Disclaimer: Gorillaz © Gorillaz Partnership

Smalls mentions about Gregory House, shinigami from Bleach and a line from Edgar Allan Poe are © their respected owners.

A small cameo of Ogawa Remekia is © to me.

OneShot

Perfectly Unhealthy

"And if I died

At least I died

For thee – for thee"

2D's heart was breaking at his feet. He looked at the slowly dying Noodle in her hospital bed, swallowing uneasily. He felt slightly responsible for this. If he had known about her diminishing condition sooner, she wouldn't be in this cruel predicament. He reached out to touch her pale cheeks; the color had completely drained from her face. He gently called out to her, "Noodle-love, you 'wake?"

Noodle slowly opened her lifeless green eyes, "2-D?" she gave him a weak smile, whispering softly. "Hi."

2D swallowed again, "Hi."

She coughed, her whole petite form shaking from the impact. 2D bit his lip, looking at the fragment of the person he once knew. All of her energy and life had been whisked away, leaving Noodle depressed, bitter, and sad. The merriness that he had once loved that glittered in her eyes was gone and her sunshine bright smile was taken over by frowns and straight faces. Her hair was a tone of dull purple instead of the bright shade it had used to be.

Noodle summoned up the strength to speak, "I'm… sorry."

2D shook his head, "No, love. I should be tha one tha's sorry." He frowned at her, "Look at ya!" He pointed to all of the IUVs running through her arms and the never-ending bottles of pills (that even put 2D's collection to shame) by her bedside. "Yer… dyin'." His voice cracked and he swallowed nervously again, tears welling up in his eyes, "I don't wanna lose ya, Noodle. Muds and Rus' don't eitha'."

Noodle smiled, "That's very kind of them, but… it is really my fault." She looked down, playing with the rough edges of her sheets with her fingers. "I… should have told you all sooner." She looked out the window – it was raining outside. It was as if the weather was matching her crummy mood. How she longed to get out of this place! She wanted to be outside again! She wanted to feel the sun, the morning breeze, the evening chill, the afternoon heat! She closed her eyes, "I wouldn't take it personally if you said that you hated me, 2D-kun."

2D looked at her, almost offended. He puffed up his chest, "You listen 'ere, Noodle-love! Jus' 'cuz yer wastin' yer days away 'ere in this 'ospital, doesn't mean tha' I don't love ya 'nymore!" He clutched his hand into a fist tight, "Yer gonna fight this an' we're gonna be togetha', Noodle!" He stared at her, his blank eyes filled with emotion. "Noodle!"

Noodle shook her head, her eyes still closed. She let out a wretched sob before a coughing fit took over her. She gasped for air, her body shaking. Noodle then recovered, her voice merely over a whisper, "I… don't think I'll make it out of here, 2D-kun."

2D blinked, "Wot do ya mean by tha'?"

Noodle shook her head, sighing, wishing, for once, that 2D didn't have the mental capacity of a five year old. "I don't have much time left, 2D-kun. It'll only be a matter of days until…" She dared not finish the sentence.

2D shook his head, refusing to hear it. "No! NO, NO, NO! There's go'a be anotha' way!" He punched his thigh, "There's go'a be!"

Noodle sighed, "I'm afraid not, 2D-kun. Shigata nai, it can't be helped."

2D then turned around and shouted, "Where's tha Noodle I used ta know? Where's tha Noodle tha' would try'a fight 'er way out even if it meant death? Tha one tha' neva' gave up?"

Noodle replied softly, "I'm afraid that Noodle's dead, 2D-kun." She looked away, "She died a long time ago."

2D was confused, "When?"

"Just before the movie came out…"

(Flashback Sequence)

It was the big movie premiere of the Gorillaz movie. The four band mates were shining, smiling, and on top of the world. Cameras went off everywhere and Noodle posed for every one of them. All of a sudden, she didn't feel like herself.

Noodle swallowed uneasily, 'Everything's starting to spin… and I feel… sick to my stomach.' She ran away from the crowd and into a bathroom stall, heaving her guts out into the bowl. When she was done, she panted, exhausted.

"What came over me?" Noodle asked, but then another wave of sickness fell over her and she heaved again and again, her small body shaking. She collapsed on the floor, half-crying, half-whining. The room was beginning to spin around her and a sharp pain in her head caused her to close her eyes, wincing. "Itai! What's happening to me?"

When Noodle awoke, she found herself back in her room, a worried Murdoc looking over her. He sighed, "Ya had as worried there for a while, you."

Noodle blinked, "What happened?"

"Jus' a bout of stomach flu, the doctor said. You'll be up in a jiffy in 'bout a week."

Noodle groaned, "Wonderful." She winced, her stomach hurting.

Murdoc raised an eyebrow, "You 'right?"

