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"Countdown"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: R Warnings: Post War Cannon, Supernatural, Angst,
sap, mild language, very mild lemon Pairings: 1x2, 3x4 5+all Summary: When Hiiro is injured and left in a coma while assisting Duo in battle, the braided pilot is forced to fight for his partner’s life. However, strange dreams and hidden desires complicate matters when forces that seem bent on pulling the plug seemingly push Duo to the very brink of sanity. "Countdown" Ch 1 I still couldn’t believe it was true. It had been a full month since Hiiro’s accident but the seat in his Gundam still felt warm. What was I doing sitting in Wing? I have no idea. It just made me feel closer to him somehow. Like I could still reach him, still talk with him. It was enormously frustrating because there was no way those things were going to happen with things the way they were. Quatre kept telling me not to blame myself but he had gone down trying to safe my sorry ass. How could I not? I never would have expected him to come after me more or less throw himself in the line of fire to keep me from getting cooked. And then… he was lying in a bed in St. Mary’s pretty much dead to the world. If it weren’t for those infernal machines they had him hooked up to he wouldn’t have been alive at all but that sort of existence isn’t really being alive. And it was all because of me. That tore at me but the gods honest truth was it was much harder to cope with the idea that I would never hear his voice again. No more snipping at me for being too loud or grumbling about how I was drawing unnecessary attention. The guilt I felt just couldn’t compare to the pain of knowing I might never look into those deep, blue eyes again and see the sparkle of life, that deep intensity that never failed to reminded me just how precious life really is. Selfish? I suppose but it wasn’t like I had ever entertained the thought that he did it all for me. He was just such a powerful force of nature just being around him was like this supercharged addiction and it wasn’t just me. The others all felt it too, especially Relena. I have to hand it to her Highness; she had handled the whole thing much better than I had. I think her love for him must’ve be more pure than anything I could lay claim to because it took her less than two weeks to come to the conclusion that Hiiro wouldn’t want to live his life strung up to a bunch of machines but I just… couldn’t let him go. ** ”You can’t do that!” “Do you really think he would want to live like this!?” Relena cried; her vehemence glittering in her red-rimmed eyes as the doctors moved to disconnect Hiiro’s life support. “You never had a problem forcing him to live before!” I shouted stepping in between the comatose boy and his physicians. “Duo… please,” she sighed looking very tired and forlorn. “This is hard on all of us…” “NO!” The doctor who had dared to move forward grew wide eyed and stumbled back toward the door in the face of my rage. “First one that lay’s a hand on him answers to me.” “Oh, thank Heavens,” the girl gasped as Trowa, Quatre and Wufei strolled into the room. “Are you all right?” Quatre asked but I confronted him with bull faced determination and dug my heel in to stand my ground. “It’s all right,” the blond soothed. “No one is going to touch him.” “Quatre, I realize how upsetting this is…” “I’m afraid the matter has already been decided,” Quatre smiled softly laying a hand on her shoulder. “It’s Duo’s call now,” Wufei explained handing a leaflet of papers to Dr. Shaw, the physician in charge. He read for a moment before his elderly eyes flicked to me and back again. “Mr. Maxwell?” “What in the hell is that?” I demanded. “It is his living will,” the doctor informed me. “Are you aware the patient has named you his sole heir and given you power of attorney?” “What does that mean?” “It means no one has the right to unhook him until you say so,” Wufei smiled. ** It all seemed so long ago. Had it really only been two weeks? I don’t know, maybe she was right from the beginning and I should have just let them but I couldn’t bare the thought of never hearing him laugh again. It’s funny, if he were able I wonder if he wouldn’t kick my ass for being such a self centered prick but I just couldn’t let him go. So, I sat in Wings cockpit all night again wanting to hear him shout at me over the com, wishing I hadn’t been bone