angry and very cranky. `All I want is a bed, is that so much to ask?`
The women reserved the rooms and called a cab to come pick them up and take them there. A few minutes later it arrived at the front main door. All four of them piled into the cab and headed out into the night.
The place where they had reserved the two rooms was a small motel on the side of a hill overlooking a glass lake. The water so calm and smooth it looked as though you could walk right out onto it. Half moon hung above the tree tops on the other side of the pool, lighting up the road ahead of them. Fire flies danced in the tall grass along the lake's edge, also reflecting in the mirror like liquid. The road ran alongside this lake for about half a mile or so before reaching the motel.
It was no problem finding the rooms they had asked for, because they were the only ones left. One room had a single and a double bed, while the other had a double and a couch.
"I've got the big bed!" called Duo before they were even out of the main office.
"I want the other one, I'm not sleeping in the same bed with anyone else." Alex said before Wufei or Sally could get a word in edgewise. They grabbed their stuff and entered the room numbered seven. Everyone else in the motel appeared to be asleep, after all it was about one a. m. Bugs buzzed around the lights above each of the room doors, and crickets sung there high-pitched melody in the ditch near the road. A car drove by, its head lights reflecting off of the windows in the storm doors to the two rooms. Other then that everything was quiet, for the most part anyway.
Duo and Alex entered their room and began to settle in, while Wufei wrestled with the door to his room. "Damn thing's stuck.." he grumbled. He put down his bag and attacked the knob with both hands. Sally stood back shaking her head sadly.
"Oh, Wufei.."Duo began sticking his head out the door once he noticed his comrade still out in the cold night air, and seeing a good opportunity to piss him off for fun.
Duo was answered by a death glare. He reconsidered trying anything at that particular moment without having a gun on hand for protection. Without taking his eyes off Wufei he checked the door knob to see if it was locked. "Oh ahh.. Never mind, good night."
Duo shut the door. "Man I wonder what's up with him? He's more touchy then usual. Got any ideas?"
"Maybe he's lonely? Everybody needs somebody sometimes!.. " Alex sang the last part. Laughed and got into bed. "Or maybe he's tired of being stuck with Sally for over a week? Who knows? All I know is that I'm tired and I'm not going to dwell on it anymore tonight. Good night."
"Ya, Good night."` Maybe he's got a thing for her?` Duo shut off the lights,"Na.".
"What?"
"Nothing."
~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ **~~
Finally the door swung open. The rooms were large and clean for the price they had payed for the night. They smelled clean too. Wufei entered the room and began to get ready for a shower. It was late but it did not matter to him. Gathering up his stuff, and a razor he borrowed from Duo earlier he began to enter the bathroom when he noticed Sally sitting on the end of the bed quietly. She was just sitting there doing nothing. Her eyes not focusing on anything, just staring out into space.
"Women. Do you want to go first?" he asked door half open.
She snapped out of her dreamy trance. "Oh, ah no. That's alright you go first. I want to have a bath."
Wufei entered the small bathroom and closed the door. Relaxing against it he let out the breath he did not realize he had been holding. His mind was spinning once again, how come he was feeling like this? It was only today that he realized his true feelings for this women, but that was in the moment. When she had told him of her fate, and he was faced with the realization of losing the best partner he had ever had. Did he really love her, or was it just a thought that came to him at that moment? Glancing around the light blue bathroom he removed his clothes and turned on the water. The ice cold liquid shot out the shower head and onto his head and back. He jumped back out of the way.
"Damn thing.." he cursed. Waiting for a moment he stepped into the shower again pleased to find it more then freezing. The luke warm water washes over his face and through his black hair. It snakes its way over his bronze skin to every part of his body surrounding him, enveloping him. It runs down his abs and lower stomach to places in conflict with his mind. The urge of his body and soul saying one thing, while his mind says that they are both wrong. These feelings should be overlooked, and forgotten at once! It shall only cause more pain in the future. The liquid glistens as it effortlessly ran down his solid back and his muscular bare legs before onto the bottom of the tube and down the dark drain hole ending its journey over perfection. He opens his eyes and squints into the shower spray, "Women.." The word escaped his lips before he realizes it. It is only a whisper quickly washed away by the water, then silence once more. Just the sound of water.
In the next room Sally sat there at the foot of the bed. There were no lights other then the one coming from under the bathroom door. Moon light overflowed through the window onto her. She looked out the window into the tranquil night.
"Mother.. Is this what happened to you?" She asked the moonlight.
Flash Back
4 Years earlier
"I'm sorry to inform you Miss. Po but your test did not show good results." The man in the white doctor robe said as he placed the chart on the table across from her.
"What do you mean? What is the problem?" Sally's heart skipped a beat. She knew there was something wrong with her, but she didn't think it would be something serious. For a moment she was griped with fear. Maybe it was something that could be cured?
"The results from your test show that you have blood cancer."
"Is that one of the new kinds?" Her metical training on the battle field, and her know-how to take care of flesh wounds and a little of therapy, for those solders who were at wits end, is the reason she became a Perventer. Sally had the ability to strap or mend almost any wound someone could acquire in battle. However on subject like health, and diseases she would have to look up or see someone else about.
"Yes it is. This Blood cancer is a rather new form. It effects the blood stream, and then slowly starts to shut down the rest of the body. If it were one of the older types we could treat you with HP kemo therapy and there would be no problem. But the new forms of this cancer have no cure yet only suppressants. They only work for a limited amount of time, 3 to 5 years at most. For now this is all I can offer you Miss Po, I'm sorry." The medical personal informed her as softly as he could. It is not easy to tell someone they are about to die a slow painful death.
Sally's mind refused to comprehend the new information she was given. There was no way that this could be something so serious. Life was just starting to go good for her. Good job, friends, new partner, well almost perfect. She still had to teach him how to say her name. "What part of my body is going to be effected first?"
"According to your test results it has already shut down your reproductive system. In females who have this it usually starts there. Then it might go to lungs, or muscle reaction, or any possible number of things....." He continued talking but she did not hear.
End Flash back
Sally reached down into her backpack and pulled out a half empty container of water, and a small white pill bottle. She scanned her eyes over the writing on its side. She couldn't make out the words on it, but that didn't matter, she had already memorized them.
Prescription use only
Do not take with food, or other drugs unless prescribed by your doctor!!
May cause sever drowsiness.
Do not take while operating machinery, or driving long distances.......
And a list of other things not to do, or take. Snapping open the lid, she shakes one of the smooth white tablets into her hand, pops it in her mouth and swallows it with the rest of the water. Placing the pill bottle back into her bag, and the empty container on the bedside table. Sally grabs the T.V. remote starts to surf looking for something besides the Saturday night romance. Within minutes the screen starts to blur, and remote slips from her fingers.
TBC....