Disclaimer: I don't own them. I never didand I never will. Sad but true, there comes a time when I will learn to accept it. But until then, I've got torturing to do! Hahahahahahaha!

Author's Note: Well, I see my last posting got a few people's attention. My apologies about the cliffhanger, but I assure you, I didn't mean to upset you all. Oddly enough, though, it was just the boost I needed to keep the ball rolling, and I sat down and worked on this bad boy all night on Wednesday! Hope you like it, 'cuz there's more where that came from! And thanks for all the great reviews!

The transmission had replayed a thousand times over inside her head, the most genuine of smiles playing across her lips. It had been far too long since they had found anything to be happy about, and now, their one shining beacon of hope had returned.

Noin's words echoed in her ears once more, lifting the burden of guilt from her shoulders.

.....He's alive, SallyWe found him ....

"Have the doctors said anything yet?" Noin asked, returning to the small observation window where Zechs was standing, his thoughts obviously preoccupied by the flurry of interns hovering just on the other side of the glass.

She followed his gaze, surprised by the evident concern peeking through her fiancee's typically cold and unreadable features.

"Sally is on her way." Noin whispered, her eyes falling on Heero's unconscious form, and the seemingly choreographed movements of the doctors tending to him.

He looked frightening pale beneath the blinding artificial lights, his face bearing the marks of both his fatigue and the cruel physical punishment he had been forced to endure. Fresh bandages encompassed both wrists, but couldn't fully conceal the dark, angry bruises and mild lacerations that marred the surface of his skin.

Frustration and helplessness began to swell to an intolerable level as she remembered the unmistakable wounds she had discovered on the shuttle ride to the colony, and of the implications it left in her mind.

The unknown objects that had at one time bound his wrists had left evidence of a desperate struggle, drawing further concern to the collection of deep puncture wounds lining the vein in his forearm.

Luckily, she had been able to force that issue from her mind in light of the more pressing need to prevent him from bleeding to death.

Freeing his upper body from the thin, fitted flight suit had been a nearly impossible task in his unconscious state, but she had had little choice. Her eyes had found the jagged, grisly wounds in his side immediately, and she had been forced to steady herself against the surge of fresh blood gumming his forest green tank top to his side.

She trembled visibly as the memory left her, and quickly reset her focus to the here and now.

She felt her vision blur considerably as one of the nurses fixed a second IV to Heero's right arm. Realizing that it was meant to assist in replacing his drastically reduced fluids, she placed a silent prayer of thanks on her lips that the blood loss had not been more severe and that a transfusion hadn't become necessary.

"He's a survivor, Noin....He's not about to let this defeat him." She heard Zechs whisper softly, and became instantly aware of the tears that had escaped her eyes, previously unnoticed.

Slightly ashamed, though she knew she had no reason to be, she wiped her hands over her face, mentally cursing her own weakness. She had always felt pity for the soldier forced to suffer unnecessarily, even back during her days at the Academy.

Releasing a heavy sigh, she stepped away from the window, pacing a few feet in an attempt to distance herself from the unwanted emotions.

"I just hope Sally gets here soon." She said, honestly. "If Heero wakes up, it would be good for him to see a friendly face right now."

"When he wakes up, Noin." Zechs corrected, countering the defeat he sensed in her words. "He's managed through far worse before."

An awkward silence passed between them, broken not a moment too soon as the door to the small observation room opened, and one of the doctors overseeing Heero's treatment stepped through it.

"We have him stabilized for the time being, but his system has suffered considerably. We've tended to his physical wounds, but between dehydration and exhaustion, it might be days before he regains consciousness. The injuries he sustained only serve to slow his recovery, but I see no reason to think that he won't make a complete recovery when the time comes."

The doctor had just finished speaking as Sally Po entered from the door on the opposite side of the room.

Noin shared a quick exchange with her before her eyes filled with happy tears. "Good news......"

She could feel her rage rising to an angry boil in her veins, and she swung her arm out viciously, connecting with the young boy's face with an audible crack.

"How could you have been so foolish!" She screamed, hysterically, at the cowering figure now sprawled across the floor. "Who gave you the authority to act on your own?!"

"I-I'm sorry, Dr. Selleste..." The boy stammered, fearfully, his eyes fixed on the floor in front of him. "I just...with all the injections, I thought...I mean he was just lying there. I thought maybe something was wrong."

"And what did you plan to do, exactly? He was a standing symbol of those we aim to destroy, and a party to the very force that threatens and controls the peace of the colonies and Earth Sphere. His death would have been of no consequence. Remember that, boy!" She seethed.

"What do we do now, Cairn?" Dr. Wendt asked, calmly, stepping up to her side, like a faithful pet.

"How far were you into the injections?" She inquired, stalking across the room to find the most recent of his test results.

