Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Shared Heart ❯ chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Title: A Shared Heart (revised)

Author: Vega-Lume

Beta: Krista

Disclaimer: I don't own the boys; I just like to play with them. (hee hee) and I do promise to put them back when I am done. (has fingers crossed behind her back)

Warning: Angst (duh), A/U, and my sorry attempts at humor.

Pairings: 2x1, 3x4x3, and 5xSally

Archive: media miner

 

Please read the notes at the end.

 

Hugs to Krista for the wonderful beta job!

 

 

For Naomi, even though retired from the fandom, she will always be considered my friend.

 

 

A Shared Heart chapter 3

By Vel

 

 

The nurse, Melissa; raised a cloth to the doctor's forehead to wipe away the sweat that had gathered there. She held her breath as Dr. Perkins removed a clamp from inside the boys' chest.

 

“Suction.” Dr Perkins said softly and the nurse lowered the suction tube and removed the excess fluid. They had been in the operating room for over four hours already and the doctor had just finished reconnecting the blood flow to the new heart. Once the last clamp was removed, they would know if the operation had been successful or not.

 

Once the fluid had been suctioned away the doctor reached down and removed another clamp.

 

 

+++

 

“Excuse me? Are you the family of Heero Yuy?” A young unfamiliar nurse asked quietly from the waiting room doorway.

 

“Yes, we are.” Odin replied, smiling gently at the young woman.

 

“I have a message for…” She paused to read the name on the post-it note “…Dorothy.”

 

“I'm Dorothy.” The blond girl stated, reaching a hand out for the note. Smiling the nurse handed the girl the piece of yellow paper then, after nodding to Odin and Linda she left the room.

 

“What does it say?” Linda asked after Dorothy had read the message.

 

“Mom wants me to call as soon as possible.”

 

Sitting near the phone, Dorothy lifted the recover and dialed her home number. The phone rang twice before her mother answered.

 

“Hello?” A weary voice answered.

 

“Mom, it's me. What's going on?” Dorothy asked anxiously and heard her mother sigh deeply.

 

“Honey, I….I don't know how to say this but…” Suddenly worried, Dorothy shot her father a pleading look. Rising Odin moved across the room and sat next to his daughter.

“There was an accident…” Her mother continued. “Solo and Duo were hurt.” Squeezing her father's hand tightly she waited for the rest of the information.

 

“Solo…..Solo, baby, he didn't make it, I'm so sorry honey.” Shaking her head in the shock, Dorothy let the phone slip from her hand. It clattered loudly to the floor startling Linda who had been reading an old magazine

 

“What's wrong?” she asked in a worried tone, discarding the magazine on a small table and getting up to walk over.

 

“I don't know.” Odin replied, before picking the phone up off of the floor. “Midge?” He inquired hesitantly.

 

“Hello Odin, I know you and your wife are going through a lot right now, but two of Dorothy's friend's were in a car accident today one of them died. I didn't want to have to tell her over the phone but I felt she needed to know.” She sounded so tired.

 

“Gods,” He breathed “Who?'

 

“Helen's boy Duo and Caroline's son Solo.” She replied in a shaky voice. Just saying their nicknames was painful.

 

“Which… who?” He swallowed hard to keep from crying. He knew these boys. They had practically lived in their home when he and Midge had been married.

 

“Solo,” She sniffled then continued “I'm going to the hospital soon to pick up Helen and Caroline, Joe is away I'm going to see if Helen wants to stay with me until he gets back.”

 

 

“I'll take care of Dorothy tonight. After we get some rest I'll drive her back tomorrow.” Odin said softly, leaning as far ad the phone cord allowed so he could reach his daughter on the other side of the small table. Unable to do much more then rubbing calming circles on her sobbing her back, from his awkward position.

 

“I appreciate that, but you might as well keep her until Monday. Things are going to be stressful and I think it would be better if she didn't have to see their mothers just now; there is a chance that Caroline will stay here with me too. Solo's funeral is on Tuesday. Get some rest, and tell her she can call home any time she needs too.” Midge said sadly, her voice scratchy from crying.

 

“I'll tell her. How is Duo doing?” he asked with his heart clenching at the sight of his daughter's anguished expression. Linda was cradling the girl in her arms gently rocking her from side to side making some soothing noises that didn't really seem to help.

