The First To Fall

 

*~Chapter 2~*

 

Sally wandered into the hospital alone the following morning. Noin had suggested she go with her but Sally had declined the offer. Zechs spent the bulk of his time relaying details to Lady Une, who was pursuing contact with the other Gundam pilots. He was using his cell phone when Sally had left the hotel.

A foreign nurse took her to Wufei’s room and permitted her inside for a moment or two.

"Wufei..." Sally whispered, perching herself on the chair at his bedside. It was all she could say. The woman didn’t even feel worthy to be sat beside him at all, being responsible for the whole issue.

Sally had decided she was not going to cry. She had to be strong for him if she could do nothing else. Slowly, her eyes strayed over his still body, watching how his chest rose and fell methodically, her gaze wandering up his arm, remembering the strength of his hands and fingers. He looked almost peaceful lying there, quiet, save for the beep of his monitor. Wufei was no different to how he had been yesterday, sleeping, oblivious to the isolating misery his partner was experiencing.

She observed his face, his eyelids weren’t even partially open, as was the case, Sally knew, with some patients. His lips were relaxed and she looked up with a sting of unhappiness at the long dark lashes, remembering with clarity the beautiful intenseness of the eyes beneath.

Cautiously, regretfully, she rose from her seat and bent over him, brushing a hand lightly over his forehead, turning her gaze toward the heart monitor beside his bed. The boy’s heart was beating strongly, Sally could see. It sparked a little hope inside her but nevertheless, the ache within her, that swelling sensation beneath her ribs could not be quelled so easily.

She tried to take a hold on herself, explain silently to her own mind that she had been quite within her right to deal with Wufei in such a way, and that these feelings she harboured, whatever they were, were not condonable.

"Ms Po, you must leave the patient alone now," the nurse explained, entering the room. Sally saw she was a plain, frail looking woman, someone Wufei would have probably deemed a weakling. But it wasn’t her appearance which made Sally dislike her, it was the woman’s manner, her lack of sensitivity, as if it didn’t seem to register with her how much Sally must be hurting.

"Very well," she answered, choosing not to argue. Sally tried to not to look back at her partner, refusing to acknowledge the burning sensation behind her eyelids. The next day, she didn't bring herself to visit. She didn't want to look at him again. Not when she couldn't talk to him, or touch him. All she could do was hate herself for guiding him from strength to strength as he grew, yet never guessing she would become his weakness.

**********

Heero Yuy handed his backpack to his partner and splayed the map he was holding out against the side of a wall.

" This is the place?" Duo Maxwell inquired. " Right, Heero?"

" Hmm."

Duo slouched against the wall, resenting the weight of the second bag. One was enough, he decided. They’d packed enough to stay on the island for at least a fortnight, to reunite themselves with Wufei and stay nearby until he awoke. It had been a week since Lady Une had first tried to contact them, and it was only now that the four former Gundam pilots had managed to reach their destination.

Trowa and Quatre followed shortly, having just landed their own aircraft on a desolate stretch of arable land, not far from the town where Zechs, Noin and Sally were now staying in a donated villa. Local civilians were always willing to support the needs of those working continually to retain peace in the nation. This new arrangement had proven more convenient and cheaper than paying hotel fees.

"I saw the hospital as we flew over here," Trowa remarked. "Aren’t we going to visit there first? Get a better grasp on Wufei’s situation?"

Heero shook his head gravely, folding the map again and lodging it in his pocket. The four were clad in casual clothes, with only their Preventer jackets to single them out from regular tourists. "No, we’ll unload this luggage then we’ll suss it out."

The others didn’t object. Duo simply tossed the bag back to his Japanese comrade.

"Une told us Wufei was in a coma," Quatre murmured, his aqua eyes fixed on his feet. The blond pilot appeared to be the most anxious of the four.

"She said he was with Sally and it was in an accident with their jeep - you think Sally Po did it on purpose, huh?" the American piped up, swishing his braid.

"Don’t be an idiot, Duo, of course not," Trowa answered calmly.

"Well all I can say is I don’t blame her if that was the case - who’d put up with Wu for longer than she has....?" Duo joked.

His smile immediately crumbled when met with Heero’s sour glare and Trowa’s stern frown. They hadn’t found his comment amusing. Quatre, whilst he did not look pleased with what Duo had said, remained less severe, as he knew his friend was just as anxious as they were. He was simply trying to make something light-hearted of the situation. That was Duo’s way.

**********

Once inside the small, white-washed villa, the four were greeted rather awkwardly by Zechs and Noin. The two were wearing their Preventer uniforms and appeared drawn and unkempt. The whole place seemed sparse and humbly furnished.

"How was your flight over?" Lucrezia asked wearily. "Did Une tell you everything?"

"As much as she knew," Heero responded. "We’d like to see Wufei for ourselves, though."

"Now isn’t appropriate," Zechs stated harshly. "We went to see him this morning and it irritates the doctors with people hovering in and out."

"We have a right to see our pal," Duo insisted.

"Now boys, I suppose you’re hungry," Noin interjected. "I fixed us some soup. Just plain tomato. It’s all there is worth eating, I don’t like the traditional seafood round here."

Usually it would be Sally’s job to observe such issues, but Noin knew she would have to take on the maternal role seeing as Sally did not seem in any way interested in the situation at all. She was sitting in one of the armchairs, like a statue, her blue eyes cold and vacant. She wasn't even dressed, just clad in an off-white bathrobe, her feet bare and her hair dull and loose. It needed washing but the woman had not the will even to step into the shower, not with Noin shadowing her every move to make sure no razor blades were present. The four youths weren’t sure where to divert their gaze. It seemed so strange seeing Sally Po behaving like this. The villa was quiet for some time, an eerie atmosphere settling over the place.

In less than fifteen minutes, the four youths, Noin and Zechs were seated awkwardly around the small table, dining in silence. Not even Duo hard a word to say between tense mouthfuls. Not one of them hardly cared what they were lifting to their lips. It may as well have been poison, and the warmth of the flavoured liquid did not surfice the emptiness in their stomachs. The voids in the pit of their beings could not be satisfied with any form of cuisine.

"Sally," Noin called anxiously. "How about a bite to eat now? You haven’t had anything since that slither of toast this morning. It can’t be good for you."

Sally was aware of the looks the four newcomers were giving her. She hadn’t looked directly into their faces, but she could tell from their movements out of the corner of her eyes they were each apprehensive. They probably blamed her. It felt to the woman as if four pairs of eyes were boring into her soul, questioning how she could have let such a fate befall their companion.

Now it wasn’t just her own burden she must suffer, she had to take on the burden of the four young men whom Wufei had been closest to. They had become much more well acquainted during their time as Preventers and Sally had discovered just how much these teens really valued each other, despite their numerous flaws. They’d almost become family, a unique brotherhood. Unable to contain her shame and misery any longer, she stood up from her seat and walked briskly towards the inviting open door of the bedrooms.

Zechs and the others lowered their gaze to their meals, feeling it was the safest place to look. Noin tried to make something of the situation.

"Your food - ," she began.

Sally slammed the door. The six remaining in the kitchen anticipated the sound of sobbing. Nothing. Not even a whimper. Things certainly appeared grim and right now they could only rest in the hope Wufei might recuperate, as without Sally's sanity, they would have no source of strength to draw upon.

TBC