"Meet me Half way"
Part 4 – Whoever said he forgot?
"Who's he?" The doctor asked the dark haired boy as he gestured to the
boy's ever-faithful companion, who had become - as of the moment the doctor's
entrance - somewhat of a human shield/chair. The boy glared mutely at the man
quizzing him. Slowly he turned his gaze to the object of the question, calmly
staring at the violent orbs.
*
"Who's he?"
I bit my lip as he asked the question. Would Heero know? Would he
remember?
The minute the Doctor entered Heero had retreated to my lap, pulling my
arms around him. I was only on his bed in the first place because I had been
helping him eat the food the nurse had brought in for him. - If you can call it
that...
My arms tightened around him instinctively almost as if willing him to
remember me. I could tell for an instant that he was glaring - for once not at
me – but then he turned to me. His eyes locked with mine; neither glaring nor
shocked, neither confused nor understanding – just blank. Void of everything so
much that I could only stare back.
Then he turned back to the doctor.
"It seems that he doesn't know the answer." The sentence burst like
fatal flames into the silence causing me to jump.
"I… he…" My voice sounded distant as if someone had put all my thoughts
on hold.
"He seems to also have a bit of amnesia from the accident along with
lose of speech." With a heavy sigh the doctor wrote as he spoke, ignoring my
attempts to speak. "We'll try again tomorrow, I should think. Perhaps something
might jolt his memory. If you like you can give him a bath. I assume you've
already learned how to brush his teeth."
It sounded almost like he was asking me if I had – but I wasn't sure… Of
course I had. The nurses at the very beginning had shown me. I never thought I'd
ever have to brush anyone's teeth but my children's. One of those little things
you never think about doing and never, never think about doing to Him…
"Kat, get to emergency – a rush of people just now. Sue, you too. Jane,
to surgery, Dr. Seph is up there – heart transplant. I've got to get down to
maternity center."
"But what about this one – his friend doesn't know how to… We can't just
leave him alone!"
"Well, we've got to! Remember what Dr. Leigh used to say? They're the
closest I've ever seen to what he described." Susan whispered. That's the name I
have placed with her face even though the nurse, who I hadn't caught her name
yet, had called her Sue. "He can do it, he's always so gentle with Heero."
The one named Jane stepped up to me, where I had found myself encircled
by frantic nurses. "Here, You've seen us do this before. Just be very careful!
We can't have him swallowing it, now." She smiled so sweetly at me, handing me
the toothbrush and I couldn't understand why. How could she, or any of them,
smile at us – the people who keep them jumping from room to room, from floor to
floor? I could tell she was so tried – all of them. "If he won't open his mouth
just press lightly right here." Her fingers extended to Heero's face where his
jaws met, and I nodded in recognition.
"Alright girls! Move out!"
I held the small brush in my hand, watching myself – as though from a
different body – put toothpaste on it. Only brushing my fingertips over his jaws
caused them to part. Brushing Heero's teeth isn't that bad – it's actually kind
of fun. Does that make me weird?
"I assume you've noticed he needs one." My mind snapped back to the
doctor's words
Heero looked back at me kittenishly. He wasn't that bad.
The nurses had, so far, been cleaning him up and honestly I had no idea
how to go about it. I suppose the doctor seemed to pick up on this because he
started –
"You can't let him do it himself – and you have to use the bath not the
shower. You're only to fill the tub a little bit – think of it as bathing a
baby. And whatever you do just don't get the stitches wet." I felt as if he
thought me a two-year-old.
"But then how am I supposed to -?"
"There's a sponge in there that the nurses used when he was unconscious.
The only thing you really need to remember is not to get the stitched wet."
"…" I stumbled to rise with him without dropping Heero on the floor.
"'Til tomorrow 114." The enthusiasm was so drained from his voice as he
left that I could only stare behind him. "Don't get the stitches…!"
*
"Heero, you head what he said! Don't get those stitches wet!"
Quickly before he slipped his arm into the shallow water I popped his
wrist up.
He had been staring at the water as if daring it to move but with the
small touch that kept his stitched arm away from it, his head shot up. Cobalt
blue calculating my every more and as his eyes narrowed slightly; my breath
caught in my chest. He snorted and turned back to the water. Rolling my sleeves
up, I plunged the sponge into the clear liquid. It was warm enough so that when
I pulled the sponge out I could easily feel the difference in temperature from
air to water. I squeezed it slightly, watching as the excess water splashed back
into the tub before looking to Heero.
