Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Family Ties ❯ Chapter 107 ( Chapter 107 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

“Family Ties”

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 107

[Preventer Headquarters – Communications]

“How long do you think it will be before we can finally leave this place, go home and get some decent rest?” Sun asked from where he was sitting, drinking another coffee and keeping an eye on the transmitter.

“I’m hoping it won’t be too long,” Forest said as he got up and stretched.

“My missus will be fussing all over me when I get back,” Oak grinned.

“I can’t wait to have a beer,” Sky chuckled. “I think I’m all caffeinated out.”

“I’d say once these shuttles have arrived on that satellite a couple of us can leave,” stated Forest.

“Which two?” Sun questioned with a raise of his eyebrow.

“Guess we may have to draw straws. Although I don’t mind staying on,” Sky said in an amused tone.

Oak looked at the other agent. “After being locked up in this building for the past few days I’m rather looking forward to my own bed. I’m more than ready to get out of here.”

“Aww, does that mean you don’t like spending time with me?” Forest teased.

“Sorry, you’re not my type,” Oak shot back.

“How come you’re so keen to stay, Sky?” Sun asked.

“Oh, no real reason, just the thought of the size of my next pay check,” Sky replied in a sly tone.

The other three fell silent for a moment.

“Ooh, yeah. We should be getting quite a large check after this fiasco,” Sun mused.

“I guess I could be persuaded to stay for a while,” Oak snickered.

“Preventer Communications, this is Agent Air, do you copy?”

Sky immediately turned in his chair and fiddled with the dial on the receiver. “This is Preventer communications, Sky here. I read you loud and clear, Air.”

“Sky, I need to speak with Une immediately. We have a critical situation up here that requires a change in orders.”

“Understood. Commander is being paged directly.” Sky turned to look at Sun, noting the other agent was already on it. “Stand by, Air.”

Sun immediately paged the Commander, Forest and Oak looking on with questions in their eyes.

“Une here.”

“Commander. We have Air on the radio, he wishes to speak with you immediately in regards to a critical situation.”
“Patch it through to my office, Sun.”

“Roger that. Patching through now.” Sun nodded to Sky.

“Air, I’m putting you through to the Commander’s office.”

“Thanks, Sky.”

“Une here. What’s happened, Air?”

“Commander, we have a critical situation and need to return to Earth immediately. I do not have all the complete details, only what has been relayed thus far. Agent Night has been seriously injured. Barton tried to take him out with a knife to the abdomen..”

“Shit!”

“He’s still alive, knife is still embedded. Agents Day and Fire are bringing him back to the shuttle now along with Professor Hawkins. Shuttle 221 is capable of flying back to Earth and I’m currently moving it to the hangar for boarding. Agents Space and Wind will remain on the satellite and continue with the arrest and containment of Barton and his men. Once the other shuttles arrive they will hand over to them.”

Une pressed a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath she responded. “I understand, Air. I will inform Mercury of the status.”

“Une, Duo will need expert help...”

“I know that, Barton. Preventer has excellent medical staff here and I will have them scrambled immediately.”

“Commander, with all due respect, Duo needs Sally, no one else.”

“Barton, Doctor Po is currently confined to the Mansion with Nurse Brown...”

Trowa cut her off. “Une, we have a strong reason to believe that Duo is pregnant again.”

There was silence for a moment.

“Oh, God,” Une whispered. “The knife-”

“We do not know if the knife has made any contact with the baby.”

Une snapped out of her thoughts. “Air, proceed as planned. Once the others are on board set a course for Preventer shuttle port. I’ll alert the port you are coming in on a code red and you will have complete clearance. There will be a chopper waiting for you with Sally on it; it will bring you directly to Headquarters.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Trowa sighed.

“Contact me as soon as you are space born with an ETA and an update on the status of all agents and the professor so that I can have the medical section prepped and ready to go.”

“Roger that.”

“Air?”

“Yes?”
“God speed.”

“Roger. Air out.”

