Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Catching the Past ❯ The Beginning of the End ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

THE BEGINNING OF THE END
CHAPTER 9

Trowa unconsciously let a small moan escape as he came to. Forcing himself to focus past his head, he slowly got to his hands and knees. Taking several deep breaths, he opened his eyes. There was only the dim light from his nearly dead flashlight. His head clearing some, he made it to his feet, one hand on the wall. A sudden memory of Quatre yelling just before he blanked out, brought him around sharply. Seeing part of a pant, leg and shoe showing from around the corner of the desk, he made his way over, dropping to his knees beside the blond.
His eyes cold, he turned Quatre's head seeing dried blood matting his hair and on the carpeted floor. When he saw that Quatre was breathing steadily if shallowly, and that his pulse was firm, he relaxed a bit. Gently he slapped Quatre's face carefully avoiding the bruising and cut on left side of his face. After a bit of coaxing, Quatre started to come around.
Telling Quatre to hold still, Trowa picked up Quatre's light and found that it had been off so he tried it. It worked. Trowa came back and knelt down wanting to check Quatre's eyes for concussion.
Quatre feebly tried to wave him away holding his head with his other hand, eyes squinted shut against the intruding light.
"Cut it out and hold still, Quatre, or else." Trowa told him firmly. Finally satisfied, Trowa rocked back on his heels.
"Concussion." Trowa said simply.
"I figured that out for myself." Quatre mumbled under his breath. Then Trowa was pulling him to his feet. Quatre managed to get his feet under himself and looked at Trowa out of the corner of his eye. Trowa himself was pale and was moving his head carefully.
"You ok Trowa?" Quatre croaked after a moment, the boys actually bracing each other as they moved towards the door.
"Of course. That was a stupid stunt you pulled Quatre." Trowa told him. He was steadily getting his legs back but was careful to keep his pace down to Quatre who wasn't too steady yet.
"Says you. And if it had succeeded it would have been called brilliant." Quatre growled back, not his usual amiable self through the pounding of his head.
"No, desperate." Trowa contradicted.
"Stubborn mmMMMmmMMm." was all Quatre said before he fell into pained silence.
Just outside the house they halted in dismay. Their Jeep, their mode of transportation, was sitting just outside with four slashed tires. Point made. It looked like they were walking. Trowa sighed and Quatre made a noise suspiciously like a muffled moan.
"Well, lets go." Quatre ground out after a moment.
They hadn't gotten but a few blocks into town when they spotted a familiar Mustang turning the corner down the street with an official Preventer truck directly behind it. The Mustang accelerated upon seeing them and pulled smoothly to a stop beside them. Heero leaned out the window observing them for one silent moment.
Quatre's face lit up and even Trowa looked relieved.
"Forget to duck?" Heero asked them dryly.
Quatre glared at him through narrowed eyes and a pounding head, "Of all the things you had to pick up from Duo, you just had to develop his smart mouth!"
Trowa nodded in agreement then winced, looking almost as displeased as Quatre.
Then the Preventer truck pulled up along side them and a man they knew as Murphy leaned out.
"You two look like ya done three rounds on the Screamer coaster ride just after ya ate a double chocolate malt with sauerkraut!" He snickered.
Quatre's face turned green. Trowa glared at the man, his own face was rather pale.
"Where's your Jeep?" Heero asked them. Trowa jerked a thumb and pulled a door open.
Quatre slid in, one arm wrapped around his stomach. As Trowa slid in right beside him, Quatre informed Heero that it had four slashed tires and would have to be towed or fixed.
Heero leaned out of the car and informed a grinning Murphy that he would be in charge of retrieving the Jeep.
"Ach! Why me? Lady Une never said nothin 'bout no vehicle!" Murphy protested grin disappearing fast.
"You're having so much fun I didn't think it would be right to keep you from it. You figure it out." Heero said shortly and put the Mustang in gear and headed back home. Taking the time on the ride home to catch each other up on their missions, they arrived at Preventer HQ and headed for the infirmary.
Opening the door to the main waiting room they stopped at the sight of Relena, Lady Une, Zechs, Noin and Deuce all standing around.
The minute they saw who it was Relena and Lady Une turned towards them.
"What's going on?!" Quatre demanded anxiously. Relena moved up to Heero to stand beside him, her face a mixture of worry and hope. Hilde was nowhere in sight Trowa observed.
"Duo wouldn't rouse when we got back. He's finally collapsed. Sally is with him now with Volscheck and Miller and some concoction they came up with." Lady Une said gravely.
