castleinthemist

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It was sometime later after Harth left him propped up against the sarcophagus and Heero had finally woken up. He felt weak, disoriented, and with a headache. What exactly had happened? Was this feeling just from his encounter from the Shadow Monsters and being trapped? How had he gotten out of the sarcophagus? He couldn't remember and it bothered him. There was something else besides those shadows, but he wasn't sure what it was. Or even if he was thinking right. It could have just been those creatures.

Picking himself off the ground, he swayed on his feet dangerously and waited a moment to regain balance before he tried walking again. He walked forward a few steps, stopped, and then continued, using the wall for support as he moved. His movements were slow and uncoordinated, relying way too much on the wall to keep himself standing. A couple of times he nearly collapsed onto his knees, forcing himself through sheer will to keep on going until he was out of the sarcophagi room and somewhere a little more safe.

Heero hadn't yet noticed that his shirt was off and now wrapped around his upper arm, bloodied and tattered, and the dried blood on his face from the two strikes against the lid. Understandable given his current condition. It was best to get somewhere else before he could properly asses his condition. That and his head hadn't cleared enough to really notice.

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He was sick of waiting. Sick of hoping that his friends were okay. He started down that hall alone back to the sarcophagus room. The shadows? His own shadow in his peripheral even made him jumpy. He looked back behind him from where he came and headed around a corner. His attention was drawn immediately to a moving figure down the hall and he froze, raising his club defensibly.

It wasn't for a moment that his eyes adjusted to the dim light that he noticed who it was. "Heero--!" He croaked under breath before dashing over to his friend.

"Hey! Heero! Are you okay?"

It took a moment or so to respond to Duo's question, focusing more on keeping himself upright and moving. Looking up at the older pilot's face once he noticed him, he waited a moment for his head to clear before he responded. "I'm not."

As if on cue, his legs gave way under him and he slid down the wall, unable to support himself anymore. The disorientation from reawakening, the two strikes to the head and the massive blood-loss were too much all at once. Besides the chance of a broken nose, he probably had a concussion on top of everything else.

"Oh... Heero. Man. They fucked you up." He said with all the sympathy he could muster. Those fucking monsters! And what he hell is this? This wound in his arm? Did he dress it himself? Duo shook his head and knelt beside his friend to look him over.

"We'll get you cleaned up, buddy. Don't you worry." He said, getting under his arm and pulling him up to help him on back to the main chamber.

"Tell me what happened? They beat you up or something?"

Those shadow monsters weren't the ones responsible for this, but at the moment Heero couldn't remember a thing Harth did to him. Hell, he could barely remember anything about the shadows. All he did remember was finding that well Duo had spoken of and maybe the first attack on those things. Eventually those things might come back to him.

He leaned against Duo as the other man supported him, doing his best to walk and take on a bit of his own weight. In the end Duo supported majority of it. He couldn't keep himself up any longer.

"I..." he started, trying desperately to try and recall anything and coming up short. "...don't remember."

"Aaah." Duo cursed under his breath when Heero told him that. Course the weight? The weight was actually subsided when he activated the boots that Ratchet gave him. They glided smoothly up the steps and onward back to the main room. Back to the spring.

"Stay awake, Heero. I really don't like the sound of that." And they were probably going to need something a little bit more than just a torn up shirt to fix it to. Memory loss wasn't a good sign at all, even if it was short term, right? That's what G told him after that incident. Him and J.

"Keep talkin' to me."

Staying awake was proving to be quite difficult. Whatever energy he had regained was spent pulling himself out of the sarcophagi room. Get somewhere safe. That was the mantra his mind kept repeating. Now that Duo was here, some version at least, he was finally safe enough to crash for awhile. The only problem was it wasn't such a good idea, not while he was like this.

However he continued to fight against it, working out something he could talk about to stay conscious. At least for a little while longer. "I found the wishing well."

"Oh yeah?" Duo smiled a bit as he made it up the steps and resumed walking. He had bet that Heero didn't even noticed that. He continued on towards the fountain's chamber.

