Disclaimers: I still don't own any of these guys… only the ideas and the doctors/nurses. ^_^
Warning: Shounen-ai, and Relena is playing a character I don't like… so sorry for all you Relena fans… you might not want to read this…. ^_^;;;
Eh, Sorry this part took forever to get out… total writer's block and then some bad computer trouble to add to that! *blushes* Thanks for all the great reviews!
Here it is!
We're back in Duo's point of view so please remember that! ~_^
No Such Thing as a Happy Ending in the Middle
Part 7
"114's doing just fine." The answer came from a doctor that I particularly disliked. He continually called Heero by his room number or "The Patient."
I felt my eyes narrow; I wasn't duped for a minute. "Yeah, and I'll eat my shoe before I believe that," I growled, impatiently.
You know how mad you get when everyone around you tries to hide stuff from you – perhaps thinking it'll make you feel better (or act calmer, in the doctor's case) if you don't know; well, that's what I felt like right then. So being me – I just pushed right through inexorably, quickening my pace until I was sure that they weren't following me. Slowly I neared Heero's room, the number next to the door, "114," enlarging with every step I took. I felt more at ease knowing I was almost back, then I noticed the door.
It was opened – just a crack, but I could have sworn I had shut it tight. Of course some nurse could have gone in to check on Heero, but it didn't have that feel to it. Nope, it had the something is very, very, very wrong feel.
Cautiously I lifted my hand to the doorknob, swallowing hard.
Hey, wait a second! What am I afraid of anyway?
In a fit of anger at myself for being stupidly afraid of nothing, I burst into the room.
To find pink
No, wait, that's insane! With Heero's sudden aversion to the color, I know perfectly well, not a single nurse here would put that color in his room. I took a deep breath, rubbing my eyes, about to refocus on everything – because, of course, no one in their right mind would bring that color anywhere near him… not after last time.
"Heeeeeeeroooooooooooo! Come on, be a good boy. We're going home." The speaker seemed to think herself to be cajoling him, but her voice was a shade too whiny.
My eyes shot open and I stared for a moment.
Heero sat crouched in the corner like a defenseless rabbit, teeth chattering, eyes round. I've never in my life seen someone so terrified!
And of all people to precipitate it! I should have known! Relena! She seemed totally oblivious to his shaking form with her avid talk of how they would run away and get married, that she would free him from me.
From me? Pah That's a joke. He is my best friend, and besides I'm not wearing a color that terrifies him! I was so apoplectic that she would do this to him! Was she blind that she couldn't see he was trembling with fear?
"What in the name of – " I never finished; I'm not sure now I would have anyway.
She turned around, surprised.
Oh, yeah! Surprise!!! Who else would spend four odd months with him, bitc – NO, I'm not going to lower myself to your level, I growl mentally.
Aloud: "what do you think you're doing? Can't you see he's terrified? –"
She interrupted me: "I don't have to listen to your tirade, Duo! I'm in no mood to play," her voice was haughty, as though she thought me as nothing more than an obstacle in her way of her goal. "I'm here to take Heero home."
I looked at her astonished – was she really so self-centered? Was she really so conceded?
"Has it ever occurred to you perhaps he doesn't want to go with you? That given the choice he might choose someone else?" With my anger somewhat contained I move forward.
Upon the moment Heero saw me he crawled, like a beaten animal, to hide behind my legs.
Duo, don't leave me. Duo goes away. He scared… scared Duo not ever come back." His hands clutched at the folds of my jeans; a wave of compunction surrounds me. I felt as though I might have been conniving in some horrible crime against him, and immediately guilt consumed me.
"No," Relena spoke now, jolting me out of my self-depression. "He loves me. I know it! I can see it in his eyes! He loves me! It's you who have brainwashed him into thinking otherwise!" Now she turned to look down at Heero, crouching at my feet. "Come back to me, Heero! You can fight that demon off! Fight! Fight! Come back to me!"
He shrank further behind me at her words, and I could feel him tremble against my legs. But she seemed not to notice as she took a step towards me, again trying to cajole him with talks of marriage and the likes.
"It strikes me as funny," I whispered, catching her attention and Heero's. "That you should come back now. You say how much you love him. Yeah, you love him so much that it takes you four months and then some to actually come and see him." I laugh then, probably not the wisest thing to do on my part, but then I never said I was the brightest crayon in the box.
Her hand flew up, leaving a stinging mark against my cheek and her eyes narrowed almost to the equivalent to one of Heero's former death glares. "I thought he was dead! Dead! How was I to know?" Tears glistened in her eyes, and I almost felt sorry for her. "I thought I'd never see him again; do you know what that feels like? No, how could I expect a fool such as you to? It's too much to ask. But I found him again! That should show even you how love works! In mysterious ways, but it does work, because I found him! And now I'm taking him home where he belongs. He'll be all right because I'm with him and we love each other. You've never felt that, have you, Duo? Love? Ha, the only people who could have loved you must be dead now – you've killed them with your own greed. But you won't kill Heero, you won't." Her voice shook, and her fervent diatribe might have been touching had it not stung so much. But I didn't want to argue with her about what all she'd said; I didn't want to talk to her. I wished with all my might that she might just vanish in a puff of smoke so that I would never see her again. I knew it wouldn't happen, but I can wish, can I? How could she say those things!?
