Disclaimer:We do not own or profit from Gundam Wing. For who could love Dorothy's eyebrows?

Authors:Foxy Mcgee and Cltcmistress

"Can I have your attention? Everyone, please listen up!" The fire chief in charge of rescue operations stood on a table looking over the groups of volunteers clustered around him. "I need you all to listen. I know there's a lot yet to be done, but we have to rearrange duties a bit. It's been about five days. I know this is hard, but at this point we need to start shifting our efforts to clean up and recovery. I want you all to still be aware of any signs of bodies. But we're going to start bringing in the machinery to help moving the rubble. This means ya'll need to listen up and be aware of any instability in what you're standing on. So be careful out there and let's get this taken care of. Take breaks and watch out for each other. Enough lives have already been lost, we don't want to add to the toll." His face dropped with the faces of many of the volunteers around him as he stepped down, put his hardhat back on his head and turned to make his way to the site.

"No. No, no, NO!" Duo started frantically pulling debris and rubble from the pile. "No fucking way. Jesus Christ!" He pulled his hand back and glared at the cut left behind from something in the pile, but immediately began to pull more rubble out, mumbling quietly to himself, a distant look in his eyes.

Wufei and Heero turned and each took hold of one of Duo's arms. "Duo, stop! You've already hurt yourself." Heero stumbled back and glared at the braided pilot when he shrugged him off and pushed him away. Wufei growled as his hand wrapped firmly around the wrist of Duo's injured hand. "Maxwell. Stop it."

"NO!" His voice cracked as he jerked his arm away from Wufei, spinning to face the other two pilots. "Just back the fuck off! If you hadn't keep pressing me to stop we could've made more progress, just leave me the fuck alone." Duo tore his arm free from Wufei's grip and went back to pulling chunks of rock. He was breathing heavily, and a small sob escaped him as he dug back into the debris.

"Maxwell, there's nothing more you could have done. Even without your breaks." He took hold of Duo's wrist again, giving Heero a look to leave them alone. "Duo. One man cannot move a mountain."

"Don't give me that bullshit, I don't fucking care." Duo tugged on his arm, finally going back to work one armed as Wufei held the other. "Leave me alone."

"Duo you're going to hurt yourself. Then you'll be no good to anyone." Wufei moved to squat infront of Duo, keeping one hand firmly on his wrist as he reached out to take hold of the other. "Look at me."

Duo lifted his eye's to meet Wufei's as tears started to slide down his cheeks. "I don't care! I won't give up."

"It's been five days."

"No." Duo slammed his free fist into Wufei's chest as another sob escaped him. "You're giving up, just like that?" He hit Wufei again.

He saw the hands fly at him, but barely felt the impact. There was no menace behind it. Just a physical outreach of emotion. "It's been five days. Two days since the last survivor and since the last sounds of tapping." He wished there was something else he could say, some way to make it easier. But denying the truth was only going to make it harder when they did find them. "I'm not giving up. I still hope to find them. But you have to be realistic. Working yourself in a frenzy and getting yourself hurt," once again he took hold of Duo's injured hand, "isn't going to help anyone."

"They're still alive!" Duo hit Wufei again, chanting over and over to himself as he hit the chinese pilot. Finally he dropped his fists and fell forward onto the chinese pilot's shoulder as another sob escaped him. All the pent up emotions and frustration finally pushed through his mind and Duo felt the tears fall as he hugged onto Wufei. "Take me away from here, I can't look at it any more." It was a whisper as he buried his face against the other pilot's chest.

Wufei wrapped his arms around Duo and held him until his sobs slowed. Finally he scooped the pilots limp body up and carried him back to the encampment. He deposited him on a cot in one of the tents and draped a blanket over him. "Get some rest. Do you want me to stay here, or go back to work with the others?" Idly, he brushed his hands over the chestnut hair and watched the tears continue to run from Duo's eyes.

"Stay, but they need you more, so go."

He sat next to him and leaned so his arm rested on the other side of Duo's cot. "I'll stay till you fall asleep. Then I'll go work."