 

“He's in a coma. His doctors are optimistic.” The pair said their good-byes and Odin returned the phone to its proper place. He rose from the soft chair to join his family on the other side of the room where Linda was seated in a small chair with Dorothy on her lap. Not wanting to repeat aloud what he had learned he instead leaned in closely to his wife's ear and whispered to her what had been said on the phone. Then he sat on the edge of the small table unconcerned about the magazines beneath him and wrapped his arms around both women rocking with them.

+++

 

“Sponge” Dr. Perkins said softly and Melissa passed him a sponge. He dabbed around the sutures, checking the sponge periodically for any seepage from the newly placed sutures, and then he reached for the final clamp.

 

As he lifted the clamp away, Melissa suctioned out the chest cavity then they waited, watching the new heart. It seemed as if years had passed before the first weak beat.

 

A loud whooping cheer sounded through the operating room as the beat was followed by another then another. Each beat getting stronger and steadier.

 

“Good job kiddo…” Perhaps Dr. Perkins said smiling behind his mask. “Lets close him up.”

 

 

+++

 

 

 

“Helen?” The teary-eyed redhead who had been standing near the nurses' station turned to see a familiar blond woman standing a few feet away. Dorothy's mother and gone straight to the hospital after speaking to her daughter.

 

“Oh Midge…” she sobbed turning to cling to her friend. “My baby, my poor baby…” she whimpered against the slightly older woman's shoulder. Her tears could dampen Midge's shirt here, especially as she's crying, as Midge's arms close around her tightly or whatever you put

 

“Shh…” Midge hushed, rubbing a soothing hand up and down her friends' spine. “Honey, where's Caroline?”

 

“Sh…she's in the waiting room.” Helen hiccupped then sniffled wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

 

Midge ushered Helen over to a soft chair and handed a box of Kleenex. “I'm going to go find Caroline, and then we're going home for the night, alright?”

 

“Oh no, I can't go. I can't leave him here alone!” Helen cried in horror at that statement for even proposing to leave her baby alone.

 

“Listen honey, I talked to his nurse downstairs, she said that you can't see him again until tomorrow. You can't sit here all night. Come on home with Caroline and I. You can stay at my place and I'll drive you back in the morning.” She said softly, her hand kneading the other woman's shoulder.

 

Helen looked torn. She knew that the doctors would not let her see Duo until the morning but she really didn't want to leave him alone.

 

“Alright, I'll wait here.” Helen seemed to deflate, she could understand the logic of what Midge had said, but her heart didn't care about logic.

 

Midge smiled and patted her friends shoulder. “I'll be right back.” She turned away then and motioned to a passing nurse. She asked the woman where the waiting room was.

 

She found the room with little difficulty. Caroline sat dry-eyed on a green sofa, a bright red jacket bearing the local high schools mascot clutched in her white-knuckled hands.

 

“Caroline?” Midge queried softly. The grieving woman twitched at the unexpected sound of her friends' voice yet her head stayed bowed.

 

“I very much want to hurt someone right now.” The brunette whispered gravely, her green eyes blood shot from the tears she had shed.

 

“I can't tell you that everything will be alright, that would be a lie but I can tell you it will get easier.”

 

“How could you possibly know that? Your daughter is still alive.” She snapped her grief projecting as anger.

 

Midge sighed and crossed the room so she could sit near the other woman.

 

“That is true, Dorothy is still alive but I have lost people I love. I practically raised my little brother for six years after our daddy died when I was seventeen. He was only nine at the time; he was hit by a truck while riding his bike to school. That was less then a week before his sixteenth birthday.” Her voice had begun to sound strained having to relive such a painful time in her life. But she knew that if it helped Caroline then the pain would be worth it.

 

“I… I'm sorry Midge, I didn't know.” Caroline said sadly, the anger she felt now bleeding away.

 

“Not many people do,” Midge replied after taking a calming breath. She couldn't break down yet. Her friends needed her strength right now. “Dorothy was barely two at the time. She doesn't remember him well.”

 

Tears began streaming down Caroline cheeks. “How… how do I get through this?” she sobbed burying her face in Solo's jacket.

 

Kneeling on the floor, Midge gathered the other woman into a hug, tucking Caroline's head beneath her chin a rocking her trembling frame.

