Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Going For Gold ❯ Chapter 36 ( Chapter 36 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the G boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier. I do own the plot and any other characters, especially the equines, that you will find in this fic. Please do not take them without permission. Written for pleasure not profit.

 

Pairing: 2x1x2, 3x4, 13x6, H+C

 

Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, sap, angst, vet themes, AU

 

Rating: NC 17

 

Archive: www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com Anyone else please ask.

 

Betaed by Yami_tai *snugs*

 

Summary: Eighteen months have passed since Heero was advised he was short listed for the Olympic games team. With Zero going well and young Shinigami almost ready to make his showjumping debut, Heero looks set to reach his goal. Life though doesn't always play by the rules.

 

Dedication: To Leslie who gave me the original idea for Equinity.

 

Fic 3 in the Equine Intervention Arc.

 

"Going for Gold"

 

January. 2007 ShenLong

 

 

Chapter 36

 

“Jet!” screamed Quatre as he ran towards the dog that was trying to drag himself away from the Clydesdale horse.

 

Trowa sprinted ahead, his long legs covering the ground with startling speed.

 

Duo and Heero were only seconds behind them.

 

Trowa reached the dog first, his instinct for self preservation kicking in and helping him to dodge the legs and hooves of the large horse whilst managing to grab Jet and pick the injured animal up. He turned and carried the dog as quickly as he could away from the frightened horse.

 

Heero slowed his pace and seeing that Trowa now had the dog safely out of harm's way, he walked forward and spoke softly to calm the horse before it did any damage to itself or the float it was tied to. The owner didn't appear to be anywhere around, so Heero took it upon himself to settle the animal down.

 

Trowa fell to his knees as soon as he was out of any danger. Gently, he lowered Jet to the grass and ran a hand over the dog's head, murmuring softly to try and soothe the distressed canine.

 

Quatre appeared beside his lover, took one look at Jet and turned away to be sick.

 

Duo was right behind Quatre, the blonde's sudden vomiting to the side worrying Duo even more. He dropped to his knees beside Trowa and took a look at the injured lab. “Fucking hell,” he whispered as his eyes took in the sight.

 

Jet lay on his right side, ribs heaving and small whimpers coming from his mouth. His left hind leg lay twisted and crushed.

 

With gentle fingers, Duo began to carefully run his experienced hands over the dog, starting with the animal's head, over his chest and front legs, along the spine and finally reaching the crushed limb. The bones beneath his fingertips felt like a pile of mismatched rocks, not like the solid, length they were supposed to be. There were several lacerations to the leg as well where the nail edges from the horse's shod hoof had torn into the flesh. His brow furrowed. He didn't like the feel or look of this at all. “Any chance we can roll him over so I can check the other side?” he asked Trowa quietly.

 

Trowa gently slid his hands and arms underneath the dog and eased him over. Jet gave a small yelp and then whimpered softly.

 

Duo quickly ran his hands over the dog's right side, relieved when he didn't find any further evidence of broken bones.

 

“Is he...?” Quatre's voice was shaking.

 

Heero came over at that moment, having settled the horse and immediately summed up the situation. He placed an arm around Quatre's shoulders and pulled the blonde closer to him.

 

“His leg is badly injured, Quatre. I think the horse must have stepped on him. Exactly how much damage is done, I can't tell until I have him x-rayed,” Duo said.

 

“Can you...?”

 

“I'll do everything I can for him, Quatre. Look, the sooner we get him back to the surgery, the quicker I can start to treat him. I have a small medical kit in Heero's car with just the basics in it. Heero? Could you fetch it for me please?”

 

“Of course.” Heero moved Quatre to the side, out of sight of the injured dog and then spoke to Trowa. “I think he could do with a hug from you right now. Duo will take care of Jet for a few minutes.”

 

Nodding, Trowa got up and wrapped his boyfriend in his strong arms. Trowa was in shock himself and clearly not thinking straight.

 

Heero sprinted off for his car to get the medical kit. Ever since Zero had hurt himself that last time, Duo now insisted on having a basic animal med kit in Heero's car at all times. If they took Duo's car, it wasn't a problem as his trunk was always stocked with the items of his trade. But Heero's car... Duo had put together a simple, basic kit that would cover simple things until the animal could be gotten to a vet practice for specialized treatment. There were things like bandages, swabs, betadine and penicillin powder; then there were the basic drugs; anesthetic, antibiotics and sedatives.

