A/N: Hey everyone! I do not own any of the g-boys but I do have a few OC outside of them that were of my creation. Here's another idea that I came up with recently that I thought would be somewhat of a challenge to write. I am still pretty iffy on this one, so let me know what you think.
Summary: After Project Meteor, the G-boys went their separate ways. 7 years later, a new group has made an appearance. The movement is called the "Genesis" movement. The G-boys come together to help Preventers bring a halt to the illegal experiments that have been taking place. Eventual Duo/Heero get together fic. The story centralizes around the "Genesis" movement and the trials and tribulations the G-boys face in the process.
Sake: Thanks again for your review! No, I don't actually know multiple languages, I did have to use a translator but the sayings seem to fit with the personalities and feelings going on during the scene.
The Space Between Us
Chapter 10
Duo's POV
My morning was pretty productive if I do say so myself. After Heero left I put all the dishes in the sink then took a shower before making myself presentable for my visit to the Licensing facility. I had chosen another one of my sleeveless turtle neck shirts and a clean pair of faded jeans before throwing a relatively fitted button-up shirt over it to make the look. My hair was pinned back in a top knot with sticks that matched my dark blue turtle neck. I grabbed the key and codes off the counter, slipped into my shoes, and headed out.
I was able to make it to the train stop in record time and took the extra time to text Heero. I know it had only been about two hours since he left but I couldn't stop myself from checking in on him. He seemed short with his responses so I kept it simple and spent the last five minutes waiting for the train, enjoying the sounds of the subway. The morning crowd had already thinned out and only a few stragglers were left behind. I boarded the train when it arrived and slipped my earbuds in, sat back, and enjoyed the ride.
I was able to arrive at the Licensing place right around 10 and, thankfully, the line wasn't nearly as long as it was on Saturday. I spent most of an hour speaking with them until they instructed me to take the processed transfers down to the shipping district where they would be processed and the request would be sent out for the parts I needed. I thanked them and headed for the bus stop that was located right outside the building. I didn't see a point in taking the train for a 20-minute commute by bus, it would have taken longer if I went back to the subway.
My bus arrived about 10 minutes after I arrived, I stepped in and paid the toll before taking my seat and watched at other's boarded. When we arrived at the part's facility in the shipping district, I looked down at my watch and noted the time. Great, I had just enough time to drop off the transfer license and forms and catch something to eat.
I dropped the forms off with the appropriate party and I was informed they should be able to get the parts by Friday. I thanked them and filled out the appropriate forms to have them delivered to the Spaceport Saturday morning. They were surprisingly accommodating, with the way Howard explained the process I was lead to believe it would be harder than it was. I thanked them once again and made my way to the Cafe that I noted as we drove in, it was only about a block away from the building, easily doable by foot.
I arrived around 11:45, right at the beginning of the lunch rush. I picked out a simple sandwich and some coffee before sitting down at a table near the front windows. I took the time to sip at my coffee, taking occasional bites from my sandwich as I sent an e-mail to Howard with an update. He responded with praises and stated he would have someone there by Saturday afternoon to pick me and the parts up.
I set my tablet down and looked out the windows, the area had a lot of local businesses along with the preventer-run part factories spotting the area, along with some gas stations and a few bars, nothing too interesting. I turned to look down at my tablet and take another drink from my coffee when I heard a familiar voice yell out a name. My head shot up just in time to see a girl hauling ass in front of the Cafe, a preventer's vehicle rushing by and Heero in pursuit.
I shot to my feet and ran out the door, catching a glimpse of his back as he turned down the alley.
/Why the hell is he here!/
I heard a far off voice of someone yelling Heero's name in urgency, my gut clenched, and my curiosity got the best of me. Before I had time to think my feet had me running in the same direction the commotion was coming from.
/What the fuck is going on!/ was my last thought as I came to a screeching halt at the opening of the alley. I was greeted with the sight of Wufei struggling to get cuffs on a young girl that was screaming obscenities at him and Heero was laying on the ground motionless.
/Fuck!/
Wufei was still fighting to get the young lady in the car when I came to a crouching stop by Heero. My hands were shaking as I reached down to press my fingers to his neck. His pulse was flighty but still there and he was breathing.