 

“Day by day, dear. Day by day.” She rapidly blinked away her own tears. Those were the last words her daddy had ever spoken to her, and she knew that even though they didn't sound like much now, they were true.

 

 

+ + +

 

“Excuse me.” A nurse called softly she stepped into the family waiting room. Odin raised his tired eyes from his daughters sleeping face.

 

“Doctor Perkins would like to see you in his office.”

 

Odin and Linda shared a look before Odin said. “Go on, I'll wake Dorothy and meet you there.” They had moved Dorothy to Odin's lap after she had fallen asleep.

 

Nodding, Linda leaned down and kissed her husband then followed the nurse out of the room.

 

“Thea, honey. The nurse was here, Doc Perkins wants to see us.” He called softly, stroking her cheek with his knuckles.

 

Instantly awake Dorothy rubbed the sleep from her eyes then slid from her fathers lap. After Odin regained some of the circulation in his legs the pair headed to Dr. Perkins office.

 

They arrived just a few moments after Linda and took their seats near the kind doctor's desk. Dr. Perkins smiled in greeting then began.

 

“The surgery went very well. The new heart was nearly perfect in size. As I discussed with you before Heero will be heavily sedated for at least forty-eight hours. He will stay in the pediatric ICU for the next two weeks and then in the general pediatric unit for another few days. If all goes well he should be able to go home in about a month.” He beamed at them, and his smile softened the firm tone of his voice.

 

Linda and Odin nodded they had been prepared for this for years and knew 80% of what to expect for the next month. A hundred different things could go wrong at any given time but with Dr. Perkins' assurance that the operation had gone well and knowing that this man knew their son almost as well as they did they felt relieved that Heero was getting the best care possible.

 

“When can we see him?” Odin asked holding tightly to his wife's hand while he wrapped his free arm across Dorothy's shoulders.

 

“The nurse needs to observe him for the next half an hour to insure that the meds are working properly, so for now you can each see him one at a time for a few moments. I know that hospital policy says that no minor is allowed in ICU after hours but I'll accompany Dorothy myself.” He smiled at the girl but was a bit alarmed; she didn't seem as thrilled with the news on her brother as her parents were.

 

“Dear, are you alright?” the Dr. inquired frowning in concern.

 

“I'm sorry,” Odin interjected giving the girl a reassuring squeeze “She received some bad news from home while you were in surgery.” The Dr. nodded the stood to place a comforting hand on the girls' shoulder.

 

“Come, let's go see Heero. Okay?” Dorothy smiled sadly at the gentle Dr. and allowed herself to be guided out of the office to Heero's room.

 

+++

 

When they arrived a nurse greeted them and gave them sanitary clothing. After they were dressed, the nurse led Linda in first. They passed another patient before the reached Heero's bed.

 

The boy was lying flat on his back, wires and tubes seemed to be attached everywhere. His eyes were taped closed and an intubation tube was protruding from his mouth helping him to breathe.

 

“Oh honey…” Linda breathed, reaching a hand out to touch his hair, she sent the nurse a questioning look and received a nod before she actually touched the silky chocolate strands.

 

There was no reaction but that was to be expected, the whole family knew that he wouldn't really be conscious for another day or so. As with all other transplant recipients Heero would be basically paralyzed to limit all movement that way there is no added stress on his chest and ribcage while they healed.

 

Her finger trailed down to his cheek feeling the clammy skin. She wanted to cry, he looked so helpless just lying there. At this moment Linda wanted nothing more then to hold her son and never let go. She just stood there for a few moments drinking in his face. Her heart wanted to hope that everything would go perfectly but her mind kept telling her how things could still go so horribly wrong.

 

The nurse tapped her shoulder a minute later to tell her that her time was up. Linda sent the nurse a pleading look but only received a sad shake of the head in reply.

 

“I'm sorry.” The nurse began softly “it's time for the rest of the family to see him.”

 

Linda sighed sadly and sent on more longing look to her son before following the nurse back to the hallway.

 

Falling into her husband's arms she sniffled quietly fighting the flood of tears that were threatening to come.

 

“Doc, you and Dorothy go ahead. I'll go in last” Odin said, raising his arms and pulling his wife into a firm embrace.

 

“Of course.” Dr, Perkins replied then ushered Dorothy into the ICU.