 

By the time Heero returned five minutes later, a small crowd was gathering around the three men and the dog. Heero managed to get them all to move back and allow Duo some room to work. He handed over the kit.

 

“Thanks.” Duo took the kit and opened it up. Quickly he found the sedative and filled a syringe with the recommended dosage. He swabbed Jet's front leg and slipped the needle into the vein. “Could you get me another syringe please? Fill it with five cc of penicillin.”

 

Heero did as asked and passed over the antibiotic, Duo taking it and passing over the used one. He injected the antibiotic and swabbed the area again.

 

“Okay. Now I'll need to try and secure that leg for traveling. There's no other injuries that I can detect, but he may have internal damage that we will only know about after an ultrasound scan. Pass me a couple of bandages, please?”

 

Again Heero fetched the requested items and handed them over, assisting wherever he could. His eyes darted over to where Trowa was doing his best to comfort Quatre and cope with his own shock at the same time. The blonde was shaking as he watched Duo work. Heero tried to give the inspector a reassuring smile, but Quatre only stared back through sad eyes.

 

Duo managed to bandage and secure Jet's leg enough for the trip back to the surgery. “Trowa?”

 

Trowa managed to drag himself out of his misery long enough to hear Duo calling him. “Yes?”

 

“Where is your car?”

 

“In the public parking area.”

 

“Right. Heero?”“Hai?”

 

“You okay to drive the float and Shini back home by yourself?”

 

“Hai. No problem there.”

 

“Good. I'll take Jet back to the surgery in Trowa's car. Quatre and Trowa can come with me, I'll need someone to sit with Jet whilst I drive. I don't think either one of them is capable of driving right now.”

 

“Good idea,” Heero replied. “I'll call ahead and let Hilde know you're coming in with the dog, then she can have everything ready for you.”

 

“Thanks, Heero.” Duo flashed his lover a soft smile, his eyes telling Heero just how much he appreciated the help and promising to let him know exactly how much later, when they were alone.

 

“I'll see you back at the practice then.” Heero gave Duo's arm a friendly squeeze. “Drive carefully.”

 

“I will. Thanks again, Heero.” Duo turned to Quatre and Trowa. “Right. I'll carry Jet, you two lead the way to the car.”

 

Still shaking, Quatre turned, Trowa right beside him and the pair headed for the car park. Duo picked up Jet as carefully as he could and carried the dog behind Trowa. The sedative had begun to work and the pain was diminishing for the dog. Jet gave Duo a quick lick to his chin.

 

“Okay, buddy,” Duo chuckled lightly. “We'll take good care of you.”

 

* * *

 

True to his word, Heero called the practice and got Catherine on the line. He quickly explained what had happened and that Duo would be returning to the practice very shortly with the injured dog. Catherine took the news surprisingly well, considering she lived with Trowa and adored Jet just as much as the two men did. She assured Heero she would inform Hilde of the news and see that everything was prepped and ready to go when Duo arrived.

 

Heero advised that Duo would arrive well ahead of him as they were in Trowa's car whilst Heero had to take the trip a lot slower owing to him towing the horse float. He promised to be available to assist as soon as he arrived home. The call was disconnected and Heero climbed into his car for the journey home. Shini seemed to sense something was up and never moved at all in the float during the trip back to the practice.

 

Duo carefully set Jet down on the back seat of Trowa's car. "I'll need both of you to keep an eye on him while I drive. Trowa, you support his back leg like this." Duo moved Jet so Trowa could sit beside him then maneuvered the lab so his back leg was supported by Trowa's gentle hands and body. "Good. Quatre, I need you this side." The blonde moved to the other side of the car and got in. "Your job is to talk to Jet. Pat his head, stroke him, reassure him that everything's okay. I don't care what you say to him, just keep your voice low and soft."