"The past two days he was displaying some very erratic and unexpected responses and behavioral patterns. The inhibitors were beginning to effect him, but there is no telling what will happen if the injections are no longer given at the usual intervals."

"How long before his memory returns fully?" Selleste asked, quickly, knowing exactly where her assistant's train of thought was heading.

"There's no telling, but I would say we have 48 hours, at max."

Dr. Arend was the next to speak, his pompous voice working her last nerve.

"I knew that listening to you would be the downfall of us all. Your plan failed, Selleste."

"Let's not panic....." Dr. Jerard interrupted. "Cairn, I thought you said security fired on the pod, and destroyed it."

"We have no confirmation that the pod was destroyed." Wendt stated, quietly. "We only know that it was hit."

"But if that boy survived, then we have a big problem on our hands." The fifth scientist, Dr. Bertrem, finished with his own note of concern.

"I will take care of it." Selleste stated, icily, her words barely above a whisper. There was intention behind her words, and Wendt found himself succumbing to the violent shiver that coursed through him as he pondered what she could have meant.

Sally Po grabbed Heero's charts before turning to her "patient". She was thankful for the opportunity to be looking over his care personally, after spending the last hour discussing the need for familiarity in his treatment, with the doctor.

Noin had been a huge contributing factor in persuading the doctor that it was best for his protection to have a fellow Preventer, as well as someone with her extensive medical background, stationed inside his room.

In the end, persistence had prevailed.

She crossed the room, looking over the doctor's initial report, as she made her way to his side.

She didn't find much of the report surprising, picking up on the majority of his symptoms through simple observation.

But it was the ones that showed no outward signs that concerned her now.

Turning his head gently, she found the faint traces of dried blood and corresponding wound responsible for the mild concussion he had sustained, and noticed that he felt unusually warm to the touch.

Her first thought turned to infection, so she focused her attention to the wounds at his side, not noticing as his eyelids fluttered half-heartedly.

He could hear the sounds of feet shuffling somewhere in the distance, but the hum of lights was deterring him from tracing the source, as he fought to pull himself out of the darkness. He tried to move, but found his body uncooperative, so he focused on the small task of opening his eyes, instead.

Pain flared in his side as he felt icy fingertips probing the cuts he had received trying to....

Realization struck him with intense clarity.

He had tried to escape. But sensing the unforgiving white lights encompassing him, he knew where he was; and as survival instinct kicked in, the adrenaline surged, preparing to fight back.

Sally had no time to react as within a matter of seconds, Heero's eyes flew open, and he jumped from the operating table, nearly knocking her to the floor in the process. The tray of instruments tipped to the ground with a crash, and before she could get her bearings, she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders, effectively pinning her body against his, like a shield. She was just about to speak when she felt something sharp prick the surface of her neck, and felt his breath against her ear as he spoke.

"Who are you!?" He rasped, threateningly, punctuating his question with increased pressure to her throat.

Sally was still trying to process what had just happened, when the door to the small room flew open so hard that it crashed against the wall, before swinging back into place.

Noin was breathing hard, obviously concerned by the sounds of the disturbance he had caused.

"Sally!" She screamed, worriedly, as she noticed the strange and unfamiliar intensity in Heero's eyes.

There was something there that she had never seen before. Something that was only emphasized by the knowledge that Heero did not seem to recognize her at all.

He was afraid...

"Heero...." Noin said, trying to remain calm, while doing her best to appear unthreatening. She knew that she was playing a dangerous game, especially with Sally's safety at stake, but somewhere deep inside her, she believed that he wouldn't hurt her. "It's okay, Heero. You're safe now....and no one is going to hurt you. We're here to help."

His vision was becoming decided faded, the colors dulling before his eyes, as pain flooded through his senses. He could feel blood soaking into the bandages at his side, as well as the thin rivulets cascading down the length of his arm from where he had ripped free of the IV. But, in light of the present odds, two against one and himself being injured, he didn't dare risk looking away from the stranger across the room.

She was talking to him, but the words seemed to evade him as the ringing in his ears grew, accompanied by his own torn and ragged breathing. His strength was dwindling, and he felt all the fight leaving him, but the adrenaline would not allow him to rest.

"What do you want from me?" He asked, the small question stealing his breath, and leaving him virtually shaking in the effort to remain on his feet.

Surprisingly, he saw the woman's eyes soften beneath her midnight blue locks, and a faint tear glistened in their depth.

"We want to help you, Heero." Was the only response she could utter, his body seeming to relax visibly.

Sally felt his grasp loosen and breathed her relief as the metallic scissors used to cut his sutures fell to the floor with a clatter.

She turned just in time to break his fall, as he pitched forward and collapsed into her arms.

END

I'm sorry! I know I am evil, making you all wait with another cliffhanger, but it's just the way I envision things, and don't worryif I get a lot of responses again, I'll probably have the next one up in a hurry! You know me and tortureLove it, Love it, LOVE IT!!!