...Sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter. I just couldn't resist.
* * * * *
Past, Present, Future
by Grace Musica
Chapter Ten
Tidings of Joy and Sadness
* * * * *
"Alex? Alex?! ALEX!"
The girl had fainted dead away. The screen was blank until Jessica picked up the phone. Trowa could barely see the top of her head, but he could hear her sweet, innocent voice. "Daddy?"
"Jess! What's wrong? What's happening?"
"It's Mommy! She opened her eyes! She's awake! Daddy--"
If any more was said, Trowa didn't hear it. He dropped the phone and bolted out the door, yelling in Wufei's open door to clock out for him.
* * * * *
He made it to the hospital and up the flights of stairs in record time. He slid into the doorway, panting a bit, his uniform sleeve ripped from where he had caught it on the stairway doorframe. Jessica sat on the cot, fanning Alex with a folded sheet of paper, who was still looking pale. Steven and Chris were leaning on the bed, talking quietly to each other.
And Midii...
"Oh... Midii..."
She was sitting up. Actually sitting. The tubes were gone, and he could see her face for the first time in three months. It was pale, gaunt, and tired-looking, her body frail and thin.
She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his entire life.
"Trowa..."
Her voice was faint. Trowa rushed over to her and gathered her in his arms, pressing his lips against hers gently. "Oh, Midii, thank God you're awake."
Midii hugged him as tight as she could, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Trowa..."
"Mommy!"
The twosome were attacked by four warm, small bodies, and Midii threw her arms around all of them and kissed their faces. Finally, Steven looked up at his father and noticed tears glinting in crystal tracks on his face. The small child raised his arms to his father, who picked him up and hugged him tight. "Daddy? Why are you crying?"
"Because I'm happy," Trowa replied, holding the child. "Because now I can live again."
* * * * *
Trowa sat in the chair at the hospital, holding Midii's hand. Still. It had been almost three weeks since she'd awoken, and Trowa had barely left her side. And it still amazed her, his devotion to her. Not to mention the fact that she had amazed her doctor by waking up at all, and was remembering more and more details of her life every day.
"AHA! She's a Maxwell! Or so I hear," Lizzy cried, wobbling unsteadily into the hospital room. Her leg had been damaged, but thankfully not beyond repair... But she had to have the bone reinforced with gundanium, so she could even use it. Now in physical therapy, the Winner was progressing wonderfully, and although she still needed a walker, Ivy told her brother that no one would be surprised if Lizzy made a 100% recovery.
"She can't change her name, though, sis," Duo told her, carefully behind the woman, in case she fell. "She's married."
"Can't we give her an honorary maiden name? Please please please please please?"
Duo sighed heavily, and very melodramatically. "I guess." He grinned and pointed a finger at the bedridden Barton. "You... are... A MAXWELL!"
"Good one. I though you were going to say 'healed', bro."
"Okay, that's it, let's go. You're getting bitchy."
"I'm going to talk to my friend," Lizzy replied, hobbling over to another chair and sitting next to Midii. "So you can bite me."
"Don't make me."
Lizzy stuck her togune out at him. "Go, problem child."
Duo crossed his arms and stomped out of the room, much like his second son, Kurt.
Lizzy shook her head and looked at Midii. "He's nuts."
"You're just like him," Trowa and Midii replied in unison.
Lizzy grinned brightly. "I know. But how are you, Mid?"
Midii smiled brightly. "I'm fine. Now."
"We were so worried, Barton, seriously. I don't think I've ever prayed so hard, with the exception of before you two started dating."
Trowa and Midii started laughing at that, until they realized that Lizzy wasn't joking. Trowa cleared his throat. "Well, whatever you did, I think it worked."
"Of course! Father Maxwell used to tell me, 'Miracles can happen if you believe enough in the power of Christ'."
Trowa nodded. "Wise advice. If you can put faith in something you can't see, then it can't be that hard to put it in people."
Lizzy shook her head. "People can break another's faith in them more easily than you think. Why then do we have phrases like 'God works in mysterious ways'?"
