Waking Up In Vegas

Chapter 50

#

Quatre wasn't quite sure what happened. The past few hours were all a blur to him. From the shoot-out and forward... everything had happened so fast; it was dizzying.

He'd tried calling Heero as they'd made their way away from the building, only to have Trowa answer the cell. From there, a flurry of explanations on both parts until here he was, waiting in the hospital lobby for the doctor to come tell them how the surgery went.

Jasper, Quatre had discovered, was rather mildly injured for the force of the blast he was in. A broken arm, two fractured ribs, a mild concussion, and various cuts, scrapes, burns and bruises. The doctors said they wanted to keep him over night at least, for observation mainly from their fear of the concussion.

Jezebel was a different matter. Along with a day old, untreated gunshot wound to her abdomen, the force of the explosion rattling their titanium sanctuary had dislocated a shoulder, fractured her ankle, broke at least one rib- which had punctured her lung, and a major concussion. Surgery had been required to fix her rib and clean out the bullet wound, but the doctors weren't certain what state she'd wake up in. If she woke up at all. She'd managed to save Jasper from the worst of the blast by holding him as far inside Wing as possible, but in doing so she'd opened herself to more wounds... including the ragged cuts and burns across her back.

All in all, both were very lucky to be alive, considering that the building around them had been completely decimated. Heero knew this, and yet Quatre could only watch as his friend worried.

Things were not turning out so well, Quatre thought as he leaned against Trowa. As things stood... they were very bad.

Duo and Wufei were missing. There was no telling what shape they were in or who had them... that was if they were even alive. Their daughter might never get to know her parents.

Jezzy might very well be dying right now for her efforts in destroying Wing. Although that sacrifice might very well prove to have been in vain. Wing might be gone... but Epyon was still there.

He'd called Relena, only to discover that the Lovecraft girl- Emily's cousin, apparently- had escaped and more than likely had Vanny Maxwell and Maia Kushrenada hostage. Treize had not been pleased to hear his daughter had been abducted and was on his way to New York right then with his girlfriend, who was apparently Midii's sister Annika, though everyone called her 'Lady'.

Dermail was dead... but someone still wanted them dead. Probably more than one someone.

And Iria was still dead.

No, Quatre thought. Nothing was turning out well.

"Who's the one signing for Jezebel Haptism?"

"Hartisan," Heero corrected, turning to face the doctor in the scrubs who'd just walked out into the waiting room. The woman's blue eyes were weary, and it looked like a curly strand of dull brown hair was falling into her face.

"Pardon?"

"Hartisan. Her name is not Haptism, it's Hartisan."

The doctor tilted her head.

"Hal said it was his daughter? But she has a different name?"

"Long story," Heero sighed. "The point, doctor?"

"Oh, yes. I'm Doctor Candace Riley. Physically, we've managed to patch her up pretty well. We've gotten the bullet out and cleaned her up nicely. The rib, the shoulder... everything should heal up very quickly. It's the concussion that has me worried. If she wakes up, she'll ..."

"If?" Heero asked, face paling.

"If," the doctor repeated. "And even then, it's hard to tell if she'll be, well. I'm going to be frank. We don't know what state her mind will be in. She could be out for a day and wake up with amnesia. She could be out for a week, and wake up just fine. There's really so very many possibilities that could play out. We've done what we can for her. It's up to her, now. All you can do is wait."

Heero lifted a hand and waved, acknowledging what she'd said. His face was blank, emotionless.

"I'm going to contact Allelulijah and see if he wants to keep her here or move her. Is there an alternate name you wish us to use on her records?"

"Jane Thomas," Heero said, rattling off one of the alias's Marie had set up for her. There were perks when your parents once worked for the shadier side of the military. "You should find her files readily enough."

"If there are no questions..."

"Can I see her?"

The doctor nodded. "We've finished surgery. They should be moving her into the room now. I'll send a nurse for you as soon as they settle her, okay?"

