Ice Princess
Chapter Six
Eric Guilroy, after passing a psyciatric evaluation supervised by Lady Une, had been automatically promoted to Captain in the Preventers. His men, those of which who didn’t perish in the unfortunate events of the day before, also were permitted to join the Preventers in the sentance of community service.
He straightened his jacket as he knocked on the open door to Milliardo’s office. “General, I thought you’d like to know they finally made it.”
Milliardo turned to face the younger man. “Thank God. Where is she?”
“Doctor Po is currently tending to Miss Relena.”
Milliardo nodded as he passed Eric. “Thank you.” He stopped just at the door. “Oh, and as officers, we don’t generally refer to each other’s titles, except for the Lady. Call me Zechs.”
Eric nodded. “Yes, sir.”
He nodded again. “Good.” He looked back to him for a moment just before he walked out the door. He noticed Eric absentmindedly running a finger over one of the bruises on his face that he had recieved from Relena. The younger man was deep in thought.
“Do you want to go see her?” Milliardo asked.
He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “Yes, but no. I have a few things that I have to take care of.”
Milliardo nodded. “Alright.”
“But tell her I’m glad she’s alright, and... that I’m sorry,” he stated before walking down the corridor.
He nodded before walking down the other direction.
Milliardo walked into the infirmary after making a stop by the nursery to check in on his son. He asked the attendant if Sally was finished with her work with his baby sister and where she was. The nurse pointed the direction and turned back to her paperwork as he walked down the hallway.
He stopped at the door just as Sally was walking out.
She looked up to him after putting Relena’s chart in the slot on the outside of the door. “Make her keep the oxygen mask on until she can breathe without hacking. She keeps taking it off. Heero had to hold her down while we put it on her. I swear the woman’s as stubborn as you and Heero are, if not more so.”
He smiled a little. “I think it’s a Peacecraft trait. Our father was the same, from what I remember. And, she’s always been stubborn.”
She nodded. “Right. Well, when she can breathe better, she’s free to go. Good news is her ribs aren’t broken, just fractured. Her muscles around them swelled, and put pressure on her lungs. The swellings down now, so it’s not hurting her as much, and she can breathe a little easier, but there’s still a little smoke in her lungs from the eruption. Give the oxygen about an hour or so. After that, she’s confined to base, or the Peacecraft mansion, until I say so. I outrank her, and you, so make sure that she does so.”
He nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
She smiled, tossing one of her braids over her shoulder, and stepped aside. “I’ll be back in an hour to turn off the oxygen.”
He nodded before walking in the room.
She closed the door behind him and went about her duties.
He walked towards the bed that his little sister was sitting up on. The sheets on the bed had become dirty from the soot and smoke that soiled her clothes and skin. He noticed that she had been reaching for the oxygen mask to take it off before she saw him. She quickly laid her hand back on the bed beside her. She coughed after taking a long breath.
Milliardo searched the room, looking for Heero. Suprisingly, he wasn’t there. Any other day, he wouldn’t leave Relena’s side.
“Heero’s gone to take a shower and talk to Mrs. Dyess,” she said, muffled through the mask.
“Why Mrs. Dyess?” he asked as he turned back to her.
“Heero is Mrs. Dyess’ grandson.”
There was a moment of silence before he nodded. “I see.”
“And, so is Kensington,” she added.
There was another moment of awkward silence, lasting longer. He shook his head, things just kept getting more and more complicated. He didn’t want to think about this now, though. She was his only concern at the moment.
“How are you feeling, Relena? Sally said you took quite a beating.”
She eyed him a moment before removing the mask long enough to talk. “I’m dirty, I’m tired, and I’m extremely pissed. I want a nice, long, hot bath. I want a long nap in a very soft bed. And I wanna go kill something.... Other than that,” she beamed a very sarcastic smile, “oh, I’m just fine and dandy.” She put the mask back over her nose and mouth, after coughing.
“Bath and nap can be taken care of, but the only thing you’re going to kill, young lady, is time at the mansion. Per Sally’s orders, you’re confined there.”
She tore the mask off and angrily glared at him. “I am NOT a child, Milliardo Peacecraft, do not treat me like one.”
He just stared at her. “No, you’re not a child. But you are still my baby sister. And it kills me every time you put yourself in danger, be it by your own intention or someone else’s. Then you run away, for the millionth time, knowing good and well how to hide yourself.
“For three years, I felt like someone was trying to pull my heart out of my chest. It was to the point that my heart couldn’t feel anything else. It couldn’t feel when my son was born. It couldn’t feel when my wife died....”
He stopped and turned away from her. He couldn’t get mad at her. After all, it was his fault.
“Milliardo... I’m sorry,” she said, quietly.
“Don’t be,” he replied. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I should have treated you better. I was so concerned about the Vice-Foreign Minister that I forgot that my little sister was growing up, that I forgot I had a little sister.
“I guess I didn’t know how to be a brother, but I knew how to be a protector. And, well... in trying to protect you, I guess I pushed you away.”
He turned back to her. “Forgive me”
“You should be in the infirmary, Gregory,” said the old woman as she looked up from her tea. She continued to stir it as she stared at him. “It is by a miracle that you and Miss Relena survived. And the ‘perfect soldier’ may be able to deal with pain and sickness, but your body can only do so much without rest and care.”
Heero nodded. “I know, but I have miles to go before I sleep. There’s still way too much unfinished, unknown.” He sat down across from her and stared at the table. “Gregory died the day that his mother did. My name is Heero Yuy.”
She nodded. “I understand. Now, you need to understand that you can’t handle everything that needs to be done. You are not a one-man-army. You are one of many very capable Preventers. And I know of at least four of them who wouldn’t hesitate to take on your burdens if you would only let them.”
She sighed. “Heero, you’ve been shutting them out for far too long. Your friends will never turn their backs on you. Let them fight for you, if only for as long as it takes your body to heal.”
He said nothing as he stared at the table top. For so long, he hadn’t realized he even had friends. Sure, the Gundam pilots were allies, but he had never dared to call them ‘friends’. Sure enough, though, he could count on them to be there if needed, especially Duo.
And, it wasn’t until Relena was gone that he knew he cared for her, that she was more than an ally, than a friend.
He closed his eyes. He was tired, and he was weak. He knew it. It would only be a matter of time before his body really needed rest. She was right. His shoulders had been carrying too much for too long. It was time to let someone else carry the burden.
He opened his eyes again and watched the old woman, his grandmother, as she placed the empty tea cup in the sink.
He walked into the office and stood in front of the desk. He waited quietly for his presence to be acknowledged.
“Well?” came the voice from the man behind the desk. All that could bee seen was the back of the chair. “I hope you have good news. I told you that you weren’t to return until the job was done.”
“They’re still alive, if that’s what you mean, Kurt. But I’m here on another mission.”
“Oh?” he asked. “I wasn’t aware that you had been given any other order than mine. And you know the punishment for failure.” He began to swing around in his chair to face the man.
“The Bartons gave my family a bad name, Kurt. I’m here to avenge that name.”
One bullet through the head was all it took.