Somewhere Beyond Midnight Part 2
Duo struggled under his fellow pilot's weight. Heero was not that much larger than Duo and didn't necessarily weigh that much more, but Mr. Yuy had a lot more solid muscle bulk on his slender frame. In a way it would have been better if the situation had be reversed. Heero probably would have had an easier time carrying Duo than the other way around.
But Duo had to play the hand fate had dealt him. One way or the other he was going to find some place of solace for his fallen comrade. But time was going short. The sunset kissed horizon was growing darker by the minute as the solar orb now slid quickly from sight.
Heero's upper torso moved against Duo's back with each step. For the most part his breathing was quiet but occasionally, if Duo walked to heavily on uneven ground, Heero would take in a catching breathe or moan. Duo winced in sympathy at each of Heero's involuntary sounds of discomfort but couldn't slow his pace or take time to rest. If they didn't find shelter before nightfall there would be no moonlight to guide Duo's steps.
The sky over the eastern mountains was growing darker, too, not from the waning sun but from blackened storm clouds rolling in above the jagged peaks. The wind had also begun to kick up. There was a distinct scent of moisture mixing with the gathering clouds telling Duo that not only would they have to deal with the quickly dropping temperature but wind and rain as well.
"This is not looking good at all." Duo sighed under his breath as the rushing wind slammed into his back.
A hill, thankfully in a gradual incline, loomed ahead. Duo hoped against hope that on the other side was a valley or some wider plain and some sort of civilization. Focusing all his energy and mental fortitude, Deathscythe's Master started the climb.
The wind gusted once more its fitful blowing now speckled with cold raindrops. Duo stood atop the hill's chest peering down on a level expanse. A narrow dirt road snaked along the hill's bottom turning in an S-shaped curve before running into an intersecting roadway.
In the almost total darkness and the steady pelting of rain, Duo could just make out what had to be a structure of some kind. The building's unpainted wooden frame blended with the night but a rain slick tin roof betrayed its location. "Thank the fates." Duo said out loud starting towards he and Heero's refuge from the biting elements.
Standing all to itself in the center of a wide field, the building didn't seem occupied. There was no light showing through the grim streaked windows as Duo and his precious cargo approached. Once close enough for a more sure examination, Duo decided that it was not a human dwelling but some sort of barn or stable.
That was just as well. The last thing he needed to have to deal with was hostile people not taking a liking to him and Heero trespassing on their property. Being shot at by some irrational, irate or just plain angry householder was not Duo's idea of a pleasant end to an otherwise horrible day.
Three rough poles supported a rusted roof jutting out from the building's front. Old scattered straw covered the ground damp in places from the increasingly heavy dripping through the leaking tin. Duo eased Heero back over his shoulder trying to keep his body as straight as possible. But even his deliberate efforts to move Heero smoothly was rewarded with a sharper intake of air and a catching flinch. "Easy." Duo replied to his partners' obvious pain.
Twisting Heero around Duo sat him against the rough board wall being careful not to hit the ragged cut on his forearm. The crude bandage had done a fair job of checking the blood flow but the last thing Duo wanted then was to open up the previously free flowing gash.
It wasn't until Duo was free of Heero's heaviness did he realized just how tired and achy he had become. A tight painful knot had formed in the small of his back that no amount of stretching seemed to relieve. The seeping dampness and cold wasn't of much help either.
With a centering breath Duo grabbed the wide, equally rough, door wedging his cold cramped fingers into the narrow crack between the door and frame. There were two small holes where he assumed a handle of some kind must have been attached but, whatever form of grip was part of the original design, it has long ago broken free from the weather softened wood.
Slowly the space widened until more of his hand slid inside and finally, with a concerted effort, the portal swung back groaning on rusted hinges. The hinge's sharp squeak of protest told Duo it had been awhile since the stubborn door had been opened. The hesitant hinges caught once but soon gave into Duo's persistent pulling.
A dank, musty odor hit Duo in the face, seizing in his nostrils. A sucking breath induced by the foul smell traveled quickly down his throat. Eyes watering, Duo coughed and wheezed as the stench of decayed wood and mold assaulted his airway. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he returned to his comrade. "Well it doesn't smell the best in there." He informed his partner wondering how much of his comment Heero was actually processing through his pain dulled mind.
"Come on, easy now." Duo instructed, "Let me do all the work." he continued slipping his arm around Heero's sagging chest. He was certain by Zero's Master's lethargic reactions that Heero wasn't going to give him any trouble. Once again the knot in Duo's back tightened up as he lifted Heero's limp, almost dead weight.