Midii nodded as well. "You're deeper than you look, Liz."
Lizzy laughed and rapped her knuckles on her shattered leg. A very dull, faint metallic thud resounded from within the scarred flesh. "When you've had as much time to yourself as I have, you think about stuff like this."
"Lizzy..."
Lizzy waved a hand. "Ah, don't let me drag you down. I'm just thankful to be alive. Which means I can show you that there is a deep and a cynical faucet to this crown jewel."
"ELIZABETH!"
"Hmn... sounds like my husband..." Lizzy mused thoughtfully as the door slammed open.
"Elizabeth Winner!" Sure enough, it was Quatre, hands on his hips, Duo behind him, looking for all the world a child who had told on his sibling. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"Um... Physical therapy?" Lizzy asked hopefully, smiling innocently.
"Nice try, but no go." Quatre crossed the room and put his arms around her neck, kissing his cheek. He then looked at Midii. "Feeling better?"
Midii nodded, trying desperately not to laugh. This fiasco occurred daily, but it never failed to crack her up. Maybe that's why they did it, and if it was all for her benefit, she just loved the Winners more for it.
"That's good."
"Hey! What about me! You know, your WIFE?!"
"Who cares about you?"
"QUATRE RABERBA WINNER!"
"Okay, time to get you back in bed, love." With that, Quatre easily scooped his wife up into his arms, her gasping in surprise. A change in the script, Midii suspected. He winked at Midii and Trowa and left the room, Lizzy looping her arms around his neck and leaning in to kiss his cheek as they rounded the corner.
Duo shook his head and grabbed Lizzy's walker. "I'm sure both of them will have no objetions to a day of bedrest for Lizzy once a week." He grinned in his patented Duo Maxwell fashion, wished Midii good health for the rest of the day, and left.
"I'm so lucky," Midii sighed, resting her head on Trowa's shoulder.
"I know. Friends like those are rare, and way too far between."
"I wasn't talking about just our friends, although they're wonderful." She looked at Trowa. "I'm so lucky to have the kids, my friends... And you."
Trowa leaned over and kissed Midii gently, pouring his heart and soul into the simple contact. The he grinned wickedly at her. "Do you remember that?"
She laughed. "Hmn... I think so. Maybe I could use a refresher course, though..."
* * * * *
Half a month later, Midii went home. A week after that, she was back at work. Her friend and co-workers threw her a huge welcome back party, and Lady une was seen hugging her niece and crying with joy.
Lizzy Winner was being overly joyful, always a sign of some type of drama. Finally, Midii took her aside and asked just what the hell the problem was.
"Nothing, nothing."
"Don't 'nothing, nothing' me, Elizabeth Winner. Something's wrong with you. What?"
"I just don't feel good. But I want to celebrate your returning to work and all, so let's go. I don't want to deprive everyone of the guest of honor."
Midii grabbed Lizzy's arm as she tried to escape. "It's more than that. Lizzy, I'm your friend. Please. I want to help."
"Well, you can't. Sorry."
The harshness in her voice would have made most people flinch, but not Midii. She knew her too well. "Liz... What? You can tell me."
Lizzy cast her eyes down and took a deep breath. "The night that we were hit by the drunk driver..."
"Is this about your leg? Oh, come on, Liz. You can walk, even run just as well as before!"
"It's not my leg. That night... I had found out the day before that I was pregnant. I was going to tell you while we were eating." She looked up at Midii, eyes shining with unshead tears. "Mid, I lost my baby."
"Oh... Liz... I'm so sorry..."
It sounded lame, even to her ears. But what else can I say? That I understand? I don't. So she did the best she could, and wrapped her around around her friend, giving her a strong shoulder to cry on. Poor Lizzy... Our highest casualty. No wonder she did all that stupid stuff in the hospital. I thought it was all to cheer me up. I should have known better. Duo was doing that for her benefit.
* * * * *
M/N: And the moral of the story, ladies and gentlemen is... DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!
