OUT OF THE STORM
By Towairaito
CHAPTER FOUR – The Evening Instilled
"Heero is an unusual name."
"Not in my family. As tradition, backing in the early eighteen hundreds, the name is usually reserved for the first-born son. Naturally, my father's name was Heero." He smiled sardonically. "Here ends the history lesson."
Rabbit was amazed, "Wow, I don't think my family has ever done that. But if they do, they best bet a good name for–what's the matter?" She added as he eyed her speculatively.
"What do you do for a living?"
"What an odd question to ask." She shrugged, "Who knows?" Rabbit thought for a moment, pursing her lips into a pout. "Perhaps I'm a baker, or a secretary at some bid company, or maybe I paint water-colures for a living, like those on the wall over there."
Heero's face scrunched up in disgust, " I hope not! Those were done by my great-aunt, a over-eccentric lady with more enthusiasm than talent!"
She giggled, nodding to agree.
The Doctor smiled slightly. "If your head better?"
"Just a bit. Every now and then it hurts." Rabbit smiled in return. "How about some more of those wonder pills before I retire tonight?"
He only shook his head. "I rather not, Rabbit. You can sleep on it, I hope. Tomorrow morning we'll see about that head of yours."
Sighing dejectedly, she said. "Oh, all right. Then do you have a book that I can read?"
"Reading may cause another head rush. Sorry, but no. I'd rather you rest your head–count sheep if you need to."
Rabbit didn't argue. Her curiosity was piqued, "Are there any sheep on the island, Heero?"
"Before. Wing used to be a farmhouse. An ancestor of mine bought the island, convinced he could take a go at farming surrounded by his beloved sea."
"Was he Heero, too?"
Heero stretched out his tall frame comfortably in a leather chair as he explained that the man was his mother's grandfather, by the name Heero Seikouri, known to be at pubs and drink heartily with the locals and travelers alike telling stories on long past, so the farm was not a complete success.
"Since his time, Wing has been used as a holiday retreat by various Seikouris down the years." Then he added, "Some of the land is let out for summer grazing to the mainland farmers."
She was absorbed into the history, "And in the winter?"
"Ferreters used it in the past. Nowadays I have someone from the mainland to come over here regularly to keep an eye on the place."
"Impressive," Rabbit mussed, "So this entire island is your property?"
"Sole property." Heero corrected. "My mother was an only child. So grandfather left the land to me in a way that even if I had wanted to sell the island, I couldn't. The island was meant for me to pass it down to my son."
"That sounds so old fashioned!" She then looked at him, hesitating. "Do you have a son?"
His eyes went blank and face sour. "No."
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to–"
"It's alright." He cut her off. "It's not classified information. Although my late wife had not bore me any children."
Rabbit was shocked, "But you said–"
He cut her off again, "I'm not married, well, not anymore, at least. She an I divorced due to complications."
Rabbit suddenly felt sorry for Dr. Yuy. Everything seemed clearer now. Heero was here to get over a loss. "I'm so sorry." She bowed her head in shame.
"What for? Releena merely lost interest in the thought of marriage to a very busy consultant. She required a man with more time–and money–to spend on her. The divorce was recently settled. I'm a free man now." The last bit was added as a note more to himself. "More tea?"
Rabbit could only nod dumbly; wishing dearly that the subject had never come up, as Heero strode off to the kitchen for more tea. She gazed at the door Heero kicked shut behind him, biting her lip. Heero must have loved Releena so deeply to be so bitter over losing her. Tears filled her eye as she suddenly thought of her loved ones. She must have a family, maybe a boyfriend, all of them probably out of their minds imagining her missing, even drowned. Rabbit wiped the thought from her mind immediately. Her memory was more important so she could go back to them as soon as possible. The thought of my being marooned here with a moody doctor gives me the creeps.
When Heero returned with the tea, Rabbit was surprised to see him looking withdrawn, as though he deeply regretted the mention of his late wife. He placed a plate full of biscuits on the small table next to the tea beside her. "Eat those with the tea. You'll feel better." With that, he sat down stiffly, sill looking rather remorseful.
Rabbit doubted the biscuits would make her feel better at the moment, but she bit into one meekly, deciding to follow orders of her forlorn man. After all, doctors know best. She was hoping her cooperation would at least keep the peace between them. Heero poured the tea for her and retreated to his chair again with a glass of whiskey.
"The weather's will continue on at this pace fore a while." He said moodily. "Gale-force ten, soon."
"Gale-force? Isn't it already noisy as it is?" Rabbit glanced nervously at the windows, wondering if they were enforced.
"There's no need to worry. There are secondary glazings in every window. Most the noise is kept out, and the worst of it, too." Heero reassured her. " The sound outside is a few decibels higher."
I don't think I'll be taking a walk outside anytime soon before bedtime." Rabbit downed half her tea quickly, and dropped the cop with a scream as the room was suddenly plunged into darkness.
"Are you alright?" The Doctor's voice was urgent, a flashlight shined in her direction.
"Yeah." Rabbit shivered slightly, "But I broke your cup and spilt the tea all over myself." She wiped the excess liquid off the chest of her barrowed shirt, which was damp. "What happened?"
Heero's mood was quite cool. "The generator shuts off once in a while when the wind gets too strong."
The blond lifted an eyebrow in question.
