Infirmary, L12
"I see that you are awake, Dr. Nelson."
Trynity blinked a few times and turned her head to look around the room. She recognized the furnishings and realized that she was lying in a bed in the infirmary on L12, but she was disoriented because she was usually standing at the end of the bed with the chart in her hand. Now a nurse was entering data on the chart.
"May I see that please," requested Trynity as she struggled to sit up. She felt very weak and still a little muddled. Her vision was even fuzzy around the edges.
The nurse smiled at her. "You know the rules, Dr. Nelson. Only the staff can look at the chart, not the patient."
Of course Trynity knew the rules. "Give me the damn chart!"
The door opened and a man she recognized walked in chuckling. "I see you have awakened with your usual cheery disposition." He took the chart from the nurse who left the room.
Trynity held out her hand, but after a few seconds it dropped limply on the bed. "Kurt Duran, we went to medical school together. I helped you more times than you would care to remember with your work, so you owe me a favor or two."
"I'm not giving you the chart. Doctors do make the worst patients." He tucked it under his arm. "All your vitals look good, Trynity, so you don't need to bother yourself over the details."
"How long have I been in here?" Trynity glanced at the intravenous tubes in her arm trying to determine what treatment she was being given.
"Four days. We finished your dialysis treatment yesterday in time to save your kidneys and flush your system of that drug. There should be no lasting effects."
His mention of the drug made her memory come flooding back to her. She felt nauseous, but swallowed it back and said, "I think I need some rest."
"You have visitors who would like to see you." Dr. Duran chuckled. "I think one or two might be considered permanent residents of the waiting room by now."
"I don't want to see anyone." Trynity managed to turn on her side away from the doctor. She didn't want him to see her cry.
"Your son is off duty now," said the doctor. "He's been coming here every spare moment he can as your daughter has."
"I told you," said Trynity through gritted teeth. "Tell them to go home, that I am too sick to see anyone."
"You might feel better if you talk to someone," he suggested.
"Go to hell!"
"I have surgery in an hour. I won't make it there and back by that time." She heard his footsteps approaching the door where he stopped. "You can have another day, Trynity, but if you aren't accepting visitors tomorrow – especially your own family, I will have to order a psychological evaluation."
After the door shut, she thought she would burst into tears, but she couldn't. A good cry might have made her feel better. Right now she felt nothing, no hurt, no anger – nothing. No, that wasn't right, because she felt deeply humiliated. Glancing down at the foot of her bed, she noticed that Dr. Duran had taken her chart with him. Trynity was disgusted to think of what might be noted on her chart that the nurses and doctors would read. They would know what had happened to her, and she wouldn't be able to face them. Just like she couldn't face Duo. When he had been fighting Quatre, she could hear the gunshots and the clang of the swords, and she had fought unconsciousness until she was certain Quatre had not killed Duo as he had bragged he would. Trynity could not even imagine how Duo felt when he found her. She was so profoundly humiliated by what happened to her that even now she burrowed her head under a pillow and willed everyone and everything to disappear.
The door opened, and Trynity heard humming. "Nurse, I do not want to be disturbed! Come back later."
The pillow was snatched from her head and she was aggravated to see Relena smiling down at her. "Don't be silly! I'm not the nurse, and I'm not coming back later. Well, maybe I will, but right now I am not leaving. I've brought you some flowers."
Trynity looked at the cart Relena had pushed in when she had entered. There were dozens of flowers, many sizes and colors. "Get them out! I don't want any of them!" She turned away and stared at the wall. "And I would appreciate it if you would accompany them."
She could hear Relena moving around, still humming and she wondered what she was doing until she said, "I think I'll put these red roses over by the window. I'll let you guess whom they are from. Your father sent these daisies. They are quite sweet. Of course, this bouquet is the best, because the flowers are from my garden. I picked them and arranged them myself."
"Get them out or I will throw them out the window when you leave," ordered Trynity through gritted teeth. The flowers didn't cheer her at all. "Now get out, Relena."
"I am not finished arranging your flowers."
Trynity turned around to look at her. "Please, Relena, I don't want the flowers in my room. If you want to cheer me, take them to pediatrics. The children love flowers."
Relena paused, then shrugged and began to load them back on the cart. "All right, I will concede that point to you. Did I tell you that you look absolutely horrid?"
"I don't give a damn." She turned back to stare at the wall. "I'm sorry, Relena. I know you are trying to help, but I have to deal with this on my own."
She felt the edge of her bed sag, then Relena's hand on her hair. Trynity felt uncomfortable with even her friend so close and touching her like this. Quatre had touched her hair, ran his fingers through her curls, spread her hair out on the pillow…
"Please don't touch me, Relena." There was no way she could or would explain to her closest friend how she felt.
Relena withdrew her hand. "You need more rest. I'll warn Duo to keep it short."
Trynity quickly turned around and grabbed Relena's arm. "I don't want to see him!"
Relena looked down at her arm and Trynity saw that she was gripping her so hard that her fingernails had bit into her flesh and she was bleeding. "I get the point, Trynity."
She released her and fell back. "I'm begging you, Relena, not to let Duo in here. I can't see him yet." Trynity wasn't ready to see the look in his eyes, the pain, anger, maybe even suspicion. Other women who had been her patients had described that look to Trynity although she had never seen it in the men whose wives or lovers had been raped. How did Duo feel, knowing that she didn't have a single bruise? Quatre had been so very careful.
"I think you are wrong," said her friend. "But I will tell Duo that you are sleeping again."
"If he comes in here, I will never forgive you Relena."
The door closed quietly behind her. Trynity waited several anxious minutes, expecting Duo to walk into her room despite her request, but he didn't so she sighed with relief and closed her eyes. Seeing a vision of Quatre, his face coming closer to hers, she felt panic and opened them again. Her heart was pounding and she lifted her arms to assure herself that she could move, that she wasn't paralyzed by that drug, by his eyes, by the words he said to her. All afternoon she tried to rest, but by evening she was a nervous wreck. Dr. Duran checked on her before leaving and ordered a sedative that knocked her out completely.
The following day she felt no better, even after the psychiatrist left her. The woman didn't want to prescribe anything to help her depression because of the intensive treatment she had just undergone to remove the boreworm drug from her body. Trynity would have been grateful for anything that would ease the panic attacks that accompanied her unwanted memories.
When Relena stopped by, Heero accompanied her, and after several minutes of her nonsensical chatter, Heero asked her to get him a cup of coffee. Relena was clearly annoyed to be dismissed, but she left them alone.
"I thought you might feel more comfortable talking to me without her yapping like a terrier around you."
