Title: True Beauty, part four
Author: Lady Snowblossom
Rating: PG
Pairing: 1+4, 3+5, others eventually
Notes: Sally takes charge. I also want to extend my thanks to everyone, who has taken the time to review this little tale of mine. I'm really pleased that you all like it, hope you like this chapter as well.
Disclaimer: See part one, because I'm too lazy to keep retyping it.
Calmly, Wufei rose to face the angry woman.
"Sally," he began quietly. "We had to do something. You told us yourself, when you ran that last test on Duo, that you weren't going to hold out much hope. So, that." He nodded toward the slush that Duo was floating in, "Is our last gasp chance at saving the boy we all love."
Sally's expression of disapproval softened, "I understand. And its' about time." With that cryptic statement, she went past him to sit on the side of the tub, laying the file she'd been carrying on the floor at her feet. She reached into the water and pulled out one of Duo's limp wrists and felt for his pulse. .
"How long has he been in the ice?" She said, releasing the pale wrist and laying it gently back into the slush.
"Two hours, forty minutes." Heero answered, checking his watch. Sally pursed her lips, leaning over she reached to Duo's far side and pulled up his other arm and peered at it carefully, before laying it back down.
"Trowa, hold his shoulders." She ordered, as she turned and reached down for one of Shinigami's legs. Trowa scooped his arms under Duo's shoulders and held him up, as Sally raised and examined each leg carefully. As she turned to face the silent group of youths, Quatre quickly handed her a towel to dry her hands on.
"All right, here's the drill. Since I don't find any signs of hypothermia, I'll allow this treatment to continue." She held up a hand against the joyful smiles that crossed their faces. "But only on the following conditions.
I will remain to check Duo periodically. If I decide that he is in danger from hypothermia, it stops and there will be no protests, or I'll have him removed from your care. Understood?"
"Understood." Heero answered. He glanced at the others and they nodded. "Anything else?"
"Yes." Sally said, as she once again stuck her hand into the water. "Ice is fine, but we need to drain off this water. Well, where is . . . Ah, found it!" She exclaimed, as she pulled the plug. The tub promptly started making the strangest slurping noises: like kids slurping pasta.
Quatre gave his lover a quick hug, and murmured, "I'll go tell Rashid to send up more ice."
"Hn."
He turned to leave, but paused at the sound of Trowa's quiet voice.
"Sally," Trowa said, staring at the neglected file, "Is that the results of Duo's test?"
"Yes," she sighed, her expression sad. "I came here to tell you that officially there is nothing more I can do for Duo, except maybe give him something that will ease his pain." She looked down at the pale and drawn face of the lively Shinigami, and sighed again. "Boys, if this ice bath doesn't break Duo's fever, he has maybe a week, probably less, I'm sorry."
Wufei blinked against the sudden filling of his eyes, it had been one thing to guess at the meanings of Sally's statements and explanations, and quite another to hear your greatest fear put so bluntly. Quatre turned and fled the room, his chest tightening with the pain squeezing his heart. Trowa and Heero stared at her, their minds rebelling against her words.
Sally sighed, staring helplessly down at her hands; those hands that had healed, killed, soothed and comforted. Blinking back the blur that obscured her vision, Sally reached out to pull Duo's bangs from his face. She smiled sadly, when he sighed and turned his head in her direction.
"Shinigami, don't you go off to your dark kingdom, do you hear me?" She leaned down and whispered into his ear. "We need you."
Heero sat down in front of her and took her hand, she looked into his cobalt blue eyes and started at the shadows, she saw in their depths.
"Don't be sorry, Sally. This is my fault and I'll bear the quilt forever. I should have moved faster." Heero said, looking away from her.
Pursing her lips, she looked up at 'Fei and Trowa, who stood arm in arm, carefully watching them. "Still?" she mouthed. They nodded.
"Maybe," She said slow and deadly, glaring at Wing's bowed head, "It would be better if Duo were to die."
Heero whipped his head around, staring at her, his eyes widening. Wufei and Trowa gasped.
"How . . . how can you say that!" Heero cried, surging to his feet and grabbing Sally's forearms in a bruising grip to haul her to hers.
"Because then . . ." She paused, ignoring the pain in her arms, to glare at the boy holding her, "He won't have to spend the rest of his life listening to his best friend feel sorry for himself."
The fury in her voice startled Heero, and the others. They had never heard Sally talk like that. Before anyone could say anything more, or move, a clatter out in the hall announced the arrival of the ice.
