Quatre started the shower, and tested the water. He played with the knobs until it was at the right temperature. He turned and looked himself in the mirror. His head was wrapped in white cloth and his face was cut and dirtied. He stared, bothered with his appearance.
He shook himself clear and began unwrapping the bandaging on his head. Once off, he looked at it and noticed a few small blood stains. He tapped a few clean spots on the bandage on a few spots on his head, but the nothing came off. The blood had dried. There were dried blood stains in his golden hair as well. He did need a shower, and bad.
He took off his clothes and entered the shower of warm water. The water felt bitter and sweet at the same time. It stung his wounds like warming his tired body. He grimaced as he let the water run over his face and head. He closed his eyes and leaned back, putting his hands out to the falling water. The dirt and stickiness on his hands washed away, and he grabbed a bar of soap to clean his skin, and washed his hair quickly, due to the pain of the soap on contact on his sensitive skin.
He stood a few moments in the shower, enjoying the soothing warmth of the water, all the while he examined his wounds. There were bruises on his body and cuts on his arms, knee, and legs.
The moment he shut the water off, he heard loud banging at the door, which made him jump. It couldn't be Marilyn. And it wasn't.
"Who's in there?" a man's voice boomed at the other side of the door. He banged at the door again. Quatre's eyes went wide. He thought it was the OZ soldiers.
He quickly stepped out of the shower and snatched a towel, drying himself off as fast as he could. He shoved the towel over his head and scrubbed a few spots, trying not to hurt himself.
"Wait a second," he heard Marilyn's voice. "Let me explain first."
"You mean there's something to explain?" the man said angrily. "Oh Marilyn, you're going to be in so much trouble! Open up you!"
Quatre quickly put on his underwear, pants, and his shirt without buttoning it. He left his vest and belt on the sink. He unlocked the door and opened it halfway.
"Yes?"
A muscular man with a beard and blue eyes stared at him. He had a furious face. The man grabbed him by the shirt, yanking him out of the room and swung him aside, holding him firmly.
"Who are you?"
"Jason, easy with him." Marilyn knew him.
Shaking lightly, Quatre removed the towel draped over his head. "Quatre Raberba Winner, sir." His face was red and stinging from his cuts.
The man frowned. "You're nothing but a kid." he said. He turned his head to Marilyn, who had a frightened look on his face. "Marilyn, you scared me."
"You scared me, too." she said in response.
The man let go of Quatre's shirt. "What are you doing here, boy?"
When he was about to speak, Marilyn said: "I found him at the bottom of the hill by the road yesterday. He got into an accident and was hurt. I brought him here to help him." Quatre nodded when the man looked at him.
"Oh." The man tilted his chin up at him. He turned and walked away. Both Quatre and Marilyn sighed at the same time. They looked at each other. Marilyn gave him a reassuring grin.
"Go ahead and get dressed," she said.
He nodded and ducked inside the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He straightened his pale pink shirt and buttoned it. He grabbed his socks from the sink and put them on, then slipped on his brown shoes. He groomed his hair with the towel, watching his wounds. He could feel the bumps. He picked up the brush on the other side of the sink and combed his hair carefully. He would let it air dry. He put on his belt, slipping it through the loops of his khaki pants, which were torn. Checking the last of his appearance, he put on his bluish-gray vest. He tapped the side of it, feeling something heavy in the pocked. He lifted the side and pulled out what it was: a gun. Heero's gun.
Heero needed it more than he did, but now that was too late at the moment. He was here in company of people who would help him while Heero was out in the elements with soldiers possible searching for him.
What if he had already been captured? If he did, he would go out to find him.
He placed the gun back in the pocket, hoping the family wouldn't find it on him, then walked out of the bathroom. He walked to the living room where the family was. The man was socializing with his daughter while Marilyn turned to him, sitting on the couch. She stood up.
"How are you doing, Quatre? Let me see your wounds." She walked to him and checked his face. "You have such pretty eyes," she commented along.
"Gee, Marilyn," the man said, her husband. "Sounds like you're spending more time with that boy more than your own daughter."
Marilyn turned her head with a frown. "Jason, that's not true. I'm just helping a patient. I've spent all day with Katie."
"Patient?" the man snorted. "You're retired."
"I'm not retired," Marilyn protested. "I can still perform my nursing duties at home."
"You starting a new job, Marilyn?"
She frowned and said Quatre: "Come on, Quatre, I'll give you some medication." She led him to the kitchen where she kept the medicine, while her daughter Katie protested at her father, telling him Quatre was nice and she liked him here. The father was clearly unhappy with him around.
"If you want, miss, I can leave so I wouldn't cause you're husband any more trouble," Quatre said quietly.
"Quatre," she said. "You don't have to do that. Jason's just a big grump. I like you here, and you can stay as long as you want."
He looked at her with a barely noticeable grin. "Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality greatly."
"You're welcome, Quatre." she said as she grabbed a few bottles from a cabinet. One was an antiseptic and anesthetic, another was an anti-infection, and the last was a bottle of pain killers. The bottle of liquid anti-infection went on first, which made Quatre gasp in pain. "Sorry." After it dried, Marilyn put on the antiseptic and anesthetic ointment that went on his face and hands. She handed him two pills to swallow, which he did. Marilyn looked at him. "I better bandage your head again just to be safe." She grabbed a box and pulled out a rolled up piece of cloth. She wrapped his head, which was still a little damp from the shower. He wanted to fix his hair, but he thought he better not fool with it. "Would you like to lay back down?" Marilyn asked him.
