Of Comedies and Tragedies
Part 3 - Sad Old Tunes
Duo woke up disorientated. His head was spinning in circles, his mouth was dry and his body was aching all over. All in all, it was not a good combination. He tried opening his eyes but they seemed to be stuck shut by crust. He raised his weary hands to rub at his eyes. Bit by bit he tried to pry opened his eyes but the brightness made it harder for him to adapt back to the land of living. He moaned into his pillow in agony.
After a few minutes of suffering, he finally could open his eyes to stare at an unfamiliar ceiling. It was of an off-white color with a ceiling fan (which was spinning at an awfully slow speed, it kept Duo entranced for a moment or two) attached to it.
"Finally felt like waking up?" a voice to his right asked.
He spun his head to the direction immediately and winced at the flare of pain that shot up his skull. His forearm flew up to cover his eyes after catching a peek. Said voice was of Chang Wufei, his school's head prefect, Senior Year. Great, he did hope he was not in any trouble since he could not remember getting into one. Yes, he did keep note of his mischief. He was not one to do anything serious that would threaten him out of school; he did have a promise to keep.
"You okay?" this time, the voice was a little softer, lacing with concern.
"Urgh...I feel dandy as can be. You try waking in my condition and feel it for yourself!" his voice sounded horribly hoarse, like he's been out there shouting and screaming and shrieking for 3 days and nights non-stop. And yes again, it was that bad.
"I take it that you are okay, since your sarcasm is back."
Duo fought the urge to roll his eyes, he was not so enthusiastic about having a repeat of the previous episode. He sighed and slowly turned to look at Wufei who was currently fetching him a glass of water.
"Did I get into any trouble?" Duo asked in a more subdued voice, sitting up with the help of Wufei and taking the glass into his hands. He sipped at the welcoming water.
"Like hell you didn't!" Duo flinched a little at the tone. Wufei sat back down in his seat beside Duo's bed, putting aside a book he appeared to have been reading before Duo woke.
"You fainted outside your brother's old school. Those people could not find your guardians so they contacted the school instead." Wufei paused, searching Duo's face for any sign of distress before continuing "I volunteered to come and help contact your guardian."
His guardian. A shadow of hurt flickered past his face before he grinned darkly at Wufei. He was sure he was in deep trouble. How was he going to explain the absence of his guardian and the way he ended up in this state? He could not possible said his brother just forgot to return home one day, could he?
Wufei backed a little at that look. He was never comfortable when Duo do that grin. It was not that the grin an implication of something up Duo's sleeve, nor that he was afraid of Duo (in fact, he suspect it was quite the opposite). More perhaps, he was afraid to know what Duo was thinking at the moment he gave the look. He understood Duo hadn't had an easy life.
"I see..." Duo uttered quietly after a few decided moments. Then, Wufei lapsed into an awkward silence on his part while Duo pondered over matters.
The doors of the room squeaked a little as it opened, wavering uncertainly. A blonde head was seen poking into the room. Duo was thinking of a nurse on her first duty. Wufei was thinking on entirely different lines, he was thankful for the interruption. The blonde head tilt up and a boy of about their age looked in with blue-green eyes.
"Err... Did I come at the wrong time?" He smiled at them. Without exactly waiting for an answer, or a question in this case, he invited himself into the room and walked towards Duo.
Duo looked at Wufei with raised eyebrows, as high as he could get them to without aggravating his condition. Wufei smiled a little and shrugged before standing up beside the stranger.
"This is Quatre and he sorts of knows who you are. I supposed you would be wondering who he is. He's the one who nearly knocked you down and brought you to the hospital. And Quatre? You didn't come at the wrong time. Duo's fully awake."
Oh so that was how he ended up in the hospital. This certainly filled some gaps Duo had been missing.
"Since you already know me and all... Thanks?" Duo looked at the now named stranger, no, Quatre who was, in turn, looking at him expectantly.
"You are welcome. I have to say it was quite a scare, having someone passed out at the front of my car when I have just gotten my license. I thought I have to give my license back as soon as I got it." He laughed a little.
"I am... sorry?" Duo apologized warily.
"No, no. It was nothing. If anything, I should be the one saying sorry." Quatre looked all flustered waving both his hands 'no' at waist level while saying all that.
"There's not need for that. He's lucky considering he met you of all other drivers who would really have knocked him down. And you brought him to hospital in spite of." Wufei said all of it without rolling his eyes, Duo was impressed but that was the Wufei he knew all right. He would expect Wufei to propose to his future wife like he would, casually order coffee.
Quatre looked visibly calmed and smiled again at Wufei, he turned to look at Duo. "Well, since you are awake and alright I guess I have to get going. I just moved to town and everything's in a mess. I need to get my school transfer done and my phone set up." Quatre met Duo's eyes sheepishly. "Gosh, I am not making a good first impression, I am?" He dusted his shirt dramatically and stood up straight.
"Well, here goes. Hi guys. I am Quatre and I have just moved to this town. I will be transferred to your school in an hour's time once I get done with some minor details, so can I have the honor of having you guys as my first friends here and have the pleasure of being guided around in school on my first day?" He held out his right hand to shake but both Wufei and Duo had been a little stunned at his display that they raised their right hands out exceedingly slow, unsure of who should shake his hand first. Quatre sighed and thrusted both his hands out to shake theirs at the same time.
"There, introductions all done right! Really have to run. Seeya guys." Duo and Wufei stared after him as he rushed out of the room.
"Strange guy, isn't he?" Duo asked after a moment.
"I would beg to differ. The right word's... Interesting...?"
I do not own Gundam Wing or anything of it. I only own the plot (if it exists).
A/N: the right part 3 as said (grammar and spell checked!)