Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ How To Save A Life ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter Three
"Some sort of window on your right,
As he goes left, and you stay right."

Monday night, near midnight
Trowa looked on silently before he left the young girl alone with her brother. He had to go check on his real patient. Quatre.
'Cause all this time I've just been too blind to understand...
Everything was fine with the unconsious, beautiful young cancer patient, so Trowa made himself leave the sleeping blonde. He cursed at himself the entire time. He knew this feeling. He'd felt it before, and he didn't care for it. He didn't need to get emotionally attached to his patients. Especially not with his job, where over fifty percent of his patients never got a chance to live a full life- and most didn't live over a year after coming to him. It was a hard job, but someone had to do it. And Trowa thought he did it pretty well. He guarded his emotions while still acting very friendly.
What should matter to me...
What he didn't need was to fall for his patient. A patient with only a few months to live. Trowa knew he couldn't take that kind of pain, of loosing someone. Not since Cathy, his beloved sister. Not since the cancer that took her away. That's why he did this job. For those few he could save, those few who he could actually help.
My friend this life we live, it's not what we have...
But as he walked out the door, he knew it was hopeless. Within the span of one conversation, he'd begun to fall for the willful blonde with the teal eyes and angel face. And nothing short of the refused heart surgery and the refused heart-transplant had any hope of giving this angel back his life.
He checked back on Heero, only to find Kaori asleep in a chair at his side, the chair pulled right up close so that her hand could remain on his arm. She shivered once in her sleep, and Trowa wondered if it was from some internal nightmare, or if it were the cold of the hospital, and her skant clothing, with not even a sweater to protect her from the chilled early spring air, or the frigid ER.
He opened the closet, silently cursing when it was empty. This room must be between cleanings, and the only blankets were the ones covering Heero. He sighed and removed his long white lab-coat. Lifting her black hair gently out of the way, he settled the coat over her, letting it drape down her chest and arms and thighs. He checked the IV's once, then left, shutting the door lightly. Everything would be alright here. And Quatre would be alright for the time being.
It's what we beleive.
Maybe it was time to call it a night and leave the girl to her dreams.


*FlashBack*
Kaori laughed aloud. The sound was light, melodic. Her lips smiled, but it never quite reached her eyes. Her eyes were always shadowed. Not even Heero could take those shadows away.
Quatre reached out up above him, wrapped a strand of her long, dark hair around his hand. He was on his back on the grass, the seventeen year old girl above him. Sun sparkled down through the leaves of the oak tree, warming the ground as the summer air warmed them. The smile on her face was simple, loving.
"Quatre," she said, her eyes meeting his.
"Yes?" he asked, seeing a question in the making.
"Do you love me?"
"Yes."
She dropped a silly little kiss on his nose, but she still didn't seem satisfied. It seemed like there was another question on her tounge, almost refusing to fall.
"Quatre?"
"Yes?"
She paused. She ran a hand over the short, short blonde locks on his head. A testament that the chemo was indeed over. That the cancer was gone. It had been a grim year, fighting against it. But it was finally over. They'd won. She'd get to keep him. He was going to live.
"I love you, too," she returned finally, lowering herself to the ground beside him, nestled against his side.
Quatre chuckled softly, knowing where her line of thinking had been to.
"I'm here to stay, beloved. I'm here to stay."
*Flashback ends*


Tuesday morning, sometime just before dawn
Kaori woke knowing exactly where she was. She'd been there often enough, in a hospital, sleeping beside her brother after some stupid botched suicide attempt. At least five times since Heero'd came home from Iraq. Five times in two years. Yeah, she'd been here alot. What first suprised her, though, was the warmth across her upper body. She'd went to sleep shivering, damning herself for forgetting her jacket at work when she'd taken off early to rush here. But now, even if her knees were cold, her upper body was relatively warm. She opened her eyes slowly and looked first to make sure Heero was sleeping alright, absently-automatically- checking the lights on the vital signs monitor, and then at herself. She lifted the coat off of her. It was solid white, and a gold tag told her whose it was.
Dr. Barton's.
She sighed sleepily, and snuggled back under it's warmth. Dr. Barton was a good doctor. He'd been nice, helpful. Sincere, unlike some of the nurses and other doctors who'd always scorned Heero- and pitied her. He cared. About Quatre, about Heero. And obviously about her, she thought, burying her nose in the coarse fabric. She liked him. He was nice.
Maybe he could save Quatre's life. Maybe he could even help Heero.
Maybe...

