When Isabella first told Trowa that he was going to get to leave his
room for an hour each day, he was somewhat excited. Up until that point,
the most action he ever got was when she came to roll him over so he didn't
get bed sores. But now he was going to get to leave his room, maybe put on
some clothes and see other people. It wasn't the greatest thing that had
ever happened to him, but at the same time he couldn't complain.
It was on a Tuesday morning when she came to get him, in her arms was a faded lavender robe and a pair of slippers. The rode was far too big, which was remarkable considering Trowa's stature.
Isabella didn't have a wheelchair with her, which Trowa found confusing.
"You can walk," she said with a reassuring smile, "just let me help you."
Trowa was skeptical, but when Isabella lifted him to his feet, and he felt his body stabilize, he too shared in the smile.
"See, told you those leggy exercises would help."
Trowa soon learned that the rest of the hospital was as bland and as boring as his little sterile, white room. The windows were all barred, no sunlight could be seen from the outside. The only light was the humming florescence from above. Trowa hated those damn lights.
At the end of the hallway there was a large room locked off with a chain link fence. Trowa felt a bit uncomfortable as Isabella unlocked it and led him inside. Inside there were other patients, most wandering around aimlessly, wringing their hands and speaking in whispers to themselves. Other's, Trowa noticed, were like him propped up in chairs starring at the ceiling. The rest of the robe-clad nuts were collecting chairs and placing them in a circle around the first male doctor Trowa had seen since he arrived.
Isabella led him to the ratty, faded couch in the center of the room and set him down gently.
"Just relax here," she said, "Dr. Eliasko is doing his weekly group therapy, so you can listen in if you want to." She leaned in closer, then whispered, "we do have some pretty funny crazy people here, but try not laugh, they're very sensitive." Trowa smiled.
...........................................
Quatre could hardly sit still on the plane, his mind with racing with so many thoughts. After all his stressing and fretting, after all the worry and the pain it was all going to be okay. Quatre closed his eyes and sighed to himself, a smile of euphoria spread across his face. Soon Trowa was going to be in his arms again.....it was all going to be okay.
.........................................................
After a long fifteens minutes of debating, Heero finally found the strength to knock on the trailer door in front of him.
"Just a moment," came a familiar voice. The door swung open to reveal a tall girl with curly brunette hair floating gently at chin length. Her sweet green eyes seemed to smile as she took in Heero's image.
"Hey you," she laughed, "long time no see. How you doin'?"
"I'm fine Catherine, how are you?"
"Can't complain. I see you didn't bring my little brother with you, too busy to visit his sister I guess."
"We need to talk," Heero said, taking in a deep breath "is it all right if I come in."
"Sure," Catherine said, her happy demeanor falling quickly.
The trailer was big enough to easily be a home to one person, but Heero was still surprised the two people once shared it together. There were still remnants of Trowa's existence: a pair of very large boots sitting by the door, boxes of his favorite chocolate chip cookies half eaten on the counter, a pile of flute sheet music for Les Miz on the coffee table.
"I was about to make some tea, would you like some?" Catherine asked, showing Heero to the couch.
"Sure, what kind is it?"
"Peppermint, it's my favorite. Trowa hates it though, when he lived here I could never make it. He used to get angry if he could smell it."
"He always makes plain green tea for us. Bothered everyone except for me. I guess I just like my life plain and simple like that."
"If you want, I can make you some green tea."
"No, peppermint sounds nice and refreshing. I could use something like that after my flight." Heero realized now he was trying to avoid the topic that had brought him there.
"Yes, I'm sure the trip here from Japan must have been exhausting. You couldn't have come all that way to see little old me, could you?"
"Actually," Heero sighed, he wasn't going to be able to dodge it forever, "I did come here to talk to you about something." Again, Catherine sensed his dark tone.
"Something bad?"
"I'm afraid so." She was silent for a moment. The tea pot hissed.
"Is it about Trowa?"
