Quiet Celebration 7
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:18 pm
AN: You know I keep thinking 'this is the last chapter' and it never is. But come hell or high water this isn't going to be another Mistaken Words ^_~ I hope you enjoy this chapter. It went in an entirely different direction that the one I had originally planned. But then that's where the fun is in writing.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Gundam Wing
Quiet Celebration 7
Heero?s medical file sat open on the table, his latest round of test results lying off to one side. It was early in morning almost three weeks since the crash that had landed Heero in the hospital. The day shift was just beginning to take over from night, but all was quiet in the doctor?s lounge. Sally had been coming in early?though some would say she?d hardly been leaving?since Heero had been admitted to the hospital. Thankfully her colleges had long ago stopped cautioning her on how close she was with these particular patients.
The door to the private lounge opened, and Sally looked up to see Dr Lawrence Mathews, he moved immediately over to the small fridge removing a bottle of water. Sally watched him through the corner of her eye as she sorted through Heero?s file.
?How?s Agent Yuy?s condition?? the doctor asked cracking open the water bottle.
Sally glanced back down at the file, ?Thankfully his condition has remained stabled.? It had been no small effort to keep Heero that way; she?d had to carefully monitor the fluids he took in, so that his body wouldn?t start retaining excess water. Which hadn?t been too hard considering Heero?s apatite was all but non-existent at the moment. The injuries caused but the crash were healing slower than they should, but it was to be expected.
?I just received word that a kidney?s become available,? Lawrence said leaning on hand on the back of a chair, brown eyes watching Sally with a look of confusion.
Sally closed the file, ?This is good news for Anaya,? she smiled.
He nodded but didn?t look as pleased as he should, ?But what of your patient?? he took the seat across from her. ?Wasn?t Agent Yuy?s name at the top of the list??
?He refused to be put ahead,? she tried her best to keep the frustration from her voice. There was no denying that Anaya deserved the kidney as much as Heero did, it was just a no win situation.
?That?s not in the best interest of your patient,? Dr Mathews was quick to point out.
?Neither is it for yours, where did the kidney come from?? she was a little surprised to hear. Since Heero?s refusal to accept a kidney from Relena, and being unable to list him ahead of Anaya, Sally had been keeping a careful eye on any and all organ procurement information.
?An anonymous donor,? he replied.
?That?s wonderful,? it wasn?t often strangers felt compassion enough to donate a part of themselves to another. Even one who?d caught the media?s heart like Anaya, ?Have you told her yet??
Dr Mathews shook his head, ?I wanted to talk to you first.?
?About what?? she asked folding her hand on top of Heero?s file.
?You patient,? Lawrence nodded towards the folder, ?You felt his condition warranted the top of the list??
?There is no way I could convince Heero to accept a kidney before Anaya,? Sally informed.
He nodded for a moment, ?What happens when the next name comes up? Will he refuse again??
?It helps that the next person is type B,? she didn?t honestly know if Heero would continue to refuse. His condition was more severe than many people on the waiting list, but would that be enough? Sally seriously hoped she wasn?t going to have to fight him on this. ?Trust me Lawrence, he would not accept this kidney,? she wished he would, but her hands were tied.
?Alright,? he said with a curt nod, ?I?ll go give Anaya the good news.? Lawrence pushing himself up from the table and walked out the door.
Sally?s eyes dropped back to Heero?s file almost immediately slipping out the top sheet of paper to go over the numbers once more. As much as she hated to admit it, the numbers weren?t good.
***
Heero fell onto the metal chair, arms and legs shaking under the spray of the warm water. He dropped his head both in exhaustion and humiliation, he?d only just got out of bed an hour ago, and already his body was failing him. Heero did his best to hide his exhaustion, not wanting the others to worry, or worse yet pity him. With a sigh of defeat Heero reached for the soap.
***
Duo?s knuckles rapped off the door as he stepped into Heero?s room. It had been four weeks since the night of the crash, and he could still see the mangled wreck in his mind every time he closed his eyes. It was hard to see Heero like this, after watching his friend set his own broken bone and walk away, being left bedridden just didn?t seem possible.
He noticed immediately that the bed was empty, sheets tossed aside haphazardly, IV stand pushed up against the wall. Duo?s eyes glanced around the room but there was really nowhere for Heero to hide except the bathroom. The door was open a crack, but he couldn?t hear any sounds coming from it. Walking over to the door Duo took hold of the handle and knocked, ?Heero?? he called not sure if he?d receive and answer.
