Chapter 88: Decompression

The first thing Heero noticed when he woke up, heart pounding, hand reaching up to his chest, eyes scrambling to find Duo, was not so much his love sitting vigilant at his bedside, but Zechs.

Relena's brother was standing in a corner watching Duo with intense eyes. He had to remind himself that his former enemy befriended his lover over the last few years. They'd become close enough for Duo to be named as a godparent to his children, as strange as that was.

Duo never actually told him that news, but Relena did. During the weeks he spent away from the man he loved in an attempt to come to terms with his feelings and past actions, she stayed in touch but gave him very little in terms of Duo updates. He suspected something happened between her and his baka. The former Queen of the World actually refused to divulge information about him, claiming Duo had a right to privacy and encouraging him to just get in touch if he wanted to know how he was doing.

It was very unlike her. She'd always openly discussed Duo, even when she tried to actively disguise her opinion of him.

But instead, she told him all about how annoying it was to be passed up as godmother to her own niece and nephew only for Duo Maxwell to be named godfather.

What amused him most, at the time, was how she never disparaged him. She was jealous, and let that be known in no uncertain terms. But her entire problem stemmed from being snubbed. Relena actually admitted that Duo was a fine choice for a godfather. She called him loyal and kind. She admitted he was a man who would go out of his way to help the kids if ever they needed it. She claimed he was perhaps the smartest choice her brother could make, and he remembered being entirely floored upon hearing that opinion.

He'd come to accept that Zechs and Duo were friends. Just as he'd have to quickly come to accept how the man stared at Duo.

It wasn't quite leering, and it certainly wasn't lustful. At least that's what he reminded himself. As far as he knew Zechs had only been interested in women. No, he was staring and his eyes were full of genuine concern. That look was so alarming Heero wanted to disconnect his IV and chest tube and leap across the room to demand information. What happened to make the man so worried? What happened while he was out of commission? He didn't even care to know what brought his former enemy to L2, he just wanted to know what put that deep concern into his eyes.

And Duo.

Duo was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't notice he'd awakened. For someone so observant, who was looking right at him, to miss his eyes opening was... not right. Something was very not right. All of the relief he felt when he opened his eyes to see the man he loved, the calming of his nerves to see Duo in one piece beside him, to know he hadn't died, was gone.

He tried to speak, but nothing came out. Duo registered the movement, flinched, and instantly held a cup of water to him with a straw. The cool liquid helped to clear his throat, which was rough after his most recent sedation. As he drank, he thought of what to say. He was honestly a little afraid to say the wrong thing with the man by his side looking incredibly haunted. Time ran out to think of something perfect when Duo placed the cup back onto a side table.

"Duo, love. Happy to see you."

That flinch returned, followed by a quick recovery. Duo wrapped a hand around his and lifted it until a kiss could be placed on the underside of his wrist. Duo's lips tickled his skin when he whispered "I'm glad you're awake." He cradled Heero's hand against his chest and asked "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

Even groggy, he knew this was a misdirection on Duo's part. An excuse to avoid something he didn't want to talk about, which meant he should probably get information from someone else.

"Okay now that you're here, love." He refocused his eyes on the taller man in the corner with short platinum blonde hair. "What're you doing here?"

The smirk shot his way didn't make him feel any better. He'd seen that look from Relena's brother several times over the years and it was always meant to mask pity.

"I was worried about Duo, and quite surprised to find out you were injured. It's a relief to know you'll recover in full." He pulled away from the wall and stepped closer to the bed, coming to stand just behind where Duo sat. Heero watched him lay a hand onto Duo's shoulder and gently move that long braid aside. Jealousy came over him. Duo's hair was his to touch, and he didn't like the display of familiarity, especially when the man leaned forward to whisper into his partner's ear.

For a moment it was easy to misinterpret the situation as some other man giving Duo unwanted attention, but he quickly remembered this was a friend. If Zechs behaved that way with him it would be presumptuous and insane, but with Duo, who was his good friend, it was fine.

Thankfully he spoke loudly enough to hear, and with a slight delay Heero realized this was done for his benefit. Zechs wanted him to know what he was about to say, but he wanted Duo to think he wasn't overtly being a snitch. Smart. Very smart move. If nothing else proved their friendship, reading Duo well enough to trick him like this did.