* * * * *
Past, Present, Future
by Grace Musica
Chapter Ten
Tidings of Joy and Sadness
* * * * *
"Alex? Alex?! ALEX!"
The girl had fainted dead away. The screen was blank until Jessica picked up the phone. Trowa could barely see the top of her head, but he could hear her sweet, innocent voice. "Daddy?"
"Jess! What's wrong? What's happening?"
"It's Mommy! She opened her eyes! She's awake! Daddy--"
If any more was said, Trowa didn't hear it. He dropped the phone and bolted out the door, yelling in Wufei's open door to clock out for him.
* * * * *
He made it to the hospital and up the flights of stairs in record time. He slid into the doorway, panting a bit, his uniform sleeve ripped from where he had caught it on the stairway doorframe. Jessica sat on the cot, fanning Alex with a folded sheet of paper, who was still looking pale. Steven and Chris were leaning on the bed, talking quietly to each other.
And Midii...
"Oh... Midii..."
She was sitting up. Actually sitting. The tubes were gone, and he could see her face for the first time in three months. It was pale, gaunt, and tired-looking, her body frail and thin.
She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his entire life.
"Trowa..."
Her voice was faint. Trowa rushed over to her and gathered her in his arms, pressing his lips against hers gently. "Oh, Midii, thank God you're awake."
Midii hugged him as tight as she could, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Trowa..."
"Mommy!"
The twosome were attacked by four warm, small bodies, and Midii threw her arms around all of them and kissed their faces. Finally, Steven looked up at his father and noticed tears glinting in crystal tracks on his face. The small child raised his arms to his father, who picked him up and hugged him tight. "Daddy? Why are you crying?"
"Because I'm happy," Trowa replied, holding the child. "Because now I can live again."
* * * * *
Trowa sat in the chair at the hospital, holding Midii's hand. Still. It had been almost three weeks since she'd awoken, and Trowa had barely left her side. And it still amazed her, his devotion to her. Not to mention the fact that she had amazed her doctor by waking up at all, and was remembering more and more details of her life every day.
"AHA! She's a Maxwell! Or so I hear," Lizzy cried, wobbling unsteadily into the hospital room. Her leg had been damaged, but thankfully not beyond repair... But she had to have the bone reinforced with gundanium, so she could even use it. Now in physical therapy, the Winner was progressing wonderfully, and although she still needed a walker, Ivy told her brother that no one would be surprised if Lizzy made a 100% recovery.
"She can't change her name, though, sis," Duo told her, carefully behind the woman, in case she fell. "She's married."
"Can't we give her an honorary maiden name? Please please please please please?"
Duo sighed heavily, and very melodramatically. "I guess." He grinned and pointed a finger at the bedridden Barton. "You... are... A MAXWELL!"
"Good one. I though you were going to say 'healed', bro."
"Okay, that's it, let's go. You're getting bitchy."
"I'm going to talk to my friend," Lizzy replied, hobbling over to another chair and sitting next to Midii. "So you can bite me."
"Don't make me."
Lizzy stuck her togune out at him. "Go, problem child."
Duo crossed his arms and stomped out of the room, much like his second son, Kurt.
Lizzy shook her head and looked at Midii. "He's nuts."
"You're just like him," Trowa and Midii replied in unison.
Lizzy grinned brightly. "I know. But how are you, Mid?"
Midii smiled brightly. "I'm fine. Now."
"We were so worried, Barton, seriously. I don't think I've ever prayed so hard, with the exception of before you two started dating."
Trowa and Midii started laughing at that, until they realized that Lizzy wasn't joking. Trowa cleared his throat. "Well, whatever you did, I think it worked."
"Of course! Father Maxwell used to tell me, 'Miracles can happen if you believe enough in the power of Christ'."
Trowa nodded. "Wise advice. If you can put faith in something you can't see, then it can't be that hard to put it in people."
Lizzy shook her head. "People can break another's faith in them more easily than you think. Why then do we have phrases like 'God works in mysterious ways'?"