/Thank God! Scare ten years off a man why don't ya./
I brushed his hair clear of his face and leaned down, "Heero, come on buddy, open those gorgeous blue eyes for me."
I heard the car door slam and rushing steps on the pavement, "I got an officer down, send an EMT asap! Location is alley by Ivory Moon Cafe in the shipping district!"
I ran my hand gently through his hair as I tried to slow down my racing heart and breathing when Wufei came to crouch down on the other side of his fallen comrade.
"Don't move him, I'm going to need you to step away sir. Preventers are on their way, we have this handled." Wufei didn't look up once as he placed his hand on Heero's wrist, monitoring the pulse as well.
I pushed his hand out of the way when he tried to get me to back off, "Like Hell Chang! What the fuck is going on! Why are you guys out here!"
That got his attention. Wufei's head shot up and his eyes slowly widened when he registered who I was. It didn't last though, his face soon screwed up with anger and he got a small snarl on his lips.
"What the hell, Maxwell! Where the hell did you even come from!"
"That doesn't matter right now! What the hell happened here! You guys were supposed to be checking out a lead!" I angrily replied.
He motioned to the car behind him, "What do you think THAT is!" He let out a frustrated huff as a piece of stray hair fell out of his ponytail and into his eyes, "You need to go back to wherever you were! This is Preventer's business. Do you have any idea how you being here will make this shit worse! If he wakes up and sees you he is going to be livid!"
"Fuck you Wufei! Shelf your personal issues now is not the time, what matters right now is getting your partner help. What's the ETA!" I snarled as I leaned back down to be level with Heero's face, a hand absently running through his hair. What the hell was he thinking! With the way, he's been the last few days he had no business pursuing on foot.
I heard Wufei growl slightly in frustration and looked at his wrist, "Why are you acting like a concerned friend now! It's been 4 years Maxwell, you didn't seem so concerned about his welfare then!"
I ignored his ranting and kept running my hand through his hair, "Come on buddy...If you don't snap out of it you're gonna be the butt of so many jokes at the office for being taken down by a girl. A teenager none the less, come on..."
"Are you listening to me, Maxwell!"
I turned my head in his direction, I have had enough of his shit at the moment and I am sure he could see it on my face, "I hear you, I just don't give a shit! Help me turn him over."
Wufei stopped me before I had a chance to try and move him, "Are you stupid, Maxwell! You know damn well we can't move him. We don't know the extent of his injuries. She got him square in the back in a full force flying kick!"
"Fuck!" I sat up on my knees and checked my watch on my free wrist, my hand never leaving his hair. "Where is that fucking back-up!" I was beyond pissed, I felt helpless and nothing I did was getting a response out of the still form near my knees.
"How did you even know we were following a lead! Has he been talking to you!" Wufei was pissed, I could recall how many time he has ever lost it enough to yell or to curse for that matter.
"What the fuck does it matter Wufei! It's none of your business on why I'm here and how I know what I do!" My voice had raised to match his.
In the distance, I heard the sirens blaring on either side of the alley. Wufei and I sat there glaring at one another until the medical team rushed in and pushed me aside. Wufei had stood up and stepped back while giving me a glare that said, 'we aren't done' as a person from the medical team came over and started asking him questions.
I stayed crouched near the team as they strapped a straight board to Yuy's back and applied a neck brace before they flipped him over, board and all. They dropped down the legs and started checking his vitals. I felt completely useless as Wufei's droning voice relayed the information. I stood and watched them place a mask over his face as they wheeled him away to the Medical transport and loaded him up. The person Wufei was talking to wrote a few more things down before joining the others in the EMT and they drove off at a fast speed. The action was a blur and I didn't come back to my senses until I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder in a firm grip.
"You're coming with me to the office to make a statement on what you saw," Wufei stated as he walked me over to a squad car.
"Fuck that! I'll give you a damn statement after I know that Heero is good!" I harshly shrugged his hand off my shoulder.
His face set in a stern line and he worked his jaw, "The medical facility is in the same building, Either way, you are coming. Go with Mitchell and Nelson, they will take a quick statement and then take you to the medical wing. I'll meet you there." He pushed me down to get in the back of the car.