“Commander out.” Une disconnected and placed her head in her hands.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23 – Hangar]

Heero and Wufei moved as fast as they dared through the corridors, trying to get to the shuttle hangar as quickly as they could and cause minimal discomfort to Duo on the way. Heero was in a cold sweat, a lump of fear lodged in his throat as he fought against his emotions. He needed to remain calm, had to stay focused for Duo.

“Not much farther now,” Wufei panted out as they rounded another corner.

Heero opted not to reply, better to keep his energy for carrying his partner. Professor Hawkins remained with them, keeping a constant eye on Duo's wound and the packing securing it.

“Up ahead,” Wufei stated and Heero breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted the doors that would take them to the outer section of the hangar.

They slowed their pace and with the professor playing the role of 'doorman', they managed to get Duo and his makeshift stretcher through. Once they were in the outer section, Wufei aimed for the main control console, Heero remained with his lover and the professor collapsed gratefully into a vacant seat.

Taking up residence, Wufei noted the shuttle nosing its way into the main hangar. The two Gundams still stood to the side, holding a silent vigil. Wufei made a mental note to remind Space and Wind they would need to secure those Gundams too before the back up shuttles arrived. Watching through the large window, Wufei observed how Trowa managed to maneuver the shuttle in and 'park' it, even with his injuries. As soon as the shuttle was stationary and beginning to power down, Wufei was on the keyboard and sealing the hangar.

Warning lights began to flash, indicating the hangar was about to seal off and pressurize and within a couple of minutes the green lights appeared, indicating all was now safe.

Trowa powered the shuttle to stand by mode and left the cockpit. He aimed directly for the hatch and once the all clear was sounded, he opened it. His eyes fell on the three heading directly for him, a stretcher of sorts between them. “Oh, god,” he whispered to himself as the agents drew closer. He could see Duo's still form, the padding around his abdomen and the look of fear on Heero's face. He moved to the side as they came up the small ramp and inside the shuttle. “Take him straight through to the medical bay,” Trowa ordered.

Wufei was in the lead and did what Trowa said, moving swiftly through the shuttle to the medical section. Once they had Duo there, he was quickly transferred from the door to the bed. Taking charge, Chang barked out his orders.

“Air, Day, both of you stay here with Night. Strap him down and prepare for launch.” Wufei turned to the professor. “Ever copilot a shuttle before?”

“Actually, no,” the professor replied.

“Come with me, you're about to get a crash course.” Turning his attention back to the others, he continued. “Once we are space borne I will return. Air, you have had some medical training, please do what you can for Maxwell. Did you contact HQ?”

“Yes, I did,” Trowa replied.

“You can fill me in once we're mobile. Come on, professor, we need to haul ass.” Wufei spun on his heels and tore off to secure the shuttle hatch. Once that was done he took the professor through to the cockpit. “Sit in that chair there,” Wufei ordered and took up residence in the pilot's seat.

The professor was looking a little bewildered by all the electronics, but that wasn't what worried him the most - he was more perturbed by the fact that the young man beside him actually knewwhat he was doing!

“Here, put this on.” Wufei thrust a head set at the professor who obediently put it on. “This is the computer terminal and keyboard,” Wufei informed him. “I need you to link to the Satellite's main frame and depressurize the hangar then open the doors so we can leave.”

“Okay.” The professor knew he could do at least that much. Quickly he typed in commands and seconds later he was into the main computer. Fingers flew across the keyboard, the computer responding and the lights outside in the hangar changed from green to flashing red again.

Whilst the professor was busy securing their exit, Wufei did the run down on the shuttle. He checked all the instruments, flipped the necessary switches and began the power up sequence for the engines. It didn't take them long to respond as they had been in stand by mode.

“Hangar doors should be opening at any moment,” the professor told him.

“Thank you. Once we are moving out, I will need you to keep an eye on this gauge here.” Wufei pointed to the instrument. “Read off the revs to me.”

“Got it,” Hawkins responded.