Duo smiled, then turned his face away. "You must think I'm weak, huh?"

"I think you're one of the strongest here for holding on and pushing yourself for as long as you have." Gently, his other hand brushed the bangs from the pilot's face. "I think you hold yourself together and are so strong for others, that you need the chance to be the one taken care of for a change."

Duo turned his face away from Wufei's again and curled into a ball. "I'd rather be the stronger one." He closed his eyes as he wiped away what tears were left.

Wufei stood and looked down at Duo's huddled form on the cot. He looked so much like a child the Chinese pilot had to take a deep breath. "Everyone needs someone to care for them. Especially someone like you who cares so much for everyone else." He tucked the blanket around Duo's shoulders and left to join Heero back at the site.

Trowa watched the blonde form in front of him briefly. Quatre had fallen asleep and didn't show any signs of waking soon. They were on the fifth day of being trapped in their small prison with no sound from the outside world and soon the rescue attempts would stop, if they hadn't already. It was possible they could be crushed under the debris, which had settled a few more times and rained dust down on his head.

One of the last times some of rubble around them shifted and Trowa was able to pry his legs free. They were bruised badly and crushed, but he didn't think they were broken. He managed to pull himself up towards the blonde removing the gun from the back waist band of his pants as he moved. He was dying, he knew it -even if Quatre said otherwise, the infection and blood loss was too much on his body, but the dehydration would be the worse. Even the rain water had dried quickly - too quickly and their prison was warm.

He didn't want the blonde to die that way, dehydration was a horrible way to die. That or starvation. They hadn't talked about food or their hunger - silent agreement - but he could tell the blonde was at his limit, curled into a ball with his hands clutching his stomach. It had went past Trowa that he'd vomited from hunger on more then occasion, when he thought the taller pilot was asleep, but there was simply nothing in their bodies to push out. One shot. One shot to the head and he would be gone.

He moved as silent as possible and held the gun up to Quatre's forehead, his hand shaking badly as he did so. Maybe if he had enough strength left, he could use another bullet on himself. He studied Quatre again and shook his head, he wouldn't let him die this way. Trowa began to squeeze the trigger as a small noise echoed through the debris around him and he froze. Voices? Did he hear shouting or was it the fever and entrapment getting to him? He looked up, studying the debris above him, waiting for something, anything to happen again, but he didn't lower his gun from Quatre's head.

Something startled him in his sleep. Quatre woke and opened his eyes to a nightmare. The barrel of Trowa's gun shook in front of his face. He jerked back and felt his head connect with cement. "Tro-" He stopped when he noticed Trowa wasn't looking at him. His eyes were looking up. A small amount of dust shifted and fell from above. "What are you doing?" He sat up and moved away from the end of the gun. Where had that come from and how did he get his legs loose?

Trowa held up a hand indicated silence as a noise sounded overhead again. He dropped his arm and his eyes met Quatre's. "Do you hear?"

The blonde listened and heard voices distantly above them. He looked up and then back to Trowa. "We have to make noise." He scrambled for a piece of rebar and started knocking it against anything he could. "We're down here! HEY!"

Trowa had other plans. He aimed the gun into the debris, making sure he ricochet wouldn't hit him, Quatre, or their rescuers and fired one time.

"Frank! Hey, get over hear I think I heard something. Tell them to cut that engine." The rescue worker waved off some of the other workers near him and knelt down to listen closely. Using a piece of cement he tapped a rhythm out on the debris and waited.

Quatre stared at Trowa and opened his mouth to say something when he heard the noise pause. A moment later the sound of tapping drifted down. His eyes lit up and he tapped out an SOS with the rebar. "We're here," his voice choked out. He tried again, but his throat was just too raw. "Help." He tapped the message three more times and waited.

Trowa reach up and took the bar away from Quatre hitting much harder with it, continuing the SOS. "I could fire the gun again." He glanced at Quatre.

"You might hit someone with a ricochet." He reached for the bar. "Give me that. You shouldn't be doing that."