 

Quatre nodded numbly. His heart felt like a lead weight in his chest. Quatre had always been sensitive when it came to animals, he hated to see them hurt or abused in any way. That's why he'd joined the R.S.P.C.A. as an inspector. He was content in his job, knowing he was making a small difference to some animals' lives. Now his own dog was hurt and Quatre was drowning in his own sadness and guilt.

 

Having some idea of what was going through his friend's mind, Duo gave the blonde a soft squeeze to the shoulder. "It's not your fault, Trowa's either. It's just one of those things." Right now, that was about the best comfort Duo could offer. He really needed to get the dog back to the practice where he could treat him properly.

 

"All set?" Duo asked as he buckled up his seat belt and turned the engine over. A grunt and a nod were all he got by way of reply. Focusing his eyes on the way out, Duo drove the car and patient back to his practice.

 

* * *

 

As soon as she'd hung up from Heero's call, Catherine dropped her head into her hands, the tears threatening to fall. "Oh, Jet," she whispered softly. Hilde was currently in the kennels. Morning consults had finished and she was busy seeing to the couple of animals they had in residence. Catherine had been finishing off the last of the client files and loading them into the database when Heero had called. The pair had been looking forward to a nice cup of tea and chat during the break between consulting hours; now all that had changed.

 

Pulling herself together, Catherine drew on a well of courage she didn't know she possessed. There would be time for tears later, right now she needed to be strong and get things moving for Doctor Maxwell. Getting up from her chair and walking down the corridor to the kennels, she wondered how Trowa and Quatre were holding up. She also wondered exactly what had happened. Those answers she knew she wouldn't get until Jet arrived at the surgery. Clearing her head, her steps quickened and within seconds she was inside the kennels.

 

She soon located Hilde, the sound of the vet's voice chatting away to one of the dogs inside told her exactly where the other woman was. "Hilde?"

 

Hilde looked up as Catherine approached. Immediately she could tell there was something dreadfully wrong. "What is it, Catherine? What's wrong?"

 

"Jet..." Catherine couldn't say any more for the moment, her voice was shaking too much.

 

Reaching out, Hilde gathered the other woman into her embrace and rubbed soothingly along her back. She waited patiently until Catherine had calmed down enough to talk without stuttering. "What about Jet?" Hilde coaxed gently. Hilde was all too familiar with the black lab that had been rescued and given a second chance at life.

 

"He's been hurt. I don't know the details, Heero just called and said that Doctor Maxwell was bringing him back here and to have the theater prepped and ready to go. Oh, Hilde..."

 

"Hush now. Everything will be okay. Duo won't let anything happen to Jet, you know how much he loves that dog too."

 

"I know. I just feel so helpless."

 

"No, not helpless," Hilde replied. "Come on, we have a theater to prep and I could do with the help. Did Heero say how long they would be?" Hilde began to move, pulling the other woman with her. She knew it would be best to keep Catherine on the move, give her something to do to occupy her mind and not dwell on the 'what ifs' or 'maybes'.

 

"Heero didn't say how long they would be. He just said that Duo would be coming back with Trowa and Quatre as he was towing the horse float."

 

"Right. Let's get this show on the road, they could be here within minutes." Hilde was doing mental calculations, given the distance of Gosford from Salsbury, the fact that they were in Trowa's car and not towing the float, Hilde calculated Duo should be arriving somewhere in the next half an hour. Not knowing exactly what the dog's injuries were either, Hilde thought it best to have all the standard equipment ready. She had Catherine check the suture rolls and top up the swabs, betadine and bandages. There were several trays of instruments sealed in their sterile, plastic bags after they'd been through the autoclave so Hilde fetched two sets and placed them in the stainless steel tray beside the operating table. They checked the level of the gas in the cylinder, before Hilde fetched two sets of clean surgical scrubs from the linen closet. The drug supply was gone over, fresh supplies of needles and syringes placed to the side. When all was done, Hilde looked around in satisfaction.

 

"Come on, let's get you a cup of tea while we wait for them to get here. No point in thinking about it, there's not enough information so we don't know what the injuries are until they arrive. For all we know, Jet's probably got just a few scrapes and cuts that need suturing." Hilde took Catherine through to the small room behind the reception area where they kept their drug supply; and the kettle with tea and coffee.

