Title: True Beauty, part three
Author: Lady Snowblossom
Pairings: 1+3, 4+5, various pairings eventually
Category: Drama
Rating: PG
Warnings: Yaoi, Citrus, angst
Archive: Yes, just ask. Email me at mlayfield@yahoo.com
Notes: Will Wufei's treatment work? Stay tuned, kiddies.
"Master Quatre," the big man continued, "I took the liberty of having one of the gurneys from the workroom brought up, and turned into a bed. We can transport Duo on it. It's right here, outside the door." Rashid looked over his shoulder, and nodded to someone unseen. "Akim and Abdul are here, as well to help wheel Duo to the master bath."
"Thank you, Rashid." Quatre smiled, as he broke free of Heero's embrace. "Thank you for everything."
The big man placed a large hand over his heart and bowed. "I pray Allah, that he will see fit to return Duo to you, Master." He said simply. Eyes brimming, Quatre bowed his thanks for that heart felt prayer. Behind him, the others bowed their heads in respect.
Straightening, Rashid backed from the room, leaving the pilots to tend to the lost one among them. Trowa went to Duo's side and wrapped him in his blanket, but when he went to pick Shinigami up, Heero pushed him aside.
"I'll do it."
Tenderly, Heero slipped a hand under Duo's head and his other under his feather light knees, and gently lifted the sleeping boy in his arms. Heero's throat closed over, as he felt how sharp Duo's bones felt through the paper-like skin. Quilt stabbed him anew, and he almost stumbled, Wufei's hand was quickly there to steady him.
"Are you alright?" a soft whisper reached his ears. Heero shook his head.
"I'm fine."
"Sure."
"Yes."
"Heero," the last dragon squeezed Wing's arm, "You are not alone, nor do you need to carry the burden of guilt you do. I have told you before, you could not have prevented what happened, so let it go. For your sake as well as his."
Heero closed his eyes against the compassion in his friend's and occasional lover's voice. In a voice, raw with grief, Zero One whispered back his reply, "Not until he opens his eyes, smiles that beautiful smile of his and tells me he forgives me."
Wufei nodded, tightened his fingers again briefly, then released Heero and fell back to join Trowa, who had been following the conversation, pity flaring briefly in his green eye. He hadn't really thought Wu would reach Heero, but he understood his need to try. They all had.
Heero laid his precious burden down on the gurney and helped Abdul wrap the makeshift straps around Duo to prevent him from thrashing around and falling off. Satisfied that they were ready, the two older men grabbed the ends of the gurney and took off, the pilots following.
The halls flashed past in their desperate race against time. Ever afterwards the journey would always be just a blurred memory for those who participated that fateful day.
Outside the bathroom, the gurney squealed to a stop and Trowa leapt forward forestalling Heero this time, as he helped release Duo and took him into his arms. Quatre hurried to the door and threw it open. Beside the door, there were lined buckets full of small diamonds of ice, Rashid and several servants were waiting to pass the buckets into the room.
The master bath was a room worthy of the name. The floor was tiled in red and white marble polished to a mirror finish. Two huge oak closets stood along one white painted wall. The sink was of white marble with gold taps, a huge mirror hung on the wall above it. The toilet was white and placed by the sink. But, the most dominating feature of the room was the huge sunken red marble tub. It would easily hold two people and was lined with an array of trays to hold towels, soaps, shampoos, anything a bather could desire.
The majesties of the room were lost on the men, who crowded into its space.
"We can't put Duo in that by himself, he'd drown in that monstrosity." Trowa, who had never before been in the room, said vehemently, staring down into the tub. "One of us is going to have get in and hold him, while . . ."
"No, we won't." Quatre said, darting from the room. He was soon back with an armload of pillows, which he dumped into the tub. "Here arrange these, while I get more. They'll support him, while the ice does its job." The little Arab said, racing from the room, again. Eager hands soon had a makeshift bed arranged for Shinigami.
Satisfied that all was in readiness, Quatre nodded to Trowa. "Put him in."
Gently, Trowa placed his burden down onto the pile of multicolored cotton and stepped away. "All right, everyone, form a chain. Wufei, since you know what to do, you stay by the tub, the rest of us will hand you the buckets until you tell us to stop." Q ordered. Swiftly, everyone fell into place and Wufei was soon spreading the chips of ice over Duo's supine body.
A soft gasp escaped Shinigami's lips, as the first pieces touched his uncovered arms and legs, but he offered no resistance and didn't open his eyes. Wufei kept the ice coming until the longhaired pilot was covered to his chin, then Shenlong held up his hand and said, "Enough." Everyone immediately halted. Rashid quietly gave orders for the empty buckets to be refilled, and that the full ones be returned to the freezer. They'd be called for, when they were needed.