In another lifetime, Trynity might have laughed, but now she said nothing. Her common sense told her that she had done nothing wrong, but she still wondered if she had been responsible for what Quatre had done to her. Somewhere deep inside, she felt a memory nagging to be released, but she stubbornly shoved it back. Quatre had touched her with evil and she was sure everyone could see and judged her guilty because she had no visible signs that she had suffered. She could not even meet Heero's eyes.
"You've been unconscious, so you don't know everything that has happened," started Heero.
She couldn't help but turn away from him. There was a spot on the wall she could concentrate on that made her feel safe. "Is it necessary?"
"Your home on Mars Colony was burned to the ground."
"I know." Quatre had told her all his plans. He had wanted to make sure that after that night, she would having nothing left of her past so that she could make her future with him. "The clinic is gone too."
"The clinic was badly damaged, but it is salvageable. You can thank Duo, Taeron and your father for saving most of it."
Trynity was surprised, but she didn't say anything.
"As for Quatre…"
"Duo killed him."
"If that's what you wanted, then I am sorry. But Quatre Winner must answer to his crimes in a court of law, not on the edge of a Calabrian sword."
She didn't respond. Trynity could imagine Quatre's scorn at conventional justice. He had enough money to buy his way out of anything.
"He's being transported back to Earth tomorrow to stand trial. All of his assets have been seized to pay reparations to the people he has harmed. You should put in a claim for your house and the clinic so that you can rebuild."
"I'm not going back there." Trynity never wanted to see Mars Colony again. She had put her heart and soul into the colony and its people, but they did not care. For a handful of cash they would sell her again and again. "And I don't want anything from Quatre Winner."
Heero remained quiet for a few more minutes before he said, "I know you don't feel like seeing anyone, and I can understand..."
"You can't understand," she muttered, curling her fingers into fists. "Don't even try."
"Duo has to leave, Trynity. You should speak to him before he goes."
"I can't." She felt an ache in her heart. "He should just leave."
"You don't mean that. How are you going to feel if he is unable to return?" Heero was trying to help in his own way.
She didn't answer him. What could she say?
Relena walked in. "Here's your coffee. I brought a cup for you, too, Trynity."
"I don't want it." Even if she did want a cup of coffee, she certainly didn't want what was brewed in the hospital vending machine. Trynity wished they would leave.
"I have to get back to my office." Trynity felt Heero's hand on her back. "Think about what I said."
She arched her back away from his touch, and he walked out.
"What was that insensitive jerk talking about?" Trynity guessed they had a fight and she hoped in vain that Relena wouldn't talk about it. "Shaina wants to quit her ballet lessons and he agrees! I'll never forgive him for allowing Chaz to quit his lessons, and I'll be damned if I let him have his way this time."
"I'm tired." Trynity didn't want to hear about her domestic problems. Although they were petty, Relena managed to blow them out of proportion.
"You're always tired! Are you planning to stay here much longer? The doctor says you can leave tomorrow, and I expect you to stay with me."
Trynity didn't want to stay with Relena, but she had no where else to go.
"And if you are worried about bumping into Duo, then stop. He can't wait any longer to leave, so he is going tonight. But I am sure he will be back as soon as he can get away."
"I don't want him hurrying back." Trynity didn't think she could ever face Duo again. "Tell him."
"Ha! I have no intention of telling him anything like that! You can just do it yourself."
"Is he waiting to see me?"
"Where else would he be? He doesn't need to be watching over Shamara since she's got her watchdog and that handsome young prince keeping an eye on her every move. I don't think there is any place he would rather be than down the hall waiting for you to acknowledge his existence."
Her stomach churned unpleasantly at the prospect of speaking to Duo, but she needed to get it over with. "Then tell him to come in."
"Oh! Well, maybe I should do your hair or put a little makeup on you…" Relena tried to plump up her pillow, but Trynity reached back to push her away.
"Go get him now!"
Relena made a sound of disgust, then walked out. Trynity's heart was racing, and a wave of nausea rippled through her. The thought of facing him now was making her physically sick. How could they all believe they could have future together? They made no attempt to understand how she felt.
She barely had enough time to grab the container beside her bed provided for just such a purpose before she emptied her stomach. When she finished, she set it aside, then turned to pour herself a cup of water, but one was placed in her hand.
Trynity looked up to see Duo's concerned face, and she shuddered with self-disgust over what he had just seen. Her hand was shaking as she took the cup from him, careful not to touch him, and she spilled water on herself before she managed to get some to her mouth. Once she did, her stomach began to heave again.
When she finished, she laid back with her eyes closed. Trynity felt weak and disoriented for a few moments. Although she didn't look at him, she felt Duo's presence beside the bed. For several long moments, neither of them spoke. Trynity couldn't if she tried, because she didn't want to say what she had to.
"Relena said I could come in, that you wanted to see me." Duo's voice sounded uncertain.
She nodded, but she still couldn't speak. Her throat was tight with unshed tears.
"I am escorting Shamara and Dagan back to Calabria, and I'm leaving tonight. I can be back in a few days."
"You don't need to come back."
"I want to come back."
Trynity forced her eyes opened and she concentrated at looking at Duo's face. "I don't want you to come back."
"This isn't you talking, Trynity." Duo took a step closer to the bed and Trynity shrank back against the pillows.
"You don't listen to me, Duo! That's always been the problem! The signs are there and you don't see them, you don't want to see them. You were right when you said there was no love between us. I realized that even before I walked out the door and into Quatre's hands! When we were together that day, I just didn't feel anything, and I knew that what we once had was never as deep as the love I came to feel for Lars."
Duo stared at her in silence for a moment. She was sure he would be angered, that he would leave with harsh words she would remember for the rest of her life. Mentioning Lars and comparing them should have infuriated him. But Duo sighed and ran his hand through his hair, a nervous habit he seemed to have developed since he no longer braided it.
"Only you know what is truly in your heart, Trynity, just as I know what is in mine. And in my heart I know that you are my other half, that our hearts beat as one. What hurts you, gives me pain, and what makes you happy, gives me great joy."
"Wouldn't Mrs. Drivel be pleased to hear your poetry." She couldn't look at him anymore without feeling the pain of her imminent loss, so she turned and searched out the point on the wall.
"I will wait for you, Trynity, if it is your wish that I not return. And if I must wait an eternity for you to come to me, then I will." He paused for a moment, then he said, "I will always love you, Trynity, no matter how long it takes for you to feel again what I do and always have. I will be there for you."
She continued to stare at the wall long after he left. Trynity felt as if her soul had been sucked out of her and she had been powerless to stop it. She didn't feel worthy of Duo's love anymore, no matter what he believed.
