Tapestry, Chapter 25
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It was daytime, and it was warm.
Light - sunlight, I guessed - pressed gently against my eyelids, encouraging me to open my eyes, pulling my tired psyche back toward full awareness. Staying absolutely still, I lifted my lids a scant millimeter and peered through the protective screen of my lashes, flicking my eyes back and forth.
There were windows in front of me. Sunlight filtered through the gauzy, woven cloth hanging in front of the windows before it spilled on my face; and gods, it felt so good. It was warm; my muscles were torpid with the heat; and I didn't want to move at all. I wanted to burrow my head into the pillows and dive into back into sleep.
I sighed; I felt thoroughly rested, but ... where was I? I was laying on my left side, and my room didn't have windows over there ... plus, I didn't remember that much about the preceding ... day? night? Wow. I didn't even know when it was. I should get up and figure that out.
I rolled and pushed myself up to get out of bed -
- and felt an immediate, stabbing, unrelenting pain course from the base of my skull, through my neck, across my shoulders and down my spine. I thought someone split my backbone open and then burned it with a welding torch. Tears ran unchecked down my cheeks as the agony screamed through my body, it was so awful. I crawled - literally crawled - back to my original position on the bed. After what felt like hours the pain finally subsided, ebbing in waves, leaving a huge, throbbing, bruised ache in its path.
I was lying down, panting, understanding nothing except how wonderful it was not to have that kind of misery flay me unmercifully. When I could finally think coherently, I tried to remember - what did I do? Did I break my back? Fall out of a building? Get shot?
An image of blue eyes burning into mine, cold and intense, swept across my mind. I cringed as the entire episode came back in full, stark, overwhelming detail.
Oh gods. Now I remembered.
No one shot me - I shot Treize. I tried to kill him. And I missed. He was right in front of me, and I MISSED.
I groaned, not moving my head. I was such a moron.
Then he was right on top of me, smothering me; and then he reached around and did something to my neck. Almost immediately, I felt this horrible, stripping pain, and I blacked out.
Feh. No wonder I felt so bad.
My eyes were open and staring. I didn't recognize the room. It was white, but not sterile-looking - it was that kind of white that gave color to the atmosphere, and made it glow.
I didn't try to stand up - that would have been agonizing, not to mention unnecessarily stupid - but I did try to sit up. I clutched the edge of the bed until my knuckles turned white, slipped one leg over the side and shoved myself upright.
Stars and lightning flashed in front of my eyes. Now I was sure I was going to die.
Once I braced myself with my arms, I realized, gasping, that the pain was manageably better in this position. As it subsided, I took a few long, deep breaths and experimentally moved my arms - which was when I discovered I was wearing a full, rather thin, long sleeved white nightgown.
Again.
Embarrassment and consternation colored my face as I experienced yet another moment of deja vu, remembering when I awoke in Luxembourg. A few moments later, my suspicions were confirmed. Not only was I braless, but I was phoneless, too. I was wearing clean underwear, though, for which I silently cheered.
Hooray.
A thin, gray band encircled my right wrist. There was no visible clasp; it was one continuous fiber of steel. Cool to the touch, the metal was iridescent where the sunlight hit it, sending small rainbow prisms skittering across the bedspread.
Weird. Very weird. I certainly didn't own anything that remotely resembled that thing, and even if I did, I wouldn't wear it. I shook my arm a little; it refused to slip over my wrist. Just ... bizarre.
All that moving around left me limp and tired. And I haven't even been out of bed. Gods. No one needed to keep watch over me. I'd probably fall asleep climbing out the window. It was a sobering thought.
I looked around the room. There was a low table across from the bed that was covered with a large bouquet of fresh roses. A small card was propped next to the vase with my name written in graceful script across the front.
Breathing deeply - as much for courage to get off the bed as anything else - I carefully edged myself down, sliding on my right side then turning on my front, trying to keep my weight off my back muscles. It was painful, but I finally did it.
Wincing as my bare feet padded across the tiles in the room, I walked over to the table, my nightgown puffing around my legs. The roses had the most lovely, delicate scent; I leaned down to smell one, cradling it between my fingers, then picked up the card.
The message was written in an elegant hand.
~Sally -
Our sincerest condolences, and we hope you are feeling better! Please do stop by to see me sometime today, once you awaken. Don't hesitate to ask for anything you need.
Sincerely, Treize~
I blinked at it. Stared at it. Read it twice. Then put it back in its original position with exaggerated care and backed away from it, still staring.
A warm breeze from the open window caressed my skin, tickling my legs under the hem of my nightgown and teased my hair away from my neck. Under normal circumstances, that would have been enough to loosen at least some of the tight muscles in my shoulders.
Under normal circumstances, that is. Circumstances now were anything but normal, unless it was de rigeur to attempt to assassinate one's host and then have that person politely invite you to drop by and ... discuss it.
I shuddered involuntarily.
Gods, what was I thinking? That feeling of urgency I had at the time - the feeling that if I succeeded, I would have rid the world of much more than just Khushrenada, the man holding me prisoner. The entire edifice of OZ would have crumbled at my feet, freeing millions from involuntary enslavement and servitude. But there was something else - something else about Treize, something that stayed just out of reach of my memory, something that killing him would have done that my mind refused to let me examine.
A slight metallic taste lingered in my mouth. Startled, I recognized the aftertaste as the residue left by powerful sedatives. I was drugged? Gods, I wouldn't be surprised ... no wonder I couldn't remember anything.
I looked out to the sea, feeling tired and vulnerable. Well, I can't stay here forever and hide. What's done is done. Might as well take a shower and then go see him - get it over with.
I turned from the view of the sea to the elegant dresser and closet, pulled clothes from the drawers and wardrobe, idly wondering what happened to the clothing I wore when I shot Treize.
And, of course, what had happened to that cute little cellphone I had been carrying.
Compromised ... everything's compromised now. I shuffled into the bathroom, automatically shedding my nightgown, depressed. Shaking my head, I slowly reached across the tub to turn on the shower, and noticed the bandage in the crook of my elbow. Frowning, I pulled the dressing off and inspected the skin underneath. There was a small healed puncture mark; small enough to where it could hardly be seen, but large enough that practiced eyes could tell that a shunt had been put there. And they were usually used for -
"-an intravenous drip," I muttered. "So I was drugged..."
There was a squat, compact machine tucked neatly into the corner of the bathroom, confirming my suspicions. Accessories for the machine, though - the drip bags, shunts, needles - weren't around. A quick inspection of the cabinets and drawers revealed little - there were no razors in this bathroom, nor were there any type of shavers, or scissors, or nail clippers, or tweezers - and even the shampoo bottles were very tiny.
Someone was taking no chances. Apparently, Ms. Po was dangerous - again. I laughed a short, unpleasant laugh. Now, that was funny. I could hardly move, and I was dangerous. What a joke. At least there's not an armed guard posted in the bathroom.
I stepped into the shower. Gads, everything I did was in slow motion. If it wasn't, that pain in my back certainly reminded me that it SHOULD be. The needles of water bit into my skin, shocking in their intensity. I let them drive across my face and into my scalp, allowing the water to beat my shoulders and back, hoping to dull the throbbing ache following my spine. But you know - an armed guard in the bathroom wasn't actually needed to keep me in line, was it? All it took was one, small, handwritten card, left next to a vase of roses.
Gads, I was truly pathetic.
I pushed myself out of the shower when it became plain that cleanliness wasn't the reason I was lingering in the spray. Exhorting myself not to put off the inevitable, I toweled dry and dressed in simple khaki shorts and a white cotton camp shirt, slipping everything over satin undergarments. And why did I have satin bras and underwear? I didn't want to think how the correct sized clothing came to be there. It - it was now something I expected, a compromise made, of sorts, terms of an unspoken agreement I had accepted. Treize gave me clothing, and I accepted his gift. Just a small compromise in the larger scheme of things.
And no, I didn't ask what I gave in return. I was there. My presence wearing the clothing was certainly enough. At least, it was for me. I didn't want to know anything else right now.
Hesitating for just a moment, I carefully reached for the hair dryer and brush and used both to dry my hair. If I'm going to die, I reasoned stubbornly, at least I'm going to be presentable.
You're not going to die. He doesn't kill indiscriminately.
I tilted my head, the brush halted in mid-stroke, bewildered. Blinking, I looked around the bathroom, finally gazing in the mirror.
Did I hear something? Shaking my head - only my imagination again - I stared at myself, inspecting my appearance. Do I look calm enough? In control enough? Unruffled? Well ... however I look, this will have to do.
I moved my head experimentally, watching for the telltale signs of pain and fear. Fine, then. If I hold my head this way, it's not as noticeable, and there's minimal pain. Good. Then that's what I'll do.
"Can't put this off any longer," I told my reflection with a sigh. "Let's go ... and don't tilt your head like that. You'll hurt yourself.
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I shuffled through the hallway for a while, realizing that Treize had put me somewhere else in the mansion, somewhere I didn't know. The carpet was softer, the decor was a little different - but most of the rooms were empty. So was the hallway. That felt strange, to say the least.
Soft music floated toward me from an open door on my left. That felt even stranger, as I hadn't heard that particular tune in years. I walked that way of my own accord, my curiosity pulling me in that direction.
Memories flooded back to me, memories of my last year in medical school. Now I was laughing, leaning on Zemin, listening to a digitized version of the same song, talking about how the early twentieth century music was really the most romantic of any period. Just listening to the saxophone would tell any idiot that, we giggled to each other.
When I looked again, I realized I was standing in the doorway of that other room, staring dreamily at Treize, a half smile on my face.
And Treize was doing something that Zemin used to do all the time. He was sitting at a piano, leaning with one elbow on the lid, his other hand raised toward the score spread out in front of him, beating a small, invisible pattern to the rhythm of the piece.
Natural sunlight highlighted his hair, and the planes of his face were thrown into gradual relief by the play of the light; shadows accentuated aristocratic cheekbones, shadows that deepened under his chin, near his throat. Long fingers reached for the edge of the page and turned it in time to the music, rustling the paper.
My breath stopped for a moment; not only was Treize doing what Zemin used to do, his expression mirrored that rapt expression Zemin had when listening to music. I felt a bittersweet ache, a loneliness that wasn't supposed to be there settle around me as memories of our last days together slid through my mind.
Now I just blinked, feeling tight, sad and alone, wondering why I had left him. Why, for some reason, I had felt compelled to take that medical commission that tore our lives apart. There had been a reason, and at the time it seemed reasonable - but for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was.
"Why, good morning, Sally ..."
Treize was looking right at me. My gaze met his in total shock. I stared at him mutely; in my haze of recollection, I had completely forgotten he was there.
" ... do you feel well?"
He stared back at me, calm, one arm resting on the piano. There was no sign of anger or acrimony; in fact, he seemed genuinely concerned.
"I ... I ... feel well enough, thank you." I winced and stayed where I was, rooted in the doorway of the room. Getting close to him was NOT something I wanted to do - especially not now.
He raised one eyebrow. "I do suspect, however, that you are very sore. You took quite a tumble when the ship lurched ... and I did drop you , but ...ah. Even I am human, ne?" Treize gave me a small smile, watching me carefully.
I stared at him and blinked. Human. He's ... human. Of course he's human.... Then I frowned, thinking. "I .. I fell? I don't remember that -"
"Well ... in a manner of speaking, you did." Treize gave me a significant look, his blue gaze boring into mine.
My eyes widened and I breathed in a little faster; his double meaning was entirely clear. I didn't flinch away, though - I just lifted my chin and gazed at him.
