Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Burnout ❯ Chapter 23 ( Chapter 28 )

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Chapter Twenty-three

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"NO!" Trowa cried as he leapt out of Heavyarms. "QUATRE!" He rushed forward and gathered the smaller boy into his arms. "Quatre!"

Slowly, the boy's eyes cracked open, "T. . .Tr. . .Trowa. . ." He choked out in between gasps of pain. "I'm . . .I'm so sorry. . ."

"Quatre, don't speak. You must save your strength until I can find a doctor. . ." Trowa pleaded, trying to stench the blood flow, "You're going to be alright. . ."

The blonde shook his head weakly, "Don't Go!" There was panic in his voice; tears in his eyes. They were tears of pain and sorrow. His fingers dug into the banged boy's shirt in desperation that was mirrored in his expression. "Don't leave me alone. . ." he pleaded, "I don't want to be alone, Trowa. . .I. . ."

"I have to find a doctor. . ." Trowa insisted, tears welled in his eyes. "If I don't you'll. . ."He shook his head vehemently, "Quatre, you have to hold on!"

"I. . .I can't . . .Trowa. . .I'm sorry. . .I. . ." His eyes slid closed.

"No, Quatre, please. . .Don't give up. . ."

The rhythm of his breathing becoming less erratic but shallower, until at last his chest rose and fell for one final time, and the boy went limp.

"Quatre. . ." Trowa whispered, shaking the boy slightly, "Quatre, open your eyes. . ." There was no response from the bleeding boy. "Damn it, Quatre!" He swore, lying the boy flat on his back and beginning CPR, "I will NOT lose you like this!" He made no attempt to hide his desperation, nor his fear of losing his little one. His tears streamed down his face and splashed onto the still boy. "Do you hear me, Quatre?" He demanded, between chest compressions and breath counts, "I'm NOT going to lose you this way! Damn it!" He swore again, "I just got you back!"

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Rashid was worried about his young master. During the battle, the boy sounded tired, as was expected after fighting so hard. However, there was a strain in his voice that was out of place, and that greatly concerned him. So he and Auda had split up the Maganac and searched the Resource satellite MII for the blonde teenager.

It wasn't long before they ran into Trowa. The boy was near hysterics as he counted the rhythms of CPR, and whispered mumbled pleas to the lifeless form he was hunched over. The banged boy was covered with blood.

"Master Trowa?" Rashid approached hesitantly.

"He won't wake up. . ." Trowa told them, through his tears. "He won't breath . . . Please, Quatre. . ."

The burly Arabian roughly shoved the boy aside and took over the CPR for him. The banged boy was about to protest, maybe even try and fight the larger man, but a strong hand restricted him. Looking up, Trowa saw the kind and concerned face of Auda. "Please. . ." He begged.

"We won't let anything happen to him if we can help it." The Arabian assured before ordering the others to fan out and find a doctor along with the other Gundam pilots. Immediately, the orders were carried out.

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Hiiro and Duo supported each other as they staggered down the corridor. Both were tired and lacked the energy to do anything.

"So what is the first thing you're going to do with this new found peace?" Duo asked.

"Sleep without worrying about a mission coming in." The Japanese boy said in complete seriousness.

Duo gapped at him, before a grin crossed his face and he chuckled lightly, "Sounds good, Hiiro. Actually, it sounds great."

Suddenly, Wu Fei pushed by them, followed closely by Sally, and a team of medical personal.

"Oi," The braided boy called after them, "What's the hurry?"

"Quatre's hurt." Wu Fei called back to them. "Bad."

The boys exchanged a glance before finding new strength and bolting after them.

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It was the longest twelve hours Trowa ever had to endure. Hiiro, and Duo stood by him as Wu Fei helped Sally load the lifeless body onto a gurney. The doctor then had climbed on board and straddled the blonde as she continued with CPR as the rushed to the Medical wing. Sally had managed to get the blonde's heart started, but it was a very shaky rhythm that stopped every couple of minutes. Upon their arrival, blood and other fluids were attached by IV's along with various monitors. The medical team then went to work on stitching the boy up and repairing as much of the damage as possible.

"What happened?" Duo had asked.

"Dorothy." Trowa replied, not breaking his trance like stare from the door.

"That Bitch." Wu Fei swore.

The doors slid open and everyone snapped to attentions as Sally exited the OR.

Everyone showed expressions of concern.

The doctor sighed tiredly. She looked s if she had been crying.

Everyone sensed foreboding news.