He sat cross-legged, stripped of the hospital gown, water coming up to a
little past his waist. With his right side facing me, the arm without stitches
flouted next to his leg, fingertips grazing the water, leaving small ripples in
their wake. He seemed overly frustrated, as he turned back to the water.
"Oh, shit! Heero – don't move! I've got to go get the soap! Don't you
dare put that arm near the water!" I hissed out the ending threat as I stood up.
He looked at me again his eyes glittering and his lips curling up at the ends in
a small smile. "I mean it!" I warned with a smile back at him as I moved around
the small corner to the sink area. With his back to me and a wall preventing me
from seeing him, I quickly grabbed at the soap the hospital had given us. Well,
shower gel to be exact – but who cares? Not me! I'm more worried about Heero
dunking those stitches in the water after I told him not to! MEN! Humph! And,
you know, that's just what he was doing as I turned the corner.
"Oh, god, Heero!"
Um, would it have been stupid of me if I had dived straight into the tub
aiming to grab at Heero's wrist and lift it above his head? Well, 'cause that's
what I did. I mean, I guess you could say I wasn't really thinking.
With a deep breath and totally soaked clothes I struggled to move out of
the terribly painful position I had found myself in, front half of my body
cramped in the tub – well away from Heero, but triumphantly holing his hand
above his head – but legs dangling over the rim.
Looking up, I realized Heero was laughing at me. Not verbally
laughing – I mean, I couldn't actually hear him, but – still – he was
laughing. He seemed to have suddenly lost all the frustration his eyes – his
face – had held earlier.
"It's not that funny…" I huffed as I kicked off my shoes. No way I was
getting them wet – do you know how long it would take them to dry?
FOREVER! "If you wanted me in too, I'm sure there was an easier – and far
less pain –" I added in a mutter, " way to go about it." I knew my face had gone
into a little pout, trying to make him feel sorry for what he'd done, as I
reached for the soap.
He snorted, totally ignorant of my facial expression, and with one hand
he pulled at the bottom of my shirt. I felt my face flush – was he really asking
me that? I looked up to meet his eyes, only to be greeted by the soft
laughter that hadn't seemed to go away. If only for a moment I saw a blush rise
in his cheeks – almost immediately disappearing behind the tan-ness of his skin.
I breathed in deeply.
"Better?" I whispered, left only in my boxers. The rest of my clothing
folded in neat puddles on the floor beside the tub.
He nodded, bowing his head before looking back up at me expectantly.
Realizing there was no possible way for us both to sit cross-legged and
there be anyway to reach him properly, I scooted up to him and stretched out one
leg on each side of his body. Finally able to reach for the sponge without an
interruption, I started washing away the dirt, the blood, the sweat that never
seemed to have gone away – not since the beginning… My hands easily made endless
patterns of bubbles over the smooth skin – they could have done so forever and
never tired of it. His fingers easily found entertainment in my long chestnut
locks.
It was hard not to press feather light kisses on all the bruises across
his chest that had almost vanished. He practically leaned into the caressing
sponge – or did I fall asleep and imagine it all just because I wanted it so
badly to happen?
Cupping water, I carefully poured it over the soap-covered skin easily
missing all of his stitches. Ever so carefully I washed his hair, never getting
one stitch wet, I might add – proudly.
I realized, suddenly, I hadn't spoken since I'd fallen in. It unnerved
me. Not the thought of silence – or this silence to be exact; this was the best
kind of silence – an understood one, where no words were needed – or at least it
seemed that way too me. It unnerved me because it might not be the same silence
to him – or more importantly, that he'd sense it – he'd know. (Like he
could see right through me or something…)
I've been known foe my extensive talking and if I don't extensively talk
might think something was a mist! That I had some feel for him – which wouldn't
be far from the true – but, oh! I knew he'd push me away – just like in
the dream…
Nervously I glanced at him, hoping that I could push away such thoughts
with a quick word about Quatre's unique choice of clothing ("The pale pink – and
the purple vest? Hey – personally black and white is the way to go!), Trowa's
interesting hair-do ("How in the heck does he get it to stay like that?"), or
Wufei and his justice raves ("And I thought I talked too much! Really – he
needs a new topic!")