Thankfully, she fell into a deep slumber, which was undisturbed for the first time since she had regained consciousness. But she awakened when the door opened. Trynity realized she had slept the rest of the day and into the following morning. Although she still felt miserable, the rest had done her some good. She hoped the nurses who must have ignored her room during the night were now coming to clean up.
"Well, you've screwed up my chance to see another galaxy."
"Gramps!" She recognized Stryfe's voice. At least he had some sensitivity.
Although she would prefer to wallow in her self-pity alone, Trynity turned to look at the other two men in her life. "Aren't visiting hours over?"
"They just started, pumpkin." Her father set a vase of red roses by the window. "These were outside the door."
Duo must have left them, she thought, though roses really weren't his style. No, he would leave a mangled bouquet of thistles, but since there were none on L12, he had to settle with roses because they had thorns.
"Mom, you don't look too well." Stryfe picked up the bedpan and disappeared into the bathroom. He returned with a washcloth to mop up.
"There are nurses to do that," commented Trynity. She hated to see Stryfe cleaning up after her as if she were a helpless invalid.
"I know. But the babe who was headed here to take care of you agreed to go out with me tonight, so I'm trying to score a few gratitude points." He grinned at her, and she realized just how much he reminded her of Duo.
Unable to bear the resemblance, she turned on her side. But instead of her safe spot on the wall, she saw her father standing with his arms crossed and his shaggy brows wriggling. "Father, I would like more rest."
"Nonsense. What you need is to get out of that bed. The doctor didn't say anything about your legs not working."
Trynity turned angrily away from him and watched Stryfe tidying up her room. "I would like both of you to leave."
Stryfe picked up the cup on the table beside the bed. "What's this?" He held up what appeared to be a chain. Trynity instantly recognized the charm dangling from the end.
Her father chuckled. "I haven't seen that for many years! Where have you been hiding that?"
Trynity hadn't seen it for many years either, not since the day Duo had left her almost eighteen years ago and she had ripped it off and thrown it in the docking bay of the transport. Relena must have picked it up. But Relena hadn't left it behind.
She reached out to take it from Stryfe. Her fingers were shaking so badly that she couldn't unclasp it. Chuckling, her father took it from her and put it around her neck.
"I didn't say I wanted it on," she muttered although she felt a safe comfort in touching the golden scythe. As she did, she could almost recapture the innocence of her youth when Duo had given it to her. "When are you getting out of here?" asked Stryfe as he sat on the edge of her bed.
"Tomorrow," she said without thinking.
"Too bad. There are a few more nurses I was hoping to make the acquaintance of. Say, Quynn doesn't have a roommate since hers bailed on her last week. Maybe you'd want to move into her place until you decide what you want to do."
Trynity knew she had those types of decisions to make. She was tired of the hospital already after only two days. As a doctor she didn't care for it; as a patient she
hated it. "I suppose I can stay with Quynn if she doesn't mind my getting under foot."
"Gramps is staying with me," said Stryfe. "And he is getting in the way. Too bad Lord Duo didn't take him with him."
"I thought he might offer," grumbled Dr. Stryfe. "But he didn't."
Trynity glanced at Stryfe. "Did you see them off?"
"Quynn and I both did. He would like us to visit him when we have vacation time." Stryfe rubbed his hands together. "I can't wait to see his grand palace, and Taeron promised to show me around. I have a few weeks free in six months when my tour of duty is half completed. Can I count on you coming with me, mom?"
She shook her head. "I can't. But I'm glad you're making plans to visit him."
"He just wants a chance to study Calabrian women," grunted his grandfather.
They stayed for another half-hour, bantering back and forth, discussing the scrolls that had been lost to the fire. Stryfe was eager to see the places mentioned in the scrolls although his grandfather reminded him that they were purely myth. She was glad when they left because she was starting to feel overwhelmed by their cheery mood. Later her doctor visited to tell her she was free to leave but that the staff was hoping she would work at the infirmary when she regained her strength. She had nothing else to do, so she agreed. They would make her do most of the work while they perfected their golf games, but she didn't care as long as she could keep her mind off what had happened.
The following day she got out of bed, and despite her weak muscles, she dressed herself and waited for Quynn to stop by as she promised she would. The nurse brought by another bouquet of red roses just as Quynn walked in still wearing her flight suit.
"Sorry, mom, but I'm pulling another shift." She stopped to pick up a rose to breathe in its fragrance. "Somebody is very thoughtful and very sweet."
"If you're in a hurry, I suggest we get going." Trynity left the roses behind. She didn't want to think of Duo at all because there such thoughts only made her heart ache and her eyes burn with tears.
When she arrived at Quynn's small apartment she discovered the reason her roommate had moved out. Trynity had to wade through the books, papers and clothing, both clean and dirty to get to the couch. She was about to scold Quynn for her sloppy behavior when her daughter waved and shut the door behind her as she left.
After taking a short nap, Trynity was in the process of cleaning the apartment when the doorbell rang. She went to the door, but she paused before opening it. Quynn had an optical identifier, so Trynity checked the data to find that Relena was waiting impatiently in the hall. She didn't want to be nagged, but she let Relena in anyway.
"I can't believe you are staying here!" Relena looked around the small apartment in disgust. "Do you even have a bedroom?"
"Quynn is letting me have the bedroom and she will sleep on the couch until I find a bigger place."
Relena shoved a pile of magazines Trynity had collected and placed on the couch onto the floor before she sat. "I brought some of the things you left at my place. Chaz! Bring them in here now!"
Trynity hadn't realized her son was with her. Chaz walked in with a box. "Sorry to disturb you, Trynity, but mom…"
"Stop sucking up to her to get to Quynn! She's not here anyway."
Chaz' face turned a dark shade of red, then he placed the box on a table before walking out and returning with a vase filled with red roses. "These were in the hall."
Relena laughed as Trynity took them and put them on the kitchen counter. "Whoever would have thought that Duo Maxwell could be that romantic?" She caught Chaz trying to sneak out. "Don't forget to pick your sister up from her ballet lesson." She turned her attention back to Trynity who resumed picking up the room. There was nothing particularly filthy about the apartment. Quynn just didn't clean up after herself.
"I would love to help you find a place to live. I can't believe you are going to settle on L12!" Relena clapped her hands together. "We can go shopping, have lunch together…"
"Don't get your hopes up. I might decide to return to Earth with my father when his sabbatical from the academy comes to an end." Trynity opened Quynn's closet, then closed it quickly before the avalanche could begin. Apparently she should not upset the delicate balance of her daughter's living space.
"You won't return to Earth! It would take weeks for Duo to follow you there."
