AN:  Hey how is everyone? Me? Tired as heck. Lol anyways I hope you guys like this chapter...believe it or not it's new to me too even if I am the one writing it.  Well, we'll see where it takes us huh? Now has everyone done his or her homework? If so you could possibly find out who Karen is.

Basic disclaimer: gundam wing is not mine I don't own the characters or their pairing or anything.  I only own the storyline and Karen.

Chapter eight:  

Karen urged him to continue, beginning to feel weaker but she didn't want to break the contact.  If he didn't say it now there might not be another chance.  'Please.' Her eyes pleaded with him but he remained hesitant.  How could he say it?  What if he was wrong?  "I think that you...."

Suddenly someone knocked on the door and walked in.  Wufei jumped away from her and turned.  Duo looked back at him weird.  "Relax, it's just me."  He walked closer, "Why are you all jumpy?" 

Wufei inwardly sighed with relief he hadn't seen what had been going on.  He looked back at Karen.  She was lying down again since her support had decided to get cold feet.  She watched him then closed her eyes.  Now she was not going to answer him or him her.  'The subject may not be open again all thanks to Maxwell...' He growled.  Scowling at Duo he left the room slamming the door in the process. 

"Sheesh what bit him?"  He pulled up a chair next to Karen eyeing the wrappings.  "How do you feel?"

Karen turned to look at him.  "A little tired but okay I suppose."

Duo shifted in his chair.  "I wanted to apologize I shouldn't have tried to make you talk about something that obviously doesn't concern me.  I'm sorry."

Karen smiled, "It's okay.  You didn't know; just don't ask me anymore.  When I feel its time to talk about it I will okay?"

He nodded.  He held her hand for a second then stood to leave.

"Duo." 

He looked over his shoulder.

Karen was sitting up.  "Promise me, you'll take care." 

"Always," giving her a wink then left. 

"AH!" Karen doubled over in pain clutching her side.  She looked up as tears fell from her eyes.  "Wufei." 

                        ****

-Gasp-

Wufei broke out of his meditation.  "Karen."  He stared at the floor.  "She was in pain."  Quickly he stood not caring that he didn't have a shirt and rushed out the door.  He walked past a surprised Relena and a ticked Heero.  Duo was just coming up the stairs but Wufei rebuffed him and hurried along.  'Something's not right.'

Meanwhile Karen had tried to get off the operating table.  Sally hadn't had the chance to move her and it was difficult getting down.  She landed in a heap on the floor wincing from the pain.  Suddenly she threw up, blood dripped down her chin, her vision blurring.  She forced herself to grab the operating table for support and try to walk towards the equipment.  'I need...Wufei.' She passed out.

Wufei started to run down the stairs then suddenly tripped and tumbled the rest of the way down.

"Wufei!" yelled Duo.  He ran to reach his friend. 

"Oh my god!" screamed Sally, horrified from on top of the stairs.

'Karen.' He clutched his side. He pushed Duo aside when he tried to help and continued to hurry towards the Medical Lab.  Still holding his side, half convinced he had cracked a rib he shoved the door out of his way. 

Karen was sprawled on the floor instruments and needles lay about her.  'Blood.' He entered and turned her over.  Sally rushed over and started to access her vitals.  Wufei was to busy studying the trail of blood from her mouth.  He glanced back at the bed.  'She threw it up.'  "Sally."

She looked up and summed up what had happened in one glance then frowned.  "Wufei."  She pointed to the girl's right hand.  She was holding her side the same as Wufei's when he fell down the stairs.  "The pain came from her internally...operate."

"What?  Wufei, we can't do that. She may not survive it since we don't know what it is that's bothering her."

"Do it woman.  If it helps it may be what were looking for."

"The chip?"  He nodded.

She was about to argue then saw the determination in his eyes.  She didn't have personal to help her and half the equipment was broken the rest was in her office lab where she had done experiments when one of them had gotten poisoned.  She sighed, 'would she really survive the operation?  They didn't really have an idea what they were looking for which meant hours of searching.  She could lose a great deal of blood in the process and they didn't even know her match.  It was too risky.

"Wufei, I..."

"Sally, please."

She looked at him and saw the despair.  He didn't want to risk it either but he wanted it done.  They would need another room with this one trashed.  "Send Heero down, he will be of better help."  She started gathering supplies.  Wufei nodded but reluctant to go.  He stood and ran to get Heero.  Duo was just outside the room and entered.

"Duo."

"I heard."  He helped lift Karen onto the stretcher.  "Will she be okay?"

"I don't know.  Lets hope."

"I hope so also."

Heero calmly walked into the room taking in the destruction the room had suffered and the girls' condition in one glance.  "What do you need me to do?"

Sally gathered some more supplies and handed them to Duo to carry.  "We need to move to another room.  Too many vials have been broken and this room is contaminated."

He nodded and grabbed hold of the stretcher with Sally leading the way.  She turned on the lights when they got there and hurried Duo out of the room.  Prepping the patient, Heero wearily eyed her.  "Do you really believe she'll survive this?"

"I don't know.  Her vitals are...border-lined.  She may and she may not."

"Do you really want to help her?"

Sally fixed the oxygen tank should they have to need it.  She tensed while looking at the girl Wufei was protective of.  Her features seemed familiar to her as if she had seen her once before.  Shaking the thought, she centered on Heero's question.  Time was running out.  "Yes."

He nodded tying a surgical mask on. 

Sally proceeded with the procedure.

**** 

"What's taking so long?"