"I think you know the answer to that." She was quiet for a moment, deciding her next words carefully.
"Don't worry, he hasn't died." Heero heard a heavy sigh escape Catherine's lips. "Sorry to make you worry."
"It's all right," Catherine whispered, bringing two cups of steaming tea over to the dining room table.
"I don't really know where to begin...." Heero paused, looking into Catherine's eyes for the first time.
"Just say whatever feels right," she said softly. She slipped her hand over Heero's, and he began his story.
.....................................................
Stepping off the plane, Quatre was immediately hit with a harsh and bitterly cold wind. He quickly rubbed some heavy amounts chap stick on his lips, pulled his parka hood over his head, and began to his journey to the little town on the piece of paper in front of him.
"Izolda," Quatre said to himself, "that's where I'll find you."
He rented a tiny car at a small place just outside the airport, he knew it was more expensive, but that didn't matter. The sooner he got here the better. The drive was only a great blur of white speeding past him. Quatre's top speed was 110 in his little rentable Russian car.
......................................
"Are you all right?" Heero asked before taking another sip of his tea. Catherine was like a stone before him, silent and unmoving, tiny droplets forming in her eyes.
"I-I think so," her voice wavered.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you all of this, but it needed to be done."
"Where is he now?" Catherine asked.
"He was living with us for a while...."
"But where is he now?" Heero hesitated for a moment, ashamed of the answer he knew he had to give.
"I took him to a hospital.......in Russia. I took him away from his home and his friends."
"But I thought you said that Quatre was taking care of him?"
"He was, believe he was and doing a very good job at it too. But I, selfishly, took him away and hid him. I didn't want him to be hurt, but I think I made the situation worse."
"My poor brother," Catherine held back her tears.
"I hope you're not angry.....I'm trying to make this right. Just before I came here, I told the hospital that a young blonde boy by the name of Quatre Winner would be coming in to pick up Trowa, and I left them instructions to give him on how to get here. He's coming with your brother, I'm sure he's already with him."
"Trowa's coming home?" Catherine's voice picked up in excitement, "we'd better start tidying up!"
"I think I should go," Heero got up from his seat, "I'm sure they won't want to see me."
"Oh no you don't, you're going to stay and help me clean!"
"Catherine, I would like to see them again, but I'm very sure that-"
"The only way you're going to fix what you've done is to roll up yor selves, get on your knees and actually fix what you've done. You've got to show those two your sorry, and you can start by helping out around here. And when Trowa and Quatre come you're going to stay and give each of them an extra hand, got it?"
"Got it." Heero smiled.
...................................................
The town of Izolda was more depressing than Quatre thought it would be. He could hardly believe that there was actually a hospital located nearby. He tried asking locals for help, but they only greeted him with a cold shoulder.
After wandering about aimlessly, his eyes caught a glimpse of a large, bland building rising up from the edge of town.
As he got closer, Quatre noticed a large sign that read in both English and Russian.
Russian National Medical And Psychiatric Hospital #00632, Izolda
...........................................................
Heero carefully looked over the two sided shopping list that Catherine had given him. Apparently she was planning on cooking one huge meal for her little brother's homecoming. She didn't have a car, so he was forced to walk the six blocks to the little ma and pop market: Le Chat et L'évier Perméable. When Heero asked what it mean, Catherine said it was the two things that made the shop well known, a cat and a perpetually leaky sink that had a tendency to explode while customers were around.
What she forgot to mention though that the "ma" of this mom and pop shop was a gardener, and just the week before she had a beautiful blossoming of roses.
"How much for the roses?" Heero asked the old wrinkled woman.
"Les roses?" The old woman repeated.
"Les roses," Heero pointed to the bouquets she had lined out in front of the store.
"Vingt!" She held up both her open palms twice.
"Twenty? You got a deal!" He picked out a pair of ten reds with two pastel pinks. They were lovely.
............................................................