He looked up at me; eyes searching mine – for what I didn't know.
I held my breath. I knew, somewhere in there my Heero – the one
that glared at any and everything- was in there; I could see him lost in the
clouded blue of his eyes. He understood everything around him; he hadn't
forgotten us like the doctor had said.
I could see it in his eyes.
Chewing on my bottom lip and looking away slightly, I whispered, "Turn
around."
Never breaking his silence, he struggled to turn in the small space –
stitches never coming near the water. …Guess he was just trying to get me to
take a bath too – I didn't think I smelled that bad, really.
Soaping up the sponge again, I went back to the task of cleaning his
smooth tanned skin. If we had been anywhere but here – in a hospital – I
would have been in ecstasy just touching Him. But if we were anywhere but
here – I wouldn't be touching Him.
"Mngh!"
I literally froze at the almost silent moan. After reassuring myself
that I was dreaming – that I was crazy – I started rubbing the sponge in small
circles on his back, to sooth him … He seemed so tense around the doctors…
I froze – again.
Was he purring as his back arched into my touch? No! That's
impossible! Heero Yuy definitely does not pur, let alone arch his back
into anything I do to him!
Nervously, I put the sponge away and, cupping water in my hands, washed
away the soap.
"All done." As the words left my mouth he pushed back so that he was
leaning on me. Slowly turning, he curled up against my chest in a fetal position
– eyes closed and brow pursed in pain. He exhaled, pushing into me. Like a
kitten, his lips parting slightly, his exhale formed a single word. "D…u…o." And
it echoed through me as though he had shouted it in an empty cathedral.
"Heero?" I breathed in far too deeply, almost choking on my own words.
Pulling in to himself further, he closed his eyes tightly as a shiver of
pain shot through his frame suddenly.
As if nothing had happened he opened his cobalt eyes to me, blinking
away what appeared to be sleep.
"Eh," I stopped, shaking my head. This was all to weird. I mean
WEIRD. "Hey, Heero, … lets get you back in that bed." I studied him for a
minute, taking in the way he slumped into the porcelain of the tub. "I think you
could use a few hours of Zs!" I smiled broadly.
He didn't answer, just stared at me without blinking, his hair –
plastered to his head by the water – could have easily been mistaken for black,
contrasting deeply to the sudden whiteness of his skin.
"Mister wordy as always." I rolled my eyes teasingly, hoping to get a
reaction from him, but knowing it was futile. Slowly I pulled out of the tub, at
the same time picking him up. Somehow I managed to wrap him in a towel without
dropping my precious burden.
For the first time since the accident he was able to help put on new
clothes, which made my life so much easier, let me tell ya! And almost made me
cry – he was slowly, oh, so slowly coming back! I smiled to myself as I looked
around the room for something to entertain us for the next few hours.
"Hey, lets watch some TV – the news – we can get you up to date with
everything!" I let a grin consume my face, standing at the foot of his bed.
Without waiting for him to reply – since he wouldn't – I turned, crossing the
tiled floor. He sat up, pulling his legs up to his chest as he watched me
cautiously. The TV itself – nailed to the wall (as if we wanted to steal it…
what a piece of junk!)– was much higher than I originally thought, causing me to
go onto my tiptoes and stretch my arm out to its fullest. With a harsh sigh, I
dropped my arm at the sound of the TV's not quite silent buzzing.
I smiled back at him as I looked up; the words joining the picture on
the screen I hadn't paid attention to before.
"This just in – we'll take you to Jack for more of the story. Live from
the Sanc Kingdom, Jack?"
"Hey, Lisa. I'm just going to let you hear this speak Miss Relena gave
today from the front of her house. As you can see there are thousands of people
here – all waiting for what the Queen of the World has to say." I turned
to the screen to see a neatly dressed man, holding an earpiece to his ear and a
microphone up to his mouth. His lively smile faded into a worried expression as
he added, "Can you see it?" just as his image faded away to be replace by none
other than Relena.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on ends and I shivered in disgust
– I mean, for real! She's all in love and concerned about her little
Heero-kun but I haven't seen her face around here.
