Just a Shadow
Disclaimer: - I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters!
Chapter 23: Clear Blue
I know it's been a while since I updated, but I've been busy and I have other fanfics to update. I'll try to keep updates regular … but I have no clue when I'll be ending this fic … might even be this chapter! Who knows?
Quatre quietly opened the door to the public toilets and crept inside. Duo had come I here over 30 minutes ago and hadn't come out yet. He approached the stall and sighed, knowing who was inside.
Quiet sobs filled the air and Quatre raised a hand to knock on the door before shaking his head and turning around to leave.
"Quat?" Duo called "Please don't go"
The door opened and Duo walked out.
"How did you know I was here?" Quatre asked bewildered "I didn't think I made a sound"
"You didn't Duo sniffled "I saw your shoes"
The braided pilot pointed towards the toilet door to the gap at the bottom. His blonde friend blushed slightly and smiled.
"I guess I'm not as good a terrorist as I thought"
Duo shared Quatre's smile and they came together in a hug.
"Why didn't he die?" Duo asked "We gave him the chance, but he didn't take it"
"Maybe he didn't want to" Quatre suggested
"But he won't be the same!" Duo protested as he washed his face with water to rid himself of the tears "You heard what the doctor said!"
"He's still Heero" Quatre stated sternly
"But he's gonna have so many problems!" Duo argued "To be honest Quat, if he were a dog I'd let them kill him!"
"It's good thing he's not a dog then!" Quatre shouted angrily "If Heero has the will to live he should be given the chance!"
"But he's gonna have no quality of life Quat!" Duo shouted as they left the toilets "He's not gonna walk or talk or anything!"
"You don't know that!" Quatre cried
They had made it back to the other two pilots now who were watching the argument closely, should they need to intervene.
"The doctors said-"
"Heero has proved the doctors wrong many times before Duo" Wufei stated calmly
Duo folded his arms stubbornly and turned away from his friends. He wasn't really angry, just frustrated. He didn't really want Heero to die, but he didn't see what Heero would hold on for.
"I'm sorry Duo" Quatre apologised "I'm just angry"
"Me too" Duo replied "I didn't men what I said"
"But you have to understand Duo" Quatre explained "That person was after me, so I feel like it's my fault … I … I …"
"It's okay" Trowa soothed as hot tears streamed down the blondes cheeks "It's not your fault"
A week had passed since the incident at the airport and though had survived on his own, unaided by life support, he had not woken. Nights and days blended together as the waiting went on. Other came and went.
Relena, Noin, Lady Une and the others. They all came, and all left. Some had stayed such as Zechs and Lady Une, but others were needed elsewhere. Everybody stayed silent. No words were needed; they already knew how each other felt.
All eyes turned to the door as a gentle knock broke the silence. A doctor walked in. The pilots stared at him waiting to hear the fate of their friend.
"Are you all relatives of Mr Yuy?" the doctor asked
"Yes" they all replied
"Well, he woke up a little over 2 hours ago" the doctor explained "But I'm afraid to say that our fears were confirmed – he is heavily brain damaged"
A shaky sigh escaped each of the pilot's lips as they stepped forward and out of the room. They had asked the other to remain in the waiting area for the time being and they had complied.
The walk to Heero's room seemed like a death march to the pilots. The doctor was listing off the many disabilities Heero would suffer with and the tests they had carried out, but he ma have well been talking to a wall. None of the boys were listening.
Eventually they reached his room and the doctor opened the door, ushering them in. Wufei looked away, Quatre buried his face in Trowa's shirt and Trowa buried his in the blonde's hair. Duo stood there with his mouth open as hot tears trailed down his cheek and fell to the floor.
On the bed sat Heero, propped up with many pillows so he could sit up. His bandaged limbs lay limply at his sides and his eyes were half open, but completely unfocused.
