Painfully forcing his eyes open, Heero blinked a couple of times to clear
the blurriness from them yet each time there was a twinge of pain in the
area near his right eye. Slowly looking about himself, he found Wufei
standing at his side. In confusion, he didn't know where he was or what
had happened to him, Heero tried to speak, yet his voice wouldn't work.
'Where am I? What happened to me? All I remember is being taken captive
by OZ while the others escaped, then everything is hazy...'
"Just relax Heero, you're in the hospital and everything's going to be fine, you never have to go back to the OZ base or deal with the soldiers again.." Placing his hand softly on his shoulder, Wufei looked into his confused, Prussian eyes with a slight smile.
'What's he talking about? When has Wufei ever smiled? And why is he talking to me like I'm a child?' Questions plaguing his mind, Heero turned from the young warrior and looked for something, anything, to write on. He also found that Quatre slept by his side, leaning against the hospital bed, Duo and Trowa in chairs in front of him, and Trowa's sister was there for some reason. She looked like she'd been hit a few times.
*Flashback* Heero looked up, watching Cathy being struck down by the soldier as she placed herself between his vulnerable form and the man. Taking in pained and shallow breaths, Heero wanted to get up and help his sister, she was being hurt protecting him from feeling the pain all over again. Yet, he was still taken from the holding cell, his head snapping back against the metal door frame as he struggled to breathe, but without avail. Then all he felt was himself thrown into the opposite wall, then dragged off to more pain along the cold, metal floor.
*End Flashback*
Calming his breathing and closing his eyes, the young soldier tried to push the thoughts from his mind. He didn't remember what pain it had been, but he knew that it hurt and he'd had to feel it. Then something clicked. Why had he thought of Cathrine as his sister? And why would she even dare to protect him like that? After what nearly happened to Trowa?
"Heero?" Growing concerned, Wufei disregarded the others as they awoke. Something wasn't right. The look in his little brother's eyes was different, not child-like and scared as normal, but matured and confused, like he was himself again, yet showed emotions.
Looking up again, Heero took his left hand and pretended to write something, hoping that the other pilot would know what he meant. He had to get answers, or he'd go mad. He was remembering small things, but it still didn't make sense. 'Come on Wufei, I know you're smarter than that. Why can't I talk?!'
Glancing down as the youth pretended to scribble something, he looked about and caught the journal and pen. Taking it up, he opened it to one of the last pages and handed Heero the pen, watching him scribble down something that wasn't the neatest and easiest to read.
'Why are you treating me like a child?'
Now it was his turn to be confused. After the first trauma, Heero had been reverted back into a child-like state of mind. Yet now, he was like himself again. It must have been after what happened. He'd returned to his normal self again, in maturity wise anyway. "I didn't mean to. It's a bit of a long story Heero. Do you remember what happened before we brought you here?"
'No. Just being taken captive and hoping you all made it to escape.'
Biting his tongue, the young dragon nodded. It was like he was able to block the entire time period out. That was nearly two months worth missed, if not more. "Then you're not remembering a lot. At least two and a half months worth."
Dropping the pen momentarily, the great pilot looked at him in disbelief. Nearly two and half months worth? What had happened to him? Why couldn't he remember? Taking a deep breath, he grimaced in pain at the sudden expanding of his lungs against his ribs. They must have been broken during the time period he couldn't remember. Trying to shift his position to relieve the stiffness in his muscles, a searing pain shot throughout his waist and lower body, causing him to bite his tongue so as not to cry out. Then he remembered that he couldn't anyway without his voice and the Japanese youth only took in short, gasping breaths as he tried to calm himself.
Quatre opened his eyes and realized that Heero was awake and in pain, quickly standing and looking down upon him. "Heero? What's wrong, what happened?"
Wufei looked up at the Arabian boy, his features solemn. "I'm guessing he just tried to move."
Nodding with a slight frown, he spoke softly. "It's okay Heero, it's going to hurt for a little while but it'll all go away."
