Disclaimers:  I own nothing.

Author’s notes:  Here’s Part 4.  Yes, Duo is still sick, but at least Sally’s coming back with the results of those tests.

And of course, thanks to Tenshi-Chan for helping me whenever I got stuck.



Desires and Deceptions
Part 4



Heero awoke to the sound of the door being opened.  He snapped his eyes open, carefully unraveling Duo’s arms from around
his body as he slid out of bed.  Duo groaned, but didn’t awaken.

Heero reached the door, just as it opened.  Sally stepped into the motel room, and Heero let down his guard, deciding that she
was no threat to either him or Duo.  She should have knocked before entering though.  It would have been polite.

“So, what did the tests tell you?”  Heero asked, watching as Sally closed the door behind her.  Heero could see the large black
bag in her hand.

“It’s pneumonia.”  She sighed.

Heero grimaced, knowing that it wasn’t good news.  Duo really was sick.  Heero hoped he would get better.  “Is that all you
brought?”  Heero asked, pointing to the black bag in Sally’s hand.

“No.  I have some more out in the van.  There’s some food, a small fridge, a portable stove, various other supplies you’ll need
for your stay here.  It’s just too risky to move Duo right now.  I don’t want him getting any worse than he’s already gotten.”

“What do you mean?”  Heero asked, confused by Sally’s choice of words.

She placed her bag on the floor.  “Well, I’m sure the pneumonia didn’t just appear out of nowhere.  He had to have been sick for
a few days before this.  Did he have a cold before he started showing these symptoms?”

Heero shook his head.  “No.  I didn’t hear him coughing or sneezing.  He appeared perfectly healthy.”

Sally walked over to stand beside Duo’s bedside.  “How long has he been asleep?”  She asked.

“I’m not absolutely sure.”  Heero looked at his watch.  “He woke up about an hour or so ago, but fell back asleep soon after
that.”

“Good.  Good.”  She said, not taking her eyes off of Duo.  “Heero, why don’t you go get the rest of the stuff out of the van?”

Heero nodded, and walked to the door.  He glanced back at Duo, hoping he would be okay.  He would hate to lose Duo now that
he knew just how the American felt about him.


*****


Duo could hear water running.  It was far off, like it was miles away.  But as he slowly regained consciousness, the sound drew
closer.  He was suddenly aware that he was alone once again.  Heero was gone.  Had he left?  Did he abandon him?

Duo shook those thoughts off as he snapped his eyes open.  He looked around, fear settling into his heart as he still didn’t see
Heero.  His gaze fell onto the bathroom door, where the sound of running water was emanating from.

He pushed himself up to a sitting position but didn’t go any further.  He knew that Heero would only get mad at him if he tried to
get out of bed.  He didn’t want Heero to get angry.  So he sat there and waited, his eyes always watching the door to the
bathroom.

Only moments later, the door opened and Sally walked out.  He saw a glass in one of her hands, but he couldn’t see what was in
her other hand, since she kept it behind her back.  Duo frowned, seeing the doctor walking toward the bed.  Where was Heero?  
And what was she doing there?

“I’m glad to see you’re awake, Duo.”  She smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed.  She held the glass out to him.

“Where’s Heero?”  He asked, not taking the glass from her.

She sighed, still holding the glass out in front of her.  “He’s outside, bringing in the supplies.”

As if on cue, the door opened and Heero walked in, carrying what looked like a small fridge in his arms, along with a large bag
slung over one of his shoulders.  He set them both down on the floor and closed the door.

“What’s all this?”  Duo asked.

“Looks like you’ll be staying here a while, Duo.  You’re too sick to leave.  Can’t risk you getting worse.”  Sally replied.

Duo finally took the glass out of her hand, but didn’t take a sip of the water.  He placed it on the table beside the bed, all the time
worrying that he might drop it since his hands were shaking so much.