 

Catherine slumped into a chair and did her best to pull herself together. Hilde was right, there was no sense in making herself ill by thinking up all sorts of horrible injuries. It could be as Hilde said, simple cuts that needed stitching. She took the offered mug of tea and sipped at it gratefully, giving Hilde a small smile of thanks.

 

In an attempt to distract the receptionist, Hilde switched topics completely. "There's a new movie coming to the Grand cinema next week."

 

"Oh?" Catherine looked up. The Grand was anything but. Sure, it had been a cinema of stylish and lavish proportions when it had first opened - many years ago. Now it was still just as large, but the interior was faded. The upholstery had been replaced, the seats upgraded at the same time, but the overall state of the building spoke of its age.

 

Still, it was very popular with the locals and Salsbury township had put it on their heritage listing so the building couldn't be torn down and replaced with a newer, more modern structure. The people seemed to like the old atmosphere, the slightly damp, musty smell of the cinema and regularly attended the many movies shown there.

 

"I wondered if you'd like to go with me? Have some dinner first, then take in the movie. Neither one of us is working next Monday night." Hilde left it there, unsure if she'd gone over the boundaries or not.

 

Catherine smiled. "I'd love to, Hilde. Thank you."

 

Hilde gave a sigh of relief, then jumped off the desk she was sitting on when she heard the sound of an approaching car. She peeked through the window blinds. "It's them."

 

* * *

 

Duo drove as fast as legally possible, keeping his eyes on the road, but asking questions from time to time. He wanted regular updates on how Jet was coping.

 

Stroking the dog's head, Quatre continued to whisper softly to Jet. "You're going to be fine, Jet. Duo's a good vet and he'll take care of you. Just relax, we'll be there soon."

 

The drugs had kicked in and Jet was feeling a lot more comfortable. The throbbing pain in his leg was still there, but it was now more of a deep ache.

 

Sitting on the opposite side and nursing Jet's mangled leg, Trowa couldn't bring himself to speak. He felt responsible for Jet's injuries; after all, he'd been the one to tie Jet to the float whilst they helped Heero get Shinigami ready to travel home. If only he'd tied the leash tighter, maybe used a different knot, then all this would be a nightmare and Trowa would wake up from it soon. But it was no nightmare - it was real.

 

"Almost there," Duo said as he turned down the familiar road that would take them to the practice. "When we get there, you two remain in the back of the car, I'll get Jet out and carry him into the surgery. The less movement to that leg the better."

 

"Okay," replied Quatre. Trowa grunted.

 

Indicating, Duo turned the car down the driveway and pulled up in the public car park at the front of the surgery. No sooner was the engine cut than he was out of his seat and opening the back door. The front door to the surgery opened, Hilde and Catherine appearing and then running towards the car.

 

"How is he? What's the damage?" Hilde asked as she pulled up short next to Duo then stepped back so the vet could maneuver himself out of the car with the lab in his arms.

 

"I'll talk to you inside," Duo replied, giving Hilde a look that clearly said he didn't want to discuss this in front of Trowa, Quatre or Catherine for the moment.

 

"Theater is prepped and ready to go," Hilde said softly.

 

"Thanks. I'll take Jet through to the consulting room first so I can be more thorough in my examination and diagnosis. How's Catherine taking it?"

 

"She's okay, shook up a bit, but that's to be expected. She's a lot stronger that people give her credit for. How's Trowa and Quatre taking it?"

 

"Not good. Hilde, would you settle them in the waiting room and get Catherine to make them both a cup of tea? Then join me in the consulting room as I think I'm going to need a hand to examine Jet properly."

 

"Will do." Hilde opened the door for Duo who went straight inside and through to the consulting room. Hilde steered the shocked inspector and his partner into the waiting room, letting Catherine know to give them both tea and stay with them until she and Duo returned with news on Jet's condition.

 

Catherine was happy to have something to do. Seeing her brother almost comatose and the blonde inspector not much better had scared Catherine. Whatever was wrong with Jet had to be serious for it to cause this sort of reaction in the pair. Trowa was usually very efficient when it came to injured animals, he'd seen a lot in his time at the animal shelter. Likewise the inspector also dealt with neglected and injured animals on a daily basis. But this was different. Jet was a part of the family.