Wufei slammed the door shut after I was in and we were on our way, "Fuck!"
After I arrived at Preventer's I gave my statement and demanded that they take me to the medical wing. I had already wasted enough time giving them what they wanted and I was done. They argued with me for a few minutes but I made it clear that they either take me right then or I would find it myself. I am sure they were about as done with me as I was with them.
I looked around the sitting area and spotted Wufei standing by the desk talking with the receptionist. He didn't look happy with what she was telling him.
"What's going on," I asked and spared a sideways look at the receptionist.
"They won't release any information to anybody outside of kin. I explained that this would be cleared up if she would just page Sally." His voice was strained as if he was trying to hold back his anger.
"As I said sir, she is with the patient now." The receptionist replied.
I slammed my hand down on the desk and counter and snarled, "Fuck that! I want information and I want it now!"
"I'm sorry sirs as I stated nobody is allowed back there except next of kin. Relena made it explicitly clear not to let anybody else in right now," she explained
"Relena! He has the banshee as his next of kin!" I was a few seconds away from storming through the doors, hell with the protocol.
"He must have forgotten to change it...I am Chang Wufei, his partner, I have just as much right to be there as anybody."
The receptionist typed away at the computer and plastered a smile on her face before looking over at the Chinese man, "Oh, why didn't you say so. I still can't get you in but I can get the Doctor for you just give me one moment."
I pushed away from the counter and took a seat in one of the chairs. Like hell, they are going to stop me from getting back there. Just as the receptionist picked up the phone, Sally came running through the doors. Wufei and I looked up in surprise.
"Thank god!" she walked straight over to Wufei, "I need your help Wufei..."
I stood up and jogged over to the two to see what was going on, "He's awake but frantic. I can't ground him. Relena is in there..."
My outburst cut her off, "Fuck! Did you strap him?" I was fuming.
Sally looked over in shock, just realizing that I was there. Thankfully she didn't question and continued, "We had to strap him, we didn't know the extent of his injuries. If I don't get him calmed down I won't be able to check the extent..." I didn't stick around to hear the rest of her sentence.
I stormed through the door at a jog as I looked at the surgery windows before I came across his. Relena was yelling his name and he was straining against the restraints. They had him on his stomach, table inclined at a 40-degree angle, his prosthetic was removed, and his arms were strapped along with his good leg. I didn't waste any time. I ran into the room, pushed the banshee out of the way, crouched down so that I was level with his eyes, and placed my hands on either side of his face. I held his head firm as I spoke in a low, soothing tone.
"Hey, buddy. Hey, hey, hey calm down bud..."
Heero's POV/ Medical
Where the hell was I! Last thing I remembered was pursuing the girl and then nothing but pain, unbearable pain. My back still felt on fire and my stump was pulsing. I couldn't move my arms and legs, something was holding them in place. My pulse was racing with my accelerated heart rate and I was fighting for air.
"Ey, hey calm down buddy...Come on, shh" a familiar, soft voice instructed. When I opened my eyes I was greeted by violet orbs shadowed with concern. I could feel his fingers threading through my hair as he stroked my face. I could hear an unpleasant voice yelling at him to step away. His head whipped in her direction, breaking eye contact with me.
"You're screaming isn't helping, shut up already!" He responded before turning back to me, effectively ignoring the woman as she continued to rant.
"Hey bud, you're settin' off all sorts of alarms, ya gotta calm down. Breathe through it."
I took in a huge gasp of air and pulled on my arms again... I wanted them off, I wanted to know what was going on. He moved one hand away from my face and rested it on my arm to still my movement.
"Stop jerkin bud you're gonna hurt yourself. I'm sure your in enough pain right now, no need to add to it..come on breathe for me." I let my arms go slack and let out the air I had sucked in before gasping for another.
His fingers gently ran across the back of my hand and on my face as he spoke to me softly. The ranting in the background had stopped, thankfully and my heart rate was slowing down. My hearing had cleared up and I noted that The monitors stopped beeping and I was taking in small stuttered breaths. The fire in my spine came to the forefront and I moaned softly.
"There ya go, you with me now?" Duo inquired.
