I fought Charger as he tried, once again, to turn back to the barn, all the while cursing myself as an idiot. Perhaps the horse was far smarter than I was, for he at least had the good sense to tuck his tail between his legs and admit when the storm had outdone him. Whereas I, on the other hand, was stupidly trying to face the storm head on without even having rest or backup to help me. But that look in Heero's eyes...

Idiot.

The storm was only growing stronger, and the weather more icy with it. Where you could just barely see your breath with a lungful of air when I had forced the boys back, now I could see a tendril of mist swirling in front of my face with even the slightest gasp or sigh. The ground, which had been almost swamp-like with mud earlier, now crackled and snapped with every step of the horse, a thin layer of ice having formed over the surface.

Moron.

It was, probably, only the plastic raincoats, worn by myself and Charger, that kept either of us from freezing to death, especially as a sudden cold snap caused the rain to begin freezing as it landed, covering any uncovered skin in a think layer of ice almost immediately. My hands, which were already a pale, sickly white, began to turn blue, and I realized suddenly that I would have to at least get under cover until the worst of the storm blew over or risk freezing to death. It didn't take much to lead Charger to a thick covering of pine trees. As I said, Charger was far smarter than I was proving to be, and would have headed there long before if not for my constant misguidance.

Imbecile.

I dismounted and pulled Charger under the branches of a tall pine, where the branches were so think that the needles covering the ground were barely wet. We hunkered down together in a niche formed by the trunk, each willing to share heat until the worst of the storm had passed. Which would, I was fairly certain, be soon, as this was a summer storm that had come down from the high mountains nearby, bringing with it a full day of torrential rains and terrible cold, but never more than that. It was difficult for most people to imagine how a cold front like this could simply fall off the mountain and come crashing into the slight valley below it, but I had grown up in the wilderness of these regions. I would have a much better chance of finding Duo once the storm had broken, assuming it wasn't already too late.

Dimwit.

Was it stupid of me, I wondered, to be worrying about Duo, even as I bled from the betrayal? Was it even worse that I could think of it as such? I mean, after all, I was the master and he was the slave. Shouldn't the prisoner always attempt to flee the guard? Even when the cage was gilded? Instead of feeling hurt that he had left me, shouldn't I feel proud that he had been this dedicated? Cocky, perhaps, but with a drive that I would have killed for on the front lines of battle. And yet, here I was, feeling as though I'd been stood up on an overly anticipated date.

Fool.

Charger whinnied and I pulled him closer, hoping to calm him. Charger wasn't particularly fond of bolting, but even the most good-natured horse could run in a storm like this. If I were honest, I'd admit that even I had the urge to run for the safety of the house. On a night like this, it was probably more common sense than cowardice that would prompt such actions. After all, only the most fool-hardy of blockheads would go out in the peak of a mountain storm with nothing but his horse and a radio. And, of course, having been out all day already looking for my runaway only added fatigue to the list of obstacles that I would have to overcome to even have a chance at finding Duo, if he were even alive. And then there was always the assumption that he would come back willingly with me, which seemed ridiculous in itself considering that he had run away to begin with. And were he to fight me, there was no guarantee that I could overcome him in the shape I was in. What if he killed me? Slim chance that it was, what would happen to the other boys? I could only hope that Une would prevent them from being taken back to Collar, but if it posed too much of a risk to my replacement for her to pull them out, then she would most likely let them go in favor of the mission. And all for Duo, who had wanted to be gone so much that he had risked his life to be away from me. There was another whinny as I continued to berate myself, and I pulled Charger closer as emotions riled in my bitter heart.

Idio-...

Wait.

I paused a moment, listening hard, and realized suddenly that Charger hadn't made a sound. So who…?

I lunged to my feet, pushing Charger aside and lunging deeper into the grove. That last neigh had been frantic and I called out, knowing that Bee would respond to my voice immediately in her panicked state. She called to me and I shoved through the branches, finally finding Bee tucked away under anther pine tree, similar to what Charger and I had just been under, with Duo tucked against her side.