"After I... incapacitated you and removed your gun, I accidentally dropped you. The storm was very bad - and you're much heavier than you look. Quite strong, too, I imagine."
"Oh." My gaze slid from him to the side of the piano as blood slowly washed from my neck into my face, turning my cheeks pink. I could feel them getting warm.
Treize stood up, shaking his head slightly and gesturing to a large chair next to the piano. "I'm sorry, Sally - I've forgotten my manners. Please .. have a seat."
I had been around Treize long enough to recognize a command that was thinly disguised as a polite request. Nodding, I walked stiffly across the room and sat down, keeping my back straight and my expression neutral. I gave a little puff of relief once I was able to sit down.
Smiling slightly, Treize pulled the piano bench away from the piano and sat directly across from me, his knees almost touching mine. His expression was not angry or disapproving, but was slightly stern.
But his expressions were mercurial. Now turning a gentle, self-deprecating smile at me, he murmured, "Ah - you must forgive my choice of music. My one and only fiancee ... preferred this strongly. I have kicked the habit of her, but not the music - ne?"
Zemin's sunny smile swam before my mind's eye. Feeling totally disconcerted, I looked away from him, saying, "That's all right, Treize. I - I enjoy this music as well."
There was a slight pause. "I hate to do this, Sally, but we need to have a little talk," he said, just as quietly. "Preferably before you join Wufei."
Ah, yes, here it comes, I thought, bracing myself. I dragged my gaze back to his and forced myself to stare into his blue eyes. "I understand," I responded automatically, mustering my reserves of self-control.
Treize nodded, watching me. One hand reached forward and gently held my left hand, more a reassuring motion than anything else. His expression was earnest as he spoke; for a moment, I felt something tugging at my emotions, willing me to believe every word he said.
"Firstly, let me assure you that you are not in trouble."
I stared at him as if he had lost his mind. I wanted to tear my hand away from his - but when I thought about it, just tensing my muscles caused him to tighten his grip.
"I ... I don't understand," I whispered, barely audible. "I .. I tried to kill you ..."
His eyes were nearly closed. He nodded, watching me through a screen of dark golden eyelashes.
"Shh ... I know." His voice was soothing, sad and regretful. "I know. But from my perspective, you were merely being true to yourself. You had no choice, as your nature saw it - and I do not blame you." He nodded again and continued, his tone mild. "You simply never should have been allowed the gun. Une has been dealt with."
That last sentence was delivered so casually and with such little emphasis that it was frightening. I stared at him, not quite believing what I heard. "The gun - belonged to Une? What happened to her?"
His eyes held a hint of annoyance. "Hm? Oh, she's all right, Sally. She's in space at the moment, although I expect her back soon. And yes - the gun was hers." He stopped, watching for any reaction. "She overstepped her bounds; you and Wufei responded, to your credit; and she - left - her gun." A grim smile touched the corners of his mouth. "I suppose she was upset; however, it was not very codified behavior for someone of her rank. She has been dealt with." No more questions about Une. Case closed.
I blinked and looked down. Long fingers still imprisoned my left hand; I fought with myself to leave it exactly where it was. "I ... I remember holding the gun," I said slowly, "but ... that's all I really remember."
Treize looked at me in sympathy. "I suspect it was simply too long a day. Perhaps the wine, supper, and vodka beforehand affected you .. I do not know." His expression became more intense as he looked deeply into my eyes. "Sally, this is important. No one else knows that you shot me. I would like to keep it that way - for your sake."
"For me?" I repeated blankly. Looking at him, openly questioning, I found the very last thing I expected in his eyes - forgiveness. It rocked me to the core, so much so that I could only blink and stammer, "I ... I ... all ... right ... if you want ... then ... I won't say anything to anyone." He forgives me - for shooting him? What?
Treize's voice was gentle. "I think it would be best, Sally. This way, at least, no one will look at you with suspicion." He paused for a moment. "I have, however, taken one precaution."
I felt weird - strange and lightheaded, as this conversation was rapidly moving into the surreal. One more thing certainly wouldn't make it any more outrageous than it already was. "A precaution? What precaution?"
He gently lifted my left hand off my lap, thumbing the plain gray band across my wrist. "This, Sally."
I frowned at it, then at him, not understanding. "I saw that - but what is it?"
Treize my held my gaze. "It's a deterrent device. Your medical background makes you familiar with these, I'm sure. If you pick up a projectile weapon ... I think you'll find the result most unpleasant."
My eyes widened. "This - I remember these. Prisoners at the hospital had them." Dawning horror grew, causing my breath to quicken as nasty unstated implications became clear. "It - this is keyed to me - and can only be removed when it's deactivated. Otherwise ..." I trailed off and looked at him, hoping my expression didn't show my dismay, and tried unobtrusively to again disengage my wrist from his grip.
That thing was also a tracking device. Not only would I never be able to use a projectile weapon, but I'd never be able to run anywhere without him knowing where I was.
He gave my captured hand a gentle squeeze but didn't let go. "Forgive me, Sally, but I felt ... personally ... the need to do SOMETHING. I did not relish the idea of being shot in my sleep. Nor am I willing to forebear on your hard earned freedom - what little you have."
I blanched and looked away, a slight tremor running through my arm. Now I felt sick to my stomach. "I - appreciate that ..."
Light pressure on my hand brought my attention back to Treize; he looked at me, his expression surprisingly mild, and murmured, "I dressed my wound myself and later presented it as a minor hunting accident. Hence .. no one knows. I hope that is acceptable." His gaze held mine, clear blue eyes that seemed to see to the bottom of my soul, eyes that were searching mine for something.
I dropped my gaze, unable to meet his anymore. "I ... that is, you ..."
I found I couldn't continue. My face felt as though it was turning all shades of red, and I couldn't look at him at all. I felt embarrassed, and ashamed, and completely mortified. Swallowing, I started again, taking a deep breath. "That is more than acceptable, Treize. But I don't understand - I shot you on the ship-" I shrank a little at my own words, but continued: "-how long did you have to wait to care for yourself?"
"Not very long," he replied, letting go of my hand and patting my knee reassuringly. "To be honest, it's why I dropped you. I am far from perfect; and your shot, I fear, rendered my arm fairly useless. I only wish I had the resilience in regards to pain that others do."
Guilt dropped over me, taking me completely by surprise. Ah ... then I didn't miss him ... "I - I am sorry, Treize. Please .. accept my apology, and -"
"Shh," he broke in, giving me a small smile. "There is no need. You were simply being true to yourself. Don't think I don't know you wish me dead - I know that."
Gods - he knew? I looked up sharply and found myself looking right into his eyes. I was captured again; my composure was fractured, splintered and strewn across my psyche. Unable to hold his gaze at all, I lowered my eyes and murmured, "I - I won't try to shoot you again, Treize." Part of my mind was watching and categorizing every action and reaction to him. It was mildly shocked that I considered apologizing to him at all.
He's the enemy. Aren't you supposed to eliminate your enemies?
"If you do, Sally, I will understand. I do hope, though, that your aim is better."
I glanced up to see a small, teasing smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. I gave him a weak smile in response. "Eh .. I'll see what I can do about that." My gaze slid away again as I thought of another uncomfortable consequence. "What .. what did you tell Wufei?"
Treize was silent for a moment. "That I fell on the ship when bringing you back, and strained my shoulder," he finally said. "He did not see the blood, so he believed me. And you ... well ... I had to sedate you. He was told that you were exhausted mentally and emotionally."
Nodding to himself, he continued. "And .. ah, how did he put it? .. Ah yes. Wufei's translation was, 'doing woman things.'" He gave me a sidelong glance through thick eyelashes, watching my reaction with a tiny quirk of his lips.
"Oh," I said, blushing again. Woman things? What does that mean to Wufei..?
"It was enough for him," Treize said, amused. "He may ask you more later, though."
"I - I see." Warm color raced across my face again. "I don't want to lie to him - "
"Then don't. I do not ask you to compromise yourself - merely to keep him from the strain this could cause."
"If I don't need to explicitly mention this - then I won't," I promised. I hardly believed the words that came out of my mouth.
Treize nodded; I had the vague impression he was pleased. "You only will if he asks - he may not. There is no question, however, that you needed to be sedated, I fear."
"But - why?" I asked, the question involuntarily running over my tongue. I regretted it the moment it was out, especially when I saw the way his eyebrow quirked the instant I said it.
Treize sighed, tilting his head to the side as he regarded me. "How do I put this?" he wondered, staring at me with a wry smile. "You were - babbling. Not coherent at all. Not to mention the slight difficulty you presented by stealing a gun and shooting it at me."
I knew I didn't want to hear that answer. "Ah," I responded, now completely embarrassed. "I can see where that would pose a problem."
We sat in silence for a few moments. "This - this happened on Friday, didn't it? Is today Saturday?"
"Correct. That happened Friday night. Now it is Tuesday morning."
I stared at him, shocked. I tried to say something, but nothing came out. I finally managed, "T - Tuesday? I've been unconscious since Friday night? For three days?"
Treize nodded, watching me closely. "I want to trust you again, Sally. I am giving you my trust - allowing you freedom in this place. Please ... do not do such a thing again."
He took me by surprise once more; that gentle rebuke had more power in it than any shouted remonstrations at me in the past ever did. My palms started to sweat, and I couldn't look away from him - I was caught as cleanly as an animal snared in a trap.
"No - no, Treize, I won't," I whispered. "Believe me, I won't do that again."
Inclining his head in acceptance of my promise, he continued in the same gentle tone, "You might want to speak with Wufei now. He has been very upset since you were taken ill ... as it were."
I flinched at the implied criticism in his tone, thinking again how effective he was at this type of castigation. "Yes - I - I'll do that now, if I may," I murmured, blinking several times.
Blue eyes took in my state with one calm, cool glance. "He is - overtraining - again," Treize said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Somehow, he blames himself for your illness, and will not allow me to dispel this notion. You know how he is with guilt."
An image of Wufei training, arms and legs striking the air at a frenetic pace, flashed across my mind. "Yes. I remember what he's like." I rose carefully from the chair, trying to minimize the pain that ran down the center of my back. "Do you know where he is?"
Treize nodded, his eyelids drooping slightly, masking a sudden gleam. "Yes - he's in the swimming pool. I won't allow him to swim in the ocean at this time."
I stepped back from the chair, realizing that Wufei confined to the swimming pool meant he was more a danger to himself now than he was before. Obviously, I was the reason he was in such a state; gods, if I wasn't feeling guilty before, I certainly was now.
"I'll go see him now, if I may," I said tightly, cold dread at his suspected condition moving me. "And - thank you, Treize," I said, my voice low and strained, cracking a little bit.
Waving one hand negligently, his eyes closed, Treize shook his head and said, his voice heavy with sorrow and worry, "Do not thank me, Sally - unless you do it by helping Wufei. I grow concerned for him."
Stung, I immediately replied, "Of course I will help him-"
"Then please do so." Treize cut me off and gave me a pointed, meaningful look before turning back to the score on the music stand. That shut me out and effectively told me that our interview was over.
I swallowed, then nodded stiffly and left the room, feeling as though I had just been scolded, spanked and dismissed, in that order. Oddly enough, I also felt as though he was disappointed in me, and a part of me was contrite enough to actually want to please him.
That makes absolutely no sense, I argued with myself, marching down the hallway to the stairs, what is wrong with you? You're a prisoner - he's the enemy - period. Does it matter what he thinks?
I continued down the stairs, not really seeing anything, my internal dialog taking all my concentration. Prisoners should not care how their jailers feel, because jailers don't care about their prisoner's feelings.
