DISCLAIMER: If I owned Gundam Wing I would not be siting here typing away at my computer like a nancy-fan-girl. (which I am :P )
A/N: Sorry this took so long in coming. This is a pretty short chapter. It's also a pretty crappy chapter, but it's kinda essential to the plot. In the next chapter they are older...so YAY! All you shounen-ai fans can squeal and jump around for joy. I am only asking for 5 reviews for this chapter...because it's crap. But if I get more I will hurry to post the next chapter. Since it's the holidays I probably will get it posted pretty soon too.
WARNINGS: Just angst. That and: this chapter is crap.
"Yep," Jonothan told Clare from the phone booth in the hall outside Duo's ward. "I got the loan and the operation is scheduled for 3 o'clock this afternoon."
"How will you pay back the loan?"
"I'm not sure. I figured I'd work extra hours at the farm. Yeah, if they'd let me. I'll have to talk to my boss." Jonothan had only been working at the dairy farm for a week but he hoped the special circumstances would coax the boss into giving him extra hours.
"Well, you know you're welcome to stay at my house till you can afford a place of your own, no matter how long that may be."
Jonothan sighed. He hated feeling like he was imposing on his older sister, but he really couldn't see any other way of dealing with the situation.
"Thankyou VERY much Clare. You don't know how much you've meant to me through all of this. I don't know what we would have done without you."
"Oh, I know you would have managed. You're the best father the kid could have." Clare smiled, even though she knew Jonothan couldn't see.
"Thanks." Jonothan blushed to himself, "Now I'd better go break the news of the operation to Duo. I'm not sure how he'll take it."
"Oh, he'll be fine. Fate couldn't have chosen a stronger child to deal with all of this."
"I'll call you before he goes in, okay?"
"Yep, keep me posted."
Jonothan hung up the phone and went into Duo's room. His son was asleep. Jonothan sat down in the chair beside the bed. He leant over and shook Duo's shoulder gently.
Duo opened his eyes and looked at his father, waiting expectantly to hear what he had woken him up for.
Jonothan smiled. "Hey Duo! I've got great news!"
Duo didn't smile. "What?"
Jonothan's smile dropped from his face. What was he going to say again? /You're going to die but now you're going to have an operation to make sure you live. Oh, and by the way, there's a thirty- percent chance you actually will die during the operation. Oh yeah, and the operation is in just two hours.
"Um," Jonothan cleared his throat, racking his brain for something tactful and reassuring to say. "Duo."
Duo stared at his father. This obviously wasn't good news. "Yes."
"Well, you know how to get well, you have to not run or play or anything for like, a few years, and then you'll be okay?"
Duo's mouth dropped open. "A few years?? Dad, you didn't say it was that long....I mean, I'll be..." Duo counted on his small fingers, frowning. "8 or 9 by then! That's OLD. I can't run till then?" Duo's bottom lip came out and his eyes became blurry.
"No, Duo, that's the good news! You won't have to wait that long at all! You can have an operation and then you'll heal from that and be better in about a month. Isn't that great?"
Duo stopped crying and lay still, glaring at some spot on the wall about two feet to the left of Jonothan's head. He was obviously thinking this over very hard.
"I don't want an operation." He said finally. "I don't want doctors poking my inside and seeing my blood."
Jonothan covered his face with his hands and sat down on the chair that was behind him. The tears he had been holding back all this time for Duo's sake came free. His back heaved as he sobbed. He had lost his wife two years ago, and had been fighting to keep his son alive his whole young life, and now his six-year-old had just inadvertantly chosen to die. And leave him alone forever.
Duo sat up in bed and stared in horror at his father. His father didn't cry! Men didn't cry! What had Duo done to make his father cry? Duo felt tears slide down his cheeks. He always cried when people near him did.
"Dad...?"
Jonothan lifted his head and stared at his son who had tears sliding down his cheeks. He wiped his own away and set his face.
"I'm afraid, Duo, that you don't actually have a choice. The surgery is this afternoon and you have to go. But you'll be better in no time. Operations are nothing to be afraid of. I have had one myself. Okay?"
Duo didn't answer. He looked at his father with a face so contorted with fear and horror. He couldn't believe his father would do this to him! He felt betrayed. He lay down and pulled the covers over his head and began to sob. He WOULDN'T let those doctors take him to have the operation. But he sobbed for a battle already lost, because he knew that they could make him if they wanted to.
