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Equus	By : Deb Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2855 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, it belongs to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. I do own the equines though, please do not take them without permission. Written for pleasure not profit.

Chapter List
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“Equus”
Chapter 56
Duo remained unconscious the entire time the ambulance officers were checking him over; and while that was probably a good thing for him, it had Heero worried out of his skull. “Is he going to be okay?” Heero asked the officer currently attending his own injuries.
The officer, whose name was Jason Mills according to his name tag, gave Heero a reassuring smile. “He's pretty banged up, but I don't think any of his injuries are too bad. We will know more once we get you two to the hospital.”
“But...”
“Mr. Yuy, I'm not a doctor, just a trained medic. It's our intention to stabilize the pair of you for transport to the proper medical care. Burns are tricky things and the sooner we can get you to the right treatment, the better it will be.”
“Thanks, I'm sorry, I don't mean to appear ungrateful.”
“Not at all. Now, I have you sorted out as best I can so whilst we wait for Pierce to finish with your friend I'll need some details from you.”
Heero nodded and sat quietly, answering the questions Jason asked him. They were the usual, run of the mill questions such as name, address, occupation, date of birth, next of kin and so on. With the paperwork finished, Heero found himself moved to sit in the back of the ambulance, Duo brought in on a gurney moments later. The other ambulance officer – Pierce, Heero recalled – continued to fuss around the vet.
Knowing he still had several minutes before they would be able to transport their patients to Salsbury hospital, Jason took a look around the yard and located the fire chief. He exchanged a few words with the man and left him to continue to do his job, mainly putting out any spot fires and checking the ruins for any further hot spots. Having left the fire chief, Jason made a beeline for the other two men who were off to the side of the ambulance.
“Ambulance officer Jason Mills,” he said as he introduced himself to Treize and Zechs. Treize replied to the greeting, introducing himself and Zechs. “I'm hoping you can give me a little information on our two patients,” Jason stated. “I need to know basics like how long were they inside the burning building, that and any other things you can think of. I'll take a look at the pair of you too while I'm at it.”
“We're fine,” Treize began, only to be cut off by Jason.
“You might think you're fine, but those hands need looking at. Come on, sit over here for a few minutes.” Jason took the pair to the side of the ambulance and retrieved his medical supply bag. Whilst he treated both pairs of hands, Treize and Zechs filled him in on what had transpired with Heero and Duo. The information would help in the treatment of the two once they got to the hospital.
“Thanks for that, it will make it easier for the docs at the hospital. Now, I'd suggest you both see your own doctors as soon as possible for those hands. Yours are mainly rope burns and they will heal fairly well, although you won't be able to use those hands properly for a few days,” he told Treize. “You're luckier,” he informed Zechs. “Mainly superficial rope burns which should be fine within a couple of days. Keep an eye on your breathing too; I don't think there is any serious damage to either of your airways, but I'd still have them checked thoroughly by your own doctors. In the meantime, if either one of you should suffer from any dizziness, nausea or general feeling of being unwell, go directly to the hospital ED.”
“Thank you,” both men replied.
Casting a look over his shoulder to the ambulance, Jason could see that Pierce was almost finished. “I need to get going. Thanks for your help,” he told the two.
“Are you taking them to Salsbury hospital?” Treize inquired.
“Salsbury Memorial, yes. It will be several hours before there's much in the way of news on them so I'd suggest leaving the call until mid morning. By that time the doctors should have more of an idea of their conditions.”
“Thank you, I'll do that.”
With a smile, Jason left the men to return to the ambulance and his other patients.
Treize took a look at his watch, the dial showing eleven-thirty. He rubbed at his tired eyes and sighed.
“Why don't you go home and get some rest?” Zechs prompted in a soft tone.
Treize shook his head. “No. I promised Heero I would look after the horses for him and I intend to do just that. Besides, you're going to need a hand to treat them all and get them settled. I'll stay, although I will give Otto a quick call and bring him up to speed with things. I'll also need to arrange for him to take over my lot until I get back.”
A grateful smile was given and Zechs took the opportunity to squeeze his lover's knee. “Thanks.”
“I'll go speak with the fire chief whilst you organize whatever it is you need to do.”
“Okay.” Zechs' mind was already whirling with thoughts of what he needed to do and knowing there was quite a lot of work ahead of him, he'd already begun to plan out the order in which he needed to execute things. With Treize off to speak with the fire chief, Zechs pulled out his cell phone and began to make a couple of calls.
