The Greatest of These

All previous disclaimers apply.

“You really don’t say much, do you, sweetheart?” Duo asked of the quiet baby girl, currently falling asleep on his chest as he laid on his bed. The late morning sun was shining through the window and bathed them both in it’s soft light and warmth. After his conversation with Cammi Duo had checked on Wu Fei, only to find him sleeping deeply, the only disturbance to that sleep the wracking cough that seemed to seize his exhausted and feverish friend all too frequently. He had been so deeply asleep and had seemed to need that sleep so badly, that Duo hadn’t had the heart to wake him and move him to the bed. When he woke next would be good enough. So, he had just covered him better and left him to his sleep. Then, seeing as both he and the baby were still covered in food, he decided on a shower.

The water play with the baby had been much more fun than he was expecting as he held her close to himself under the spray and washed her gently. She had smiled when he began to sing quietly and played with the loose tendrils of wet hair that had come out of his braid. He wanted to wash it, but he couldn’t risk putting the baby down. So, he settled for letting the water thoroughly soak his hair and decided that he would wash it when the baby was down for a nap later in the day. After all, he didn’t have much to do now that he was on an official vacation. Then again, he did have to go grocery shopping at some point in the day. If he was going to take care of Wu Fei and feed all of them, he would need a lot more in his apartment, and not just groceries, than he presently had. And that presented a problem. Wu Fei had taken care of the baby thus far even as sick as he was. A few hours tops probably wouldn’t be that taxing. As long as he went when the baby had just laid down. Sheira had brought his wandering mind back to hers by reaching out and touching his face with her small hand.

“Okay. Okay. We’re getting out.”

Now, he was laying on his bed, Sheira clothed in the cute little pajamas with feet he had found in her bag and falling asleep on his chest. He had brought his thermometer out of the bathroom and put it on his bedside table, intending to go take Wu Fei’s temperature, but then Sheira had just looked so cute, sitting on his bed, yawning widely, that he couldn’t resist laying with her, if just for a moment. He had noticed that the whole day, all the while he had been taking care of her, Sheira had not made one noise. She hadn’t cried, she hadn’t laughed. A normal baby would have cried to have her diaper changed. A normal baby would have laughed half the time that all she did was smile. So, maybe Sheira was no normal baby. All he knew was that with her lying on his chest where he could feel her heart beating and knowing that he had something to do with making her warm and comfortable, he was falling in love with her. Falling in love with a baby.

“Yep, you’re definitely a looker,” Duo murmured, stoking a hand over the baby’s curly hair and running a finger down her cheek.

“She looks like her mother,” The new, yet familiar, voice surprised Duo as he turned to see Wu Fei wearily leaning against the doorway. He looked as if he were ready to topple over at the slightest breeze. Duo carefully shifted Sheira onto the bed and got up. He took it as a bad sign when Wu Fei didn’t even fight him as he put an arm around his waist and helped the smaller, darker man to the bed. Halfway there Wu Fei doubled over against the force of his coughing. Duo winced at how deep it sounded, seriously reconsidering his stance on whether Wu Fei needed to go to the hospital or not.

“Wu, man,” he frowned as he laid Wu Fei on his bed and the Chinese man fell upon it, breathing as if he had just come from the most difficult of battles, “Really, I think we need to get you to a hospital. No joke, man. You can’t breathe, you’re coughing like the dying, you look worse. Man, you really need to get to a hospital.”

“No,” Wu Fei said adamantly, grabbing onto Duo’s shoulder as he knelt next to the bed, “No hospitals, Maxwell. I’m no better off there than I am here. With you. In your care.”

“Wu Fei, please,” Duo grabbed his hand and moved it from his shoulder, holding it firmly in his own, ‘I’m begging you. If you won’t do it for me, and you obviously won’t do it for yourself, do it for Sheira. She needs you.”

“No. Hospital.” Wu Fei repeated, his voice weakening, “Never again. They couldn’t help my Sally girl. They won’t help me.” He didn’t notice Duo’s pained expression, “You know me as well as anyone, Maxwell. I am strong enough to fight this off. But . . . I need your help.”

“Well,” Duo smiled, “This is a first. Wu Fei Chang asking for my help. Okay. No hospital. But, we have to lay some ground rules here. Your temperature is currently . . .” Duo put the advanced thermometer in Wu Fei’s ear. It sounded just under two seconds later with his temperature, “One hundred and two degrees. You reach one hundred and four we go to the hospital.” Wu Fei nodded in agreement, “You begin to cough up blood we go to the hospital,” Another nod. Duo had a sudden thought and picked Sheira up and pulled her away from Wu Fei, “Sheira will not be allowed in the same room as you until the fever and the cough are gone. She’s just a baby. I know it’s going to be hard for you, but if you get her sick, there’s no telling if she’ll be able to recover.” Wu Fei winced, but nodded again, “You will not leave this room except to use the restroom. You will not even leave the bed.”

“Maxwell . . .” Wu Fei frowned. His eyes were beginning to close of their own accord. Even the small walk and short conversation were exhausting him. Duo wanted him to be able to sleep, but he still had a question.

“No, Wu Fei. You’re not going to help yourself by walking around and trying to do more than your body is capable of, despite what your mind thinks. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” his reply was little more than a sigh.

“Just one more thing,” Duo set a hand to Wu Fei’s forehead and smiled, “Why doesn’t Sheira make any noises?”

“She used to,” Wu Fei murmured, already half asleep, “She used to make noise just to hear herself. Coo and giggle and cry. I miss that. She hasn’t made a noise since Sally died. Not one noise.”

For a moment all Duo could do was watch Wu Fei as he finally gave into his body’s demand for rest and closed his eyes to sleep. His breathing was deep, but not even. It made Duo wince to watch him struggle to breathe around such a wracking cough. He wanted to stay with him, but he knew that he needed to get Sheira out of the room. She was going to miss her daddy. He could tell by the way she was already reaching out for him, but he knew that it would be much better and much safer for her to get her out of the room. She might not like it, but it was what had to be done. She glared at him as he took her out of the room and went into the kitchen area to make a phone call.

“Yes, Duo, what is it?” Cammi smiled at him despite her greeting.

“You haven’t gone to jump Fritz yet,” he observed with an arched eyebrow.

“Are you kidding?” She laughed, “You alone with a baby? I’ve been to your house, remember? You hardly ever have coffee for when you’re hung over, let alone real food and baby stuff. Now, you’re taking care of a very sick man and his infant daughter? Yeah. I knew you would need to call me for help sooner or later. I was just betting on it being sooner. I’ll jump Fritz after I go shopping with you. Is that her?”

“Yeah,” Duo shifted Sheira so that Cammi could see her better in the video phone, “This is my sweetheart.”

“You weren’t exaggerating. She’s a beautiful baby, Duo. So, while I’m on my way over, put some real clothes on her and start straightening up your office room. It’s going to be the nursery.”