Life Goes On Part 9
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached an altitude of thirty thousand feet. At this time, you may use electronic devices with the exception of cell phones," the voice of the stewardess announced over the com.
Howard sat up and reached under his plush seat for his laptop. Lowering the try to support his computer, he removed his prescription sunglasses and replaced them with his normal spectacles. Once the computer was on, he accessed the reports and data entries that had been locked away in a safe for almost five years.
The enlarged image of a DNA strand appeared on the screen. It was from a blood test taken from Duo not long after the first noticeable changes had begun. Thankfully, Howard was able to hold onto a great deal of the three dimensional images taken. It was going to take a lot of searching to find where the flaw began so that he could work on a way to repair it.
If there was a way to repair it.
But, determined in his cause, Howard resigned himself to do whatever was needed. If it was going to take looking over every strand and every lead he had to finding what he needed to help his friend, he would see to it.
There just had to be something that could be done.
Leaning a bit in to take a look, the passenger beside him grinned, "You one of those doctors looking for a cure to cancer or something."
With a smirk, Howard answered, "Something like that." The tall man gave a small grunt and sat back in his own seat before removing the provided headphones to listen in on the in-flight movie that was being prepared.
His eyes looking back to the screen, the old scientist began typing away. Every keyed command that he gave had the strand turning left and right or moving up and down. Taking a close examination of every detail of the image, Howard told himself quietly, "Now, let's just see what we have here."
* * * * * *
Duo slowly blinked his violet eyes open when his brown cat ears twitched. Tight arms held him close to his lover's muscular chest and he sighed deeply to himself. Snuggling closer into Heero's warmth, he recalled their love making the night before.
Silently, Duo wished to just stay locked in that time to forget about the world. Now, just outside of that warm embrace, the cold reality of the world hung and waited to pull him back into its own grip.
Biting his lip, the neko knew better than to try and avoid the inevitable. There was still work to do. With Howard most likely in the air as he'd promised just the morning before, Duo needed to see that he had someone to assist him when he arrived to the States.
His heart heavy at having to leave his sleeping lover behind, the cat-tailed boy brushed back some of his long, loose hair from the side of his face and carefully eased himself out of the arms wrapped around his bare waist. Heero sighed deeply in his slumber, mumbling something as he shifted enough for the smaller teenager to move easily from the bed.
Quickly throwing on his light blue nightshirt and matching pants that had been tossed to the floor, Duo turned back to lean down and kiss his partner's lips lightly. "I love you," he whispered tenderly, his hand reaching up to lightly run fingers over a chiseled cheek bone.
A small, but warm smile tugged Heero's mouth even in sleep as he sighed deeply in content. Biting his lip, Duo's ears and tail sagged heavily when his love whispered his name reverently and leaned into his touch.
There was no time be regretting the way of what needed to be done. That in mind, Duo gathered his own laptop that had been stored under the bed. Moving silently, he stepped to the door and slipped out into the hall. Once he managed to close the door without a sound, he moved into one of the empty spare rooms and closed the door behind him.
Sitting on the bed, the neko quickly braided his hair and opened his laptop and checked his messages. A deep sigh of relief left him when he found a message from Howard responding to his email following their talk. Now, with all of the flight information, he dialed a number that he committed to memory in knowing that it would be needed.
There was a very brief wait before the screen displayed the image of a messy-haired Doctor Kushrenadah. When their eyes met, the young doctor blinked in surprise. "Duo?" he frowned in confusion.
With his cat ears drooping a bit as he winced, the braided teenager greeted, "Hello, Treize. I hope that I didn't wake you up."
The doctor shook his head and reassured him, "Not at all. I just woke a few minutes ago." Running a hand through his bed-disheveled hair, he thought aloud, "I take it this is not a social call if you would be reaching me at such an early hour. How can I help you?"
Nervously playing with his tail, Duo answered, "Well, I am trusting that anything we discuss stays confidential, right?"
His head tilting a bit at the strange question, Treize nodded and gave him a reassuring, "Of course."
Taking a deep breath, the neko took a deep breath and continued, "I found the reason for my collapse, along with a couple other things that I have notices since then. Howard, one of the scientists that had worked for Dekim Barton told me that my DNA structure is reverting back to its original state."
Eyes widening, the doctor leaned forward. "Is he certain? Every test that I had run when you were at the hospital gave no hint to something as big as this."
Duo shook his head, "It must be happening slow enough that nothing would show this early on. Howard only mentioned that something like this happening was a concern. He's pretty sure that's why I collapsed and why my nails are lengthening."
Allowing himself a moment to take the news in, Treize rubbed his chin in thought. "A slow change in your make up would explain why I was not able to find anything out of the norm. Besides that, I have to admit that with your being the only one of your kind, I might not have picked up on something odd that would have otherwise been obvious to someone that helped create you."
Sudden realization filled the blonde young man's eyes and they widened again. "You are calling for my assistance in this?" he asked.
A nervous smile tugged Duo's lips as he nodded, "I am very sorry to be asking this of you out of the blue, Treize, but Howard is flying in from Hawaii as we speak. If it is all right, I was hoping that you would be willing to work with him. Since I'll be in school in just a few days again, I could stop into the hospital if he needs any blood or other tests run."
Without hesitating, Treize nodded firmly, "Certainly. If there is any way that I might be of assistance, I'll be happy to provide it."
Rubbing his chin again, the doctor inquired, "Would you happen to know when and where he will be landing today? I could pick him up from the airport to work from my house instead of having to stay in a hotel. It would make communications between us much easier as well."
Violet eyes widening, Duo blinked in surprise, "Well, yes, I have the information on his flight. Y-you would do that? I don't know what to say."
