Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Laila Bli Cohav (a night without a star) ❯ Chapter 5

LAILA BLI COHAV

(A NIGHT WITHOUT A STAR)

PART FIVE

* * *

The rush of blood in his ears.

The desperate cries for air.

His body burned.

It was so hot.

A heartbeat.

And one more.

One more.

And then, none.

Silence.

* * *

"QUUUUUUUAAAAAAATREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!"

"Duo! What's wrong?!" Quatre called, running into Heero's room, panting.

"He just stopped breathing man! He can't breathe!" Duo called, panicked, his face hysterical. He was sitting on Heero's bed, leaning over the suffocation boy, his hair a mess and his face pale from fear. Without waiting for Quatre's reaction any further, Duo leaned down and began CPR. He leaned over Heero's head, pressing his lips to his and began mouth to mouth.

Quatre ran to the bed, standing at the opposite side of Duo, and dropped down to his knees. He reached down to check for Heero's pulse, and his eyes suddenly widened. "His heart stopped!"

"God dammit- Heero!" Duo yelled, panting heavily, and dived back to continue respiration.

Quatre also jumped up on the bed, putting two hands, fingers entwined, above Heero's heart and began pushing.

One!

Two!

Three!

Four!

Five!

He stopped to take a breath.

One!!

Two!!

Three!!

Four!!

Five!!

Heero's blue eyes were still wide open, looking lifelessly up at the ceiling. Duo's body was hunched over him, breathing air into his lungs. The bed shook, screeching against the wooden floor, as the two boys worked furiously to bring their friend back to life.

"C'mon Heero! C'mon!"

One!!!

Two!!!

Three!!!

Four!!!

Five!!!

* * *

He could hear them, from far far away. Their voices were mere whispers, echoing in the dark.

He could see them, from far far away. The vision of the two boys was at the end of a long, dark, tunnel. They were bent over him, shaking him and begging him to come back. He could feel the hot air being forced into his lungs, and he could feel the force of Quatre's hands on his chest. He could feel the pressure over his heart, but there was still silence. His heart refused to work.

"What's going on here?!"

Wufei. Panting. Worried and out of breath.

"Quatre! What happened?!"

Trowa, sounding more emotional than he had EVER heard him.

"Oh God! Heero! Please!"

Duo. He was crying. Calling to him. Begging him...

The vision at the end of the tunnel was beginning to fade. Black mist slowly crept down the edges of the distant picture.

It was getting hot. He wanted to get away from the uncomfortable darkness. He wanted to sleep...

"No Heero! NO! YOU GOTTA STAY HERE, YA HEAR ME?! YOU GOTTA!"

Duo... Why was he crying?

"No... Heero... c'mon buddy... breathe... c'mon... Oh God... please... c'mon..."

No... don't cry... please? Don't' cry...

And then suddenly, her voice. Closer and clearer than he had ever heard it before.

"Onii-san? Please come..."

* * *

"No! No! Heero! C'mon! C'mon Heero! C'mon!" Duo cried over and over, tears running down his cheeks, pouring out in gallons from his frenetic eyes. "COME! ON!" He shouted, punching Heero's chest. "I WON'T LET YOU GO DOWN LIKE THIS HEERO! THIS IS TOO EASY, YA HEAR?! TOO EASY!" He sobbed, and then threw himself down at Heero, breathing frantically into his mouth.

"Duo..." Quatre's voice came softly to his ears.

"Shut up!" Duo shot, taking a deep breath and then diving back in.

"Duo... It's been half an hour already..."

"I said SHUT THE HELL UP QUATRE!" Duo screamed, looking up at the blond, hate and accusation in his wild eyes. Those purple depths were swirling with fear and desperation, a haunted look in their deepest pits. "I'm not giving up!" He spat, and then turned back to Heero. "You hear that Heero!? I'm NOT giving up!"

The three pilots could do nothing but watch helplessly as Duo fought for Heero's life. They had tried all they could to bring the boy back, but after half an hour of CPR, there was little chance that Heero would live. They had taken turns in helping Duo revive the dying boy, for the work was far too exhausting for one person to do.

