'...' thoughts
One and Only Part 3
After begin unceremoniously tossed from the bedroom, the three young men made their way back downstairs to the parlor, where they could talk in relative privacy. However, they decided to only close the doors; leaving them unlocked knowing the blonde doctor would come looking for them once the examination was complete and since the parlor was the most likely place for them to be found, he would check there first.
Upon entering the room, they settled themselves in the center area of the room that consisted of four overstuffed, wing-backed chairs, and a sofa, which could seat two people comfortably, all situated around a large, round table that sat low to the ground. Instead of talking as they had originally planned however, they settled into a comfortable silence that each seemed reluctant to break as they reflected on the events that had occurred only a few moments ago. Wufei, as would be expected, was having the most trouble accepting the changes he had seen in the small elf, but one thing in particular was really starting to bother him.
"Something's very wrong." he stated suddenly, bringing both Trowa and Heero out of their own contemplation as they tried to discern his meaning. Realizing his need to clarify, he continued. "Duo, he's never that quiet. Even when he was little, he was almost always talking."
"If you don't mind my asking, how exactly is it that you know him, Wufei?" Trowa asked, one eyebrow raised in silent inquiry. Heero and Wufei shared a look before proceeding to give their friend all the details they currently knew about the little prince. "So, you knew him before you were exiled, makes sense. But how did you know he was a prince, Heero?"
"I didn't, at least not at first. But when we found out he was an elf, I remembered a story my father once told me about meeting the elven king. During the story, he mentioned that the elf had the most amazing violet eyes he'd ever seen and since Duo also has violet eyes..."
"You assumed he was a member of the royal family."
"That's not a bad assumption." Wufei interjected. "Actually, only members of the royal family have that particular shade of eye color."
"So now what?" Heero asked tiredly.
"Unfortunately, there's not much we can do until Winner has finished his examination. Once we know he's alright then we can start making plans."
No sooner had Wufei finished his statement than the parlor doors opened and Quatre walked in, looking both tired and worried. Trowa was immediately on his feet and across the room where he escorted the blonde to the small sofa and helped him to sit.
"Quatre..." he began.
"I'm alright, Trowa." Quatre said with a small smile for the auburn haired man; doing his best to reassure him.
"And Duo?" Wufei asked.
"Bruises, cuts, and scrapes mostly." Quatre answered. "Nothing life threatening, although he does have several strap marks across his back, which I cleaned and disinfected before bandaging."
"So he's alright." Heero said, the hopefulness in his voice not going unnoticed by the young doctor.
"Yes, and no." Quatre said before lowering his head to rest on Trowa's shoulder. "The majority of his injuries are superficial and will heal within a few days to a few weeks with no problems. Even the strap marks are rather mild and, luckily, had not developed any infection. However, I did find something I'm very worried about."
"He wasn't..." Wufei started, the color draining from his face at the thought of the braided elf being touched in such a way.
"No, there was no sign of rape. Thank god."
"Then what did you find?" Heero asked, the feeling of relief at the blonde's statement nearly leaving him breathless.
"I found burn marks on his arms and legs." Quatre said and closed his eyes tightly. "But they're not just any burns. From what I can tell, they were made by magic and I don't mean fire magic."
"What other kind of magic could cause that type of injury?" Trowa asked.
"I believe they were made by limiters." The blonde answered extracting a shocked gasp from the other three in the room.
"But limiters were outlawed after the war and were supposed to have been destroyed." Wufei breathed.
"You know as well as I that not all of them were accounted for, Wufei. Evidently someone managed to hang on to a few." Quatre said as he once again looked around at his friends.
"How many?" Heero asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach telling him he really did not want to know.
"Four, one on each of his upper arms and upper thighs."
"Oh my god." Wufei said. "With that many..."
"Even one was known to cause an elf a great deal of discomfort, but four would've been incredibly painful." Trowa offered, shaking his head sadly.
"It gets worse, I'm afraid." Quatre said as if he really did not want to say anything further. "In order to cause the degree of damage he has, he would've had to wear them for quite a while. And unfortunately, there's a good chance that with that long of an exposure, they could've caused damaged to his magic, which would explain why he hasn't healed himself."
"Is there anything else?" Heero croaked out, his throat constricting impossibly tight at the thought of the small elf going through that much suffering.
"Only speculation, but I believe he's afraid to sleep for long periods of time. I noticed it before when he woke up not long after passing out in Wufei's arms. Then, as soon as his bath was over, he collapsed but was once again fully awake before I was halfway through the examination. He'd only just fallen back to sleep when I'd finished."