"It happens too often for comfort." He explained.
"Wonderful." Rabbit said irritably.
"I'm going to replace it soon. Tinkering with it doesn't do much good anymore. Either way, I'll have to leave you to your own devices while I check on the generator." The Doctor stood and approached shelves lining on wall and pulled out a handful of cassettes, and then a transistor radio. He placed the items on the coffee table in front of Rabbit. "These are a few audio-novels and music I thought to your liking. The transistor already has batteries within it."
She smiled, grateful for the offering. "Thank you." Picking up a cassette from the pile, she examined it. "Tchaikovsky?"
"I have no Beethoven, if that's what you're looking for. If not, there are more on that shelf." Heero gestured to the bookcase. "But I'd rather not have you move so much."
"Yes, Doctor."
"Are you being cheeky with me?" He eyed her carefully.
"Oh, not at all. I wouldn't dream of it." She said demurely. I'll be good, I promise. Besides, all these are enough for me to listen to. I won't move a muscle. I'll be listening to this exciting mystery, Emma by Jane Austen."
"Seems you share similar tastes in reading with my mother." He chuckled lightly, flashlight still in hand.
"That obvious? I rather like puzzling mysteries." Her mouth drooped open after concluding the sentence. "I wish I remembered everything else." She brooded.
"Stop that." Heero ordered. "I'll be back, so don't move until I get back."
As the light from the flashlight dimmed away, indicating Heero's leave, it wasn't hard to follow orders. Rabbit laid back, relaxing to the compassionate voice reading the story, closing her mind off from her worries until Heero was finished fixing the generator.
She was so engrossed with the audio-novel; Rabbit didn't hear Heero walk in. Suddenly the radio turned off. "What?"
Immediately sitting up, blinking, she noticed him. "Heero! The lights are on. You fixed the generator."
Heero was streaked with oil and his usual unruly hair was even more a mess. Rabbit noticed he was slightly smiling.
"The patient recovered, I assume?" She mused, smiling widely in return.
Heero's smile grew to a rare genuine smile, "Of course, but sooner or later that generator will fail completely. For now, it'll stay working. It took me an hour and a half to fix it."
"That long? I didn't realize that I was here for so long on the couch."
"For you, yes, for me I had to wrestle with that damn machine for quite a while."
"And I see that you've enjoyed yourself as much as I have, Heero." She noticed his mood was light and happy.
Heero shrugged, smiling again. "I hope you don't mind waiting here again. I need a bath."
"Yes, of course. I feel much better than I had earlier." She was slightly afraid to go to bed so soon.
He was slightly amused as he approached the stairs. "Don't worry, I'll be back to take you to your room. Enjoy yourself for now."
"Thank you, Heero." Grateful, Rabbit laid back down to listen to Tchaikovsky waiting for Heero to return.
When Heero returned, hair damp and refreshed, he picked up Rabbit and climbed up the stairs with no hesitation.
"If you would, Heero. I would like to freshen up before I go to bed." She clung to him, her arms around his head.
He only nodded in return, concentrating at the task at hand. Once reaching the bathroom, he placed Rabbit down onto her feet, setting her on the closed toilet to sit.
Rabbit bent over and took of the barrowed socks and handed them to Heero, "I'd like to thank you for letting me barrow these." Standing up, she was relieved that the room was not spinning like it had the first time.
"Your welcome. I take it you'll do fine walking to the bedroom?" He eyed her carefully.
"Of course! What do you take me for?" She huffed.
"Just as you get there safe from here, I don't care if you even have to crawl to get to the bedroom."
"I'll be fine, Doctor. I don't need your help." She quipped, suddenly mad. "Thank you for dinner. Goodnight."
Again Heero scrutinized her carefully before taking his leave. "Fine. But if you need anything, just call me."
Rabbit nodded, determined to die first rather than to ask for his help. She brushed her teeth and thought, Tomorrow, I'll have total recall and leave right away. All she needed was a good night's sleep. Perhaps, tomorrow, the rain will stop. Done, Rabbit made her way to the bedroom she first found herself in. The bed was clean and had a glass of water set aside next to it. A candle and matches were laid next to the glass that Rabbit figured, was just in case the generator blew out again. Looked like Heero was still worried for her care.
Crossing a mirror, Rabbit couldn't help but glace at her appearance. "My hair's a crows nest!" Noticing a brush, she picked it up, hoping dearly that Heero didn't mind she borrowed it for a bit. Once all the tangles were out and her long, blonde hair was the way she wanted it, she crawled into bed.
"Ahh." Leaning back, Rabbit was ready to let sleep overcome her, but the peace did not come. She was still wide-awake and her head started to throb. Now, she wished she left her hair alone. She sighed; resenting the fact Heero dragged her back up here. But try as she might, she could hate the doctor. He saved her life, after all.
A tapping at the door alerted her of her guest. Speak of the devil, she mused. "Come in."
Ducking his head from the doorway, Heero stepped in slightly embarrassed. "I saw the light under your door and wondered if you needed any company for the night."
CHAPTER 5 – Bedroom Company is next.
Author's Notes: I'd like to apologize for my late updates, everyone. I'd gotten a few comments here and there but they have not inspired me to keep writing. I'm hoping to get at least 25 reviews before moving on to the next chapter! So please review and tell me what you think of the story so far!
Towairaito