But their effort was in vain.

Heero was still laying on the bed, lifeless, his wide blue eyes glazed over as they stared up at the ceiling. His limbs lay sprawled over the mattress, pale and covered with cold sweat.

Not one sign of life could be seen on the boy's pale face.

There was no way of denying it. Heero Yuy, was dead.

"Duo! That's enough!!!" Wufei screamed, calling Duo by his first name for the first time since they met.

But the braided boy ignored them all, sitting on top of Heero, legs straddled at each side of the boy's body, panting as he pressed his hands over Heero's heart, and then leaning down to breathe into his mouth. His wild breathing filled the room as he struggled, the bed shaking back and forth as he moved. The sound of the headboard hitting the wall echoed throughout the house.

But still, Heero's heart remained silent.

* * *

"Onii-san?"

The girl?

"Onii-san? Can you hear me?"

Where was she?

"I'm right here."

Where?

"Please, Onii-san, you gotta come."

Come? Come where? Where was Duo?

"Please, you have to find me. Please?"

Find? Find where? Who? Where was he? Where was everyone? Why can't he hear them?

"They're calling for you. Can't you hear their voice?"

Hear them? Where?

"HEERO!"

Duo?

"Heero! Please! Not now... please!"

He was still crying...

"You have to go back and find me, Onii-san."

Back? How?

"You have to go back."

But... but how?

"Like this."

LIGHT!

PAIN!

BURNING!

CAN'T BREAHTE!

SO MUCH LIGHT!

HOT!

Someone was touching him.

PAIN!

Someone shouting.

PAIN!

Calling him.

LIGHT!

It assaulted him all at once, and if he could have, he would have gasped, or at least blinked, because suddenly, he was back.

He could see them now, standing over his bed, looking worriedly down at him.

Quatre, his aquamarine eyes filled with tears.

Trowa, his green eyes looking haunted.

Wufei's eyes were looking down at him with dread and breathless anticipation.

And then he felt something touch him, forcefully, pressing over his chest. The force was so great it nearly drove him into the headboard.

And then someone kissed him.

No. Not a kiss.

A rush of hot and thick air was pushed past his lips and into his lungs.

And then the blurry fog that covered his mind lifted, and he realized.

Duo.

He was leaning over him, talking to him, crying so that so many tears fell out of his eyes. They slid down his cheeks and soaked his face, messy hair sticking to his damp features. And his eyes... so sad, haunted and frightened at the same time. Looking down at him. Crying. Begging. Pleading him.

But he couldn't do a thing. He tried to breathe, to call out, to force his heart to beat once again, but it was out of his control. He couldn't do it. He lay there helpless, feeling his own essence slip away once more... into the darkness... into the cold hands of death...

And then, he saw it. It was just a glister at first. Something faint and barely recognizable. It shone under the bright light of the room, hovering like a feather over Duo's shoulder. Heero watched it, enchanted by the growing glow of light as it slowly grew and took shape. At first, it looked like a large and long snake, but then, he realized that it was an arm. Looking up, he could trace that thin arm all the way up to a body.

Another breath was forced into his lungs and Heero's eyes widened a bit.

The body belonged to a boy, about their age, maybe a little younger. He was wearing ragged and baggy clothes, their color undetermined for the whole boy's body was glowing in an eerie golden light. His skin was paler than Heero had ever imagined possible, his hair, shoulder length, was smooth and golden. It shone under the golden light of his aura, and Heero could see the boy lift up a slim hand to push his hair behind his ear, long and pale fingers brushing against the yellow stands. Then there were his eyes... the strangest shade of green... with a touch of gold to light those hauntingly large eyes. They looked so big and vibrant compared to the rest of him, that Heero found himself unable to look away.

"Heero. . . Heero. . . please, Heero! God... God... Please. . . Heero. . ." Duo's voice cried hopelessly, his hand clutching Heero's shirt as he buried his head in Heero's chest, sobbing brokenly. "Please..."

The boy caught Heero's gaze in his, and Heero found himself unable to think about anything at all under the boy's captive gaze.