"Nightmares?" Trowa asked, himself well acquainted with the effect such dreams could have on a person.
"I don't know. I didn't see signs of any, but if he's waking himself automatically before they can start, then I wouldn't. Unfortunately, he needs to sleep if he's going to recover his strength but I don't want to drug him in order to accomplish that; there's no telling what he's been given recently."
"So what can we do?" Heero questioned.
"We have to show him that he's safe here and that he can trust us not to hurt him."
"Do you think that's why he hasn't spoken? Because he's afraid we'll hurt him if he does?" Wufei finally asked the question that had been burning in his mind and when the blonde did not answer immediately, his anxiety concerning the braided prince increased.
"Quatre?" Trowa prompted softly while wrapping one arm around the smaller man's shoulders.
"He's been through something very... traumatic and if the limiters are any indicator, painful as well. I'm afraid there's a good possibility that the experience has caused more damage than what's immediately noticeable." the blonde explained, but before he could continue, there came a knock on the doors.
********************
Complete silence filled the upstairs bedroom as Duo slowly fought his way back to consciousness. The lack of sound was something he had become all too familiar with during the last six months, and something he had come to fear as well. However, as much as he feared and loathed the silence, he knew if he made any type of noise that drew attention to himself it would be far worse. So, keeping the rest of his body perfectly still, he cracked first one eye then the other open slowly and looked around the room finding himself alone, yet another thing that filled him with dread. Working quickly but still being as quiet as possible, he pushed back the covers and raised himself up into a sitting position. From there, he scooted across the bed until his legs were dangling over the side before slowly lowering himself to the floor. He was both surprised and happy to find that his legs were not only able to hold him up but also able to carry him the distance across the room to the door.
Once he reached the door however, he paused and stared at the doorknob for a long moment. The voices of the men came back telling him he was safe and deep down inside he truly wanted to believe but a part of him was just so scared of testing their words that he could not bring himself to reach out for the knob. He knew if he did and found it locked, he would be devastated at being handed a glimpse of freedom only to have it ripped away. In addition, the very thought of being locked away again made his knees turn to water as his heart began to beat erratically, forcing him to lean against the wall beside the door to keep from falling to the floor.
Finally, after taking several deep, calming breaths he managed to slow his heart rate back to normal and, stepping away from the wall, found that his legs once again supported his weight. Turning back to the door, he reached out and before he could lose his courage, he turned the knob. He nearly found himself crying with relief when the door opened easily to reveal a long hallway, which he cautiously stepped out into before peering both ways then turning toward what appeared to be a set of stairs.
"Are you alright?" a female voice asked from behind him after he had only taken a few steps, causing him to jump and spin around, nearly losing his balance in the process. Suddenly, hands were supporting him by his elbows and he looked up into the face of a girl dressed in what he guessed was a maid's uniform. Acting on an instinct that had been ingrained in him over the last few months, he jerked his arms out of the girl's grasps and backed away until he came to rest beside the door he had just exited; quickly averting his eyes. "It's alright, no one's going to hurt you, I swear. Lord Yuy and his friends are really good people and only want to help. And since none of them believe in keeping slaves, I'm sure they'll do whatever they can to make sure you're returned to your family."
At those words, Duo's head snapped up and he stared at the girl in shock; not once had he thought he would ever see his family again.
"Come on, I'll take you downstairs to where Lord Yuy and his friends are, ok?" she said and held out her hand, which the boy looked at for only a moment before reaching out and grasping with his own. "See, that wasn't so bad and I'm really sorry I startled you like that, I didn't mean to. Now, after I leave you with his lordship, I'll see about having some food sent in, you look like you haven't eaten in quite a while." she said with a gentle smile then eyed the tangled mass of hair that hung down his back as she began to lead him toward the stairs. "And I'll find you a hairbrush, too. Does that sound alright?"
The boy only nodded his head nervously as he followed her down the stairs to the first floor of the house. Turning at the foot of the stairs, she lead him through the foyer and down a hallway before she eventually stopped in front of a pair of double doors.
********************
As soon as the knock came on the doors, all conversation in the parlor stopped and the four young men turned toward the sound. With a glare set firmly on his face, Heero approached the doors and pulled one of them open only about halfway. The first thing he saw on the other side was one of his maids smiling shyly at him, then movement from slightly behind the girl drew his eye and he nearly gasped in surprise. Duo was standing there with one hand grasped firmly in the maid's hand while his other one was twisting nervously in the front of his borrowed nightshirt.