Pushing the door opened Duo poked his head through, not really wanting to disrupt Heero?s privacy. ?Heero?? he said again, stepping inside the bathroom, only to find his friend sitting naked in the show. The water had been turned off but Heero had made no obvious effort to dry himself off.
Heero was leaning heavily against the tiled wall of the large shower stall head down shoulders sagging in exhaustion. ?Heero?? Duo asked tentatively taking a step towards his friend, ?Are you alright??
Heero?s head snapped up, body immediately straightening from its slumped position as though he were trying to hide that it ever happened. The former pilot turned his head, cobalt eyes watching Duo through damp strands of hair.
Duo took a step closer, concern for his friend growing when he noticed the tremor that ran down Heero?s spine. It was a shock to see his friend like this; Heero had always been in bed when Duo had come before. He looked pale yes, but nothing like this; naked shivering, he?d lost a lot of weight in these four weeks. It was a harsh reality, the IV line connectors in both Heero?s left hand and right forearm, and then the catheter and collection bag resting at Heero?s ankle.
?Stop it,? Heero said, voice at least sounding truly like him.
Duo shook his head, ?Sorry?? he mumbled reaching for one of the towels, ?Should you even be up?? he couldn?t help but ask as he trapped the towel over Heero?s shoulders.
Heero sighed, head dropping, ?Just let it go,? he growled though there was no heat in it.
He worked to carefully to help Heero without trying to take over. Looking down at his friend Duo didn?t think he could just ?let it go?. ?How long have you been sitting here like this?? the room wasn?t cold but still sitting like he was soaked Heero must have been cold. ?You could get sick doing this,? and that would do nothing to help with the transplant surgery.
The former pilot didn?t respond but pulled the towel up over his head, leaving Duo to debate whether or not he should call Sally. He decided for the moment to leave it, pretty sure that the doctor made her rounds often enough; if he noticed any change she was only a call away.
?Got tired of sponge baths?? Duo asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Heero?s head nodded under the towel, before he pulled it off laying it across his lap, ?Don?t like being touched by strangers,? he muttered.
?No surprise,? he nodded, moving to help Heero to his feet. ?You could always ask Relena to do it,? Duo suggested with a smirk.
Heero glared up at Duo through hair more unruly than ever, ?She doesn?t need to see.? The former pilot wrapped the towel around his narrow waist, before Duo helped guide him back to the main room.
?Suppose not,? he agreed looking at Heero?s exposed flesh. The scars from the accident were healing slowly, but they still looked painful, if they were causing Heero problems he wasn?t showing it. Then again perhaps exhaustion ruled out everything else.
?What brought you here?? Heero asked looking up from halfheartedly drying his legs.
Duo blinked, he?d all but forgotten, ?I wanted to let you know that Anaya received a kidney this morning; you?re next on the list.?
?I said I didn?t want to be put ahead.? With a sigh Heero pushed the towel aside and shifted fully onto the bed, reaching for the blankets.
?You?re not really,? Duo said taking the IV line and reconnecting it to the back of Heero?s hand. ?You don?t share the same blood type as the next person,? he explained taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
They were silent for a moment, Heero staring at the ceiling, Duo watching his friend. ?I?m tired,? Heero muttered voice low a hint of fire in his words.
?Then sleep,? Duo was already positive that wasn?t what his friend had meant.
Heero turned his head, so he was looking more directly at Duo, ?This isn?t living.?
?It?s waiting,? he agreed, ?But we?re all waiting with you.?
?And if you don?t find a kidney?? Heero asked pointedly, and it sounded to Duo more like a ?when?.
He didn?t like the direction the conversation was taking, but couldn?t blame Heero for feeling this way. Trying to put himself in Heero?s position, Duo knew he?d feel the same, though he wasn?t sure he?d be as self sacrificing. Duo carried his own share of emotional baggage but not nearly as much as Heero. ?What?s the point of thinking like that??
?Just being realistic,? Heero replied eyes falling closed.
?Have a little faith will you??
?I won?t lie in this bed forever Duo,? Heero said bluntly one cobalt eye opening.
Duo shook his head, ?Don?t start talking like this.?
?You?d rather be blindsided?? was the dry reply.
?I?d rather be positive--? Duo began.
?And I?d rather be back on my feet!? Heero growled like something inside him had snapped. ?There is nothing in this life.?
?What about Relena,? by the way Heero rolled his eyes Duo knew this point had been made more times than he?d care to count.
