Chapter Twenty-Five
Riley Barton watched her friend sleep, a peaceful smile lit up on Vienna's face. She had been in a coma for three months now, and there wasn't a day that passed by that riley worried about tomorrow. What had happened in the control room on the Granger space station was still fuzzy to her, and she doubted she would ever fully remember what happened. The others had tried to explain the miracle that had happened between she and Vienna to her, but it just seemed too unbelievable to be true. If she had been able to give her friend strength to survive, then how was it that Vienna was laying in a coma in the hospital?
She sighed, drawing the attention of Heero Yuy, who sat on Vienna's right. Riley smiled at him sadly, aching for him. He had rarely left Vienna's side for the entire three months she had been there. She and the others and tried to get him away for an hour at most, but he wouldn't hear of it. He was too stubborn, and so he left himself in the pit of misery, sitting in the same chair for days on end. Riley admired him for it. She doubted Vienna would ever find anyone so devoted.
She bit her lip, feeling tears starting to rise. She had been holding them at bay for weeks, refusing to let them fall. Never would she let anyone see her crumble under the pressure, and especially not Duo or Solo. If duo saw her cry he would never leave her be, she knew. He had been watching her like a hawk as it was. It would be worse if she let herself fall. As for Solo, ever since that day at the Granger station, their relationship had been on shaky ground. She had to gain his trust all over again, and every time she saw him hesitate in approaching her, it broke her heart. She remembered what had happened with him on the station, and she tried to forget it. It only caused her more emotional pain.
"Why don't you get away for a little while, Riley."
Riley jerked, surprised that Heero had said anything, but even more angry at herself that she had let her feelings show. Stubbornly, she shook her head. "No, I'm fine."
"I insist," Heero said. "You need to. I can bear it, but if you stay another minute you'll crumble." She gave him a startled look. He shrugged. "Hey, I've been hiding everything about myself for much longer than you have, so don't think you can hide anything from me. I can read you like a book." He paused. "As can Duo," he added.
She stared at him for a moment before looking away, folding her arms across her chest- her shield. "You know, maybe I will take a break." She got to her feet, grabbed her wallet of the table nearby, and headed for the door.
"You can't run from it, Riley," Heero said to her back.
She stopped in the doorway and said to him over her shoulder, "Maybe I should say the same to you."
------
An hour later Riley found herself wandering down an empty street, the moon shining brightly down on her from above. She did not know where she was heading; just that she did not want to go back to that hospital room and have to face Heero again. All her problems were piled up in Vienna's hospital room, and if she returned she would be picking them up again.
She could hear the sound of jeering men nearby, and she knew she must be close to a pub. She looked both ways before heading in that direction. She needed to be in the midst of a crowd. Maybe the noise could drown out her depression and loneliness.
The pub was a short distance away and was easy to find. She stepped inside and the smell of sweaty men, the sound of jeering people, and the clanging of beer mugs slammed into her. Welcoming the noise, she pushed through the crowd, heading for the bar. She dropped down onto a stool and sat at the counter, staring absently at the TV screen in the corner.
"What's a pretty thing like you doing here?" a gruff voice asked from behind the counter.
Riley looked at the bartender and shrugged, ignoring his compliment. "Nowhere to go, nothing to do," she replied.
The bartender nodded, glancing to the pub's entrance as the doors were pushed open, signifying the arrival of more customers. "Would ya like anything to drink?"
Riley shook her head. "No thanks."
"Suit yourself." The bartender walked away, going to help another customer further down the bar.
She had been sitting there by herself for only a minute when the three bar stools to her left and two bar stools to her right were pulled back and people sat down in them. She grew rigged, upset that anyone would crowd her in like that. She turned to the man on her right and was about to tell him off when she saw his face. She faltered. "Duo?"
He glanced at her and smiled. He then waved down the bartender and began ordering drinks for the entire group. Riley looked past him to find Trowa sitting beside him. She looked to her left to find Heero beside her, followed by WuFei and Quatre. She blinked. "What are you guys doing here?"
Heero looked at her for a moment before giving her a rare half smile. "Just having a drink with a good friend."