"Duo." Heero called faintly moving about a little.
Duo staggered back as his partner's motion set him momentarily off-balance, "What?" Duo growled not really irritated at Heero as much as the trying situation's constant challenges.
"What time is it?"
Duo shook his head wondering why in the hell the time was so important. That was the second time Heero had inquired about the status of the hour. But Duo was too tired and fretted to waste any more energy wondering over Heero's reasons for wanting to know the time.
With some difficultly Duo twisted his arm around until he could see his watch. "It's almost 7:30." he advised. "Like I said before you got a date or something?" Heero just shook his head "no" seemingly satisfied with Duo's answer but apparently making the choice not to comment on Duo's sarcastic retort.
As Duo passed through the door it became apparent that the structure was a stable. To the left four stalls went from front to back the last ending at the far side. To the right, a larger room held an old two wheeled cart and several pieces of dry rotted leather harnesses and tacking used to secure the horse or horses to the cart.
Duo didn't know about such things, he had never been on a horse, nor did he ever wish to be. Heero could ride. Trowa had learned how in the circus and Quatre's family had always kept horses. He wasn't certain about Wufei since the subject had never come up with Nataku's pilot. But there were no horses in sight. In fact it seemed the only residents of the dilapidated dwelling were several gray rats that had scampered somewhere safe at Duo's entering and a pair of doves roosting in the eaves.
The air wasn't much fresher as he carried Heero down the row of stalls. The third appeared wider than the first two and there was a thicker layer of straw littering the floor. It's central location would also provide more shelter from the wind driven rain that was being forced between the wall's loose fitting boards. Duo did feel a drastic difference as he moved further into the rough enclosure.
With the side of his boot he heaped up a mount of straw to lend some support to Heero as he lowered him into the dusty leftover stalks. Zero's Pilot sank into the straw with a low moan as Duo slid his hand along his spine guiding his down slowly. Duo let his hand linger a moment on Heero's head making sure it would not flop to one side or the other. Carefully he aligned his neck until he was satisfied Heero's head would be held at the proper angle.
Duo again let his fingers curl in the dark tousled tangles of Heero's hair. The heavy tresses were damp from the rain and probably from some pain produced sweating. A tacky mass of rain refreshed blood had caused his bangs to stick to the cut above the left eye. The blue-black bruising on Heero's cheekbone below the same eye was swollen and taut causing the eye to be partly closed.
The storm had picked up pounding loudly on the tin roof like a Thunder God or some such deity was hurling stones from the angry heavens. The wind, too, had increased its fury slamming into the walls as if its intent was to topple the creaking structure on both Gundam pilots. Duo ignored the harsh noises concentrating instead on what he needed to do for Heero.
"It's not the best accommodations, certainly not the deluxe suite, but it was all I could afford on what they pay me." Duo announced trying to lighten his depressed mood. He knew his quite selfish attempt at humor was solely for his sake. If Heero was hearing him Duo knew he was not taking in many of the words and even less of their meaning.
At that point Duo wasn't certain Heero even knew he was there much less understood what was being said. Duo was becoming more and more concerned with his fellow pilot's unresponsiveness and he sure as hell didn't like the raspy sounds rattling in Heero's lungs or the ashen cast to his moist face.
"Damn, he fading fast." Duo observed with alarm, "I have to get him warm." he told himself pulling his hand from Heero's hair. "Hold on a little longer. Heero, you hear me?" Duo begged with a heartsick sigh.
He pulled the pistol from his belt laying it beside Heero's shoulder and surveyed his miserable surroundings. "There has to be something here I can use." he continued his self-discussion getting to his feet and once again wincing as his lower back ached with a spasmodic tightening.
Stepping from the stall's inadequate warmth, even though it's limited protection was still preferred to being totally expose to the hostile elements that seemed determined to find their way inside, Duo shivered as his own body heat was being rapidly depleted by the chilled wind and falling temperatures. He shook off the invading cold putting all his remain energy into finding some means to save his ill comrade.
Even though Duo eyes had adjusted to the limit light as night now completely swallowed up the daylight, he still couldn't see more than a few meters in front. He shuffled his feet more than walked feeling in way across to the stable's opposite side.
He really didn't like the idea of disturbing the heap of idle items that obviously not been used in a long time. The thought that a family of large, gray rats or some other vile creatures might call the dusty pile home was not at all appealing. Duo carefully lifted the first layer of moldy leather straps and harnesses ready to jump back quickly should something probably quite vicious strike out in an attack mode.
