Chapter One: Murphy's Law
Duo placed his hand over his stomach once again, he was nauseous but then again being so nervous would do that to you. He sighed and tried to force himself to calm down, but when he went to stand up to walk across the room to fetch his shoes he nearly lost his lunch. Two strong hands caught his shoulders and a green eye peered at him, "Duo are you okay?"
"I dunno, I just thought I was nervous…" Duo replied as Trowa helped him back to his chair. Duo was concentrating on breathing so he hardly noticed when Trowa's hand graced his forehead, "Well you don't feel feverish."
"If I sit still it'll go away," Duo replied with a faint smile, "Lately I've been having these kinds of spells."
Trowa's visible brow furrowed, "I wouldn't have put you for the kind to get nervous."
"Yeah, I mean I'm nervous, but not enough to make myself sick... I think I just have a minor bug. But the doctor said nothing is blatantly wrong."
"Well let me go get you a cool cloth yeah?"
Duo nodded and watched as the tall and lean Latino brunette made his way across the 'groom' suite to the sink to dampen a cloth. Trowa was a blessing sometimes, he was always calm, never jumping to conclusions, taking everything in stride before he did something. Duo was thankful for that now, Quatre would have gone bonkers in Trowa's place, Heero and Wufei would have hovered like a mother hen, which was as bad as Quatre's freaking out.
Trowa returned and placed the cool cloth to Duo's forehead, sweeping the chestnut bangs from Duo's eyes; the cold dampness felt good.
"Duo if you're ill you should probably tell Heero that way we can reschedule the wedding."
"I'll be fine!" Duo retorted; THIS was his wedding day, not next month, not tomorrow, TODAY. And he'd be damned if he let a little nausea destroy his day, no, his and Heero's day. Trowa gave him a skeptical look but said nothing, continuing to play doctor for Duo. After a while of clam, Duo pushed Trowa hand away and smiled, "Thanks bud, I'm feeling better now."
"You sure Duo?"
"Yeah, I'll take something for my stomach just in case."
Trowa sighed but knew better than to argue with Duo Maxwell when the other had his heart set on something. So he helped where he could wondering how Quatre and Wufei were faring with Heero.
oOo
Heero watched Quatre adjust Wufei's neck tie with a smirk, the Chinese had never been good with neck ties or ties for that matter. Quatre was lecturing to the raven haired man once again about how he really needed to learn to do these kinds of things on his own because one day he wasn't going to be around to do it for him. Heero laughed to himself, Quatre almost made it sound like he and Wufei were married, but in fact Wufei was still single, he claimed that he just wasn't interested in sharing his life with someone like that. Duo had a hunch he was still sore over the death of his wife. How Duo knew that Heero didn't know, but then again, Duo knew a lot of things about his former War Buddies that he kept close.
Heero sighed and looked himself over in the mirror, he look absolutely marvelous in his black suite. He smirked, because the last time he wore this suite he had proposed to Duo, and well look where it landed him, right in his own little hotel room with Quatre and Wufei busying them selves to be ready for his wedding.
"What are you laughing about over there Yuy?" Wufei's gruff voice cut into his thoughts, he had barely realized he'd spaced out until his eyes had to refocus on Wufei's image in the mirror.
"How very much you two sound like a married couple."
The blonde and the raven haired men stared at him as if her were insane, but then Wufei turned it to his own little joke as well, "Damn, we've been found out Quatre, he'll tell Trowa for sure."
Quatre then turned to him and sputtered when he could get his words to work, he slapped Wufei on the shoulder, "I am NOT cheating on Trowa!"
"Then what was last night then?" Wufei asked with a bit of a melodramatic flare, "What am I? Just some cheap whore, how could you use me so?"
Heero watched as Wufei turned away from Quatre with his hand held to his heart.
Quatre scoffed and rolled his eyes and went to straightening his own neck tie.
"One day I'm going to get you all for the jokes you all play on me and Trowa," Qautre said with a bit of anger as he jerked his tie this way and that.
Heero and Wufei gave each other and puzzled look before Wufei walked over and placed a hand on Quatre's shoulder, "We don't do it to be rude, but if you want us to stop then all you have to do is tell us."
"He's right Quatre," Heero agreed. Both of them were met by suspicious blue eyes before the anger faded to a smile, "Got'cha."
This time Qautre was on the receiving end of the blank stares, he laughed at their faces before he went back to his tie with a chuckle, "I win."
"He wasn't kidding when he said he'd get us back," Heero muttered, Wufei nodded, "I think that could have won an award or something."
"I know! An Academy Award!"
"Or a Film Actors Guild Award!" Wufei retorted.
"You two… if you don't stop…" Qautre was waving an ice pick at them. Both of them put their hands up and took a step back, and at the same time they said, "Yes Qautre."
"Good boys," he replied and placed the ice pick aside. He looked at his watch and frowned, "It's nearly time, Heero! Get your shoes on, and Wufei comb you're hair!"
Heero mock saluted and went on a little search for his shoes, Wufei on the other hand put on a defiant stance folding his arms over his chest; "You want me to do what?"