"Begging your pardon, your lordship," the maid curtsied. "But I found him wondering in the hallway upstairs and thought it would be best to bring him to you."
"Thank you, Hilde, you did the right thing." Heero said as he eyed the small elf, who was pointedly looking at the floor.
"He just looked so lost standing there by himself, I couldn't leave him." she explained. "Now, if it would please you, I'll go to the kitchen and have Ms. Johnson fix something for the five of you to eat then hunt up a hairbrush for him."
"That would be much appreciated." Heero answered and Hilde curtsied once again before releasing the boy's hand and leaving to carry out the tasks she had outlined. As soon as the girl had left, Heero's attention returned to the small boy standing just in front of him. Now that Hilde was no longer there for the elf to hide behind, Heero could see him fully and was once again astonished at the fact that he was in reality eighteen years of age. At the most, Duo stood about five feet in height and was entirely too thin. The nightshirt that usually only reached to just above Heero's knees when he wore it, reached to mid-calf on the boy and the amount of fabric seemed to swallow him alive, while the neckline was so large it was currently falling off one small shoulder. Movement at the elf's waist drew his eyes down and he saw that the boy was still twisting the fabric in this small hands.
"It's alright, there's nothing to be frightened of." Heero said softly and held his hand out to the boy. Looking up, Duo stared at the offered hand before finally looking him in the eye, a sudden spark of recognition lighted in the soft violet depths and one of his hands released its grip on the shirt before reaching out and taking Heero's hand; gripping it tightly. Backing into the room, Heero did not take his eyes from the boy as he led him inside before stepping back to the door and pushing it closed behind them.
"Duo?" Wufei called softly as he stood from his chair and started across the room. Trowa and Quatre also stood at see the small boy suddenly appear, causing Duo to cringe and pull closer to Heero's side. Upon seeing the boy's reaction, the other three instantly froze.
"They're friends, Duo; they're not going to hurt you." Heero said softly as he led the elf further into the room and sat him down in one of the overstuffed chairs. However, when he tried to release the boy's hand so he could sit in the chair beside him, Duo's grip tightened, forcing Heero to sit on the arm of the boy's chair.
"How are you feeling, Duo?" Quatre asked then decided to reword the question, realizing the boy would probably not answer verbally. "Do you feel alright? Are you hurting anywhere?"
Duo turned his head toward the blonde and shook his head no, which relieved Quatre knowing the boy was not in pain.
"Duo, why did you wake up? Were you having a nightmare?" Wufei asked, remembering the comment Quatre had made concerning the boy's sleeping pattern. Heero felt the elf's grip tighten and heard him swallow sharply. However, the boy shook his head no; indicating he had not been having a nightmare.
Feeling the tenseness in Duo's body slowly increase as the others questioned him, Heero was about to tell them to stop when another knock came on the doors. Seeing that the small elf was not going to release his hold on Heero's hand, Quatre was the one who decided to answer it and found one of the maids, who he knew to be named Hilde, standing there with a hairbrush in her hands.
"Lord Heero is expecting this, sir." She said as she handed the brush to the blonde. "And please let him know that Ms. Johnson will be sending the food in shortly."
"Thank you." Quatre said and shut the door after the maid had left. Returning to his seat beside Trowa, he handed the brush to Heero and relayed the maid's message. Heero simply grunted in acknowledgement before turning to the longhaired elf with the brush in his hand.
"Duo, do you want me to brush your hair? I promise I'll try not to hurt you." He said and almost immediately received a nod from the small elf. At Duo's answer, a soft gasp could be heard from the sofa and Heero turned to see Quatre staring at him in disbelief. Deciding that now was not the time to question the blonde doctor he stood up and pulled Duo to his feet as well. Then, taking Duo's vacated position; he pulled the longhaired elf down to sit between his legs on the edge of the chair and, being as gentle as he could, he slowly began to brush out the long locks of chestnut hair. Starting at the bottom, he worked all the tangles out of each section completely before moving on to the next and had only managed to reach the boy's waist when yet another knock came on the doors; this one signaling the arrival of their food. However, Heero was so enthralled by the silky tresses in front of him he did not even hear the sound.