"He's himself again."
Confused at the sudden statement, Quatre shot the Chinese youth a curious glance. "What do you mean he's himself again?"
"After what happened the first time, he was like a child again. Now, after the second occurrence, he's back to himself Quatre." Hearing his friend's breathing calm down, he nodded to confirm Quatre's uncertainty. "We'll have to tell him later."
Focusing the pain, Heero looked at the two and winced slightly in pain again. Taking up the pen, he wrote again.
"What happened to me? Why am I in so much pain?"
Delicately placing his hand on Heero's lower, right arm, the kind-hearted youth looked into his eyes after Wufei had read the questions. "We'll tell you, but don't worry about it now. We're sorry you had to go through all of the pain, and it's with what happened, but we won't let it happen again."
Growing frustrated with the two avoiding his questions, he wrote again.
"Why did I call Cathrine my sister? She's Trowa's."
Speaking up at this, Wufei answered. "She said you could call her that, you were staying with her after we went back to the war. We didn't want to drag you back into it after what happened, especially since you forgot most of it. At that time, you didn't even remember Wing Zero and we, or rather Quatre, taught you how to use it again. It seemed you recalled a bit of it, but just had to remember."
Laughing softly, Quatre smiled. "I think I still have the bruises to prove your little flying escapade. They really need to put passenger seats in those Gundams, it hurts too much otherwise."
Still confused, he stared back at the platinum blonde. Pushing that from his mind, he finally decided to ask what was bothering him the most.
"Why can't I speak?"
Sighing, Quatre spoke at this. "When in capture again, it will all make sense later, the OZ doctors seemed to have been intrigued as to why everyone called you the Perfect Soldier. That's probably why you'll be feeling a lot of pain in your abdomen and chest, because they made an incision and from the surveillance videos, it was while you were awake and undrugged. Then they went ahead and cut into your voice box, destroying the vocal chords. You won't be able to talk again Heero."
Sighing and closing his eyes, Heero dropped the pen again and let his hand fall limp. He couldn't remember, he couldn't speak, and he was in severe pain. He hadn't really ever known pain before, but he sure as hell did now. Releasing a breath through gritted teeth, he let himself fall back into the exhausted state and into sleep.
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"Just relax Heero, you're in the hospital and everything's going to be fine, you never have to go back to the OZ base or deal with the soldiers again.." Placing his hand softly on his shoulder, Wufei looked into his confused, Prussian eyes with a slight smile.
'What's he talking about? When has Wufei ever smiled? And why is he talking to me like I'm a child?' Questions plaguing his mind, Heero turned from the young warrior and looked for something, anything, to write on. He also found that Quatre slept by his side, leaning against the hospital bed, Duo and Trowa in chairs in front of him, and Trowa's sister was there for some reason. She looked like she'd been hit a few times.
*Flashback* Heero looked up, watching Cathy being struck down by the soldier as she placed herself between his vulnerable form and the man. Taking in pained and shallow breaths, Heero wanted to get up and help his sister, she was being hurt protecting him from feeling the pain all over again. Yet, he was still taken from the holding cell, his head snapping back against the metal door frame as he struggled to breathe, but without avail. Then all he felt was himself thrown into the opposite wall, then dragged off to more pain along the cold, metal floor.
*End Flashback*
Calming his breathing and closing his eyes, the young soldier tried to push the thoughts from his mind. He didn't remember what pain it had been, but he knew that it hurt and he'd had to feel it. Then something clicked. Why had he thought of Cathrine as his sister? And why would she even dare to protect him like that? After what nearly happened to Trowa?
"Heero?" Growing concerned, Wufei disregarded the others as they awoke. Something wasn't right. The look in his little brother's eyes was different, not child-like and scared as normal, but matured and confused, like he was himself again, yet showed emotions.
Looking up again, Heero took his left hand and pretended to write something, hoping that the other pilot would know what he meant. He had to get answers, or he'd go mad. He was remembering small things, but it still didn't make sense. 'Come on Wufei, I know you're smarter than that. Why can't I talk?!'