"Sally?" Wu Fei prompted.

The doctor took a deep, shaking breath, and tried to keep a professional façade. After what seemed like forever, she opened her mouth to speak. Her voice was shaky with emotions and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "The surgeons have been able to repair most of the damage." She said in a quiet voice, "However. . ." she choked. The tears fell from her eyes. Hastily she brushed them away and sniffled to regain some composure. "However," she continued, "The damage was far to great and he's lost too much blood. . .There's nothing more we can do. . ."

"He's. . .He's dead?" Duo choked out, his violet eyes wide with shock, as his legs gave out from under him.

"Duo!" Hiiro caught the braided boy and set him in a chair. "Daijoubu??" He asked worriedly, "Duo?" The braided boy didn't answer.

"Quatre. . ." Trowa whispered, his emerald eyes glistening with tears as he shook in denial.

"He's not dead yet. . ." Sally amended, "But it won't be long until he is." She wiped her eyes again, turning to Trowa, "He's asking for you. . ."

The banged boy blinked, "F. . .For me?" He asked, "Why me?"

Hiiro placed a hand on the taller boy's shoulder. "You should go and see him. You'll regret it if you don't. . ." Mutely, Trowa nodded and another doctor led him to the blonde's room.

Wu Fei wrapped Sally in a caring embrace as she cried into his shoulder. His own tears cascaded down his cheeks.

Duo hadn't moved since Hiiro had shown him his chair. His eyes were still wide with shock and his mouth hung open slightly.

Hiiro frowned and knelt in front of the braided boy. "Duo. . ." He called gently, nudging his knee slightly. "Duo, talk to me. . ." He reached up and brushed back some of the chestnut colored bangs, "Duo. . ."

A single tear outlined Duo's heart shaped face as he met Hiiro's eyes. "Quatre. . ." he whispered, sounding lost.

"I know, Duo. . ." Hiiro nodded, "I know. . ."

A sob hitched in Duo's throat, "It's not right. . ." His voice was so quiet, Hiiro barely heard him.

"It'll be okay, Duo. . ." Hiiro tried to assure the boy, "It'll be okay. . ."

Duo shook his head slowly. His vision began to blur and he suddenly fell forward in his chair.

"DUO!" Hiiro cried, catching the boy and holding him close. "Duo!"

Sally and Wu Fei were immediately by the Japanese boy. "What's wrong?" Wu Fei asked as Sally pulled out her pen light and shined it in the braided boy's eyes.

"He fainted." She said. "He went into shock and he fainted."

"Duo doesn't faint." Hiiro glared.

Sally sighed, "With the stress from the battle and the death of Hilde; Quatre's fate was too much for him to process. . ." She gestured for the boy to follow her, "I have an extra bed where you can put him until he wakes."

Hiiro gathered the braided boy into his arms and followed their Doctor, ally . . . friend.

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Trowa swallowed the lump in his throat. Quatre lay pale and still in a hospital bed. There was an oxygen mask covering his face, and different machines and monitors. Each beeped rhythmically, tracking the minutes left in the blonde's precious life.

He looked so pale. . . like a frail, delicate piece of glass. . . like he could just break by a simple touch. Yet, Trowa knew that this image of Quatre was wrong. The little Arabian was possibly the strongest person he had ever known.

/This image was wrong./

He had rebelled against his family.

/This wasn't the Quatre he knew./

He had fought against OZ.

/He wasn't weak. . . /

He had survived self detonation. . .

/He was strong. . ./

He had survived his empathic terrors. . .

/He was the strongest of all. . ./

He conquered the Zero system!

/This was all wrong. . ./

Quatre had found him. . . Restored his memories!

/This can't be happening!/

He had been wounded in battle. . .

/I can't lose him. . ./

And he still fought. . .

/This image was wrong - ALL WRONG!/

Quatre was the strongest person he had ever known. . .

/I love him. . . /

"Quatre. . .?" His voice cracked with emotions and was barely audible.

Slowly, dull aquamarine eyes cracked open and sought him out. They had lost their brilliance, the live that had shone like a beckon to lost souls such as himself.

Trowa shook his head, "Quatre. . ."

A small, weak smile crossed the blonde's face. "Trowa. . ." He whispered, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

"You . . . You wanted to see me?" The banged boy asked. His heart felt as if it were being ripped out.

Quatre raised a shaky hand to the mask and feebly tried to remove it.

"Quatre - Don't!" Trowa exclaimed, reaching out to stop him.