"Heero," Sally's voice was a promise, "We will continue this conversation, later."
Then the door opened and Quatre bounded in carrying two buckets. And everyone fell to.
Six hours passed, as five mortal guardian angels waited for a sign from some celestial source that their hopes and prayers were going to be rewarded.
Sally reached down and claimed Duo's arm to take his pulse. Her eyes went wide, and she had to check a second time to make sure of her findings. Under her trembling fingers was a weak, but steady beat. Shakily, she slid a thermometer between Duo's slack lips; before grabbing her stethoscope and putting it to the boy's chest.
Their attention attracted by her actions, the Gundam pilots hovered behind her anxiously awaiting the results of her findings.
Straightening and removing her stethoscope, Sally pulled the thin piece of glass from Duo's mouth and read it, and then she turned and smiled brightly with joy. Tears ran down her cheeks as she whispered.
"The fever is broken."
In an excess of feeling, Trowa scooped Wufei up and swung him around in a circle. Wufei laughed, for once not worrying about his dignity.
"The fever is broken!" They shouted at each other.
"Heero! Heero, did you hear that!" Quatre cried. The little blonde wheeled to find his lover kneeling on the floor-head bowed as if in prayer. He dropped to his knees and gently raised Heero's face; soft rosebud lips kissed away crystal tears.
"We're going to be all right, now. Aren't we, love?" He whispered kissing Wing's lips.
Heero smiled through his tears, forgetting for the moment, his need to hear Duo forgive him. "Hai." Then, he swept Quatre up in a fierce hug, and fell backwards against the wall, kissing his 'little one' deeply.
Sally laughed in relief, watching Quatre and Heero; maybe she wouldn't have to have that conversation with the stubborn Heero Yuy, after all.
Dismissing the antics going on, she reached down between Duo's ankles and pulled the plug. Slowly, Duo sank down on his leaky bed of pillows, as the water ran out. She looked up to find herself faced with four silly grinning boys and cocked her head at Quatre.
"Would you please send for some dry clothes and a way to take Duo back to his room."
Quatre scrambled free of Heero's arms and rushed to the door, flying through it. Seconds later, they could hear him shouting, "The fever is broken!" Obviously, someone had asked him about Duo.
Sally snickered, her eyes dancing, "Lord, now he sounds like the town crier. I suppose he'll tell everyone, he runs into."
"Most likely, ' Trowa answered, extending a hand to Wing. Heero grasped the long slender fingers and rose. Trowa kissed him gently; then slid an arm around the Japanese, who promptly leaned into the warmth of the European's body. Wufei was coming over to join them, when a husky moan jerked them all around.
Sally jumped and slew around on the tub rim. Duo's teeth were chattering and his body was trying to warm itself by throwing the boy into violent shudders.
"Towels, now!" She snapped, as she began to rip at the blanket covering Duo's form. Heero leapt at the cabinet containing the towels; pulled open the door, roughly yanked out a handful of the thick cotton and rushed to the tub.
"Heero, give Trowa those towels and come and lift Duo, so I can get these pajamas off of him." Sally ordered, as she shoved the blanket down behind Duo. Trowa snatched the towels from Zero One. Carefully, Heero leaned down and lifted the body of his beloved friend. Sally worked Duo's pants down over his hips and off his legs. Finished, she nodded at Heero and working in concert, they got Duo's shirt off. Trowa handed over the towels and soon Duo was on the floor in Heero's arms, lying against his chest, a battered angel weary from the battle.
"See if you can get him to react." Sally commanded softly, a hand resting gently on Duo's head.
Wufei's eyebrows went up in puzzlement.
"How?" Trowa demanded, his eyes drinking in the sight of the couple on the floor. His arms itched to hold Shinigami; hold on and never let go.
"Call him. Hold his hand and call him. Maybe he'll open his eyes."
Heero went first.
"Koi, please open your eyes. Duo, you baka, open your eyes!" he begged, crushing the boy to his chest.
Trowa swallowed the lump in his throat and opened his soul. "Duo! Come on, you're scaring us! Open your eyes!"
"Duo! Wake up!" Wufei gruffly ordered.
The words were barely out of his mouth, before Duo's eyes flew open, he raised his head from the cradle of Heero's chest, a clear expression of "Wha??" on his face, before his head sank wearily back against Wing's breast.
