Revenge of The Lost (A Gundam Wing Fanfiction Novel)

Chapter 9: Not Born From the Streets

Duo's residence

"You are pretty lucky you didn't have to work today," Duo said as he walked in through the door. They'd had sick days more than once with each other, so he fully intended her to be half listening unless she was really sick. Hm. Nowhere around the TV at all. Must still be sick. Duo took off his work jacket and lied it on the couch. He looked into her room. "Hild."

She was looking worse, not better. He went to her room and felt her head. "You are burning up something awful. Have you taken anything?" So delirious she wasn't even answering back. He went to the bathroom and got a washcloth for her head along with some fever reducer. He placed the washrag on her head. "Come on, take this." This time, her eyes looked up toward him slightly. They were worried. "Just a fever. It's okay, it happens. Earthling germs, you're probably more susceptible." He held out the pills to her. Her hand gestured to the end table next to the bed.

Duo looked. There was a letter, addressed to Hilde. With something else inside. He really didn't want to mess with it, but he had no choice. Hilde hadn't pulled it out. She'd opened it but otherwise didn't mess with it. "Oh, being me sometimes." He managed to pull the letter away from the envelope and shut it. "I had a feeling Jewel probably paid for that." It was somebody's finger in there. Alive or not, she definitely paid for the letter she sent. Without it, the others would be in even bigger trouble. Duo opened it up and started to read.

Yep. "It's just your standard form letter being extra pissed off they didn't get away with what they wanted," Duo said. "Boy. They are some sore losers. We'll still pay, face your past to save your present, yada yada yada." He put the letter back down but looked at her again. "Hild? Can you even talk?" Yeah. "Then again? Come on, Duo's taking you to the hospital right now."

The Hospital

Duo remained at her side near her hospital bed. Hilde never did anything risky, there was no real chance of it. "If I hadn't been there." She'd probably be dead. Somehow, Hilde had sepsis. He'd got her in soon enough considering the high fever that hit her, but if he hadn't been there. "You'll be okay. Doc says you'll be out in no time." She wasn't feeling conversational. "You were treated soon enough, the kid will probably be okay too."

She looked up toward him, her eyes shiny. "How? When?"

"I think we know the answers to that." Revenge of the Lost. Somehow, they must have done something to trigger an infection. "It won't happen again, Hilde. I swear, I'll get this Revenge of the Lost."

Sepsis. Why? Duo thought more closely about the letter. They had said that line about facing his past to save his present, but they also mentioned the doctor. Since Hilde couldn't come home tonight, it might be time for a visit to old Howard. He wasn't leaving her alone though. He dialed up Trowa. "Trowa? I need a favor. Hilde's in the hospital with sepsis. I can't leave her alone, but I gotta go talk to someone. Can you watch her?"

"I found Middie Une."

"Oh." Damn. "I understand." He just couldn't leave then.

"I lost her. She left me an address. I tracked it and it was the address of the person who took her, but she wasn't there. Neither was he. She hasn't returned."

Oh man. "RTL?"

"I think so. I don't think she's coming here, it wasn't far away. I'll set up a trip camera but I'll come watch Hilde for you."

"Thanks." That was good news for Duo, but not for Trowa. "Sorry. Hope you can find her again." But, wait. "You carry a trip wire system on you?"

"Duo. I was coming to tell a spy that was responsible for the death of people I knew as a kid, that she was carrying mine. I had to be ready for anything."