Soldier Boys
Sequel to Crapshoot
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Healing
"Anything that you need; equipment, instruments, drugs, even plasma, I will get for you," Quatre's voice said, penetrating the deep fog Duo was in.
A stranger answered, sounding agitated, "He needs an operating room. Can you get me that?"
"If you need assistants, I can them for you," Quatre replied, "but you can understand why we can't take him to a hospital. Besides, he is too severe to transport to a rebel medical unit. He needs care immediately."
The stranger sounded uncertain. "I'm pro colonist. I'll do what I can for the effort. There's a good chance that this kid isn't going to make it, though. If that happens..."
"You are safe," Quatre assured him. "Your background was checked thoroughly Doctor. We don't doubt your loyalty."
The doctor sounded relieved. "I'll make a list. Please make sure that it is followed carefully."
"Of course," Quatre replied.
Duo slipped away into unconsciousness and really didn't expect to wake up again. When he finally did, he blinked in surprise at an unfamiliar room and spent long minutes trying to piece reality back together.
"Water?" A voice on his right asked. Duo nodded weakly and then turned his head to see Heero pouring water into a cup. Heero then sat on the side of the bed and propped Duo up just enough to sip the water. When Duo pulled back, Heero lowered him again and then smoothed the blanket covering him with one hand while he set the cup aside on a side table.
"You will recover," Heero told Duo without being asked. "You should be able to pilot in three weeks."
"Good," Duo murmured and then stared at Heero.
Heero stared back. He looked worn, circles under his blue eyes and mouth pinched. His clothes, a simple blue pullover and a pair of green pants, looked as if he had been wearing them for days. His hair was a chocolate mess on the top of his head.
"You need a comb," Duo whispered, trying to crack a grin.
Heero looked confused and then one of his hands rose to his head and he felt the hair sticking in different directions. "Not necessary right now. It's not a priority," Heero replied.
Duo chuckled. "Was that a joke I just heard, Heero-buddy?"
Heero shrugged and a small, tired smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "A true evaluation of the situation."
There was a moment of quiet and then Duo said more seriously, "Even with messy hair, you were the most beautiful sight I had ever seen when you showed up to take that bastard out. Thanks."
Heero looked haunted and his jaw tightened momentarily before he replied, "I was almost too late."
"But, you weren't and I'm still alive," Duo retorted. He tried to shift his body on the hard bed, to get more comfortable, and then bit his lip hard when pain shot through him. "Nothing like hellish pain to remind you of the fact too," he added in a strangled voice.
Heero stood quickly. "I can get you pain medication."
Duo gave a short nod, "Yeah," he bit out through the pain, "Please do that."
Heero left the room, to get the doctor or the drugs, Duo wasn't sure. He counted the time he was gone in labored breaths, trying to keep from crying out. By the time Heero returned with the doctor, a round man with a mustache and tiny eyes behind large, round glasses, Duo was ready to beg for any respite.
The doctor fiddled with IV lines and then injected something into one. Duo struggled through an agonizing minute before the medication took effect and the pain began to recede.
Panting, Duo lay limply in the pillows, embarrassed, but relieved. "T-Thanks," he managed to say.
"You had extensive surgery," the doctor admonished him, "a blood transfusion, protein injections, and bio adhesives applied. You have a catheter and an intravenous liquid diet being delivered into your system. At this early stage, any kind of movement, without myself or a nurse present, is severely discouraged, understood?"
"I don't think," Duo breathed, "after that last try, that I will ever want to move again."
The doctor snorted as if that amused him. "I'm afraid that you will have to move, pilot. Your therapy will begin tomorrow. There would be serious complications if you didn't."
Duo opened his eyes, scowling weakly. "You know you're contradicting yourself, don't you? Move. Don't move. I opt for don't move."
The doctor chuckled again. "It will be painful, but it is necessary, and I will make sure that it is done correctly so that it won't harm you."
"Pain is harm, last I checked," Duo growled.
"Death from blood clots and other complications would be farm more harmful," the doctor told him. He sorted out the IV lines, checked the feed one more time, and then said to Heero, "Call me when he needs more medication." He looked Heero over and then added impatiently, "Have someone else call me, you need to rest, young man."
Heero nodded, but, once the doctor was gone, he didn't make any move to leave.
"You do look tired, Heero," Duo said. "You should go. You probably have soming...," he slurred and tried again, "Something to blow up.... I'm... I'm just going to sleep." The pain medication was already pulling him under and he was ready for it to.
Duo wasn't sure, his mind loosing it's grip on reality, but he thought he heard
Heero reply, "There isn't a mission and... you need me. I'm staying."
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"Duo..." Quatre admonished, "please stop bothering your IVs."
Duo frowned irritably and ceased to make both of his IV lines do a double jump rope motion in opposite directions from each other. "I'm dying of boredom," he complained.
"I know, you keep telling me that," Quatre sighed as he put aside his book and regarded Duo. "I'm trying to alleviate that."
"By helping me die of boredom?" Duo retorted and then grimaced. "Sorry.... I guess I just don't care much about improving my school work."
Quatre tapped the cover of the book. "Duo, you know everything there is to know about machines, computers, and bombs, but there is so much more to life. When the war ends, we'll still be young men who need to learn, just like everyone else. If we continue on with our education, when missions permit, we can be ready to go back into society a great deal more smoothly."