headed enough to try and play hero with the proverbial Hercules riding my ass. Like he was ever going to step down and let someone else take one for the team. I should have known better. It just wasn’t in his nature. At least the son of a bitch that hit him was space dust. I made damn sure of that. It smelled like him. I guess he sweats as much as I do when he’s engaged in battle because quite honestly Wing’s cockpit reeked of his scent. And I’m not talking the usual gym locker aroma. No, this was thick and spicy because it was filled with the fury of battle. That fire that lights up a man’s eyes when he faces his enemy and drives him to fight for all he’s worth until he either wins or dies trying. That’s the sort of scent that was embedded in Wing, Hiiro’s scent, his very life force. It was intoxicating. There was still a couple of hours before the hospital would let me back in. I spent everyday there but they refused to allow me to stay the night anymore. Une wasn’t very happy with me either but I really didn’t give a damn. The mission was a success because of Hiiro’s sacrifice and I wasn’t about to abandon him just so she wouldn’t be one more man down. Don’t get me wrong, I understand my importance to the group but Quatre, Trowa and Wufei were still out there fighting the good fight. I had more important things to attend too. It still rattled my brain to think she had the Gundam’s rebuilt but I guess it made sense as long as we were alive. Mariameia’s assault on Earth had proven the need to establish a strong peace force and for once all the governing bodies of man had agreed. The Gundam’s fought for the Colony’s, now they were the peacekeepers and guardians of our race. This last uprising had given us a chance to prove our metal throwing us back into the thick of battle after less than a year but no one could have foreseen the great loss that battle entail. Because of me. He did it for me. I would never let myself forget that fact. He was my partner and my friend. He had proven that beyond the shadow of a doubt when he stepped into the line of fire. He took the hit that was intended for me! Caused by my own arrogant stupidity! Now, there I sat healthy and whole while he laid flat on his back living on paste and artificial air! “Duo.” What the…? I had to laugh. Now I was hearing his damn voice. I needed to sleep, just let my mind rest for a little while. I was so tired. “Duo.” Hmmm, such a nice sound. I had always liked the sound of his voice even when he was crabbing at me. It echoed slightly in my dreams. “Rest.” “Wake the hell up and I’ll rest,” I grumbled sleepily. What did he expect? He just kept lying there making us all worry, making me stand guard over him every day. “Hiiro?” “I’m here.” I smiled when he swam into view. He even looked good all distorted from the dream. Anything was better than all those damned hoses and wires. “You need to wake up, Buddy,” I groaned. “I’m getting too old for this sleeping in the cockpit shit.” “Rest.” “You’re doing enough of that for the both of us.” He looked so pained as he reached out for me I almost wished I hadn’t said it but then, he was only a dream and when I woke up he’d still be strapped to a bed. Still, I hated to see that sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t start that shit,” I grumbled irritably. “You saved my ass. I’m the one who’s sorry.” “I’m sorry I left you alone.” That one hit home. It was kind of an ironic justice I suppose, hearing him go on about things I had so longed to hear him say now that he couldn’t. My dream Hiiro knew me inside and out and tended not to pull any punches. It was almost as if he knew we didn’t have time to fuck around. And that scared me shitless. “You haven’t left me yet,” I reminded him. “Duo.” Damn it. Why did he have to use that soft, beckoning tenor? It made me want to go to him, wrap him up and never let him go but I feared he might disappear if I dared to reach for him. My blood began to race when he reached for me only this time, instead of merely extending his hand I felt his fingertips ghost gently along my cheek and suddenly couldn’t breathe. “Hiiro,” I heard myself whisper as I leaned into the touch. He was so warm, even there in the misty realm of my mind but he was always like that. I still remember the first time I ever laid a hand on him when I pulled him from the water at the dock. Shot twice and soaked to the bone but his skin was still warm. But why was it