But was that really true? An image of Treize's face when he was asking how I felt, and again talking about Wufei, came to mind. He seemed sincere - he seemed to care about us - in fact, he allowed me to wander where I wanted around the house and the grounds.
That doesn't matter, I told myself angrily. He's manipulating you for some other plan. He's like that, and you know it. You have an obligation to try to escape, and that's what you were trying to do.
Well, no, not really, said my contrary internal voice. You weren't trying to escape on the ship - you were simply trying to kill him, because ... because ...
And my mind went frustratingly blank, unable to supply me with a single detail of why I had wanted to kill him.
"Wo-wo-wo-wooooooo," rumbled unexpectedly from my right side.
I started and leaped back in alarm. I had almost stepped on one of the guard dogs, a huge male that was panting amiably at my feet. His tail stump thumped the floor as he looked at me with his large tongue lolling out of his mouth.
And he wasn't the only dog in the house. As I slowly turned my head, I realized I had walked down three flights of stairs without realizing it - and now I was in the main corridor on the first floor, and said corridor was littered with enormous guard dogs with teeth the size long pocket knives. These dogs resembled Rottweilers in their body shape and musculature, but that's where any similarities ended. Something was strangely different about their eyes.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I stepped gingerly over the dog's huge forelegs, smiling weakly at him. "Good dog," I murmured, my eyes wide and scared as I looked at his teeth, "good dog. Stay there ... that's right ... don't bite me, please ..."
Relief washed over me as I saw the hallway leading to the swimming pool veer to the right. No dogs over there, thank God ...
Sounds of water slapping the side of the pool echoed through the hallway; it sounded as though a small monsoon was blowing through the pavilion. I walked quickly over to the double doors leading to the pool, silently opening one side and slipping through the entrance unnoticed.
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It was a first class natatorium. Floor to ceiling windows faced the sea and imported Italian marble outlined the edges of the pool. The pool was a standard Olympic size pool, perfect for lap swimming.
Wufei was the only one in the pool. He was swimming so hard the water saw sloshing hard against the side of the pool and his ragged breathing echoed around the tiled room.
"Wufei." I immediately hurried to the edge of the pool, sliding to a stop on the marble by the edge of the pool, terribly worried.
"Wufei!" I called, leaning over the water as far as I dared. "Wufei!"
He kept swimming as if he didn't hear me. His arms cleaved the water with remarkable precision; each stroke was a carbon copy of the one before it. Wufei was the picture of perfect physical control, forcing his body to perform in the same manner again and again. The only clue that he had been swimming longer than five or ten minutes was his breathing - each breath he took as his face turned to the side was noisy and rough, sounding almost painful.
"Wufei!" I called, louder than before. I waved my arms in front of my body as I leaned over the pool; I was leaning so far over the edge that I thought I might actually fall in myself. "Wufei, look over here!"
This time Wufei saw me. He stopped, panting heavily, and swam to the edge. Gasping with effort, he pulled himself to the side, his elbows resting on the edge, his forearms folded in front of him. As I knelt down in front of him, I saw his hands shaking slightly.
"S..sally," he gasped, looking at me, water streaming down his face.
"Wufei. Wufei .. you're training hard."
Panting heavily, he watched me, saying nothing.
Feeling more than a little self-conscious, I smiled at him, blinking, and said, "I - I'm finally up, Wufei. I feel much better - much better than I did..."
"I ... hope so," he gasped, breathing deeply. "You .. you're not well."
"I know I was out for a couple of days ... but I'm feeling fine right now." I smiled encouragingly at him but I was privately aghast at his appearance.
His eyebrows drew together in a frown as he snorted angrily, "Don't lie to me." He pushed away from the wall and started swimming again, intent on starting his laps even though his hands had not stopped shaking the entire time he was at the side of the pool.
"Wait - wait, Wufei! Please, wait-"
"WHAT?" he roared back, obviously irritated..
"Wufei - really - I'm not lying to you." I knelt at the water's edge and looked at him, all defenses down. "I really DO feel better. Would you ... would you get out of the pool and come have breakfast with me?"
Wufei was panting, treading water as he watched me; I knew he wasn't as steady as he should have been. Exhaustion, my inner voice said. Get him out of the water right away.
I forced myself to look calm. Better try something else quickly. Rocking back on my heels, I smiled faintly and said, "...I ... I am hungry ... and would like some company ..."
The moment between us lengthened, until I was sure I would have to leap in and pull him out.
"...fine...," he breathed.
"Thank you, Wufei," I murmured, relief coloring my face. But my smile abruptly became fixed as I watched him drag himself over to the side of the pool and realize that he couldn't pull himself out.
Rage and impotent frustration settled into his grim expression as he attacked the edge of the pool yet again with his arms and legs, to no avail. He was not going to get out of the pool under his own power no matter what - at least, not that way.
Wordlessly, I dropped to my knees and immediately offered my hands to him - a matter-of-fact gesture, something that was simply a matter of course - two people helping each other as best they could.
I felt smooth, wet hands grasp around my wrists and tighten. Without hesitation, I clamped my hands around his wrists and rocked back on my heels, pulling as hard as I could. My back shrieked in agony; intense pain flared along every nerve and synapse; dark spots streaked across vision. and it took every. I grunted and kept pulling, ignoring the wildfire running the length of my back, and was rewarded when Wufei's hips finally cleared the rim of the pool. I let go then and sat down hard on the tiled floor, my breath rasping in my chest, tears standing in my eyes.
Wufei, meanwhile, was on all fours at the edge of the pool. He was trembling in every limb, his was head down, panting as if he had run a marathon. It was patently obvious that he was unable to support his own weight - in fact, he seemed to have difficulty with staying on his hands and knees.
Get him out of here and into a room, my instincts shouted, he's going into shock.
I took him in hand, wrapping him in a huge bathtowel that enveloped his compact frame several times over. I knew how tired he was when he didn't protest, nor did he lift his head to see what it was that I was doing.
"Wufei. I'm taking you back to your room. You'll be able to change - and I'll call for breakfast for both of us. No need to make a second trip down here again."
"Hai," he gasped, leaning on me. .
Staggering, I shifted him so that my shoulders now supported most of his weight. I thought my back was going to crack.
"Let's go, Wufei," I gasped. Quickly, quickly, before either one of you goes into shock ...
It felt like it took years to move him through the corridor and back to his bedroom. Dimly, it occurred to me that most prisoners were not allowed freedom such as this - most, in fact, would have found themselves chained to the wall after an incident such as the one I started. And excessive overtraining was usually rewarded with extended rest .. somewhere... on the premises.
Then again, I thought as we stumbled into his room, Wufei would NOT be in very good shape if I wasn't allowed to see him ... the fact that I was the cause of his overtraining was something my overtaxed brain pointedly avoided.
"...it was only a ... few hours," he gasped as I guided him toward the bed, his head lolling to one side.
"What was only a few hours, Wufei?" I asked curiously, settling him into a sitting position.
A thunderous silence greeted me as he looked down and to the side, finally shrugging a halfhearted response. "...before the sun was really up...," he muttered, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. Color washed across his wan face as he continued, his voice even lower, "...he had to pull me out of it yesterday, and almost made me promise not to go in again. He won't let me swim in the sea."
I nodded, looking carefully into his face and eyes. "You've been training so much, Wufei, that you're going to train yourself right into exhaustion. We should get something for you to eat."
"I don't want to."
"After so much exercise, I'm sure you aren't feeling that hungry now - but you will in a little while. Plus, I haven't eaten solid food for over three days, Wufei, and ... and I hate to eat alone." I left my plea unsaid, instead looking at him, hoping he would trust me enough to admit his current condition.
Wufei closed his eyes, resigned. "Hai. I will eat with you, if you think I should."
"Absolutely. It will do you good."
I'd better take care of this before he changes his mind. I picked up his phone and dialed the extension to the kitchen. After a quiet conversation with Mrs. Grim, I turned back to find Wufei sitting in the same position, staring at his hands.
Without any noticeable change in inflection, Wufei said tonelessly, "He's calling me 'dragon' now. I - I don't know what he means."
I blinked and looked at him. "'Dragon?' He's calling you by your ... clan name?" It wasn't really done in this part of the world, and why Treize would choose to do that to Wufei now made little sense.
"It is my clan name, yes. My lineage." He seemed only about half aware of his surroundings, focusing instead on his hand in his lap.
Something resonated within me - something that caused me to look at him sharply. "That's interesting - when did this start?"
"When did what start?" Wufei didn't seem completely aware of his surroundings at all. .
"You know - when did Treize start calling you 'dragon?' " I repeated, checking to make sure the signs of shock had abated.
"Yesterday. After he pulled me out of the pool. I didn't-" Another guilty look whispered across his face.
"You didn't what, Wufei?" I sat as close to him as I dared, wincing slightly at the pain through my shoulders.
"...I wasn't really drowning," he finished defensively, looking at me."I don't care what he told you..."
Nodding, I continued, "He didn't really tell me anything, Wufei. He only said that you had been training hard these past couple of weeks ..."
He looked mortified; his eyes were an unusual shape, set into a smooth, oval face. "Oh," he said, clamping his lips tightly together, looking away from me.
"He called me 'dragon,'" he repeated, muffled.
Again, the word 'dragon' resonated against my nerves, sending a shiver across my mind to my soul. It was the strangest sensation I ever had. I reached over to massage the back of my neck, carefully avoiding the painful region right in the center.
"It sounds familiar to me, Wufei - but - I can't remember a thing," I said, pushing my way through the fog that suddenly shrouded my mind. "I'm having a difficult time remembering. I think it's because - well, probably because of the drugs -"
Wufei stole a sidelong glance at me, his eyes gleaming.
My lips tightened as I turned my head, looking away from him. "I ... I was told that I was sedated for a while ... so consequently, I remember very little ..."
Wufei watched me carefully; after a few moments he nodded and said - as though it was a cohesive, complete thought - "Your neck."
I turned my head, frowning, and looked at him. "It hurts," I admitted. "A lot. It should go away in a day or so, though, I guess -"
"It's bruised," Wufei said, matter-of-factly. "Did you look at it?"
Puzzled, I looked at him and wrinkled my nose. "Well .. eh .. no. I didn't."
"You should. It's bruised all along here." With his right hand he reached over and gently traced a path from the nape of my neck, through my shoulders and down the middle of my back, roughly following my spinal chord.
Intense pain flared against his fingers - even though Wufei was being gentle, barely managed agony was quickly spreading across my back, pulsing from his fingertips in waves.
"Yes," I ground out, clenching my teeth, "that hurts."
He removed his hand from my back, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's purple," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "You should have it looked at."
"Purple?" I repeated, turning away slightly and wincing.
Wufei nodded, studiously looking anywhere except at my face. "Purple," he replied.
Turning my head, I saw a dresser with a mirror against the wall. I pushed myself off the bed, painfully, and walked over to it. I adjusted the mirrors to see my back and pulled my hair forward, then looked in the mirror and gasped in shock.
My neck wasn't just bruised; the entire area from the base of my skull to the middle of my back was mottled and dark, almost black. It looked as though someone had drybrushed a wide swath from the bottom of my head to some point on my back in blue black paint.
The realization of what happened hit me in an instant; Treize did that with a twist of his hand. My internal voice voice noted that a millimeter to either side would have ended my life or left me completely paralyzed. Some of the bruising could be explained by his dropping me, but the majority occurred when he twisted that thing on my back.