I let out a shuttered breath and nodded slightly, causing more pain to shoot down my spine. His hands stilled my movement and he gave a small smile, his eyes never moving from mine.
"This is preposterous! Why are you even here, I told you to leave! Who let you in any way!" Relena's irritated voice stated.
Duo's face screwed up with irritation, "Yeah, because you were doing just a fine damn job handling the situation..."
"How dare you speak to me that way. You have no business being here, why don't you go back to space you worthless guttersnipe! ...Walk in here like you haven't been gone for years.." I saw her move forward and try to push his hands away.
"No..." My voice was raspy and dry.
"Heero! Oh thank goodness, you're awake." She went to move his hands again to replace them with hers.
"NO..." My voice was stronger and I saw a small smirk form on Duo's face with my response.
Relena pulled her hands back in surprise, "Surely Heero..." Duo's voice cut her off and Relena's jaw dropped.
"It's alright bud...I'm not goin' anywhere. Do you know where you are?"
Before I could answer, the door open behind me and two sets of footsteps entered the room. "Thank goodness, you got him to calm down. Is he lucid now?" Sally's voice sounded relieved.
Duo looked up at her when she entered and then looked back down at me, "You with us now?"
"Yeah...hurts..." I replied softly.
Duo looked back up and nodded, "Yeah, but he's in some serious pain Sal...can ya do something about it?"
I heard her heels click across the surgery floor, "I need everyone out to get anything done, that includes you Miss Peacecraft." Relena crossed her arms and huffed before walking out of the room with who I assumed was Wufei and Duo's hands started to pull back as I spoke.
"No..."
Duo stopped his movement and he gave me a look of confusion. "...'Ro?"
"No, stay." My responses were short but the pain in my back doubled anytime I tried to speak, it was bad enough it felt like fire with every breath I took.
Duo looked up at Sally and I heard her sigh, "I don't know how or why you are here or why he wants you to stay but I won't deny the request. There is no harm in it, Wufei usually stays when he gets into these situations."
"Situations? This has happened before?" he questioned as his hand left my face and slowly threaded through my hair.
I closed my eyes and just concentrated on the conversation and his touch. It seems that his touch still has the same effect as it used to and it was distracting me from the pain. I felt my body slowly relax and my breathing finally evened out. I heard the heart monitor slow down considerably as a reaction to his calming gesture.
"Well that is something new, seems like your presence is almost doing too well of a job." she chuckled softly.
I felt Duo's hand still for a minute before he continued his movement, "Wasn't Chang able to do this? You said he's done it before...and you didn't answer my question."
Sally softly chuckled again and I heard her heels click on the floor as she walked around to the other side of the table, "Yes, Chang did this before but it was never this effective. As for your question, yes this has happened before. We both know he's stubborn and pushes his limits."
I opened my eyes when I felt his hand leave my wrist and saw him shake his head and rub his temple. His face still looked pinched with concern as he and Sally spoke. Some of his hair had come loose from his sticks and fell over his face. He turned to look down at me and gave me a sad smile.
"You gotta stop this bud, you're gonna give your partner a heart attack."
"I'd have to agree with Maxwell, Chang isn't much use to me dead." Sally cut in. "Let's see what we can do about making you more comfortable." her hand came down on my good knee and I jumped, not expecting the touch, and instantly regretted it. I closed my eyes and let out a pained moan.
"Sorry, Yuy...I didn't mean to startle you. I'm going to lower the bed out to make this easier, it will also take some pressure off your back." I felt her lower the rack back down, my vision was greeted with the linoleum floor and Duo's boots.
Duo's hand shifted to my shoulder, I could feel the warmth of his hand seep into it as he watched Sally doing her routine checks of my vitals. Her hands were cold on my skin as her clinical touch ran across my back, her touch light, and professional. Duo's hand gently rubbed at my shoulder with feather-light sweeps over my skin as she stepped away to grab something from a metal tray before I felt her hand on my opposite shoulder. I tensed, not sure what she planned to do.
"I'm going to give you a mild pain killer to take off the edge while we check out your back. Unfortunately, I need you awake and lucid." I felt the cold touch of the alcohol swab and tensed up even more if it was possible.