wet? “Don’t cry.” “Who crying?” I snapped pushing his hand away to scrub at my eyes. “It’s all this damn fog,” I grumbled while he smirked at me. “Messes with my sinuses.” “Duo,” he called in that eerie, echoing dream tone but it was the blatant need and underlying desperation that caught my attention. “What is it?” “Please,” he begged leaning toward me and I swear on all that is holy time ground to a halt when he kissed me. He kissed me. And when he moved to pull away my lips followed him eager for more so he kissed me again only this time it was much firmer and more confident and I suddenly felt the blue/gray matter of the dreamscape flare bright red. There was no air, no time and no reason other than us and when he pulled away and smiled sweetly I thought perhaps we had both died out there and somehow found our way to heaven. Until his eyes softened into a deep apology and he quietly whispered… “Goodbye.” “What?!” I gasped reaching for him but he was nothing more than a puff of smoke retreating on the wind. “Hiiro!?!?” I shouted trying to follow but my feet couldn’t find anything to push against and my hands grappled at nothing but smoke and light. “HIIRO!” It was the scream that woke me and I sat for a good long minute panting like a racehorse and white as a sheet before I realized it had all been a dream. Dream my ass! I was out of the cockpit and on the ground before the cable got half way down. No fucking way! I had to see him. I had to know he was still with me, with us. The hospital was less than a mile away, a thirty second ride on my bike, which I ditched at sixty and let slide into a catch rail. All colony roads have them for safety but they come in real handy when you’re in a hurry and don’t want to completely wreck your ride. It was a military facility of course so there was no way I was going to argue my way in at the door but I’m still the best thief this side of Hell so scaling the northern wall took me quickly enough to the third floor. I knew my hunch had been right the moment I saw Relena crying by the door but it was the fact that Dr. Shaw was working on unhooking him that sent me into a rage and through the plate glass window of his room. “Get the fuck away!” I growled as the shocked doctor rushed to Relena’s side. “You said I had power of attorney! What did you think you were doing!?” Where his hoses ok? Was he still breathing? I had to check and make sure and yes he was still alive, they hadn’t gotten that far. “Stop it!” Relena cried still shielding her head with her hands. “Why can’t you just let him die!? How can you keep torturing him like this!?” “Relena has legal documentation giving her authority to make this decision,” Dr. Shaw stated nervously. “You must understand son…” “I ain’t your son,” I evenly intoned. “Nevertheless,” he swallowed bracing himself to move forward. “The decision has been made…” “Take one more step toward him and it’s the last decision you’ll ever make,” I warned emphasizing it with the business end of the 380 Glock between his beady little eyes. “W…w …w…” “You’re acting insane,” Relena reasoned drawing the stammering man back to a safe distance. “I won’t let him die,” I declared. “We’ll just wait you out you know?” she sighed heavily and for a moment I felt a twinge of sympathy for her. Her eyes were puffy and red and it looked like she had wiped a good portion of the skin of her nose off on tissues but there was no way in hell I was letting her pull that plug. “Then we wait,” I agreed. The good doctor wasted no time retreating into the hall but Relena moseyed about long enough to watch me set a chair between the door and Hiiro and straddle it backwards to begin my vigil. I had pulled the drapes hoping to keep some of the air conditioning in but the fresh air would help me stay wake so I wasn’t too concerned with it. Once they had left I checked Hiiro over again, his bags of fluid were full and all his blips and bleeps appeared to be… well… blipping and bleeping. He was alive, for what it was worth. “You really look like shit,” I told him laughing wryly as I tucked his wires and hoses out of harms way. He looked so peaceful but it seemed strange to think of him that way with all that gear sticking out of him. “You need to wake up,” I sighed leaning down close to his face. “We’re running out of time ya know?” I swear I heard him groan but I was so tired I chalked it up to stress and fatigue and tried to think of some way to stay awake. Too