"Now that he's awake, can you rest easy and finally eat something?"

Though he wasn't sure how long he was out of commission, he knew he'd likely been in the hospital for a minimum of twelve hours. He tried to recall the last time he saw Duo eat. Was it on Earth? The braided man scoffed.

"Not hungry. I'll eat later."

Heero's eyes darted back to Duo and he cleared his voice again, waving away the hand that reached to bring him water.

"When did you last eat?"

"Don't worry about it."

"You need to take care of yourself."

"Mm fine."

He looked to Zechs for backup.

"Come on, Duo. I'll stay with Heero. You can't keep running on empty."

Duo shook away from the hand on his shoulder and didn't even bother to look at his friend.

"I told you before that I'm not hungry. And I'm not leaving Heero, either."

"You refused the breakfast Quatre brought you and he's pretty sure you haven't eaten a proper meal since you had lunch with him on Earth. That was nearly three days ago."

Three days. Heero did the math and realized he'd been in the hospital for more than 24 hours. The drugs they gave him must have severely messed with his ability to keep time, and that only increased his worry. What happened while he was out of it? How could he help while lying in bed? What good was he while injured? Conflict brewed in him. He didn't want Duo to leave his side, but he couldn't ask Zechs all his questions with him still there.

No attention was paid to the other two as they gently bickered back and forth, Zechs prying and Duo barely reacting. Instead, Heero thought. And then he spoke.

"I'm hungry."

Both men turned to look at him, surprised at his straightforward declaration.

"I'm hungry, and I'd like something to eat. Join me, Duo?"

"I told you I'm not—"

"Join me. I won't be eating without you."

He saw Zechs smile with appreciation beyond Duo's shoulder before he silently mouthed the words thank you to him. It was possibly the first time since they worked together and exchanged Gundams that they had a truly cooperative moment, and Heero was glad. Relena had never been enough common ground between them, but if Duo was enough reason for them to find footing he'd take it. It was awkward enough being good friends with Relena while her brother was at odds with him, but that was something he could easily live with. He couldn't stand if he was at odds with one of Duo's true friends. Anything to mend bridges was welcome. He'd throw Zechs a party if it made life easier for Duo.

Soon after, Zechs excused himself to retrieve two meals from the cafeteria. Duo waited until they were alone to express his discontent.

"Underhanded move, Yuy."

"I'm willing to play dirty if it's for your benefit."

"How are you feeling?"

Heero gave him a small and confused smile, not having expected that question.

"Better than the last time you saw me. Though..." he frowned and saw Duo switch into high alert. "How the hell did I fracture my ankle?" He pulled his sheet up and showed a cast on one foot. "I didn't hurt it before I was shot. And once the larger dose of pain medication wore off I noticed it swelling, and tested it to find it very painful. I don't understand!"

Duo shrugged.

"I really don't have a clue. When I last saw you, far as I knew, it was fine."

Absently, Heero reached out a hand and pawed at the air. Duo recognized the gesture, and pulled his braid forward for his partner to wrap the end around his fingers. Holding onto his hair seemed to have a relaxing effect.

"None of the doctors or nurses said anything about me falling. I can't figure it out."

"Just do what's required for it to heal."

"I shouldn't need it to heal!"

"Ro—"

"I didn't fracture it!"

Duo was giving him a strange look. It was something between amusement and disbelief.

"You weren't so petulant in my head before."

Heero was considering how odd that comment was when Wufei and Quatre came through the door. Both looked tired, but much less so than Duo. In fact, looking at the two of them confirmed for Heero just how bad his baka looked. A small voice in his head hoped for Zechs to return with food soon, so that he could force Duo to eat something. Maybe, afterwards, he could force him to sleep, too.

"Heero, it's good to see you awake."

"Quatre. How's Trowa?"

Wufei spoke up, and Heero realized maybe being forward wasn't the right call. Quatre's eyes were suddenly filled with unshed tears.

"We'll be meeting him back on Earth. Thanks to Duo there's already evidence he was framed, but it'll take some time to process. He'll probably be ready for release from custody by the time we're Earthside again."