At that, Treize waved a hand and snorted, "Just forward what you have. I'm quite honored that you feel I am trustworthy enough to help in this. To be honest, I am very excited to learn what I can, as you're quite the unique creature. What we learn can only be to my and Sally's use when it comes to caring for you."
Duo gave him a warm smile. His ears perked back up and told the good doctor sincerely, "This means a lot to me, Treize." His grin slipped a bit and he reminded, "But this stays between the three of us for the time being. The fewer people that know about this the better. That includes Sally."
His own smile fading at that, the blonde man considered a moment. Still not knowing the neko on a very personal level, he had to assume that he had his reasons for keeping this from his friends. Reluctant as he was to agree, he finally decided to treat this as any confidential discussion between doctor and patient. "This will stay just between us, then," he agreed.
Sighing deeply, Duo's shoulders sagged at the load lifted from him. "I can't thank you enough for this, Treize. I'll forward the email from Howard that I received this morning with his flight details when we disconnect."
"Then I'll be looking for that," Treize replied. "I'll contact you through email as soon as he's settled." After another word of appreciation from the braided teenager and an exchange of farewells, the call was disconnected.
Once the screen went black, Duo was quick to retrieve his email once again. Forwarding the message from Howard to the doctor's email that had been given at the end of their talk, he pressed 'Send'.
As soon as he pressed the key, a sharp pain ran up from his fingertip and shot up his arm. At the speed and intensity of the needles reaching to his shoulder, the neko gave a small cry and his other arm quickly reached over to squeeze the tensed limb against himself. Closing his eyes tightly, he bit his bottom lip hard enough that it nearly drew blood.
Panting heavily, Duo tried to open and close his right hand, but the sharpness in the entire length of his arm was so that his muscles could not loosen their iron grip. A few tears ran from the braided youth's closed eyes and he whimpered softly.
At last, after a few minutes that felt like an eternity, the pain ebbed away as if nothing had happened. Panting heavily, Duo opened his shimmering eyes. He lowered his left arm and tested the right, moving it slowly while opening and closing his hand. Satisfied that all was well, he dried his tears and wiped the sweat that had formed on his brow.
Swallowing hard, he closed the laptop and carefully slid from the bed onto his shaky legs. When he was sure that he would be able to take a step without collapsing, the long-haired boy reached back with his free hand to undo his braid as he moved from the spare room.
Quietly closing the door to the room that he and Heero had shared for the last three years, Duo slid his laptop back under the bed. Removing his nightshirt and pants, he slipped back under the comforter and lied up against his lover.
With another soft murmur, Heero reached over in his sleep and pulled his partner close to him life a security blanket. Duo purred deeply, nuzzling the side of his face against the strong chest of the other boy. The sound lulled the Japanese teenager into a deeper slumber with a small smile on his lips.
Back in his haven from it all, the neko closed his violet eyes and allowed himself to drift back to sleep, willing the dread building in him away for the time being.
* * * * * *
Rubbing his eyes, tired from staring at his laptop screen for the last straight eleven hours, Howard readjusted his glasses. As he stepped out into the main lobby of the Greyson International Airport, he made his way to baggage claim.
It had been years since he'd been in his home state. While it would have been a nice time to check out the sights and see how and if things had hanged, the retired scientist knew that he did not have any time.
While waiting for his luggage to roll out onto the conveyer belt that had begun to spin, Howard ran over the scenarios that he ran on his computer while in flight. Every situation that he could fathom had turned out just the same. His stomach churned at the memory of his findings. They were not expected and certainly not welcome.
He could hear the clock ticking as he desperately continued to try and think of a way to change the situation. And with any turn he made in the past to an answer, he wound up hitting a brick wall. The whole thing was increasingly frustrating.
"You must be Howard," a deep voice behind him spoke. Turning from where he was facing the luggage that had begun to file out, the old man looked up to find a blonde young man smiling at him. "Duo described you perfectly in the email that he sent me."
Relief filled the scientist's eyes and he smiled back, "Treize. Good to meet you." He extended his hand, which was accepted in a firm shake. "Duo sent me a message, as well, informing me that you would be meeting me here. Thank you very much for your hospitality and for your assistance."
Nodding, the doctor grinned, "Don't mention it." He looked warily at the many faces gathered around the baggage claim. "Though we best discuss this further when we're not in danger of the wrong pair of ears listening in on this."
With everything that was running in his mind, Howard had never thought of the media frenzy that would stir up if word got around on Duo's condition. He was still a public interest story, and it was going to stay that way for as long as he was alive. Grateful that the young man caught onto that before he went on with what he had found in such a public space, he responded, "Yes, of course."
The doctor assisted the scientist with his luggage when the two bags were approached on the belt without another word between them. Leading the old man through the airport doors and into the parking lot to his vehicle, Treize opened the trunk door to stow the large bags.
Only when they closed the car doors behind them did either man speak. "So," the young doctor began, "Have you had a chance to eat anything decent yet, or would you like to stop somewhere for a bite somewhere before heading to my house?"
"There's no time for any of that!" Howard blurted, his eyes widening at the suggestion as if it were a horrid suggestion with everything that was going on. When Treize blinked in confusion at him, he frowned deeply and forced himself to relax before saying quietly, "I'm sorry. I just came to learn something quite distressing while I was flying here."
Concern furrowed Treize's brow as he stated, "I may regret asking this, but what have you come to find?"
Swallowing hard, Howard fixed him with a grim expression and answered, "I ran every scenario of what could happen in this reverting course that has just begun. And every time, the same result came about. The structure of the DNA is folding in on itself in such a way that we're not dealing with a simple matter of him going back into a kitten state."
He nervously glanced away before meeting the worried gaze on him before announcing in little more than a whisper, "If the chain reaction that has begun is not stopped and reversed, it is going to kill Duo."
TBC...
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