Glancing down as the youth pretended to scribble something, he looked about and caught the journal and pen. Taking it up, he opened it to one of the last pages and handed Heero the pen, watching him scribble down something that wasn't the neatest and easiest to read.
'Why are you treating me like a child?'
Now it was his turn to be confused. After the first trauma, Heero had been reverted back into a child-like state of mind. Yet now, he was like himself again. It must have been after what happened. He'd returned to his normal self again, in maturity wise anyway. "I didn't mean to. It's a bit of a long story Heero. Do you remember what happened before we brought you here?"
'No. Just being taken captive and hoping you all made it to escape.'
Biting his tongue, the young dragon nodded. It was like he was able to block the entire time period out. That was nearly two months worth missed, if not more. "Then you're not remembering a lot. At least two and a half months worth."
Dropping the pen momentarily, the great pilot looked at him in disbelief. Nearly two and half months worth? What had happened to him? Why couldn't he remember? Taking a deep breath, he grimaced in pain at the sudden expanding of his lungs against his ribs. They must have been broken during the time period he couldn't remember. Trying to shift his position to relieve the stiffness in his muscles, a searing pain shot throughout his waist and lower body, causing him to bite his tongue so as not to cry out. Then he remembered that he couldn't anyway without his voice and the Japanese youth only took in short, gasping breaths as he tried to calm himself.
Quatre opened his eyes and realized that Heero was awake and in pain, quickly standing and looking down upon him. "Heero? What's wrong, what happened?"
Wufei looked up at the Arabian boy, his features solemn. "I'm guessing he just tried to move."
Nodding with a slight frown, he spoke softly. "It's okay Heero, it's going to hurt for a little while but it'll all go away."
"He's himself again."
Confused at the sudden statement, Quatre shot the Chinese youth a curious glance. "What do you mean he's himself again?"
"After what happened the first time, he was like a child again. Now, after the second occurrence, he's back to himself Quatre." Hearing his friend's breathing calm down, he nodded to confirm Quatre's uncertainty. "We'll have to tell him later."
Focusing the pain, Heero looked at the two and winced slightly in pain again. Taking up the pen, he wrote again.
"What happened to me? Why am I in so much pain?"
Delicately placing his hand on Heero's lower, right arm, the kind-hearted youth looked into his eyes after Wufei had read the questions. "We'll tell you, but don't worry about it now. We're sorry you had to go through all of the pain, and it's with what happened, but we won't let it happen again."
Growing frustrated with the two avoiding his questions, he wrote again.
"Why did I call Cathrine my sister? She's Trowa's."
Speaking up at this, Wufei answered. "She said you could call her that, you were staying with her after we went back to the war. We didn't want to drag you back into it after what happened, especially since you forgot most of it. At that time, you didn't even remember Wing Zero and we, or rather Quatre, taught you how to use it again. It seemed you recalled a bit of it, but just had to remember."
Laughing softly, Quatre smiled. "I think I still have the bruises to prove your little flying escapade. They really need to put passenger seats in those Gundams, it hurts too much otherwise."
Still confused, he stared back at the platinum blonde. Pushing that from his mind, he finally decided to ask what was bothering him the most.
"Why can't I speak?"
Sighing, Quatre spoke at this. "When in capture again, it will all make sense later, the OZ doctors seemed to have been intrigued as to why everyone called you the Perfect Soldier. That's probably why you'll be feeling a lot of pain in your abdomen and chest, because they made an incision and from the surveillance videos, it was while you were awake and undrugged. Then they went ahead and cut into your voice box, destroying the vocal chords. You won't be able to talk again Heero."
Sighing and closing his eyes, Heero dropped the pen again and let his hand fall limp. He couldn't remember, he couldn't speak, and he was in severe pain. He hadn't really ever known pain before, but he sure as hell did now. Releasing a breath through gritted teeth, he let himself fall back into the exhausted state and into sleep.
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