"What did you wanna wish for?" He asked, lugging Heero onward.

Heero hadn't noticed, too busy working on the topic and keeping himself awake to care.

"Nothing." That was true for the most part. He had wanted to see if what Duo said had been the truth. Now that he had found the well, he needed to plan carefully what he wanted from it. Maybe his gun at least. He needed a better form of protection than that feeble stick he attacked the shadow with. "I just wanted to see it."

Heh. Not the answer he was hoping for. Come on now Heero. Now he's just got to challenge him a bit. Keep him focused. He could see the glow of the water from the fountain, heading over towards one of those pillars. That would be the best place to rest against.

"Tell me what you'd want to wish for? Just... list things. It doesn't matter. Anything. Everything. Just keep talking."

What would he wish for at that fountain? Apparently it would give the user whatever they desired, inanimate desires at least. But there wasn't much that Heero wanted to wish for. Weapons were obvious enough and not worth stating, and unlike Duo there really wasn't something from home he really yearned for. He was still getting used to the idea that he could finally settle down and make a home for himself.

So after a few moments silence, he answered. "Ask me something else."

He arrived at the fountain just then, setting Heero to sit on the side of it against one of the pillars. Then he began trying to figure out exactly how he'd goa bout doing this. There was a piece of shirt still stuck onto the end of the wound dressing, so he removed it and wet it down in the fountain, using the wet cloth to wet at Heero's bloody nose.

"Tell me about your world. The peace. The people you know." He offered that instead. Once he was finished wiping the blood away he took Heero's face and looked at his eyes, trying to figure out if he hit his head or not. He put a little pressure on the boy's forehead. Maybe? He wasn't a field medic!

He was grateful when Duo propped him against one of the pillars. It gave him the chance to relax and dedicate his attention solely on giving the older man answers while his injuries were tended to. The first thing to talk about was the people who were here.

"You've met Duo, so I won't mention him. You already know how he is." He smiled a little, knowing full well this Duo knew his version very well by this point. "Quatre's different. Your's is...sadder, more somber than ours."

His forehead was very sore from being smashed into the stone lid twice, so he groaned as Duo applied pressure to it. If he were really lucky there was no broken or cracked bone. Not that it really was a problem if it was, but it would make his recovery time longer.

"Yeah. I know. Duo and I are already pals." He said, cleaning up more of that blood off Heero's face before washing out the blood. Heero already looked a bit better now. Ringing it out he returned to his work and listened to him.

"Sorry." Duo said when Heero groaned in response to his applying pressure. So what was it? Keep them awake for how long? An hour? Two? Just to make sure they didn't have any serious injuries. Or something.

"So what's your Quatre like? Your Wufei?"

Keeping them awake was an old wise-tale that had little truth behind it. There was no reason to keep someone awake with a concussion. Waking them every half hour or so was the thing to do. Someone obviously didn't pay attention or never have medic training.

"Quatre's hopeful, if not idealistic." Those things were terrible, but Quatre did tend to run the risk of being a little too much of both. He was getting better at curtailing that. Now onto Wufei, who he hadn't heard from since parting was on that colony. "Something is off about Wufei lately. I haven't received a reply from him lately."

Heero closed his eyes for a moment, relaxing against the column as Duo continued to clean him up a bit. He could feel himself drifting off a bit.

Someone didn't do either. Another time maybe, but back when it was relevant to him he was kind of the concussionee rather than the concussioner. He thought about it, back to that time. What the nurses were doing.

What's the harm in letting him sleep anyway? He's already been awake for a while. Let him sleep.

"Quatre used to be that way." He said, wiping off the last of the blood and then looking to the wound which the shirt was wrapped around. That had to be properly cleaned too. Damned if they didn't have a suture!

"Back in my world Wufei was my best friend for the longest time, but I haven't seen him in a while." Duo mused, carefully unwrapping the wound and removing the bloody cloth.

"Holy hell. Heero, what happened here?" He wet down the shirt and started cleaning it off the reveal the puncture wounds.