Had I not been leaning on the dresser, I surely would have fallen forward when the last part of the lesson hit home. Now I was left with a constant, aching, physical reminder of what he could do to me. Treize had no need of guns nor crude tools - the only thing he needed was to be close enough to touch me. And considering I was his prisoner and living in a household full of Treize-loyal soldiers, the chance that I would never come within his reach was very close to zero.
Without warning, his voice stole into my awareness - I remember infractions, and act accordingly -
This, obviously, was my second warning. A bit more violent that the first, but at least I was alive and not permanently injured.
I stared into the mirror with wide eyes. "...that's ... an enormous amount of bruising. No wonder it hurts so much ..." I turned toward Wufei. "Is it ... obvious? I mean .. how did you see it?"
Wufei raised his eyebrow. "How could you NOT see it?" A lofty look crossed his face, one that was completely incongruous with his pale cheeks and trembling hands.
I pushed my hair back over my shoulders, screening my neck from view. An acute need to shift the focus of the conversation away from me made me plunge in with another question. "Wufei? I didn't understand - why are you upset that Treize called you 'dragon?'"
The loftiness ran out of his posture a little bit. "It's .. blasphemous to use," he replied, his voice low.
"Do you mean it refers to a deity?" I asked, sitting next to him again.
Wufei stared at me, his eyebrows raised as high as they could go. He did not say it - however, his entire manner, while not contemptuous, was definitely one in which he felt quite superior. "The four gods of China - Seiyruu, Byyako, Suzauku, and Genbu - created the world and maintained the balance between them, along with the unnamed fifth god ... but you already know this."
"Ah .. I do now. " I nodded back, coloring slightly. It was uncomfortable not knowing something that was common knowledge, especially when that something was called into question.
Wufei stared at me, incredulous. "You - you didn't know? You didn't know about the gods?"
"My parents weren't into religion and the old ways - and I'm a medical doctor, Wufei. I was trained to put my trust in science from a very early age. There really wasn't room in my life for stories and such - and THAT means there are many things I don't know. However, I do like learning and listening. Please go on ..."
He was still staring, but the incredulity had turned to shock, and was solidifying with every word I said. "But .. but this is your HISTORY..."
I sighed, deflated. "Yes .. I'm aware of that. There are really many things that I don't know about, and would be eager to learn. It's my heritage, and now I have the time to learn." After I said the last sentence, I realized how bitter that sounded. I couldn't help it, though. Now I had time. Before, I had been busy, but now ... I had nothing but time. Nowhere to go, and nothing but time.
"Okay." Wufei stared at me as if I admitted I had no idea who Mahatma Gandhi was. "Let's take it slowly. The fifth unnamed god is who creates balance; Suzauku is the phoenix, who represents fire and the West; Seiyruu is the dragon god, who represents water and the East; Genbu is the turtle god, who represents the earth and the South; and Byyako is the white tiger god, who represents air and the North."
I hid my slight amusement under a mask of attentiveness. While he may not have wanted to convey the impression, it sounded as though he believed what he was saying. It was a charming fairy tale, but one for children, not for adults.
"So by calling you 'dragon,' Treize was actually calling you Seiyruu - calling you the dragon god?"
Wufei's head turned so he could look directly into my eyes. "According to legend, Seiyruu put on human form so he could take a wife. My clan is the result of that. I am a descendent of the dragon god Seiyruu ..."
I looked at him, blinking.
"...or so I was taught," Wufei finished, mumbling, dropping his gaze and looking away.
"Wufei - people have different beliefs about the way the world and the universe were created, and man's role in that creation. Our people's explanation for that is not terribly unusual. I always intended to look up my ancestors, but never really had the time."
"Well - now you know," Wufei muttered, scowling, obviously embarrassed.
"Very true - now I do. You're very lucky, you know - you can trace your line back many hundreds of thousands of years. There are many of us who cannot do that. In fact, some of us are simply lucky we knew our parents -"
"I did not," Wufei countered, glancing at me.
"No, but you know all about your clan. I, on the other hand, can tell you about my parents, but nothing about my ancestors or heritage. It feels ... very strange. Especially when I believe I should know something about my heritage."
An involuntary shiver ran across his shoulders; his pale face looked positively ghostly. I reproached myself for my thoughtlessness - how could I forget why I brought him back to his room? - and said mildly, "Wufei - why don't you go shower before our breakfast arrives?"
Nodding wordlessly, Wufei pushed himself off the bed and marched into the bathroom, closing the door.
I sighed, rose from the bed and walked over to the large chair facing the sea. Sinking down into the cushions, I rubbed my forehead, then moved my fingers from my temples to knead the back of my neck, trying to massage the ache from my muscles.
He could have broken my neck, I thought, stunned again. I should be dead.
The knock on the door brought me to myself. I unfolded my legs and rose from the chair to meet Mrs. Grim, who pushed a large trolley through the door. I helped her guide the cart toward the table next to the windows. We emptied the top tray of all its cups and dishes.
While Mrs. Grim and I set the table, Wufei walked out of the bathroom and collapsed on the bed, fully dressed. I glanced over at him; his cheeks were finally a healthy shade of pink, and it looked like he was dozing.
"Don't go to sleep yet, Wufei. We still need to eat something - look at what Mrs. Grim has done for us."
A short grunt was her response. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, sighing. Mrs. Grim chuckled.
"Oh, don't fuss at the boy, miss. I'm sure he'll pick himself up soon enough when his stomach complains. They're all like that, you know."
I laughed and helped Mrs. Grim push the trolley out the door again. "Thank you, Mrs. Grim. We appreciate it."
"No trouble, miss ... no trouble at all."
I left the door open, then walked back to the bed and gently shook him by the shoulder. "Wufei ... Wufei," I murmured, "you really must eat something ... you need to, please..."
"Mmmkay ... I will," he muttered, pushing himself up from the pillow with an effort. I caught his left arm and helped him to his feet and tugged him in the direction of the table. After I settled him in his chair I pulled one over for myself, sat down next to him and examined his face.
"How long have you been training like this, Wufei?"
Staring at his food, he murmured, "Since Friday night."
"Since-"
And I stopped, swallowing, staring, as guilt pressed in on all sides again, that same constricted feeling I had with Treize earlier in the day. After all, Friday night was when I decided to go off on my own and shoot Treize - and Wufei had not been training like this BEFORE I decided to kill him - so -
It was now obvious that there was some connection between my physical health and Wufei's tenuous grip on sanity - meaning that if took risks with my health, in some way I was also risking Wufei's well-being as well.
I blinked and attacked my eggs. I felt awful.
"He has no right to call me 'dragon,'" Wufei said suddenly.
I looked up sharply. Wufei had not moved; was, in fact, still staring at his food, his hands quiet in his lap.
"You could tell him you don't want him to do that," I volunteered; privately, though I didn't hold out much hope that Treize would take him seriously.
Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, his dark eyes met mine as he shrugged, "I ...don't know."
Something in his gaze triggered a memory for me, something I forgot to tell him. "Wufei," I breathed, apprehensive, "- I didn't tell you. I don't have my phone anymore."
His blinked slowly, looking at me. "....you don't have your phone?" he repeated, frowning.
I shook my head, fighting an unexpected surge of panic. "No. I - when I woke up, I wasn't wearing the same thing I wore that night - so I don't know -" I stopped and looked at him, my stomach churning. "-I don't know what happened to it. In fact," I continued, my face turning a shade paler, "Duo gave me a .. a tracker that I was wearing. That's gone, too ..."
Wufei frowned again, thinking. "But Treize has said nothing."
"There's no way anyone would miss the phone. You're sure - he hasn't said anything at all?"
"No," Wufei said, shaking his head.
"Then something's wrong. It was found, of that I'm positive - and that means that he's either going to overlook this, or .. deal with it later." An involuntary shiver ran down my spine.
"I know you were not kept in your room." Wufei was thinking out loud, musing. "He wanted you close by in case something happened."
In case something happened? Good heavens, what was I going to do? I was unconscious, for pity's sake - and he had already taken away the gun ...
"...did you look in your room?" Wufei asked, looking at me, his dark eyes thoughtful. "It could be there."
"Well .. no, I didn't," I admitted. "I - I did not have the chance." I also didn't want to tell him about my conversation with Treize, and the fact that I walked from Treize to see him.
Nodding, Wufei said, "Then that is the first place you need to investigate. Also, you should look to see if it was in the room in which you were kept for the last three days - just in case."
"Okay, Wufei. I'll check after we're finished - which means that you need to eat something, at least ..."
A large, dramatic sigh was my only response.
"Really. It's not that bad." I spooned some eggs into my mouth as if proving a point.
Wufei snorted. "Treize, having bad food? Bah - impossible!"
"Well, then?" I grinned at him, my fork challenging his in mid-air. "What are you waiting for?"
He glared at me and poked a little more at his food, a bit uncertainly.
He doesn't want to use the fork, I realized in a flash of insight. Of course! He'd be more comfortable using chopsticks. I looked across the table and spotted two slim table knives lying next to an extra place setting.
"Here," I said, thrusting the knives at him, slender side first, "you could use these for chopsticks if you wanted.."
Surprised, Wufei stopped poking at his food with his fork, stared at me," then at what I was offering in my hand. Accepting the utensils, he held them in his hand and smirked, trying not to chuckle.
It had just been an idea. Feeling rather foolish, raising an eyebrow, I muttered, "Well, it's better than nothing, isn't it?"
Wufei looked at me for a moment. Then he laughed - a full-throated, totally unexpected sound.
I blinked, then grinned - that was the first time I had ever heard him laugh out loud. It made me feel special, to know that I had drawn that response from him.
"That was a wonderful sound to hear, Wufei."
It seemed the world stopped at the sound of that voice. Wufei hunched slightly in his chair, his face lost all expression and the expression in his eyes turned inward, becoming sullen and grim.
I turned in unpleasant surprise; Treize stood casually in the doorway, a pile of neatly folded clothing in his arms.
"These are yours, Ms. Po. All cleaned and pressed."
Feeling very uncertain, I rose and claimed my clothing, forcing a calm look and smile. "Why - why thank you, Treize. That was very kind of you."
"Of course, Sally," he murmured as he looked beyond me to Wufei. A strange expression crossed his face as he asked, "Still overtraining, Wufei?"
"I'm eating," Wufei snapped without looking up.
"We're just finishing breakfast." I spoke to Treize, smiling up into his face but annoyed at his comment. Stop intruding and just go away. .
Treize raised his eyebrow, still looking at Wufei. "So I see ... I would ask to join you, had I more time."
"Un," responded Wufei, still not meeting his gaze.
"Ah. You're unable to join us?" What a shame. Thank the gods. Now go away.
"Correct," Treize nodded. Tilting his head to one side, Treize said in a deceptively smooth voice, "Please take care of yourself, Wufei. Your welfare is my concern - you know that."
The muscles in Wufei's jaw suddenly tightened and his face flushed slightly at Treize's words. He glanced furtively at me, almost as if he didn't want me to hear this kind of 'talk.'
I stood next to Treize, holding my clothes when something made my eyes widen in surprise. I looked up at him, ready to say something when an expression on his face made me feel cold inside. I couldn't quite place it, but it triggered a significant involuntary reaction; suddenly, I found myself backing toward Wufei, trying to block his view, murmuring, "I'm sure he'll be fine, Treize." . That look from Treize toward Wufei was ...predatory. Possessive. And something else that was not quite ... normal. It raised my hackles and chilled her to the bone.
"I thank you for your help," Treize said, nodding to me. "I do hate to leave him without supervision. Have a good day, my friends." Bowing slightly, he turned and left the room.