 

Dorothy felt dazed. She wanted to dance for joy now that Heero had the new heart he had always needed but she couldn't help but worry for Duo and Mrs. Solovan. She was hurting with the need to be both here and there. She knew that Heero would understand her wanting to be at her friends' side but her dad and stepmom needed her here. She wanted to go home and felt terrible for wanting it so much that Heero had become second on her priority list.

 

As she approached Heero's bed the flood of grief broke through again and she began sobbing uncontrollably. Alarmed, Dr. Perkins led her through to a small office in the back of the room and sat her down. Grabbing a box of Kleenex off of the desk he then crouched down in front of her and offered her the box.

 

“Dorothy dear, what's wrong? I know that this has to do with much more then just Heero.”

 

The girl sniffled and blew her nose in a tissue.

 

“Ta… two of my friends were in an accident today. One of them d…d…died.”

 

“Oh honey.” The kindly man breathed and then pulled the girl to him. He ran a gentle hand over her shimmering blond hair as he rocked her gently.

 

“I…I want to go home.” She whispered against his white coat.

 

“I understand dear. I completely understand.” He soothed.

 

“Dad would hate me if I told him.”

 

“Dorothy!” Dr. Perkins called in alarm, pulling back so that he could see her face “Odin would never hate you for wanting to be there for your friends, never.”

 

“It's just… they need me here, Heero needs me too. But Duo's hurt and Solo's de…he's… Oh God.” She fell against him and buried her face against his shoulder.

 

“Shhh, don't worry honey. I'll talk to Odin okay? I'll let him know how much you need to go home.”

 

“Thank you.” She whispered.

 

“Come on dear; let's go see your brother then I'll go talk to your dad.”

 

“Okay” she blew her nose again

 

Through sheer power of will, Dorothy didn't break down again when she saw her brother lying there even though her imagination pasted Duo's face in place of Heero's. Again she was overcome with the want to go home.

 

“That's enough, dear.” The doctor said gently, guiding her away from the bed. “This is too much for you now, let's go find your dad.”

 

The grieving girl nodded and followed the kind man back to the hallway where her father waited.

 

“Odin, may I speak with you for a moment?”

 

“Sure doc.” The other man replied then followed the doctor down the hall and into a different room.

 

“I spoke with Dorothy for a moment; she is feeling torn with the want to go home and the feeling of obligation to stay here for you and Heero.”

 

“I can understand that, and I was going to take her home in the morning but her mother wants her to stay here until Monday. She thinks that the stressful situation would be too much for her now.”

 

“May I make a suggestion then?” the doctor asked.

 

“Of course.” Odin replied, looking attentive

 

“Why not drive Dorothy home for a few hours,” He suggested “let her see her mother and the friend who is hurt, maybe get a few things of comfort from her room, then bring her back here.”

 

“What about Heero and Lyn?” He asked in concern, Linda was stretched thin already. How much harder would it be on her if neither he nor Dorothy were here for support?

 

“She'll take care of Heero and I'll keep Linda company until you two return.” The doc replied sincerely. He fully understood Odin's concern. But knowing that Heero would not be weaned off of the medication for at least another full day, Linda would basically be sitting with the boy. It wouldn't disrupt his schedule to take to woman for coffee or a bite to eat.

 

“Thanks doc.” He replied gratefully. He had spent hours after the phone call, racking his brain on ways to help Dorothy through this.

 

“My pleasure Odin, now let's go see your son then you can head off to home and get some rest.” Doc Perkins said gently guiding is friend to Heero's bedside.

 

Odin spent his whole visit whispering to Heero all of the things they had planned, the move to be closer to Dorothy, learning to ride a bike, even going to school for the first time in over eight years.

 

Then after an excruciatingly short amount of time it was time to leave.

 

The small family bid the doctor goodbye then gathered a few of their things from Heero's pre op room before heading home. They stopped off for take out on the way seeing how no one was in the mood to cook.

 

+++

 

“Helen?” Midge called softly to wake the dozing woman

 

“Oh Midge, I'm sorry. I just feel so drained.” Helen apologized shakily.

 

“That's quite alright dear. Caroline and I are ready to go.”

 

“Oh, okay.” She replied dejectedly. She wanted to stay but knew she had to go.