Heero looked over his shoulder to see Qautre descend on the Chinese man comb in hand; Wufei's little yelps of pain could be heard outside the room as Quatre more or less ripped the comb through his hair.
oOo
"Duo! Settle down!" Trowa's soft chuckle caused Duo to stop hopping around in place, "I mean you were just complaining of being nauseous."
"But I told you, I feel better! So good in fact I think I could take on an entire OZ fleet and win!"
"That's no hard feet Duo," Trowa answered with a smirk.
"Yeah for me, but for you, you always hit hard and had lost ammo nearly 20 minutes into the fight and then had to resort to that like Swiss army blade thing."
Trowa was tapping his foot, "Alright Mr. Brag-a-lot you're on."
Duo blinked and saw that the music had started up and that he was supposed to be walking to meet Heero.
Their ceremony was different seeing as there was no bride, there wasn't going to be a bridal march. Heero and Duo had decided they'd walk down the aisle together. That meant they were going to walk from two side doors opposite each other, and then following them, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei. They were going to be the groom's men, for the both of them.
Duo ran from his side door a little ways to with a sheepish smile, Heero was giving Duo this look with a smile on his face. Duo winked at him and then let his eyes wonder to take in the full sight of the church, it was beautiful, simple but beautiful there were roses white and red scattered everywhere and the aisle was adorned all the way down except for the first few pews on each side with a long with ribbon. He spotted the crucifixion hanging just above the father who was to wed them and his hand absently went to his chest where the cross Heero had gotten him for engagement now rest. He smiled to himself and then turned that smile to Heero.
Heero reached for Duo's hand when they met each other in front of the aisle. Duo took it and after they linked arms the two soon-to-be-wed walked down the aisle.
Duo was grinning like an idiot, but suddenly that sinking feeling invaded his gut, and he felt nauseous again, but this time he wasn't so sure he would be able to hold it in. He barely registered the fact his vision was going blurry and his knees were going weak.
"Duo?" Heero's voice sounded so far away, and before he could answer Duo's world went black.
Heero barely had time to catch Duo before the other went face forward on the floor; he pulled the other to his chest and went down on his knees to lay Duo down. Three pairs of foot falls came up behind him and he looked up to see, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei hovering over the passed out Duo.
"What's wrong?" Wufei asked.
"I don't know…" Heero replied, he went pale and then just went out.
"Nerves?" Quatre asked.
"Can't be." Heero replied.
"He said he'd been sick lately," Trowa commented.
"He said he was fine today!" Heero growled, "I told him if he was ill…"
"You know Duo, once he's got his heart set on something," Trowa replied with sympathy for his friend.
Heero was going to reply but he felt Duo's body start to quake and he watched in horror as Duo went in to convulsions. The braided boy's body arched up from the floor only to fall back down jarring every muscle in his body. Wufei went down to his knees to help Heero hold Duo as still as possible as the moment progressed the thrashing was getting worse. Trowa ever the resourceful one pulled out his cell phone and called emergency services as Sally joined the two Asians on the floor. Hoping her medical training would be of use.
oOo
So much for that wedding, Heero thought sitting outside in the waiting room of the hospital with most everyone else that'd been at the wedding. He could hardly believe that something like this would happen to Duo, to them. The doctors were even a little bit clueless as to what had caused Duo to go into seizure like that. So while he was still out of it, they were going to run more tests on him. Heero's knee bounced while he contemplated what was wrong, eventually a hand fell on his knee stilling it, "Would you stop, you're as bad as Qautre..." Hilde commented.
He raised his navy eyes to the blonde who couldn't seem to decide if he wanted to sit, stand or walk around. Even Trowa was looking at Qautre with irritation, "Quatre, love, will you please stop fidgeting, it's making me nervous."
Quatre stopped for a moment after muttering an apology but he went right back to it, and Trowa sighed in resolve.
A female doctor came in with a grim look on her face, "Mr. Yuy?"
Heero shot to his feet, "Yes?"
"Come with me, Mr. Maxwell is asking for you."
"He's awake?" Wufei asked.
The doctor nodded. Heero licked his lips that were very dry indeed, the doctor turned away and motioned for Heero to follow her, Heero shot after her and gave the others a sympathetic smile.
He was down the hall to a room and the doctor held the door open, Heero walked in briskly and straight to Duo side, Duo opened an eye feeling the presence of another. Seeing Heero he reached out for Heero's hand. Heero took the offered hand and placed a kiss on Duo's forehead, "Hey there."
Duo grinned back, "Hey handsome."
"How are you feeling?"
"I've felt better," Duo admitted, "You know, I told you ol' Murphy would get us if you said everything would go perfect today."
Heero let out a breathless laugh and rolled his eyes. The doctor coughed and the two shifted their attention away from each other to the woman standing off to the side.
"Yes?" Heero asked.
"Well we ran a MRI on Mr. Maxwell here, along with a few other tests."
"And?" Duo watched the doctors face very carefully.
"I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but we believe you have a brain tumor."