* * *
“Won't be long now,” Jason informed Heero, a nod his reply. He picked up Duo's chart, scanned it and then went on to check the vet again. The blood pressure was settling back to normal although Duo's temperature was still elevated. He checked the saline drip and adjusted the flow a little. Picking up a bottle of cool water, Jason dribbled some over the towels that were currently sitting across Duo's legs, keeping the moisture constant and therefore keeping the burns from getting any worse.
Having filled out the charts on his patients, Jason was well aware of their relationship, and frankly, it didn't bother him at all. He gave the other man a reassuring smile. “How long have you two been together?' he asked politely.
Heero averted his eyes from Duo's face for a moment to look at the paramedic; the compassion he saw in those brown eyes was enough to convince him that the man wasn't offended or disgusted by their relationship and so he let go a soft sigh and relaxed a little. “Just over ten years,” he replied, his voice a hoarse whisper.
“Wow. That's a long time.”
“I suppose so, but I guess when you really care for someone, time doesn't matter.”
“No, it doesn't. He's a vet, you said? And you ride horses for a living? That must lead to some interesting times. I'll bet you two have a few tales you could tell,” Jason said with a smile. He couldn't help but like this stoic man.
Heero chuckled which turned into a coughing fit. Jason passed over an oxygen mask and carefully monitored the man until his breathing settled again. “Keep it on,” he instructed, “you really shouldn't have taken it off in the first place.”
Heero gave a resigned sigh. “I know, but it makes me feel claustrophobic.”
“Too bad. You'll keep it on until we get to the hospital, I'm not having an irate nurse on my case because you didn't,” Jason grumbled.
Snickering, Heero couldn't help the vision that gave him.
Jason grinned at him. “The horses, they all yours?”
“No, some of them are agisted with me, others I'm educating for their owners. Four of them are mine.”
“Bet that keeps you busy.”
“Hai, it does.” Heero's eyes turned slightly glassy as he thought about how close they had come to losing the horses and his partner. He shivered.
“Here, put this around you, you're going into a bit of shock,” Jason said and wrapped another blanket around Heero's shoulders. Once Heero was settled again and Jason had checked the still unconscious Duo, the paramedic turned to the rider again and said, “What happened? How did the fire start?”
Good question, Heero thought. “I don't know.” Heero gave the medic a rough outline of the past couple of days, his and Duo's short vacation – omitting the reason for it – and returning home to find the stables alight and the horses in danger.
“Don't worry, the fire department always looks into every fire they attend to find out what caused it. I'm sure that by the time you get out of hospital they will have an answer for you,” Jason supplied. The vehicle started to slow down, Jason peering through to the front. “We're at the hospital,” he told Heero.
The ambulance pulled up into the emergency bay, Pierce cutting the engine and coming to the back to open the doors. A couple of doctors and several nurses exited the building to meet them and help bring the patients inside. Jason gave Pierce a hand to get the gurney with Duo on it out of the ambulance before assisting a protesting Heero to a wheelchair.
“Mr. Yuy, shut up and get into the wheelchair,” came a voice from behind Heero.
Hearing the voice, Heero turned to see an old friend standing there with a stern look on her face. “Sister Clarke,” he mumbled.
“Yes, it's me. I can see you've gotten yourself into more trouble and I'd suggest that you get into the wheelchair if you don’t want any further injuries.”
With a sheepish grin, Heero sat in the chair and was promptly wheeled into the emergency section. Once Sister Clarke knew that there was an incoming emergency she'd taken a look at the details, surprised when she recognized the names of the two patients being brought in. Knowing the relationship between the two men she'd insisted she be there to help. Heero soon found himself in a cubicle, right next to Duo. Sister Clarke kept the curtain between the two cubicles opened so Heero could see his partner for the moment.
The paramedics handed over the charts and information on their two patients, Duo was transferred from the gurney to the hospital gurney and with their part of the job done, the paramedics prepared to leave. Jason stuck his head into where Heero lay upon his bed in the adjoining cubicle and wished the rider all the very best. Heero thanked him for his help and compassion, Jason waving it off as 'all part of the service'. With the departure of the ambulance men, the doctors and nurses descended on the pair.
* * *
“The firemen are staying for a little while longer to make sure the fire is completely out,” Treize told Zechs. “They will return in the morning to go through the ruins and determine where the fire started and how.”
“That's something I'd like to know the answer to as well. Everything was fine with the stables and horses when I checked after returning from evening consults.”
“I have to admit, it does seem a little suspicious to me, although there could always be a rational explanation for it too. Maybe an electrical fault is to blame?”
“Possible, but given the way Heero is with his horses and the fact that he had high quality and recommended tradesmen do the work on the buildings, I also find it doubtful.”