"Well if I hit them, they'll know for sure." He released the bar and sat back as the noise from above began to grow louder. He studied Quatre for a minute before his vision started to blur. He reach out to grab Quatre's arm, but his hand dropped before he could reach the blonde and he fell with it.

"Trowa!" Quatre watched as the pilot collapsed. He scooted over and cradled his head in his lap. "Hold on just a little longer. Please Trowa, just hold on."

Wufei looked up at the sound of shouting and glanced at Heero. All he needed was the nod and they were both scrambling over to the source of the commotion. "What is it? Did they find something?" Heero grabbed the arm of the nearest worker who looked at him. "They think they heard something." He froze and looked back to Wufei who returned the same shocked expression. "Should I get Duo?" The Chinese pilot half turned, ready to go get him. "Or should we wait till we know what it really is?"

"Go." Heero turned back to the worker. "Start digging." He barked as he kneeled and started moving debris.

Wufei turned and scrambled down the pile, running for the tent. "Duo." He skittered to a stop beside the pilot's cot and shook his sleeping form. He'd finally agreed to getting some rest a few hours ago and he felt marginally guilty for having to disturb those precious hours of rest. "Wake up."

Duo shot up as soon as Wufei touched him, eyes wide. "What?" He looked around before stumbling off the cot.

"Don't get too worked up. But one of the workers thinks they heard something." He knew Duo would would be outta there in a moment so he turned and started for the site already.

Quatre hugged his arms around Trowa's form as he leaned back and let his head rest against the cement. They were coming. His eyes fluttered as he looked up and watched. He was so tired, but he had to wait. He had to watch over Trowa. "Hold on. They're coming. They're coming for us."

Duo rushed past Wufei, heading to the site where Heero was already digging, he was silent as he kneeled next to him, joining in the removal of debris. After a moment, Heero stopped working to tap out an a message, hoping that whoever was below could hear it, and if that someone was a gundam pilot, they could understand it.

Quatre let his mind drift as they waited. He listened to the sounds of rubble moving above. A tapping sound drifted down and at first he thought it was some of the same sounds he'd been hearing. Then he started to recognize the pattern. At least Heero was still up there. Using the rebar he tapped out his response. "Down here."

Kneeling beside Duo and Heero, Wufei started to work with them and several other rescue workers to clear the debris. They labored for another two hours clearing a small hole at the top, trying to work down closer to the source of the tapping.

When the hole was large enough for a small body, Heero leaned over the edge and dropped through, kneeling next to Quatre.

Quatre's head lolled to the side and he cracked open one eye to look at who was there. He'd lost the energy to keep tapping and had settled for holding on to Trowa, listening to his shallow breathing and just waiting. Mustering up a small smirk he looked at Heero. "About time." His voice came out in barely a whisper as he looked down at Trowa. "Hey. Wake up. It's Heero."

Wufei leaned over the edge and dropped a rope and water down to Heero before looking at Duo. "It's them."

Duo looked relieved before he started digging again. "Let's get them out."

Heero knelt and handed the water to Quatre, then took Trowa from his arms. "Wufei! I'm bringing Trowa first, get a medic ready!" He pulled Trowa up with him to the edge of the hole where Duo leaned over and grabbed onto him under the arms, pulling him up as Heero disappeared back to Quatre.

Wufei signalled the medic team already on it's way. Quickly, they had him strapped to a backboard and were already assessing his vitals. "I'll go with him." He put a hand on Duo's shoulder as the next team of medics arrived and he turned to follow Trowa down to the camp. When he saw Trowa being lifted from the hole, he knew it wasn't good. The smell of dirt was overwhelmed by the smell of infection and it was obvious the pilot was fevered and seriously injured on top of the dehydration.

Quatre dropped his head back against the cement. He was just so tired. And Trowa was going to be ok. He could sleep. Yes. Sleep sounded good.

"Quatre ." Heero turned to the blonde. "Wake up." He pulled Quatre to his feet and held the water to his lips, allowing him small sips. "Ready Duo?"