bad I hadn’t thought to grab a pot of coffee on the way up. I had nothing but the water in the bathroom and half a candy bar I had stuffed in my jacket pocket about two days prior. Well, the adrenaline from the confrontation wouldn’t wear off for awhile so I spent some time cleaning up the glass, making sure there wasn’t any left on the bed with Hiiro or gumming up the works of his web. “You look like a giant arachnid,” I laughed inspecting one of the bleeping machines for glass shards. “You better wake up soon or Spiderman’s gonna think you’re trying to steel his gig.” It just wasn’t as funny when he didn’t glare at me. An hour passed without much incident but I knew it wouldn’t be long before the Calvary showed up. “Duo?” “Keep your distance,” I warned as Quatre paused in the doorway. “Sorry.” “I understand,” he smiled relaxing a little. “How is he?” “Tired apparently,” I sighed plopping down in my chair but I kept the pistol in my hand. Would I shoot Quatre? If he came there to talk me down so they could unhook Hiiro? You bet your sweet ass. Don’t get me wrong, I’d never shoot to kill when it came to one of my friends but he would be limping for a long damn time. “Are you all right?” he asked looking me over. “They said you busted through the window.” “No worries,” I smiled knowing in my heart his concern was sincere. “I still remember how to tuck and roll.” “Good,” he breathed a sigh of relief. “Can I get you anything?” “You’re supposed to talk him out!” someone hissed down the hall. “Don’t be absurd,” he laughed. “He knows exactly what he’s doing and how long he has to do it.” Once a Gundam pilot… “Would you like some coffee?” “And a sandwich if they have one,” I smiled. “I’ll get it,” the voice said and I recognized it as Dr. Shaw and grimaced. “I’ll do it,” Quatre insisted flashing me a knowing grin before departing. I wouldn’t have touched it if the doctor had laid a hand on it and Quatre knew it. No doubt he would drug it or something but I trusted Quat, he knew where I was and what the game plan would be. There wasn’t any reason to take such unnecessary action. When he returned he had two sandwiches and a large coffee on a tray that he slid into the room in lieu of entering himself and I flashed him a grateful smile. He really was my good friend, and Hiiro’s, too. The coffee helped a little but I hadn’t slept in over a day. They cut the cable so I couldn’t watch the news and the phone line was dead. I was a little surprised they didn’t just cut the power to the room and knock him off that way but maybe they couldn’t without loosing power to the rest of the rooms. I had no doubt they were working on finding a way to dislodge me but I’m a stubborn little shit if there ever was one. It was going to take more than boredom and a lack of communication to spook me. “Duo.” When had I fallen asleep? Shit! I couldn’t fall asleep! They’d waltz right in and… “Calm down.” “Hiiro?” I couldn’t see, there was a fog, and the blackness of space. A white flash! “HIIRO!” “Duo?” Trowa’s even tone inquired and I shook off the vertigo to see him peering into the room. “Where’s Quatre?” I asked still shaking from the dream. “Talking to Relena.” “Why didn’t you arrest me while I slept?” I rasped though a dry throat. It felt so cold all of a sudden. “You fell asleep?” he snorted. “Yeah, just now.” “I’ve never seen anyone sleep standing up before,” he chuckled. “Not even you.” Shit. Had I blacked out then? I couldn’t remember. “What time is it?” “Ten past noon.” Damn it! We were running out of time. I went to him and checked and sure enough his fluids bottles were running on empty. One was completely dry but I had no idea if it was a medication or just saline. Why do they have to write everything in that hospital lingo language? Why not just print morphine or saline or mojo right on the bag so it’s easy to spot? “Trowa?” I breathed and was shocked at the pleading sound of my voice. “Soon,” he assured me but I found little comfort in it and slipped my hand into Hiiro’s. Nothing I had ever experienced before left me feeling as empty as I did the moment his skin touched mine and I realized he was stone cold. “Hiiro,” I choked knowing the tears were winning as I bent to touch my forehead to his. “You gotta wake up… they won’t let me keep you… come on, man… don’t leave me here all alone…” “…said you can’t go in there!” “Lieutenant!” “Yes, Colonel?” “Who is this man?” Une? “I am Dr. Shaw, the physician