Both Wufei and I stared after him.
_________________________
It was daytime, and it was warm.
Light - sunlight, I guessed - pressed gently against my eyelids, encouraging me to open my eyes, pulling my tired psyche back toward full awareness. Staying absolutely still, I lifted my lids a scant millimeter and peered through the protective screen of my lashes, flicking my eyes back and forth.
There were windows in front of me. Sunlight filtered through the gauzy, woven cloth hanging in front of the windows before it spilled on my face; and gods, it felt so good. It was warm; my muscles were torpid with the heat; and I didn't want to move at all. I wanted to burrow my head into the pillows and dive into back into sleep.
I sighed; I felt thoroughly rested, but ... where was I? I was laying on my left side, and my room didn't have windows over there ... plus, I didn't remember that much about the preceding ... day? night? Wow. I didn't even know when it was. I should get up and figure that out.
I rolled and pushed myself up to get out of bed -
- and felt an immediate, stabbing, unrelenting pain course from the base of my skull, through my neck, across my shoulders and down my spine. I thought someone split my backbone open and then burned it with a welding torch. Tears ran unchecked down my cheeks as the agony screamed through my body, it was so awful. I crawled - literally crawled - back to my original position on the bed. After what felt like hours the pain finally subsided, ebbing in waves, leaving a huge, throbbing, bruised ache in its path.
I was lying down, panting, understanding nothing except how wonderful it was not to have that kind of misery flay me unmercifully. When I could finally think coherently, I tried to remember - what did I do? Did I break my back? Fall out of a building? Get shot?
An image of blue eyes burning into mine, cold and intense, swept across my mind. I cringed as the entire episode came back in full, stark, overwhelming detail.
Oh gods. Now I remembered.
No one shot me - I shot Treize. I tried to kill him. And I missed. He was right in front of me, and I MISSED.
I groaned, not moving my head. I was such a moron.
Then he was right on top of me, smothering me; and then he reached around and did something to my neck. Almost immediately, I felt this horrible, stripping pain, and I blacked out.
Feh. No wonder I felt so bad.
My eyes were open and staring. I didn't recognize the room. It was white, but not sterile-looking - it was that kind of white that gave color to the atmosphere, and made it glow.
I didn't try to stand up - that would have been agonizing, not to mention unnecessarily stupid - but I did try to sit up. I clutched the edge of the bed until my knuckles turned white, slipped one leg over the side and shoved myself upright.
Stars and lightning flashed in front of my eyes. Now I was sure I was going to die.
Once I braced myself with my arms, I realized, gasping, that the pain was manageably better in this position. As it subsided, I took a few long, deep breaths and experimentally moved my arms - which was when I discovered I was wearing a full, rather thin, long sleeved white nightgown.
Again.
Embarrassment and consternation colored my face as I experienced yet another moment of deja vu, remembering when I awoke in Luxembourg. A few moments later, my suspicions were confirmed. Not only was I braless, but I was phoneless, too. I was wearing clean underwear, though, for which I silently cheered.
Hooray.
A thin, gray band encircled my right wrist. There was no visible clasp; it was one continuous fiber of steel. Cool to the touch, the metal was iridescent where the sunlight hit it, sending small rainbow prisms skittering across the bedspread.
Weird. Very weird. I certainly didn't own anything that remotely resembled that thing, and even if I did, I wouldn't wear it. I shook my arm a little; it refused to slip over my wrist. Just ... bizarre.
All that moving around left me limp and tired. And I haven't even been out of bed. Gods. No one needed to keep watch over me. I'd probably fall asleep climbing out the window. It was a sobering thought.
I looked around the room. There was a low table across from the bed that was covered with a large bouquet of fresh roses. A small card was propped next to the vase with my name written in graceful script across the front.
Breathing deeply - as much for courage to get off the bed as anything else - I carefully edged myself down, sliding on my right side then turning on my front, trying to keep my weight off my back muscles. It was painful, but I finally did it.
Wincing as my bare feet padded across the tiles in the room, I walked over to the table, my nightgown puffing around my legs. The roses had the most lovely, delicate scent; I leaned down to smell one, cradling it between my fingers, then picked up the card.
The message was written in an elegant hand.
~Sally -
Our sincerest condolences, and we hope you are feeling better! Please do stop by to see me sometime today, once you awaken. Don't hesitate to ask for anything you need.
Sincerely, Treize~
I blinked at it. Stared at it. Read it twice. Then put it back in its original position with exaggerated care and backed away from it, still staring.
A warm breeze from the open window caressed my skin, tickling my legs under the hem of my nightgown and teased my hair away from my neck. Under normal circumstances, that would have been enough to loosen at least some of the tight muscles in my shoulders.
Under normal circumstances, that is. Circumstances now were anything but normal, unless it was de rigeur to attempt to assassinate one's host and then have that person politely invite you to drop by and ... discuss it.
I shuddered involuntarily.
Gods, what was I thinking? That feeling of urgency I had at the time - the feeling that if I succeeded, I would have rid the world of much more than just Khushrenada, the man holding me prisoner. The entire edifice of OZ would have crumbled at my feet, freeing millions from involuntary enslavement and servitude. But there was something else - something else about Treize, something that stayed just out of reach of my memory, something that killing him would have done that my mind refused to let me examine.
A slight metallic taste lingered in my mouth. Startled, I recognized the aftertaste as the residue left by powerful sedatives. I was drugged? Gods, I wouldn't be surprised ... no wonder I couldn't remember anything.
I looked out to the sea, feeling tired and vulnerable. Well, I can't stay here forever and hide. What's done is done. Might as well take a shower and then go see him - get it over with.
I turned from the view of the sea to the elegant dresser and closet, pulled clothes from the drawers and wardrobe, idly wondering what happened to the clothing I wore when I shot Treize.
And, of course, what had happened to that cute little cellphone I had been carrying.
Compromised ... everything's compromised now. I shuffled into the bathroom, automatically shedding my nightgown, depressed. Shaking my head, I slowly reached across the tub to turn on the shower, and noticed the bandage in the crook of my elbow. Frowning, I pulled the dressing off and inspected the skin underneath. There was a small healed puncture mark; small enough to where it could hardly be seen, but large enough that practiced eyes could tell that a shunt had been put there. And they were usually used for -
"-an intravenous drip," I muttered. "So I was drugged..."
There was a squat, compact machine tucked neatly into the corner of the bathroom, confirming my suspicions. Accessories for the machine, though - the drip bags, shunts, needles - weren't around. A quick inspection of the cabinets and drawers revealed little - there were no razors in this bathroom, nor were there any type of shavers, or scissors, or nail clippers, or tweezers - and even the shampoo bottles were very tiny.
Someone was taking no chances. Apparently, Ms. Po was dangerous - again. I laughed a short, unpleasant laugh. Now, that was funny. I could hardly move, and I was dangerous. What a joke. At least there's not an armed guard posted in the bathroom.
I stepped into the shower. Gads, everything I did was in slow motion. If it wasn't, that pain in my back certainly reminded me that it SHOULD be. The needles of water bit into my skin, shocking in their intensity. I let them drive across my face and into my scalp, allowing the water to beat my shoulders and back, hoping to dull the throbbing ache following my spine. But you know - an armed guard in the bathroom wasn't actually needed to keep me in line, was it? All it took was one, small, handwritten card, left next to a vase of roses.
Gads, I was truly pathetic.
I pushed myself out of the shower when it became plain that cleanliness wasn't the reason I was lingering in the spray. Exhorting myself not to put off the inevitable, I toweled dry and dressed in simple khaki shorts and a white cotton camp shirt, slipping everything over satin undergarments. And why did I have satin bras and underwear? I didn't want to think how the correct sized clothing came to be there. It - it was now something I expected, a compromise made, of sorts, terms of an unspoken agreement I had accepted. Treize gave me clothing, and I accepted his gift. Just a small compromise in the larger scheme of things.
And no, I didn't ask what I gave in return. I was there. My presence wearing the clothing was certainly enough. At least, it was for me. I didn't want to know anything else right now.
Hesitating for just a moment, I carefully reached for the hair dryer and brush and used both to dry my hair. If I'm going to die, I reasoned stubbornly, at least I'm going to be presentable.
You're not going to die. He doesn't kill indiscriminately.
I tilted my head, the brush halted in mid-stroke, bewildered. Blinking, I looked around the bathroom, finally gazing in the mirror.
Did I hear something? Shaking my head - only my imagination again - I stared at myself, inspecting my appearance. Do I look calm enough? In control enough? Unruffled? Well ... however I look, this will have to do.
I moved my head experimentally, watching for the telltale signs of pain and fear. Fine, then. If I hold my head this way, it's not as noticeable, and there's minimal pain. Good. Then that's what I'll do.
"Can't put this off any longer," I told my reflection with a sigh. "Let's go ... and don't tilt your head like that. You'll hurt yourself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I shuffled through the hallway for a while, realizing that Treize had put me somewhere else in the mansion, somewhere I didn't know. The carpet was softer, the decor was a little different - but most of the rooms were empty. So was the hallway. That felt strange, to say the least.
Soft music floated toward me from an open door on my left. That felt even stranger, as I hadn't heard that particular tune in years. I walked that way of my own accord, my curiosity pulling me in that direction.
Memories flooded back to me, memories of my last year in medical school. Now I was laughing, leaning on Zemin, listening to a digitized version of the same song, talking about how the early twentieth century music was really the most romantic of any period. Just listening to the saxophone would tell any idiot that, we giggled to each other.
When I looked again, I realized I was standing in the doorway of that other room, staring dreamily at Treize, a half smile on my face.
And Treize was doing something that Zemin used to do all the time. He was sitting at a piano, leaning with one elbow on the lid, his other hand raised toward the score spread out in front of him, beating a small, invisible pattern to the rhythm of the piece.
Natural sunlight highlighted his hair, and the planes of his face were thrown into gradual relief by the play of the light; shadows accentuated aristocratic cheekbones, shadows that deepened under his chin, near his throat. Long fingers reached for the edge of the page and turned it in time to the music, rustling the paper.
My breath stopped for a moment; not only was Treize doing what Zemin used to do, his expression mirrored that rapt expression Zemin had when listening to music. I felt a bittersweet ache, a loneliness that wasn't supposed to be there settle around me as memories of our last days together slid through my mind.
Now I just blinked, feeling tight, sad and alone, wondering why I had left him. Why, for some reason, I had felt compelled to take that medical commission that tore our lives apart. There had been a reason, and at the time it seemed reasonable - but for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was.
"Why, good morning, Sally ..."
Treize was looking right at me. My gaze met his in total shock. I stared at him mutely; in my haze of recollection, I had completely forgotten he was there.
" ... do you feel well?"
He stared back at me, calm, one arm resting on the piano. There was no sign of anger or acrimony; in fact, he seemed genuinely concerned.
"I ... I ... feel well enough, thank you." I winced and stayed where I was, rooted in the doorway of the room. Getting close to him was NOT something I wanted to do - especially not now.
He raised one eyebrow. "I do suspect, however, that you are very sore. You took quite a tumble when the ship lurched ... and I did drop you , but ...ah. Even I am human, ne?" Treize gave me a small smile, watching me carefully.
I stared at him and blinked. Human. He's ... human. Of course he's human.... Then I frowned, thinking. "I .. I fell? I don't remember that -"
"Well ... in a manner of speaking, you did." Treize gave me a significant look, his blue gaze boring into mine.
My eyes widened and I breathed in a little faster; his double meaning was entirely clear. I didn't flinch away, though - I just lifted my chin and gazed at him.