There was blood running down his face.

It was the first thing I noticed as I approached his still, pale form. A glance at his forehead told me that the blood was superficial, coming from a small wound that had probably happened the same time he was knocked unconscious. But that was a slight worry, and even more important was the fact the he was barely shaking, even though the weather was frigid and he was wet from head to toe. Bee, laying behind him, was also just as wet, but at least neither of them were as soaked as Charger and I. The tree had sheltered them from most of the rain and, from the looks of it, had managed to save Duo's life. Of course, I'm sure Bee had played no small part in that feat either, seeing that Duo was unconscious and probably would have died with only his own body heat to support him. And yet, I had to wonder how he had managed to get into such a predicament.

But there was no time for such stray thoughts. Duo's life was still very much in jeopardy, and my quick movements now would decide if it remained or fled into the next life. I quickly moved over Bee, laying myself almost over top of Duo's lifeless form as I rested my cheek against his bluish lips, praying for breath.

It was there, but just barely managed to ghost across my face. We were in dire straights. Sparing no time, I pulled off my jacket and wrapped it around Duo's chest. It was more important to keep his upper body than his extremities. It wasn't cold enough for frostbite to be a concern, but it was still possible for Duo's core body temperature to drop to a dangerous or even lethal temperature.

The lack of shivering I felt as I pulled his body into my arms worried me, but it didn't surprise me. He had been outside all day, and slowly losing heat for at least several hours. We would have to be careful about warming him up too quickly. Duo's circulation had certainly caused the flow of blood to his heart to slow, and warming him too quickly could cause a massive surge of blood that was just as risky as hypothermia.

As a medic, all this ran through my mind even as I was scooping Duo into my arms and hoisting him onto Charger's back. Perhaps sensing my urgency, Charger accepted his burden gracefully, without shying away or stepping to the side. Once Duo was secure, I bent to check on Bee, who was already pushing herself off the ground. A quick glance told me that she was unharmed, and I gave her a quick rub on the nose in thanks. Her loyalty had saved Duo's life, when she could have easily abandoned him to return to her warm barn. Instead, she had chosen to protect him from the elements with her body, a noble feat of animal loyalty.

But I could only spare a moment for Bee, lest her sacrifice be in vain. I quickly mounted behind Duo on Charger, certain that Bee would follow me back to the house. It wasn't hard to lead Charger back to the house; actually, once he realized we were headed in the direction of the warm, dry barn it was harder to keep him below a dead run. I couldn't allow that, though, because the jostling would be bad for Duo, although I could feel the urge to bolt just as strongly as my horse. Still, I pulled out my radio and turned it on, certain that Wufei would be waiting on the other side.

Sure enough, the instant I flipped the radio to on my ears were filled with angry Mandarin curses.

"Wufei!"

"Zechs? You bastard! Are you okay?"

"I'm on my way back with Duo. Tell Sally to get ready for a hypothermia victim. Get Trowa ready to get the horses when I come in. They'll both need to be taken care of. Did you get everything?"

"Everything will be ready when you get here. How close are you?"

"About ten minutes. Over and out."

"Be careful," Wufei bid, then closed his line. His parting words warmed me, reminding me that help was only a few miles away. I sighed, resting my head against Duo's cold neck as he was pulled tight against my chest in an effort to share body heat. I was so tired, and so afraid that I had managed to fail everyone already. In that moment, with Duo pressed against me and clinging to life, with the cold rain beating against my back, and with Charger's hooves beating against the thick mud beneath me, I allowed myself to feel, just for an instant, all the pressures that I had previously ignored. It seemed that I would be crushed by the weight of it, and for a second I wished that someone would take it all away.

But then we were nearing the house, and it was time for action again. Trowa was standing in the yard, Quatre at the barn door, and Sally and Wufei in the house doorway. I could not let them see me falter. If I crumbled, we would all crumble.