Inside the room, everyone settled to the floor to begin their vigil, Wufei had said, he didn't know how long, or if this would even work, but each was determined to see it thorough. For each, their heart demanded that they stay: that they give all they were, or would ever be to setting things right with Duo. This was their common goal and they'd breach Hell itself to see it done.
Sally got out of her car and walked up to the front door of the mansion. She sighed, as she shifted the file under her arm. She really hated to do this, but they needed to know the results of her last test and she'd rather do it in person than coldly and impersonally by computer.
There would be no more tests; there were no point to them. The infection had stopped, but they couldn't find the cause of the fever, so Duo's own body was killing him. At the outside, she was giving Duo maybe a week, if that long, so they'd have to prepare themselves.
She knocked on the door, and a butler opened it and bowed her in.
"Where is Quatre?" She asked.
"In the master bath on the second floor, Doctor." The man replied.
"Oh. Then can I see Heero?"
"He's also in the master bath."
"Trowa? Wufei?"
"In the master bath."
Sally frowned, all of them, in the same tub? What was going on around here?
Before she could ask another question, Rashid came around the corner of the foyer. The tall warrior greeted her warmly.
"Doctor, it is good to see you. The little master is in the master bath, if you wish to see him."
Sally blushed. "Ah, no, Rashid, that's all right, I'll just go check on Duo." She began.
"He's in the master bath."
"WHAT?!?" She shouted, "Did his fever break? Why didn't someone tell me!"
"No, Doctor, Duo's fever has not broken, but Wufei is trying to break it."
"How?" Sally's voice was low and dangerous. If Wufei killed Duo playing doctor, she'd gut him, plain and simple.
"He told me of a healer who broke a high fever with an ice bath. I doubled check that information with one of our doctors and gave orders for ice to be delivered. They have Duo packed in ice in the tub." Rashid said, quietly.
"Damn!" Sally said, and then to herself, "It might work. Why didn't I think of that?" Looking up at the taller man, she requested, "Please take me to them."
Bowing, Rashid led the way up the stairs to the second floor. The length of the hallway melted away under their footsteps. At the door, of the bath, Rashid knocked, pushed the door open and stood aside.
Sally strode in, put her hands on her hips and barked, "WUFEI! Who the hell gave you a license to practice medicine?"
Author: Lady Snowblossom
Pairings: 1+3, 4+5, various pairings eventually
Category: Drama
Rating: PG
Warnings: Yaoi, Citrus, angst
Archive: Yes, just ask. Email me at mlayfield@yahoo.com
Notes: Will Wufei's treatment work? Stay tuned, kiddies.
"Master Quatre," the big man continued, "I took the liberty of having one of the gurneys from the workroom brought up, and turned into a bed. We can transport Duo on it. It's right here, outside the door." Rashid looked over his shoulder, and nodded to someone unseen. "Akim and Abdul are here, as well to help wheel Duo to the master bath."
"Thank you, Rashid." Quatre smiled, as he broke free of Heero's embrace. "Thank you for everything."
The big man placed a large hand over his heart and bowed. "I pray Allah, that he will see fit to return Duo to you, Master." He said simply. Eyes brimming, Quatre bowed his thanks for that heart felt prayer. Behind him, the others bowed their heads in respect.
Straightening, Rashid backed from the room, leaving the pilots to tend to the lost one among them. Trowa went to Duo's side and wrapped him in his blanket, but when he went to pick Shinigami up, Heero pushed him aside.
"I'll do it."
Tenderly, Heero slipped a hand under Duo's head and his other under his feather light knees, and gently lifted the sleeping boy in his arms. Heero's throat closed over, as he felt how sharp Duo's bones felt through the paper-like skin. Quilt stabbed him anew, and he almost stumbled, Wufei's hand was quickly there to steady him.
"Are you alright?" a soft whisper reached his ears. Heero shook his head.
"I'm fine."
"Sure."
"Yes."
"Heero," the last dragon squeezed Wing's arm, "You are not alone, nor do you need to carry the burden of guilt you do. I have told you before, you could not have prevented what happened, so let it go. For your sake as well as his."
Heero closed his eyes against the compassion in his friend's and occasional lover's voice. In a voice, raw with grief, Zero One whispered back his reply, "Not until he opens his eyes, smiles that beautiful smile of his and tells me he forgives me."
Wufei nodded, tightened his fingers again briefly, then released Heero and fell back to join Trowa, who had been following the conversation, pity flaring briefly in his green eye. He hadn't really thought Wu would reach Heero, but he understood his need to try. They all had.