 

Catherine made the tea and gave each a mug. Trowa sipped at his, unspeaking, his eyes fixed on the closed consulting room door. Quatre offered a polite 'thank you' and then turned his eyes back to the floor. "Jet's going to be okay," she said with more conviction than she felt.

 

Quatre raised his eyes. "You don't know that," he replied softly. "You didn't see the state of his leg."

 

"No, I didn't. But Duo and Hilde are the best vets there are and I know they will make Jet all better. He'll be as good as new. You mark my words."

 

Quatre gave a sad smile and took the woman's hand. "Thank you."

 

No further conversation took place, each person opting to simply sit and wait for Duo to let them know the worst.

 

* * *

 

Once in the consulting room, Duo put the dog on the table and grabbed a pair of latex gloves. He quickly pulled them on and adjusted the lamp above the table. Hilde entered and silently donned a pair of gloves too.

 

“Talk to him and keep him still if you could, please,” Duo said as he began a more thorough examination of his patient. Carefully, Duo removed the bandages he'd used to wrap and support the leg.

 

“How bad is it?” Hilde asked as she petted the black head.

 

“I need to take x-rays to be certain, but I'm pretty sure this back leg is completely shattered.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“It's like running your fingers over a pile of gravel,” Duo added. “Here, you have a feel and see what you think.”

 

They switched places, Hilde gently probing around the dog's back leg. She let out a low whistle. “God, I've never felt anything like that before. I'd say shattered is right.”

 

“Let's get an x-ray to be certain.” Duo lifted the dog and carried Jet through to the treatment room where the x-ray machine and all the other equipment was kept. “I'll need to do an ultrasound of his belly too, need to make sure there's no internal injuries.”

 

“What happened to him?”

 

“Clydesdale, it decided it didn't like the look of Jet and planted a hoof right on his back leg.”

 

“Well, fuck.”

 

Duo gave the other vet a funny look. He'd never heard Hilde use such language before.”

 

“Sorry, but the thought of one of those hooves...” Hilde shuddered. “It would be like having a truck slam down on you.”

 

“Yeah.” Duo had finished arranging Jet on the table and took his x-rays. Once the pictures were taken, Duo gave them to Hilde to develop whilst he did an ultrasound scan. By the time he'd finished, Hilde was back with the developed films.

 

“What did the scan say?” asked Hilde as she slipped the x-rays onto the light board and flicked the switch.

 

“Everything is fine inside, no damage at all. It seems his leg is the only thing injured.”

 

“That's a relief.”

 

“I suppose,” Duo replied absently. He was gazing at the x-rays, his brow furrowed.

 

“My god,” whispered Hilde.

 

“I second that,” replied Duo. “What the fuck do you do with that?” The pair gazed at the picture of Jet's leg. The bones were completely shattered, fragments scattered all around. “Couldn't have done a better job if you'd taken to it with a jack hammer,” Duo muttered. “There's just nothing to work with.”

 

Duo had been hoping that the majority of the bone would be in relatively large pieces with just a few splinters here and there. Then at least he had a chance of pinning and plating it. It wasn't to be. There wasn't a piece of bone over an inch long to be found.

 

“Duo?” Hilde looked at the other vet, concern in her eyes. She had a pretty good idea of what Duo's next words would be in relation to his diagnosis.

 

“There's no way we can fix that, Hilde. There's nothing to work with.”

 

“I know.”

 

Duo sighed and ran a hand through his bangs.

 

“What are you thinking about doing then?”

 

Duo absently ruffled Jet's ears as he thought about his options. “There's really only two things we can do. That leg will never heal on it's own.”

 

“No, it won't,” Hilde agreed.

 

“I guess we should go and see Trowa and Quatre, let them know what we've found and see what they want to do.”

 

“Right with you, boss.”

 

* * *

 

Heero drove home, his thoughts on Jet, Duo and his friends. He really hoped that Jet would be okay. It seemed to take him forever to get back to the practice, but finally he was pulling into the driveway that would take him to the stable block. He brought the car to a stop and cut the engine. He'd seen Trowa's car parked in the practice parking lot so he knew Duo was back and treating Jet.