At the knock, Quatre stood once again and opened the doors to allow the servants to enter with their late afternoon meal. There were three servants total with each one carrying a single tray. The first two trays contained various fruits, meats, cheeses, and breads while the third contained a teapot and five cups with saucers as well as the plates and utensils for the food. Once the food and beverage trays were placed on the table, the servants quickly excused themselves; shutting the doors on their way out. Quickly surveying the various foods laid out before them, Quatre felt satisfied that they would provide proper nourishment for the small elf and so turned toward Heero and Duo; the sight that greeted him immediately bringing a smile to his face. Heero was still brushing the boy's hair and had become so completely wrapped up in detangling the long strands that he had lost track of his surroundings and had allowed a smile to spread across his normally stoic face. As for Duo, the soothing rhythm of Heero's brush strokes were steadily working at lulling him back to sleep as his eyelids began to droop heavily.
"Heero." Quatre called, and when he did not receive an answer he tried again, raising his voice marginally. "Heero." Yet again, the young man did not react. Quatre considered trying once more but knew he would have to raise his voice further to catch the man's attention and doing so would more than likely frighten the small elf so instead he reached over and gently shook Heero's knee. Immediately, Heero snapped out of his trance and looked over at the blonde doctor; blinking his eyes several times, as his mind reasserted itself in the present.
"The food's here, Heero, and it would be best if Duo eats before he goes back to sleep." Quatre said and nodded toward the longhaired elf. Finally getting himself together enough to understand what exactly his blonde friend was suggesting, Heero set the brush aside before gently shaking the boy in order to wake him from his almost slumber.
"Duo, you need to wake up and eat a little bit." Heero said to which Duo raised both his hands and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he nodded his head. However, he made no move toward the table directly in front of him. Seeing the boy's reluctance to take the food for himself, Wufei stepped forward and placed a little of everything on one of the plates before handing it to the boy.
"Just eat what you can of it, Duo." He said as the elf eyed the plate worriedly before taking it from his hand. Slowly, Duo picked up one of the cheese slices and brought it to his mouth where he began nibbling on it. No more than ten minutes later, Duo leaned forward and sat the plate on the edge of the table; he had only eaten about a fourth of what Wufei had given him.
"Can't you eat just a little more?" Heero asked softly knowing the boy needed the food desperately. However, when the longhaired boy shook his head no, Heero sighed inwardly and picked up the brush before going back to work on detangling the long hair.
Almost immediately, Heero allowed himself to become enraptured by the feel of the long locks in his hands and tuned out everything around him. As if from a distance, he could hear the others begin talking but he could not distinguish the nature of their conversation. All that mattered was the boy sitting in front of him and the chestnut silk he was slowly uncovering. Nearly half an hour later, Duo suddenly relaxed completely against his chest, startling him out of his work.
"He's asleep." He heard Quatre say and sure enough, when he looked down at the small boy's face, the eyes were closed and the features relaxed. Since Heero only had the top of the elf's head to finish he carefully turned him so he was sitting sideways on his lap with the boy's head resting on his chest. This allowed him to complete the job within a few minutes.
"It's simply amazing, Heero." Quatre said.
"Huh, what is?" He said, not really paying much attention to the blonde as he finally laid the brush aside while continuing to run his fingers through the boy's hair.
"That he so easily allowed you to do that."
"What do you mean."
"When I offered to wash his hair during his bath, I thought he was going to have heart failure it scared him so bad. But he didn't even blink an eye when you asked if he wanted it brushed."
"Quatre's right." Wufei offered. "When he was younger, he would threaten to kill anyone who even looked at his hair wrong. The fact that he would allow you to brush it shows an amazing amount of trust."
"But why?" Heero asked, gazing down at the boy in his arms with stunned disbelief.
"Possibly because he sees you as the one who saved him from the slave trader. You were, after all, the one he saw first."
"Hn." Heero grunted, still not entirely convinced. Wrapping one arm securely around the small elf's waist, he continued to run the other through the boy's hair as he thought about what the others had just said.
"Winner," Wufei began, suddenly remembering the blonde's statement before they had been interrupted. "You were saying something before Duo arrived about why you believe he hasn't spoken."
"It's only speculation."
"Yes, but right now it's the only guess we have. And besides, I trust you implicitly as a doctor."
"Perhaps, but you're not going to like what I have to say."
"I'd like to hear it anyways."
"Very well," Quatre said with a heavy sigh. "I believe that it's not only his body and magic that have been affected by the experiences he's gone through." Quatre explained and looked at the small boy curled up in Heero's lap. His head was resting on the young man's chest and Heero was looking down at him, worry shining in his Prussian blue eyes as a hand softly brushed the boy's hair back from his face; revealing one small, pointed ear. Speaking softly so that the others had to strain to hear, the blonde doctor finally voiced his greatest fear concerning the small elf. "It's quite possible that with everything he's been through, his mind has been damaged as well."
TBC...
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