“Medical bay, this is the cockpit. Are you all secure down there?”

“This is the medical bay. Everyone secure,” came Trowa's voice.

“We are about to leave the hangar and should have lift off from satellite a couple of minutes after.”

“Roger that, Fire.”

“Leaving hangar now.” Wufei eased the joystick forward, the shuttle responding and rumbling gently out and onto the satellite surface. Wufei turned it away from where the other shuttle still stood and the wreckage of their battle, aiming for a relatively clear space on the powdery surface. Holding the shuttle in place, Wufei began to build the power in the engines. “Start counting, professor.”

Hawkins switched his attention back to the instrument Wufei had pointed out to him and began to relay the numbers. “One thousand, one thousand two-fifty, one thousand five hundred...”

Wufei increased the power to the engines.

“One thousand seven-fifty, two thousand...”

A couple of switches were flipped, Wufei concentrating hard.

“Two thousand five hundred, two thousand seven-fifty, three thousand...”

“Are you buckled in?”

“Yes. Three thousand five hundred... four thousand...”

“Thanks, you can stop now.” Wufei eased the joystick forward, operating the pedals at the same time and bringing the shuttle into hover mode. Gradually he raised it higher until the instruments told him he was clear of the surface by two hundred meters. He hit the thrusters, pulling the joystick back and raising the nose of the shuttle.

The engines surged forth, pushing the large craft forward and up, a dust storm being kicked up behind them from the back wash of those engines. Watching the navigational system, Wufei guided the shuttle away from the satellite surface and into the blackness that surrounded it.

The professor watched out the window as the satellite and its Dome began to get smaller. Turning his attention to the front, he noted the dark expanse ahead of them, dotted with many glittering stars. As the young man beside him tilted the joystick so the shuttle banked slightly bringing the blue planet into his line of vision. It was still quite a distance away but the professor was in awe of just how beautiful it looked.

Wufei allowed himself to relax a fraction as the shuttle responded to his touch. Eyes began to scan over the instruments, noting the airspeed, velocity and distance to the Earth. “Professor, please bring the computer back on line.”

Hawkins grabbed the keyboard again. “All set,’ he told the pilot.

“Type in these commands.” Wufei reeled off a list of numbers, degrees and letters, all of which were duly typed into the computer. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” replied Hawkins.

Pushing a couple more buttons, Wufei set the auto pilot, let the joystick go and leaned back in his seat. “May I have the keyboard, please?”

The keyboard was handed over and Wufei ran a quick check of all systems, including the flight plan he’d asked the professor to type in. All was working perfectly. He pushed the keyboard to the side and rubbed his tired eyes.

“Is everything okay?”

“If you mean the shuttle and the flight plan, then yes, all is working fine. The auto pilot is engaged and we are en-route to a secure, Preventer shuttle port.” Wufei turned back to the instruments and carefully eased the engines back. “Our momentum will carry us through space, but I’m leaving the engines on minimal to give us a little more speed. We need to get Agent Night  to medical help as quickly as we can.”

“I quite understand. I must admit, I am impressed with your skills, agent.”

“Thank you, but I am only doing what I’ve been trained to do.”
“You seem to be too young for anything like this, and yet when I look into your eyes, even the eyes of your fellow agents who are also way too young to be what they are, I can see age beyond your years. “

“We were all forced to grow up too soon, professor. Each one of us has been through a lot in our short lives, we have seen and done things no one should have to – and that makes you grow up fast.” Wufei checked the shuttle again.

Understanding that the agent didn't wish to speak on that subject any more, the professor wisely left it alone. “How long until we reach this shuttle port?”

“Depending on the rate of propulsion and if we get the right window as we approach the earth atmosphere, we should be there in the next five to six hours,” Wufei replied.

“Then I think if the auto pilot is handling everything okay, we should go back to the medical bay and see how your friend is doing.”

“I think you are right, professor.” Wufei fiddled with his head set for a second. “Medical bay, this is the cockpit. Do you read?”