"After I... incapacitated you and removed your gun, I accidentally dropped you. The storm was very bad - and you're much heavier than you look. Quite strong, too, I imagine."
"Oh." My gaze slid from him to the side of the piano as blood slowly washed from my neck into my face, turning my cheeks pink. I could feel them getting warm.
Treize stood up, shaking his head slightly and gesturing to a large chair next to the piano. "I'm sorry, Sally - I've forgotten my manners. Please .. have a seat."
I had been around Treize long enough to recognize a command that was thinly disguised as a polite request. Nodding, I walked stiffly across the room and sat down, keeping my back straight and my expression neutral. I gave a little puff of relief once I was able to sit down.
Smiling slightly, Treize pulled the piano bench away from the piano and sat directly across from me, his knees almost touching mine. His expression was not angry or disapproving, but was slightly stern.
But his expressions were mercurial. Now turning a gentle, self-deprecating smile at me, he murmured, "Ah - you must forgive my choice of music. My one and only fiancee ... preferred this strongly. I have kicked the habit of her, but not the music - ne?"
Zemin's sunny smile swam before my mind's eye. Feeling totally disconcerted, I looked away from him, saying, "That's all right, Treize. I - I enjoy this music as well."
There was a slight pause. "I hate to do this, Sally, but we need to have a little talk," he said, just as quietly. "Preferably before you join Wufei."
Ah, yes, here it comes, I thought, bracing myself. I dragged my gaze back to his and forced myself to stare into his blue eyes. "I understand," I responded automatically, mustering my reserves of self-control.
Treize nodded, watching me. One hand reached forward and gently held my left hand, more a reassuring motion than anything else. His expression was earnest as he spoke; for a moment, I felt something tugging at my emotions, willing me to believe every word he said.
"Firstly, let me assure you that you are not in trouble."
I stared at him as if he had lost his mind. I wanted to tear my hand away from his - but when I thought about it, just tensing my muscles caused him to tighten his grip.
"I ... I don't understand," I whispered, barely audible. "I .. I tried to kill you ..."
His eyes were nearly closed. He nodded, watching me through a screen of dark golden eyelashes.
"Shh ... I know." His voice was soothing, sad and regretful. "I know. But from my perspective, you were merely being true to yourself. You had no choice, as your nature saw it - and I do not blame you." He nodded again and continued, his tone mild. "You simply never should have been allowed the gun. Une has been dealt with."
That last sentence was delivered so casually and with such little emphasis that it was frightening. I stared at him, not quite believing what I heard. "The gun - belonged to Une? What happened to her?"
His eyes held a hint of annoyance. "Hm? Oh, she's all right, Sally. She's in space at the moment, although I expect her back soon. And yes - the gun was hers." He stopped, watching for any reaction. "She overstepped her bounds; you and Wufei responded, to your credit; and she - left - her gun." A grim smile touched the corners of his mouth. "I suppose she was upset; however, it was not very codified behavior for someone of her rank. She has been dealt with." No more questions about Une. Case closed.
I blinked and looked down. Long fingers still imprisoned my left hand; I fought with myself to leave it exactly where it was. "I ... I remember holding the gun," I said slowly, "but ... that's all I really remember."
Treize looked at me in sympathy. "I suspect it was simply too long a day. Perhaps the wine, supper, and vodka beforehand affected you .. I do not know." His expression became more intense as he looked deeply into my eyes. "Sally, this is important. No one else knows that you shot me. I would like to keep it that way - for your sake."
"For me?" I repeated blankly. Looking at him, openly questioning, I found the very last thing I expected in his eyes - forgiveness. It rocked me to the core, so much so that I could only blink and stammer, "I ... I ... all ... right ... if you want ... then ... I won't say anything to anyone." He forgives me - for shooting him? What?
Treize's voice was gentle. "I think it would be best, Sally. This way, at least, no one will look at you with suspicion." He paused for a moment. "I have, however, taken one precaution."
I felt weird - strange and lightheaded, as this conversation was rapidly moving into the surreal. One more thing certainly wouldn't make it any more outrageous than it already was. "A precaution? What precaution?"
He gently lifted my left hand off my lap, thumbing the plain gray band across my wrist. "This, Sally."
I frowned at it, then at him, not understanding. "I saw that - but what is it?"
Treize my held my gaze. "It's a deterrent device. Your medical background makes you familiar with these, I'm sure. If you pick up a projectile weapon ... I think you'll find the result most unpleasant."
My eyes widened. "This - I remember these. Prisoners at the hospital had them." Dawning horror grew, causing my breath to quicken as nasty unstated implications became clear. "It - this is keyed to me - and can only be removed when it's deactivated. Otherwise ..." I trailed off and looked at him, hoping my expression didn't show my dismay, and tried unobtrusively to again disengage my wrist from his grip.
That thing was also a tracking device. Not only would I never be able to use a projectile weapon, but I'd never be able to run anywhere without him knowing where I was.
He gave my captured hand a gentle squeeze but didn't let go. "Forgive me, Sally, but I felt ... personally ... the need to do SOMETHING. I did not relish the idea of being shot in my sleep. Nor am I willing to forebear on your hard earned freedom - what little you have."
I blanched and looked away, a slight tremor running through my arm. Now I felt sick to my stomach. "I - appreciate that ..."
Light pressure on my hand brought my attention back to Treize; he looked at me, his expression surprisingly mild, and murmured, "I dressed my wound myself and later presented it as a minor hunting accident. Hence .. no one knows. I hope that is acceptable." His gaze held mine, clear blue eyes that seemed to see to the bottom of my soul, eyes that were searching mine for something.
I dropped my gaze, unable to meet his anymore. "I ... that is, you ..."
I found I couldn't continue. My face felt as though it was turning all shades of red, and I couldn't look at him at all. I felt embarrassed, and ashamed, and completely mortified. Swallowing, I started again, taking a deep breath. "That is more than acceptable, Treize. But I don't understand - I shot you on the ship-" I shrank a little at my own words, but continued: "-how long did you have to wait to care for yourself?"
"Not very long," he replied, letting go of my hand and patting my knee reassuringly. "To be honest, it's why I dropped you. I am far from perfect; and your shot, I fear, rendered my arm fairly useless. I only wish I had the resilience in regards to pain that others do."
Guilt dropped over me, taking me completely by surprise. Ah ... then I didn't miss him ... "I - I am sorry, Treize. Please .. accept my apology, and -"
"Shh," he broke in, giving me a small smile. "There is no need. You were simply being true to yourself. Don't think I don't know you wish me dead - I know that."
Gods - he knew? I looked up sharply and found myself looking right into his eyes. I was captured again; my composure was fractured, splintered and strewn across my psyche. Unable to hold his gaze at all, I lowered my eyes and murmured, "I - I won't try to shoot you again, Treize." Part of my mind was watching and categorizing every action and reaction to him. It was mildly shocked that I considered apologizing to him at all.
He's the enemy. Aren't you supposed to eliminate your enemies?
"If you do, Sally, I will understand. I do hope, though, that your aim is better."
I glanced up to see a small, teasing smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. I gave him a weak smile in response. "Eh .. I'll see what I can do about that." My gaze slid away again as I thought of another uncomfortable consequence. "What .. what did you tell Wufei?"
Treize was silent for a moment. "That I fell on the ship when bringing you back, and strained my shoulder," he finally said. "He did not see the blood, so he believed me. And you ... well ... I had to sedate you. He was told that you were exhausted mentally and emotionally."
Nodding to himself, he continued. "And .. ah, how did he put it? .. Ah yes. Wufei's translation was, 'doing woman things.'" He gave me a sidelong glance through thick eyelashes, watching my reaction with a tiny quirk of his lips.
"Oh," I said, blushing again. Woman things? What does that mean to Wufei..?
"It was enough for him," Treize said, amused. "He may ask you more later, though."
"I - I see." Warm color raced across my face again. "I don't want to lie to him - "
"Then don't. I do not ask you to compromise yourself - merely to keep him from the strain this could cause."
"If I don't need to explicitly mention this - then I won't," I promised. I hardly believed the words that came out of my mouth.
Treize nodded; I had the vague impression he was pleased. "You only will if he asks - he may not. There is no question, however, that you needed to be sedated, I fear."
"But - why?" I asked, the question involuntarily running over my tongue. I regretted it the moment it was out, especially when I saw the way his eyebrow quirked the instant I said it.
Treize sighed, tilting his head to the side as he regarded me. "How do I put this?" he wondered, staring at me with a wry smile. "You were - babbling. Not coherent at all. Not to mention the slight difficulty you presented by stealing a gun and shooting it at me."
I knew I didn't want to hear that answer. "Ah," I responded, now completely embarrassed. "I can see where that would pose a problem."
We sat in silence for a few moments. "This - this happened on Friday, didn't it? Is today Saturday?"
"Correct. That happened Friday night. Now it is Tuesday morning."
I stared at him, shocked. I tried to say something, but nothing came out. I finally managed, "T - Tuesday? I've been unconscious since Friday night? For three days?"
Treize nodded, watching me closely. "I want to trust you again, Sally. I am giving you my trust - allowing you freedom in this place. Please ... do not do such a thing again."
He took me by surprise once more; that gentle rebuke had more power in it than any shouted remonstrations at me in the past ever did. My palms started to sweat, and I couldn't look away from him - I was caught as cleanly as an animal snared in a trap.
"No - no, Treize, I won't," I whispered. "Believe me, I won't do that again."
Inclining his head in acceptance of my promise, he continued in the same gentle tone, "You might want to speak with Wufei now. He has been very upset since you were taken ill ... as it were."
I flinched at the implied criticism in his tone, thinking again how effective he was at this type of castigation. "Yes - I - I'll do that now, if I may," I murmured, blinking several times.
Blue eyes took in my state with one calm, cool glance. "He is - overtraining - again," Treize said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Somehow, he blames himself for your illness, and will not allow me to dispel this notion. You know how he is with guilt."
An image of Wufei training, arms and legs striking the air at a frenetic pace, flashed across my mind. "Yes. I remember what he's like." I rose carefully from the chair, trying to minimize the pain that ran down the center of my back. "Do you know where he is?"
Treize nodded, his eyelids drooping slightly, masking a sudden gleam. "Yes - he's in the swimming pool. I won't allow him to swim in the ocean at this time."
I stepped back from the chair, realizing that Wufei confined to the swimming pool meant he was more a danger to himself now than he was before. Obviously, I was the reason he was in such a state; gods, if I wasn't feeling guilty before, I certainly was now.
"I'll go see him now, if I may," I said tightly, cold dread at his suspected condition moving me. "And - thank you, Treize," I said, my voice low and strained, cracking a little bit.
Waving one hand negligently, his eyes closed, Treize shook his head and said, his voice heavy with sorrow and worry, "Do not thank me, Sally - unless you do it by helping Wufei. I grow concerned for him."
Stung, I immediately replied, "Of course I will help him-"
"Then please do so." Treize cut me off and gave me a pointed, meaningful look before turning back to the score on the music stand. That shut me out and effectively told me that our interview was over.
I swallowed, then nodded stiffly and left the room, feeling as though I had just been scolded, spanked and dismissed, in that order. Oddly enough, I also felt as though he was disappointed in me, and a part of me was contrite enough to actually want to please him.
That makes absolutely no sense, I argued with myself, marching down the hallway to the stairs, what is wrong with you? You're a prisoner - he's the enemy - period. Does it matter what he thinks?
I continued down the stairs, not really seeing anything, my internal dialog taking all my concentration. Prisoners should not care how their jailers feel, because jailers don't care about their prisoner's feelings.
