IMPORTANT!!!: I have added this chapter between 5 and what was 6 (and now is 7, with a few minor revisions). Hope you enjoy. This chapter just came to me and I thought it worked better in this order. Sorry for any confusion!

A/N: Yes, I know I'm horrible at updating, Blah, Blah, Blah. But it would be nice if everyone would Read & Review to encourage me to write more sooner!

Disclaimer: All unoriginal characters are not mine; please realize I don't make any money off of this.

Ch. 7 – A Heero Returned

"Heero, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I'm telling you, you better not die on me. I mean, you bloody blew yourself up and survived, you can't let this stop you!" Duo was nearly in tears despite his best efforts, Heero had been in a coma for near on two weeks and their hopes were slowly fading. Duo settled down in his chair to wait out his "watch" even though watching was pretty pointless, Heero still wasn't doing anything.

"So, Heero, I never did get you back for stealing those parts off of Deathscythe…"

"No' m'fault, D'," Heero's voice was very faint and scratchy, and Duo, who had begun pacing back and forth down the length of the room didn't hear it as he continued talking, "I mean, I know I painted Wufei's motorcycle pink and blamed it on you, but you know he didn't believe me. I mean, why would he? You wouldn't be caught DEAD with anything that remotely resembles the color pink; I'm not saying I've got anything against that, I understand the whole Relena traumatization thing. But, I mean, c'mon, dude, after I saved your ass again by catching that guy, what-his-name, uh, Demyan, if you're gonna bite the bullet at least do it yourself, you can't let it be J's stupid program that does it for you,"

"No' goin' 'where, D'," Heero managed these barely audible words out in quick succession of each other, but it wasn't the words which caught Duo's attention, it was how Heero's breathing pattern had changed. Duo spun toward the bed and leaned over Heero cautiously.

"Heero? You awake, pally?"

"No, baka, 'm talkin' in my sleep," was the breathy reply Duo received. "You won't stop jabbering will you?"

"I'll be right back with the other guys, don't go anywhere, and don't talk; you're suffering from some pretty bad smoke inhalation still. Stay right there!" Duo ran down out of the room and down the hall to the nurses' station where they let him borrow the phone to call Quatre and the others.

Heero smiled, it wasn't like he had the choice of going anywhere at this point anyway. Duo returned, breathless but elated, with the doctor. Heero glared at the bald man standing next to Duo, he didn't like doctors, and he had good reason. Besides, he could already feel some of his strength returning. Duo saw Heero's expression and tried to head the impending disaster off. "Heero, you have to cooperate with Dr. Swoop, he says you're mostly healed, but he needs to look you over one more time and if all goes well he'll be able to let you go home with me and Quatre tomorrow morning. If you don't, he'll probably have to keep you here another week at least." Heero could plainly see the pleading look in Duo's expressive violet eyes and he thought he had heard Duo's voice crack slightly as well. He nodded resignedly in the doctor's general direction and Swoop came forward to the bed warily, moving to adjust it so Heero would be in more of a sitting position. He quickly and efficiently looked over the physical wounds which had not yet fully healed before moving away to pick up the metal chart from the small, wire basket attached to the end of the bed and jotting down some notes on it. Once finished, he replaced the chart in the basket and turned to Duo and Heero, "Mr. Yuy will be discharged tomorrow morning into Mr. Winner's care, on the single condition that Mr. Winner has Mr. Yuy psychologically evaluated in the near future. There is no telling how the program, or indeed the facility in which he was kept, has affected his psyche."

Duo nodded dutifully, he of course knew that Heero would never be evaluated; whoever attempted to evaluate Heero would in all probability soon find pine boxes comfortable and relaxing, not that they would really have any choice in the matter.

***

Quatre finished filling out the paperwork at the front desk as Heero sat morosely in his wheelchair while Duo stood behind him grinning manically.

"Finished!" Quatre announced happily as he set the pen onto the clipboard and returned it to the receptionist and turned towards Heero and Duo. "Shall we go then? Rashid is out in the pickup area waiting for us." Duo nodded and maneuvered Heero out to the car. Wufei and Trowa had agreed to wait at the house to keep watch over Demyan and to, hopefully, make things easier on Heero.

The drive to the house was only about 15 minutes long, but it felt like about 2 hours. The silence seemed unbreakable, like somebody had tied invisible gags around each of their mouths. Finally, the car pulled up to the house and everyone went inside where Quatre immediately showed Heero to his room. Heero sat on the freshly-made bed and turned toward Quatre. Quatre, for his part, didn't think Heero was going to say anything, so he was supremely shocked when he heard Heero whisper in a still slightly raspy voice, "Thank you." Quatre stood there for a moment before nodding in acknowledgement and returning with, "You're welcome, Heero, and welcome back."

oOooOooOo

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated, blah blah blah, I know this really doesn't advance the plot much and again I beg forgiveness, blah blah blah. Now, all I ask, humbly down on my hands and knees begging, is that you REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!! Even though the reviews may not hurry the next chapter along, it boosts my confidence so that I will at least write the next chapter! Also, sorry for the chapter being sooo short! Again R&R