 

What was worrying her nearly as much as her sons' condition was the fact that Duo's father might not even know yet. He being an Airline pilot meant that he was most likely in the air when the accident happened. She had no idea if his superiors would tell him something that that while he had so many lives in his hands.

Still deep in thought she followed her friends out to Midge's car.

 

+++

 

The meal spent at the Lowe home was quiet, each person lost in their own thoughts. Very little food was consumed when Dorothy announced that she was going to bed and after kissing her parents good night she went to her room.

 

“I'm worried about her.” Linda said quietly, pushing some pasta around her plate with a fork. “I just don't know how to comfort her now when I'm barely coping myself.”

 

“Don't worry dear, Doc Perkins gave me a suggestion and the more I think about it the better I like the idea.”

 

“What did he suggest?” She asked in curiosity.

 

“He suggested I take her to visit her mother and her friend for a few hours and let her get some things that might make her feel better then bring her back here.” Odin replied as he poked at his own barely touched meal.

 

“That's a wonderful idea. When do you plan to take her?” Linda was glad that someone had thought of such a simple way to help.

 

“Sometime in the late morning, that way we can get some rest, even in we don't get any sleep.” Odin said, a bit surprised by his wife's enthusiasm.

 

Lynda smiled at her husband and rose form her chair so she could sit on his lap.

 

“Everything will be alright, won't it?” she asked in a voice that was tinged with fear.

 

“I would love to say yes, I really would. But you and I both know that could be a lie. I can tell you this though, no matter what happens, good or bad we'll get through it together.”

 

“I love you.” She breathed against his stubbled cheek. “So very much.”

 

“With all my heart.” He replied “Now go off to bed, I'll join you as soon as I put the food away and give Midge a call, letting her know we'll be there tomorrow.”

 

“Would you like me to start a bath for you?” She asked as she slid from his lap.

 

“No thank you, I'll shower in the morning.”

 

“Alright, hurry up to bed then.” She gave him a soft kiss on the lips then left the room.

 

Sighing, Odin collected up the various cartons of hardly touched takeout and popped them into the fridge. Once the food had been situated he snagged the phone and dialed a number from memory.

 

“Hello?” a soft voice asked after three rings.

 

“Hi Midge, sorry if I woke you.” His heart clenched, already feeling like a heel for bothering her so late.

 

“Oh no Odin, you didn't” The woman assured him “It's just been a very long day.”

 

“I can fully understand that.” He replied in sympathy.

 

“How is Dorothy doing?” from the background sounds on the phone, Odin guessed that she was moving through the house. His suspicions' were confirmed when he heard a door being softly closed.

 

Odin sighed sadly “She's taking it really hard, so I'm driving her back for a few hours tomorrow, if that's alright with you. Heero's doctor thinks it would be good for her to see you and her friend.”

 

“I don't know, Odin. Both of the boys' mothers are staying at my place for the night and I promised to drive Duo's mother back to the hospital in the morning.” She really didn't want her daughter to be exposed to the raw pain clearly visible on Helen and Caroline's faces.

 

Odin chewed his lip for a moment then suggested. “How about you pick some things that might be of comfort for her and take them with you to the hospital. We'll head straight to the hospital when we get there and have you paged. You can visit in the waiting room or something.”

 

“That could work,” she paused and though it over for a moment then continued “After we talk I can take Helen for coffee or something and you and Dorothy can visit Duo for a few moments, that way Dorothy won't have to deal with Helen just now.” Midge fell bonelessly onto her bed. Though she was more concerned about Dorothy's reaction Caroline, Helen would most likely be the first of the parents the girl would see.

 

“Okay, we'll see you around one tomorrow afternoon, and Midge get some rest.” He said fondly, remembering that many a time he told her to rest when Dorothy was a baby.

 

“I will, you take care of yourself too, give Heero my love and give Dorothy a kiss for me.” She replied quietly, her eyes drooping in exhaustion.

 

They said their goodnights and went their separate ways for the night.

 

Tbc…

 

This story is very hard for me to write. A close family friend passed away from heart problems just this past Christmas, however I originally started this fic years ago and I am determined to finish it. So please be patient as chapters may be sporadically updated.

 

~~~

Here are some of the sites I have visited

 

http://www.transplantexperience.com/

 

http://www.stlouischildrens.org/tabid/88/itemid/1377/Heart- Transplantation.aspx