But was that really true? An image of Treize's face when he was asking how I felt, and again talking about Wufei, came to mind. He seemed sincere - he seemed to care about us - in fact, he allowed me to wander where I wanted around the house and the grounds.
That doesn't matter, I told myself angrily. He's manipulating you for some other plan. He's like that, and you know it. You have an obligation to try to escape, and that's what you were trying to do.
Well, no, not really, said my contrary internal voice. You weren't trying to escape on the ship - you were simply trying to kill him, because ... because ...
And my mind went frustratingly blank, unable to supply me with a single detail of why I had wanted to kill him.
"Wo-wo-wo-wooooooo," rumbled unexpectedly from my right side.
I started and leaped back in alarm. I had almost stepped on one of the guard dogs, a huge male that was panting amiably at my feet. His tail stump thumped the floor as he looked at me with his large tongue lolling out of his mouth.
And he wasn't the only dog in the house. As I slowly turned my head, I realized I had walked down three flights of stairs without realizing it - and now I was in the main corridor on the first floor, and said corridor was littered with enormous guard dogs with teeth the size long pocket knives. These dogs resembled Rottweilers in their body shape and musculature, but that's where any similarities ended. Something was strangely different about their eyes.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I stepped gingerly over the dog's huge forelegs, smiling weakly at him. "Good dog," I murmured, my eyes wide and scared as I looked at his teeth, "good dog. Stay there ... that's right ... don't bite me, please ..."
Relief washed over me as I saw the hallway leading to the swimming pool veer to the right. No dogs over there, thank God ...
Sounds of water slapping the side of the pool echoed through the hallway; it sounded as though a small monsoon was blowing through the pavilion. I walked quickly over to the double doors leading to the pool, silently opening one side and slipping through the entrance unnoticed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a first class natatorium. Floor to ceiling windows faced the sea and imported Italian marble outlined the edges of the pool. The pool was a standard Olympic size pool, perfect for lap swimming.
Wufei was the only one in the pool. He was swimming so hard the water saw sloshing hard against the side of the pool and his ragged breathing echoed around the tiled room.
"Wufei." I immediately hurried to the edge of the pool, sliding to a stop on the marble by the edge of the pool, terribly worried.
"Wufei!" I called, leaning over the water as far as I dared. "Wufei!"
He kept swimming as if he didn't hear me. His arms cleaved the water with remarkable precision; each stroke was a carbon copy of the one before it. Wufei was the picture of perfect physical control, forcing his body to perform in the same manner again and again. The only clue that he had been swimming longer than five or ten minutes was his breathing - each breath he took as his face turned to the side was noisy and rough, sounding almost painful.
"Wufei!" I called, louder than before. I waved my arms in front of my body as I leaned over the pool; I was leaning so far over the edge that I thought I might actually fall in myself. "Wufei, look over here!"
This time Wufei saw me. He stopped, panting heavily, and swam to the edge. Gasping with effort, he pulled himself to the side, his elbows resting on the edge, his forearms folded in front of him. As I knelt down in front of him, I saw his hands shaking slightly.
"S..sally," he gasped, looking at me, water streaming down his face.
"Wufei. Wufei .. you're training hard."
Panting heavily, he watched me, saying nothing.
Feeling more than a little self-conscious, I smiled at him, blinking, and said, "I - I'm finally up, Wufei. I feel much better - much better than I did..."
"I ... hope so," he gasped, breathing deeply. "You .. you're not well."
"I know I was out for a couple of days ... but I'm feeling fine right now." I smiled encouragingly at him but I was privately aghast at his appearance.
His eyebrows drew together in a frown as he snorted angrily, "Don't lie to me." He pushed away from the wall and started swimming again, intent on starting his laps even though his hands had not stopped shaking the entire time he was at the side of the pool.
"Wait - wait, Wufei! Please, wait-"
"WHAT?" he roared back, obviously irritated..
"Wufei - really - I'm not lying to you." I knelt at the water's edge and looked at him, all defenses down. "I really DO feel better. Would you ... would you get out of the pool and come have breakfast with me?"
Wufei was panting, treading water as he watched me; I knew he wasn't as steady as he should have been. Exhaustion, my inner voice said. Get him out of the water right away.
I forced myself to look calm. Better try something else quickly. Rocking back on my heels, I smiled faintly and said, "...I ... I am hungry ... and would like some company ..."
The moment between us lengthened, until I was sure I would have to leap in and pull him out.
"...fine...," he breathed.
"Thank you, Wufei," I murmured, relief coloring my face. But my smile abruptly became fixed as I watched him drag himself over to the side of the pool and realize that he couldn't pull himself out.
Rage and impotent frustration settled into his grim expression as he attacked the edge of the pool yet again with his arms and legs, to no avail. He was not going to get out of the pool under his own power no matter what - at least, not that way.
Wordlessly, I dropped to my knees and immediately offered my hands to him - a matter-of-fact gesture, something that was simply a matter of course - two people helping each other as best they could.
I felt smooth, wet hands grasp around my wrists and tighten. Without hesitation, I clamped my hands around his wrists and rocked back on my heels, pulling as hard as I could. My back shrieked in agony; intense pain flared along every nerve and synapse; dark spots streaked across vision. and it took every. I grunted and kept pulling, ignoring the wildfire running the length of my back, and was rewarded when Wufei's hips finally cleared the rim of the pool. I let go then and sat down hard on the tiled floor, my breath rasping in my chest, tears standing in my eyes.
Wufei, meanwhile, was on all fours at the edge of the pool. He was trembling in every limb, his was head down, panting as if he had run a marathon. It was patently obvious that he was unable to support his own weight - in fact, he seemed to have difficulty with staying on his hands and knees.
Get him out of here and into a room, my instincts shouted, he's going into shock.
I took him in hand, wrapping him in a huge bathtowel that enveloped his compact frame several times over. I knew how tired he was when he didn't protest, nor did he lift his head to see what it was that I was doing.
"Wufei. I'm taking you back to your room. You'll be able to change - and I'll call for breakfast for both of us. No need to make a second trip down here again."
"Hai," he gasped, leaning on me. .
Staggering, I shifted him so that my shoulders now supported most of his weight. I thought my back was going to crack.
"Let's go, Wufei," I gasped. Quickly, quickly, before either one of you goes into shock ...
It felt like it took years to move him through the corridor and back to his bedroom. Dimly, it occurred to me that most prisoners were not allowed freedom such as this - most, in fact, would have found themselves chained to the wall after an incident such as the one I started. And excessive overtraining was usually rewarded with extended rest .. somewhere... on the premises.
Then again, I thought as we stumbled into his room, Wufei would NOT be in very good shape if I wasn't allowed to see him ... the fact that I was the cause of his overtraining was something my overtaxed brain pointedly avoided.
"...it was only a ... few hours," he gasped as I guided him toward the bed, his head lolling to one side.
"What was only a few hours, Wufei?" I asked curiously, settling him into a sitting position.
A thunderous silence greeted me as he looked down and to the side, finally shrugging a halfhearted response. "...before the sun was really up...," he muttered, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. Color washed across his wan face as he continued, his voice even lower, "...he had to pull me out of it yesterday, and almost made me promise not to go in again. He won't let me swim in the sea."
I nodded, looking carefully into his face and eyes. "You've been training so much, Wufei, that you're going to train yourself right into exhaustion. We should get something for you to eat."
"I don't want to."
"After so much exercise, I'm sure you aren't feeling that hungry now - but you will in a little while. Plus, I haven't eaten solid food for over three days, Wufei, and ... and I hate to eat alone." I left my plea unsaid, instead looking at him, hoping he would trust me enough to admit his current condition.
Wufei closed his eyes, resigned. "Hai. I will eat with you, if you think I should."
"Absolutely. It will do you good."
I'd better take care of this before he changes his mind. I picked up his phone and dialed the extension to the kitchen. After a quiet conversation with Mrs. Grim, I turned back to find Wufei sitting in the same position, staring at his hands.
Without any noticeable change in inflection, Wufei said tonelessly, "He's calling me 'dragon' now. I - I don't know what he means."
I blinked and looked at him. "'Dragon?' He's calling you by your ... clan name?" It wasn't really done in this part of the world, and why Treize would choose to do that to Wufei now made little sense.
"It is my clan name, yes. My lineage." He seemed only about half aware of his surroundings, focusing instead on his hand in his lap.
Something resonated within me - something that caused me to look at him sharply. "That's interesting - when did this start?"
"When did what start?" Wufei didn't seem completely aware of his surroundings at all. .
"You know - when did Treize start calling you 'dragon?' " I repeated, checking to make sure the signs of shock had abated.
"Yesterday. After he pulled me out of the pool. I didn't-" Another guilty look whispered across his face.
"You didn't what, Wufei?" I sat as close to him as I dared, wincing slightly at the pain through my shoulders.
"...I wasn't really drowning," he finished defensively, looking at me."I don't care what he told you..."
Nodding, I continued, "He didn't really tell me anything, Wufei. He only said that you had been training hard these past couple of weeks ..."
He looked mortified; his eyes were an unusual shape, set into a smooth, oval face. "Oh," he said, clamping his lips tightly together, looking away from me.
"He called me 'dragon,'" he repeated, muffled.
Again, the word 'dragon' resonated against my nerves, sending a shiver across my mind to my soul. It was the strangest sensation I ever had. I reached over to massage the back of my neck, carefully avoiding the painful region right in the center.
"It sounds familiar to me, Wufei - but - I can't remember a thing," I said, pushing my way through the fog that suddenly shrouded my mind. "I'm having a difficult time remembering. I think it's because - well, probably because of the drugs -"
Wufei stole a sidelong glance at me, his eyes gleaming.
My lips tightened as I turned my head, looking away from him. "I ... I was told that I was sedated for a while ... so consequently, I remember very little ..."
Wufei watched me carefully; after a few moments he nodded and said - as though it was a cohesive, complete thought - "Your neck."
I turned my head, frowning, and looked at him. "It hurts," I admitted. "A lot. It should go away in a day or so, though, I guess -"
"It's bruised," Wufei said, matter-of-factly. "Did you look at it?"
Puzzled, I looked at him and wrinkled my nose. "Well .. eh .. no. I didn't."
"You should. It's bruised all along here." With his right hand he reached over and gently traced a path from the nape of my neck, through my shoulders and down the middle of my back, roughly following my spinal chord.
Intense pain flared against his fingers - even though Wufei was being gentle, barely managed agony was quickly spreading across my back, pulsing from his fingertips in waves.
"Yes," I ground out, clenching my teeth, "that hurts."
He removed his hand from my back, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's purple," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "You should have it looked at."
"Purple?" I repeated, turning away slightly and wincing.
Wufei nodded, studiously looking anywhere except at my face. "Purple," he replied.
Turning my head, I saw a dresser with a mirror against the wall. I pushed myself off the bed, painfully, and walked over to it. I adjusted the mirrors to see my back and pulled my hair forward, then looked in the mirror and gasped in shock.
My neck wasn't just bruised; the entire area from the base of my skull to the middle of my back was mottled and dark, almost black. It looked as though someone had drybrushed a wide swath from the bottom of my head to some point on my back in blue black paint.
The realization of what happened hit me in an instant; Treize did that with a twist of his hand. My internal voice voice noted that a millimeter to either side would have ended my life or left me completely paralyzed. Some of the bruising could be explained by his dropping me, but the majority occurred when he twisted that thing on my back.