Heero turned to Duo, who still looked shell shocked and mostly emotionless. The way violet eyes fixated on him was a little disturbing.

"What did you do, Duo? How did you manage that so soon?"

"Wasn't me." Duo blinked, and slowly his gaze drifted away. "Just followed my emotions. Called in a favor."

Quatre's eyes narrowed.

"Don't be an ass, Duo! In the eyes of the law Trowa's a flight risk. With his ability to hide and my financial resources they'd have kept him locked up until the investigation cleared him. Thanks to you it looks like he'll be home about when we are!" His squared shoulders suddenly dropped. "I'm so embarrassed that my company is to blame for the information leak."

Not knowing any of that discovery, Heero listened while Quatre explained. The whole time he kept Duo's hair in his hand, afraid to lose physical contact. Throughout the explanation, which extended to calls Quatre made to his company's security division and what they had to say for themselves, Duo sat quietly with his hands in his lap. He noticed Duo would look away when their eyes met. Before he could ask about that behavior, Zechs arrived with sandwiches, fruit, and water.

Once Duo realized he really wouldn't eat without him, his initial resistance to food faded. Still, the way he nibbled and kept to himself made Heero uneasy. Finding he was legitimately hungry, Heero finished most of his meal. Duo ate two grapes and what amounted to less than a quarter of his sandwich. The bottle of water ended up in his hands, held firmly in place. Heero couldn't tell if it was used as an excuse not to hold his hand, or if Duo was just mentally checked out enough not to notice how he was somehow both an attentive partner and completely ignoring him.

When the doctor rounded he praised his patient for speedy recovery. Upon reading notes from the prior day's attending, he decided to remove the tube and discharge his patient. There was no need for the chest tube after hours of it being dry, and with Sally calling to request medical records forwarded to Noventa Memorial under her name, he knew Heero would be getting follow up care on Earth.

Though the process of removing the tube was uncomfortable, Heero didn't mind. Mostly he watched Duo, who still refused to leave the room. The others were taking turns visiting, sleeping, eating, and making various arrangements and plans. Quatre was arranging something semi-permanent for Elise and the children until they had a permanent home again, and Wufei and Zechs were arranging flight approvals and sending reports to Une. That feeling of being useless crept back into place but he shook it off. Duo needed him, and he could support him even from a hospital bed.

Emotional support was the opposite of useless.

With Trowa gone and the others busy, it looked like Zechs was designated to watch over Duo. The way he stared and always hovered in the background was as annoying as it was reassuring. He obviously had a lot on his mind. It was only when Duo went to speak with the nurse's station about checking him out of the hospital that Zechs approached, as eager to exchange information as Heero was.

"As you know he's barely eaten, but he's also hardly slept. I think he's still on guard and afraid to relax at all."

"What happened while I was out?"

"Trowa was arrested, but Duo's team at cyber security is clearing him. From what I understand the church burned down after Duo witnessed a child's murder. And the guy who organized all of this chaos is dead, but Duo hasn't talked about how it happened. Right now we're not sure if L2 police are looking for us as witnesses, as victims, or to arrest us as perpetrators, which is why the faster we get off colony, the better."

"Because we never had jurisdiction."

"Right."

"The church burned down?"

"Yes."

"Damnit, that alone—"

Heero shut up when he heard voices and footsteps approaching in the hallway. After they passed and Duo wasn't among them, he looked back to Zechs.

"Did you say he witnessed a child's murder?"

"Yes. That's what Wufei told me. He said it must have been gruesome, given the body after."

Gravity didn't appear to work, because Heero's stomach flipped. If this was the short, rushed summary, what else was Duo forced to go through?

"Do you think Duo killed Chevalier?"

The way Zech's eyes softened didn't help ease Heero's mind.

"I don't know. They were together, that's for sure. I thought he was going to kill Duo, so I took a shot. I'm not sure what happened after, I could hear audio but didn't have a clear visual. I think he tried to save him, but Duo hasn't talked about it. He's mostly been in a professional mode, and then once things settled, once he got the news about Trowa and forwarded the findings to Une... He slowly just petered out. He's been a bit catatonic ever since."

"I hadn't noticed."

