Chapter 4

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'> 

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>(Notes:
before thought were //, now they are italicized. More so I warn that all
the medical mumbojumbo is from personal knowledge, I didn’t do much research,
so if they are mistakes, please excuse them and you can e-mail me for the ones
that annoy you too much. Please excuse my typos.)

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style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-familylatilatino Linotype"'>There
was another close call during the ride towards the hospital. At some point
Wufei had started to choke and his vitaad gad gone wild but they were able to
quickly stabilize them, as much as possible considering the situation.

Wufei was hanging on and Duo couldn’t
thank the heavens enough for the stubbornness of his husband.

They got to the ER a good ten minutes
before the rest of the ‘gang’, red lights always working aga the the body when
one was in a hurry.

Thus by the time they got there Wufei
had already gone through the ER’s preliminary diagnosis and x-rays. They were
told where to find him in ICU.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>Duo
was sitting next to the private room’s only bed (Quatre’s doing, surely), where
his husband lay. They’d inclined the head of the bed to alleviate the pressure
on Wufei’s chest and Duo kept watch as he slept. His poor luv was exhausted. He didn’t pay much attention to the
I.V. nor the smoking mask, but he watched attentively the monitor that showed
the sleeping man’s respiratory and pulse patterns. He frowned each time he’d
see the pulse stumble even if the nurse had assured him that it was a common,
although undesirable, side effect of a severe asthma attack.

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Dr.
Neilson came in just as anotfrowfrown appeared on Duo’s face. She checked the
readings herself taking Wufei’s chart from the foot of the bed.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She read through the notes and added some of
her own. Taking the chart with her she then listened to Wufei’s lungs and
frowned adding more notes.

Well
it’s not too good, but it could be worse.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>That’s
when she registered the cobalt blue bordering on violet eyes weighting on her.
She jumped. Duo blinked looking at her awkwardly. She chuckled and approached
him, one hand extended.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“How
rude of me. I’m sorry but after 17 hours I tend to be a bit too focused. Lack
of sleep…”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>She
chuckled some more as Duo shook her hand.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“I’m
doctor Patricia Neilson. I’ll be in charge of Mr. Maxwell-Chang.”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>She
looked at their linked hands where a gold band shone as Duo took his hand back
and at the way his other hand was caressing the limp golden one of the Chinese
man.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Your
husband, yes?”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-fam"Pal"Palatino Linotype"'>“Yeah,
Duo Maxwell-Chang, to to meet you Pat. Call me Duo.”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>‘Pat’
lifted and eyebrow at the nickname, but then smiled at Duo. She would let it
pass for now, the man had other worries more important than the respect of a
title.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Nice
to meet you too Duo.” She cleared her throat becoming serious again, “Well, I’m
sure that you want to know what’s going on here.”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“We
all want to know what’s going on here.” Heero materialized near Duo and this
time Pat did gasp out loud. She looked around to find that the previously empty
room had now a good number of people in it and that she was surrounded in a
matter preventing any type of escape or intrusion.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“And…who
are you?”

style='font-size:11.0pt-bid-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Oh
they’re family.” Duo dismissed nonchalantly. “What about Wufei?”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>Clearing
of throat from the still unsettled doctor, “In that case…Well we got the x-ray
results and blood test back. I won’t hide you anything, it’s not pretty, but at
least we got to him in time. Five minutes more, and well…” she let it hang
watching as everybody went pale and Duo gripped Wufei’s limp hand. Satisfied
she continued, “His condition is quite severe as it is. One of his lung has
collapsed filled with mucus and Mr. Maxwell-Chang respiratory system was right
on its way to a full collapse as the other lung is half blocked and is trying
to do the work of two healthy lungs.”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Oh
God.” Quatre blanched horrified.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>Pat
nodded, “ In consequence he hasn’t been inhaling enough oxygen and his blood
work shows that he has been steadily poisoning himself with his own carbon
oxide.”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0ptt-fat-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Shit!”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>Dr.
Neilson acknowledged Duo. “ That is the situation for now. And I believe that
you should thank the person that thought of bringing him to the clinic first.
He probably wouldn’t have made it otherwise.”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>Trowa
pushed Sally forward. “ We have her to thank.”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Dr.
Sally Po,” she introduced herself.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Doctor?”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0ont-ont-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Yes,
“ Sally answered, guilt wen aen all over her face. “ If you’ve finished we
could go to your office. I can explain the circumstances leading to the
situation and can give you any input needed from his medical history.”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>The
woman in the white coat nodded. She had a feeling that she wouldn’t like what
she was going to hear.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Well
it is about all at this time. We have him on the same medication that the
clinic started him on, oxygen, a bronchodilator and corticosteroides, the
medication in itself that will work at destroying the mucus. He should steadily
get better, but he’ll be here for a couple of days if not weeks.” She clipped
the chart that she’d been holding until now, to the foot of the bed. “ A nurse
will be coming around every thirty minutes and a doctor every hour or two. If
you need anything, the nurse’s station is right at the corner.”

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>When
there were no questions. She looked at Sally and motioned to the door.

style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype"'>“Please
follow me. My office is three rooms down the hall.”

 pan>

After
a bit of a chat and basing themselves on the seriousness of the x-rays and
blood works results, Pat and Sally were able to piece together the possible
scenario leading the present crisis. As Sally told her, Wufei had had a nasty
booth of bronchitis a year ago and his convalescence had dragged on much for he
had been forced to go back to work early. However, he had eventually regained a
full bill of health. Or so sally thought.

They estimated that he started being in
distress six months ago. Since he was in exceptional shape (with his previous
history as a gundam pilot – Pat was suitably surprised- and now being a Preventer
special op) his body had compensated adequately. He probably entered the crisis
status around a month ago. It would explain the fatigue and insomnia; his
respiratory system must have already partly collapsed by then. His body was
basically failing him at this point. The sleeping pills had been the fortunate
or unfortunate catalysts. Under their influence his body was put out of its
constant stressed mode. Asleep and relaxed the true seriousness of the
situation finally transpired.

Considering
all the information she got on her patient’s medical and brief personal history
as well as some input on his character, i.e. his legendary stubbornness, Dr.
Neilson thanked those sleeping pills. Otherwise the only way they might have
found out would be after Wufei fell flat on his face, dead.