Looking at Trowa and Quatre, she added, "Looks like you've got your own story to tell."
"Noin, get Trucker here to look at these two, on the double!" she added raising her voice. Noin nodded and disappeared, returning in a few moments with a short, squat doctor in tow.
Checking Trowa over, he soon announced that Trowa had a slight concussion and would have a headache for a while but that nothing was gravely impaired.
Trucker was scowling over Quatre's face when Sally made her appearance. Everyone moved towards her in mass including Quatre who gladly ducked out from under Trucker probing fingers. Sally held up a tired hand for quiet.
"We're doing all we can. Right now he's still out. I have no idea if and when he might come around." Sally told them. Her eyes held a determined glimmer. She hadn't quit yet.
"What about his eyes?" Quatre asked anxiously, remembering Heero's terse comment in the car.
Sally sighed, "We think he's developed cataracts. We're hoping that's all there is to it. The way it started I was afraid it was going to ruin his optic nerves but I don't think it's gone to that. Of course we won't know for sure until he wakes up."
"Until he wakes up? Did you find a cure then?" Trowa asked.
"Errr...well... Sally hedged. "That is, Wufei's tea is having some interesting effects and combined with a concoction Volscheck, Miller and I came up with he's got a chance. The longer he lasts the better chance he's got."
"That's it?" Heero asked her with narrowed eyes.
"That's the best you could do?" Quatre added in dismay.
"If that's what you came up with than we have no choice but to go with it." Lady Une sighed. Zechs was looking at Relena who was looking Sally Po with a dismay equal to Quatre's.
"That's not all."came Wufei's voice from where he was leaning on the doorjamb of Duo's room. He looked exhausted and had his arm in a sling with bandages showing from under his unbuttoned shirt; nevertheless, he was still looking better than Quatre had last seen him. He nodded at Sally expectantly. Sally looked uncomfortable but it was clear that they weren't leaving until they'd had it all from her.
"Well, that is, Miller came up with something and it turns out Wufei's people have used it too...." Sally mumbled.
"Which is....what? Will you please stop beating around the bush?" Lady Une said a bit sharply.
"Well, we're trying to bring his fever down first and umm...then we're going to, well..... sweat it out of him." Sally finished in a hurry.
"Do what...?"Zechs asked flatly.
"You heard her." Wufei said bluntly. Quatre blinked several times, he was sure he hadn't heard right. Trowa's mouth started a suspicious twitch. Heero's face was carefully blank while Lady Une looked thoughtful. Relena was just plain speechless.
"In spite of it's viral properties it is still basically a toxin. Suppress the viral part, take the toxin out and the rest is up to him." Wufei explained much to Sally's relief. In spite of her hopes she was fully aware of how it sounded.
"I see. Then I don't think I'm needed here any longer. Please keep me informed." Trowa murmured and moved to the door. With his headache down to a dull roar due to Trucker's ministrations, all he wanted now was to lay down.
Once he was outside the door, the other's inside heard a brief guffaw of laughter that died as Trowa moved on down the hallway.
"Yes, do keep me informed." Lady Une added her bit and followed Trowa out the door.
Quatre just stood there looking incredulously at Wufei and Sally which Trucker took as a good time finish up. Quatre let himself be sat down, only turning to listen in on the conversation while trying to ignore the painful probing of Trucker.
"But... sweat it out of him?" Relena was protesting.
"Well, I've already tried various state of the art cleansers/anti-toxins and none of them work. The PSD23 just adapts. We thought this was the best choice as there's nothing for it to adapt to. So there's nothing to trigger a mutation, see? Sometimes the simple approach is best." Sally told them relieved that this seemed to be the extent of their reaction.
"It's still going to be touch and go but we've run out of options. The tea doesn't guarantee that the toxin will remain dormant, the effect is more like charming snakes...err..not a good analogy but I can't think of a better one at the moment." Sally added a tired grimness showing for a moment.
Zechs snorted, shaking his head and headed for the door, Noin right on his heels, only pausing to lay a hand briefly on Relena's shoulder.
"Ouch!!" Quatre yelped. Trucker briskly finished the bandage that ran from Quatre's eye and down his face.
"I'd say you have a middlin' concussion, deep laceration of the face and a fractured cheek bone, young man. I can't say for sure about the fracture unless you submit to an x-ray. Talk to Ms Po about it. At any rate, it'll be painful for awhile. Change the bandage regularly with these medicated bandages and apply this analgesic cream as often as needed." Trucker finished up and picking up his things he too left.