The boy smiled at him faintly, and Heero watched him as he placed a comforting hand on Duo's shoulder, his other hand caressing the boy's hair as if soothing him.

Everything was in slow motion. Time seemed to have stopped from moving. Heero turned his gaze, without really moving his eyes, and scanned the rest of the room. He was shocked to see that the four pilots and the golden boy, were not the only occupants of the room.

Standing at the far end of his bed, was Quatre. Next to him, was a woman. A bit taller, a bit older. She had curly locks of bright blond hair, and a kind look on her graceful features. Her arm was wrapped around Quatre's shoulder, silently comforting the boy as he cried.

Next to him, was Trowa. He had a man standing next to him, tall, blond and blue eyed. He looked young, and quite stern, but Heero could sense that he was guarding Trowa, though he did not touch him, his arms crossed over his chest.

After that was Wufei. He was standing at his bedside, and behind him, was a young woman. She looked a little younger than the Chinese pilot, and very similar in her looks. She too had short black hair and black eyes. Her long and slender hand was resting on Wufei's shoulder, offering comfort as the boy stared numbly down at Heero.

And then there was another figure. Standing right next to him, holding his own hand. It was a little girl. But it wasn't the girl he was used to seeing. It was a different one. One with big blue eyes that radiated innocence, and a small, white puppy that danced at her feet, wagging his tail.

Heero flinched inwardly as he saw the little girl smile at him, and then he saw her look up. He followed her gaze and saw that she was looking up at the boy standing next to Duo. The boy nodded his head, and turned to look down at Heero.

He reached down his hand, and plunged it straight into Heero's chest.

Panicked, Heero wanted to scream, but he was unable to. He could do nothing but watch, and feel.

The boy's hand closed around his heart, and he squeezed.

Heero flinched.

"Heero?" Duo's head shot up, his tearful eyes looking up in confusion.

Another squeeze.

Heero's body jerked up from the bed.

And another squeeze.

"HEERO!"

Heero's eyes flew wide open.

His heart was beating again.

He saw the little girl reach down a hand inside him as well, sweeping her hand through his lungs.

And suddenly they cleared, as if some barrier was lifted.

Heero took a loud gasp of air.

"Oh God! Heero!"

Another squeeze on his heart and Heero gasped again, his body arching off the bed.

He blinked, feeling air and blood running through his veins once again. He slumped back into the bed, taking large gulps of air. He saw the girl and the boy pull their hands out of his body, and he looked up at them gratefully.

"Oh my God... Oh my God... Oh my God!"

He could hear Duo mumble over and over, and that brought a small smile to his lips. He looked up at the boy, seeing his stunned face hover above him, his features pale and stained with tears. He had two hands over his mouth, his violet eyes wide with shock.

He smiled up at the stunned boy, and he would have chuckled if he could at his stunned reaction. He looked aside, searching for the two that helped him. He frowned as he found out that he could barely see them. They were slowly fading away from his vision. He caught the little girl smiling at him, before she finally vanished, along with the rest.

The room looked empty again, but he knew they were there. They were always there.

Smiling weakly, Heero let himself drift into unconsciousness, gratefully breathing the cool air into his lungs.

Before darkness finally took over, he could hear her voice whisper.

"Thank you for coming back, Onii-san."

* * *

Body quaking with sobs, Duo threw himself down at Heero, hugging the boy tightly and crying into his chest. "You fucking suicidal maniac! You had me so scared! I was so scared! Fuck you, Heero! Fuck you! Dammit!" He howled, his fists closed around the fabric of Heero's sweat-soaked shirt, his head shaking from side to side as he cried.

In the back of the room, Quatre sagged back against the wall. He slid down to the floor, his tearful eyes looking up at the bed.

Trowa kneeled down beside the shaken blond, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked down to make sure that his friend was okay, and then turned his gaze up to look at the bed as well.