An hour or so later, Trowa walked into the almost empty cafeteria. Kaori stood there, a coffe in one hand and her cell phone in her other, held up to her ear. She nodded absently, said a affermative answer, and said thank you before hanging up. And then she saw him and smiled, even if it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Just calling to tell them I won't make it to my morning classes today." She said by way of explanation.
"Classes?"
He'd seen her 'Hooter's' get up and hadn't looked much past it. Looking at her now, he could see she might be about twenty or so, though her eyes held the shadows and wisdom of someone much older. Maybe judgement wasn't to be made so quickly.
She smiled softly, sipped at the warm drink in her hand.
"Mhmm." she nodded. "In May, I'll graduate and be a full fledged RN. God knows maybe I can do some good and help someone. I work at the bar most nights and take classes in the mornings."
"That's nice. Maybe you'll get a job here."
"Maybe. That would be wonderful. It's close, so that I could still keep an eye on Heero. He's more trouble than a two-year old." Her words were said lightly, like a joke, but her eyes were serious and not at all laughing. "And him and Quatre together is like twice the trouble."
"You're very close to Mr. Winner then?" Trowa knew she had to be. Listed as the blonde's emergency contact, his legal proxy in case of incapacity to make decisions. But she wasn't his next of kin- that was some Iria Merquis residing in New York. Lover, maybe?
"Mmhmm, he's my best friend in the world. See, I met Quat in the symphony. It was kind of a shadowing/mentor type thing. I was about thirteen, Quat was almost seventeen and had just made first violin at the university's freshman symphony. That year, he walked me through most of the the JV symphony. We were like best friends, and it turns out he'd even went to the same school with Heero. I... I was there that first time..." Her voice was suddenly quiet. "I was fifteen, and... and he just collapsed. We were at the park, practicing. I'd decided to play fiddle that day. I can still remember. It was about thirty seconds into my second go'round of 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown'. I was so scared. And I went to the hospital with him. That time... every time. His dad didn't care enough to come, so I went with him. I was there the day they gave him the diagnosis, the first time. I was there during the chemo. When they said it was gone... and when they said it was back. And when he went through all the radiation again. I was there when Dr. Velasquez gave him a year."
"He's lucky to have a friend such as you," Trowa commented, his respect for this young woman growing. She'd had a rough past few years... and probably a rough life all together, judging by the shadows in her dark eyes. "You're brother's lucky to have you, as well."
She smiled sadly. "Yeah. He's said that before. But it dosen't stop him. After he came home from the war... he's just not been the same." Her eyes were foggy and distant, as if recalling something. Maybe a better time. "I know that war'll change anyone, but... he jumped out of the parking garage once, trying to kill himself. Stupid. Hit a soft-top jeep five stories down. Broke seven ribs, his leg, dislocated his shoulder, cracked his arm open, but didn't kill him. Either he dosen't really want to die, or there is some higher power that wants to keep him alive, because that should have killed him."
"Hmm," Trowa hummed. Those injuries alone could have killed someone. "Have you thought about talking him into seeing a therapist?"
"I tried once, but it didn't work. I may try it again, seeing as how we're in this situation."
Trowa handed her one of Duo's cards.
"I gave one of these to Mr. Winner, but maybe you'd like to see about getting Heero some help. Duo can work wonders with anyone."
Kaori looked at the card.
"Alright. I'll give it a try. I'll make Heero go. He's going to get better," her voice took on a distinct ring, "It'll be the last thing I do."
Trowa wondered for a moment if she'd mis- said what she meant, but then his beeper went off, and he was distracted, pulled back into his work.