"Duo isn't coming back for me," she told Relena. "I told him it was over in no uncertain terms." Trynity was confident that Duo wouldn't seek her out. The ball was in her court and she had no intention of returning it. She couldn't imagine being intimate with him after what Quatre had done to her. Duo deserved to be happy, and she was not the one who could bring that about.
"I see you are wearing his necklace," remarked Relena slyly.
Trynity reached up to touch it. "I found it on the table next to my bed at the infirmary. You wouldn't know how it got there?"
"I picked it up that day – I had a hell of a time finding it - and had it repaired. I was going to give it back to you, but you married Lars and I didn't want to bring up painful memories. When Duo showed up, I gave it back to him."
So Duo left it by her bed. Trynity saw that Relena was smiling at her, so she quickly took her hand away from the scythe. "It doesn't change anything."
"Don't even think about returning to Earth! You belong in space. You and I both know exactly where, but you won't admit it." Relena stood. "I would send my maids over here if I didn't think they would quit in protest."
"I need something to keep me occupied anyway."
Relena reached out to take her hands and she held them tight when Trynity would have pulled them away. "We are friends, Trynity. I will listen if you want to talk."
Trynity wished Relena wouldn't touch her. "There is nothing I want to discuss with you." She remained stiff as Relena hugged her.
"I really must get going. Chaz isn't going to pick Shaina up from her lesson - that is, if she actually went. I will just have to check up on them, then visit Heero for lunch. Let's get together tomorrow and look for places for you to live."
After she had gone, Trynity returned to her cleaning. By the time Quynn returned, her apartment was neat and organized, but her daughter was too tired to notice. While Quynn showered and changed, Trynity put a meal on the table so that it was waiting for her when she finished.
Quynn took one bite then remarked, "You didn't cook this."
Trynity smiled. "I ordered it."
"Can you afford it, because I certainly can't."
Trynity couldn't either, but she didn't tell Quynn.
"I didn't think so." Quynn pushed the food around on her plate. "The place looks nice, but you didn't have to clean."
"To live here? I think so." Trynity didn't have an appetite, so she sat across the table from her daughter simply staring at her plate.
Quynn didn't speak either and took only an occasional bite of food. Finally, she pushed herself away from the table and said, "I should get some sleep. I have an early day tomorrow."
"I would have thought you'd have plans with Chaz," commented Trynity. She cleared the table as Quynn transformed the couch into her bed by tossing a sheet and blanket over it.
"I don't make plans with Chaz." Quynn changed into an oversized tee shirt and sat on the couch. She put her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands. "I know Chaz likes me, probably more than he should, but I don't feel anything special when I'm with him."
Trynity busied herself with washing the dishes. She didn't want to have a conversation with Quynn about her love life.
"Isn't there supposed to be some sort of spark?" continued Quynn. "Chaz is a gorgeous guy, but I just don't feel the heavens open up when he kisses me. I can't encourage him when there is nothing there."
"I think I will go to bed. I did a lot of work today and I might go to the infirmary tomorrow to make a little money." Trynity headed to the bedroom.
"I get it," said Quynn with a laugh. "You don't want to talk."
Trynity stopped at the door of the bedroom and turned to look at her daughter. "I gave you some very bad advice about men, Quynn. I'm not about to try again."
"I don't blame you, mom, for what happened with Malik. I liked how I felt when I was with him, so I trusted him. That was a stupid mistake I hope I never make again." Quynn settled under her blanket. "Good night, mom. I hope you feel better tomorrow."
After a night of disturbing dreams, Trynity did not feel better, but she forced herself to go through the day. When she finally found the courage, she returned to the infirmary where she paid a visit to the children's ward. The flowers Relena had taken there were still decorating the nurse's station and several of the sicker children had been given bouquets. Seeing the wilting red roses in one little girl's room reminded Trynity of the roses she had found outside Quynn's apartment that morning. Did Duo think reminding her everyday of his feelings was going to change how she felt?
That afternoon she spent in Relena's company hunting for an apartment. She felt strange about finding her own place to live, and she was unsure of what she wanted, but she knew she didn't need the Jacuzzi that Relena insisted upon. They had lunch together in the quadrant central canteen, and Trynity was uncomfortable with so many people around. Before the meal was over, she caught a glimpse of a man with long, blond hair and panic rose so quickly that she hyperventilated and fainted. When she came around, she felt very foolish to have paramedics checking her pulse and giving her oxygen.
"You gave me a scare!" snapped Relena after the paramedics had gone and the crowd dispersed.
"I want to go home." Trynity was embarrassed, and yet she still felt frightened. The man hadn't been Quatre! He was incarcerated on a transport somewhere between L12 and L11. It couldn't have been him!
That night she had a nightmare that Quatre had managed to bribe his way out of the charges and returned for her. When she awoke, she was drenched with sweat and her heart was racing. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes as if she could block out the memory of him touching her and kissing her, the weight of his body on hers. She stumbled to the bathroom where she turned on the shower and stood under the cold water. When she finally stepped out, she was shivering, and although she had scrubbed herself, she still felt filthy. A towel seemed to come from no where, and she looked up as Quynn rubbed her with it.
"That was a pretty long shower, mom. I hope you left some hot water for me. You're freezing!" She wrapped the towel around her. "If I were you, I think I would have taken off my nightgown before I took the shower."
Trynity didn't say anything as Quynn helped her back to her room and into dry clothing. Quynn didn't speak either until she had tucked Trynity back into her bed.
"I suppose you're not going to tell me what brought that on." Quynn shrugged. "I can guess. I had a tough time after what Malik did to me, but Duo and Apolo helped me through it. Maybe you should have gone with Duo."
Trynity shook her head. "I couldn't do that."
"You could have, you just chose not to go."
"Our situations are different!"
"Why? Because he raped you? Hey, there's something just a little bit disturbing about a guy getting off by sucking blood out of your body! I think my womanly pride suffered a little that he wasn't all that interested in the sex."
"How can you joke about it?" snapped Trynity.
Quynn grimaced. "Because I have put it into perspective, mom. I am still alive."
"Well I can't be as grateful as you that I am."
"I am grateful that you are alive, and so are a lot of other people, but I think Duo is more than anyone."
"Save your breath, Quynn. I'm not going to be with him. Now get out and let me go back to sleep." Trynity turned on her side away from her daughter.
Quynn decided to let the issue drop, so she grabbed some of her clothes and went to the shower. Trynity lay awake in the dark, staring at the window as the rays from the colony's simulated sunrise broke over the quadrant. Quynn left for work early, and Trynity got up soon after. She wasn't surprised to see the roses Quynn had set inside.