Wufei was the only one who remained standing, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked down at the bed, watching Duo's back shaking as he cried, and then he looked down at Heero's face, calm and serene in his sleep. He walked over to the bed, reaching a hand down to touch Heero's sleeping form. He checked for a pulse, and was relived to still find it there. He breathed in relief and backed away a little, shaking his head.

"Chk! Leave it to Yuy to make another trip back from the dead." [i]

* * *

After his sobs had finally calmed, Duo opened his eyes, finding himself leaning over Heero's bed, his head resting on the boy's chest. He sniffled, blinking a few times. He could feel that a soft and warm blanket was resting over his shoulders, and he smiled a little, thankful for his friends' care.

Peeking from behind his messy and damp bangs, he looked up at Heero's face. The boy was still sleeping soundly, his light breath teasing his chocolate bangs like a soft breeze.

Duo smiled warmly, and closed his eyes again. He snuggled closer to Heero's body, his head over the boy's heart, and he listened to the soft heartbeat, letting it lull him back to sleep. He indulged himself in listening to the beating of Heero's hear, the feeling of his chest slowly rising up and down, the scent of his body and his warmth.

Alive.

Heero was still alive.

His eyes snapped open as he felt something tug gently at his braid. The lush rope of hair was lying casually on the bed, peeking out from beneath Duo's blanket. Again there was a soft tug, and Duo looked down, confused. He smiled when he caught a glimpse of Heero's long white fingers, teasing his hair playfully. He turned back to face the boy, and nearly drowned when he was faced with those haunting blue eyes.

Heero smiled, and Duo's mouth dropped open, nearly hitting the floor.

"Hn. Baka." Heero snorted softly, pulling Duo's braid a little harder. "You should see your face." He whispered hoarsely. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He smiled at his own joke.

Duo just kept staring, eyes unblinking. "H-Hee-Heero?!" He finally managed to stutter.

The Japanese boy arched an eyebrow in question. "Yes?"

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Duo called, jumping up happily.

Heero chuckled. "Yeah, I've noticed."

Duo's face lit up with a stupid grin. "And you came back with a sense of humor too!"

Heero rolled his eyes.

Duo chuckled, sitting back on the bed. He reached down for Heero's hand, his eyes serious once again. He looked down at Heero, his expression honest and serious. "I'm glad you're back." He whispered, his voice quiet and lacking the usual cheerful tone.

Heero nodded his head slowly, his eyes never leaving Duo's. He looked down when he felt Duo squeeze his hand tightly, and after the initial shock cleared, Heero squeezed back. He looked up at Duo, catching the boy's gaze with his.

Duo had tears in his eyes now, and he was looking down at their joint hands, deep in thought. Heero considered saying something, but then he thought better of it. This was not a time for words. Even Duo knew that. He just settled for holding Duo's hand, feeling the boy's warmth against his body. He closed his eyes, sighing pleasantly. This was nice. He could definitely get used to it.

After some time, Heero felt Duo let go of his hand, and he opened his eyes to see why. He was confused when he saw Duo reach up two hands to the back of his neck, his fingers working on something. He studied Duo's expression, still unused to see him so solemn and serious. His eyes had that dark look in them again, the purple depths distant and haunted.

He looked down when he heard Duo sigh heavily, and then pull something out from underneath his shirt. Heero's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the delicate object glister under the dim afternoon light. It was a necklace. Stunned blue eyes followed the shiny necklace as Duo slowly brought it down, the silver chain dangling from side to side, and at the middle, shone a small, silver, cross.

Heero gasped and looked up at Duo.

The braided boy just smiled at him sadly. He leaned down towards Heero, bringing the chain down with him. Gently, carefully, he put it around the Japanese boy's neck, his fingers trembling a bit as he closed the small metal fasten. He then straightened up again, tearful violet eyes shinning in the dying afternoon light. He smiled sadly at Heero, his fingers caressing the cross that now lay over Heero's chest.

Body numb from shock, Heero looked down at the cross, his blue eyes wide with disbelief. He reached up his own trembling hand, his fingers touching the cross carefully, caressing it slowly, as if not believing it is there. He felt Duo's fingers brush against his, and he gasped, looking up again.

