At half past seven the next day, I sent Heero outside to check the horses. Of course, there was no real reason for him to check the horses, but I knew better than to allow him inside when we tried to drug Duo. Knowing how close they had gotten, it would just be too much for him.
Everything had been arranged for what I was beginning to call "touch time." Sally had sent the drugs over early this morning, and I had found to my pleasant surprise that the injections were more like darts than syringes. The entire shot was about the size of my thumb, housing a sharp but small needle and only a few drops of potent medicine. As it only affected the muscles, it could easily be injected in somewhere other than the arms, which would be hard to hold still on a thrashing teen. Sally suggested an injection target of the lower back, which would be easier to hit and quicker to spread the medicine than an arm.
Along with the shots, other preparations had been made for tonight. A few late-night practices had been moved to an earlier time, opening a two hour slot between eight and ten. Popcorn had been ordered and made, along with a special brand of hot-chocolate Duo enjoyed. Everything possible was being done to create an enjoyable evening, but the boys still anticipated it with a sense of dread, and Duo was downright terrified as the night approached. He made several unsuccessful attempts to hide during the day, and eventually settled on moping in the kitchen with Quatre. "Hey, Heero, where ya goin'?" Duo asked as Heero went for the door. "Master wanted me to check the horses," he replied, pausing in his steps.
"Oh... uh... I'll go with you!" Duo said suddenly, jumping up with a nervous tension.
"Sit down, Duo," I instructed. Duo halted, but refused to sit, only glaring at me. I was picking my battles tonight, though, and turned to Heero instead. "You can go," I said, giving him a dismissive wave. He hesitated a moment more, his guilty eyes locking with Duo's fearful ones, then lowered his head and walked out the door. Duo made a whimpering sound, then tried to cover it with a cough. At that time, Trowa and Wufei walked in. I was glad, because I needed to go to the medical room and get the shots, but I didn't want to risk Duo making a run for it. "You stay here," I said to Duo, but aiming it more at the others. I knew Wufei had gotten the message as he sat down beside Duo at the counter. Trowa, on the other hand, followed me as I walked into the hall. He waited until we were out of hearing distance before he spoke to me.
"Why did you send Heero outside?" he asked. "Don't you think Duo will want him here for support"
"Duo will want him here to protect him," I responded, pausing to meet Trowa's eyes. "If it were Quatre in Duo's place and you in Heero's, would you be able to stay and watch?" I asked, knowing how violently Duo was about to fight us. Trowa could only lower his eyes and shake his head. "I thought not," I said quietly, then resumed the walk. The trip to get the shots and the return seemed to take no time at all. In the blink of an eye, it seemed, we were back in the kitchen doorway. The mood had gone from foreboding to tense and terrified. Duo was hunched over the kitchen counter, his head buried in his hands, his shoulders tense enough for the muscles to stand out. Beside him, Wufei was half-way out of his seat, ready for Duo to bolt for the door. I hesitated in the doorway; this was one part of the night I had not planned intricately, and now I was at a loss for what to do. Duo was the first to take action, as he spotted me and finally gave in to his instinct to run. He had only taken two steps when Wufei grabbed his arm, spinning him around and pinning him against the counter. Trowa moved in a moment later to grab Duo's other arm, helping Wufei hold him as he thrashed and cursed. I heard Quatre take a sobbing breath on the other side of the room and quickly leave the kitchen, but I was too busy setting up the needle to worry about him. Duo, still pinned between the two larger teens, cast a glance at me over his shoulder and saw the needle, his violet eyes filling with fear. He screamed and began thrashing again, casting Trowa and Wufei back and forth like a storm, but they never let go. The strain of those motions was too much for him, and he quickly tired to a level that Trowa and Wufei could control. His cursing continued and his breaths were coming in sharp, wet gasps, but at least he was still. I finished the needle and approached them, causing Duo to once again jerk frantically, but this time Trowa and Wufei were ready. "Pull up his shirt," I instructed, and Trowa quickly