By late afternoon, Trynity had moved to one of the apartments she had visited with Relena. Relena had dismissed it immediately as a dump, but Trynity liked it because it was closer to the infirmary and far from both Relena and Quynn. She wanted to be alone, so she left Quynn a note explaining that she was all right and if she wanted to get in touch with her she could do so at the infirmary. Trynity needed time to herself to digest what had happened to her and find some way to cope with it.
Although Relena and Quynn meant well, Trynity had no intention of sharing with them what Quatre had done. They could hardly be able to understand how she had suffered. He claimed to love her, had loved her secretly for many years. When he could no longer bear to see her with Lars, he enlisted Malik to kill him, thinking that Trynity would turn to him in her loneliness. Quatre couldn't understand why she hadn't, so he had blamed the clinic, then Duo Maxwell, and he finally took them both away. Even if he didn't kill Duo, she couldn't be with him without thinking about the things Quatre had done to her. And she would wonder if he were thinking about it too.
On her way out the door after her first night in the apartment, Trynity almost tripped over the roses left outside the door. She stared at them incredulously, then furiously as she imagined the infirmary giving out her address to the florist when she had specifically told them not to. She managed to get her anger under control by the time she reached the infirmary. Assigned to the emergency room in the morning and the pediatric ward in the afternoon, Trynity put the incident out of her mind.
After work she stopped at a coffee shop for a sandwich. While she was sipping from her mug, her attention was drawn to the window where she saw a man turning and walking away. The cup slipped from her hands, and she gripped the edge of the table to regain control. The waitress hurried to her table to mop up the spill and take the broken pieces of the mug away. Trynity left the table and stepped out the door to look both ways down the busy sidewalk, but she didn't see the man with long, blond hair. She was almost certain he was the same man she had seen when she was with Relena.
Trynity returned home and was glad that she didn't have to make any small talk with Quynn. Quynn hadn't contacted her during the following days so Trynity concluded that she was angry about her flight. Relena left her a message inquiring about her, and Trynity quickly returned her call to let her know that she was all right, that she just wanted time to herself.
The following days passed uneventfully unless the routine arrival of the roses could be considered an event. Trynity took them to work and left them with patients who didn't seem to have a family visiting. They might annoy Trynity, but they brought joy to others. Quynn sent her a note saying she missed her and she should drop by some time. Trynity spent as much of her time as possible at the infirmary so that she was so exhausted and distracted when she returned home that she didn't notice her loneliness.
Her father even had to make an appointment to see her, although he couldn't be healthier. He complained about his living arrangement with Stryfe, and when she suggested that he return to work on Earth, he informed him that he was waiting on L12 for Prince Zieben to arrive. King Miliardo had bestowed upon him the honor of being a part of his son's escort to Calabria.
"The trip would go a lot smoother if we had someone with us who could speak Calabrian," he hinted.
She glared at him. "Father, when was the last time you had your prostate examined?"
He stood quickly. "I just remembered another appointment."
Sighing, she took a paper and scribbled her address on it, then handed him a key. "I'm not doing this for me or for you. And if you get on my nerves, father, I will kick your ass out of my apartment. I'm giving Stryfe a break. You're probably putting a cramp in his extra-curricular activities."
"Well, there were one or two of his young lady friends who seemed to prefer my considerable maturity."
Despite herself, she laughed. "I'll see you later, father."
He kissed the top of her head although she tried to avoid it. "I'll have a little something cooked up, pumpkin, so don't stop anywhere to eat."
She took the light rail car home that evening. During the ride, she had the feeling that someone was staring at her, and she turned around once to see a little boy with his mother, an old woman knitting, and another person reading the newspaper. She looked back at the stack of files on her lap, but that feeling did not go away. At the next stop, the old woman got off, and two blocks further down the street, the mother and her son got off, moving to the front door of the light rail car. At the same time, she heard the back door opening, and she turned to see that the person reading the paper had been a man, and his hair was long and blond.
Trynity jumped to her feet and hurried to the back door to follow, but the doors closed and the light rail car lurched forward. She stared at the back of the man, convinced that her eyes were playing tricks on her. When the light rail car was at the end of the block, the man tucked the newspaper under his arm and turned back.
Gasping, she stumbled back.
It was Quatre Winner! Trynity hurried back to her seat to grab her things, but she stopped when she saw a torn piece of the newspaper he had been reading. With a trembling hand she picked it up and read: RESOURCE TYCOON TO FACE CHARGES ON EARTH. The paper slipped from her trembling hand to the floor.
She dropped weakly on the seat and covered her face with her hands, then took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. By the time the light rail car arrived at her stop, she was able to convince herself that it was coincidence. The man could not possibly have been Quatre Winner. If her father thought there was something wrong, he didn't say so, and after supper - he actually was a good cook - he pointed out several boxes that had arrived from her clinic on the Mars Colony. Trynity spent the rest of the evening trying to organize her papers, many badly damaged from the fire. Fortunately the disks on her computer were salvaged as well.
"I am very grateful that my work was saved," she told her father.
Dr. Stryfe snorted. "I would have let it burn, were it up to me, but Maxwell wouldn't give up. I think you should show your gratitude to him and his over-zealous son."
"I don't want to discuss Duo Maxwell with you."
"How would that be different from before?" He chuckled. "Besides, I enjoy getting up your dander."
She ignored him as she pulled out another handful of papers and recognized the readings she had taking on Shamara's brain activity. She had gotten so distracted with her personal problems that she had forgotten the research she had been doing on her Guerani powers, particularly when she was in the process of healing. Now she had plenty of time to study them again and compare them to her own. She decided that she would take up that research again and maybe she could unlock the secret to Guerani healing.
The following day she didn't see the blond man, so she took it as a good sign. That night she was invited to Relena's for dinner and was surprised to realize it was her birthday. All her friends and family had gathered to celebrate. She felt uncomfortable at first, but after a few glasses of wine, she was able to remain at the party without the urge to bolt for the door and hide in her apartment. There was a small band, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres before a huge meal. After dinner there was dancing on the patio, but Trynity declined all offers to dance, preferring to watch from the side with a glass of champagne.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" asked Heero who had come to stand beside her.
She smiled and sipped the champagne. "How can I not? Relena must have gone all out. But I am not sure I like being reminded how close to forty I am getting."
"You're a very attractive woman for thirty-six. In case you hadn't noticed, there are several men who are eager for your attention, not the least Kurt Duran. Wufei had planned to be here, but he is getting ready for a trial. He sends his best wishes."