Sally pulled her hand from behind her back, showing Duo what she had kept hidden.  It was a pill box, one of those that had a
compartment for each day of the week.  Duo’s eyes widened, realizing that Sally must have found it in the bathroom.  Duo
mentally slapped himself for not hiding it better.

“What are these?”  She asked.

Duo looked down at the blankets, as if they had suddenly become interesting to him.  He grabbed his braid and started fiddling
with it, twirling the loose hair at the end of his braid over and around his fingers.  “They look like vitamins to me.”  He said,
knowing full well that they weren’t vitamins.  But it wasn’t really a lie.  They did look like vitamins.

“Duo, I’m a doctor.  I know the difference between vitamins and cold medicine.  How long have you been sick?”  She asked.

Duo didn’t look up, didn’t stop toying with his hair.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Heero approach the bed and sit beside
him.  Maybe Heero was mad, Duo thought.  He might be angry that Duo hadn’t told him earlier that he was sick.

“How long?”  Heero asked.

Duo flinched, hearing the tone of that voice.  It sounded cold.  Heero was angry.  “Just a few days.”  Duo admitted, afraid of
how Heero might react.

Duo hadn’t seen Sally turn to her bag, hadn’t noticed her taking anything out of it.  His full attention was focused on Heero,
wishing he hadn’t made the handsome pilot mad.  But he did look up at Sally, when she started talking to him.

“Take these.”  Sally said, holding out her palm.

Duo could see a couple pills in her hand.  But he pushed it away.  He didn’t like doctors, didn’t trust them.  Even if it was Sally,
his friend, a comrade in arms, he couldn’t bring himself to trust her completely.  Doctors had never caused him anything other
than pain.  “No.”

Heero took the pills from her hand, then leaned over and grabbed the glass from the table.  “Take them.”  Heero said, holding
them out to Duo.

Again Duo flinched, knowing that he had to take them or risk Heero getting even angrier at him.  He took the pills from Heero’s
hand and tossed them into his mouth.  Heero’s hand remained on the glass, keeping it steady as Duo took a drink, washing down
the pills.

“What were those?”  Heero asked, taking the glass away from Duo.

“Something that will hopefully make him better.  I had wanted to give him an injection, but seeing as how hard it was getting
him to take an injection the last time, I decided that maybe pill form would be better in this situation.”  Sally said, pulling various
bottles out of her bag and setting them on the bedside table.  “I’ll leave his medication here on the table.  Just follow the
instructions on the labels.  If you need me for anything, call me.”

“All right.”  Heero replied.

Duo just watched as Sally walked over to the door.  Before she left, she turned back.  “Oh, and don’t worry about your motel
bill.  I took care of it.  You’re paid up for the next two weeks.”

“Two weeks?”  Duo asked.

“Yeah.  You didn’t think you’d be leaving here right away did you?  You’re very sick, Duo.”  Sally replied.  She opened the door
and left quickly.

Duo looked down at the bed again, now that he and Heero were alone.  Heero must be so mad at him, so angry that he hadn’t
told him that he was sick.

“I want you to eat something.  It’s not good to take medicine on an empty stomach.”  Heero said, walking over to one of the
bags he had brought in and pulling out what looked like a portable stove.  Then he pulled out a small pot, a can of soup, and a
can opener.  Before beginning the task of cooking for Duo, Heero set up the fridge, plugging it into a wall socket and filling it
with the perishable items Sally had brought over.

Duo was ashamed that he had kept anything from Heero.  He couldn’t say anything, although he wanted to apologize.  He just
watched as Heero silently opened the can, pouring the soup into the pot.  Heero didn’t say a word as he cooked the soup, not
uttering a single sound, not even after he dished some soup into a bowl he had retrieved from the bag, once the soup was done.

Heero walked over to the bed, carrying the bowl and a spoon in his hand.  He sat on the edge of the bed, all the time not saying
one word.  Duo reached out to take the bowl, but Heero pulled it back.  “You think you can hold it without spilling any?”  Heero
asked, finally speaking to him.