“We will just have to be patient then and wait for the fire department's investigation. Now, I think it's high time we sorted these animals out. What do you want to do first?” Treize asked.
Zechs got wearily to his feet and began to walk across to the yards where the horses all waited, still spooked and nervous. “I made a couple of calls while you were dealing with the fire chief. Hilde is on her way to help treat those that require it, Catherine is coming with her.”
“Good idea,” Treize replied.
“Quatre and Trowa are also on their way.”
Treize raised an eyebrow.
“Once Catherine knew what had happened she insisted that they also be notified and would be coming to help.”
“I'll need to go into the cottage too and find the contact numbers for the owners of the horses Heero has agisted here and let them all know what has happened. I'll do that after the horses have all been treated though, that way I'll have a better knowledge of any and all injuries to inform the owners of,” Treize said.
“Good idea. Okay, we now need to move all these animals to Duo's stables. Once they are there I can assess each one and determine which is in the most need of attention.”
“Then let's get started.” Treize picked up a lead rope and entered one of the yards.
The pair started with Lunar and Orion as they didn't seem to be injured in any way. Wing and Angel were the next two. Treize had just finished closing the door on Wing when a couple of sets of headlights swept across the yard. Both Zechs and Treize paused to wait for the occupants to get out of their cars.
Hilde was first out of her car, followed rapidly by the other three and got straight to the point. Once she was satisfied that Heero and Duo were in the best of care and not in any immediate danger from their injuries, her attitude changed completely to one of professional vet. With Catherine installed in Duo's stable block to start getting the things ready that they would need to treat the injured and Quatre helping her, the remaining four returned to the yards on Heero's property and the four remaining horses.
“Shit!” Trowa stated when he took in the glowing remains of the stable block.
“Duo and Heero went into that?!” Hilde stated in disbelief. “It's a damn miracle they weren't killed!”
“For a moment there we weren't sure if they would get out alive,” Zechs admitted.
“How on earth did the fire start?” Trowa asked.
“That's something we don't know as yet. Fire crew will be sifting through the rubble tomorrow to see what they can find and determine how it got started,” Treize said. “Trowa, could you lead Zero? I'll take Jester as he's still quite a bit upset.”
“Happy to,” Trowa replied and took the offered lead rope.
“Zechs, you lead Shini and Hilde can lead Nataku if that's okay?”
“Fine with me,” Hilde said. Zechs nodded and approached the female vet.
“Take it very slowly with her, Hilde, she's suffered some nasty burns and can't walk very well. I'll come back to help you with her once I get Shini into the other stables. I've had a quick look over them all and from what I can tell without proper light, she seems to be the worst of them all.”
“No problem, Zechs.” Hilde approached the sorry looking mare and her heart went out to the animal. She kept her voice low and soothing, not that Nataku was going anywhere in any hurry – she hurt too much. With the other three making their way up to Duo's stables, Hilde led the mare behind, keeping her speed slow as Zechs had asked. As they walked she petted the mare and encouraged her along, noting the wince of pain from time to time and the unsteady gait of the horse. She managed to get a bit of a look at the injuries, but it was too dark for her to see clearly the full extent of the damage.
By the time they were three quarters of the way to Duo's stables, Zechs came back to help her.
“Straight into the crush with her where we can get a proper look at the damage.”
Entering the stables Hilde noted the earlier quiet was now a hive of activity. Catherine had all the supplies they could possibly need lined up on the bench. Quatre had hooked up an extra hose and was busy filling up water buckets. Trowa was ensconced in the feed shed with Treize, filling haynets and taking them back out to the stable occupants.
“How bad are they?” Hilde asked with a nod to the other horses. With the lights on in the stables it was much easier to see the extent of the damage to the horses.
“Lunar, Angel, Orion and Jester are all fine, no injuries at all. Wing doesn't have any burns that I can see, but he does appear to be in a bit of shock. Zero has some burns to his back and rump, superficial I think. Shini has a nasty burn to his rump and a few others scattered over his back and flanks. It's Nataku here that I'm most worried about,” Zechs informed the other vet as they settled Nataku into the crush.
The mare lowered her head and sighed. She ached, her lungs were still clogged and the pain in her shoulder and ribs had started to grow again.
Wasting no further time, the two vets set to work.
* * *
“I think he's starting to come around, Doctor,” Sister Clarke said when she noticed Duo's eyelids beginning to flutter.
The doctor moved closer and peered at Duo's face. When those eyes finally blinked open he gave a small smile. “Welcome back, Doctor Maxwell.”
