97 Days Until Last Communication

The taxi ride was uncomfortable, even for Duo with his considerable acclimation to Heero's moods, and the reunion with Quatre awkward and suspiciously quiet. Quatre lead them through the sterile lab wing, offering credentials when required, having their pictures taken, having them submit to metal detectors and invasive physical searches, having them sign forms waiving their rights as citizens of the United States if they ever spoke of what was about to happen here.

Duo had never been to Atlanta before and naively thought this would be a fun trip for them – that they might stay at a fancy hotel in the city and sight-see and eat at classy restaurants. But Heero's constant preoccupation only became worse since they boarded the flight and he seemed to totally forcibly block out every signal and suggestion Duo threw at him. It put him in a foul mood. He understood that Heero had a lot on his mind, but frankly he was getting tired of being shoved out of the other man's reality in lieu of dark, unforeseeable futures.

Their shoes echoed on the tile but otherwise they were completely silent as a woman with curled hair lead them back to a room that looked surprisingly like a normal doctor's examination room to Duo. Well, as far as the big, reclined patient chair, sink, cabinets, rows of sterilizers and sharps containers were concerned – but there was no out-dated wallpaper or poorly done watercolors of little boats or flowers here.

The sound of protective white paper being pulled down over the beige vinyl was almost too loud in the little room. Quatre had chosen to wait outside but Duo gave Heero a look that clearly stated he did not want to be left alone here, with her, and Heero noticed – for once – and complied. They stood there together, trying not to seem nervous, not touching one another but unsure what to do as she opened a hand-sized case she had been carrying, twisting the lock combination and removing two vials.

"Who wants to go first?" she asked with a smile that seemed completely out of place and they exchanged another look. Duo didn't want to be a pussy but the whole thing creeped him out. The security measures, the way Heero was acting, Quatre's silence, this woman and her weird little case of mystery vaccine – hell, just being at the CDC in general where they housed disease of mass destruction creeped him out. The rest was just messy icing on a poorly constructed cake.

"I will," Heero offered suddenly, breaking eye contact and moving to hop up on the chair, rolling up his sleeve. That was almost worse, Duo realized, his gut twisting a little as he watched the man he loved submit himself to this shot first, for him.

"I'd give you a consent form but, you now, this isn't technically legal," she joked but Duo didn't really appreciate the reminder of that fact. "As with any vaccine, you may experience soreness, redness, or swelling at the injection site. You may develop a fever or rash. A few people have reported vomiting and diarrhea twenty-four to forty-eight hours after injection, though this is uncommon." She prepped Heero's arm with alcohol as she said this and then smiled up at him.

"I will give you my personal number. Please do not hesitate to call me if either of you experience any symptoms or have any follow-up questions." She turned then and prepped the needle quickly, injecting it with clinical efficiency and Heero didn't flinch.

"One down," she announced cheerily as she peeled a bandaid over the site and disposed of the needle, Heero rolling down his sleeve.

Their eyes met again for a minute and it was just like when they signed those forms. Duo didn't feel right about it, but Heero's eyes would impress upon him this need, this urgency and Duo knew he didn't really have a choice. And Heero was probably right. All the politicians he worked with got the vaccine, Quatre had gotten it too, Quatre's family... Heero knew more about this than he did and he'd already decided to trust him this far.

So he traded places with Heero, sliding up his own sleeve, submitting to the alcohol pad, the prick of the needle, and the burning sensation down his arm.

"When is this going to be available to the public?" Duo asked as she turned to throw out the sharp and he pulled down his sleeve.

"Oh." She made a face then that wasn't particularly encouraging. "With regulations and testing and lobbying... we are predicting two or three years – hopefully. Though I doubt we'll have to worry about it at that point." Then she shrugged and rifled through her pockets for a business card, handing it to Heero as Duo retook his place by his side. "You guys are lucky to have friends in high places. I don't see too many civilians in here."

Duo frowned as she opened the door and motioned them out, Quatre leading them back through the maze of halls to the exit. But Duo's mind was still trapped in that room with her, repeating her words over and over in his head. Though I doubt we'll have to worry about it at that point.

"Did she mean that this – whatever this is – will happen before the vaccine is made public?" Duo hissed, grabbing the back of Heero's shirt to get his attention.