Heero thought it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
.
Author: Lady Snowblossom
Rating: PG
Pairing: 1+4, 3+5, others eventually
Notes: Sally takes charge. I also want to extend my thanks to everyone, who has taken the time to review this little tale of mine. I'm really pleased that you all like it, hope you like this chapter as well.
Disclaimer: See part one, because I'm too lazy to keep retyping it.
Calmly, Wufei rose to face the angry woman.
"Sally," he began quietly. "We had to do something. You told us yourself, when you ran that last test on Duo, that you weren't going to hold out much hope. So, that." He nodded toward the slush that Duo was floating in, "Is our last gasp chance at saving the boy we all love."
Sally's expression of disapproval softened, "I understand. And its' about time." With that cryptic statement, she went past him to sit on the side of the tub, laying the file she'd been carrying on the floor at her feet. She reached into the water and pulled out one of Duo's limp wrists and felt for his pulse. .
"How long has he been in the ice?" She said, releasing the pale wrist and laying it gently back into the slush.
"Two hours, forty minutes." Heero answered, checking his watch. Sally pursed her lips, leaning over she reached to Duo's far side and pulled up his other arm and peered at it carefully, before laying it back down.
"Trowa, hold his shoulders." She ordered, as she turned and reached down for one of Shinigami's legs. Trowa scooped his arms under Duo's shoulders and held him up, as Sally raised and examined each leg carefully. As she turned to face the silent group of youths, Quatre quickly handed her a towel to dry her hands on.
"All right, here's the drill. Since I don't find any signs of hypothermia, I'll allow this treatment to continue." She held up a hand against the joyful smiles that crossed their faces. "But only on the following conditions.
I will remain to check Duo periodically. If I decide that he is in danger from hypothermia, it stops and there will be no protests, or I'll have him removed from your care. Understood?"
"Understood." Heero answered. He glanced at the others and they nodded. "Anything else?"
"Yes." Sally said, as she once again stuck her hand into the water. "Ice is fine, but we need to drain off this water. Well, where is . . . Ah, found it!" She exclaimed, as she pulled the plug. The tub promptly started making the strangest slurping noises: like kids slurping pasta.
Quatre gave his lover a quick hug, and murmured, "I'll go tell Rashid to send up more ice."
"Hn."
He turned to leave, but paused at the sound of Trowa's quiet voice.
"Sally," Trowa said, staring at the neglected file, "Is that the results of Duo's test?"
"Yes," she sighed, her expression sad. "I came here to tell you that officially there is nothing more I can do for Duo, except maybe give him something that will ease his pain." She looked down at the pale and drawn face of the lively Shinigami, and sighed again. "Boys, if this ice bath doesn't break Duo's fever, he has maybe a week, probably less, I'm sorry."
Wufei blinked against the sudden filling of his eyes, it had been one thing to guess at the meanings of Sally's statements and explanations, and quite another to hear your greatest fear put so bluntly. Quatre turned and fled the room, his chest tightening with the pain squeezing his heart. Trowa and Heero stared at her, their minds rebelling against her words.
Sally sighed, staring helplessly down at her hands; those hands that had healed, killed, soothed and comforted. Blinking back the blur that obscured her vision, Sally reached out to pull Duo's bangs from his face. She smiled sadly, when he sighed and turned his head in her direction.
"Shinigami, don't you go off to your dark kingdom, do you hear me?" She leaned down and whispered into his ear. "We need you."
Heero sat down in front of her and took her hand, she looked into his cobalt blue eyes and started at the shadows, she saw in their depths.
"Don't be sorry, Sally. This is my fault and I'll bear the quilt forever. I should have moved faster." Heero said, looking away from her.
Pursing her lips, she looked up at 'Fei and Trowa, who stood arm in arm, carefully watching them. "Still?" she mouthed. They nodded.
"Maybe," She said slow and deadly, glaring at Wing's bowed head, "It would be better if Duo were to die."
Heero whipped his head around, staring at her, his eyes widening. Wufei and Trowa gasped.
"How . . . how can you say that!" Heero cried, surging to his feet and grabbing Sally's forearms in a bruising grip to haul her to hers.
"Because then . . ." She paused, ignoring the pain in her arms, to glare at the boy holding her, "He won't have to spend the rest of his life listening to his best friend feel sorry for himself."
The fury in her voice startled Heero, and the others. They had never heard Sally talk like that. Before anyone could say anything more, or move, a clatter out in the hall announced the arrival of the ice.