Duo just smiled kindly at him, putting his hand over Heero's, both their hands lying over the cross.

Heero took a shaky breath, his chest rising up quickly, pushing the cross up against their joint hands. He was unable to look away from Duo's gaze, those intense violet eyes bearing a hole through his very soul.

"D-Duo..." He finally managed breathe out, shock written all over his face. "Why?"

Again the braided boy smiled sadly. He let go of Heero's hand, pulling his hand away, laying it on his lap. He turned away from Heero, sitting on the edge of the bed, and took a deep breath.

"Do you believe in God, Heero?"

Bewildered by the question, it took Heero a few moments before he finally managed to reply. "I... I was taught about God." He explained quietly, looking away from Duo. "If you're a bad boy... you go to hell. And if you're a good boy..." He sighed. "You go to heaven." He turned back to look at Duo. "Is that God?"

Duo sighed, still staring down at his hands. "It's a part of it, yeah."

"Oh." Heero let out, and looked down again. He took a deep breath, thinking. "You make wishes to God, is that it?"

"Yeah, that too." Duo let out quietly.

Slowly, Heero turned his gaze up to look at his friend. He studied Duo's profile for a while, noticing the wretched look on the boy's face.

"Did you ever make a wish to God, Duo?"

".…..yeah."

Heero winced at the bitterness in Duo's voice. He sighed and looked away again, closing his eyes sadly. "I never made a wish before."

He could feel the bed shift and hear the sheets rustle as Duo slowly turned to face him. He looked up as he felt Duo hold his hand again, and was surprised to see that Duo was smiling weakly. "It's never too late to start." He said, his voice heavy and his gaze intense.

Heero swallowed.

"What do you wish for, Heero?"

The Japanese boy sighed sadly and looked away. "I... I wish... I wish to go to heaven."

Duo flinched back a little, startled. He tightened his hold on Heero's hand.

"I... I won't mind to just stand at the gate..." Heero continued silently, a single tear sliding down his cheek. "I don't mind... just as long as I can... just as long as I can see her face..." He sniffled silently, closing his eyes.

"Whose face?" Duo dared to ask, feeling his heart beat faster and louder, throbbing in pain.

"My mother." Heero whispered, his voice barely heard. He sighed and turned to look up at Duo, his blue eyes sad. "I don't remember her face."

Duo nodded silently, having nothing to say. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes in an effort to keep the tears away.

"Just one look..." Heero continued silently, sniffling. "Just one look, and then I can go to hell..."

A choked whimper escaped Duo's lips, and he tightened his hold on Heero's hand, feeling his fingers brush over the cool metal of his cross.

There was silence after that, both boys sinking into the aftermath of Heero's little confession. There were no words to be said, nothing could be said to ease the pain and comfort, and so they both remained silent.

Moments passed by slowly, the sun setting behind the grassy hills outside Heero's window. Warm and golden rays of sunshine filled the room as the skies were painted in a heavenly display of colors. In that golden light, Heero could swear he caught a glimpse of the heavenly golden boy, sitting next to Duo, a hand over his shoulder. But maybe it was just the light playing tricks on him.

Slowly, Heero looked up, searching for Duo's eyes. "Did... did your wishes ever come true, Duo?"

For a long while, Duo didn't answer. He kept his head bowed, refusing to meet Heero's hopeful eyes. "...no."

"Oh." Heero let out sadly, looking away. He took a deep breath, feeling tears threaten to come. "Do they ever?"

Duo remained silent.

"Even if you believe?" Heero asked, turning to look up at Duo, cobalt eye pleading him to answer.

But Duo just closed his eyes sadly, turning his head away.

"Maybe... maybe mine will come true?" Heero asked, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Maybe." Duo whispered, though his voice betrayed his answer. He took a deep breath, releasing it with a heavy sigh. He then turned to face Heero again, reaching for his hand. He looked down at the boy, his eyes also shining under the dying light.

Heero smiled sadly at him, another lone tear a escaping his eyes. "Then... then I want to make another wish." He whispered, voice hoarse from tears.

Duo nodded leisurely.