Heero, himself, was surprised – but for a different reason I'm sure –
because I heard him gasp.
"Miss her, eh?" I didn't mean for my voice to hold such bitterness, but
I could easily hear it ringing in my words as I turned to look at him.
To my surprise he turned to me – shocked with almost disgusted
displeasure on his face. His eyes narrowed dangerously at me then glanced to the
TV screen and - as if possible darkened more. He looked back to me, face
determined as if he was piloting Wing Zero again. His head tilted to the side,
eyes darting around the room.
The noise of the TV was lost to me as I watched him. I
shivered involuntarily – the way he looked just now – oh, god, it was
like he was coming back to me. That was the face he made when he was debating
with himself what to do for a mission. And I could only stand frozen there,
staring at him in total shock.
With child-like hands, he reached for something and for a moment I
couldn't see him – my vision was so dazed. Blinking wildly, I tried to focus on
him.
He sat – as though he never moved at all – pillows the only way he could
sit up. He looked at me expectantly, patient and calm as though he had done this
all his life. His hands were clasped before him – in his lap – holding down a
slim book that hadn't been there before. (That was the only real reason I had
known he had moved.)
He looked down – away from me – to the book, flipping through the pages.
All the while neither of us spoke; our silence drowning out the noise of the
news report.
After a moment he seemed happy with the page he had found and held it up
for me to take.
Only then – only at that moment when my hands touched the hard covering,
the smooth paper – did I realize what it was. Heero's Journal.
I felt my eyes widen as I looked to him. His child-like eyes locked with
mine, and he nodded, so slightly.
I looked down. It was the page. The page I hadn't read, the page
of… I was so scared. What would it say? His confession of undying love for
Relena and how he hated me? Sure, that had to be it.
I trembled and savagely wiped away the hot tear that threatened to fall
down my cheek with the back of my sleeve. I didn't want Him to see.
Staring at the page, my eyes slowly focused on the words.
…So wonderful. That the movie would be so great – we'd all love it.
No – I knew I'd hate every moment of sitting in the stupidly uncomfortable
seats, watching the most boring movie ever. But I agreed. Not to watch the movie
– no. To sit by him – to watch him.
I don't care how uncomfortable the seats will be or how stupid the movie
is –just as long as I can sit by him, to smell that faint scent of strawberry
shampoo he uses for his ridiculously long hair of his (beautifully ridiculous),
to watch the way his chest rises and falls with each breath he takes and
imagining that I can hear his heart beating against my ear.
Sometimes when he sits by me he unconsciously moves closer to me so that
I find him leaning against me. I know sometimes the coldness I show to him then
makes him so frustrated. He only wants us to be friends he shouts – I want us to
be more.
Is it possible that I love him?
I don't know what love is; I don't know the meaning of the word – but
then I don't know what this feeling is… either.
So perhaps I do. Perhaps I do love the braided baka.
It stopped there. As if he suddenly realized what time it was and had to
leave – maybe for the movie?
I couldn't think on that – how could I after what I just read?
All I could do was look up at him, smiling eyes still wet with tears. I
felt a grin – no, smile, an honest to goodness smile – spread across my face,
leaving little room for anything else.
He didn't like Relena. He like – no, maybe even – loved me!
The child-likeness in him now stared at me longingly, pleadingly.
Have you ever noticed how blue his eyes get when he's upset or happy?
They were so vivid right at this moment I thought I would die! The most
beautiful thing ever created and I – me! – I was allowed to see it, to
hold it close to my heart for the rest of my life. I felt so honored –
since it's quite obvious the Perfect Soldier lets few in so close…
I found myself at the edge of his hospital bed. Unsure hands met half
way, clasping, - intertwining. I was surprised to find myself being pulled on to
the bed.
He was amazingly strong after what he'd been through!
Our lips met in a sweet kiss, a soft kiss.
"So you're saying he'll – he'll probably be able to talk soon." I hadn't
told the doctors about Heero saying my name.
Faded sun colors nodded in agreement as amazingly pale, slender fingers
pushed thin-framed glasses up. "Yes, Heero's body wasn't ready to come out of
the coma when he did – his brain cause his vocal cords to bruise and swell,
making it impossible for him to speak."
