Tie-wearing chicka

I humbly request your E-mail (or sign in so I can contact you through I wanted to congratulate you on picking Trowa for the next one to come in. A lot of people weren't sure, or thought Duo would be up next.

Also, I wanted to thank everyone who answered my question about area and age. I was really amazed at how widespread we all are. Amazing! I really had no idea, but I guess that's what the internet's good for, right?

So, in gratitude for everyone who answered and because I felt bad about misleading some people to thinking Duo or Fei would come into the fold next, I just had to post more chapters. Unfortunately, I won't have any more to post until the end of the week, but I hope you all enjoy these in the meantime.

Arigatou gozaimasu!

I awoke to the shuffle of people moving around, and several voices speaking at once. Immediately I could tell that I was in master's bedroom, in my night clothes, in Master's bed. I had no idea why so many people were in master's home, but I was too tired and too cold to care. All I wanted was the blankets at the bottom of the bed, and those were proving hard to get. My arms were heavy, and as I was reaching to get the blanket, master came into the room looking stern and serious.

"Master?" I questioned, "What's wrong?"

He smiled for me, and came over to sit on the edge of the bed, but his eyes were still sad. "Nothing. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I lied, and he smiled again.

"Liar. You look horrible."

"Thanks," I murmured sarcastically, hoping he would play, but he simply ignored the comment and placed a hand on my forehead. It was freezing and I couldn't help but shy away. That was when I realized what those voices outside meant to do.

"I have a fever again, don't I?" I asked miserably. Master nodded. "I'm sorry. I really tried to..."

"Shh. It's not you're fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I didn't take good enough care of you."

I burst into tears.

"That's not true! You were so good to me, and so kind, even though I'm useless! You took care of me even though I wasn't worth it! I was lucky to get to meet you and I should be grateful for the time we had together! And I am! It's my own stupid fault for getting sick! It's no wonder you can't take me anymore! Always in the way! Always a burden!" I sobbed, completely breaking down. I turned violently to the side in shame, hoping to hide my weakness.

"Quatre, what are you...?" master questioned, leaning over me, but was interrupted as a man barged through the door.

"Mister Marquis," he huffed arrogantly, "I am aware that you are used to getting your way, but threatening the boy is not going to change anything."

"I wasn't..." master protested calmly.

"I don't have time for this," the angry man in a white uniform interrupted. "Now are you going to let me take him or not?"

"No!" I screamed, throwing myself at master, who was stunned by my outburst. For a moment, I feared that he'd punish me for such disruptive behavior, then I decided it would be a blessing if he did. He would have to keep me to punish me, not send me away to the storehouse to wait for a cruel master or death.

"Please!" I begged, clutching his shirt in my hands to keep from toppling over as I leaned on him, "please don't send me away! I promise! I'll be good!" I shouted, clinging to master as though I could hold myself to him.

"Quatre!" master snapped, taking me by the shoulder and shaking me, "Calm down! What are you talking about?"

But I was too far gone to listen. Instead, I continued to try to convince him to keep me, even as my sob grew strong and my face grew damp. "There are th-things I c-can d-do even now! I can h-help you! I can- I can- I-I c-c-can-" I stuttered, forgetting to breath in my panic. I heaved my chest, trying to make up for the lack of air, but it wouldn't come to me.

"He's hyperventilating!" the man in white shouted, rushing toward me. I let out an animalistic sound and shied behind master, hoping to hide from the other man.

"Stop it!" master growled, shielding me with his body, "You're not helping!"

"Damnit!" the other man shouted, "You'll kill him!"

"Just shut the hell up and get out!" master shouted, glaring at the other man, "Can't you see I'm not hurting him? If you're not going to get out of my way get out!" he snapped, then turned his attention to me. I looked up at him with fearful eyes as my vision started graying around the edges.

"Quatre," he said calmly, his voice echoing through my world, silencing everything else as he moved me into his lap and sat on the bed. "Listen to me," he murmured softly against my ear. It was difficult to turn my attention to him, as I was still wheezing for breath, but I did so, because I would have done anything he asked me at that moment so long as he didn't send me away. "Listen to the sound of my heart," he said, pulling my head to rest against his chest. The beats were soft and rhythmic, if a little quickened. "Now, I want you to breathe with me. Just forget everything else except for me. Now take it in. Feel it? Feel my chest rising? I want you to make yours do the same. Good. Now out. Slowly. Good. Now in again. Shh. It's alright. Out. It's alright, stop crying."

Only as he said it did I realize that the tears were still flowing freely from my eyes, and I struggled for a moment to hold them in.

"Stop, never mind," master said quickly, pulling my hands from my face. "I didn't mean to make yourself stop crying, I just meant that you didn't need to cry. Everything's alright. You're not in trouble."

"Th-then w-why are you s-sending me away?" I asked, still crying softly.

"You need to go away, baby. I can't take care something like this."

"Kitten, I'm Dr. Hutch," the man in the white coat said, kneeling beside us. "I'd like you to come with me, if that's alright." I had forgotten he was in the room. Suddenly, when he said his title, everything fell into place. I wasn't being sold, I was being taken to the hospital. But, still, I was scared. The hospital was lonely and cold, and I didn't want to leave master.

"I thought you were taking care of me?" I asked master, ignoring Dr. Hutch.

"I can't fix this, little one. Your wound is infected, and there are too many things that could go wrong for me to keep you here. You won't be gone long, I promise."

"But I don't want to leave you," I pleaded, looking my master in the eye, hoping he wouldn't make me go.

"Masters are forbidden in the hospital," Dr. hutch interrupted. "But, I suppose... if you would like, the other slave could come visit you for an hour or so every day. What was his name? Angel?" the doctor asked, smiling kindly at me. "I know how slaves get lonely in the hospital. If your master would allow it, I think we could make it happen."

It wasn't master, but it was enough. I turned pleading eyes toward master, hoping he would allow it.

"Of course it's fine with me, as long as you behave yourself and get better. Now, I think we've held Dr. Hutch up long enough. He's got other patients to see," master said, lifting me in his arms as he left the room. Out of the bedroom, there was a wheeled hospital bed waiting, along with tow orderlies to push it. The pulled back the covers as master tucked me into the bed, then belted me down after I was inside. I felt a little claustrophobic, being tied down like that, but I knew that it was simply so I didn't fall out.

Before we left, I saw Dr. Hutch pull master aside.

"I think, perhaps, I underestimated you," he admitted, looking my master in the eyes. "I'm so used to having violent, over powerful children who have broken their toys call me that I've forgotten how real people act. I hope you can forgive me, and understand why I must separate the two of you."

"I do, and I thank you. If you take as good care of him as I think you will, we will have no further problems."

"I don't..." Dr. hutch began, but I was already being wheeled out of the room and missed the rest of the conversation. I tried to turn around for a moment, but I was just so tired that it didn't seem worth the effort.