Moments of Haven Part 49
So Close, Yet So Far

The doctor peered through the little glass opening in the door, opening it almost as soon as he took in the scene inside. "Mr. Maxwell! You should not be up and about like that!"

Hitherto unnoticed in a seat against the wall by the door, Heero snorted, though whether in agreement, or resigned amusement at the futility of the protests, it was difficult to say.

Mr. Maxwell himself addressed the issue in a much more animated fashion, never once pausing in his edgy pacing. "Yeah? And why not? It's not like I'm gonna trip and fall and hurt myself or something, especially with that mother hen hovering in the room." He waved his hand spastically in Heero's direction. "Why don't you try being confined to a friggin' bed for a few days, see how long you can take it? I'm going crazy here, and if I wanna be 'up and about', if I need to be 'up and about', then by all that's holy, I'm gonna be up and about and there ain't nothing you're gonna do about it."

"Mr. Maxwell," the doctor attempted peaceably. "Anxiety and irritability are common symptoms of withdr--"

"Dr. Verenkoff." Heero wisely cut in before the doctor could complete the word so hated for its association with junkies. "Mr. Maxwell does not normally fare well being confined. His current situation is merely highlighting that."

"Or exacerbating it. I must reiterate that I do not feel comfortable with releasing him so soon."

As he still had about six hours to go, it wouldn't be nearly soon enough for Duo, but they had previously agreed to wait on the results of a tox screen. Heero could see him winding up for another good speech on the relativity of 'soon', and moved to cut him off at the pass. "Even though his mood hasn't stablized, I assure you, most of Mr. Maxwell's symptoms have passed. As his health is no longer at risk, we shall be taking our leave of you."

"Do you have to talk about 'Mr. Maxwell' as if he's not even in the room?" Duo demanded irritably. If he hadn't wanted out so badly, he might have found himself contradicting Heero's claims out of mere spite. He was just in one of those moods.

Heero had been on the receiving end of it for long enough to be quite nearly numb to it. The doctor, on the other hand, had no such good reason to be ignoring Duo's irate words, but he continued to speak to Heero anyway. "With all due respect, Mr. Yuy, you are not a trained medical professional."

"With all due respect, Doctor," he answered evenly, looking at Duo as he did to at least acknowledge his partner's presence. "You are not as familiar with your patient or his condition as I. We will be checking out this afternoon."

The sheer weight and seriousness of Heero's assertions were just barely enough to overwhelm the doctor into reluctantly accepting the fact that the two eighteen-year-olds in the room were legally entitled to make their own medical decisions. He had seen the paperwork, and seen the drug bust on the news. Had these two been undercover? Had they been informants? Though he questioned the good sense that would place two teens in a position to be injured on the job as agents of the Preventers peacekeeping force, he had no choice but to let them do as they pleased. He shook his head in resignation. "I can't stop you from checking out. But I must insist that you allow me to examine Mr. Maxwell again."

Heero made certain to catch Duo's eyes and allow him the privilege of answering. Duo did. "Fine. Whatever, if that's what it takes to get me outta this dump."

He watched carefully as the doctor made his approach, needing to make sure that the situation remained under control. Duo did not sit down on his bed for the examination, nor did he fail to make it clear that he was cooperating only under protest.

After less than a minute, a nurse slipped into the room bearing a clipboard. "Excuse me, but I think we can get some of the paperwork out of the way now so you'll be able to check out faster this afternoon..."

The procedure was not as simple as Heero would have liked, given that they were there on the Preventers' health insurance. He relegated the proceedings to a secondary thread in his mind as he signed, initialed, and jotted down policy numbers, badge numbers, and phone numbers, suffering through it with remarkable forbearance, given that he had already provided them with the same information, only on different forms. The inefficiency would have irritated him if he hadn't quite firmly ordered his mind to refrain from adding yet another annoyance to the stack.

His attention was abruptly refocused on the exchange between doctor and patient when he heard the man start to say, "Now, I can give you a sedative to--"

Heero wheeled around with a speed that startled the nurse that was leading him through the exit process, but Duo was faster. Before the doctor had even had time to uncap the syringe, Duo had snatched it out of his hand, brandishing it back at its former holder with a wild look in his eyes. "I don't think so. How would you like it if I stuck this in you instead?"