“I don’t know.”  Duo answered meekly, still worried that Heero was angry at him.

Duo held out his hands, reaching out to take the soup again.  This time Heero didn’t pull it away.  Duo took it from him, but
found that he had to use both of his hands to keep it steady.  He sighed, ashamed that he felt so weak.  He couldn’t even hold a
bowl with one hand.

“I guess I’ll have to feed you.”  Heero said, without emotion.

Duo didn’t reply.  He didn’t know what to say, didn’t want to take the risk of Heero getting even angrier with him.  What if he
said the wrong thing?  Heero might leave him, might abandon him when he needed him the most.  He didn’t want to take that
chance, so he’d keep his mouth shut, accepting Heero’s help.

Heero dipped the spoon into the chicken soup, then lifted it to Duo’s lips.  Duo opened his mouth, but as the soup hit his tongue,
he flinched.  “That’s hot!”  He exclaimed, trying hard not to drop the bowl he held.

“Sorry.”  Heero replied.

He dipped the spoon into the bowl again.  But this time, before bringing it to Duo’s lips, he gently blew on it, cooling it for Duo.  
Duo smiled, thinking that maybe Heero wasn’t as mad as he had thought.  But still, the nagging doubt remained.  He couldn’t
take any chances.  He’d do anything Heero wanted at the moment, not wanting to risk making Heero leave him alone.

Duo was able to eat half a bowl of soup, although he had to force himself to eat some of it.  He just wasn’t hungry, although he
hadn’t eaten in hours.  But now, he couldn’t force any more down his throat.  As Heero tried to feed him another spoonful, Duo
turned his head away.  “I can’t eat any more.”  He said.

“You sure?”  Heero asked.

“Yeah.”  He sighed, raising his shaky hands to give the bowl back to Heero.

Heero took it without another word and placed it on the table beside the bed, along with the spoon.  There was a long moment of
silence, where Heero just sat there and stared at Duo, making him feel incredibly nervous.

Then Heero finally spoke.  “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”  He asked.

Duo couldn’t face him.  He was so ashamed that he had kept something from Heero.  “It wasn’t a big deal, just some stupid
cold.”  He replied, trying to laugh it off as if it were nothing.

“You shouldn’t have gone out in that rain if you were sick.”  Heero said, sliding just a little bit closer to him on the bed.

“I know, but I was just so scared that you didn’t love me, that you hated me.  I couldn’t help running out of the party like
that.”  Duo replied, keeping his gaze fixed on the sheets in front of him.

Heero hooked a finger under his chin and turned Duo’s head to face him.  Duo had no choice but to look into those beautiful
eyes of his.  “Never do anything as stupid as this again.”  Heero said.  “I don’t want to lose you.”

Duo smiled, seeing that Heero wasn’t mad at him.  If he had been angry before, Duo couldn’t see any sign of it in those
beautiful blue orbs.  “Okay.”  He replied.

“Now, why don’t you tell me what your problem with Sally is.”  Heero said.

Duo’s smile disappeared, he really did not want to get into this conversation.  He didn’t want to bring up the past.  It was just
too painful to remember.  “What do you mean?”  Duo asked, stalling.

“You’ve been rude to Sally both times she was here.  You won’t do anything she tells you to do.  So why do you have a
problem with her?”

“It’s not Sally I have a problem with, it’s all doctors.”  Duo blurted out.  He looked away immediately, ashamed of the fear that
was already building within him.  Heero would think he was a fool for this, that he was weak.

“Why don’t you like doctors?”  Heero asked.

“Please just drop it.”  Duo whispered, closing his eyes.

Obviously, Heero wasn’t about to listen to that.  “No, I will not drop it.  I don’t like seeing you in pain.  Now I want to know
why you don’t like doctors.”  He grabbed Duo’s shoulders, turning him to face him.

Duo stared at Heero’s chest, not wanting to look into his face right now.  It was too embarrassing.  “It’s stupid.”  He sighed.

“Just tell me.”