"It could happen at any time," Heero answered stoically, no emotion what-so-ever, not even glancing back in his direction so Duo turned to Quatre – but his face was equally blank.

"You just accept this? Are you doing nothing to try to speed the process along? These are your constituents," Duo argued, trying to keep his voice down in the echoing hallways but panic was rising quickly in his throat and it was difficult to keep it down.

"My hands are tied," Quatre returned calmly, completely unperturbed. "I try to help by getting as many civilians as I can in here. I don't like it, but that's all I can do."

Duo gapped, feeling betrayed. He was no more important than anyone else, certainly, and the whole situation was happenstance, coincidence, they'd done nothing to deserve protection and more than anyone else. It was wrong – on a global scale. Someone should say something, do something, but neither of them seemed to care. He couldn't just let it go. It wasn't in his nature to just let it go.

"But if –"

"Duo!" Heero cut him off immediately, sending back a hard glare in his direction. Duo paused a moment and swallowed, feeling like a child being scolded by the teacher.

After that, Duo kept his mouth shut, and the ride back to the hotel was miserable as Duo sulked, refusing to meet Heero's eyes, frustrated that neither he nor Quatre them seemed to care that people, a lot of people, could die. He still didn't really know if he believed anything was going to happen, but Heero did, and clearly Quatre did, and the doctor, and all of them seemed so damned complacent and that wasn't Duo. He couldn't be okay with this.

"Now that we've accomplished what we came here for, we can go to that restaurant you wanted to go to last night," Heero offered but Duo just lay down on the bed, back facing his partner, and closed his eyes, blocking out the room, wishing he could be anywhere else other than there with him at that moment but there was nowhere for him to go.

"I don't really feel like it." He heard Heero pause a minute, could feel his eyes on his back, then the soft rustle of fabric as he began unbuttoning his shirt.

"We could get room service, then," he offered and Duo could practically hear the follow-up of 'I know you like that.' Heero was trying but Duo was still pissed. He wasn't ready to forgive Heero yet. He wanted an apology. He wanted to know that Heero felt the same way he did.

"I'm not hungry."

Heero sighed at that but it was the truth. His stomach felt sick and he just wanted to be left alone.

"Don't be mad at me," Heero asked, a little hint of desperation at the edges of his voice, and Duo felt the bed shift as Heero's weight was added to it. "I'm just trying to do the right thing for us."

"I know," Duo groaned, that being the entire issue. "For us."

"That's all I can do," Heero said, sounding frustrated and Duo felt a slight tug on his braid and knew Heero was thumbing it, hesitant to actually reach out to him and touch him, scared of his wrath but then still needing his reassurance.

Duo turned over then and looked up at him, biting his lip, feeling a little guilty at the sad look on Heero's face. Maybe he judged Heero too harshly. Maybe Heero did care. Heero wasn't that great at expressing his emotions, tended to bury them down where no one could see them, use them against him, make him vulnerable and sometimes it was hard for Duo to remember that – that just because he didn't say it didn't mean he didn't feel it.

"I know," Duo admitted with a sigh. "I just – this all feels wrong. I feel guilty."

"It might not happen," Heero offered somewhat optimistically, but Duo knew that was only because he was thankful for Duo's attempt at communicating and that Heero would say anything to keep him from shutting down completely.

"But you think it will," Duo replied and Heero frowned.

"I do."

There was silence between them for a moment and Duo fingered the edging of Heero's open shirt absently, not knowing what to say, not knowing what Heero could say to make him feel better. Really, there truly was nothing Heero could do. It wasn't fair to hold that against him.

"I wish Quatre had never said anything," Duo muttered at last as Heero's hand covered his own, halting it, and he released the soft linen of Heero's shirt.

"But he did." Heero lifted his hand to his lips, pressing the knuckles against soft flesh and staring down into Duo's eyes honestly. "And I have to try to protect you."

Heero moved his hand to his cheek and Duo watched as he closed his eyes and nuzzled against his palm before lacing their fingers together and leaning down to kiss him.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Heero murmured against his lips and Duo couldn't be mad any more. He knew intimately Heero's insecurities, his worries, and he opened his mouth a little wider, encouraging Heero to kiss him a little deeper. He slid his hand through his hair, lovingly cradling his head as they kissed, telling him with his body that he knew, that he would always be there, warm and tangible and his.