Quatre, holding a hand protectively to his face, opened his mouth to ask Sally something when Miller poked his head out past Wufei.
"Sally, I think it's time to give it a go. The fever's down." he informed her. Sally nodded, and turned to the room only pausing to lay a hand on Wufei's shoulder.
"Get some rest Wufei. You've done enough." she said simply. Wufei sighed and moved out of her way.
"Where's Hilde?" Quatre blurted out.
"I don't know. I think she's trying to find her balance. She was pretty upset when she heard about Duo." Relena said quietly.
"What were you two doing back ahead of plan anyway?" Heero asked her abruptly.
"If you must know, Hilde and I were seeing what we could do about H & D Salvage. And this is Preventer HQ, Heero; if the Preventers can't stay on top of their own HQ they don't have any business in the business they're in." she told him tartly, eyes sparking.
Wufei sighed, "I'm going to my quarters if anyone wants me."
"Me too." Quatre agreed with him hastily. They both left, wanting to get out of the way of the forthcoming discussion. There really wasn't any though as Heero just sighed, suddenly looking tired.
"I think I'll just go hunt her up." Relena said softly, moving to the door. Heero nodded looking at nothing in particular as she left.
There was one more loose end to tie up. The man who'd accosted Trowa and Quatre. It had to have been Rip from their descriptions of the man. There really wasn't anything to be done about it at the moment though, he'd start on it in the morning he thought as he sat down for just a moment on one of the uncomfortable lounges in the room. Or maybe not... he had made a promise to Duo. He was asleep before he realized it.
Trucker, popping in after a forgotten tool, saw the young man, paused, then went to find a blanket to cover the sleeping form.


Relena found Hilde on the roof looking at the stars. Sitting down beside her friend, Relena told her what was happening. Hilde nodded but didn't say anything for a long while.
"Duo likes to look at the moon. He says it looks like a graveyard from the colony." Hilde said, finally breaking the silence. She turned to look at Relena who back gravely.
"He also says he doesn't believe in God but there's nothing left for me to do but pray. I have nothing to lose so why not? I was a soldier too but right now I want to be anything but that. So I'm going to pray that Duo makes it and if he doesn't I'm going to live life like he's always done." Hilde got up, a fathomless expression on her face. Relena rose with her and placed a hand on Hilde's shoulder.
"Then I will to." she said simply. Hilde cracked a small lopsided grin and headed for the stairwell. Tomorrow was another day and she wanted to see Duo... just in case.


Heero awoke with a crick in his neck. For a moment he wondered why he was on a lounge in the infirmary, then memory kicked in.
Pulling himself up, he decided to check in on Duo. Pulling the door open, he was met with a heat wave straight off the Sahara Desert, moist and roiling. Shutting the door, he took a breath, braced himself and moved into the room.
A tired, sweaty looking Volscheck was monitoring various machines. He was currently checking a fluid IV that was keeping Duo from dehydrating amongst other things. In mere moments Heero's shirt was soaked in sweat and clinging to him. Sally had meant exactly what she said; it was hot in here. And was it necessary to add blankets to this heat? Heero wondered as he looked at a stack of limp looking sheets and blankets on a chair; and Duo who was unconscious and so very still, sweat literally running off of him. Was his eyes deceiving him or did the sweat running off of Duo's slack face have a slight blue tint to it?
Finishing up, Volscheck straightened to meet Heero's questioning eyes.
"I don't know." he said wearily. "And I won't know for a little while yet I think."
The doctors had been taking turns braving this makeshift sauna and his shift was almost up. He was looking forwards to the end of his shift. Not only was he extremely tired of this heat ( it never got anywhere close to this temperature where he came from) but he'd had people popping in and out since early morning as if they didn't have anything better to do than bother him.
Miller came in just then and Volscheck brought him up to date then hastily escaped that mini desert of a room with Heero on his heels.
"Just how long till you know something for sure?" Heero asked the man who was understandably cranky.
"Till his system's clear and he remains stable for at least 72 hours. And that's not including any of a dozen possible side effects or relapses." Volscheck returned irritably. Volscheck had only repeated this a dozen times to a dozen different Preventers and friends.
Heero nodded and allowed the man to escape. Stretching, he decided breakfast was in order. Leaving the room, he passed Hilde coming in. She was a bit pale but there was an air about her that told Heero she'd come to terms with herself. Mentally, Heero nodded in approval.