Quatre tried to keep his eyes down as he walked up to the front desk. He didn't want to be caught staring at some of the more interesting people in the hospital.
"Excuse me?" He heard a sweet voice, "Are you lost?" Looking up, he saw a young nurse giving him a very quizzical look.
"No, well, yes. I'm looking for a patient. Do you know where Trowa Barton is?"
"Oh, you must be Quatre Winner, we just recently had a call about you from Mr. Yuy. He said you'd be taking Trowa with you."
"He did?" Quatre asked, not sure if he had heard the nurse correctly.
"Yes, and I'm sorry to see him go. Such a sweet patient, but I supposed it's for the best. Mr. Yuy said you two are very close friends."
"Yeah," Quatre adjusted his glasses. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Heero had called?
"Oh, and he wanted for me to give you a message." The nurse filed through some papers. "Here we are. He says that he's visiting with Catherine Barton, do you know who she is?"
"Yes, Trowa's older sister."
"He says that he's visiting with her and that you should bring Trowa to France to stay with her."
Quatre stared back in awe, not believing a word of that the nurse was telling him.
"Well, let me show you where he is. He's been up and walking a bit, so he's been spending time in the common room with other patients.
..........................................................
Trowa silently watched the daily group therapy circle in his usual silence. Today wasn't very exciting considering that only yesterday someone had thrown one of the chairs into the chain link fence.
After a few moments, he grew bored and let his green eyes wander freely. Barren white walls, dirty tile floors, those humming fluorescent lights. He really, really hated those lights.
Suddenly, his ear caught the sound of the hinge of the chain link fence squeaking open. Turning, his eyes caught the sight of the most beautiful sight he could ever imagine. The creature of which he had dreamed of, pined for and missed with all his heart.
"Quatre," his lips formed the word but there was no sound. He wanted so badly to leap to his feet and grab his dearest into his arms. But instead it was the reverse, and before he knew it Quatre and wrapped his arms as tightly as he could around Trowa's form.
"Trowa," he sobbed softly, "I found you. I really found you......" Pulling back, sapphire met green. Coming together, two lips tenderly met.
They kissed, unaware of the fact that they held the attention of the entire psychiatric ward.
It was on a Tuesday morning when she came to get him, in her arms was a faded lavender robe and a pair of slippers. The rode was far too big, which was remarkable considering Trowa's stature.
Isabella didn't have a wheelchair with her, which Trowa found confusing.
"You can walk," she said with a reassuring smile, "just let me help you."
Trowa was skeptical, but when Isabella lifted him to his feet, and he felt his body stabilize, he too shared in the smile.
"See, told you those leggy exercises would help."
Trowa soon learned that the rest of the hospital was as bland and as boring as his little sterile, white room. The windows were all barred, no sunlight could be seen from the outside. The only light was the humming florescence from above. Trowa hated those damn lights.
At the end of the hallway there was a large room locked off with a chain link fence. Trowa felt a bit uncomfortable as Isabella unlocked it and led him inside. Inside there were other patients, most wandering around aimlessly, wringing their hands and speaking in whispers to themselves. Other's, Trowa noticed, were like him propped up in chairs starring at the ceiling. The rest of the robe-clad nuts were collecting chairs and placing them in a circle around the first male doctor Trowa had seen since he arrived.
Isabella led him to the ratty, faded couch in the center of the room and set him down gently.
"Just relax here," she said, "Dr. Eliasko is doing his weekly group therapy, so you can listen in if you want to." She leaned in closer, then whispered, "we do have some pretty funny crazy people here, but try not laugh, they're very sensitive." Trowa smiled.
...........................................
Quatre could hardly sit still on the plane, his mind with racing with so many thoughts. After all his stressing and fretting, after all the worry and the pain it was all going to be okay. Quatre closed his eyes and sighed to himself, a smile of euphoria spread across his face. Soon Trowa was going to be in his arms again.....it was all going to be okay.
.........................................................
