The Price of Perfection
Part 3a
(Heero's POV)
Quatre started to say something when a loud crash was heard from upstairs. "What was that?" The blond Arabian
asked with fear in his eyes. I had the feeling he was thinking the same thing I was.
"DUO!" Quatre, Wufei and I chorused as we and Trowa bolted from the kitchen, reaching Duo's and my room in
record time.
I threw open the door, noticing no one there. Quatre gasped and I followed his gaze to see my koibito sprawled
across the bathroom floor. I ran to his side and gently lifted his prone form into my arms. Blood was dripping down
his face from a small laceration on his forehead. His still damp hair clung to him, streaking across his body, which
looked sunken and hallow. It was such a difference in what I had believed his body was like.
How could I have not noticed such a change in appearance? Was I so caught up in the missions and my own role in
this war that I failed to truly 'see' him? I kept remembering how hurt he would be that I only seemed to want to
show any sort of attention when we were alone, which hadn't been very often lately. Actually the past few months
there have only been a handful of time that we had a chance and they were usually spent in bed with little time for
talk. I can't believe that I hadn't noticed anything until recently due to the fact that Duo and I had been ordered to
work together for the past two weeks. And even then I had only started seeing slight differences in his actions the
past couple days. How could I have let him down? I was so caught up in my self-loathing that I barely noticed the
others' approach or of Quatre's ministrations to Duo to ensure he was still alive.
"His pulse is steady, but weak." Quatre said looking at me with a slight smile on his face. I know he was just trying
to reassure me, but damn I wanted to just wipe that smile off his face. How could anyone show any signs of
happiness with Duo, my koi, in the state that he is.
"I'll call Sally." I barely heard Wufei say, still fighting with myself, berating myself over all the indifference I had
shown him when we were around the others. I felt tears hanging unshed and held Duo closer, trying to reassure
myself that he was going to be okay. I felt someone wrap a blanket around my koi as they tried to pull him from my
arms. I would have none of that. I barely remember standing up and exiting the bathroom. Some how I ended up
running into Wufei, and thankfully he grabbed my arms to steady us or I would have dropped Duo.
"Let's go." Wufei said directing us towards to door to the garage. "Sally will meet us at the hospital." He opened up
the door to the back seat and helped me place Duo in, then he ran around to the driver's seat while I climbed in
next to Duo, who had the blanket wrapped around him.
The drive was quiet, with the only sound being Wufei's voice as he contacted the other's via his cell phone and after
that, only the sound of Duo's breath caught my attention. I concentrated on it as it was the only proof that he was
still alive. It must have been soothing enough for me to relax, because I awoke at the hospital sprawled out across
a few chairs in the waiting room.
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