?Either way, when the time comes it?s my decision to make.?
Thanks for Reading!
Morganeth Taren'drel
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Gundam Wing
Quiet Celebration 7
Heero?s medical file sat open on the table, his latest round of test results lying off to one side. It was early in morning almost three weeks since the crash that had landed Heero in the hospital. The day shift was just beginning to take over from night, but all was quiet in the doctor?s lounge. Sally had been coming in early?though some would say she?d hardly been leaving?since Heero had been admitted to the hospital. Thankfully her colleges had long ago stopped cautioning her on how close she was with these particular patients.
The door to the private lounge opened, and Sally looked up to see Dr Lawrence Mathews, he moved immediately over to the small fridge removing a bottle of water. Sally watched him through the corner of her eye as she sorted through Heero?s file.
?How?s Agent Yuy?s condition?? the doctor asked cracking open the water bottle.
Sally glanced back down at the file, ?Thankfully his condition has remained stabled.? It had been no small effort to keep Heero that way; she?d had to carefully monitor the fluids he took in, so that his body wouldn?t start retaining excess water. Which hadn?t been too hard considering Heero?s apatite was all but non-existent at the moment. The injuries caused but the crash were healing slower than they should, but it was to be expected.
?I just received word that a kidney?s become available,? Lawrence said leaning on hand on the back of a chair, brown eyes watching Sally with a look of confusion.
Sally closed the file, ?This is good news for Anaya,? she smiled.
He nodded but didn?t look as pleased as he should, ?But what of your patient?? he took the seat across from her. ?Wasn?t Agent Yuy?s name at the top of the list??
?He refused to be put ahead,? she tried her best to keep the frustration from her voice. There was no denying that Anaya deserved the kidney as much as Heero did, it was just a no win situation.
?That?s not in the best interest of your patient,? Dr Mathews was quick to point out.
?Neither is it for yours, where did the kidney come from?? she was a little surprised to hear. Since Heero?s refusal to accept a kidney from Relena, and being unable to list him ahead of Anaya, Sally had been keeping a careful eye on any and all organ procurement information.
?An anonymous donor,? he replied.
?That?s wonderful,? it wasn?t often strangers felt compassion enough to donate a part of themselves to another. Even one who?d caught the media?s heart like Anaya, ?Have you told her yet??
Dr Mathews shook his head, ?I wanted to talk to you first.?
?About what?? she asked folding her hand on top of Heero?s file.
?You patient,? Lawrence nodded towards the folder, ?You felt his condition warranted the top of the list??
?There is no way I could convince Heero to accept a kidney before Anaya,? Sally informed.
He nodded for a moment, ?What happens when the next name comes up? Will he refuse again??
?It helps that the next person is type B,? she didn?t honestly know if Heero would continue to refuse. His condition was more severe than many people on the waiting list, but would that be enough? Sally seriously hoped she wasn?t going to have to fight him on this. ?Trust me Lawrence, he would not accept this kidney,? she wished he would, but her hands were tied.
?Alright,? he said with a curt nod, ?I?ll go give Anaya the good news.? Lawrence pushing himself up from the table and walked out the door.
Sally?s eyes dropped back to Heero?s file almost immediately slipping out the top sheet of paper to go over the numbers once more. As much as she hated to admit it, the numbers weren?t good.
***
Heero fell onto the metal chair, arms and legs shaking under the spray of the warm water. He dropped his head both in exhaustion and humiliation, he?d only just got out of bed an hour ago, and already his body was failing him. Heero did his best to hide his exhaustion, not wanting the others to worry, or worse yet pity him. With a sigh of defeat Heero reached for the soap.
***
Duo?s knuckles rapped off the door as he stepped into Heero?s room. It had been four weeks since the night of the crash, and he could still see the mangled wreck in his mind every time he closed his eyes. It was hard to see Heero like this, after watching his friend set his own broken bone and walk away, being left bedridden just didn?t seem possible.
He noticed immediately that the bed was empty, sheets tossed aside haphazardly, IV stand pushed up against the wall. Duo?s eyes glanced around the room but there was really nowhere for Heero to hide except the bathroom. The door was open a crack, but he couldn?t hear any sounds coming from it. Walking over to the door Duo took hold of the handle and knocked, ?Heero?? he called not sure if he?d receive and answer.