"Try talking to him Duo, this next part isn't going to be very pleasant. I need to check the alignment of his back and, as I stated, he is lucid through the check."
I saw Duo crouch down and rest his hand on the back of my head, I can only see his jean-clad legs in my line of sight. I felt his hands rubbing at my scalp and I shut my eyes; my body relaxed from the touch. I was confused and not sure how much I cared for my reactions to him. It was completely different during the war, I don't know what to think about it now...
"Hey buddy, why don't you tell me more about Jynx. Was she always so loving from the start?" His voice was soft and mesmerizing.
"She..." I cleared my throat and relaxed the death grip I had on the straps, "She was really weak when I first got her..." I felt a small prick from the needle as I told Duo the whole story about Jynx. How she was so small and not able to feed when I first got her, how I used to sleep with her on my chest to make sure she had enough warmth through the night, how I had to ween her myself, and her habit of sucking on the fleece blanket I kept her wrapped in, and how she was very timid.
"Wow, She has come a long way huh, and you spoiled her to bits I bet." his slim fingers skimmed over my bare shoulder and the side of my neck, giving me something to focus on. Sally's hands ran down my spine, starting at the top and applying pressure as she went from disk to disk, checking each one as thoroughly as possible. The pain was hardly noticeable as she worked.
"I did everything I could for her, she was strong and..." I tensed as scathing pain erupted from my spine when Sally came to the disks in my lower back, cutting off my sentence. I let out a hideously pathetic sound and my hands gripped the edges of the rack in a white-knuckled hold.
"Easy, easy buddy breathe...Jeezus Sally, what are you doing killing him?"
Sally's hands continued to work down my back, with the sounds I was making you would think I was being tortured with a hot poker, that's exactly how her touch felt at that moment; like a hot poker had been run down my spine, searing me to the bone. My eyes started to tear up, the pain had never been this bad before. Both of Duo's hands came up to rest on the backs of mine, his thumbs rubbed over my wrists in a comforting motion.
"Breathe through it buddy...Shit Sally fucking stop!" Duo's voice was filled with anger and venom.
"I needed to check how bad it was and where Duo, now calm yourself down. It's not like I enjoy this!" She continued for a few more seconds before her hands left my back. I could feel the sweat running down my temple as I panted. The pain slowly ebbed down to a dull throb and I took in a gasp of breath. I started seeing spots in my vision as I fought the need to pass out.
"She's done 'Ro, she's done try to breathe, shhh..."
Duo continued to talk me down as I fought to get my bearings, my body was shaking with the exertion. I slowly loosened my grasp on the rack and rested my thumbs against his wrists.
"What the hell was that!" He sounded livid, "Why was that necessary, couldn't you have given him more pain killers?!"
Sally slowly walked around the table again and sat in her chair, "It's the only way to check the bionics."
His hands gripped mine fractionally as he fought to get himself under control. I wasn't surprised by his actions, I never really explained how they fixed my back when he asked. Wufei's reaction was similar when he witnessed the procedure himself.
"Duo..stop, s'okay."
"No, it's not okay 'Ro! There's gotta be a better way to check that shit." He rested his hand back in my hair as he spoke.
"Sally...explain to him please." I croaked as I worked on regulating my breathing and bringing my heart rate back down.
"The bionics in his back are powered by an electrically charged fluid. When he "slips a disk" it kinks the line and causes pressure and blocks the flow. This fluid also keeps the bionics at a consistent temperature so overheating isn't an issue. The fluid responds to his brain waves as well, allowing the messages from his brain to travel through his back, so it kind of takes place of the nerves that were damaged in the accident. When the line is pinched it cuts off the messages from the brain to his legs. Thanks to the bionics he can walk as if there was nothing wrong."
She paused as Duo soaked in the information. My thumbs weakly rubbed the inside of his wrist as he processed. The information is a lot to take in and it's hard to explain. I remember when she first explained it to me and I still have a hard time getting my head around it. Her hand came to rest on the silicone cover that was located on my lower back, she peeled the cover off and continued.
"This is a port, we can drain and replace the fluid through this. Once the fluid is drained I can realign his back and free the blocked lines. When I do this he loses feeling from the waist down, he may feel a bit uncomfortable as the pressure is released and as the fluid is replaced but he won't feel me rearranging the disks that had slipped because the 'nerves' would be essentially 'dead'."