released Duo with one hand to pull up his shirt, revealing the milky-white flesh underneath, while Wufei carefully lifted one hand to move Duo's braid aside. It seemed sad, somehow, to mar this creamy expanse of perfect skin, but I knew that tarnishing his skin would help to save the boy beneath, so I did not waver. I placed a hand on his hip where his low jeans gave way to silky skin to steady his thrashing body and positioned the needle. Duo screamed again, sobbing hysterically now and thrashing like a man on fire, but Trowa and Wufei held him firm. As quickly as I could I inserted the needle, injected him, removed it, and cast it aside. From the way he screamed I doubted he could even tell when it was over, and probably barely felt it go in, but the results were the same. Trowa and Wufei held Duo even after I had backed away, though he barely struggled. After a moment he sagged against their arms and Wufei moved in to hold him, but with the last of his strength Duo pushed the both of them away. He was sobbing brokenly now, and it seemed that the two were moved back more by the power of his despair than by his physical assault. In another minute he was too weak to hold his head up, leaning heavily on the counter as he sobbed violently into his arms. A minute more and he could not even stand, slipping slowly to the floor, sobbing all the way. I motioned for Trowa to move in after that and carry Duo to the couch, then gave Wufei instructions to fetch Heero. Wufei nodded and set out as Trowa bent and lifted Duo into his arms, acting for all the world like Duo was made of crumbling China. Duo didn't even acknowledge Trowa, sobbing brokenly and using Trowa's shirt to hide his face. Quatre scurried out from wherever he had been hiding and fluttered around Duo. I noticed that Quatre was looking pale and wondered if he had forgotten to take his pills today, or if Duo's outburst had affected him that much. I sighed wearily as Trowa rounded the corner out of my sight, then picked up the syringe, discarded the needle, and placed it into the case with the others. The syringe could be cleaned and reused, though the needles could not. I turned heavily, feeling tired as I moved to return the case to medical room. I wondered if it would be like this every night, and if Duo or myself would crack first. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take.
Everything had been arranged for what I was beginning to call "touch time." Sally had sent the drugs over early this morning, and I had found to my pleasant surprise that the injections were more like darts than syringes. The entire shot was about the size of my thumb, housing a sharp but small needle and only a few drops of potent medicine. As it only affected the muscles, it could easily be injected in somewhere other than the arms, which would be hard to hold still on a thrashing teen. Sally suggested an injection target of the lower back, which would be easier to hit and quicker to spread the medicine than an arm.
Along with the shots, other preparations had been made for tonight. A few late-night practices had been moved to an earlier time, opening a two hour slot between eight and ten. Popcorn had been ordered and made, along with a special brand of hot-chocolate Duo enjoyed. Everything possible was being done to create an enjoyable evening, but the boys still anticipated it with a sense of dread, and Duo was downright terrified as the night approached. He made several unsuccessful attempts to hide during the day, and eventually settled on moping in the kitchen with Quatre. "Hey, Heero, where ya goin'?" Duo asked as Heero went for the door. "Master wanted me to check the horses," he replied, pausing in his steps.
"Oh... uh... I'll go with you!" Duo said suddenly, jumping up with a nervous tension.
"Sit down, Duo," I instructed. Duo halted, but refused to sit, only glaring at me. I was picking my battles tonight, though, and turned to Heero instead. "You can go," I said, giving him a dismissive wave. He hesitated a moment more, his guilty eyes locking with Duo's fearful ones, then lowered his head and walked out the door. Duo made a whimpering sound, then tried to cover it with a cough. At that time, Trowa and Wufei walked in. I was glad, because I needed to go to the medical room and get the shots, but I didn't want to risk Duo making a run for it. "You stay here," I said to Duo, but aiming it more at the others. I knew Wufei had gotten the message as he sat down beside Duo at the counter. Trowa, on the other hand, followed me as I walked into the hall. He waited until we were out of hearing distance before he spoke to me.