“Medical bay, we hear you, Fire.”

“Shuttle is on auto pilot, we are returning to the medical bay.”

“Okay, we will expect you shortly. Medical bay out.”

“Cockpit out.” Wufei removed his head set and releasing his harness, pushed himself out of the chair. He’d engaged the gravity field, but only minimal, more for the safety and comfort of Maxwell than anything else.
“You coming, professor?”

“Right with you.” Hawkins pulled off his head set and unbuckled his harness, grabbing the back of the seat and following Wufei out of the cockpit and through the corridor to the medical bay.

* * *

[Mansion]

“That’s a good boy, Keitaro,” said Sally as she placed the spoonful of mashed up vegetables into the child’s open mouth.

Keitaro gurgled and pulled a face. Swallowing the food he opened his mouth for more.

“Here you go, eat all this up and you’ll grow to be big and strong like your daddies.”

The child snorted, screwed his face up and sneezed. Sally was directly in the line of fire.

“Yuk! Just what I didn’t need,” Sally moaned as she did her best to wipe the food from her blouse. A wash cloth was handed to her and she took it gratefully. “Thanks.”

“No problem. You get used to this with infants,” Margaret supplied with a wide smile on her face.

“Pretty boy, give us a kiss,” Barney said from his perch on top of the ‘fridge. The bird fluffed his feathers then launched into the air, flying across the kitchen and landing on the table by the bowl of baby food Sally was currently feeding Keitaro with.

“No you don’t, Barney,” Nurse Brown said. “That’s the baby’s food.”

Barney cocked his head, his beady eyes watching the nurse then flicking back to the bowl of food. The nurse kept one eye on the Weiro, knowing how much Barney liked to try and steal bits of the baby’s food whenever he got the chance.

“Any further word from Une?” Margaret asked, turning back to the stove where she was attempting to cook something for the pair of them for dinner. It wasn’t easy when you had one wrist in a cast.

“No, nothing. I think I’ll try to contact her once Keitaro is fed and bathed. Barney!” Sally shooed the bird away, but not before he’d managed to grab a beak-full of food from the edge of the bowl.

Barney flew back up on op of the ‘fridge. “Fuck off,” he chirped. Nurse Brown took a swipe at the bird with the tea towel. “Missed,” chirruped the cheeky bird.

“Barney, any more of that sort of language and it’s back in the cage for you,” the nurse scolded.

“Give us a kiss.”

“I’ll give you more than a kiss, you feathered fiend.”

Sally’s cell went off, startling everyone in the kitchen. Sally dropped the spoon, Keitaro jumped in his high chair and scrunched his face up ready to cry, Margaret almost wore the contents of the saucepan she’d just lifted off the stove and Barney half fell, half flew off the top of the ‘fridge, dive bombing Keitaro and landing on the tray of the child’s high chair.

“Shit!” chorused Sally, Margaret and Barney.

Keitaro changed his mind about crying, his pudgy hands reaching for the bird that had appeared before him; Barney just managed to avoid being grabbed and jumped onto the table where the child couldn’t reach him.

Yanking her cell from her pocket, Sally flipped it open, noting the caller ID. “It’s Une,” she told Margaret as she punched the button.

“Sally Po.”

“Sally, it’s Une. I need you to get back here to headquarters immediately. We have a critical situation.”

“Critical... What’s happened, Une?” Sally frowned as she listened to the Commander’s clipped voice.

Une gave Sally as much information as she could – which wasn’t a great deal as she didn’t have all the facts herself. “I need you back here as quickly as possible, then I can contact the shuttle again if they haven’t called in already and hopefully get some further information.”

Sally’s complexion had paled considerably as she listened to Une’s brief explanation, her heart rate increased and a cold sweat broke out all over her body. “Oh my god,” she muttered.

Hearing the soft words, Margaret’s head snapped around, her eyes widening when she took in the appearance of the normally unflappable doctor.