 

Dropping the tail gate, Heero fetched Shini out of the float and removed the floating boots from the gray legs. With there still being several hours of daylight left, he decided to put the youngster in the paddock for a while. Turning the stallion, Heero jogged down the strip of grass between the paddocks, Shini trotting happily beside him. Reaching the stallion's paddock, Heero opened the gate and led Shini through. He unclipped the lead rope and hung it on the gate. Closing the gate firmly, Heero sprinted back up to the car and locked it. Unpacking the vehicle and unhitching the float could wait until later.

 

Pocketing his keys, Heero jogged past the house and along the pathway that would take him to the back entrance of the surgery. He opened the door and stepped inside. Just as he was about to walk along the passageway to the reception area, Duo stepped out of the treatment room.

 

“Duo?”

 

Duo spun around. “Heero? When did you get back?”

 

“Just now. How's Jet? Have you treated him yet?” Heero's steps took him directly to his partner where he embraced the braided man.

 

Duo locked his own arms around Heero, inhaling the scent of his lover for a few moments and grounding himself. Pulling back a little, he looked Heero in the eye. “I've just finished with an ultrasound and x-rays and was on my way to speak with Trowa and Quatre. I'd appreciate it if you were there too.”

 

“Just try to stop me.”

 

With a smile of appreciation, Duo turned and led the way to the waiting room. As he entered, three pairs of eyes focused on him.

 

“Jet?” Catherine asked.

 

Duo cleared his throat and pulled up a chair, Heero opted to remain standing behind his boyfriend. “I've taken x-rays and an ultrasound,” he began. “On the positive side, there are no internal injuries. The only damage we can find is to Jet's left hind leg.”

 

“Then you can fix it?” Quatre's eyes were hopeful.

 

“I'm afraid it isn't that simple, Quatre. His hind leg, it isn't just broken... it's completely shattered.”

 

“But, but you can repair things like that these days. You have pins and plates.” Quatre trailed off.

 

Duo took another deep breath. “Quatre, I wish it were that easy, but in Jet's case, there's nothing to put a pin or a plate into. The bones have been completely crushed. I'm lucky if there's piece over an inch long. It's impossible.” Duo hated to say that, hated to sound so helpless.

 

“You can't put him to sleep,” Quatre whispered.

 

“Quatre,” Catherine soothed.

 

“No!” Quatre shrugged Catherine's hand away from his arm where the woman was rubbing gently.

 

“It's all my fault,” Trowa suddenly said. “I should have tied him up better. If I had then none of this would be happening.”

 

“No, Trowa, it's not your fault,” Duo was quick to point out. Turning to Quatre, he continued. “I didn't say I was going to put him to sleep.”

 

“But you said yourself it was hopeless, that the leg can't be fixed.”

 

“Yes, I did say that, but you haven't let me finish.”

 

“Then what are you trying to say?”

 

“I can't fix the broken leg, but what I can do is amputate it. Jet will be just fine with three legs, he won't even know it's missing.”

 

Quatre looked like he was going to be sick again.

 

Trowa lowered his head. “I, I don't know.”

 

“Look, animals adjust to the loss of a limb a hell of a lot better than humans do. There are quite a few dogs and cats running around out there fully enjoying their lives and only have three legs,” Duo said quietly.

 

“And what if we don't?” Trowa's voice was barely a whisper.

 

“Then you either have him put to sleep now, or you let him try to heal on his own, in which case he will end up in a lot of pain, have a leg that's useless to him and will probably get infected. The end result would be the same.” Duo didn't want to sound cruel, he was stating the facts and he knew damn well he could remove that leg and Jet would go on to live a normal, happy healthy life.

 

“I think Duo's right. He should operate,” Catherine said to her brother and his boyfriend.

 

“Okay,” Trowa said and looked at Duo.

 

“Quatre?” Duo asked.

 

Quatre nodded. “Operate. Do what you have to do, but keep Jet alive.”

 

“I'll do everything I can.” Duo stood up. “Heero will bring you the consent to surgery forms. If you don't mind, could you please sign them? I'll go get Hilde and we'll scrub up. But first, I'll take you through to see him before we operate.”

 

“Thanks, Duo.”

 

“It's the least I can do.”

 

*~ * ~

 

tbc...