Everything went fine for the next few weeks. Trowa and Dakota began to get closer, as did some of the other couples. But then, something went wrong…

"Trowa, TROWA!" A girl screamed, running down the hallway. Her eyes were panicked, and there were tears streaming down her face.

Trowa was sound asleep in his bed. He had been working late to perfect a certain routine, and it had taken a great toll on his body. The tall boy slept the hours away, oblivious to the sounds around him.

Suddenly, without warning, his eyes snapped awake. Screams…he had heard screams. That was strange. Then the sound came again. "TROWA!!!"

With a snap he was awake and thinking. What could have happened? Trowa grabbed a pair of pants and pulled them on just as Dakota's form burst through the door.

"Trowa…Ralara had me come get you. Heero's got a fever…we think he's slipped into unconsciousness!"

"Awww…" Trowa's eyes widened in horror. He shot off down the hallway, running as fast as he could down the stairs without killing himself. Oh man…what happened? I bet it's his lungs again! Oh no, oh no!

All four girls were crowded around Heero's bed, Ralara desperately trying to get Heero to breathe. J'Ator and Sky held quickly-melting icepacks on his forehead. Ice, not knowing what to do, was silently praying in a corner like her half-brother had taught her to.

Trowa rushed to his friend's bedside. He knelt on the plush one-inch blue carpet and gripped one of Heero's icy hands tightly. Heero was so cold…what if he was dead already? No. He's not dead. I can feel his pulse. It's very weak, but it is really there.

"Ice!" He barked, interrupting the girl in the middle of one of her sentences. "Go to the phone and call this number." Trowa handed her a blue slip of paper with a 1-800 number on it.

The poor cheerleader didn't know what to do. She had never called for Heero before, and didn't know what she was supposed to do. "But….what do I say?" She asked, confused.

"Just tell them Heero's having trouble breathing again!" He commanded, his tone telling her that there was no time to waste.

Only when Ice had the number and he heard her talking to the ambulance crew did he let out the breath that he hadn't even known he'd been holding. He sat back on his haunches, stroking Heero's hand and whispering to himself. He's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay! He's got to! What if it's all my fault? Maybe I should have told the others, even if he didn't want me to. Oh man….

Ralara sighed with relief. She had finally managed to get Heero to breathe again. His short, quick gasps wouldn't be considered healthy breathing, but at least he was able to do so on his own. Now all she could do was wait.

Seconds later, the sound of sirens echoed throughout the street as the ambulance drove to the gate. Just then did Trowa remember that it was locked. Panicked, he jumped up and ran outside, leaving all the doors open in his flight.

He reached the gate just as the ambulance crew where hustling up to the door. The men nodded at him as they passed. One stopped to inquire where the victim was, and Trowa told him breathlessly,

"Ground floor, just inside by the door." He followed after them, leaving the gate open wide for clear passage.

Trowa held all five sobbing girls, trying had to keep the tears out of his own eyes. They watched as the ambulance crew took Heero out to race him to the hospital. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead, and he was moaning in-between coughs. Trowa knew that this state of semi-consciousness was dangerous because they couldn't operate, and wouldn't dare put him under for fear of inducing a coma. All we can do is hope he either snaps out of it, or goes deep enough to operate. I hate feeling helpless….

By the time the ambulance had gone back to the hospital, sirens ablaze, the whole apartment building was awake. Three very confused boys in their pajamas were suddenly overwhelmed with a bundle of nerve-wrecked, sobbing girl. Each of them tried to do their best to comfort the girls, though they didn't really know what they were comforting them about.

When the ladies had finally stopped crying, heated questions took its place. "Where's Heero?"

"What happened?"

"What's going on?" Came the three questions at once.

"Heero couldn't breathe. Dakota woke me up, and we called an ambulance. They took him to the hospital. I…we'd better get over there." Trowa said quietly, averting his eyes so the other boys couldn't see his tears.

Duo looked up at Trowa, who held both Dakota and Ralara tightly to his chest. His face softened, the demand draining out, respect in it's place. He really doesn't know what to do either. He's being forced to open up to two girls, one scared, the other terrified with grief. Man, I don't know if I could do that. Just calming Sky down was hard enough. I'm really getting attached to her. The braided one thought, smiling down at the girl in soft blue flannel pajama's. He hugged her closer, lightly kissing her forehead.