"Come on, Heero, Let's go." She reached out a hand for him to take; he hissed and pulled back, pushing me between them. He seemed to be trying to talk but all that would come out was a gagging noise.
"What have you done to him?" I asked, somewhat astonished at his actions. I turned my face to look up at her.
"Nothing!" Her eyes were wide. "I've done nothing to him!" She seemed overly distressed by my question, taking it as an accusation when it was a mere question.
It struck me as though she must know something that she wasn't telling me. Something, yes… perhaps the reason for Heero's fear of the color pink…?
The door burst open and we all turned, shocked to find Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei entering. Their grinning, bright and happy faces were altered upon seeing us. Their easy bantering hung frozen in the air, no longer seeming appropriate to them.
"What is the meaning of this, woman?" Wufei turned his accusations of the whole situation straight to Relena, who still reached for Heero's hand.
Immediately she up-righted herself and opened her mouth to speak; I could already hear her querulous voice, high pitched and whining.
"It's fine, Wufei. Her innocuous whining is hardly bothering me. I'm more concerned for…" I didn't say his name but looked toward Heero as if saying it would cause more ruckus than I cared to deal with. He stared raptly at the floor, reticent to meeting any of our eyes. I let out a wan sigh. God, I just wanted my Heero back! All this is getting to be too much, too much! I wanted to scream – to pull out my hair, cry my eyes out. I felt as if I was drowning in this depression that was the wake of Heero's accident and the added fact that Relena had showed up – it was like being surrounded by man-eating (and very hungry man-eating at that!) sharks.
Scrupulously, I held myself aloft from my thoughts – my emotions – putting a hand to my stomach as though I might be able to keep them from escaping me. I wanted an appearance of self-effacement; if I was to lose my sanity now… what would happen to Heero? The only doctor that called Heero by his name, the only doctor that I believed to be helping – Doctor Leigh, he had said that Heero was quite dependent on me… that if I were to leave he'd be so afraid, that he'd just give up! And hadn't Heero confirmed this? Had he not said he was scared when I came back? Yes… I just have to keep together until I'm alone… alone…
Wufei looked at me suspiciously, but he kept his ranting and raving to himself after that. Thankfully.
"Bothering you!" Relena wailed, her high-pitched voice causing me to cringe. "I'm here to take Heero home!" She stamped her foot, as though we should abruptly cater to her wish.
"But Miss Relena," Quatre's polite voice was far easier to listen to than Relena's. "Heero can't go! He not even able to talk completely! He has so much more to go through before he's ready to leave! And Duo's such a good help for him – if you were to take him away from Duo… I'm… I'm not sure what would happen!!!" Affable Quatre as always pointed out the little facts in his sweet voice, that no one could say no to, he looked back at Trowa for reassurance.
"Oh, shut up! You're such a watery, do-gooder! Don't you see this hospital is killing him! Duo is a vile demon, sucking the life right out of him! Brainwashing him! He thinks Duo's the greatest now, but really Heero loves me! And you'd all know it too if it weren't for that thing!" She stuck her finely painted nail in my face, and I had the biggest urge to slap it away. With that impudent comment out, Relena turned her nose to us all.
"Now see here, Miss Relena, I've had quite enough of this! You have no right to treat us so! Heero is going to stay here until he's better and he himself can tell us what he wants!" Quatre growled out. (I was amazed at how gentlemanly he can making hissing so vehemently sound.)
"I'm go to show Quatre menu… the menu…" This was the first thing Heero had said since he spoke to me, and it was a shock. He stood up on shaky legs and with child-like determination walked to the door, pulling Quatre with him.
"Now look what you've done," Relena spat at me.
I laughed bitterly in her face. "Relena, you don't know what you're talking about."
"I do," She glared. "Heero doesn't love you. He never will and you know it."
"I don't care who Heero loves as long as he's happy… but you… you wish him for yourself. You wouldn't care if everyday was exanimate to him as long as you kept him in your little cage."
She slapped me then, harder than before, drawing blood with her nail. In a hiss she said, "You disgust me." And with that she was gone, tramping off down the hall in her designer high-heels.
Before the others could speak I myself exited the room. I didn't want to listen to Wufei or Trowa – correction, Wufei (since Trowa is not inclined to converse with anyone.)
Outside the room I let my figure sink against the wall beside the door, closing my eyes… I'm alone now….
TBC
Oi, hope you guys liked it! I'm hard at work on another one.
Duo: Yeah, so that's what they call playing Final Fantasy 10 these days, ne?
Hey, baka! I really am working on the next part, SEE!?
Duo: oh, dear... *sweatdrops* that doesn't look good...
Stay tuned - unless it takes me forever - then I give you
permission to yell at me... *sweatdrops* Oi, it'll be out sooner than ya think
though! Promise! ^_^V
