| Okaeri minna-san and many thanks for returning to read this. I�m sorry I haven�t worked on it in a bit but I got side-tracked by another fic series I�m working on and a minor relapse of my bronchitis. But the worst seems to be over and I�m basically healthy again. To celebrate, I thought some more sick Duo torture was in order. I know, twisted sense of humor and justice. But it makes for such interesting reading, I�ve been told! Also, for the first time, I�m including notes at the end to explain a few of the more�. interesting bits. Cut down on the questions in the emails. Without further ado, I present the latest in my never-ending task of making my fav bishounen suffer�.. Title: A Gesture of Kindness 3/? Author: Lady DarkAngel [email protected] Archive: Lady DarkAngel's Gundam Wing Fanfiction Library http://ladydarkangel_1.homestead.com/Main.html, Darkflame�s (if she�ll take it�.) and anywhere else is fine, just ask me first Category: Yaoi, angst, mild humor (mostly snickers) Pairing(s): 3x4, 1+2 Disclaimers: Gundam Wing or Shinkidousenki Gundam Wing is copyrighted and trademarked by Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency and associated parties with all rights and privileges. The characters were used without permission for the purposes of entertainment only. This is not meant for sale of profit. Any characters not created by those listed above are mine and hereby considered the sole property and copyright of the author. Anyway, I�m just a poor college student. So can I play with them? I promise I won�t break them�..much. Rating: PG Warnings: Angst, severe illness, minor gross factor, sap? Feedback: Kami-sama, YES!!! [email protected]; any and all comments are welcome like the sweet ego-sustainers they are. Duo�s fever was still too high. It had gone down a bit but held steady at 105.3� F for the last three hours straight. Heero knew he needed to drastically reduce it soon or Duo would suffer permanent physical impairments. Blindness, deafness and/or brain damage were distinct possibilities that loomed ever larger as time went on. It was obvious that the previous tactics of changing into lighter clothing and applying a wet cloth to the forehead were effective to a point. Further steps were needed to complete the job. Drastic ones. Heero absently brushed sweat-soaked bangs away from the heart-shaped face as he thought. He was debating the merits of a particular course of action he was basically being forced to take. He had three options left, really. One was drug use to try and lower the fever but it has already been disregarded for lack of supplies. The second was to continue with present ministrations, wait and hope that they would be enough. He frowned. Not feasible. Evidence showed that equilibrium had been achieved; no further decrease would likely occur. The last option was the riskiest but increasingly most feasible choice. An ice-alcohol bath. The inherent dangers were the reason why this method had been deferred from being used initially. It could quickly lower Duo�s temper and break the fever but it also had a distressing tendency to throw the patient into cold shock. Circulation becomes impaired, coagulation of the blood occurs and respiratory, coronary and/or brain death follows. There was an extremely good chance the condition would turn fatal if it were allowed to happen. If was looking very possible at the moment. Btu it needed to be done. There was simply no other way and time was running out fast. No time, no chance, no choice. (1) It was a last ditch effort. As Duo was often heard to mutter, it was a �bottom of the barrel, last sot, point of no return, Cap�n I�m givin� her all she�s got, to hell with later, Hail Mary and who ever else is out there, praying this will work but don�t stand a matchstick�s chance in hell, the very last possible desperate suicidal maniac�s chance.� (2) He�d used it numerous times in reference to their often-impossible circumstances, Heero�s tasks in particular. It seemed an appropriate statement for the current mess they were in. Duo had once told him about such ancient principles as Murphy�s Law and the 50-50-90 Rule. (3) As arcane as they were, they held an undeniable ring of truth. Things almost always went sour when it was least convenient for them to do so. He had a decidedly unfounded but equally unshakable suspicion that this was one of those times. He shook his head to clear it of such unproductive thoughts. Grimly, he got up to begin the preparations. <From a tactical standpoint, this is necessary. We can�t afford to lose a pilot, especially not to something so relatively minor that can be avoided even at great risk. Unacceptable; it would decrease our fighting force, our chances at survival and mission failures would be much more likely. Besides, it would be a shame to lose him. For some damn odd reason I really don�t understand, he makes this miserable life more bearable for all of us somehow. Even if it is by acting like a baka. Sometimes I think it�s a just a role for our benefit and morale. The others would miss him. I�..would miss him too.> Heero�s searched the safehouse long and hard and finally found what he needed. An economy-sized bottle of 70% Isopropyl rubbing alcohol located in the back of a closet on the first floor. Not nearly what was necessary for a proper ice bath but it would have to do. He marched back up stairs to the bathroom off the landing and cleared it of any superfluous junk. There was little enough room to navigate as is without useless paraphernalia cluttering it up. Turning on the taps, he slowly stirred in the pitiful amount of alcohol. When the tub was near full and at an acceptable temperature, he shut them off. Dipping a hand into the mixture, he had to suppress a shudder. While nowhere near freezing, it was certainly colder then anything anyone would ever willingly bathe in. Especially Duo, with his penchant for 90� F and above baths. (4) He strolled back to the room, clearing the short hallway out as well. The least mount of obstacles and distractions, the better. He could hear the others downstairs and judging by the sounds of it, they were making dinner. Heero�s stomach defied him and growled. It had been some time since he�d last eaten; for Duo, it was definitely longer. He mentally thanked those below for the both of them needed the sustenance for strength. He trusted Quatre, Trowa and Wufei enough to be sure that they not only made something liquid for the ill boy but for him as well. He fully expected to see a tray loaded with liquids and food when he finished with the ice bath. There