As Duo began to surface from his unconscious state he could hear noises around him that weren't at all what he expected. He tried to open his eyes only to discover they were gummy and sore, but he persisted and gradually they did open enough for him to try to take in his surroundings. His vision was very blurry and so he went to raise a hand to wipe at his eyes only to be pulled up short. An image appeared in his line of sight followed by the words: 'Welcome back, Doctor Maxwell.'
“Where-” Although Duo tried to speak, his voice came out raw and raspy.
“Don't try to talk right now, your throat and airways aren't all that well off, Duo.”
The sound of a familiar voice at his side had Duo turning his head in an attempt to see who was speaking to him.
“It's Sister Clarke here, Duo. Remember me? You're in the emergency department of Salsbury Memorial hospital. There was a fire at your partner's stables.” Sister Clarke let the words sink in.
The memories began to flood back, the fire, getting the horses out, Nataku dragging him and then – nothing.
“Doctor Maxwell, I'm Doctor Devlin, I'll be looking after you here in the ED. You have a cut to the head which will require stitching, burns to your hands and lower legs and your airway is also a little on the singed side. I'm going to give you a painkiller and whilst we're waiting for that to work, I'll give you a shot of local anesthetic to the scalp so I can clean up and stitch that wound. Do you understand?”
Duo nodded.
“Good. I'll need you to keep that oxygen mask on too for a while yet. The heat of the fire and the smoke you have inhaled has damaged your airways and lungs. The oxygen will help to clear the lungs, but it will take a few days for the burning inside your trachea and bronchial tubes to settle down and repair themselves. You will find you'll have a little trouble speaking for at least the next three days so I want you to refrain from speaking and if you must speak, restrict it to whispers and minimal ones at that.”
Duo beckoned Sister Clarke closer and then moved his mask a little so he could be heard. “Heero?” he whispered.
“Don't you fret, Doctor Maxwell. Mr. Yuy is going to be just fine. He's in the cubicle right next door and once Doctor Neville has finished treating him I'm sure he will be clawing the curtains to get in here and see that you're okay,” the sister replied with a chuckle.
Unable to chuckle himself at the sister's words, Duo opted for a soft sigh instead.
“If you're ready, I'll get started,” Doctor Devlin said with a raise of his eyebrow.
Nodding, Duo resigned himself to his fate, hoping the burns and other injuries he'd suffered weren't too bad.
*
In the next cubicle, Heero was being looked after by the elderly Doctor Neville. After being given a strong painkiller, the doctor set to swabbing the burns to Heero's hands first. He meticulously cleaned them, flushing often with saline until he was sure he'd removed any and all foreign matter. Applying a special cream, Heero's hands were covered in a burns gauze and bandaged. With the hands treated, Doctor Neville moved on to treat the other, superficial burns Heero had suffered.
“You're a lucky young man,” the doctor chided. “Running into a burning building and escaping with just a few burns is nothing short of a miracle.” Heero kept silent and let the doctor do his work; the sooner the doc was finished, the sooner he could see how Duo was.
After what seemed like ages to Heero, but was only just over an hour, the doctor set down the last of his supplies and removed his gloves. “I'll give you a shot of antibiotic to help keep any infection at bay. You'll need a complete course though and those hands are to stay completely dry for at least a week. The dressings will need to be changed twice daily for the first three days, then daily for another week. Depending on how they are healing up, we may be able to remove the dressings after ten days.”
The antibiotic was duly given, Heero not moving a muscle when the doctor 'pricked' him.
“I'm going to admit you overnight as I'm not completely satisfied with your respiratory system. You've inhaled a lot of smoke and hot air, that air and smoke has damaged the sensitive linings and they will take a while to clear and heal. You're to remain on the oxygen for the next twelve to twenty-four hours, after that I'll see how you are doing and if I'm satisfied, I will release you, but only if there is someone at home that can look after you as you won't be doing much at all for yourself with those hands for a while.” Seeing the scowl forming on his patient's face, the doctor continued. “You might as well get used to it, Mr. Yuy, I won't release you until I'm completely happy with your recovery.” Having said his piece, the doctor turned to the assisting nurse to arrange for a bed on the ward for Heero.
Letting the doctor's words sink in, Heero couldn't deny that he was upset and annoyed. He wanted to go home, needed to see what condition his horses were in, needed to figure out how the fire had started; and that was just the start of things. He also had to notify June, Carl and Frank... and Wufei.
Nataku...
The thought of the brave, bay mare had Heero's heart lurching in his chest and a lump forming in his throat. If it hadn't been for Nataku, Duo may not have made it out alive. He sincerely hoped that Treize and Zechs were looking after that mare – he owed her, owed her big time for saving the one thing that meant the world to him – Duo.