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A/N: Only demanding 5 reviews, due to crappiness of this chapter. New chapter coming soon! And it will be a good one, so yay!
A/N: Sorry this took so long in coming. This is a pretty short chapter. It's also a pretty crappy chapter, but it's kinda essential to the plot. In the next chapter they are older...so YAY! All you shounen-ai fans can squeal and jump around for joy. I am only asking for 5 reviews for this chapter...because it's crap. But if I get more I will hurry to post the next chapter. Since it's the holidays I probably will get it posted pretty soon too.
WARNINGS: Just angst. That and: this chapter is crap.
"Yep," Jonothan told Clare from the phone booth in the hall outside Duo's ward. "I got the loan and the operation is scheduled for 3 o'clock this afternoon."
"How will you pay back the loan?"
"I'm not sure. I figured I'd work extra hours at the farm. Yeah, if they'd let me. I'll have to talk to my boss." Jonothan had only been working at the dairy farm for a week but he hoped the special circumstances would coax the boss into giving him extra hours.
"Well, you know you're welcome to stay at my house till you can afford a place of your own, no matter how long that may be."
Jonothan sighed. He hated feeling like he was imposing on his older sister, but he really couldn't see any other way of dealing with the situation.
"Thankyou VERY much Clare. You don't know how much you've meant to me through all of this. I don't know what we would have done without you."
"Oh, I know you would have managed. You're the best father the kid could have." Clare smiled, even though she knew Jonothan couldn't see.
"Thanks." Jonothan blushed to himself, "Now I'd better go break the news of the operation to Duo. I'm not sure how he'll take it."
"Oh, he'll be fine. Fate couldn't have chosen a stronger child to deal with all of this."
"I'll call you before he goes in, okay?"
"Yep, keep me posted."
Jonothan hung up the phone and went into Duo's room. His son was asleep. Jonothan sat down in the chair beside the bed. He leant over and shook Duo's shoulder gently.
Duo opened his eyes and looked at his father, waiting expectantly to hear what he had woken him up for.
Jonothan smiled. "Hey Duo! I've got great news!"
Duo didn't smile. "What?"
Jonothan's smile dropped from his face. What was he going to say again? /You're going to die but now you're going to have an operation to make sure you live. Oh, and by the way, there's a thirty- percent chance you actually will die during the operation. Oh yeah, and the operation is in just two hours.
"Um," Jonothan cleared his throat, racking his brain for something tactful and reassuring to say. "Duo."
Duo stared at his father. This obviously wasn't good news. "Yes."
"Well, you know how to get well, you have to not run or play or anything for like, a few years, and then you'll be okay?"
Duo's mouth dropped open. "A few years?? Dad, you didn't say it was that long....I mean, I'll be..." Duo counted on his small fingers, frowning. "8 or 9 by then! That's OLD. I can't run till then?" Duo's bottom lip came out and his eyes became blurry.
"No, Duo, that's the good news! You won't have to wait that long at all! You can have an operation and then you'll heal from that and be better in about a month. Isn't that great?"
Duo stopped crying and lay still, glaring at some spot on the wall about two feet to the left of Jonothan's head. He was obviously thinking this over very hard.
"I don't want an operation." He said finally. "I don't want doctors poking my inside and seeing my blood."
Jonothan covered his face with his hands and sat down on the chair that was behind him. The tears he had been holding back all this time for Duo's sake came free. His back heaved as he sobbed. He had lost his wife two years ago, and had been fighting to keep his son alive his whole young life, and now his six-year-old had just inadvertantly chosen to die. And leave him alone forever.
Duo sat up in bed and stared in horror at his father. His father didn't cry! Men didn't cry! What had Duo done to make his father cry? Duo felt tears slide down his cheeks. He always cried when people near him did.
"Dad...?"
Jonothan lifted his head and stared at his son who had tears sliding down his cheeks. He wiped his own away and set his face.
"I'm afraid, Duo, that you don't actually have a choice. The surgery is this afternoon and you have to go. But you'll be better in no time. Operations are nothing to be afraid of. I have had one myself. Okay?"
Duo didn't answer. He looked at his father with a face so contorted with fear and horror. He couldn't believe his father would do this to him! He felt betrayed. He lay down and pulled the covers over his head and began to sob. He WOULDN'T let those doctors take him to have the operation. But he sobbed for a battle already lost, because he knew that they could make him if they wanted to.
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A/N: Only demanding 5 reviews, due to crappiness of this chapter. New chapter coming soon! And it will be a good one, so yay!