"Oh, I see." I nodded, happy that one of the doctors had called Heero by
his name and not "that patient" or "114" – even if this was Doctor Leigh, who
seemed to be the coolest of cool.
I sat down on the bed that was empty at the moment – Heero had been
taken for rehab and I wasn't allowed to go.
He had screamed and cried, something never expected to see the Perfect
Soldier doing, but I felt like a total heel. He had his arms stretched out
towards me, eyes wet with tears that streamed down his cheeks and he kept
mouthing a single word – no noise coming out, but I knew what it was. "Duo."
I had wanted to run over to him, snap the guys' necks who were pulling
him away, and then hold him, rock him back and forth. My precious Heero.
But no – Wufei held me back and then He was gone.
"So does that mean he'll be able to come home then?" I asked finding
great interest in twiddling my thumbs. Slowly I looked up.
Another one of those sad distant smiles – he didn't even have to say
anything, I already knew, but he spoke anyway. "Only a week or two more – just
to make sure everything's okay and he's set."
I sighed – just as the door opened, and the nurse, clad in pink, wheeled
in the patient. His head was bowed as if He had suddenly turned shy. Or
perhaps had realized he was guilty of a child's crime – stealing cookie's from
the cookie jar before dinner.
"Well, look who's back!" I smiled.
His head shot up, eyes flashing happily at my voice. Hands stretched out
se child-like to me – I was suddenly so terrified. Would he always be like this?
This little child-like Heero? With a shiver the terror was gone when I heard him
whisper "Duo." He leaned forward sniffling as tears slipped over the rims of his
eyes.
"Dooeeooo!" Slurring, he leaned forward farther so that he nearly
toppled over in the wheelchair. Twisting vainly, hands still reaching out for
me, he whispered my name in an endless chant, unable to move from the chair
because of the black snake like straps.
"Wait, Mr. Yuy, let me unhook you." The nurse, her voice sweet, reached
a pink sleeved hand down to one of the strap buckles.
It was the must blood curdling sound I'd ever heard. Thrashing wildly
Heero easily threw the nurse across the room.
"Heero! No," Jumping up I ran to his side, unclasping the buckles in a
matter of seconds.
Arms were around me, hands were locked behind my neck, tears were
soaking my shirt as he pressed his face hard against my chest. So child-like.
Uncertainly I let my hands creep up around him to hold him. I was so certain
that he'd fall out of that rickety old thing. Carrying him over to his bed, I
instinctively started rubbing soothing circles on his back. Softly I whispered
in his ear trying to imitate the voice Quatre used when he had calmed me down.
Incoherently he mumbled sobs into the base of my neck and with tight
fists he grabbed my hair, hands tangled, voice still trembling.
"Shhhh," smoothing down his unruly locks I added in a whisper to myself,
"my beautiful Heero."
"It's unjust – they can't give him another mission right away! He's not
even walking – he can't even talk! Onna scientists!" Wufei's voice easily
carried down the hallway, but I had to strain to hear the answered reply.
"Well, I don't really think they'll send him all by himself – maybe Duo
can go with him – it's probably just one of those mission were he has to
download something at another school. Maybe they're giving him a test to see if
he can do it, you think?" Quatre's voice steadily increased in volume.
Heero eagerly looked to the door just as the blonde walked in – back to
his normal wardrobe. But Heero's eagerness soon vanished, nearly falling from
the mattress, he twisted his way around me. His breathing picked up again as it
had when the nurse had been in the room.
"Heero?" Quatre raised his eyebrows slightly, obviously worried. "Is he
okay, Duo?" Trowa and Wufei just stared.
Turning I looked back at Heero then to the others again. "I don't know
–he just…" Again I turned to the dark haired boy. He was staring wide-eyed at
Quatre – but then he wasn't. It was if he was seeing Quatre but not seeing
Quatre. His face had paled beyond the color of any piece of paper I'd
seen and his skin was glossed over with sweat. Desperately I tried to see what
he seemed to be seeing.
And it hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Quatre, take off your shirt!"
TBC
Anne: So how'd ya like it?
Trowa: Took you long enough, eh?
Duo: *glares* Yeah, we had to wait for Christmas and then some!
Anne: I'm sorry! Really I am! The next part will be out way sooner, I
PROMISE!