Nothing moved. "So far so good." he thought to himself testing the next layer. With a bit more confidence, but not dropping his guard, Duo slid the last of the discarded items aside. Beneath the tangled harnesses was what appeared to be a box or chest of some kind. Duo lifted the lid and leaned cautiously forward again ready to make a swift retreat should any beast be forthcoming.
To his amazement, as if fate had finally decided to lend a hand, Duo saw the chest held at least two heavy blankets. It was evident from the "horsy smell" on the thick woven material the blankets had been used on animals. But putting up with the unpleasant odor was a small price to pay in exchange for the warmth the blankets would provide.
Duo sighed pulling the blankets from the chest, then smiled with delight when he found a third hiding beneath the top pair. "We just might get through this after all." he proclaimed allowing the smile to widen a bit more.
Heero had slumped over when Duo returned. He realigned Heero's shoulders making sure his upper body was not lying too flat. He knew from countless previous experiences tending to one injured pilot or the other that breathing came a lot easier in a semi-upright position. His moving of Heero even though it was done as gently as he could produced a stiff jerk and a pitifully painful groan.
Duo's heart hurt as badly as Heero's body each time his partner's sounds of suffering touched his hearing. Daring to move Heero once more, Duo lifted his upper torso enough to slip one blanket behind his back wrapping it snuggly about his trembling frame. Another was spread over his entire length and tucked in as a second barrier against the biting cold.
Duo kept the third for his use. He couldn't help Heero if he allowed himself to succumb to the numbing chills that now also had a good hold on his own shivering body. Pulling the woven covering around his shoulders, Duo curled up beside Heero. Stretching one arm over his partner's chest Duo tightened his embrace hoping to add in own fading body heat to Heero's dangerously low core temperature.
Heero's let out a low groan but, much to Duo's relief, did seem to respond to the human contact. Heero with more strength than Duo believe he had turned to face Deathscythe's Master and with a long sigh rested his damp forehead against Duo's chest.
"Duo." he breathed out the name with a shaky wheeze.
"I'm here." Duo answered the calling tightening his enfolding arm.
Heero raised his dull eyes finding Duo face, "Are we there yet?" he asked reacting to whatever wild imagined notions his chill lanced mind was envisioning.
Duo brushed back the stubborn bangs determined to block Heero's sight, "Where are we going?" he replied hoping to get some idea of what muddled mental activity was floating among Heero's half-cognizant thought patterns.
"We have to get back to the base." Heero replied letting a sleepy sigh escape over his lips, "If we're late Wufei will really be pissed off."
Duo couldn't help but grin at the sight of Wufei impatiently waiting, as he had done so often in the past, for Zero and Deathscythe to return. He could see Wufei pacing, hear him mumbling under his breath, usually in Chinese, certain the tardiness of his brothers-in-arms was all Duo's fault. The result, no doubt, of the braided pilot's messing around, wasting time, just Duo Maxwell being prone to lateness in general. He could hear Wufei's strong, acidic comments and chiding, yelling up at his tardy friends before they even exited their mock human warriors, demanding an explanation for their delayed return.
Then Duo, in his easygoing style, would further prompt Chang's curse-laced reprimands happily telling the grumbling Chinese pilot to "chill out" accented with one of his high-pitched giggles Wufei so hated hearing. How Duo wished he could hear Wufei's stern voice again even if it was swearing at him and his nonchalant attitude.
"Don't worry about Wufei." Duo addressed Heero's concerns about Wufei's possible negative reaction to their overdue return. "I can handle him." he added to help ease Heero's worried apprehension.
But Duo knew Wufei, Quatre and Trowa not only wondering what had happened, knowing by now something was terribly wrong but frantically searching for some clue as to where he and Heero could be and if they were all right. He could see the distress and fear in dear Quatre's eyes, hear his quivering voice as he wondered aloud if Duo and Heero were safe and unhurt. Hear Trowa's quiet reply as he tried to comfort the frightened Sandrock pilot with reassuring words as he held his concerned lover in a comforting embrace.
There had been no time to contact the other Gundams before Duo had followed Zero down. He had set Deathscythe's homing beckon for the widest possible range and signal strength. The tracker band on his communicator was also sending out a steady signal.
Now all Duo could do was fight to keep Heero's battered body and cold benumbed senses from slipping beyond their reclaiming point. Wait and hope that his searching friends would lock onto the beckon and find him and Heero before it was to late.
TBC...
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