The blonde grimaced before turning his gaze back to the taller boy, "Please, Trowa . . . " He pleaded. Trowa shook his head in refusal. "It'll be alright, Trowa . . . Please . . .?"

"Quatre. . ." The banged boy bowed his head, his bangs covering his face. After a few moments he nodded and reached over to remove the mask.

"Trowa. . ." Quatre called, his hand weakly reached out to the taller boy.

Trowa bit his lip and grasped it, "Yes, Quatre?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. . ."

Trowa stared at the boy. Here he was, dying, and he was more concerned with others. . .still. Trowa couldn't help it, a smile crossed his face.

"Are you okay?" the blonde asked.

"Iie," He whispered, "I'm losing my best friend, my savior and my. . .love. . .and I don't want to. . ."

"Love?" Quatre's brow furrowed slightly in disbelief.

"Yes, Quatre. . ." Trowa sniffled, "You're my love, I love you. . . I always have. . ."

A smile crossed the blonde's face as tears of joy and sorrow filled Quatre's eyes, "Oh, Trowa. . ." He sighed, "I love you too. . . I'm sorry I never told you. . . but I didn't want to ruin our friendship. . ."

Trowa kissed the boy's hand, "Neither did I. . ." He chuckled bitterly, "I am such a fool. . ."

"No more than me. . ."

A silence fell between them and Quatre's breathing began to dwindle. Soon his eyes slid closed.

"Quatre?" Trowa called, a note of fear in his voice.

"I'm still here. . ." Quatre sighed warily, "I'm worried about Duo . . . about the others. . . I've never sensed them this strongly before. . ."

"I'm sure Hiiro will take care of him." Trowa assured.

"Promise that you'll all look after each other?" The boy grimaced.

"I promise, Koi . . ."

More silence.

"I'm tired, Trowa . . ." Quatre whispered, his eyes closing. "Everyone is in such pain. . . We won the war. . . They should be celebrating. . ."

"Victory came at a high price. . ."

The aquamarine eyes cracked open again and he looked at the banged boy. He was crying. Trowa was openly crying. "Trowa . . ." Quatre whispered, his voice weaker than ever. "Koi, please . . . don't cry. . . it'll be alright. . ."

"Quatre, I don't want to lose you. . .None of us do. . ."

"Have you ever had a migraine?" The smaller boy asked.

Trowa blinked at the odd question, "Iie . . ." He shook his head.

"It's like a raging storm. . .Trapped inside your head. . . Fighting. . .Fighting with all its. .. fury to get out. . ." Quatre grimaced, his small hand tightening around Trowa's. "Duo. . ." He murmured.

Trowa ran his fingers through the blonde's bangs, brushing them from the pain contorted face as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, "Easy, Quatre." He soothed.

"A storm. . ." Quatre whispered, his eyes locking Trowa in place. There was a new desperateness in them. "That's what it's like. . . a raging storm trying to tear me apart from the inside out!" Pain ripped through him, but he did not break eye contact. "But it's not just in my head, Trowa. . ." he gasped out, "It's in my heart too. . ."

"Your empathy. . ." Trowa whispered in understanding.

Quatre nodded, before his small form twisted in agony. A small cry escaped his lips. The banged boy reached out and gathered the smaller boy into his arms and held him close. Soon the blonde calmed and buried his face into Trowa's black jumpsuit.

"Trowa. . ." He whispered, sadly, "I don't want to die . . . really, I don't . . . but. . . I'm so . . . tired. . ." Trowa's embrace tightened, "And it . . . hurts so much. . ."

"It's okay, Little One. . ." The banged boy swallowed the lump in his throat as he fought to keep his voice steady, "I understand. . ."

"Thank you, Trowa. . ."

"Iie, Koi. It is I who should be thanking you." More tears fell, "You've done so much, for all of us. . . For me. . ."

"Duo . . . will hate me. . ."

"But I will always love you, Quatre. . ." The banged boy placed a gentle kiss on the blonde's forehead.

A small smile crossed the blonde's face, "Aishiteru, Trowa. . ." He said with a sigh.

And then he was at peace, the smile of contentment on his face.

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Trowa cradled the lifeless boy for what seemed like forever. He wept into the soft golden hair until a hand rested on his shoulder. Slowly he looked up into dark eyes.

"He was very strong." Wu Fei said.

Trowa nodded as he laid the body onto the bed and covered him with a sheet. "The strongest."

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To be continued. . .