His thoughts were interrupted by the kindly nurse. “Mr. Yuy? I have a bed ready for you on the ward. I'll take you up there now.”
Heero shook his head and motioned for the nurse to come closer so he could speak to her. When she did, he pulled the mask to one side and whispered, “My partner, Doctor Maxwell? He's in the next cubicle. I need to know what's happening with him, if he's okay.”
The nurse replaced the mask over Heero's mouth and nose before patting his shoulder gently. “I'll pop next door and check on him for you.”
Heero smiled his gratitude.
Sister Clarke spoke briefly with the young nurse who had been attending Heero and requested she also find a bed in the same room as Heero for Duo. With the nurse off to fill the request, Sister Clarke pulled the curtain back and stepped into Heero's cubicle to let the man know how his partner was faring.
“Can I see him?” Heero whispered.
“I'll find a wheelchair for you and take you in, but you must promise to remain to one side and let the doctor do his job.”
Nodding, Heero let the sister know that was perfectly fine with him and he'd be a good patient. Minutes later Sister Clarke returned with the promised wheelchair and helped Heero into it. With her patient settled, Sister Clarke pulled the curtain aside and wheeled him into the next cubicle.
Eyes scanned the form of his lover, noting the bandage to the head and similar bandages to Duo's hands. The doctor was currently working away on Duo's legs and Heero frowned. The sister caught the frown and once she'd positioned him in the corner, she leaned in close to let him know the extent of Duo's injuries.
“He has burns to the hands, a cut to the head, other superficial burns to his back and shoulders along with a bruised shoulder. He also has some nasty burns to the back of his legs, the calves to be precise. His airways and lungs are also damaged from the heat and smoke. Doctor Devlin is cleaning out the burns to his legs now and once he's finished we will know more about those. Oh, I'm afraid to say that his hair has also been singed and I'll need to cut away those burnt ends.” At Heero's startled look, Sister Clarke was quick to reassure. “It won't be a lot, just a couple of inches or so.”
Visibly relaxing at that, Heero decided it could have been a lot worse. At least they were both alive.
“You stay right here, I need to help the doctor.”
Sitting quietly in the corner, Heero's eyes remained firmly fixed on his lover who seemed to be off with the fairies and hadn't noticed his presence just yet. Finally, Doctor Devlin was finished.
“Just a shot of antibiotic and he can go up to the ward, Sister.” Sister Clarke nodded and went to fetch the prescribed antibiotic. Devlin turned and spotted Heero in the corner, with a small smile he stepped closer to the other young man. “Mr. Yuy?”
Heero nodded in reply.
Having already been informed of the pair's status not only as a couple, but each other's next of kin too, Devlin explained what he'd done treatment wise to Duo. He repeated the list of injuries that Sister Clarke had spoken of earlier, adding a few details. “I will need to keep him in the hospital for at least a couple of days, those burns to his hands aren't too bad, and the legs could have been a lot worse. He won't need any skin grafts, which is lucky, but he will be confined to a wheelchair for a couple of weeks whilst those calves heal. Most of the damage is just through the first layers of skin, although his legs are a little worse as the muscles were slightly affected too, the left more than the right. His airways and lungs will need monitoring as there's a bit of damage there, but the priority right now is to clear those lungs out and keep the pain meds up as he will be very uncomfortable without them.”
Heero offered his bandaged hand to the doctor who shook his head and smiled. “As much as I'd love to shake your hand, it would possibly hurt you, but there's no thanks needed, it's my pleasure. The best thanks you can give me is to keep him quiet and let him heal.”
A warm smile of gratitude was Heero's reply.
“Sister should be back in a moment with that antibiotic, once he's had that you can both go on up to the ward. I don't think you'll get much sense out of him for a while though, those painkillers are pretty strong. Ah, Sister,” the doc said as Sister Clarke returned with the antibiotic.
The jab was duly given, Duo barely blinking when the needle slipped into his flesh. Making a few more notes on Duo's chart, Devlin then bade the pair farewell and a speedy recovery, leaving them in Sister Clarke's capable hands to be moved to the ward.
“Right, time to move you two up to the ward so you can get some rest. I'll bet neither one of you has had any sleep tonight.”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Heero was surprised to see it was two in the morning. Suddenly the weariness crashed over him, all the tension, fear and adrenaline of the past few hours bled out of him and left him completely exhausted.
Seeing the look on Heero's face, Sister Clarke knew she'd guessed right. With the other nurse pushing Heero's wheelchair, Sister Clarke took charge of the gurney Duo lay on and the pair took their patients to the elevator and the hospital beds that awaited them.
~ * ~
tbc...
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Equus