"Duo." Heero's voice rang out clearly across the room, automatically assuming a tone not often heard after AC196. In its deadly authority and warning, an enemy would hear, 'do as I say if you want to live.' An ally would hear, 'I don't have time to explain, but it's vitally important that you listen to what I'm saying.'

Duo wavered slightly, not in stance but in attitude, as if realizing that perhaps he didn't want to continue down the path he was treading, but Heero didn't bother waiting long enough to see which way he would go. Dropping the clipboard in the chair he had been occupying, he strode swiftly but unthreateningly to his partner's side and held his hand out with an intense look that demanded obedience. The needle was given into his care, but Duo did not in any way turn down the glare he was leveling at the doctor.

Heero thought it wise to remove the man from the room. "Doctor. A word, if you please." If the doctor had not moved fast enough, Heero would have been more than willing to pick him up by the front of his white lab coat and hurl him out the door, but the doctor complied without the use of force. Heero took the time to growl at the nurse to stay before they were safely out in the hall with the door shut behind them.

Dr. Verenkoff began rather immediately. "Mr. Yuy, you are getting in the way of my job. Your friend is obviously agitated--"

"And sedating him is not the solution to the problem."

"If you have any concern for your partner's welfare--"

Though he remained civilized, pretty much everything about him took on an icy aspect, from his glare to the set of his shoulders. "Do not presume to tell me of the depths of my concern for my partner's welfare."

The doctor quailed, but rather admirably stood his ground. "He may be in no further danger, but is he a danger to others?"

Heero thrust the capped needle back into the doctor's hands. "His mood will improve immensely once he leaves this facility." A mother and her young daughter walked past them in the hallway, forcing him to grit his teeth and recall his manners. "I appreciate your concerns, doctor, but they are unnecessary. I have been keeping a close eye on his condition, and his heart rate and temperature have stabilized. His muscle spasms have markedly decreased in severity. These were what you deemed to be the most problematic symptoms. As you yourself warned us, he is sure to experience minor aftereffects for a while yet, but I believe there is nothing to be gained from staying here longer than we already have."

The doctor gauged his sincerity carefully before replying. "I simply fear that, as his friend, you may be bowing to the wishes of a man that does not know what is best for himself."

"I would not endanger his life in such a manner." Though recently, he was almost wishing he had. Almost. "If I were so inclined, we would not even still be here today."

Obviously, Dr. Verenkoff did not fully appreciate the lengths to which Heero had gone to keep Duo in his bed for as long as he had. "If I sign off on his release, then I'll be trusting you to see to it that he takes it easy for at least a week. The nurse reported that he had a heart palpitation as recently as last night. If his condition wavers in any way, he is to come back here for treatment."

Heero nodded solemnly, declining to actually swear aloud to such a thing. He would definitely be keeping a sharp eye on Duo's activities for at least the next week, but in all likelihood, they would not return to this facility. For the pair so accustomed to self-treatment, anything that happened from here on out would probably be within their ability to take care of themselves.

The doctor took his leave of them for now, so Heero went back inside the room, nearly amazed that the nurse had secured Duo's cooperation in finishing up some of the forms. With a bright smile, she announced that she would let her ward get back to resting since Heero could complete the rest. Taking a look at Duo's frowning expression, he opted to take the work outside.

In the process of skimming over the forms critically, Heero looked up, the feeling of someone's eyes on him making him uncomfortable. "Yes?"

The nurse blinked and pulled back a few centimeters before shaking her head to indicate that there had been nothing in particular. "You should get some rest, Mr. Yuy," she chided in an amiably concerned manner. She had developed a great respect for the young man that had scarcely left his friend's side during this whole ordeal. "It shows."

He had no doubt it did. He hadn't been able to stand down enough to sleep restfully for days now. "I will once we get back home." Oh, how he wanted to be home. He had no illusions about Duo's anger suddenly evaporating upon their return, but at least they would be in their own place, somewhere they could work things out, or retreat to lick their respective wounds in privacy.

She reminded him of their neighbor, compounding his tiredness. He fled her presence as quickly as he inconspicuously could and returned to the dubious safety of Duo's moods.

OWARI

 

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