in charge…” “Good, come with us.” What was she doing there? Did she really think I was just going to lie down because my boss showed up? “Agent Barton,” she greeted Trowa who regarded her with his usual indifference. “Lady Une!” I heard Relena cry just before she jaunted into the doorway. “I’m so glad you’ve come. He won’t listen to reason.” “I see my arrival is just in time,” the Colonel snipped turning a brash eye my way. “Agent Maxwell.” “Lady Une,” I smiled leveling my Glock on her head. Her eyes did this twitching thing I hadn’t seen them do since the war but then her expression softened into something more along the lines of amusement. “I take it you would not object to a second opinion?” the Lady smiled but I could only narrow a suspicious eye on her. “Miss Po, if you would, please.” “Sally?” I gasped. ”Hi’ya, Duo.” I couldn’t believe it. She had been off planet when the accident had happened and Dr. Shaw was the physician on duty but somehow she had come back and there she was and I was so damn happy to see her I almost dropped the stupid gun. “Can you help him?” was my first question. “I don’t know,” she sighed. “Can I have a look?” “Please.” “Now, see here!” Dr. Shaw began to object but I put a bullet in the wall beside his head and he pissed his pants and ran off down the hall. “He’s insane!” Relena gasped. “That is a definite possibility,” Sally chuckled dropping her bag beside Hiiro’s bed. “However, if he had wanted to kill him the man would be dead would he not? Help me with this,” she instructed switching gears before the Princess could form an answer. I was damn glad to see that black bag contained new fluids for Hiiro’s web and soon he was all juiced up again and purring right along. Then she poked and prodded, checked wires and hoses and about a zillion little buttons and knobs before she packed all her stuff back up and sat down to talk. “You understand he is in a deep coma?” she asked and I nodded. I’m not stupid. “These machines,” she went on nodding her head at the infernal things. “They’re all that’s keeping him alive.” “Get to the point.” I was tired of waiting. “The point is,” she sighed. “If you were in the field he would have died long ago.” “I won’t let him die.” She considered me for a long moment as if trying to ascertain the meaning of the words before her eyes softened and she smiled. “Colonel?” “Dr. Shaw,” Une snipped in her most regal tone of voice and the man, who had returned to peer in the room from the relative safety of the hall snapped to attention. “You are hereby relieved of your duties pertaining to this patient.” He started to protest then thought better of it, nodded and disappeared. “Orderly! Mr. Yui is to be moved to a private room under the care of Agent Po. I expect full cooperation from the hospital staff.” She’s damn scary when she’s on a roll. “See that a second bed is available for Duo,” Sally grinned as the staff scurried to obey. “Lady Une,” Relena groaned sadly. “I don’t think you understand the severity of the situation.” “I understand completely.” “Then you will honor the fact that I now hold full legal responsibility for…” “I’m afraid not.” “Quatre?” “Did you receive the call?” Une asked. “Yes,” Quatre smiled. “The order has been rescinded.” “What?” Relena gasped. “Relena,” Une spoke softly, so gently I almost couldn’t believe it was the same woman of a moment before. “You must understand…” “He would hate this,” she choked dabbing her eyes. “We have to give him a chance,” Une soothed. “I won’t let him die.” This was becoming like some sort of mantra for me but I meant it with every fiber of my being. Only this time, it was a promise to the Princess and I saw the spark of hope glimmer to life in her eyes. He was moved, reconnected and tucked into a new room complete with a second bed and all the tiny little soda cans Quatre could squash into one of those plastic pans they keep on the bedside table. “You… are a saint,” I grinned popping the top on one of the cola’s. “You need to sleep,” he smiled turning down my bed. “I want to sit with him for awhile.” He glared at me for a moment then relented taking my horde of sodas and sitting it on the table farthest from me. “These are for when you wake up,” he informed me. “Now get some rest.” “Hey, Quat?” “Yes?” “Thanks. And tell Une, too. I owe you one.” “You owe me a lot more than one,” he chided coming to hug my neck. “But this one’s on the house. Please, try to rest.” ~ * ~ tbc... |