After all Wufei's ramblings about justice, he had become a trial lawyer and finally a judge on L11. His caseload wasn't all that challenging being that L11 was a resort colony, but he seemed to enjoy his work. Hearing of Wufei's trial and L11 reminded Trynity of her strange encounters. She felt silly bringing them up to Heero, but he listened with a sympathetic ear.
"Are you sure that he is on that transport?" she asked when she had finished. "Could you call the transport to double check?"
"I would do it to reassure you, Trynity, but I can't. You know as well as I do that there is an asteroid belt between here and L11 that jams signals. I won't be able to contact the transport until it stops to refuel at L11."
She drained her glass and set it aside. "It seems unlikely that such a high profile man like Quatre Winner could escape without causing a media furor..."
"You just need a little time to recover. Have you discussed it with your doctor or your psychiatrist? I think Kurt is more than willing to help you any way he can."
She smiled at Heero. "Thank you."
He raised his brows. "For what?"
"For not mentioning you-know-who."
"I don't need to." He nodded toward the table where gifts had been placed of her and it was heavily laden with red roses. "They arrived this afternoon."
She sighed and grabbed another glass of champagne from a passing waiter. "I thought he had heard me, and from what he said, I assumed he wasn't going to pester me."
"Some women might find it romantic."
"I'm beginning to think it a little depraved." She looked over the dancers and saw Stryfe appeasing the adoring twelve-year-old Shaina Yuy with a dance while Chaz danced with a young woman other than Quynn. Her own group of admirers surrounded Quynn. "I think our hopes of joining our families have hit the skids."
"Yes," replied Heero, "Chaz told us that he was no longer dating Quynn and Relena hit the ceiling. She has found some way to blame me."
"According to Quynn, there was no chemistry between them. Relena seems to be enjoying herself anyway, despite the blow to her grand plans."
"She was hoping to arrange a wedding in the near future."
"God help the colony. None of her schemes ever turns out right. Some disaster befalls every event."
Heero chuckled. "None of it is actually her fault, but she does have the worst luck."
"Are you talking about me?" Relena came to them and slipped her arm around Heero's waist.
"We were discussing your disastrous extravaganzas," answered Trynity.
"I think this one is going rather well. I hope you're not too disappointed about Quynn and Chaz breaking up, but Chaz just didn't have deep feelings for Quynn."
Heero and Trynity exchanged amused glances that Relena did not see. "How about Stryfe and Shaina?"
"I doubt Stryfe wants to wait around for Shaina to grow up," commented Heero.
"They make a cute couple," continued Relena, ignoring Heero's remark. She sighed. "Unfortunately, the age difference may pose a problem. By the time she is old enough, he'll probably have already married and have children of his own."
"Is it time to blow out the candles on this cake?" called out Dr. Stryfe from across the room.
"My God! What is he going to do with those matches?" Relena flew across the room like a hurricane. "You're not going to wreck my party, Ivan Stryfe. Give me those matches!"
Trynity laughed with Heero and they followed Relena. Relena managed to wrestle the matches from him and carefully lit the candles. Everyone joined the band with a chorus of the birthday song, and then Trynity blew out all the candles. As Trynity was cutting the cake, the doorbell rang.
"I wonder who that could be? All the guests are here." Relena crossed the room where her butler was opening the door.
A young man in a uniform waited with a package. "I have a special delivery for Dr. Trynity Nelson."
Trynity set aside the knife and walked to the door to take the package. She opened it and found a large velvet covered box.
"I know what that means," said Relena slyly. "Open it! I want to see just how rich Duo Maxwell is."
Trynity touched the necklace at her throat. She didn't want to open the box, but with Relena goading her and a crowd drawing near, she unhooked the latch and lifted the lid. The huge diamonds of the necklace, earrings and bracelet winked up at her and drew a collective gasp from the people who had come to see. She lifted the necklace and found it heavy. Trynity could not ever imagine wearing such a thing. What had Duo been thinking when he bought it? Did he hope to impress her with his wealth?
The deliveryman was waiting yet and Trynity realized he was holding a card. Heero shoved a few bills in his hand and took the card to give to Trynity. She pushed the necklace at Relena who appreciated it much more than she ever would, then took a few steps away to peel open the envelope. The card was decorated by hand, and there was something oddly familiar about the border of leafy vines and flowers. When she opened the card, she saw first the heart with an arrow through, drawn with almost professional skill. But where she expected Duo's signature, she saw an Arabic symbol that she recognized as the number four.
A wave of cold whooshed through her followed by hot, and she lost all ability to breathe. Heero caught her before she fell on the floor, and he took the note from her hand. Looking at it, he muttered, "That bastard!" then pulled a gun from under his evening jacket and launched himself at the deliveryman. Women shrieked at the sight of his gun and impending violence, and the men stumbled away. There was a stampede for the closet where the butler was handing out coats and jackets with remarkable efficiency. This wasn't the first quick exit from a Yuy get together.
Heero tackled the deliveryman and shoved the barrel of his gun almost up his nose. "Unless you want to blow your nose from the back of your head, I suggest you tell me who sent this."
"I don't know! This is just a job! Please don't kill me! I only make ten bucks an hour plus tips." Heero cocked his pistol and the man screamed. "I swear, I don't know!" His hand was shaking as he produced a receipt.
Heero swiped it from him, then hauled him to his feet by the collar and tossed him into the elevator. He was joined by a dozen of their guests.
"My God, Heero, did you have to ruin Trynity's party!" Relena was beside herself with anger.
Quynn picked up the now crumpled note, and frowning she passed it to Relena. "Heero didn't ruin your party."
Relena looked at the note then quickly dropped the diamonds in her hand. "I can't believe the gall of that man! How did he manage this when he's locked up on his way to prison?"
"He's not on that transport!" blurted Trynity. She was shivering and her father came to put his jacket over her shoulders. By now only the immediate family was left and she didn't care if they heard her crazy ramblings. "I've seen him here! On L12. He's following me!"
"Mom! Get a grip! He's not on L12. I saw them load the bastard onto the transport. Trust me, he was shackled and heavily guarded. If he had tried to escape, they would have zapped him good."
"I know what I saw and that necklace proves it!"
Heero handed the receipt to Trynity. "He arranged this a year ago tomorrow."
She stared at the date and saw that Heero was right.
"You mean he was planning this that long ago?" demanded Quynn angrily. "Him and Dorothy and Malik were at mom's party last year! He danced with mom! I remember Pops joking about what a nice couple they made!" Quynn burst into tears and Stryfe hugged her close.
"If it will make you feel any better, I'll assign someone to watch you," suggested Heero.
Trynity stared at the receipt, and she felt memories trying to surface, memories she didn't want to acknowledge. She shook her head. "I don't want your men watching me." She looked at the jewels. "I don't want that! Get rid of it!"
