Part 1
"Duo?"
Duo looked up from his book to see Quatre in the doorway. "Are you sure you won't come out and eat dinner with the rest of us?" the blond asked.
Wordlessly, Duo shook his head and went back to his book.
"Please?" Quatre pleaded. His eyes strayed from Duo to Heero, lying on the bed with an IV in his arm, still unconscious. "I know you're fond of Heero, and you're worried about him, but really, half and hour away won't hurt him. He probably won't wake up for a while. If Trowa is right, and this does turn out like the last time he self-destructed, he could be out for a month or more. Please come out."
Duo sighed. "Quatre, we have this discussion every night. I'm fine eating in here."
Quatre was used to losing the argument, but the results never failed to disappoint him. "All right," he said sadly. "I'll get Trowa or Wufei to bring up a tray."
Duo nodded his thanks and went back to his reading, pausing at occasional intervals to glance at Heero's unconscious form. The action was familiar to him now, almost automatic. He'd been doing it for almost a week now. A horrible week since the self-destruction, and Heero was still out cold. Since it was to dangerous to take him to the hospital, Duo had immediately called in all the other pilots, so that if he had a mission to go on, someone would be left to care for Heero. So far, nothing had come up, and until something did, Duo was reluctant to leave the room. Quatre, although he constantly entreated Duo to come out, allowed him to remain by supplying him with food and books.
After finishing a chapter, Duo put his bookmark in the book and sat back to wait for his dinner. His eyes drifted and lingered on Heero. Whenever he looked at him now, one thought came to his mind.
/Why?/
~*~*~
Duo jerked, sitting bolt upright abruptly and dropping his book. For a moment he waited in silence, thinking he might have been imagining things. Silence filled the room, and Duo was about to lean down and pick up his book when Heero stirred again.
Jumping out of his chair, Duo hurried over to the bed. There he hovered, unsure of exactly what he should do. "Heero?" he called tentatively.
Heero shifted and made a small noise of pain. His eyes opened and looked up at Duo with a hint of confusion in them. Finally he asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"
"Two weeks. Fifteen days, to be exact. Better than last time," Duo replied.
Heero nodded slightly as he took in the information, adding it to his current store. Duo gave him a moment more to get his bearings, then started in on his tirade.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Duo practically shouted. Perhaps it was not the best idea to blow up at an invalid who had been half dead for fifteen days, but Duo had been slowly stewing in his own terror for that length of time, and he was more than ready to take it out on the cause of that fear. "Of all the crazy, manic things to do, why self-destruct?! There was no need for it, absolutely none!"
Heero glanced at him sharply, but made no reply. He lay back and let Duo's complaints wash over him.
"How could you do that to me?!" Duo continued. "I thought you were dead." His voice trailed off, and for a moment he looked small and forlorn.
"I'm sorry," Heero said very softly.
That simple statement coming from Heero Yuy took most of the edge off of Duo's anger. His shoulders slumped and he took a deep breath to calm himself. "Sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. You're still recovering and all. I'm just tired. I'll go get one of the other guys to keep you company while I go hit the sack, 'kay?" He waited a moment to see if Heero had any objections, then, as Heero didn't voice any, he left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
Heero watched him leave, then turned his eyes upward to look at the ceiling. He lay like that, lost in thought, for a long time.
tbc
"Duo?"
Duo looked up from his book to see Quatre in the doorway. "Are you sure you won't come out and eat dinner with the rest of us?" the blond asked.
Wordlessly, Duo shook his head and went back to his book.
"Please?" Quatre pleaded. His eyes strayed from Duo to Heero, lying on the bed with an IV in his arm, still unconscious. "I know you're fond of Heero, and you're worried about him, but really, half and hour away won't hurt him. He probably won't wake up for a while. If Trowa is right, and this does turn out like the last time he self-destructed, he could be out for a month or more. Please come out."
Duo sighed. "Quatre, we have this discussion every night. I'm fine eating in here."
Quatre was used to losing the argument, but the results never failed to disappoint him. "All right," he said sadly. "I'll get Trowa or Wufei to bring up a tray."
Duo nodded his thanks and went back to his reading, pausing at occasional intervals to glance at Heero's unconscious form. The action was familiar to him now, almost automatic. He'd been doing it for almost a week now. A horrible week since the self-destruction, and Heero was still out cold. Since it was to dangerous to take him to the hospital, Duo had immediately called in all the other pilots, so that if he had a mission to go on, someone would be left to care for Heero. So far, nothing had come up, and until something did, Duo was reluctant to leave the room. Quatre, although he constantly entreated Duo to come out, allowed him to remain by supplying him with food and books.
After finishing a chapter, Duo put his bookmark in the book and sat back to wait for his dinner. His eyes drifted and lingered on Heero. Whenever he looked at him now, one thought came to his mind.
/Why?/
~*~*~
Duo jerked, sitting bolt upright abruptly and dropping his book. For a moment he waited in silence, thinking he might have been imagining things. Silence filled the room, and Duo was about to lean down and pick up his book when Heero stirred again.
Jumping out of his chair, Duo hurried over to the bed. There he hovered, unsure of exactly what he should do. "Heero?" he called tentatively.
Heero shifted and made a small noise of pain. His eyes opened and looked up at Duo with a hint of confusion in them. Finally he asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"
"Two weeks. Fifteen days, to be exact. Better than last time," Duo replied.
Heero nodded slightly as he took in the information, adding it to his current store. Duo gave him a moment more to get his bearings, then started in on his tirade.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Duo practically shouted. Perhaps it was not the best idea to blow up at an invalid who had been half dead for fifteen days, but Duo had been slowly stewing in his own terror for that length of time, and he was more than ready to take it out on the cause of that fear. "Of all the crazy, manic things to do, why self-destruct?! There was no need for it, absolutely none!"
Heero glanced at him sharply, but made no reply. He lay back and let Duo's complaints wash over him.
"How could you do that to me?!" Duo continued. "I thought you were dead." His voice trailed off, and for a moment he looked small and forlorn.
"I'm sorry," Heero said very softly.
That simple statement coming from Heero Yuy took most of the edge off of Duo's anger. His shoulders slumped and he took a deep breath to calm himself. "Sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. You're still recovering and all. I'm just tired. I'll go get one of the other guys to keep you company while I go hit the sack, 'kay?" He waited a moment to see if Heero had any objections, then, as Heero didn't voice any, he left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
Heero watched him leave, then turned his eyes upward to look at the ceiling. He lay like that, lost in thought, for a long time.
tbc