Wu Fei frowned at the silent teenagers around him. Obviously someone would have to take charge of this situation. Someone manly, someone capable of making decisions, someone who could handle emotion of any kind…

"Maxwell…why don't you drive." He sighed. I guess even I'm not perfect. He sighed to himself.

45 minutes later at the hospital…

Waiting was terrible. Quatre preferred anything to waiting. Even if it was doing chores he normally wouldn't think of touching, he needed to do something to break the spell of silence. His training as a Winner heir had helped to deal with some of the impatience, but he wasn't perfect. Makes me wonder how Duo, the most hyper-active of us all, isn't dead of boredom yet. Quatre's pondering was answered when he looked over at Duo.

The braided ex-pilot was resting, his eyes closed. Sky High was inside his strong arms, cuddled up against his chest. She was smiling.

Quatre smiled to himself. Figures. Duo's never bored when he has a girl with him. I would never act like that - be totally obsessed with a girl. Sub-consciously, he squeezed the warm hand that he gripped in his own. He never saw the sparkling look that J'Ator shot him.

Ice Berk shivered. It was cold here in the waiting room. She wished someone was here so she could talk. That Chinese boy, Wu Fei, was cute, but he didn't seem to like talking very much. Ice wondered how long Ralara and Trowa would be in the hospital room. She shivered again.

Ice was startled when she felt a thick black leather jacket being put around her shoulders. She looked up into the face of Wu Fei. It had transformed from that hard mask of pride he always wore into a face full of concern and protectiveness. Slipping her arms into the sleeves, she smiled.

"Better?" He asked. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you. Women should be protected, because they are weaker. Sometimes though, he looked at Heero's sleeping form through the glass, the man is the one who is weak.

Wu Fei's coat was very warm, but Ice still felt like something was missing. With a start, she realized what it was. Her half-brother's arms. I wish Brett was here. I need someone to hold me.

As if the Chinese ex-pilot could sense her thoughts, she felt his strong arms wrap around her body. They felt right, as if they belonged there. She leaned back, and buried her face in his blue tanktop. He smelled of cologne, a strong but pleasing kind. He also smelled of strength. Strength. That would be hard to explain if someone ever asked what he smells like. But…he does.

Two tears slipped down Wu Fei's face, carefully hidden from the girl in his arms. He really liked Ice, but having a girl in his arms brought back a painful memory. Wu Fei shut his eyes and tried to block the old pain. Nataku… No matter how hard he tried…he was soon back in the past.

-Flashback-

"Merian, you will never learn!" Wu Fei shouted angrily at his wife.

She glared back at him with equal venom. "No Wu Fei, it is YOU who will never learn. Nataku is with me, and I will be the ruler of the clan. Women don't need men to be strong." His 14-year-old wife argued.

"Be quiet woman!" Wu Fei snarled, slapping her across the face as he had done many times before.

"No! I won't put up with this anymore!" The girl attempted to defend herself, but Wu Fei's size and strength won out in the end. He hit her again and again, harder with each blow. When he was finished, she was bleeding heavily, and sobbing.

"Get one thing into your head woman. I am a warrior, I am a man and I am superior." He told her before leaving his wife to cry alone.

-End of Flashback-

More tears ran down Wu Fei's face. Not long after one of his usual beatings of Merian, she went to battle to save their colony. She died in that battle, and there was nothing that Wu Fei could do to save her. It had made him realize that even though he was strong, he could not always be in control.

Clearing the tears from his eyes, he looked at Heero's hospital bed once more. The boy had surely slipped into a coma by now. Heero. You have to pull through. For Ralara, for Duo, for all of us. I don't want to lose someone again.

Dis: No Gundam Wing owner here!

Comments: Hey! Another chapter! I know it's not very long, but I'm setting up for the very middle 'meat' so to speak of my fic. Just think, in 7 or so more chapters, I'll be done! Thank you to anyone who's reviewed. I have gotten around 60 or 70 reviews in the 2 or 3 months that my story has been up and it has really helped!

Review, review, review!

Jet