Midii nodded as well. "You're deeper than you look, Liz."
Lizzy laughed and rapped her knuckles on her shattered leg. A very dull, faint metallic thud resounded from within the scarred flesh. "When you've had as much time to yourself as I have, you think about stuff like this."
"Lizzy..."
Lizzy waved a hand. "Ah, don't let me drag you down. I'm just thankful to be alive. Which means I can show you that there is a deep and a cynical faucet to this crown jewel."
"ELIZABETH!"
"Hmn... sounds like my husband..." Lizzy mused thoughtfully as the door slammed open.
"Elizabeth Winner!" Sure enough, it was Quatre, hands on his hips, Duo behind him, looking for all the world a child who had told on his sibling. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"Um... Physical therapy?" Lizzy asked hopefully, smiling innocently.
"Nice try, but no go." Quatre crossed the room and put his arms around her neck, kissing his cheek. He then looked at Midii. "Feeling better?"
Midii nodded, trying desperately not to laugh. This fiasco occurred daily, but it never failed to crack her up. Maybe that's why they did it, and if it was all for her benefit, she just loved the Winners more for it.
"That's good."
"Hey! What about me! You know, your WIFE?!"
"Who cares about you?"
"QUATRE RABERBA WINNER!"
"Okay, time to get you back in bed, love." With that, Quatre easily scooped his wife up into his arms, her gasping in surprise. A change in the script, Midii suspected. He winked at Midii and Trowa and left the room, Lizzy looping her arms around his neck and leaning in to kiss his cheek as they rounded the corner.
Duo shook his head and grabbed Lizzy's walker. "I'm sure both of them will have no objetions to a day of bedrest for Lizzy once a week." He grinned in his patented Duo Maxwell fashion, wished Midii good health for the rest of the day, and left.
"I'm so lucky," Midii sighed, resting her head on Trowa's shoulder.
"I know. Friends like those are rare, and way too far between."
"I wasn't talking about just our friends, although they're wonderful." She looked at Trowa. "I'm so lucky to have the kids, my friends... And you."
Trowa leaned over and kissed Midii gently, pouring his heart and soul into the simple contact. The he grinned wickedly at her. "Do you remember that?"
She laughed. "Hmn... I think so. Maybe I could use a refresher course, though..."
* * * * *
Half a month later, Midii went home. A week after that, she was back at work. Her friend and co-workers threw her a huge welcome back party, and Lady une was seen hugging her niece and crying with joy.
Lizzy Winner was being overly joyful, always a sign of some type of drama. Finally, Midii took her aside and asked just what the hell the problem was.
"Nothing, nothing."
"Don't 'nothing, nothing' me, Elizabeth Winner. Something's wrong with you. What?"
"I just don't feel good. But I want to celebrate your returning to work and all, so let's go. I don't want to deprive everyone of the guest of honor."
Midii grabbed Lizzy's arm as she tried to escape. "It's more than that. Lizzy, I'm your friend. Please. I want to help."
"Well, you can't. Sorry."
The harshness in her voice would have made most people flinch, but not Midii. She knew her too well. "Liz... What? You can tell me."
Lizzy cast her eyes down and took a deep breath. "The night that we were hit by the drunk driver..."
"Is this about your leg? Oh, come on, Liz. You can walk, even run just as well as before!"
"It's not my leg. That night... I had found out the day before that I was pregnant. I was going to tell you while we were eating." She looked up at Midii, eyes shining with unshead tears. "Mid, I lost my baby."
"Oh... Liz... I'm so sorry..."
It sounded lame, even to her ears. But what else can I say? That I understand? I don't. So she did the best she could, and wrapped her around around her friend, giving her a strong shoulder to cry on. Poor Lizzy... Our highest casualty. No wonder she did all that stupid stuff in the hospital. I thought it was all to cheer me up. I should have known better. Duo was doing that for her benefit.
* * * * *
M/N: And the moral of the story, ladies and gentlemen is... DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!