"Heero," Sally's voice was a promise, "We will continue this conversation, later."
Then the door opened and Quatre bounded in carrying two buckets. And everyone fell to.
Six hours passed, as five mortal guardian angels waited for a sign from some celestial source that their hopes and prayers were going to be rewarded.
Sally reached down and claimed Duo's arm to take his pulse. Her eyes went wide, and she had to check a second time to make sure of her findings. Under her trembling fingers was a weak, but steady beat. Shakily, she slid a thermometer between Duo's slack lips; before grabbing her stethoscope and putting it to the boy's chest.
Their attention attracted by her actions, the Gundam pilots hovered behind her anxiously awaiting the results of her findings.
Straightening and removing her stethoscope, Sally pulled the thin piece of glass from Duo's mouth and read it, and then she turned and smiled brightly with joy. Tears ran down her cheeks as she whispered.
"The fever is broken."
In an excess of feeling, Trowa scooped Wufei up and swung him around in a circle. Wufei laughed, for once not worrying about his dignity.
"The fever is broken!" They shouted at each other.
"Heero! Heero, did you hear that!" Quatre cried. The little blonde wheeled to find his lover kneeling on the floor-head bowed as if in prayer. He dropped to his knees and gently raised Heero's face; soft rosebud lips kissed away crystal tears.
"We're going to be all right, now. Aren't we, love?" He whispered kissing Wing's lips.
Heero smiled through his tears, forgetting for the moment, his need to hear Duo forgive him. "Hai." Then, he swept Quatre up in a fierce hug, and fell backwards against the wall, kissing his 'little one' deeply.
Sally laughed in relief, watching Quatre and Heero; maybe she wouldn't have to have that conversation with the stubborn Heero Yuy, after all.
Dismissing the antics going on, she reached down between Duo's ankles and pulled the plug. Slowly, Duo sank down on his leaky bed of pillows, as the water ran out. She looked up to find herself faced with four silly grinning boys and cocked her head at Quatre.
"Would you please send for some dry clothes and a way to take Duo back to his room."
Quatre scrambled free of Heero's arms and rushed to the door, flying through it. Seconds later, they could hear him shouting, "The fever is broken!" Obviously, someone had asked him about Duo.
Sally snickered, her eyes dancing, "Lord, now he sounds like the town crier. I suppose he'll tell everyone, he runs into."
"Most likely, ' Trowa answered, extending a hand to Wing. Heero grasped the long slender fingers and rose. Trowa kissed him gently; then slid an arm around the Japanese, who promptly leaned into the warmth of the European's body. Wufei was coming over to join them, when a husky moan jerked them all around.
Sally jumped and slew around on the tub rim. Duo's teeth were chattering and his body was trying to warm itself by throwing the boy into violent shudders.
"Towels, now!" She snapped, as she began to rip at the blanket covering Duo's form. Heero leapt at the cabinet containing the towels; pulled open the door, roughly yanked out a handful of the thick cotton and rushed to the tub.
"Heero, give Trowa those towels and come and lift Duo, so I can get these pajamas off of him." Sally ordered, as she shoved the blanket down behind Duo. Trowa snatched the towels from Zero One. Carefully, Heero leaned down and lifted the body of his beloved friend. Sally worked Duo's pants down over his hips and off his legs. Finished, she nodded at Heero and working in concert, they got Duo's shirt off. Trowa handed over the towels and soon Duo was on the floor in Heero's arms, lying against his chest, a battered angel weary from the battle.
"See if you can get him to react." Sally commanded softly, a hand resting gently on Duo's head.
Wufei's eyebrows went up in puzzlement.
"How?" Trowa demanded, his eyes drinking in the sight of the couple on the floor. His arms itched to hold Shinigami; hold on and never let go.
"Call him. Hold his hand and call him. Maybe he'll open his eyes."
Heero went first.
"Koi, please open your eyes. Duo, you baka, open your eyes!" he begged, crushing the boy to his chest.
Trowa swallowed the lump in his throat and opened his soul. "Duo! Come on, you're scaring us! Open your eyes!"
"Duo! Wake up!" Wufei gruffly ordered.
The words were barely out of his mouth, before Duo's eyes flew open, he raised his head from the cradle of Heero's chest, a clear expression of "Wha??" on his face, before his head sank wearily back against Wing's breast.
Heero thought it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
.