Wufei and Duo were best friends? Heero couldn't help but find himself amused by this. His Duo and Wufei weren't exactly friends, let alone best ones. Duo got on Wufei's nerves often enough and he had the impression that he was usually only tolerated.

Opening his eyes, he turned his attention to the two puncture wounds Duo was going on about. Huh. He didn't remember getting his arm injured by those shadow monsters. In fact, he hadn't been injured at all when he fought those things. What the hell was going on?

"I don't know. I wasn't injured fighting those monsters." What had happened after they pulled him into their shadow puddle. All he did remember was waking up beside the sarcophagus and only vaguely.

Fighting together alone on the front line changes the game a bit. Wufei was always a loner, but when thick to thin they had to hold the line with even fighting along side OZ. There was no other choice. So they became closer, and found common ground between them.

"That's fucking weird. It's like you got bit by a snake or something. You feel sick?" Duo asked, wondering if he was gonna suck some poison out as well. Ew.

Duo put his hand to Heero's forehead to see if he had a temperature. If anything? He felt cold. Shit. He took out his flask and shook it. Can he use this to clean the wound? Or should he just dump it and fill it with water?

Best not chance it. Eeh. He dumped out a tablespoon's worth on the floor and dunk the flask into the water, dumping it out and filling it again.

"Drink this, it's just water."

Taking the flask, he took small sips of water. The last thing he needed was to make himself sick from chugging the whole thing down. Once he was finished, he set the flask down beside him and closed his eyes again.

"No, I don't." No, he wasn't sick feeling. It wasn't poison he was sure of that much. A snake strike he would have remembered. Whatever caused this, it made sure he couldn't remember anything about it. "This feels more like blood loss."

Duo watched Heero carefully as he drank while he dressed the wounds with a clean cloth. A bandana that he'd had with him from his trunk. Figured it'd make a good bandage sometime.

"So what? You got bit." He looked over the wound again, not able to link any thing he knew about it. He was clueless. There was just nothing he knew that could do something like this, and sucking blood? What's that all about? What the fuck?

"You can wear one of my shirts." He pulled off his jacket and removed the hoodie. "Put this on."

He'd take him back to his room and watch him over night, then get him some food. A bird from the courtyard would get his strength up.

Nothing came to his mind either. Perhaps one of the those shadow creatures had really done this as some part of the Queen's sick game. But why him? There were many others to choose from. Others had to have been captured, he was sure.

"Thanks." Heero took the hoodie from Duo and shifted so he was supporting himself and not the pillar. That way he could pull the thing on over his head and not have much trouble with it. Well, not much more than he would given his condition. Only when he had it on properly did he settle back. Nice. He was warm now.

Duo watched him pull the hoodie on while he pulled back on his jacket. Something occurred to him just then and a smile crossed his lips. That's an interesting idea! That thing that Hermit gave him? What he didn't use? Maybe that'll help Heero, take the edge off.

So he offered his arm to help Heero to his feet again so he could get him back to his room.

Once Duo offered his arm, he didn't hesitate to accept it. Now that things were a little clearer and he wasn't such a mess, it was best to keep moving on. Maybe Duo was going to take him back to the rooms to rest of awhile.

He pulled himself to his feet, swaying still on them and leaning against the older man. He didn't like having to rely so much on him, but if things were reversed he would have done everything Duo had just done for him. So he would pay him back for this.

Heero was right. He was headed to his room. There was a spare bed after all. He headed on over and opened his own door to his quarters and headed over to the spare bed on the fire side of the room, letting Heero sit.

Leaving his side for a moment, he went back to the bed side table and grabbed the potion Hermit left him then returned to his friend. He pulled off the cap and offered it to him.

"Try this. It's supposed to help." Trusting you Hermit. Not to poison his friend.

Taking a seat on the edge of the spare bed, Heero watched Duo as he went through the side table to find something. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying just to feel a little bit warmer than he did. The hoodie was definitely helping.

He looked at the bottle Duo was holding out to him, deciding whether or not he wanted to drink it. If it were bad, then it wouldn't be offered to him, right? However, there must have been a reason Duo was holding onto it.

