Quatre looked up from the precise rows of characters in his book when the front of the tent rattled. He closed it and set it on the desk when he saw who it was, pushing his chair back from his desk. “Oh, Heero, there you are! Trowa was looking for you earlier. He -- Duo?” he broke off with a gasp as Heero helped Duo into the tent, half-carrying the weakened boy. He was on his feet in a flash, the doctor mask sliding quickly into place. “What happened to him?”
“He hiked out into the woods and back without his crutches,” Heero growled. His face was thunderous as he settled Duo onto the couch, his hands unconsciously lingering just a little too long.
In a glance, Quatre took in the swelling in Duo’s injured legs, the cuts and abrasions decorating his skin from contact with the rough trees. As Heero moved back to give Quatre room, Duo released Heero’s sleeve almost reluctantly. “Duo, what -- you’re shaking!” Quatre took hold of his hands and turned them over to get a better look at the scrapes, and immediately saw the uncontrollable trembling in his arms. “What on Earth happened?”
“Nothing,” Duo gasped out, trying unsuccessfully to pull his hands back, hide the marks. “Nothing, it’s nothing. Just -- just walking back through the camp, a-and everyone was staring, and I -- I --”
“Calm down!” Heero snapped at him, but far too anxious and upset himself for the command to have any effect.
“They’re just curious,” Quatre said, quietly reassuring. Gently but firmly, he turned Duo sideways on the seat and eased his leg out straight. “Soldiers like to gossip as much as anyone. I’m sure they meant no harm.” He ran his hands over Duo’s injured shoulder and ribs, but felt no pain; reassured that nothing had rebroken, he snagged his bag off the end of the table and began rummaging through it.
“I know,” Duo kept repeating. “It’s nothing. I know that! I’m trying n-not to panic, but they were all looking at me like...”
“He exhausted himself,” Heero said to Quatre, face tense and drawn. “And Gods only know how many times he fell.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Quatre soothed, torn between attending Duo and reassuring Heero. “He’s just tired and a little shaken up, that’s all. Duo? Can you drink some of this for me? That’s good,” he said, smiling encouragingly as he pressed the cup into Duo’s hands. “I’ll check the scrapes to make sure they won’t get infected, and then you can take him home.”
He felt Duo suddenly tensing beside him at the same time he heard the sudden chill silence take over the room. Startled, he looked up and was taken aback by the agitation in Heero’s eyes, that he tried and failed to cover with an emotionless mask. “Heero?”
Re: Spoil of War, prologue
Date: 2006-02-28 01:26 am (UTC)Quatre looked up from the precise rows of characters in his book when the front of the tent rattled. He closed it and set it on the desk when he saw who it was, pushing his chair back from his desk. “Oh, Heero, there you are! Trowa was looking for you earlier. He -- Duo?” he broke off with a gasp as Heero helped Duo into the tent, half-carrying the weakened boy. He was on his feet in a flash, the doctor mask sliding quickly into place. “What happened to him?”
“He hiked out into the woods and back without his crutches,” Heero growled. His face was thunderous as he settled Duo onto the couch, his hands unconsciously lingering just a little too long.
In a glance, Quatre took in the swelling in Duo’s injured legs, the cuts and abrasions decorating his skin from contact with the rough trees. As Heero moved back to give Quatre room, Duo released Heero’s sleeve almost reluctantly. “Duo, what -- you’re shaking!” Quatre took hold of his hands and turned them over to get a better look at the scrapes, and immediately saw the uncontrollable trembling in his arms. “What on Earth happened?”
“Nothing,” Duo gasped out, trying unsuccessfully to pull his hands back, hide the marks. “Nothing, it’s nothing. Just -- just walking back through the camp, a-and everyone was staring, and I -- I --”
“Calm down!” Heero snapped at him, but far too anxious and upset himself for the command to have any effect.
“They’re just curious,” Quatre said, quietly reassuring. Gently but firmly, he turned Duo sideways on the seat and eased his leg out straight. “Soldiers like to gossip as much as anyone. I’m sure they meant no harm.” He ran his hands over Duo’s injured shoulder and ribs, but felt no pain; reassured that nothing had rebroken, he snagged his bag off the end of the table and began rummaging through it.
“I know,” Duo kept repeating. “It’s nothing. I know that! I’m trying n-not to panic, but they were all looking at me like...”
“He exhausted himself,” Heero said to Quatre, face tense and drawn. “And Gods only know how many times he fell.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Quatre soothed, torn between attending Duo and reassuring Heero. “He’s just tired and a little shaken up, that’s all. Duo? Can you drink some of this for me? That’s good,” he said, smiling encouragingly as he pressed the cup into Duo’s hands. “I’ll check the scrapes to make sure they won’t get infected, and then you can take him home.”
He felt Duo suddenly tensing beside him at the same time he heard the sudden chill silence take over the room. Startled, he looked up and was taken aback by the agitation in Heero’s eyes, that he tried and failed to cover with an emotionless mask. “Heero?”