Earth
Noin watched as Zechs tried to help the situation. Things looked grim on his sister right now. No matter how much Zechs vouched for Relena, no one believed. They'd rather believe the Doctor and the medical reports. In most cases, that would be the right move, but it wasn't. All of them knew something was wrong.
Heero texted her. Relena was having genuine problems. Yet, the only thing the media was focused on was if Relena had been swayed away from her previous ideals about peace and fighting. Not to mention, bringing up every damn little thing they could get their grubby hands on for Heero's past!
Heero was a private individual. He rarely talked and never about his past. He wasn't someone to open up much about the present, he certainly didn't want to talk about the past, and Noin could see why. A boy never should have been raised that way! More proof and more eyewitnesses, wherever the vultures could get a story. From his simplest missions they could get any details on, to supposed rumors he was involved in, and even now about the mysterious life of the man who took the great Heero Yuy the colony leader's life so long ago. All for what reason? To know Relena was ignorant and naïve?
Those who believed in Zechs were few with any power. Those who believed Relena was at fault had dominated the media by almost half, with the other part believing she was tricked or lulled into everything by Heero Yuy, the Former Gundam Pilot.
The more they dug up on him to show how terrible and tricky he'd been, the more that side of the media thought they were proving the point. Poor Zechs. Poor Relena. Poor Heero. All of them.
Noin just hoped for now that Heero was keeping Miss Relena from seeing the social media at the moment. Let her heal.
---
Duo and Hilde's Place
"I'm not glass, Duo," Hilde complained as he got up to get her a bowl of popcorn. "I said I'm going to go and get popcorn because I wanted to make my own popcorn."
"You are dreaming." She was going to take it easy as much as possible. Hilde scared the honest crap out of him. Yeah, he was watching after her as careful as he could. Quatre was helping out extra now that he knew what was on the line too. It wasn't work and come home and relax anymore. It was watching her 24/7 and making sure she was okay. She hated it, but she had to live with it. Duo wasn't easing up.
The first time she went in and he heard the news, he'd been sure it had been far progress in the sepsis. She was delirious in that bed, but it was just from the high fever. She was okay and recovering fine but only because he'd been there in time to take action. Any later and who knew what would have happened?
Now she was pressing him about his brothers too, this Finn and Gin. She wanted him to leave her behind and go look for them. Yeah, right. Not with her like that. Okay, so there really wasn't a 'like that' but it was too close.
It was just too close.
"Duo, I'm fine," she insisted as he came back over with the fresh popcorn for her. "You should go see them."
"See who?"
Hilde popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth. "Your brothers. What if they are in danger?"
Ugh. "I seriously doubt they'd just bug a couple of guys I don't even know, Hilde," Duo said. He watched her toss his phone at him. He looked at it and saw the message 'sure'. "What's that?"
"Trowa saying Catherine and I could hang out while you two go hang out."
Ah! "Hilde."
"What? You can't shove me in the house all day, Duo," Hilde said. "Hanging out with Catherine sounds okay."
"You're gonna get irritated," Duo warned her. "She's not like you. She's a lady." He felt her smack the brim of his baseball cap over his eyes. "I don't get happy ever afters. This is something that could wait."
"Unless RTL is trying anything with them."
"What if RTL is just waiting for me to leave you?" Duo suggested as he fixed his baseball cap and looked back at her. Nah. Duo picked up the phone and retexted Trowa. There. That was agreeable. "I'll go see my brothers, once Trowa comes to watch you."
"Okay."
"Don't worry, Trowa and Catherine are coming to hang out," Duo cheered her up.
" . . . oh." She sighed. "Fine."
"Don't go overboard."
"I know."
"Don't do too much on your own."
"I know." She smiled at Duo. "Fingers crossed, Duo. I bet your brothers are the family you always wanted."
Eh. He wasn't so sure.