Heero smiled up at him. "I wish for your wishes to come true."

"H--Heero..." Duo choked out, completely stunned.

The Japanese boy just smiled sadly, squeezing Duo's hand. "Maybe... maybe he'll listen to me?"

Duo smiled weakly and squeezed Heero's hand. "Maybe."

Heero nodded his head, apparently satisfied with that answer.

Duo watched him as the cobalt eyes slowly closed, and the boy drifted back to sleep. He reached up a hand to wipe his tears away, sniffling. He tightened his hold around the cross, his fingers slowly caressing it. "God, I hope so, Heero. I hope so..."

* * *

Three pairs of eyes looked up as Duo slowly entered the kitchen. They followed him silently as he walked to one of the cupboards, taking out a cup. They scrutinized his every movement as he made himself a cup of strong coffee, and then followed him as he walked towards the kitchen table.

"What?" Duo asked dumbly, looking down at his friends. "Do I have something on my face?"

The three sighed and looked away.

It was Quatre who spoke first. "How are you feeling, Duo?"

"Huh?" The braided boy let out, settling down in his chair. He shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Sorry for bursting out like that..."

Quatre smiled kindly, and shook his head. "No, I mean physically. How do you feel?"

"Huh?" Duo asked again, looking up at him, baffled. He shrugged. "Fine."

"No coughing?" Wufei asked, raising an eyebrow.

Duo shook his head.

"No fatigue?" Trowa added, looking at Duo as well.

Again the braided boy shook his head, stirring his coffee.

"Nausea?" Quatre offered worriedly.

Duo blinked, confused. He sighed and shook his head. "Nah. I feel great, thank you." He took a sip of his coffee and then looked up at the rest of the pilots. "Why?"

Quatre sighed and leaned back in his seat. "We were just saying, how odd it is that you haven't caught the virus yet."

"WHAT?!" Duo burst, nearly spitting out his drink. "What do you mean?!"

"You said that you were never vaccinated against the disease." Trowa reminded him quietly, his gaze intense. "It's been nearly three days, and you did not show any sign of infection."

Duo nodded and bowed his head. "Yeah, you're right..."

This time, it was Wufei's turn to speak. He leaned forward, leaning on his arm, which rested on the table, his onyx eyes on Duo. "How did you escape the disease the first time?"

Duo sighed, refusing to look up from his fidgeting finger. He shrugged.

"Duo," Quatre spoke once again, his voice compassionate. "I know this might sound a little odd, but we think that you were already immune to the disease."

Duo's head jerked up. "Huh? How could that be? I never got a shot in my life! Why would I be immune, huh?! Why me and not others?!"

"Duo," Trowa tired to calm him. "Duo, please hear us out."

Taking a deep breath, Duo nodded and sunk back into his seat.

"There is a possibility, remote as it is," Trowa continued, looking intently at Duo. "That your body was naturally immune to the disease."

"That's BULLSHIT!" Duo called, anger in his eyes. "How can that fucking be, huh?! I was just a little street rat! Why would I be protected and others won't?!"

"Duo, please calm down." Quatre begged. "Think about it, don't you find it odd that you have escaped the disease... twice?"

Duo made a face, but forced himself to calm down. He took a few deep breaths, and then leaned two elbows on the table, burying his face in his hands. "And what if I am immune? What does that have to do with anything?"

Trowa sighed. "People who are naturally immune, carry the antidote in their blood."

"Yeah, well, you guys are immune, you have the antidote too. So what?"

Trowa shook his head. "No, Duo. While we are immune to the disease, we cannot produce new antidotes. Only you can."

Duo looked up, peeking out from between his laced fingers. "I can?"

Trowa nodded his head.

"You mean I was carrying the cure inside me? All along?"

Again the Heavyarms pilot nodded his head.

"We want to run some tests, first." Wufei informed him quietly. "We need a blood sample."

Straightening up in his chair, Duo nodded, his gaze cutting through the air like a knife. "Sure."