Duo stared at Quatre and then said, "You are such an optimist, Quatre." He relented in the next moment and added, "Look, I don't know how learning about L5s construction history is going to get me through life, but it's better than staring at four walls and going nuts. Read me some more."
Quatre became impassioned, "But, Duo! If you know history, then you know the why and the wherefore of so many things, especially this war."
Duo's mood went instantly dark, alarming Quatre as he said harshly, "I don't care why they made a war happen! I just know why I'm fighting in it!"
"Duo," Heero said as he came into the room with a package under his arm. "You are supposed to be resting."
Quatre stood up, fiddling with his book. "I'm sorry I upset you Duo."
Duo calmed himself and then let out a long breath as he sunk back into his pillow. "Not your fault," he conceded. "Just... just don't go there. It's too deep in my gut and eating me from the inside out. Talking about it just makes it hurt worse."
Quatre bowed his head a little, another, silent apology.
Duo looked guilty then, "Hey, Quatre! Thanks and all that, but you can go now and get away from my sorry ass. Everyone doesn't have to suffer just because I am."
"You sacrificed for the war effort," Quatre replied solemnly. "You deserve all of our care and respect.... and you're a friend," Quatre added with a small smile. "Friends should be there for each other. That means listening to them bitch for an hour or so when they need to."
Duo chuckled. "I really like you, Quatre."
"It's mutual," Quatre replied as he began to leave, saying over his shoulder, "I'll bring lunch up to you in a short while."
"Thanks!" Duo called after him and then grimaced and muttered, "Though I'm not sure I can eat anything."
"Why not?" Heero asked as he hooked Quatre's chair with his foot, slid it closer to the side of the bed, and sat down. He put the package on his lap, but didn't fiddle with it as Quatre had fiddled with his book. He was relaxed, his eyes going over Duo as if assuring himself that nothing had changed the short time he'd been gone.
"The pain pills are making me want to puke," Duo explained.
"Then don't take them," Heero replied simply. "Nutrition is much more important for healing."
"It hurts when I do take them," Duo argued. "What's the pain going to be like if I don't?"
"Your body will adjust, eventually, and turn off the pain receptors in that area of your body," Heero told him.
"Maybe your body can do that..." Duo grimaced. "I'd rather just be sick to my stomach and a few pounds lighter, thanks." He matched Heero's searching gaze with one of his own. "Where have you been? You're wet with melting snow."
Heero brushed at his coat where Duo pointed and collected snow flicked everywhere. Duo winced as some of it splattered him.
"Is it snowing pretty good?" Duo asked.
"A light flurry," Heero told him. "It will be warmer tomorrow."
Duo looked depressed as he gazed at the covered window.
Heero followed his gaze and began to stand. "I could open the window for you."
"No," Duo told him. "It just makes me feel worse. I hate this room. I want to be out there, with my Gundam, doing the stuff I'm supposed to."
Heero looked down at his package and frowned. He stood up abruptly and walked towards the door.
Duo blinked. "Where are you going? Did I say something to piss you off?"
Heero twitched his package at Duo and said in a hesitant voice, "I need to correct a mistake. I will be back shortly."
Duo's mouth hung open as Heero disappeared and then he shut it and scowled. "That guy...! Some day, I'm going to figure him out..." He thought about that and then winced. "Maybe I shouldn't, come to think of it. Who knows what makes a guy act like him?"
Duo fretted in acute boredom for what seemed like a long while. When he couldn't
take it any longer, and was about to shout for Quatre, ready to try eating,
learning L5 civics, and anything else the pilot of Sandrock could devise to
break up the monotony, Heero surprised him by staggering into the room. He was
carrying a chunk of machinery in both hands and had a case of tools slung over
one shoulder.
Heero carefully put the chunk of metal onto the bed side table. It creaked alarmingly, but the sturdy piece of furniture held. Heero then put the case of tools on the bed in Duo's reach. Heero nodded to the items. "This is what you need," he said, "Useful, productive, work."
Duo looked at the machine and, when he recognized it, he shouted in delight. "My targeting system from Deathscythe. Heero, my man, I love you!"
"I love you too."
Duo froze. His heart stopped. It took a long, indrawn breath to start it up again and then, almost not wanting to dare, he slowly turned his eyes from the machine and looked at Heero.
Heero was blushing, but looking... intense, determined, committed.... Duo knew in that instant that Heero hadn't understood that he had just been using a flippant turn of phrase. Heero had taken his exclamation at face value. His heart was in his hands and Duo had misled him into holding it out to him.
It was in him to turn joking, sarcastic even, to reverse everything back to square one, safe ground, childhood where he was too young for what Heero wanted to give him. Looking into Heero's dark blue eyes... Duo couldn't do it, couldn't crush what he saw there... didn't want to. "I'm glad. " He swallowed hard and tried again. "I'm glad you feel the same way, Heero-buddy."
Heero was suddenly bending down and kissing him. Duo felt his heart stop once more and he wondered, dimly, if it would start again this time. Their lips were hard against each other, inexperienced, and clue less in their attempt ... but... it wasn't just lips touching lips. It went so much deeper than that and Duo knew, in that instant, that he had made the right decision.