Heero laid his precious burden down on the gurney and helped Abdul wrap the makeshift straps around Duo to prevent him from thrashing around and falling off. Satisfied that they were ready, the two older men grabbed the ends of the gurney and took off, the pilots following.
The halls flashed past in their desperate race against time. Ever afterwards the journey would always be just a blurred memory for those who participated that fateful day.
Outside the bathroom, the gurney squealed to a stop and Trowa leapt forward forestalling Heero this time, as he helped release Duo and took him into his arms. Quatre hurried to the door and threw it open. Beside the door, there were lined buckets full of small diamonds of ice, Rashid and several servants were waiting to pass the buckets into the room.
The master bath was a room worthy of the name. The floor was tiled in red and white marble polished to a mirror finish. Two huge oak closets stood along one white painted wall. The sink was of white marble with gold taps, a huge mirror hung on the wall above it. The toilet was white and placed by the sink. But, the most dominating feature of the room was the huge sunken red marble tub. It would easily hold two people and was lined with an array of trays to hold towels, soaps, shampoos, anything a bather could desire.
The majesties of the room were lost on the men, who crowded into its space.
"We can't put Duo in that by himself, he'd drown in that monstrosity." Trowa, who had never before been in the room, said vehemently, staring down into the tub. "One of us is going to have get in and hold him, while . . ."
"No, we won't." Quatre said, darting from the room. He was soon back with an armload of pillows, which he dumped into the tub. "Here arrange these, while I get more. They'll support him, while the ice does its job." The little Arab said, racing from the room, again. Eager hands soon had a makeshift bed arranged for Shinigami.
Satisfied that all was in readiness, Quatre nodded to Trowa. "Put him in."
Gently, Trowa placed his burden down onto the pile of multicolored cotton and stepped away. "All right, everyone, form a chain. Wufei, since you know what to do, you stay by the tub, the rest of us will hand you the buckets until you tell us to stop." Q ordered. Swiftly, everyone fell into place and Wufei was soon spreading the chips of ice over Duo's supine body.
A soft gasp escaped Shinigami's lips, as the first pieces touched his uncovered arms and legs, but he offered no resistance and didn't open his eyes. Wufei kept the ice coming until the longhaired pilot was covered to his chin, then Shenlong held up his hand and said, "Enough." Everyone immediately halted. Rashid quietly gave orders for the empty buckets to be refilled, and that the full ones be returned to the freezer. They'd be called for, when they were needed.
Inside the room, everyone settled to the floor to begin their vigil, Wufei had said, he didn't know how long, or if this would even work, but each was determined to see it thorough. For each, their heart demanded that they stay: that they give all they were, or would ever be to setting things right with Duo. This was their common goal and they'd breach Hell itself to see it done.
Sally got out of her car and walked up to the front door of the mansion. She sighed, as she shifted the file under her arm. She really hated to do this, but they needed to know the results of her last test and she'd rather do it in person than coldly and impersonally by computer.
There would be no more tests; there were no point to them. The infection had stopped, but they couldn't find the cause of the fever, so Duo's own body was killing him. At the outside, she was giving Duo maybe a week, if that long, so they'd have to prepare themselves.
She knocked on the door, and a butler opened it and bowed her in.
"Where is Quatre?" She asked.
"In the master bath on the second floor, Doctor." The man replied.
"Oh. Then can I see Heero?"
"He's also in the master bath."
"Trowa? Wufei?"
"In the master bath."
Sally frowned, all of them, in the same tub? What was going on around here?
Before she could ask another question, Rashid came around the corner of the foyer. The tall warrior greeted her warmly.
"Doctor, it is good to see you. The little master is in the master bath, if you wish to see him."
Sally blushed. "Ah, no, Rashid, that's all right, I'll just go check on Duo." She began.
"He's in the master bath."
"WHAT?!?" She shouted, "Did his fever break? Why didn't someone tell me!"
"No, Doctor, Duo's fever has not broken, but Wufei is trying to break it."
"How?" Sally's voice was low and dangerous. If Wufei killed Duo playing doctor, she'd gut him, plain and simple.
"He told me of a healer who broke a high fever with an ice bath. I doubled check that information with one of our doctors and gave orders for ice to be delivered. They have Duo packed in ice in the tub." Rashid said, quietly.
"Damn!" Sally said, and then to herself, "It might work. Why didn't I think of that?" Looking up at the taller man, she requested, "Please take me to them."
Bowing, Rashid led the way up the stairs to the second floor. The length of the hallway melted away under their footsteps. At the door, of the bath, Rashid knocked, pushed the door open and stood aside.
Sally strode in, put her hands on her hips and barked, "WUFEI! Who the hell gave you a license to practice medicine?"