Four days later, on Friday
Duo looked at the man on the chaise in front of him. This promised to be his hardest case yet. He dealt with OCD, ADD, simple things like that. Divorce cases, marriage counseling. Maybe the ocasional drug abuser. He did not deal with suicide attempts. Especially ones with such erratic and dark history as Heero Yuy. But Trowa had asked him to take the case. Because Trowa's patient had asked Trowa to ask him, because Heero's sister had asked him to ask Trowa to... well, you get the point.
Twenty-seven years old. Multiple suicide attemps over the past five years, starting one year after his return from a three year stint in the army.
"So,,," Duo drawled. "Kaori tells me you work as a computer technitian. Do you like your work?"
"It pays," his patient grunted. Heero didn't want to be here. Duo had already gathered that much. And now, with two words, he'd learned that Heero did not like his job. He was unsatisfied with his work.
"Hmm," he made a note, and tried not to look at his patient. Duo made it a point never to see a patient as anything other than that. But when someone as hot as Heero came in, with such a dark, negative aura around him, Duo could help but look... and wonder what had happened to make such a good looking guy so suicidal.
And Heero was hot. Of a height with Duo himself, with dark chocolate hair and a wiry, athletic body filled out with just enough muscle. Dark prussian blue eyes that Duo knew his sister had, too. Large hands with long, tapering fingers, probably great at playing a piano, Duo thought. He noticed the white bandages still wrapped around the wrists. Or maybe not- least not right now.
"Do you have any hobbies, any past-times? Pottery, painting, photography?"
"No."
Do you have a favorite color? Red, blue, yellow?"
"No."
"Do you have a favorite book? A favorite song? A favorite movie?"
Heero sighed visibly, as if giving up some internal battle. He met Duo's eyes squarely, seemed a bit confused, then began to speak.
"Listening to music, Purple, Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allen Poe. In the End, by Linkin Park. Beneath Still Waters."
"Good," Duo commented, taking more notes. Not as dark as he'd expected. Listening to music... quite normal, but not quite an involving hobbie. Purple... Duo thought there was a reason behind this, and it seemed to be made up on the spot, but he'd delve into that later. EA Poe was dark, but it was... not that bad. In The End. Sad, depressed, hopeless, but not quite suicidal or death-like. Duo himself happend to be a fan of the band- though he liked 'Crawling' much more than 'In The End'. Beneath Still Waters.... Duo frowned. Wasn't that the stupid B movie about demons where the whole town had one big orgey? He shook his head.
"Alright Heero, I'm going to say something, and I want you to say the first thing that pops into your mind. Don't think about it, just say it, whatever it is, okay?"
"Hnn."
"Alright. What do you think of when I say... plane?"
"Crash."
"Train?"
"Wreck."
"Ship?"
"Sink."
"Chicken?"
"Salmonella."
"Bull?"
"Shit."
"Day?"
"Night. "
"Cloud?"
"Rain."
"Blue?"
"...." Heero opened his mouth to say something, but stopped.
"Come on. The first thing you think of. Out with it."
"Kaori's eyes," was the soft response. Duo smiled inwardly. Finally he was getting somewhere.
"Alright. Red?"
"Blood."
"Flying?"
"Falling."
"Life?"
"Death."
Now for the real tests.
"Quatre."
Heero had his eyes closed.
"Peace."
"Kaori?"
"Love."
"Mother?"
"Caring." "Father?"
"...." there was a small pause, but Heero continued. "Hate, anger. Regreat."
"Heero?"
"Hopeless."
That last word was spoken on a sigh, a resigned voice.
"Good. Now when you leave here today, I want you to go home, and I want you to think of something you'd like to do. A hobby, a pastime. And I want it to be constructive. And next Friday, I want you to come in here and tell me about it. And tell me why you chose it. Do you understand?"
"Hnn."
"Good. Now I think that's it for tonight."
Duo watched as Heero practically just disappeared. Without another word... the older by was gone- simply vanished. Duo shook his head sadly. They would really have to work on the whole 'social' thing.
He looked back over his notes. There was some interesting information there. One day, maybe they'd have to delve into family issues. It seemed that there might be root for some of these feelings in the childhood home.
Duo sighed as he prepared to lock up his office. Things were never simple.





AN: yeah. You guessed right. Kaori's falling for Trowa, too. Hmmm. This should be interesting. Yes... and there is very blatant QuatrexKaori in that flashback/dream. It will be explained later on.
Oh, and yeah. Heero's very pessimistic, isn't he? But at least it's funny. And 'Beneath Still Waters' is a real movie and it sucks and it's really really weird. Stupid, but not scary. You'd have to be depressed, suicidal, or just really really out of it to like this movie. (My apologies if any of you actually like it.)
And yeah, things are moving kinda fast, but remember- Quat's only got three months to live.
And sorry for so many scene skips. But, it does tell the story.
And song at the begining was Not My Time, by 3 doors down.
And for those of you who may not know, 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown' is a real tune. It's very amazing. I thinks it's amazing if you can play this on the fiddle. It's even more amazing if you can perform the clogging routine to it.
And for clarification, cause even I'm having trouble keeping it straight... Heero is 27. Trowa is almost 28. Duo is 25. Quatre is 24. Kaori is 22. Wufei is 29. Releena will be 25-ish. (Sally, Iria, Zechs are all in their early thirties) And yeah... my math's gotten a bit screwed up along the way. My timeline is way messed up, but I'm trying to fix it.
Oh, and it's around the first of March. This last scene, Friday, was March 4th.