"Don't waste it on me. I'll be fine."

That hoodie was his favorite. Made of some kind of microfiber insert that stayed soft nomatter how many times you washed. He looked at the bottle and shook his head.

"Don't go trying to be noble on me now. What if they attack again? Who's gonna save my ass when those shadows come a knocking?" Note the scratches on the side of his face and the scrape on his chin. He didn't have a fun time of it all.

"Just drink it, okay? Don't make me make you."

Heero couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. He wasn't trying to be noble in slightest. In just made sense not to waste something that was obviously important on something that would he would get over. Just some sleep and a little food and he would be fine in a couple days.

But he wasn't going to argue. If Duo wanted to waste it on him, then fine. He'd better not complain about it later. He took the bottle in his hand and gave it another good look before he downed the thing in one go. Then he handed the bottle back and laid back on the bed. Now that he had entertained Duo, he was going to sleep.

Maybe when he woke up he'd remember more about what happened.

Maybe to Heero it made sense, but Duo just didn't want him suffering unnecessarily. Seen enough of that already with his own Heero. Call it a trans-dimensional favor repaid or something.

He watched the boy take down the liquid and sighed a bit at the attitude he was picking off of Heero's body language. He took a deep breath, stretching his arms behind his head. He was tired too, body still bruised and tired from the fight he was stuck in.

"Get some rest, Heero. See you in the morning." He said, heading back to his bed on the other side of the room to flop down into it.

If that was his reasons, then it was better kept to himself. Heero wouldn't have been happy to know Duo was acting on feelings based on his own version.

Laying back on the bed, he rolled onto his side and curled up just a bit. He hated feeling this way, so useless and helpless. What bothered him more was whatever attacked him made sure he couldn't remember it. Whatever. For now he just finally allowed himself to fall asleep.

He woke up sometime later, he wasn't sure how long, and was surprised by how much better he felt. Not nearly as well as he should, but more than he had expected. Whatever that stuff Duo gave him did wonders. Sitting up in bed, he looked over to see if the older man was sleeping.

It was okay, because he didn't really want to repay the favor to his double. So this was the next best thing for him. Thankfully he didn't really have to explain his reasoning.

He watched Heero for a little while, kept awake a while longer lost in his thoughts. Playing out movies in his head and books he's read in his imagination. Even some other thoughts crossing his mind. He huffed out his nose and slid into his bed, falling asleep.

He awoke a little while later at the discomfort of the scratched against the scratchy pillow. Ew. He got up and headed to the toilet, leaving the room for several minutes. And when he returned?

Seeing Heero awake he gave a passive wave hello to him and went over to sit on the edge of his bed.

Heero turned his head when he heard Duo returning to the room, he nodded his head in greeting and watched as he sat at the edge of his bed.

"Sleep well?"

Duo didn't look like he had much luck sleeping well. He looked pretty haggard. Given the quality of the bed, he expected as much. The only reason he slept as well as he did was because he pretty much passed out.

He pulls his hands down his face to illustrate his feelings in response to that question. Did he sleep well? On average? No. Not at all.

"I think if you looked at the dark rings under my eyes? I think you'd figure it out." He flopped back on his back.

"So how are you feeling?"

He shook his head at Duo's response. Of course it was obvious. He was just trying to make conversation. Give him a break.

"Better than I should, but not completely well." Heero tugged at the sleeves of the hoodie a little. "It was that stuff, wasn't it?"

Augh, he was so tired. Damn sense of humor was turned off or something. Was he really this grumpy this time of night? Stretching his arms forward and up behind his head, he yawned.

"I think so, pal--. Wait. What?" He pauses. "Better than you should? Like by now much?"

Edited 2012-02-27 03:19 (UTC)

Watching Duo lay back and yawn, he had half a mind to tell him to go back to sleep and shut up. However he got the feeling Duo would protest and he wasn't really in the mood to fight with him.

"Yeah. I should still feel draggy and very weak, but obviously I'm not." He wasn't really sure how to explain it properly.

