Warning: Language, Quatre-centric, macabre, friendship

December 23rd

The Indignity of Death

Lying in the snow, trapped under a pile of scaffolding wasn't exactly how I had planned to spend Christmas. Caught under me, the doorman was already growing stiff. I was pretty sure he hadn't planned to spend Christmas dead, either. Funny how the world works.

I should have stayed home. The head of Winner Corporation should technically be able to take at least Christmas day off but when he doesn't really have anywhere else to be, it'd seemed logical to come in and get some work done.

Normally I just called and ordered a sandwich delivered from the deli, continuing to work at my desk. But today was Christmas and the deli was closed. The only reason a doorman was stationed was because a large Christmas party was being held on the second floor of the building.

It wouldn't do to have guests hold their own door open. Poor bastard, probably thought he could collect a little extra cash working time and a half . . . now the only thing he was collecting was snow in his hair.

I scooted forward as much as I could and brushed off the snow that had blown on his head. It didn't seem right to just let him get covered like that. But the snow concealed the bashed in section of his face and I grimaced, thinking it might be more dignified to actually let the snow bury him.

A board chose that moment to fall, narrowly missing my head and I scooted back again. I rather wished the doorman had ended up on top, at least he'd be some protection against the falling debris.

Of course, then I'd probably be the guy lying dead in the snow.

It was cold. The guests inside would surely come investigate the loud crash. Or somebody running late would try to get in and find their way blocked by a pile of boards and metal poles.

Company presidents can't just go missing. Surely someone would come soon.

Who was I kidding? Nobody would notice I was gone. My life was measured in meetings and signed documents. My share holders only contacted me by phone, my secretary was in Bermuda for two weeks.

The other pilots . . . I assumed they were all busy with their own holiday plans. Plans that might have included me if I'd been around to include. It was a sad reflection on my life that I didn't even know what the other guys were doing this holiday. Probably working like me. We all tended to be rather focused.

I was fucked. I was going to die out here in the cold with a ruptured something; my only companion a doorman I never spoke a word to. And it was Christmas.

Wherever he was, my father was probably laughing himself sick about now. Old man never had want me to run the family company. Said I was betraying him and the Winner name. Blamed my boodthirtsy behavior on the Maqunacs.

I could really use the Maqunacs about now.

Snow blew in and this time I let it cover the doorman. His jacket was wool and I rested my head on his back, feeling the boards pressing me down. Nobody was coming.

It felt like I'd been trapped there for hours. I couldn't get my arm up to check my watch but the sun must have dropped closer to the horizon because it gradually became darker under my pile of boards and I shivered.

My stomach growled. Guess that meant I missed lunch.

Time is all relative anyway. One minute you're alive and the next minute you're dead.

Sometimes you can do it backwards. Heero was dead and then he was alive. I never did figure that one out. I was going to have to ask him about that some time. Preferably before I died. I think you had to know the trick first or it didn't work.

More time, more snow. Finally there were sirens, I could hear them coming closer. Car doors slamming, running feet, voices shouting. Somewhere in the distance I thought I could hear a helicopter.

A voice called out, requesting a winch and I realized nobody knew there were people trapped under all the rubble. Well, people being a collective word. One alive, if overworked company president and one dead doorman.

Dead as a doorman. Good one, Winner.

I snickered and then winced when it caused my ribs to shift, a stabbing pain shooting through my side. That couldn't be good.

I saw a shadow slip past the gaps in the debris. "Hey! Over here! Hey! Get me the hell out of here!"

There was an answering shout and then a dark blur covered some gaps and a voice called out, "Shit, there's someone in there!"
Thanks mate. Merry Christmas to you too.

Then the blur disappeared, guess he was too busy to stop for a chat.

Another board fell, bringing a metal pole with it. I scrunched myself up as well as I could but it still hit me across the legs.

Fuck.

As Duo would so colorfully put it, this sucked. I did not survive two wars just to die under a pile of poorly constructed scaffolding. I'd be the laughing stock of dead people everywhere. I imagined my ancestors meeting me at the gates of death, swords covered in blood, slain in battle. My father was the dusty one. That's what happens when you get blown up.

I snickered again and then stopped, groaning in pain instead. Blood dripped into my eyes. I blacked out for a bit.

When I opened my eyes again, it was darker and I could hear more shouting, much closer this time. It sounded like people were arguing and then there was a creaking as boards shifted and poles were raised. Arms reached through the gap and grasped my shoulders.

A strong tug and I was dragged out, boards and metal collapsing again behind me. Good thing the other guy was already dead.

I wondered idly what his name had been.

Somebody stood me up, dusting me off and wrapping an arm around my waist to hold me up. I could see Wufei arguing with a man in a police uniform, spreading his arms out and not letting the guy get past. The person holding me up was Duo and I realized Heero and Trowa had been the ones to lift the rubble so Duo could pull me out.

Wufei ran over and held up my other side, walking me towards a car. In the background the policeman stood with his mouth hanging open in shock. I knew better than to laugh this time. Instead I tipped my head back to stare at the sky; it was a rich purple color and I found the first star of the night.

I grinned. "What took you guys so long, anyway?"

I know what separates the dead from the living. It's the people who come even when we can't call out to them.