Had I not been leaning on the dresser, I surely would have fallen forward when the last part of the lesson hit home. Now I was left with a constant, aching, physical reminder of what he could do to me. Treize had no need of guns nor crude tools - the only thing he needed was to be close enough to touch me. And considering I was his prisoner and living in a household full of Treize-loyal soldiers, the chance that I would never come within his reach was very close to zero.
Without warning, his voice stole into my awareness - I remember infractions, and act accordingly -
This, obviously, was my second warning. A bit more violent that the first, but at least I was alive and not permanently injured.
I stared into the mirror with wide eyes. "...that's ... an enormous amount of bruising. No wonder it hurts so much ..." I turned toward Wufei. "Is it ... obvious? I mean .. how did you see it?"
Wufei raised his eyebrow. "How could you NOT see it?" A lofty look crossed his face, one that was completely incongruous with his pale cheeks and trembling hands.
I pushed my hair back over my shoulders, screening my neck from view. An acute need to shift the focus of the conversation away from me made me plunge in with another question. "Wufei? I didn't understand - why are you upset that Treize called you 'dragon?'"
The loftiness ran out of his posture a little bit. "It's .. blasphemous to use," he replied, his voice low.
"Do you mean it refers to a deity?" I asked, sitting next to him again.
Wufei stared at me, his eyebrows raised as high as they could go. He did not say it - however, his entire manner, while not contemptuous, was definitely one in which he felt quite superior. "The four gods of China - Seiyruu, Byyako, Suzauku, and Genbu - created the world and maintained the balance between them, along with the unnamed fifth god ... but you already know this."
"Ah .. I do now. " I nodded back, coloring slightly. It was uncomfortable not knowing something that was common knowledge, especially when that something was called into question.
Wufei stared at me, incredulous. "You - you didn't know? You didn't know about the gods?"
"My parents weren't into religion and the old ways - and I'm a medical doctor, Wufei. I was trained to put my trust in science from a very early age. There really wasn't room in my life for stories and such - and THAT means there are many things I don't know. However, I do like learning and listening. Please go on ..."
He was still staring, but the incredulity had turned to shock, and was solidifying with every word I said. "But .. but this is your HISTORY..."
I sighed, deflated. "Yes .. I'm aware of that. There are really many things that I don't know about, and would be eager to learn. It's my heritage, and now I have the time to learn." After I said the last sentence, I realized how bitter that sounded. I couldn't help it, though. Now I had time. Before, I had been busy, but now ... I had nothing but time. Nowhere to go, and nothing but time.
"Okay." Wufei stared at me as if I admitted I had no idea who Mahatma Gandhi was. "Let's take it slowly. The fifth unnamed god is who creates balance; Suzauku is the phoenix, who represents fire and the West; Seiyruu is the dragon god, who represents water and the East; Genbu is the turtle god, who represents the earth and the South; and Byyako is the white tiger god, who represents air and the North."
I hid my slight amusement under a mask of attentiveness. While he may not have wanted to convey the impression, it sounded as though he believed what he was saying. It was a charming fairy tale, but one for children, not for adults.
"So by calling you 'dragon,' Treize was actually calling you Seiyruu - calling you the dragon god?"
Wufei's head turned so he could look directly into my eyes. "According to legend, Seiyruu put on human form so he could take a wife. My clan is the result of that. I am a descendent of the dragon god Seiyruu ..."
I looked at him, blinking.
"...or so I was taught," Wufei finished, mumbling, dropping his gaze and looking away.
"Wufei - people have different beliefs about the way the world and the universe were created, and man's role in that creation. Our people's explanation for that is not terribly unusual. I always intended to look up my ancestors, but never really had the time."
"Well - now you know," Wufei muttered, scowling, obviously embarrassed.
"Very true - now I do. You're very lucky, you know - you can trace your line back many hundreds of thousands of years. There are many of us who cannot do that. In fact, some of us are simply lucky we knew our parents -"
"I did not," Wufei countered, glancing at me.
"No, but you know all about your clan. I, on the other hand, can tell you about my parents, but nothing about my ancestors or heritage. It feels ... very strange. Especially when I believe I should know something about my heritage."
An involuntary shiver ran across his shoulders; his pale face looked positively ghostly. I reproached myself for my thoughtlessness - how could I forget why I brought him back to his room? - and said mildly, "Wufei - why don't you go shower before our breakfast arrives?"
Nodding wordlessly, Wufei pushed himself off the bed and marched into the bathroom, closing the door.
I sighed, rose from the bed and walked over to the large chair facing the sea. Sinking down into the cushions, I rubbed my forehead, then moved my fingers from my temples to knead the back of my neck, trying to massage the ache from my muscles.
He could have broken my neck, I thought, stunned again. I should be dead.
The knock on the door brought me to myself. I unfolded my legs and rose from the chair to meet Mrs. Grim, who pushed a large trolley through the door. I helped her guide the cart toward the table next to the windows. We emptied the top tray of all its cups and dishes.
While Mrs. Grim and I set the table, Wufei walked out of the bathroom and collapsed on the bed, fully dressed. I glanced over at him; his cheeks were finally a healthy shade of pink, and it looked like he was dozing.
"Don't go to sleep yet, Wufei. We still need to eat something - look at what Mrs. Grim has done for us."
A short grunt was her response. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, sighing. Mrs. Grim chuckled.
"Oh, don't fuss at the boy, miss. I'm sure he'll pick himself up soon enough when his stomach complains. They're all like that, you know."
I laughed and helped Mrs. Grim push the trolley out the door again. "Thank you, Mrs. Grim. We appreciate it."
"No trouble, miss ... no trouble at all."
I left the door open, then walked back to the bed and gently shook him by the shoulder. "Wufei ... Wufei," I murmured, "you really must eat something ... you need to, please..."
"Mmmkay ... I will," he muttered, pushing himself up from the pillow with an effort. I caught his left arm and helped him to his feet and tugged him in the direction of the table. After I settled him in his chair I pulled one over for myself, sat down next to him and examined his face.
"How long have you been training like this, Wufei?"
Staring at his food, he murmured, "Since Friday night."
"Since-"
And I stopped, swallowing, staring, as guilt pressed in on all sides again, that same constricted feeling I had with Treize earlier in the day. After all, Friday night was when I decided to go off on my own and shoot Treize - and Wufei had not been training like this BEFORE I decided to kill him - so -
It was now obvious that there was some connection between my physical health and Wufei's tenuous grip on sanity - meaning that if took risks with my health, in some way I was also risking Wufei's well-being as well.
I blinked and attacked my eggs. I felt awful.
"He has no right to call me 'dragon,'" Wufei said suddenly.
I looked up sharply. Wufei had not moved; was, in fact, still staring at his food, his hands quiet in his lap.
"You could tell him you don't want him to do that," I volunteered; privately, though I didn't hold out much hope that Treize would take him seriously.
Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, his dark eyes met mine as he shrugged, "I ...don't know."
Something in his gaze triggered a memory for me, something I forgot to tell him. "Wufei," I breathed, apprehensive, "- I didn't tell you. I don't have my phone anymore."
His blinked slowly, looking at me. "....you don't have your phone?" he repeated, frowning.
I shook my head, fighting an unexpected surge of panic. "No. I - when I woke up, I wasn't wearing the same thing I wore that night - so I don't know -" I stopped and looked at him, my stomach churning. "-I don't know what happened to it. In fact," I continued, my face turning a shade paler, "Duo gave me a .. a tracker that I was wearing. That's gone, too ..."
Wufei frowned again, thinking. "But Treize has said nothing."
"There's no way anyone would miss the phone. You're sure - he hasn't said anything at all?"
"No," Wufei said, shaking his head.
"Then something's wrong. It was found, of that I'm positive - and that means that he's either going to overlook this, or .. deal with it later." An involuntary shiver ran down my spine.
"I know you were not kept in your room." Wufei was thinking out loud, musing. "He wanted you close by in case something happened."
In case something happened? Good heavens, what was I going to do? I was unconscious, for pity's sake - and he had already taken away the gun ...
"...did you look in your room?" Wufei asked, looking at me, his dark eyes thoughtful. "It could be there."
"Well .. no, I didn't," I admitted. "I - I did not have the chance." I also didn't want to tell him about my conversation with Treize, and the fact that I walked from Treize to see him.
Nodding, Wufei said, "Then that is the first place you need to investigate. Also, you should look to see if it was in the room in which you were kept for the last three days - just in case."
"Okay, Wufei. I'll check after we're finished - which means that you need to eat something, at least ..."
A large, dramatic sigh was my only response.
"Really. It's not that bad." I spooned some eggs into my mouth as if proving a point.
Wufei snorted. "Treize, having bad food? Bah - impossible!"
"Well, then?" I grinned at him, my fork challenging his in mid-air. "What are you waiting for?"
He glared at me and poked a little more at his food, a bit uncertainly.
He doesn't want to use the fork, I realized in a flash of insight. Of course! He'd be more comfortable using chopsticks. I looked across the table and spotted two slim table knives lying next to an extra place setting.
"Here," I said, thrusting the knives at him, slender side first, "you could use these for chopsticks if you wanted.."
Surprised, Wufei stopped poking at his food with his fork, stared at me," then at what I was offering in my hand. Accepting the utensils, he held them in his hand and smirked, trying not to chuckle.
It had just been an idea. Feeling rather foolish, raising an eyebrow, I muttered, "Well, it's better than nothing, isn't it?"
Wufei looked at me for a moment. Then he laughed - a full-throated, totally unexpected sound.
I blinked, then grinned - that was the first time I had ever heard him laugh out loud. It made me feel special, to know that I had drawn that response from him.
"That was a wonderful sound to hear, Wufei."
It seemed the world stopped at the sound of that voice. Wufei hunched slightly in his chair, his face lost all expression and the expression in his eyes turned inward, becoming sullen and grim.
I turned in unpleasant surprise; Treize stood casually in the doorway, a pile of neatly folded clothing in his arms.
"These are yours, Ms. Po. All cleaned and pressed."
Feeling very uncertain, I rose and claimed my clothing, forcing a calm look and smile. "Why - why thank you, Treize. That was very kind of you."
"Of course, Sally," he murmured as he looked beyond me to Wufei. A strange expression crossed his face as he asked, "Still overtraining, Wufei?"
"I'm eating," Wufei snapped without looking up.
"We're just finishing breakfast." I spoke to Treize, smiling up into his face but annoyed at his comment. Stop intruding and just go away. .
Treize raised his eyebrow, still looking at Wufei. "So I see ... I would ask to join you, had I more time."
"Un," responded Wufei, still not meeting his gaze.
"Ah. You're unable to join us?" What a shame. Thank the gods. Now go away.
"Correct," Treize nodded. Tilting his head to one side, Treize said in a deceptively smooth voice, "Please take care of yourself, Wufei. Your welfare is my concern - you know that."
The muscles in Wufei's jaw suddenly tightened and his face flushed slightly at Treize's words. He glanced furtively at me, almost as if he didn't want me to hear this kind of 'talk.'
I stood next to Treize, holding my clothes when something made my eyes widen in surprise. I looked up at him, ready to say something when an expression on his face made me feel cold inside. I couldn't quite place it, but it triggered a significant involuntary reaction; suddenly, I found myself backing toward Wufei, trying to block his view, murmuring, "I'm sure he'll be fine, Treize." . That look from Treize toward Wufei was ...predatory. Possessive. And something else that was not quite ... normal. It raised my hackles and chilled her to the bone.
"I thank you for your help," Treize said, nodding to me. "I do hate to leave him without supervision. Have a good day, my friends." Bowing slightly, he turned and left the room.
Both Wufei and I stared after him.