He almost chuckles, the fact that the potion actually worked? It was amusing to him. He sat back up and looked to Heero.

"My new roommate is full of surprises. I didn't know if it'd actually work, Heero." That's a big smile. "How's your wound look?"

Rolling up the black sleeve, he then unwrapped the bandanna bandage to see how his wound was doing. From what he could see, it didn't look nearly as bad as it had before. Starting to heal and he knew for a fact faster than he was capable of.

"Better than it should." Wrapping it back up and pulling the sleeve down, he looked at Duo again. "If that stuff could do this much, you should have saved it for someone who really needed it."

"You had a concussion, Heero." Duo clears his throat a bit uncomfortable at the thought of it.

"That's not like you've never had one. S'just you really don't need that kinda damage, man. Alright? Besides that you're nose was pretty banged up too." Hope it don't look crooked.

"Aan' besides that! He gave me it to heal a little scratch on the side of my face!"

It probably wasn't. His nose didn't feel broken and was only sore from the two strikes. Thank god for small miracles.

Although he felt Duo wasted it on him, he was glad that he didn't waste it on something as stupid as a scratch, like the giver originally intended. But yes, it was wasted on him, and the only time he could see a decent use for it, at least on him, was if he was as injured as he after he self destructed.

Now to change the subject. "What plans do you have for today?

It was just deep enough that if it didn't heal right it might scar. That would suck. At least scars fade.

"Look for Ratchet and Toph. Then try working more on some stuff for our food situation... Catch some birds like you said. Maybe ask for gardening equipment or pursue that chicken idea.

He nodded his head in agreement. Look for friends and acquaintances to see how they fared during the fight. Maybe see if anyone else was attacked in the way he was and remembered something.

Getting off the bed, he ran a hand through his hair and looked towards the doorway. "I'll go with you."

Duo looked him over, the way he moved? Yeah. That potion worked like a charm. He nodded and got up to the door himself.

"Sure. Fine by me if you think you won't get yourself hurt." He chuckles a bit before opening the door and stepping out.

"So let's go look for Ratchet. I have a feeling he's stuck in one of those sarcophagi like you were."

"I won't." He was confident that he wouldn't get as injured as he had been the day before again. It wasn't nearly as bad as his self destruction had been, which made him wonder if that had still occurred in Duo's world.

Looking for Ratchet was a start. He'd follow Duo's lead on this one. He seemed to be very aware about the attacks, and he was in much better shape right now to deal with it.

He had no idea. They had barely gotten past New Edwards when the colony drop happened and Duo had barely any perspective on what Heero could survive, other than the fact that he could probably have survived it. His strength he knew first hand.

Duo waited for Heero to exit before he headed out himself, bringing his club along with him. He started down towards the sarcophagi, pausing for a moment as he reached into his pockets. Finding what he needed in the pocket of his jacket. His phone. As he walked, he dialed out.

"Hey Ratchet. If you get this message, text me or something. I'm looking for you." That should work, right? He hung up and looked back to Heero.

"These things have gotta be useful for something.

Edited 2012-02-28 19:10 (UTC)

Duo's hesitation left him deciding to move on before him. Leaving the room, he made his way out towards the sarcophagi. It was the very hallway he had been wandering down when he woke up. While they were looking for Ratchet, he was going to have another look at the one he had woken up next up to. There might be a clue or something left behind.

When Duo spoke, he turned to look at him. Oh, right. Those phones that had been lying on their beds. He had forgotten about them. He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled his out, looking it over before he turned it on.

"Use them to send periodic messages."

"Seems like a smart thing to use if you remember that it's even there. They're not even that useful." Duo replied, continuing to walk down the aisle. After a few minutes? He reached back into his pocket to take out the chiming device.

"Who the hell, in a world with castles, swords, and fuckin' shadow monsters, figured out cellphones?" Duo asked absently as he checked his texts.

"I know where he is." Sort of. He started moving quicker down the hallway in an effort to find his lost friend.

[OOC: Continued Here]

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