Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Crimson Nights and Scarlet Dawns ❯ Chapter 1

It seemed like a lifetime later that Duo finally managed to open his eyes again. For the longest time, there had been only pain-- and if he had thought that he hurt before, what had come next had been a hundred, a thousand times worse. It had chased him in his sleep, no matter how deeply into the darkness he had tried to run, and had felt like he was being taken apart and reassembled cell by cell. It had burned, and burned--

But now it was burned out, leaving him feeling vaguely empty-- hollowed out and weak, like he really had been consumed by flames from the inside out.

Duo slowly opened his eyes, and found himself in something resembling a hospital room.

He tried to move, and found himself strapped down to the bed.

Correction. Not a hospital room. A mad scientist's lab from some horror movie-- what the fuck is going on?

As if cued by his thoughts, the door on the far side of the room opened, letting two people enter the chamber. The first was dressed in a white lab coat, which grabbed Duo's attention for a fear-stricken moment-- but when his eyes lifted to the face above the coat, he didn't find the half-expected crazed grin and shock of white hair, but rather a calm smile and two honey-brown braids.

The doctor-- for doctor Duo assumed she was, all things considered-- moved further into the room, allowing the second figure space to enter. This one, however, did not move towards him but rather paused to close the door before stepping to the side and leaning against the wall, never leaving the faint concealment of the shadows. The only thing Duo could see clearly of him was his eyes, gleaming faintly with reflected light-- dark blue, and giving away nothing of the thoughts behind the surface.

Duo met that gaze, and felt a jolt go through him. I know those eyes-- I've seen him before--

"How are you feeling, Mr. Maxwell?"

Attention recaptured with an almost audible snap, Duo flicked his eyes back to the doctor, who had stopped several paces away from his bed. "How do you know my name?"

Still smiling, the doctor pulled out several pieces of paper from somewhere, and detached a small card off the top of the stack. She turned it so that Duo could see the coloured lettering of his own driver's liscence. "Duo Maxwell, 201 College Street West. Age 22." She then turned her attention to the papers themselves, casually flipping up one after the other. "Attended several universities though never stayed long enough to get a degree. Joined the military and did a tour of duty overseas. Promptly resigned upon returning home." Flip, flip. "Moved steadily eastward, taking odd jobs-- including cab driving, woodcutting, and one brief stint as an exotic dancer." Flip. "Had appendicitis a year and a half ago resulting in surgery."

"All right, enough." Feeling the burn of a flush in his cheeks, Duo did his best to glare despite his helpless position. "You've made your point. Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"You never answered my first question, Mr. Maxwell. How do you feel?"

"You mean other than pissed off?" Duo snapped in reply.

The smile never wavered, much to his disappointment. "Yes. I imagine you're a bit tired, but are you in any great pain?"

Fuming silently, Duo shook his head.

"Any dizziness? Nausea?"

"No."

"Are you hungry at all?" A pause. "Thirsty?"

Duo opened his mouth to say no, but it seemed as though the mention of thirst brought the reality into being. "Now that you mention it. You got some water anywhere in this torture chamber?"

The smile became a bit strained at the corners, but smoothed out almost immediately. "In a minute. Do you remember how you came to be here, Mr. Maxwell?"

"Would you stop calling me that?" he said irritably, exasperated. "And no, I don't. There was something--" He frowned, thinking hard, but every time he came close to pinning down a particular image or thought he was distracted by the growing dryness in his mouth. "No. Look, can I have that water?"

"Soon. First, Duo-- is Duo better? Would you prefer it if I called you that?"

Nearly growling in frustration, Duo found his hands clenching into fists. "Whatever," he muttered.

The polite smile widened a bit, though the eyes remained the same. "All right, then. Tell me, Duo--"

"No," he found himself snapping. "I don't think I need to tell you shit, because you certainly haven't told me anything yet. Who are you?" He tensed against his retraints, feeling the edges of the straps bite ever so slightly into his skin. "And why have you got me tied up like this? And would you please just give me some fucking water?" He was nearly panting, both from the force of emotion behind his outburst, and the overwhelming dryness in his mouth and throat. It was bad enough that it consumed his thoughts, letting him think of nearly nothing else.

The doctor's smile finally died, replaced by a colder, more impersonal lack of expression. She looked at him consideringly for a moment, then nodded sharply and turned away. One of the cabinets along the wall opened under her hand, and produced a small container vaguely like a milk carton which she opened and fitted with a straw.

She returned to his bedside-- still keeping some distance between Duo and herself-- and did something that tilted the head of the bed upwards. Then, with the wary slowness of a person reaching for something that may very well prove sharp or poisonous, she held out the carton and straw to Duo's face.

Duo himself would have wondered at her actions-- would have certainly noted the tensing of the as-yet unknown person by the door-- but those occurances faded into the background along with everything else as he snapped the straw into his mouth and took a long, grateful swallow. He didn't even taste the liquid as it hit his tongue, just kept gulping until the terrible thirst seemed to be assuaged.

The last of the liquid in the carton went up the straw with a hollow sound, and Duo relaxed back against the bed with a relieved sigh. The doctor didn't move beyond drawing the hand with the empty drink container away. Her eyes watched him somewhat warily.

"Better now, Duo?"

"Much." Duo heaved a contented sigh, feeling the relief almost like a tangible thing. "Damn, what was that stuff? It's like Gatorade on steroids." He licked his lips absently, and ran his tongue across his teeth, but he couldn't pin down much of a flavour. "Could use a bit of work in the taste department, but it sure does hit the spot."

"You're not thirsty anymore, then?"

Duo blinked. "That's pretty much what I said, isn't it?"

"I'm just making sure. You don't have any thirst left at all?"

The last of the relief-induced euphoria faded as earlier irritation returned with a vengeance, and Duo couldn't hold in a growl. "No, I am not thirsty anymore" he snarled, enunciating each word with overdone care. "Now stop repeating yourself and answer my fucking questions." He jerked one arm against his restraints again to emphasize the demand.

The doctor, however, just turned and gave a small nod to her faceless companion, who returned an even smaller nod before vanishing soundlessly through the door. She then took a few paces and tossed the empty drink container in the room's trash can before picking up a clipboard from the counter and beginning to study it.

"Hey! Don't fucking ignore me!"

The doctor made one final note on her clipboard and then set it back on the counter. Without even glancing in Duo's direction, she left the room and closed the door firmly behind her.

Duo stared after her, open-mouthed, then settled into silent fuming.

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