Hilde had grown up a bit in the last little while. But then there was that saying, you only stop learning when you're dead. It was different, being willing and expecting to die for what you believed in during a war, and watching a friend, father, mother, brothers or sisters die in front of you. In a way, watching someone you love die is the hardest thing in the world to do; knowing there is nothing you can do. You learn to take one minute at a time, one day at a time. (1)
A few hours later Heero was back at the infirmary only to find Quatre already there. Quatre looked up, an unusual strained look on his normally gentle face.
"What's wrong?" Heero asked in muted alarm. Quatre shook his head looking worried with a subtle undertone of anguish to his face.
"I just got notice that after all the progress Jase had been making, he had a relapse and died early this morning." Quatre informed him in a subdued voice. His blond hair was plastered to his face and neck and sweat dripped off his chin. It was Miller who was keeping watch this time and he looked a match for Quatre.
Heero absorbed this and watched Quatre as he just sat there with one hand on Duo's. He wasn't doing anything, just sitting there resting his hand on Duo's limp one and staring into space. Heero sighed and pulled up a chair next to Quatre's. There wasn't anything to say. They all knew that in spite of the hope Sally was holding out Duo's odds were 50/50 at best. And they all knew it wouldn't take much to tip the scales to the wrong side.
Watching Duo's slack face, Heero saw that the sweat steadily dripping off of his face had a positive blue tinge to it. Miller would occasionally take a damp rag, run it under water and wipe Duo's face with it. The sheets were changed on a regular basis as they were soaked with blue sweat. The IV dripped steadily and Miller monitored the equipment constantly, making adjustments as needed; occasionally taking swigs from a jug of ice water in a corner.
It wasn't easy watching their friend who was normally so expressive, so limp and unresponsive and Quatre was taking it even harder since he'd got the news about Jase. Heero knew that what would happen, would happen and there was nothing more he could do. But somehow in the back of his mind, he found himself wishing Duo would open his eyes and talk to them or something. Quatre, with his sensitivity, would be a long time getting over this one. He'd be wearing himself out doing anything he could for Duo. Not that he wasn't anyway.
By the end of day two they were all sick and tired of the heat and Hilde, Relena, and Heero were spelling the doctors. Deuce just hovered along with Quatre and Trowa who were not to be used unless they were needed. Sally had already chased Quatre out once telling him to take a break and quit getting in the way, Duo would be fine. Said gently of course as they all knew the price Quatre had paid for taking the Blitzkrieg organization down.
Day three was a repeat of day two.
By the evening of day four, Sally came out wiping a sweat drenched forehead with a damp towel. Relena, who was expecting to spell her, got up from beside Heero. Hilde was out from sheer exhaustion on the lounge; she'd been the last one in before Sally.
Moving towards Sally, Relena paused when Sally held up her hand. She tensed in alarm till she saw the tired grin spreading across Sally's face.
"I think we did it." Sally told them as Heero also got up expectantly. Relena's face took on a look of tentative hope.
"He's sweated it out.... there's been no trace of it for the last 18 hours! We will have to watch him closely for the next couple of days for any unexpected side effects and relapses but the first step is done, he's fighting it and so far he's winning!!" Sally's grin broadened. The first and hardest obstacle had been overcome and while it was too early to throw a party, she was definitely feeling on the upside of things for the moment!!
Relena let out a whoop while Heero let a rare and heartfelt smile come over his face. Relena's whoop woke Hilde and when Relena gave her the news all the groggy Hilde could do was sit and stare at her until the news sunk in. Then she started to cry great silent tears of relief that soon stopped and enveloped Relena in a hug who hugged her back.
"I've got to go tell Quatre and the others!!" Relena exclaimed gleefully and spinning out of Hilde's loosening grip, she darted for the door.
Sally slowly sobered then as Heero watched her.
"You said any possible side effects and relapses. Do you expect any?" he asked her finally. Hilde looked up sharply at this, she'd missed this part of the conversation.
"I hope for the best and expect the worst. I don't like surprises!" Sally stated firmly. She made her way over to the lounge and sat down next to Hilde.
"Let me cover the possibilities." she started.
Heero listened intently, but as Sally talked she noticed a faint smile that seemed to linger. Hilde's face was sober and determined but her eyes shone till her face seemed to glow. Sally herself was giddy, wether from exhaustion or a sense of satisfaction at a job well done she couldn't tell but she didn't really care at the moment. Then Quatre piled in with Wufei right behind him coming a bit more steadily but eager all the same and she started all over again.