Riley Barton watched her friend sleep, a peaceful smile lit up on Vienna's face. She had been in a coma for three months now, and there wasn't a day that passed by that riley worried about tomorrow. What had happened in the control room on the Granger space station was still fuzzy to her, and she doubted she would ever fully remember what happened. The others had tried to explain the miracle that had happened between she and Vienna to her, but it just seemed too unbelievable to be true. If she had been able to give her friend strength to survive, then how was it that Vienna was laying in a coma in the hospital?
She sighed, drawing the attention of Heero Yuy, who sat on Vienna's right. Riley smiled at him sadly, aching for him. He had rarely left Vienna's side for the entire three months she had been there. She and the others and tried to get him away for an hour at most, but he wouldn't hear of it. He was too stubborn, and so he left himself in the pit of misery, sitting in the same chair for days on end. Riley admired him for it. She doubted Vienna would ever find anyone so devoted.
She bit her lip, feeling tears starting to rise. She had been holding them at bay for weeks, refusing to let them fall. Never would she let anyone see her crumble under the pressure, and especially not Duo or Solo. If duo saw her cry he would never leave her be, she knew. He had been watching her like a hawk as it was. It would be worse if she let herself fall. As for Solo, ever since that day at the Granger station, their relationship had been on shaky ground. She had to gain his trust all over again, and every time she saw him hesitate in approaching her, it broke her heart. She remembered what had happened with him on the station, and she tried to forget it. It only caused her more emotional pain.
"Why don't you get away for a little while, Riley."
Riley jerked, surprised that Heero had said anything, but even more angry at herself that she had let her feelings show. Stubbornly, she shook her head. "No, I'm fine."
"I insist," Heero said. "You need to. I can bear it, but if you stay another minute you'll crumble." She gave him a startled look. He shrugged. "Hey, I've been hiding everything about myself for much longer than you have, so don't think you can hide anything from me. I can read you like a book." He paused. "As can Duo," he added.
She stared at him for a moment before looking away, folding her arms across her chest- her shield. "You know, maybe I will take a break." She got to her feet, grabbed her wallet of the table nearby, and headed for the door.
"You can't run from it, Riley," Heero said to her back.
She stopped in the doorway and said to him over her shoulder, "Maybe I should say the same to you."
------
An hour later Riley found herself wandering down an empty street, the moon shining brightly down on her from above. She did not know where she was heading; just that she did not want to go back to that hospital room and have to face Heero again. All her problems were piled up in Vienna's hospital room, and if she returned she would be picking them up again.
She could hear the sound of jeering men nearby, and she knew she must be close to a pub. She looked both ways before heading in that direction. She needed to be in the midst of a crowd. Maybe the noise could drown out her depression and loneliness.
The pub was a short distance away and was easy to find. She stepped inside and the smell of sweaty men, the sound of jeering people, and the clanging of beer mugs slammed into her. Welcoming the noise, she pushed through the crowd, heading for the bar. She dropped down onto a stool and sat at the counter, staring absently at the TV screen in the corner.
"What's a pretty thing like you doing here?" a gruff voice asked from behind the counter.
Riley looked at the bartender and shrugged, ignoring his compliment. "Nowhere to go, nothing to do," she replied.
The bartender nodded, glancing to the pub's entrance as the doors were pushed open, signifying the arrival of more customers. "Would ya like anything to drink?"
Riley shook her head. "No thanks."
"Suit yourself." The bartender walked away, going to help another customer further down the bar.
She had been sitting there by herself for only a minute when the three bar stools to her left and two bar stools to her right were pulled back and people sat down in them. She grew rigged, upset that anyone would crowd her in like that. She turned to the man on her right and was about to tell him off when she saw his face. She faltered. "Duo?"
He glanced at her and smiled. He then waved down the bartender and began ordering drinks for the entire group. Riley looked past him to find Trowa sitting beside him. She looked to her left to find Heero beside her, followed by WuFei and Quatre. She blinked. "What are you guys doing here?"
Heero looked at her for a moment before giving her a rare half smile. "Just having a drink with a good friend."