"Why did you send Heero outside?" he asked. "Don't you think Duo will want him here for support"
"Duo will want him here to protect him," I responded, pausing to meet Trowa's eyes. "If it were Quatre in Duo's place and you in Heero's, would you be able to stay and watch?" I asked, knowing how violently Duo was about to fight us. Trowa could only lower his eyes and shake his head. "I thought not," I said quietly, then resumed the walk. The trip to get the shots and the return seemed to take no time at all. In the blink of an eye, it seemed, we were back in the kitchen doorway. The mood had gone from foreboding to tense and terrified. Duo was hunched over the kitchen counter, his head buried in his hands, his shoulders tense enough for the muscles to stand out. Beside him, Wufei was half-way out of his seat, ready for Duo to bolt for the door. I hesitated in the doorway; this was one part of the night I had not planned intricately, and now I was at a loss for what to do. Duo was the first to take action, as he spotted me and finally gave in to his instinct to run. He had only taken two steps when Wufei grabbed his arm, spinning him around and pinning him against the counter. Trowa moved in a moment later to grab Duo's other arm, helping Wufei hold him as he thrashed and cursed. I heard Quatre take a sobbing breath on the other side of the room and quickly leave the kitchen, but I was too busy setting up the needle to worry about him. Duo, still pinned between the two larger teens, cast a glance at me over his shoulder and saw the needle, his violet eyes filling with fear. He screamed and began thrashing again, casting Trowa and Wufei back and forth like a storm, but they never let go. The strain of those motions was too much for him, and he quickly tired to a level that Trowa and Wufei could control. His cursing continued and his breaths were coming in sharp, wet gasps, but at least he was still. I finished the needle and approached them, causing Duo to once again jerk frantically, but this time Trowa and Wufei were ready. "Pull up his shirt," I instructed, and Trowa quickly released Duo with one hand to pull up his shirt, revealing the milky-white flesh underneath, while Wufei carefully lifted one hand to move Duo's braid aside. It seemed sad, somehow, to mar this creamy expanse of perfect skin, but I knew that tarnishing his skin would help to save the boy beneath, so I did not waver. I placed a hand on his hip where his low jeans gave way to silky skin to steady his thrashing body and positioned the needle. Duo screamed again, sobbing hysterically now and thrashing like a man on fire, but Trowa and Wufei held him firm. As quickly as I could I inserted the needle, injected him, removed it, and cast it aside. From the way he screamed I doubted he could even tell when it was over, and probably barely felt it go in, but the results were the same. Trowa and Wufei held Duo even after I had backed away, though he barely struggled. After a moment he sagged against their arms and Wufei moved in to hold him, but with the last of his strength Duo pushed the both of them away. He was sobbing brokenly now, and it seemed that the two were moved back more by the power of his despair than by his physical assault. In another minute he was too weak to hold his head up, leaning heavily on the counter as he sobbed violently into his arms. A minute more and he could not even stand, slipping slowly to the floor, sobbing all the way. I motioned for Trowa to move in after that and carry Duo to the couch, then gave Wufei instructions to fetch Heero. Wufei nodded and set out as Trowa bent and lifted Duo into his arms, acting for all the world like Duo was made of crumbling China. Duo didn't even acknowledge Trowa, sobbing brokenly and using Trowa's shirt to hide his face. Quatre scurried out from wherever he had been hiding and fluttered around Duo. I noticed that Quatre was looking pale and wondered if he had forgotten to take his pills today, or if Duo's outburst had affected him that much. I sighed wearily as Trowa rounded the corner out of my sight, then picked up the syringe, discarded the needle, and placed it into the case with the others. The syringe could be cleaned and reused, though the needles could not. I turned heavily, feeling tired as I moved to return the case to medical room. I wondered if it would be like this every night, and if Duo or myself would crack first. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take.