"They are worth a fortune," said Heero. "I think you would be better off selling it and using the money for your future."
"Fine!" She reached out to grab the box. "I guess I earned it!"
Heero took it back from her. "I will find a use for it."
The proceeds of the sale of the jewelry were donated to a newly created fund in memory of Lars Nelson supporting refugees from the Mars Colony. Homeless families were given money and housing to start a new life on L12 or to return to Mars Colony. Although Trynity still felt the money was tainted, she couldn't complain about the use. Lars would probably laugh that his name was being used for such a noble cause.
Trynity couldn't put the incident of the party out of her mind, but it was difficult. Although Heero insisted that Quatre was incarcerated on the transport to Earth, she could not get over the feeling that she was being watched. Quynn was still very upset to learn how long Quatre Winner had been planning to destroy their family. It was as if she had lost her father all over. Trynity told herself that she had not been the cause, that she had not encouraged Quatre, and yet she replayed in her mind every exchange with him that she could remember. Quatre seemed to have become obsessed with her even when she was at Seaside Lab, and Trynity had never guessed his true feelings.
She decided to stop obsessing over the problem and keep herself busy at work. As she did her rounds in the children's ward each day, she collected data about the parts of her brain that she used to treat them as opposed to those she used to treat adults. She learned that she had more empathy for the children, but then Trynity already knew that. Many doctors didn't want to treat children because it was too stressful, but Trynity felt more accomplishment in ailing their hurts. She loved children.
While she was at the infirmary, she realized that she was starting to see Kurt Duran more than she ever had. He seemed to materialize out of no where when she was free. Trynity couldn't remember the last time she had a table to herself in the hospital canteen. She liked him, but she wasn't attracted to him at all, so when he asked her to attend the ballet with him, she hesitated before accepting. Immediately after she berated herself for her stupidity. Not only was she going on a date with a man she wasn't the least interested in, but she would be suffering through the ballet which she utterly disliked. And she didn't have anything suitable to wear.
Unfortunately she made the next mistake in confiding in Relena, and Relena was all too delighted to take her shopping. They met Quynn for lunch, and Trynity cringed when she saw her daughter wearing her eye-grabbing red flight suit in the elegant restaurant Relena had chosen.
"I only have an hour," snapped Quynn when Relena scolded her for her attire. "I'm not wasting it taking this damn thing off."
"I don't know why you insist on wearing it!" snapped Relena.
"I would rather we didn't spend lunch squabbling," said Trynity as she signaled the waiter. He brought a menu, and Trynity decided on seafood pasta, which she recommended to Quynn. But her daughter ordered a burger and fries.
"I just wanted to see the look on his face," laughed Quynn when Trynity frowned.
"You behave as if you've been brought up by trailer trash," grumbled Relena. "Who would guess you have had the best education, that you are the daughter of professional parents…"
"Yadda, yadda, yadda." Quynn stuck out her tongue at Relena. "I can behave when I want to."
"That's the problem," lamented Trynity. "You just don't want to."
"I didn't hear Lord Duo complaining when I was acting as lady of his palace. In fact, he got one or two offers from his warlords for my hand in marriage."
"That is exactly what you need: a Calabrian husband!" Relena laughed. "You'd be black and blue within a week."
"Prince Amyr wanted to beat me on sight!" Quynn laughed. "What a prick! He's worse than Taeron."
"Quynn," warned Trynity in a low voice. "Please watch your language."
Relena looked at Trynity. "Do you remember that brute that wanted to sell you and me at the market? What was his name? Anyway, we were quite lucky Lady Virineia killed him."
"I don't care to talk about it." Trynity's memories of Calabria consisted of vomiting and sleeping when she wasn't dealing with Duo's insecurities. At that time she could not have imagined the strange turn their lives had taken. Now she was the one with the insecurities.
"Calabria is very different," said Quynn. "At least so says Lord Duo. Say, mom, are the roses still coming to your place? It's been a month since he left."
"I think Duo Maxwell must have a bottomless money pouch," commented Relena with a lift to her brows. "I always thought he was destined to live out of a cardboard box."
"If you saw his palace…"
Trynity stood. "You will have to excuse me. I would like to visit the ladies' room. Please go on with your meeting of the Lord Duo Fan Club."
As she was walking away, she heard Relena say, "She can't hold out forever."
"I don't think he can either. They'll probably pass each other in the wormhole."
Annoyed by their remarks, she bumped into someone in the dark corridor leading to the restroom. Her purse dropped on the floor, and as she leaned down to pick it up, the other person brushed against her, touching her almost intimately before continuing on their way. Trynity straightened to apologize, but the words stuck in her throat when she caught a glimpse of long blond hair disappearing into the men's room.
Trembling so badly she could barely walk, she ducked quickly into the ladies' room and stumbled through the powder room into the lavatory. Throwing her back against the wall, she waited fearfully, frightened that he would follow her inside. Her heart was racing, and a sweat had broken out over her forehead. She managed to calm her breathing; she didn't want to cause another scene, but she waited several anxious moments, alert for any sound in the powder room. A woman talking to another person entered, then the outer door closed and the conversation ended. Trynity breathed a sigh of relief before moving to the sink to splash her face with cold water.
When she finished, she looked at herself in the mirror. "Don't be ridiculous! He's not here! He is on the transport close to L11 by now."
By the time she returned to the table, she was much calmer, but she ordered a strong drink to take the edge of the lingering apprehension that Quatre was in the restaurant. As she sipped from her drink, she looked around, but did not see him.
"What's the problem, mom?" asked Quynn as she dipped a couple of fries in ketchup and popped them in her mouth.
"Why don't you stop nagging your mother?" Relena was cutting her steak, and Trynity wondered why her meal had not been delivered to the table in her absence.
The waiter stopped to place a cup of soup and a Caesar salad. "Enjoy your meal, doctor."
She looked at the meal, then back to waiter. "I didn't order this."
He apologized, then quickly left to find out the reason for the mistake, and he returned with the bill. "Your husband changed your order. He said you didn't feel like pasta today."
"My husband!" Trynity gripped the edge of the table, remembering how Quatre had ordered for her at the cafe on Mars.
Relena and Quynn stopped eating to look at her. Relena spoke when Trynity couldn't find the words. She was thinking of the man she had bumped into. Now she was sure he had bumped into her, that he had touched her deliberately, that it had been Quatre.
"Do you see a man at this table?" Relena snarled at the waiter. "I think you waited on us, and did you see one then?"
The waiter was clearly flustered. "He arrived late, and he said he had spoken to her at the powder room."