"My Yuy id paralysed from the neck down with multiple breaks and fractures" The doctor explained "It is possible that he may regain movement in his body as he recovers but I doubt it"
"Does he know who we are?" Wufei asked in a strained voice
"That's why we called you in here" the doctor replied "So far we have found no trace of anything in My Yuy's memory – he has no recognition of how to use an object or any form of speech abilities fro what we could tell and we need to know if he is able to remember his friends of family"
Duo took a deep breath and started to walk over to Heero when a hand caught his arm. The braided man turned around and came face to face with Wufei who shook his head.
"None of us are doing this alone Maxwell" he stated "We'll go together"
Duo smiled slightly and they all walked towards Heero. A number of tests were carried out, but the Japanese pilot responded to none of them and remained sitting where he was staring at nothing.
"He's a vegetable" Duo whispered "And there's nothing we can do about it"
"Come on Duo" Quatre sobbed lightly "There's still hope … there may be procedure where-"
"I'm sorry Mr Winner" the doctor interrupted "But we have no cure or medication for this … Mr Yuy will need 24 hour care for the rest of his life"
"Isn't there a chance he could even improve?"
"There is a slim chance that with time, he will regain some movement, speech or recognition skills, but t is very unlikely"
The pilots sighed as they glanced at their friend who didn't even seem to realise they were there.
"They wanted me to put him in a home for the mentally and physically disabled" Duo snorted angrily
"I couldn't believe it when you offered to take care of him" Wufei smiled "I thought you were crazy!"
"Well, we all do crazy things for love eh Fei?" Duo smirked
Since they had been reunited, Duo had found out that though Wufei still had some feelings for Heero, they had lessened and he had grown fond of another.
"Shut up Maxwell" the Chinese man smirked "My love life is none of your business!"
"What love life?" Quatre asked mischievously and Duo, despite his sadness over Heero, burst out laughing.
"Go Quat!" he screamed grinning
Wufei blushed and turned away.
"You know I'm only messing with ya Fei!" Duo smiled "But I have to admit, I was pretty stupid to take him on without even preparing for anything!"
"What do you mean?" Quatre asked "You don't have any equipment or apparatus or even significant training!"
"I don't care" Duo stated "I am listed as Heero's next of Kin so I decide what happens with him!"
"But Duo!" Quatre pleaded "Please think about this! Your life would be over!"
"I have to agree with Winner" Wufei stated seriously "Taking on Yuy is like taking on a baby"
"I can handle that!" Duo insisted
"I wouldn't trust you with a baby" Wufei snorted "You can't even take care of yourself!"
"Look guys" Duo shouted "I'm taking Heero and that's final! I'm not gonna put my buddy in some home for the rest of his life! It's the least I can do for him!"
The room fell quiet before eventually the others nodded in consent. Duo released a breath he had been holding and walked out to talk with the doctors. Another two weeks passed until Heero was allowed home, but when he was, Duo was waiting.
The other pilots had had to leave to investigate the terrorists threats and assassination attempts on Quatre, but Duo had stayed behind. He had told them that he would see them in a while when they kept their promise to Heero, but he could tell from the looks on their faces that they were thinking of backing out of it. It just felt too awkward t be around Heero like this.
As he pulled up in the driveway, Duo looked back to find Heero asleep in the back seats, slumped to one side. He lifted him out of the car and carried him to the front door before opening it.
"You're home now Heero" Duo whispered "Don't worry, it'll be okay … I'll never leave you, I promise – and you know I don't lie"
Duo's eyes fluttered open and he stretched gently before opening them fully. What he saw shocked him. He quickly nudged Quatre and Trowa who saw what Duo did and quickly woke Wufei.
In between Quatre and Duo, leaning onto the American with his arms wrapped around him was Heero, fast asleep. None of the pilots knew how he could have managed to get into that position without waking them but right now they didn't care.
Even if the operation wasn't a complete success, or if Heero was different, nothing mattered as long as they were all back together. Duo and the others grinned as for the first time in years, Heero's eyelids slowly opened to reveal clear astonishingly blue eyes.
Nope, this isn't the end yet I don't think … nope … 2 more chapters maybe … maybe more, maybe less! I don't know!
Please don't forget to review!
Until Next Time!
Clarobell