After a long fifteens minutes of debating, Heero finally found the strength to knock on the trailer door in front of him.
"Just a moment," came a familiar voice. The door swung open to reveal a tall girl with curly brunette hair floating gently at chin length. Her sweet green eyes seemed to smile as she took in Heero's image.
"Hey you," she laughed, "long time no see. How you doin'?"
"I'm fine Catherine, how are you?"
"Can't complain. I see you didn't bring my little brother with you, too busy to visit his sister I guess."
"We need to talk," Heero said, taking in a deep breath "is it all right if I come in."
"Sure," Catherine said, her happy demeanor falling quickly.
The trailer was big enough to easily be a home to one person, but Heero was still surprised the two people once shared it together. There were still remnants of Trowa's existence: a pair of very large boots sitting by the door, boxes of his favorite chocolate chip cookies half eaten on the counter, a pile of flute sheet music for Les Miz on the coffee table.
"I was about to make some tea, would you like some?" Catherine asked, showing Heero to the couch.
"Sure, what kind is it?"
"Peppermint, it's my favorite. Trowa hates it though, when he lived here I could never make it. He used to get angry if he could smell it."
"He always makes plain green tea for us. Bothered everyone except for me. I guess I just like my life plain and simple like that."
"If you want, I can make you some green tea."
"No, peppermint sounds nice and refreshing. I could use something like that after my flight." Heero realized now he was trying to avoid the topic that had brought him there.
"Yes, I'm sure the trip here from Japan must have been exhausting. You couldn't have come all that way to see little old me, could you?"
"Actually," Heero sighed, he wasn't going to be able to dodge it forever, "I did come here to talk to you about something." Again, Catherine sensed his dark tone.
"Something bad?"
"I'm afraid so." She was silent for a moment. The tea pot hissed.
"Is it about Trowa?"
"I think you know the answer to that." She was quiet for a moment, deciding her next words carefully.
"Don't worry, he hasn't died." Heero heard a heavy sigh escape Catherine's lips. "Sorry to make you worry."
"It's all right," Catherine whispered, bringing two cups of steaming tea over to the dining room table.
"I don't really know where to begin...." Heero paused, looking into Catherine's eyes for the first time.
"Just say whatever feels right," she said softly. She slipped her hand over Heero's, and he began his story.
.....................................................
Stepping off the plane, Quatre was immediately hit with a harsh and bitterly cold wind. He quickly rubbed some heavy amounts chap stick on his lips, pulled his parka hood over his head, and began to his journey to the little town on the piece of paper in front of him.
"Izolda," Quatre said to himself, "that's where I'll find you."
He rented a tiny car at a small place just outside the airport, he knew it was more expensive, but that didn't matter. The sooner he got here the better. The drive was only a great blur of white speeding past him. Quatre's top speed was 110 in his little rentable Russian car.
......................................
"Are you all right?" Heero asked before taking another sip of his tea. Catherine was like a stone before him, silent and unmoving, tiny droplets forming in her eyes.
"I-I think so," her voice wavered.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you all of this, but it needed to be done."
"Where is he now?" Catherine asked.
"He was living with us for a while...."
"But where is he now?" Heero hesitated for a moment, ashamed of the answer he knew he had to give.
"I took him to a hospital.......in Russia. I took him away from his home and his friends."
"But I thought you said that Quatre was taking care of him?"
"He was, believe he was and doing a very good job at it too. But I, selfishly, took him away and hid him. I didn't want him to be hurt, but I think I made the situation worse."
"My poor brother," Catherine held back her tears.
"I hope you're not angry.....I'm trying to make this right. Just before I came here, I told the hospital that a young blonde boy by the name of Quatre Winner would be coming in to pick up Trowa, and I left them instructions to give him on how to get here. He's coming with your brother, I'm sure he's already with him."
"Trowa's coming home?" Catherine's voice picked up in excitement, "we'd better start tidying up!"
"I think I should go," Heero got up from his seat, "I'm sure they won't want to see me."