* * *

After extracting a small amount of Duo's blood, Trowa and Wufei set to work. They were sitting by the kitchen table, a dozen candles around them, papers and medical equipment sprawled all over the table. They had limited means of research, but it was enough to run a thorough blood test.

Duo stood by the kitchen door, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and his gaze locked on the two working pilots. Quatre was up in Heero's room, checking on the boy. They had long forgotten their surveillance work, leaving the station empty and deserted. They had more important matters on their hands.

"How's it going?" Quatre's voice rang softly as he entered the kitchen.

Trowa looked up from the microscope he was looking through, and nodded his head. "We've confirmed it. Duo's body is capable of producing the antidote."

Duo let out a sigh of relief, bowing his head briefly. He pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the table. "So, what now?"

"We need to extract the cure from your blood." Wufei answered, looking up from his work as well.

Duo nodded. "Tell me what I have to do."

The Chinese pilot sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately, it is not so easy. The antidote is a small part of a very complex mixture. It's basically looking for a needle in a haystack."

Duo's eyes flashed darkly. "Then we look for it!" He growled, glaring down at the other pilot. "Heero doesn't have much time, and you know we can't afford to wait for that shuttle to arrive!"

Trowa looked up. "Wufei, what do we need in order to separate the antidote form Duo's blood?"

The Chinese pilot sighed. "If I remember my studies correctly, we'll need a chromatography in a high liquid pressure in order to separte the cells from the rest of the blood. That would give you about thirty or forty samples. Of course each sample should be check and--"

"Okay! Okay! We get it! Long process!" Duo snapped. He turned to Trowa. "What else can we do?"

The green eyed pilot sighed heavily, rubbing his chin in thought. After some time, he looked up at Wufei again. "And what if we put the blood in a centrifuge? We can then quick freeze it and--"

Wufei's eyes widened. "I see where you're going with this! We just separate the red blood cells and plasma components, and inject Yuy the rest!"

Trowa smiled slightly and nodded his head. "Exactly."

"Brilliant!" Wufei called, hitting his head with his hand. "Why didn't I think about it sooner?!"

Duo smirked. "I could answer that for you." He turned back to Trowa. "So we just get rid of the rejectable parts in my blood and give Heero the rest? Is that safe?"

Trowa nodded. "Like you said, Duo, if we get rid of the rejectable parts, it should be fine."

Duo smiled in relief. "So what are we waiting for? Lets do it!"

Silence suddnely fell over the kitchen, and Wufei's heavy sigh could be heard. "Even if you COULD do it, we don't have the means. The equipment we have here is not suited for such a task."

"Then we find one that is!" Duo called stomping his foot on the floor. He whirled around to look at Quatre, his eyes pleading. "Right?"

The blond boy sighed and bowed his head. "Where can we go, Duo? We're miles out of nowhere. There's no hospital around here."

"Bull! The base is right down the hill, right?! I bet they have EVERYTHING we need in there!" Duo burst, pointing eagerly at the window, where the base's lights could be seen, down in the valley.

"We cannot risk to break our cover, Maxwell." Wufei reminded him. "We have a mission to fulfill after all."

"ONE MORE WORD ABOUT THE FUCKING MISSION, WU-MAN, AND I'LL USE DEATHSCYTHE TO BLOW YOU INTO ORBIT!" Duo roared, glaring down at the stunned pilot. "Heero's dying up there, damn it! So just forget about the fucking mission already!"

"Duo!" Quatre exclaimed, shocked. "Duo, this isn't the place to start a fi--"

"No, he's right." Wufei let out quietly, looking up at the raging boy. He sighed and bowed his head helplessly. "He's right. We have to go down to the base."

"How?" Trowa asked, voice calm. "We mustn't raise a commotion."

"Trowa's right." Quatre agreed, sitting down by the table. "The last thing we need is running out of there with OZ on our tails. We need time to extract the cure and we need a safe place for Heero."

The rest of the pilots nodded in agreement.

The dim kitchen fell silent as the four boys bowed their heads down in thought, trying to find a solution to their problem.

Suddenly, Duo's head snapped up and a devious smile played on his lips.

"I gotta n' idea."

Part 6.

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