Duo took in a breath, knowing he had to say something, had to let Heero know his secrets, at least some of them.  He let out a
long breath as he began to speak.  “When Professor G trained me, there were always these doctors around, injecting me with
drugs, to build up my immunity to various exotic diseases, and to test my endurance to truth serums.”  Duo paused, suppressing
the cough that burned in his throat.

A moment later, he started again.  “Once they miscalculated the dosage and I overdosed.  On another occasion, my heart just
stopped because of the strain.  I almost died twice.  Ever since, I’ve been afraid of doctors and needles.  I just get so scared
whenever I see either.”  He said, a tear falling from his eye.

Duo couldn’t stop his tears.  They just kept falling and falling.  Suddenly, another coughing fit struck him, and he clung to
Heero’s body, trying to control the sobs and hacks that pounded his chest.  It hurt so much.  Everything hurt, the coughs, the
memories.  “You must be so mad at me.  It’s just so foolish being scared of Sally and needles.”  Duo sobbed, trying to get
control again.

Heero silently wrapped his arms around Duo, pulling him closer to his body.  “It's okay Duo.  I’m not mad.  You have every
right to be afraid after what that bastard put you through.”  Heero said, keeping his voice calm and soothing.

Duo let out a chuckle, although it hurt his already aching chest to do so.  “You know, it’s actually funny.  After all those
treatments to build up my immunity to various diseases, and I’m going to die because of a stupid cold I caught a few days ago.”

Heero pulled away from him, holding him at arms length.  “You are not going to die.  I won’t have you talking like that.  Promise
me you will never say anything like that again.”

Duo smiled, seeing the love in Heero’s eyes.  “I promise.”  Duo replied, laying his head against Heero’s chest once again.


*****


Heero opened his eyes, feeling an unusual sense of dread.  Something was wrong, he was sure of it.  He glanced down at Duo,
frowning as he saw the pilot beside him.  Duo was laying there on the bed, curled into a tight ball, his arms wrapped around his
stomach.  He was groaning, obviously in a great deal of discomfort.

“Duo?”  Heero asked, worried about him.

“Man, I feel like someone just punched me in the stomach.”  He moaned, trying to roll over, but not succeeding.

Heero got out of bed, knowing what was probably about to happen.  Duo had never been sick before, so maybe he just didn’t
understand what his body was trying to tell him.  Silently, Heero lifted Duo into his arms, not replying to Duo’s pleas for
answers.  Heero carried him into the bathroom, setting him down on the floor in front of the toilet to wait for what he suspected
was about to happen.

Almost immediately after Heero had lifted the lid, Duo’s groans grew louder.  Heero leaned Duo over the edge of the toilet,
keeping his hands on the other pilot’s back and side, his one hand holding down Duo’s braid to keep it behind his back.  Only
moments later, Heero’s suspicions were confirmed as Duo vomited.

Duo’s body trembled as he began coughing.  As the coughing fit subsided, Duo vomited again.  “Damn, Sally.”  Duo mumbled
in a weak voice.  “She poisoned me.  I knew doctors were no good.”

Heero said nothing, knowing that now wasn’t the time to contradict him.  He just held him, as Duo vomited once again.  Duo’s
body lurched forward again, and Heero still held him, listening as Duo began having dry heaves.

Once Duo stopped, Heero pulled away from him and stood.  He left the bathroom without a word, deciding that he better get
some stuff to clean Duo up a little.  He walked over to one of the bags, and knelt down.  He searched through it, pulling out
what he thought might be of use, tissues, mouthwash, some ginger ale to calm Duo’s stomach, a blanket to keep him warm
while they waited to see if he had to vomit again.

The sound of Duo whimpering caught his attention, but he stayed where he was, opening the can of ginger ale and pouring it out
into a glass he had found packed in the bag.  As Duo’s whimpering grew louder, quickly turning into fear-filled cries, Heero
realized what an idiot he had been.  Duo had never been sick, he didn’t know what was going on.  And Heero had just left him
alone while he was vulnerable and scared.

