By now all the women were standing in a boat. Zechs whirled around in time
to see one woman at the back of the last boat stiffen. He watched as she
fell into the water with a splash, a mass of blonde hair and pale skin.
Through the darkness he could see blood diffusing slowly in the water as
the woman began to slowly sink.
The other three boats were pulling away. Only the final boat from which the girl had fallen remained tied to the pier, the women aboard too panicked to even move.
"Help me Heero!" Zechs said. He handed his oar to Trowa and grabbed Heero by the arm. Heero was standing stock still on the boat, his face white. He was watching where the person had sunk.
"Relena?" He whispered. Zechs didn't answer. He jumped into the water, shouting for Heero to follow. Zechs swam strongly to the boat and hauled himself on board, his white hair dripping with water. As soon as he was on board the women seemed to snap out of their trance. He began ordering them to oars and he took up an oar himself.
"Heero I need some help!" Zechs called to Heero, who still stood on the boat that was being rowed out to sea. Zechs scanned the other people in his boat. They were all women. Somehow, even though he had tried to organise it so that at least one man was in every boat, one boat had slipped through his plans. This would only hinder their progress and The General was nearly at the end of the pier. Gunshots still cracked through the night, but none hit their targets.
Heero dived into the water and began swimming towards the boat. But when he drew level with it he did not climb aboard. He swam to where the patch of blood was and dived.
Zechs sighed and took another oar. Heero was too rash for his own good. Zechs desperately wanted to stay and help retrieve the unfortunate girl, whom he was sure had been Relena, but he knew it was more important to save one boat full of women who would definitely survive, than risk everyone to save one girl who was possibly dead anyway.
As he rowed he watched the water avidly. Bubbles broke the surface. Suddenly a dark head emerged from the water and Zechs could hear Heero gasping for breath. Then Zechs saw the lighter shadow next to Heero. He had found Relena. Whether or not his effort had been in vain Heero could not know.
Zechs ordered the women to stop rowing and dived into the water to help Heero. He swam over and grabbed Relena's cold arm. Together they dragged Relena to where the boat was waiting. The General had reached the end of the pier. Men were climbing into boats to follow them and bullet after bullet ripped the black surface of the water.
Zechs and Heero could not distinguish the yells behind them. They only concentrated on returning to the boat. Heero hauled himself aboard then took the limp form of Relena and pulled her into the boat. Zechs climbed aboard with ease and took up his position at the oars.
They rowed hard, not daring to look back at their pursuers. Zechs only wanted to catch up with the other five boats, but he kept an eye on Heero all the time.
Heero laid Relena on the cold floor of the boat and wiped wet hair from her face. She was so white and cold to the touch. Frantically Heero felt for a pulse or any sign of life. He could find none.
"No!" He cried out. "Relena, please don't be dead. You can't die." He slumped over he corpse tears staining his face. He looked back and saw that they were no longer being pursued. He smiled faintly and lay his head on Relena's chest. "We made it Relena." He whispered. "Freedom. Just like we dreamed."
"Come away." Said a woman next to him. He looked up and saw the pale face of Dorothy looking down at him. She firmly helped him to stand up. But the floor of the boat was slippery and Heero slipped. He fell hard across Relena's ribs and stomach.
As soon as his weight hit her torso a torrent of water was forced out of Relena's mouth. She coughed and spluttered and Heero fell by her side, lifting her head up and resting it on his shoulder, immeasurable pleasure visible on his face.
"Relena. It's OK!" He said to her, holding her close to him to warm her up. "We made it to freedom. We are safe. And you are alive." He noticed, however, that her breathing was shallow and rasping. No warmth seemed to return to her body and her pulse was weak.
Heero let her go slightly and felt warmth on his hand. He lifted it from where it had been resting on Relena's lower back. In the moonlight he could see dark blood on his hand. Relena had been shot in the back and was still bleeding.
"She's hurt!" Dorothy exclaimed. She rushed to sit next to Zechs and took up an oar. "We have to row faster. We need to get her to a doctor."
They joined the other boats and continued rowing long into the night, Heero still holding Relena close to him and talking to her. He talked to her long after she lost consciousness. He promised himself that he would not let her die. He knew that he could not live without her.