"Relax Relena, I'm sure everything will be alright."  Quatre caught her arm as she paced by him.  She nodded and sat down on one of the chairs Duo had set up.  She tried to remain calm but kept fidgeting.  'What's taking so long?  Karen don't you dare die, not now...' she closed her eyes to pray.  'Please Karen.' Quatre held onto Relena's hand adding his quiet prayer.   

Wufei leaned against the wall.  He stared at the door while holding onto his side.  Duo walked up to him, "Hey, how you doing?"  Wufei nodded.  Duo wanted to offer comfort but obviously Wufei wasn't accepting anyone's.  'He's too worried.'

Trowa studied Wufei from behind Quatre.  He took in how exhausted Wufei looked.  He would wince every now and then and would close his eyes for long periods.  At first he thought it was prayer but now he realized it went deeper than that.  It was almost as if Wufei was concentrating on the girl.  Her condition?

****

"Keep it steady, Heero."

"Alright lets make the incision.  We'll cut here."

Heero dabbed at the blood that flowed from the incision.  He cleared it out also so Sally could see what she was doing.  'This would be easier if we knew what we were looking for.'  He gave her some gauze.

'What am I looking for?' Sally kept cutting.  'This is wrong.  She's losing too much.'  She made the final cut getting some forceps she pulled back the muscle tissues.  'Here goes.'  Placing her hand inside while Heero burned some of the flesh to close blood openings.  Sally gently felt around and looked hard.  'I don't feel anything...' A quick glance at Karen's vitals determined that she would not hold long.  She knew the door was locked from the inside no one would interrupt them should things go wrong. Taking a deep breath she looked again.

**** 

Wufei started taking smaller breaths.  Duo thought the poor guy was hyperventilating.  He put a hand on his shoulder, "Wufei..."

He snapped out of it noticing Duo's hand he quietly nodded his thanks.  'Karen...'

****

"Heero, this is hopeless.  There is nothing here and she has no cracked ribs or anything that would have caused the pain or injury to her intestines."

"Something must be there."

Sally sighed, "better put her on oxygen this will take longer, I'll have to go deeper."

He nodded and placed the machine over Karen's mouth and turned it on.

Sally moved around Karen's intestines taking extra precaution, hoping to feel something, anything out of the ordinary.  'Where or what could it be?'

Heero monitored Karen's vitals even he knew how grim things were getting.  The more time that passed the worse the situation got.

****

Quatre hugged Relena, "She'll be okay."  Relena smiled her thanks and hugged him back.  Trowa put a supporting hand on her shoulder and offered a smile.  He looked back at Duo and Wufei who hovered at the door, almost as if expecting the worst.  They looked tired and Wufei looked like he was in great pain.  Trowa's eyes widened, the only thing keeping Wufei off the floor was Duo; he was supporting his friend's weight.

Duo held on tight, "It'll be okay."  Wufei couldn't even nod anymore.  It was too much effort just standing with what little strength he had.  'What's going on?  I've never been this weak.'

****

"Heero, how is she doing?"

"Fine but we're still pressed for time."

"I know." 

Heero wiped Sally's brow. 

(Beepbeepbeepbeep) 

Startled she stared at the screens.  'NO!'

Heero ran to the machine, "She's dropping!"

****

(Beepbeepbeepbeep)

Wufei gasped, and grasped for the door.  'She can't die.'

Duo held on tight as Wufei struggled.  'For being weak he can still fight when something sparks that need in him.'  Duo grunted.

Relena screamed.  She would have run for the door but Trowa held her back, hugging her tight.  Quatre started praying harder.  Relena cried, "Noooo!"  Trowa tightened his hold.

Wufei finally grabbed the door, 'It's locked!'

(Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeeepbeeepbeeeep)

****

"Heero, see if you can control her heart rhythm.  We can't afford to lose her and we still need more time!"

Heero grabbed the defibrillator and readied it in case they needed to shock her.  'We better hurry.'

Sally tried to stay calm and continue searching.  'Please let me find it.'  The monitor's speed increased. 

"She stopped breathing!"  Heero yelled.

"Start CPR!"

Sally was shaking, 'No, I have to stay calm...' She searched.  'This is taking too long...' The speed increased further the sound ricocheting off the walls.  Sally started to sweat while Heero kept pumping the machine to breath for her.  "Heero!" Sally felt something hard she grasped it.  "I think I found it!  It's attached to her intestine, I'll need to cut it; hurry give me the scalpel!"

He grabbed it and passed it to her while his other hand kept squeezing the bulb at the end to make sure the air was pumped.  Sally began the process of carefully removing the foreign object.  The noise increased.

****

"Sally! Let me in!"  Wufei pounded on the door. 

"Karen!" Relena yelled.  Trowa held her not letting her get too close to Duo or Wufei especially since Wufei was fighting Duo. 

"Wufei! Stop it!"  Duo grabbed for him but Wufei pulled free.

"Karen!  Sally!"

****

"Sally hurry!"

"I almost got it."

"She's dropping faster!"

"I know!"

The monitor started flashing. 

"Sally!"

'Come on hold on. I almost have it.'

Heero wiped away the blood that blocked her view all the while he kept squeezing.  'We have to make it.'  Suddenly the monitor started sounding out alarms.  Karen was too low! 

"Sally!"

AN:  Holy shoot I scared myself.  Whew, so what does everyone think?  Please don't kill me!  I didn't mean for it to end there!  I'm sorry! I'm sorry! (Drops to her knees)  I'm really sorry!!!!  Please forgive me!!!  I'm gonna try to send chapter nine really soon so you all will find out what will happen. Sorry! Please forgive me!  Ja ne for now!