Heero stood, and quickly walked back into the bathroom, carrying the items he had pulled from the bag.  He saw Duo, sitting
there, just where he had left him, his entire body shaking terribly, tears falling from his red-rimmed eyes.

When Heero got close enough, Duo lashed out at him, throwing his arms around Heero’s legs frantically.  Heero knelt beside
him, after removing Duo’s arms from around his legs, then pulled him closer to his body.  “I’m sorry Duo.  I never meant to
scare you.  I’m so sorry.  I should have stayed here.”

Duo didn’t say a word, he just cried, tightly holding Heero as if he would leave him again.  Heero felt like a jerk, for ever leaving
Duo alone like this.  He wrapped the blanket around Duo’s shoulders, placing the glass of ginger ale on the floor beside him,
along with the other items he had brought with him.

Gently, he pushed Duo away, wanting to get Duo cleaned up a little.  Duo’s eyes were filled with fear, his gaze locked on Heero
as he sniffled.  Heero grabbed a tissue and smiled.  “I’m not leaving you again.”

“Promise me.”  Duo said, making it sound more like a demand.

“I promise.”  Heero said, wiping the tears from Duo’s face.

Heero stood, unwrapping Duo’s arms from his body.  But he didn’t take a step away, he just reached over to the sink and
picked up a plastic cup that sat on the edge.  He turned on the faucet, filling it with cool water.  Then he grabbed a washcloth
and wet it, ringing it out with one hand so that it was just damp.

“Here.”  He said, holding the cup to Duo’s lips after he sat beside him once again.  Duo took a few sips, then Heero took the cup
away.  “Feel better?”

Duo nodded.  “A little better.”

Heero reached over and picked up the glass of ginger ale.  “Drink this.  It’ll help settle your stomach.”

Duo didn’t say a word.  He just accepted Heero’s help, drinking the ginger ale without questioning why.  While Duo drank,
Heero wiped the dampened washcloth over his brow.

Duo placed the glass of ginger ale on the floor, and Heero picked up the mouthwash.  He took the cap off of it and held it out to
Duo.  Duo raised an eyebrow.  “Trying to tell me something?”  He smiled, before taking a swig of the stuff and swishing it
around in his mouth.

“Well, actually, yes.”  Heero replied.

Duo leaned over the toilet and spit out the mouthwash.  He shivered and clutched the blanket tighter.  Heero held onto him,
concerned for Duo’s health, worried that maybe he might get worse if he stayed on the cold bathroom floor for too long.

“You’d better get back into bed.”  He moved to pick Duo up, but Duo shrugged him off.  Heero watched as Duo pushed himself
to his feet.  Duo did not look steady on his feet.  Heero stood and quickly caught Duo when he started to collapse.  He bundled
Duo in the blanket, then reached over to flush the toilet.

Duo didn’t protest as Heero picked him up.  But he grumbled as Heero carried him back out to the bed.  “That is the absolute
last time I will trust a doctor!”

Heero sighed as he set Duo on the bed.  “Sally did not poison you.”  He said.  He kept Duo wrapped in that blanket, and covered
him with the ones from the bed.  He climbed into the bed beside Duo, wrapping his arms around him.

Duo shivered, although to Heero his body felt incredibly warm.  He snuggled closer to Heero, as he mumbled, “Yeah, then how
else would you explain what happened?”

Heero chuckled.  “Duo, sometimes vomiting comes with being sick.  Don’t worry so much . . . it’ll only make you feel worse.”

Duo mumbled something incoherently, as he pressed his body even closer to Heero’s.  After a moment, Duo’s breathing slowed
and he slipped into unconsciousness, the trembling of his body remaining as the arms he had wrapped around Heero loosened.

Heero could still feel the shivers going through the American’s body, and he wished he could do something to stop them.  He
placed a tender kiss against Duo’s forehead, hoping for him to recover soon.



To Be Continued . . .