Heero nodded, and when Dr. Riley turned to walk away, Heero's friends saw him visibly slump.

Quatre stood up and placed a hand around Heero's shoulders. "Things will turn out alright," he assured.

Even if he didn't quite believe that himself.

And the look in Heero's eyes told him that Heero knew that.

#

Delana sat, leaning back against the headrest. It had been a horrid fight earlier. When it had been discovered that Vanny and Maia were missing... as well as Duo and Wufei... Delana had been all for charging out and rescuing them. It had taken Cathy, Hilde, Howard, Cecilia, Megan *and* Alejandro to keep her in bed. Mostly, though, it had been a very underhanded move by Cathy, insisting that *she* needed Delana right now, and Megan's sneaky insinuation that Meilan- thankfully asleep right now- needed Delana, too, now that her parents were MIA.

Delana sighed softly, brushing a hand over Cathy's curls. She'd just *found* this love with her best friend. Why did she have to come so close to loosing it? Why couldn't Life just play nice and let her enjoy Love while she had it?

At least her parents were accepting of Cathy. And they hadn't seemed all that shocked, either. Hm. Now if only Life could play fair.

"Stop thinking so loudly," Cathy mumbled, opening an eye to peer up at her best friend.

Delana chuckled softly. "Go back to sleep, Cathy. I'm not going anywhere."

"Can't sleep. Like I said... you're thinking too loudly for me to sleep."

Delana looked, and it certainly didn't seem like Cathy was up for falling back asleep. She sighed. "I was just thinking about how I just found you... and how everything is so messed up. Why can't things be simple?"

Cathy lifted the shoulder she wasn't laying on in a shrug. "I don't know. But I don't want you to leave me, Delana."

"I told you... I"m not going anywhere." She entwined Cathy's fingers with hers. "I'm with you to stay."

"But you're right. Things are bad. I don't even have a home anymore," Cathy said, her voice low.

"Rubbish. Your home is right here with me. I"m not letting you go."

"Isn't it a little soon to be moving in with each other? We haven't even been dating a week," Cathy pointed out wryly.

"But we've known each other years," Delana said, suddenly serious. "Cathy... I love you. I want you here, with me. Forever."

"Sounds like you're talking about marriage," Cathy whispered.

"I am. Maybe not now... but one day? Would you ever think of that, Cathy? Do you think that years from now..." She paused to swallow. "One day, if I asked... would you marry me?"

Cathy looked up, meeting Delana's serious and sparkling eyes.

Yes, they'd only been a 'couple' for a few days- if that. They'd barely shared more than a handful of relatively chaste kisses in those short hours. On the one hand... there was that.

On the other... they'd known each other since they were children. They'd cried together, laughed together. They'd slept together- platonicly, of course. They'd told each other their deepest secrets. They were best friends, with an intimacy that rivaled that of Delana and Duo in it's depth. The leap from 'friends-like-sisters' to 'girlfrieds-like-lovers' hadn't been that hard of a choice for Cathy to make. She loved Delana. Changing the perception of that love didn't seem that hard for her.

But *marriage*? Of course she loved Delana... but was that love enough for Cathy to one day vow to NEVER want to love anyone else? To vow to love and cherish, to support, to hold in sickness and in health. To give over everything she was? And to receive everything Delana was in return? Could she one day say 'yes' if Delana asked her that question?

She peeked inside her own heart, but she already knew the answer.

"Yes," she whispered, looking and meeting those violet-indigo eyes straight on. "Yes," she said a little firmer. "I wouldn't need years, or 'one days'. I love you. That's enough for me. That's enough for now."

In Cathy's memory, she'd never seen Delana more beautiful than that moment. Face lit up with joy, eyes bright and sparkling with un-shed tears, lips tilted in a blinding smile. Her hair was a mess, there was a scrape down her cheek, and she was covered in bandages, and her arm was in a sling... and yet she was never more beautiful.

Cathy laughed in happiness, and met her lover halfway when the other girl leaned down to kiss her.

Yes. That was enough for now.