“I’m leaving now, Une. I’ll contact you again once I’m en-route with an ETA.”

“Thank you, and please, drive carefully there’s still a little bit of unrest out there and the shuttle won’t be here for another five or so hours.”

“I’ll be careful. I’ll see you soon. Bye.”

Sally hung up, a thoughtful look on her face as her mind ran in circles.

“What is it? What’s happened?” the nurse demanded.

Looking up, Sally noted the concern in Margaret’s eyes and she swallowed. “I have to go straight to headquarters, there’s been a bit of a situation.”

“Don’t beat about the bush with me, Doctor Po. I want the truth – now” Margaret stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the doctor.

Sally couldn’t help the soft chuckle when she looked at the nurse. “No wonder your patients do exactly as they're told,” she snickered.

“Sally, something is wrong, I can feel it, now, are you going to tell me or am I going to have to hold you hostage and pry it out of you?”

“I don’t know a lot and neither does Une. What I can say is that Wufei, Trowa, Heero and Duo are on a shuttle and Earth bound, they are expected to land in about five hours or so.”

“And?”

“Duo’s been hurt. Barton tried to kill him.” Sally paused for a moment to try and find the best way to say what came next.

“Doctor Po?” Margaret growled.

“Barton took to him with a knife, it appears to have lodged in his abdomen...”

Margaret's  hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, god no! He’s... He could be...”

Sally placed her hand on the nurse’s arm. “I know, Margaret. I have to move, get to headquarters and prep the surgery ready. Once that’s done I’m going by chopper to the shuttle port to wait for them to land. The sooner I can get to him to treat him, the better for both him and the possible baby.”

“I’m coming with you.” Nurse Brown fixed the doctor with her eyes. “Those are my ‘sons’ and I’ll be damned if I’m staying here when they need me,” she said in a tone that clearly brooked no argument.

Sally didn’t bother to try and talk the nurse out of it, she completely understood how the nurse had pretty much adopted both Heero and Duo as her own and would want to be there for them. “You have ten minutes to get ready.”

Margaret nodded and picked up Keitaro from the high chair. “We will meet you in the hall in five,” she stated and walked off with the child to get them both changed and pack a bag for Keitaro.

Sally headed off in the opposite direction to change herself and fill Harim in on what was going on.

Barney watched all the movement with his little eyes and once the kitchen was deserted, he hopped up onto the side of the bowl that had been forgotten in everyone’s haste. Helping himself to a few beak-fulls he fluffed his feathers. Miracle growled softly at the bird, watching him carefully from where she sat on the kitchen floor waiting for any scraps to come from the table.

“Fucking weather,” Barney chirped.

* * *

[Shuttle 221]


Duo had been strapped onto the small gurney in the medical bay for take off, Heero settling himself into the seat beside his love and holding Duo’s hand. The long haired man was unconscious, which in one way was a blessing; but Heero was worried sick.

Sitting across from the other agent, Trowa remained calm in his seat, waiting for the shuttle to leave the satellite and settle into a flight path so he could then do what was needed for his friend. He noted the slight change in the thrum of the engines and silently complimented Wufei on a smooth take off. Duo hardly moved on the bed, which was a good thing.

Having spoken with Chang and confirming the shuttle was now well on its way to Earth, Trowa released his harness, pleased to feel some gravity present. Not only was that a good thing for Duo, but it would also help him with his own injuries. Less gravity meant less pressure on his injured ankle.

Heero’s eyes never left his partner’s face. Inside he was an emotional mess and barely managing to hold onto his sanity. If Duo was pregnant – and it was highly likely he was – and if that knife had harmed their child in any way, then Une’s orders be damned; Heero would rip Barton apart. As it was he’d wanted to kill the fucker for hurting Duo and only Wufei’s orders and the soldier still within him had stopped him from choking the very life out of that bastard.

If their baby was hurt, he’d find Barton, regardless of where or what Une did with him, Heero would find him... and the asshole would wish he’d never been born once Heero had finished with him.