"Ready." Duo lowered himself over the edge in time to hook his arm's under the blonde's and pull him up, Heero following closely behind him. "Quatre?" Duo hugged him close as the EMTs got their gear ready and then he helped carry him down towards the waiting ambulance, Heero right behind them.

Quatre nibbled at the jello. He woke up about an hour ago to Duo practically nose to nose with him, watching his breathing. Sitting up carefully he held the cup of jello in his hand and took a few bites when he remembered to. It was all he could handle at the moment. He felt better since the IVs started pumping fluids and such into his system, but the thought of eating anything more than just a cup of jello nauseated him.

Wufei paced the room and Heero sat silently watching the clock as they waited to hear word from Trowa. The doctors sent him straight for surgery when he arrived at the hospital. The last they heard, things weren't good. The pilot was unresponsive and the injuries to his shoulder and back were extensive. Blood loss had been significant and that was as far as the doctor would tell them. Heero had finally been able to convince the staff to put the two injured pilots in the same room. Quatre didn't consider how that happened. He was just worried about Trowa's condition.

The door opened as the nurse and doctor wheeled in a bed with IVs attached. The nurse began hooking up monitors and testing fluids as the doctor turned to the other four in the room. "Catherine Bloom was listed as next of kin, but we couldn't contact her. Mr. Winner you were second contact. Is it alright if I discuss his condition with all of you?" He turned to Quatre, looking for permission to continue.

Wufei halted his pacing when the doctor entered and watched the bed as the nurse worked. "Yes, please do. How is he? Is he going to be ok?" He dropped the jello on the table and sat up, anxiously waiting the doctor's response.

"We aren't sure. At this point it's up to his body." The doctor studied the clipboard before turning back to Quatre. "His wounds were extensive, more than we realized, honestly I'm not sure how he even was awake enough to talk to you, with all the trauma. He should be dead. Aside from his physical wounds Mr. Barton has severe sepsis, which is an infection in the blood stream." He paused to look at the four before he continued. "We have given him fluids and antibiotics, but if he doesn't pull through it could lead to organ failure. If Mr. Barton does wake up, he's going to need physical therapy to help with his legs and arm, if he is able to keep it. We did our best during surgery, but the infection was very advanced. All we can do now is wait."

Quatre felt the tears hit his hands before he realized he was already crying. He clenched his jaw as he listened to the doctors words. He looked over to Trowa's bed, at the feeding tube and the IVs. The slow rise and fall of his chest with the machine and the beeping of the monitor served as the only sign of life in the still body. Absently, he nodded to the doctor. "Just let us know. Whatever it takes, it's covered."

Wufei sat next to Heero, his eyes shifting from Quatre, to Duo, to Trowa and back to Quatre. He nodded along with Quatre's words. "If there's anything we can do to help, we'll do it." Heero stood. "Hn. I'm going to work. I want to know who did this." He gave Trowa a look over before leaving the room.

The doctor watched as Heero left, then turned back to Quatre. "Mr. Winner, your friend may not wake up. I would suggest you all make your peace with him." He checked Quatre over before turning. "I'll be back to check on him in a few hours." He left with the nurse following quietly behind him.

Quatre looked at Trowa's still form and felt the tears continue down his cheeks. "Help me up." He pushed himself up away from the bed and carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

Duo stayed silent as he helped the blonde on his feet and steadied him. Wufei took Quatre's other arm and they helped him walk towards the other bed.

"Thank you." With their help he managed to get across the room to Trowa's bed and sit on the edge. Using one hand on the IV cart to hold himself steady he leaned down over his head. He was careful not to disturb the tubes and lines running from the machines to the sleeping form. It was hard considering they had him resting on his side to keep pressure off the right shoulder. Leaning down he whispered in Trowa's ear. "Don't you dare quit on me. You understand me Trowa? Don't stop breathing." He sat up and glared at the monitors, willing the beeping to continue, to get stronger.