Heero didn't meant to sound so sarcastic, but Zechs brushed it off.

"I know you and I aren't exactly friends, but we both care about that man, so if there's anything at all you need from me to help him, don't hesitate. Noin and I will back you 100%, Heero."

Guilt hit him hard. It was so easy to fall back into wartime hostility and he needed to work on that. This man was not only Duo's friend, but Relena's brother. He should offer up more respect to him, especially when he witnessed the quiet care Zechs was capable of, staying close and smartly finding ways around Duo's walls. He also said he took a shot at Chevalier to protect Duo, something Heero was grateful for. And if all that wasn't enough, the man left his newborn children with a wife who must be overwhelmed and exhausted, all to help Duo on a potentially deadly mission.

He more than earned his place, and more than earned Heero's respect.

"I'm sorry. I know that, and I'm grateful you're taking care of him now when my ability to do so is limited. Thank you. I'll remember to keep you in the loop. You have my word."

The sight of Heero Yuy both apologizing and thanking him visibly threw the usually cool man off balance. Even though Relena and Duo each insisted him capable of such actions, Zechs never thought Heero would direct a sincere apology and thank you his way. He was touched.

"I'm glad, because—"

When Duo walked back in Zechs stopped speaking.

"If you're feelin up to it, I thought I'd break ya outta here." Heero shared a knowing smile with Duo, both of them recalling a memory from long ago. "Carla's gonna cover for us, Quat is quietly settling the bill. Gonna take us out the side way, since there's some chatter about the cops looking for us and how they're startin to check in places they normally wouldn't. Like peds, geriatrics, and the maternity ward. Wufei's already left to prep the shuttle and get launch permissions."

He approached the bed and Heero noticed something in his hands. It was a folded set of scrubs.

"Your clothes were cut up, so this'll have to do until we're back on Earth. You need help changing?"

Zechs locked eyes with Heero, then quietly exited the room. Heero gingerly stood from bed and allowed Duo to help him change. Taking off the hospital gown was easy enough, but with his ankle messed up and fresh stitches where his chest tube once was, he definitely appreciated the assistance. They didn't speak while maneuvering around his injuries. Heero chose to watch his partner, and it worried him how the light in Duo's eyes was gone. Instead of joking, he just worked diligently. In another situation, Duo would flirt. He had, in the past when one of them needed help putting on clothing after being wounded, flirted quite a bit. But this time he went about his tasks like a nurse, or a stranger.

It felt good to be in clothing, even scrubs, and Heero sat back onto the edge of the bed. He was more than ready to leave the hospital, and L2, and everything from this mission behind. He didn't even complain when he saw Duo wheel in his ride. The transport chair would be more efficient than crutches and Duo had those for later, too.

Overall, their escape was uneventful.

It was what happened on the shuttle ride back that worried Heero.

He'd expected to be with the rest of the guys, buckled into a seat like a passenger. He didn't expect Duo to demand he go directly to the sick bay and spend the entire shuttle ride in the one available bed. Duo insisted it would be easier on his ankle, but he wasn't so sure of that logic. Keeping it elevated was one thing, but forcing him to lay flat the entire ride was another. He also didn't want to push his partner too far when he appeared increasingly emotionally fragile.

Duo was attentive, but hardly interacted with him. He consistently flinched when Heero reached out to touch him, or when he made eye contact. And he got progressively more quiet. For Heero it was difficult. He'd fall asleep and awaken with a start, his heart pounding, his hand pawing at his chest, and his eyes searching for Duo, only to find him at his side and oddly detached. It was a relief to have the others stop by and check on them. Being alone with Duo was difficult, especially when his partner continued to refuse sleep, and ate only when forced. When he finally left for a moment to take a bathroom break, Zechs suggested perhaps they offer Duo a drink with an added sedative. Four hushed voices all insisted "no!" at the same time, and no one wanted to explain why, least of all Quatre.

Not that it would matter. Duo didn't really drink much, either. He was increasingly exhausted and dehydrated.

His vigilance was beginning to break Heero. He didn't want this version of his baka who worried, and studied him, and refused to relax or sleep or eat. None of it was healthy, none of it sustainable. He hoped it would get better when they got home.

He wanted Duo back.