Duo's hand left mine temporarily as he ran it down his face and then replaced it, "So where do we go from here."
"Now that I know where the damage is I can correct it. The whole process can take anywhere from an hour to three depending on how bad the case. With my findings, it's probably going to take a few hours to correct it. After I do that we will keep him here for a day or two as the fluid regulates. This is just a precaution. If it's too much it creates pressure, resulting in tingling in his legs. If its too little his responses will be delayed. It's like trying to calibrate a Mobile Suit if you need a comparison." she explained.
"That's some high-tech stuff Sal..." came his soft reply. He sounded overwhelmed with the information, I wished I could see his face, I'm no good at reading tones. I let out a soft sigh and squeezed his hand to the best of my ability.
"Can we remove the restraints at least? He's calmed down now." He inquired.
"I'd rather not until after I bleed the line...he has a tendency of twitching, it's an auto-response and he has no control over it." she sounded hesitant.
"What if I stayed while you do that, I'll hold him steady. Is there anything else you found?"
I felt him slightly relax, I assumed she shook her head at his question. Her heels clicked as she made her way to remove the restraints on my arms but my leg was left strapped. I sighed and wiggled my fingers once they were removed from my wrists and turned my hands up to squeezed his in a comforting gesture.
"It'll be fine Duo...You got me through the worse of it, thanks." My voice was raspy.
"Can I get some water?" I asked.
"Sure, Heero. I'll have Duo do that while I set up the drain line, sound good?"
"Thanks..."
Duo released my hands and stepped away for a minute before returning. He laid down on the floor under the table with the glass in his hands and gave me a soft smile. I let out a short laugh and returned his smile with one of my own as he held the straw up to my lips. I sipped from the glass as I felt Sally hooking the drain tube up to the port on my back. The tube traveled down my leg and she hooked the small electrical catch unit up to the side of the bed. I saw the red light on as she crouched down to mess with the controls. Her blue eyes caught mine and she smiled before standing. Duo pulled the straw away from my lips and stood up to set it back down on a counter.
"Okay Duo, place your hands here...and here." She placed his hands on my shoulder blades, I shivered at the touch before bringing my arms up to grip his forearms, "Apply enough pressure to keep him steady okay?" Her shoes left my sight, he must have nodded. I hated not being able to see what was going on.
Sally crouched back down by the unit and looked over at me, her hair was loose and it fell over one shoulder, "Ready Heero?"
"Yeah...as ready as I can be."
She gave me a soft smile and turned her attention back to the unit. She slowly turned the dial and I watched the light change from red to green. A Small whir was heard as the machine started, "Three...Two..." I felt the machine starting the pull and my shoulders jerked. Duo's hands applied pressure, holding me steady as my hands tightened on his arms.
"Easy buddy..." His fingers rubbed between my shoulder blades as I felt numbness slowly travel down my back. I jerked a few more times before the machine turned off on its own accord.
"Perfect Heero, can you feel this?"
"No...I can only feel Duo's hands."
"Great! Okay Duo, Thank you for your assistance. I think I and my nurses can handle it from here. If you want to wait in the waiting room I'll let you know when we're done." His hands left my back and he touched my hair one more time.
"Alright buddy, I'll see you in a bit okay?"
"...Taisetsuna tomodachi, arigatÅ (1)"
I heard him smirk, "Anytime, 'Ro." His shoes left my view as he walked out of the surgery. I pulled my arms under my head and rested my forehead on them. A few pairs of white shoes enter the room as the nurses walked in to assist.
"Okay Heero, you just relax and we will get this handled so you can get some much-needed rest."
A/N: Alrighty, this was a bit longer than the others because it was a rather busy chapter. I hope I didn't lose anybody. It's intended to be a long story, so I like to include a lot of detail and try to avoid jumping around too much. Hope there aren't many plot holes so far. I know Heero didn't talk much during his POV but I wanted to explain what he was feeling and Duo isn't a mind reader lol! Comments and Critique welcome, until next time! :)
(1)- 'Thank you my precious friend' in Japanese.