“Yuy, You have to move.”

Shaking his head, Heero focused back on the here and now when Trowa’s voice permeated his thoughts. “What?”

“I need you to move so I can check Duo,” Trowa clarified.

Wearily, Heero undid his harness and shifted to the side.

Trowa immediately moved in, securing a blood pressure cuff around Duo’s biceps and noting the reading he got from it. He took the man’s heart rate, respiratory rate and checked his temperature, writing the results down on a small clipboard.

“How is it looking?” asked Heero, voice barely a whisper.

“All things considered, it’s pretty good news. His temperature is slightly elevated but his heart and breathing rates are well within the normal range. His blood pressure is a touch high, but nothing to be too concerned about. Actually, that’s good.”

“Good?”

“It means he’s not bleeding internally. It’s a good thing that no one removed the knife either. We have no idea what, if any, blood vessels or organs it may have connected with. Had it been removed then there’s every possibility he could have bled to death within a couple of minutes.”

Heero paled further and could only think how glad he was that he’d insisted Duo leave the knife where it was.

Trowa moved to the padding surrounding the knife in Duo’s abdomen. “I’m not going to remove any of this as it may start the wound bleeding again, but I am going to pack a little more around it and try to secure the knife too.” Trowa reached for several packs of gauze and a few bandages he’d dropped to the bed.

“I’ll help you.”

“Thanks.” Trowa took a pack of the gauze, opened it and proceeded to pack it around the knife and the padding already there. Heero passed him more gauze as he asked for it until Trowa was satisfied he’d gotten enough packing around to keep things from moving. “Pass me one of the bandages please?”

Handing over a bandage, Heero watched in concern as Trowa carefully wound it around the padding surrounding the knife in Duo’s abdomen. Two more bandages and Trowa deemed the knife stable.

“Let’s check his other wounds and treat them as best we can, once we’re finished with Duo I’ll take a look at you, Heero,” Trowa said softly.

“I’m fine,” Heero grunted.

“No, you’re not. You have a bullet graze to your arm that requires cleaning and wrapping. You won’t be of any use to Duo and his recovery if you’re down with an infection from not having had the wound treated,” Trowa replied stubbornly.

Nodding, Heero relented. “Okay.”

Wufei and the professor arrived at the medical bay then and Trowa switched his attention back to his patient, leaving Heero to explain what was going on.

He cleaned the bullet crease to Duo’s arm and hip, packing them both with penicillin powder and covering them with gauze. He checked the strapped ribs and ankle, re-bandaging that ankle as best he could. By the time he’d finished, Heero had brought Wufei and Hawkins up to speed, although he’d kept Duo’s probable pregnancy out of it.

Pulling the surgical gloves off and tossing them into the trash, he grabbed a fresh pair and pulled them on. “Next?” he asked.

It didn’t take long for Trowa to clean up the graze to Wufei’s head, clean out the bullet crease on Heero’s biceps and attend to the bullet wound on Hawkins’ shoulder. He noted down each person’s vitals along with their injuries and the treatment he’d applied – he knew Sally would want a detailed explanation of what treatment had been administered and this was the quickest and easiest way to give that to her.

When he was done, he put everything away and sat down heavily in his chair. “We need to contact Une with an ETA. Also, I need to speak with Sally if she’s available and bring her up to date with everything.”

“Roger that,” Wufei replied. “Day, you and the professor remain here with Night. Air and I will return to the cockpit, place the call and check the auto pilot is still on course.”

Heero nodded, not bothering to look up from where he was sitting, eyes locked on Duo’s face, hand held gently in his own.

“I’ll keep an eye on the pair of them,” Hawkins replied.

“Thank you. If you need to contact us, press this button here and it will put you directly through to the cockpit,” Wufei stated and showed the professor the intercom unit on the wall.

“I’ll remember that,” Hawkins said.

With a squeeze to Heero’s shoulder, Trowa and Wufei left to contact Une and Sally.

~ * ~

tbc...


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