"No, I'll be fine." he said. "I want to look for my friend."
"In the dark? I don't think that's a good idea, Quatre. Maybe you should wait 'til morning."
"I'm afraid he's hurt," he said. "I have to go find him."
She sighed. "I want to let you, but you'll get lost. It's dark out there. I'll go out with you first thing in the morning. I know you're worried, but we can't accomplish anything stumbling around in the dark."
Quatre lowered his head. She wouldn't let him go, so he had to admit defeat for the night until morning. "Okay," he reluctantly said. He knew he would worry about Heero all through the night. Marilyn took his shoulder and led him back to the living room. He was immediately greeted by Katie, who ran up to him and hugged him.
"I want Quatre to stay!" he cried. He looked down at her, smiling lightly.
"Of course he's staying," Marilyn said.
"Daddy doesn't want him to."
Quatre didn't like this.
"Jason, Quatre has to stay." Marilyn said. "We have a room in the library, where he have a cot set up. He's not in the way, dear. He's a quiet boy, he's not going to cause any problems."
The man glowered. "Fine."
Quatre was going to avoid this man as much was he could. Marilyn broke the nervous silence that hit the room, and sat down at the edge of the couch. Quatre went to follow, but stopped a few steps. Katie was still holding onto him. He looked down on the little girl with a friendly smile.
"It's okay," he said to her. "I'm staying. You can let go now."
She looked up at him and smiled bigger. She let go and ran over to the couch. She leaped and sat down beside her mother. She looked over to Quatre with big eyes.
He walked over to the window, and pushed aside the curtain. He checked the lighting of the outside. It was 9 o'clock now, and the sky was darkened. Maybe it was true, he wouldn't have a chance at finding Heero.
"What you do doing, Quatre?" the little girl said. "Come sit with us!"
Quatre sighed silently. He wished he could see Heero walking towards the porch right now, but he knew that was impossible. He wouldn't know he was here unless he saw Marilyn pick him up and take him here.
He stood up and looked at the two females. He blinked slowly then walked to the other side of the couch. He saw the dog laying in front of the couch. The dog got to its feet, wagging its tail at him. Quatre patted the dog's head and sat down.
The dog sniffed him, and Quatre petted it.
"First thing in the morning, right?" Quatre said to Marilyn without looking at her.
"Yep, first thing. We'll get up early."
"What are you getting up early for, Momma?"
"Quatre wants to go look for his friend who got into the accident with him."
"Can I come?" the little girl asked.
"No, you better not. You can go to Catherine's house when we go."
"Okay," she replied with enthusiasm. "I can tell her all about Quatre!"
He looked at the little girl at the corner of his eye.
"Sounds like you got a fan, Quatre." Marilyn said.
He petted the dog's neck, trying not to look flattered.
"I got an idea," Katie said. "You can take Harper, he can find your friend, Quatre!" She hugged the dog. "He's a good dog." Quatre smiled gently.
The two gave attention to the dog while the couple glared up at the television monitor above the fireplace. Quatre listening a little, but not much of the news that was one caught his eye, until a reporter mentioned the search of two Gundam pilots. Quatre jerked his head up, bent over and watched. The screen showed the aerial view above a cluster of woods. The reporter voiced over that the OZ soldiers were continuing the search for them after two days. The pilots were considered dangerous. What a lie! A person like himself wasn't dangerous unless someone provoked him.
The reporter stated that the OZ soldiers lost them when their vehicle lost control and sped off the road. There was a shot of the hill where he and Heero lost control. Marilyn noticed it. Another shot came to a few seconds later, showing an aerial view of a limping person in the woods, evading the camera and a few ground soldiers. It was Heero.
Quatre jumped to his feet.
"Heero!" Everyone looked at him, but he kept his eyes on the monitor. From the reporter, the soldiers lost sight of him. Both of the pilots were still being searched for.
"You know him?" Marilyn said nervously.
Her husband stood.
Quatre got scared.
"You're one of those killers? You're one of those Gundam pilots?"
Quatre bolted behind the couch. The man's eyes followed him.
"You don't understand," Quatre said. "I'm not a killer! I'm fighting because OZ won't leave us alone. I have no choice but to fight. They say the pilots are dangerous, but they're wrong. There's no safe place so we're forced to fight for what we believe in and try and find peace for ourselves and the colonies."
"Peace?" You pilots kill thousands of OZ soldiers and you want peace?"
Quatre stared at him in the eyes. "Wouldn't you fight back if someone was threatening your life and freedom?"
"I can't believe you let a Gundam pilot in here!" he yelled at Marilyn.
"I didn't know he was." She looked at him. She held no anger towards him, but fear for his safety.
"You let him in here and he could have killed us!" the man shouted.
"No!" Quatre said. "Don't blame her."
The man growled at him. "I'll turn you in myself to the OZ soldiers, you killer." He went to grab him. That was when Quatre grabbed the gun from under his vest and pointed it at the man.
"Stop it!" Quatre shouted. Marilyn screamed. "I'm not going to hurt anyone, but if you come near me, I might have to! Get away from me!" The man backed up. Quatre kept the gun pointed at him. He looked around, looking at the expressions on Marilyn's and Katie's faces. Quatre bolted to the door.
"Quatre." The man went to go after him, but Marilyn grabbed his arm. "Quatre!"
Quatre bolted out, running down the stairs and down the path. He ran as fast as he could go, into the forest. His feet crashed against the grass and broken branches. He ducked low branches and threw brushes aside.
"Heero! I'm coming Heero!"
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