was no need to worry there. Arriving, he gently picked up his charge and carried him to the wet torture that awaited. It took time to get the American boy out of the ratty clothes he had found only hours earlier. Duo once again made protest-like noises in his unconscious state that indicated being moved so hurt him. That upset Heero somehow; he really didn�t want to cause Duo any more pain then necessary. It was possible to just drop him in the tub fully clothed, but then he would be forced to wear the wet items afterwards since there was no change of clothes available. And wet things are notorious for making bad health situations a helluva lot worse. He got some bobby pins of the counter and fastened the braid securely to Duo�s head. That was too much needless trouble for right now. When the braided boy�s body hit the chilly water, it immediately began to react. Violent shivers racked the slim form making it difficult for the Japanese boy to maintain a grip. Duo obviously would not be able to hold his own head above the water. The already ragged and struggled-for breaths were now coming faster and faster. <Shimatta! Not good, this is not good! Hang on for a little while longer, Duo. We�re not done here yet.> With one hand supporting his shoulders, the other took a sponge and drew water all over the pale body. The tremors that shook his partner were causing waves to splash all over the floor and him, soaking the tanktop. Heero ignored it and continued. Duo shifted in Heero�s arms and began to make soft sounds. The Wing Zero pilot hesitated for a second before leaning in closer to hear better. The whispers that were emerging from Duo�s throat were almost too low for even the Perfect Solider to hear. As it was, he couldn�t really distinguish if they were meaningless noises or actual words. <Baka.> he growled at himself. <Why do you even care? He�s sick with an extremely high fever. If he�s even conscious, then he�ll most likely be delirious. Anything and everything he�d say would be suspect! (5) Besides, it�s not as if he has anything to say that you want to hear��.> He dipped the sponge into the cold concoction again and resumed softly scrubbing. Might as well take advantage of this and wash off the sweat and dirt. The contact with the rough sponge, no matter how gentle, made the vocalizations rise in volume. He ignored that, as well as the fact that something about this was causing some unknown reactions in him. Strange new feelings he couldn�t even being to identify were clamoring for his attention. He�d already recognized one of them: protectiveness. While sitting up with him, Heero had realized that he was fiercely protective of Duo. And that he should be. After all, Duo was a teammate, his partner. He was necessary for the mission. He needed to be guarded like the Gundams or their secrecy. This illness was a threat and must be eliminated. It endangered the mission; it endangered Duo. That�s why he felt this way. At least, that�s what he managed to convince himself of. He still wasn�t sure if that was what was supposed to happen. Dr. J hadn�t included emotional reactions, causes and coping in the training. <He should have. Then I�d know what was happening to me and would be able to act appropriately. I wouldn�t be so confused. It�s interfering with my current mission. Unacceptable.> Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of chestnut. Faster then he could think or blink, he snatched the braid and saved it from falling into the bath. <The shivering must have worked it loose from the pins.> In his haste, he must have grabbed and pulled too hard because Duo cried out loudly in pain. Heero was so startled he nearly dropped the American. <Nani? Oh, kitto that would hurt him. His head must be incredibly sore.> (6) �Gomen nasai, Duo��� he murmured under his breath, unaware he�d spoken aloud. He returned to his ministrations and was so intent on finishing and covering up his sudden and irrational embarrassment that he almost missed it. �S�ok Hee-chan��.� ~ ~ Owari ~ ~ I�m bad. This one stops here for now. There�s more and I was gonna post it tonight but then I saw the time and it�s almost midnight and I have to get up at an inhuman hour tomorrow so you�ll just have to wait a day or so! Gomen nasai! (1) One of my famous lines! I�ve used a bunch of them before (especially in �The Morning After� ^_~) and I get *soooo* many emails wanting to know where they came from. Well, I either pieced them together or they�re K.M.O.�s (originals)! I claim this one and use it to piss off people in stressful situations they don�t like (why do *I* always end up in charge, huh?!). (2) Another one. I don�t use this one in real life a lot �cause it�s so long but it�s really a mix from a ton of sources. (3) Principles that seem to rule my life. Murphy�s is actually a collection of laws, which I�m gonna assume everyone has at least heard about. If not, email me and I�ll explain. Have neither the time nor the room to explain here. The 50-50-90 Rule is that whenever there�s a 50-50 chance of something, 90% of the time you�ll get stuck with the wrong choice. >_< (4) I do that! So warm and snuggly and scares the hell out of anyone stupid enough to try and bust in the bathroom when the steam clouds come a-rollin� out�. Bwahahahaha! (5) I love that line! Almost no one understands what it means! ::giggles:: (6) I speak from experience. I had bronchitis real bad and have long braided hair. The two can lead to some severely painfully situations�. @_@ Lady DarkAngel ---------- Chibi Duo's Babysitter Moderator of Duo's Sugar Intake Keeper of Duo's Nice Rear-end Co-Keeper of Shinigami's Wings (with Meela) Keeper of Heero's Homicidal Intentions Keeper of Quatre's Teacup Keeper of Trowa's Mask Keeper of Wufei's Sense of Honor Co-Keeper of Duo's Chatter (with Tomanaiya) Co-Keeper of Heero's "Hn" (with Tomanaiya) Co-Writer of Wufei's Rants (with Tomanaiya) Leader of the Inspirationally-challenged Muses: Alisande, Rynvi, and Kiagara Co-Keeper of a real-life hamster named Heero Yuy (Hee-chan)(with Tomanaiya) Keeper of the Hit List Acting GOD in Charge of The Anime Muse Adopiton Center and WSCT of the AMAC Proud member of SDDI, the Society of Defending Duo's Intelligence Member of the Society Against the Complete Bastardization of Heero Yuy Occupant of the Happy Hentai House Master Hacker of the Shinigami Organization Assistant Mob Psychologist for the Shinigami Organization Happy to be a member of the DuoML Member of 1x2, 2x1 Fan Club and ML Lady DarkAngel's Gundam Wing Fanfiction Library http://ladydarkangel_1.homestead.com/Main.html |