"What did he look like?" demanded Quynn, gripping her butter knife.
The waiter stared at the table orders for a moment, then sighed. "I am so sorry, doctor, but I have the wrong table." He motioned to another table where a man and woman were sitting. She was looking at the pasta salad with bemusement. The waiter quickly gathered the soup and salad and took them to her table and brought Trynity's order to her.
"I am so sorry for the mix-up."
"You had better be sorry!" Relena waved to the maitre d' although Trynity grabbed her wrist.
"Forget it!"
"Is there a problem?" The maitre d' looked from Relena to the terrified waiter.
"I'll say there's a problem," started Relena, but Trynity interrupted.
"There is no problem except that my glass is empty."
"Mom!" hissed Quynn. "You're not going to have another drink!"
The waiter refilled her glass with a grateful look, and both he and the maitre d' left.
"No tip for that jackass," said Relena.
"Do I need to scold you about your language?" Trynity drained the glass quickly then pushed it aside. She was just tipsy enough to make it through the meal without imagining Quatre watching her from some dark corner of the restaurant.
After lunch, Quynn returned to work while Relena took Trynity to a shop specializing in designer formal wear. Trynity insisted she couldn't afford such a gown, but Relena reminded her that without the Mars Colony dragging her income down, she would have plenty. The shop would certainly extend credit to her. So Trynity spent the remainder of the afternoon trying on gowns and modeling them for Relena who lounged in a stuffed armchair sipping champagne and nibbling on strawberries.
According to the salesclerks, Trynity looked stunning in the red, gorgeous in the dark blue, magnificent in green, and just to test them she put on a flouncy pink that made her look like a washed out prostitute. Trynity secretly liked the color, but she knew how it made her look, so she had avoided it until Lars suggested she wear the color under her clothing. That way he could truly say he liked her in pink. The young sales clerks seemed to be a loss for words until one remarked that she was absolutely astonishing. Relena burst into laughter and Trynity caught herself smiling. Together they decided on a midnight blue gown, and found the matching accessories.
They took the purchases to the counter, and Trynity asked for a credit application, but the young woman ringing up the purchases insisted it wasn't necessary.
"Your gown has already been paid for, and the gentleman left behind enough to pay for everything you have chosen."
Trynity wondered what customer had been watching their little fashion show. She certainly couldn't accept a gift like this from a complete stranger, and she told the sales clerk just that.
"He thought you might say that." She picked up a card and handed it to Trynity. "He said you would understand.
She took the card and caught her breath. Under an Arabic numeral four was scribbled a phone number. Trynity steadied herself against the counter, then forced a smile to her lips. "I can't accept his gift, and I will tell him so myself."
Relena slapped a credit card on the counter and tried to snatch the card from Trynity, but she quickly tucked it inside her blouse. "So! Are you going to tell me?"
"Later. Right now I want to get back to the infirmary. Although I'm not scheduled to work, I wasn't planning to be gone this long and there are a couple of children I promised to read a story to. I don't want to disappoint them."
Relena suddenly smiled. "I get it! Kurt must have followed us here. How thoughtful! I'd let him pay for it!"
"When did you become such a gold-digger?" asked Trynity. She wished she hadn't tucked the card in her blouse because the feel of it against her skin was beginning to nauseate her. If Quatre were here, watching her, he would enjoy knowing where his card was wedged.
"I'm digging gold for you." Relena hooked her arm around Trynity's. "We need to do this more often," she said as they left the shop. The sales clerk told her it would be delivered to her home that evening. "I'm afraid that when you go to Calabria, I will never see you again."
Trynity disengaged her arm from Relena. "I think you've had too much to drink. Do you think I am going to run after Duo Maxwell?"
"Yes," said Relena without a pause to think about her answer.
Her heart already broken; Trynity didn't need everyone reminding her of what she had lost. "I'm going back to work."
"Do you want me to stop by to do your hair tomorrow night?"
"Not likely." Trynity walked away, quickly losing Relena in the crowd of shoppers. When she was far enough away, she dug her phone from her handbag, then reached into her blouse to pull out the card. She had to dial three times before she got it right because her fingers were shaking. She heard the phone on the other end ringing then a series of clicks before a voice answered.
"That was very quick, sweetheart."
Trynity squeezed her eyes shut and leaned against the side of a building. An image of Quatre Winner appeared, and she quickly opened her eyes. "Who are you?"
"You know who I am. I must say that I agree with your choice for an evening gown, Trynity. I am going to enjoy seeing you in it."
Trynity pressed some numbers on the phone and looked at the screen for a reading and received none.
The man on the phone laughed. "You are trying to trace my call! You don't disappoint me, my dear, but I must warn you that it is a waste of time."
"Who are you and what do you want from me?" she demanded angrily.
"I want to hold you in my arms, my sweet, and peel away that expensive gown to see your lacy hot pink under things."
Trynity pressed the button to hang up the phone. She felt the beginning of a panic attack, and she was desperately trying to control it when her phone began to ring. She took it and smashed it on the ground, and ignoring the curious stares of those around her, she hurried away, then ducked into an alley where waited until the trembling stopped and she was able to think coherently again.
Instead of returning to the infirmary, she went to Heero's office. His secretary showed her in right away, and before Heero had a chance to greet her, she put the card in his hand.
"Have you heard from the prisoner transport?" she demanded.
He looked at the card frowning. "Relena already told me what happened at the shop." His eyes met her. "Did you call? If you did, you are playing right into this person's hands."
"It's Quatre!" Although she was embarrassed to do so, she repeated what he had said. "Who else would know such a thing? Did you?"
Heero shook his head. "You're not being rational, Trynity. In answer to your first question, I just called your phone to tell you that I did make contact with the transport, but I couldn't reach you."
Trynity had been sure Quatre was calling her back. "What did you find out?"
"Quatre is on that ship, Trynity. Other than bragging that he is going to get out of any charges brought against him, he has been polite to a fault."
"It's not him!" Trynity stared to pace, wringing her hands.
Heero grabbed her shoulders and forced her to sit in a chair, then dropped to a knee before her to look her in the eye. "You have to accept that this person is not Quatre. But I do believe someone may be trying to harm you."
"I heard his voice," she insisted. "I have seen him!"
"He is on L11 right now and will be on his way to refueling at L10 in another two weeks." Heero brushed curls away from her face. "I think you have tried to do too much too soon. Are you getting any kind of help for what happened to you?"
She shoved him away and stood. "I don't need any one's help! What I need is for you to believe me!"
Trynity knew she wasn't crazy, and everyone else was wrong. Quatre Winner was there, on L12!