It was Quatre who was with Duo a day and a half later when he finally came around. Quatre had been dozing in a chair by the bed again with his hand on Duo's when he felt movement. Straightening up, he peered intently at Duo's face watching for a sign, anything that would tell him his friend was finally awake.
Duo felt like he'd been wrung through a wringer washer. Slowly coming out of it, a distant impression of having crossed a desert in the back of his memory, he thought he felt a hand on his own. Gradually summoning the energy to open his eyes, he thought at first that the lights had been turned off. A slight frown wrinkled his forehead. Where was he? What had happened? Had it all been just a dream?
"Duo?!" Quatre's glad voice broke through his cottony thoughts. He turned his head and squinted his eyes in the direction of Quatre's voice.
"That you Quatre?" he croaked his voice surprisingly rusty and weak.
"It sure is Duo and am I ever glad to see you awake!!" Quatre's voice was positively euphoric.
"Just a minute, I gotta go tell Sally!"
There was a grating as Quatre's chair was pushed back and a light thud as he made to head for the door.
"Oi, Quatre...."
"Yes, Duo?"
"...Sally?!"
Quatre laughed out loud and told him yes and he should be glad he didn't have to put up with Trucker instead; that Sally was a whole lot gentler and prettier too. He headed for the door again.
"Oi, Quatre, turn the lights up on your way through will ya? I can't see a thing." Duo called after his retreating friend. He was still confused about the where and how of things but if Quatre was here and everything was calm it couldn't be too bad. Now if he could only sort through the muddle of memories in the back of his brain and figure out what had happened.
He couldn't see Quatre freeze in mid step and look back with an expression of pain on his face. Even with modern technology, Sally hadn't been a hundred percent positive that his eyes would be ok. They'd had to wait till Duo was awake figure out where they stood exactly in regards to his eyes..
"Umm.... Duo, the lights are on... " Quatre said tentatively.
Duo went absolutely still in the middle of pushing himself up against the head of the bed.
Quatre took a step back anxiously.
"What do you mean 'they are on' Quatre? I can't see. Are you saying I'm blind? I can't be blind Quatre, you must be wrong Quatre, don't tease Quatre, I can't be blind!!" Duo was on the verge of hyper ventilating and clutched shakily at the blankets on his bed, fisting them so tight that Quatre was half afraid that he'd put holes in the sheets or something. He retraced his path to Duo's bed side.
"Duo, calm down, Sally thinks it's only temporary but you've been really ill and you have to keep calm." Quatre told him, making his voice soothing and commanding at the same time. It worked mostly. Duo slowly got his breathing under control and forced himself to relax although to Quatre's critical eye it was an awful tense sort of relaxed.
"Just hold on a minute Duo." he told his friend. Moving to the door he stuck his head out and spied Hilde just coming in.
"Hey, Hilde, run and fetch Sally will you? He's awake!!!" Quatre's broad smile was echoed by Hilde's own as she spun and took off running and calling for Sally before she was out the door. Quatre pulled back, smile fading slightly as he went back to his friend.
Sure, things weren't right yet but Duo was alive and with a loving God up above, a little luck and some hard work maybe things would come right once again.
On impulse, Quatre threw his arms around a startled Duo in a glomph that in the end, did more to reassure Duo than all the words that could have been said.
They'd win yet!!!











(1) If this seems a bit overdone, sorry but my father was killed from a car wreck last Aug and this was me.
I saw a pic the other day, of some (unnamed on purpose) people of one nation who had been struck by a bus driver of a hostile nationality. The bodies were lying on the ground covered with blankets, coats, whatever was available. You could see blood draining away in streaks on the pavement under these bodies. And all I could think was, these people weren't part of the military. They were someone's father, brother, sister or mother.... I couldn't tell. The really tragic part is that it never ends. Someone gets killed, someone else kills someone else in revenge. Someone kills someone else in revenge for the revenge killing. After who knows how many cycles of that I'm wondering... where's the justice in that? I don't think they even know anymore. It's more like grown up children squabbling with lethal weapons and with deadly effect and wastefully too because they aren't going after the one's responsible, they're sharing their misery.
Where is it going to end? I guess I can't stop things like that from occurring but I made a decision while I was watching my father die in front of me in the intensive care unit. That I wasn't going to let this happen in my life.
I know who the man is who was responsible for my father's accident. He'd better have learned a lesson on driving after what happened but most of all, he'd better make sure his family is taken care of like my father can no longer do.