AN - Ok, so Relena didn't die.yet. By the sounds of it most of you don't want her to die, but it is still a possibility. Do you still want her to live? Read and review please and I will do the same as before. Relena's life is in your hands!
The other three boats were pulling away. Only the final boat from which the girl had fallen remained tied to the pier, the women aboard too panicked to even move.
"Help me Heero!" Zechs said. He handed his oar to Trowa and grabbed Heero by the arm. Heero was standing stock still on the boat, his face white. He was watching where the person had sunk.
"Relena?" He whispered. Zechs didn't answer. He jumped into the water, shouting for Heero to follow. Zechs swam strongly to the boat and hauled himself on board, his white hair dripping with water. As soon as he was on board the women seemed to snap out of their trance. He began ordering them to oars and he took up an oar himself.
"Heero I need some help!" Zechs called to Heero, who still stood on the boat that was being rowed out to sea. Zechs scanned the other people in his boat. They were all women. Somehow, even though he had tried to organise it so that at least one man was in every boat, one boat had slipped through his plans. This would only hinder their progress and The General was nearly at the end of the pier. Gunshots still cracked through the night, but none hit their targets.
Heero dived into the water and began swimming towards the boat. But when he drew level with it he did not climb aboard. He swam to where the patch of blood was and dived.
Zechs sighed and took another oar. Heero was too rash for his own good. Zechs desperately wanted to stay and help retrieve the unfortunate girl, whom he was sure had been Relena, but he knew it was more important to save one boat full of women who would definitely survive, than risk everyone to save one girl who was possibly dead anyway.
As he rowed he watched the water avidly. Bubbles broke the surface. Suddenly a dark head emerged from the water and Zechs could hear Heero gasping for breath. Then Zechs saw the lighter shadow next to Heero. He had found Relena. Whether or not his effort had been in vain Heero could not know.
Zechs ordered the women to stop rowing and dived into the water to help Heero. He swam over and grabbed Relena's cold arm. Together they dragged Relena to where the boat was waiting. The General had reached the end of the pier. Men were climbing into boats to follow them and bullet after bullet ripped the black surface of the water.
Zechs and Heero could not distinguish the yells behind them. They only concentrated on returning to the boat. Heero hauled himself aboard then took the limp form of Relena and pulled her into the boat. Zechs climbed aboard with ease and took up his position at the oars.
They rowed hard, not daring to look back at their pursuers. Zechs only wanted to catch up with the other five boats, but he kept an eye on Heero all the time.
Heero laid Relena on the cold floor of the boat and wiped wet hair from her face. She was so white and cold to the touch. Frantically Heero felt for a pulse or any sign of life. He could find none.
"No!" He cried out. "Relena, please don't be dead. You can't die." He slumped over he corpse tears staining his face. He looked back and saw that they were no longer being pursued. He smiled faintly and lay his head on Relena's chest. "We made it Relena." He whispered. "Freedom. Just like we dreamed."
"Come away." Said a woman next to him. He looked up and saw the pale face of Dorothy looking down at him. She firmly helped him to stand up. But the floor of the boat was slippery and Heero slipped. He fell hard across Relena's ribs and stomach.
As soon as his weight hit her torso a torrent of water was forced out of Relena's mouth. She coughed and spluttered and Heero fell by her side, lifting her head up and resting it on his shoulder, immeasurable pleasure visible on his face.
"Relena. It's OK!" He said to her, holding her close to him to warm her up. "We made it to freedom. We are safe. And you are alive." He noticed, however, that her breathing was shallow and rasping. No warmth seemed to return to her body and her pulse was weak.
Heero let her go slightly and felt warmth on his hand. He lifted it from where it had been resting on Relena's lower back. In the moonlight he could see dark blood on his hand. Relena had been shot in the back and was still bleeding.
"She's hurt!" Dorothy exclaimed. She rushed to sit next to Zechs and took up an oar. "We have to row faster. We need to get her to a doctor."
They joined the other boats and continued rowing long into the night, Heero still holding Relena close to him and talking to her. He talked to her long after she lost consciousness. He promised himself that he would not let her die. He knew that he could not live without her.
AN - Ok, so Relena didn't die.yet. By the sounds of it most of you don't want her to die, but it is still a possibility. Do you still want her to live? Read and review please and I will do the same as before. Relena's life is in your hands!