Pushing the door opened Duo poked his head through, not really wanting to disrupt Heero?s privacy. ?Heero?? he said again, stepping inside the bathroom, only to find his friend sitting naked in the show. The water had been turned off but Heero had made no obvious effort to dry himself off.
Heero was leaning heavily against the tiled wall of the large shower stall head down shoulders sagging in exhaustion. ?Heero?? Duo asked tentatively taking a step towards his friend, ?Are you alright??
Heero?s head snapped up, body immediately straightening from its slumped position as though he were trying to hide that it ever happened. The former pilot turned his head, cobalt eyes watching Duo through damp strands of hair.
Duo took a step closer, concern for his friend growing when he noticed the tremor that ran down Heero?s spine. It was a shock to see his friend like this; Heero had always been in bed when Duo had come before. He looked pale yes, but nothing like this; naked shivering, he?d lost a lot of weight in these four weeks. It was a harsh reality, the IV line connectors in both Heero?s left hand and right forearm, and then the catheter and collection bag resting at Heero?s ankle.
?Stop it,? Heero said, voice at least sounding truly like him.
Duo shook his head, ?Sorry?? he mumbled reaching for one of the towels, ?Should you even be up?? he couldn?t help but ask as he trapped the towel over Heero?s shoulders.
Heero sighed, head dropping, ?Just let it go,? he growled though there was no heat in it.
He worked to carefully to help Heero without trying to take over. Looking down at his friend Duo didn?t think he could just ?let it go?. ?How long have you been sitting here like this?? the room wasn?t cold but still sitting like he was soaked Heero must have been cold. ?You could get sick doing this,? and that would do nothing to help with the transplant surgery.
The former pilot didn?t respond but pulled the towel up over his head, leaving Duo to debate whether or not he should call Sally. He decided for the moment to leave it, pretty sure that the doctor made her rounds often enough; if he noticed any change she was only a call away.
?Got tired of sponge baths?? Duo asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Heero?s head nodded under the towel, before he pulled it off laying it across his lap, ?Don?t like being touched by strangers,? he muttered.
?No surprise,? he nodded, moving to help Heero to his feet. ?You could always ask Relena to do it,? Duo suggested with a smirk.
Heero glared up at Duo through hair more unruly than ever, ?She doesn?t need to see.? The former pilot wrapped the towel around his narrow waist, before Duo helped guide him back to the main room.
?Suppose not,? he agreed looking at Heero?s exposed flesh. The scars from the accident were healing slowly, but they still looked painful, if they were causing Heero problems he wasn?t showing it. Then again perhaps exhaustion ruled out everything else.
?What brought you here?? Heero asked looking up from halfheartedly drying his legs.
Duo blinked, he?d all but forgotten, ?I wanted to let you know that Anaya received a kidney this morning; you?re next on the list.?
?I said I didn?t want to be put ahead.? With a sigh Heero pushed the towel aside and shifted fully onto the bed, reaching for the blankets.
?You?re not really,? Duo said taking the IV line and reconnecting it to the back of Heero?s hand. ?You don?t share the same blood type as the next person,? he explained taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
They were silent for a moment, Heero staring at the ceiling, Duo watching his friend. ?I?m tired,? Heero muttered voice low a hint of fire in his words.
?Then sleep,? Duo was already positive that wasn?t what his friend had meant.
Heero turned his head, so he was looking more directly at Duo, ?This isn?t living.?
?It?s waiting,? he agreed, ?But we?re all waiting with you.?
?And if you don?t find a kidney?? Heero asked pointedly, and it sounded to Duo more like a ?when?.
He didn?t like the direction the conversation was taking, but couldn?t blame Heero for feeling this way. Trying to put himself in Heero?s position, Duo knew he?d feel the same, though he wasn?t sure he?d be as self sacrificing. Duo carried his own share of emotional baggage but not nearly as much as Heero. ?What?s the point of thinking like that??
?Just being realistic,? Heero replied eyes falling closed.
?Have a little faith will you??
?I won?t lie in this bed forever Duo,? Heero said bluntly one cobalt eye opening.
Duo shook his head, ?Don?t start talking like this.?
?You?d rather be blindsided?? was the dry reply.
?I?d rather be positive--? Duo began.
?And I?d rather be back on my feet!? Heero growled like something inside him had snapped. ?There is nothing in this life.?
?What about Relena,? by the way Heero rolled his eyes Duo knew this point had been made more times than he?d care to count.
?Either way, when the time comes it?s my decision to make.?
Thanks for Reading!
Morganeth Taren'drel