"Oh no you don't, you're going to stay and help me clean!"
"Catherine, I would like to see them again, but I'm very sure that-"
"The only way you're going to fix what you've done is to roll up yor selves, get on your knees and actually fix what you've done. You've got to show those two your sorry, and you can start by helping out around here. And when Trowa and Quatre come you're going to stay and give each of them an extra hand, got it?"
"Got it." Heero smiled.
...................................................
The town of Izolda was more depressing than Quatre thought it would be. He could hardly believe that there was actually a hospital located nearby. He tried asking locals for help, but they only greeted him with a cold shoulder.
After wandering about aimlessly, his eyes caught a glimpse of a large, bland building rising up from the edge of town.
As he got closer, Quatre noticed a large sign that read in both English and Russian.
Russian National Medical And Psychiatric Hospital #00632, Izolda
...........................................................
Heero carefully looked over the two sided shopping list that Catherine had given him. Apparently she was planning on cooking one huge meal for her little brother's homecoming. She didn't have a car, so he was forced to walk the six blocks to the little ma and pop market: Le Chat et L'évier Perméable. When Heero asked what it mean, Catherine said it was the two things that made the shop well known, a cat and a perpetually leaky sink that had a tendency to explode while customers were around.
What she forgot to mention though that the "ma" of this mom and pop shop was a gardener, and just the week before she had a beautiful blossoming of roses.
"How much for the roses?" Heero asked the old wrinkled woman.
"Les roses?" The old woman repeated.
"Les roses," Heero pointed to the bouquets she had lined out in front of the store.
"Vingt!" She held up both her open palms twice.
"Twenty? You got a deal!" He picked out a pair of ten reds with two pastel pinks. They were lovely.
............................................................
Quatre tried to keep his eyes down as he walked up to the front desk. He didn't want to be caught staring at some of the more interesting people in the hospital.
"Excuse me?" He heard a sweet voice, "Are you lost?" Looking up, he saw a young nurse giving him a very quizzical look.
"No, well, yes. I'm looking for a patient. Do you know where Trowa Barton is?"
"Oh, you must be Quatre Winner, we just recently had a call about you from Mr. Yuy. He said you'd be taking Trowa with you."
"He did?" Quatre asked, not sure if he had heard the nurse correctly.
"Yes, and I'm sorry to see him go. Such a sweet patient, but I supposed it's for the best. Mr. Yuy said you two are very close friends."
"Yeah," Quatre adjusted his glasses. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Heero had called?
"Oh, and he wanted for me to give you a message." The nurse filed through some papers. "Here we are. He says that he's visiting with Catherine Barton, do you know who she is?"
"Yes, Trowa's older sister."
"He says that he's visiting with her and that you should bring Trowa to France to stay with her."
Quatre stared back in awe, not believing a word of that the nurse was telling him.
"Well, let me show you where he is. He's been up and walking a bit, so he's been spending time in the common room with other patients.
..........................................................
Trowa silently watched the daily group therapy circle in his usual silence. Today wasn't very exciting considering that only yesterday someone had thrown one of the chairs into the chain link fence.
After a few moments, he grew bored and let his green eyes wander freely. Barren white walls, dirty tile floors, those humming fluorescent lights. He really, really hated those lights.
Suddenly, his ear caught the sound of the hinge of the chain link fence squeaking open. Turning, his eyes caught the sight of the most beautiful sight he could ever imagine. The creature of which he had dreamed of, pined for and missed with all his heart.
"Quatre," his lips formed the word but there was no sound. He wanted so badly to leap to his feet and grab his dearest into his arms. But instead it was the reverse, and before he knew it Quatre and wrapped his arms as tightly as he could around Trowa's form.
"Trowa," he sobbed softly, "I found you. I really found you......" Pulling back, sapphire met green. Coming together, two lips tenderly met.
They kissed, unaware of the fact that they held the attention of the entire psychiatric ward.