Noodle nodded, shooing him away. "I'll be fine. I'd rather have some air now, thanks, Murdoc."

Murdoc got up, looking back suspiciously, "If you say so…"

But the calamity did not go away in a week. Noodle had managed to lie to everyone (although Russel was a little hesitant) saying that she was fine, but she didn't think so. What she didn't tell them was that she was beginning to vomit blood. The first time she did, she thought she was dreaming, but then she realized…

Noodle's eyes widened. She felt her heart pound up in her chest, her breaths getting closer and closer together. "Am I… going to die?" She then shook her head, "No. I'll fight this." She stood up, determined. "Whatever this thing is, it won't kill me. I won't let that happen."

But after a month, Noodle didn't think her task at hand was going easy. Some days she couldn't even get out of bed, she was so exhausted. She then reluctantly told her friends what she was going through the past month and they looked at her, shocked. She muttered apologies and 'sumimasen's.
That was when Noodle found herself at her new home, the hospital. The doctors, at first, had known what she had, but as the days dragged on, they simply hadn't a clue. (If there was a Gregory House in the real world, they certainly would have paged him!)

And, little by little, Noodle's resolve began to fade away and she began to embrace her bitter fate – death. Some days she would look up at the cracked ceiling and think, 'When I die, where will I go? Is there an afterlife? Will a shinigami come for me and take me to Soul Society? Or will I go to 'heaven' or 'hades' or somewhere else? Do we even have souls? If we don't, what will happen to me? Will I simply fade away into nothingness, or will my soul actually go somewhere and I'll be aware of my surroundings?' She sighed with a great puff. 'Death is so confusing.'

Noodle knew she was going to die. The nurses outside after they checked on her, closed the door and shook their heads, muttering things about how sad it was to see such a lovely girl like herself go. Noodle closed her eyes.

Noodle found herself sleeping a lot. Her dreams were a sweet escape from the harsh reality of this world. She dreamed of being healthy and in Japan, of eating ice cream with 2D, of getting a brand new shining sword, of going shopping for a new guitar; all wonderful dreams that she hated to wake out of and find herself in a hospital with heavy air and an ammonia smell. She hated it. The only times that she looked forward to was when her friends came to see her, which wasn't very often. The doctors usually ran test after test on her, so she was usually sleeping when they came.

At first, Noodle thought of trying to run away and die a warrior's life by taking her own life… but she had regrets. What if she died before she got to a sword or a worthy sharp object? There were too many 'if's.

The nurse came into the room and gave her a purple-red mush. Noodle pinched up her nose in disgust, "Arigato."

At one point in time, she would only see 2D, Russel and Murdoc refused to come. 2D never told her why, but she guessed that they didn't want to see her like this. Murdoc she understood, but Russel? Her heart ached at the thought. Russel was like her father, 2D her caring older brother, and Murdoc her pesky younger brother. How could they leave her?

Mostly all 2D would do was stare off into space and engage in small talk with Noodle – "How's tha weather?" "Is tha food nice?" " Are ya feelin' any betta'?" "You know where tha toilet is?" But it was better than nothing.

Noodle then felt herself being gently shaken awake by the blue-haired lanky man, whispering, "'ey there, love. Ya fell asleep lookin' at tha window."

Noodle laughed lightly, "So ka?" She coughed violently again, her head falling back on the pillow.

2D swallowed as he noticed Noodle get even paler than before. He reached out to grab her hand a winced – it was ice cold. He felt her forehead – ice cold. What was happening?

Noodle blinked, feeling immense pain build up in her abdomen. She bit her lip, 'So this is what death feels like… ne? I always thought that I would die a warrior's death. This is somewhat ironic… ne? The Axe Princess dies from an unknown illness. Mataku, ne?' She then looked up at 2D's worried face and smiled lightly, and for once her lively shining features came back to her… at least for a little while. She said, "Cheer up, 2D-kun, you're not the type to have a frown on their face."

He grabbed her hand, "Noo-dle?" He sniffled, tears freely falling from his face, "Bu'… wot if I neva' see you 'gain?" He shivered fearfully, "I don't want ya ta die," he muttered softly.

Noodle shook her head, "I'll always be with you, 2D-kun." She looked at her neck and stared at a small necklace that she had been given to as a little girl. It was silver and had a small red fan charm. She carefully pulled it off and gave it to him, smiling sadly, her eyes closed so he couldn't see the tears building in her own eyes. "Here, this way… we'll always be together, ne, 2D-kun?"

2D wiped his eyes and reached out for the necklace, his voice shaking, "Yeah, Noodle. Always."

Noodle then looked back up at the sky, wincing yet again. The pains in her stomach were getting worse and worse, blood streamed down her lip. She inwardly gasped, 'Internal bleeding?' She sighed, 'I guess I really am dying.' She looked back at 2D, "If… and when you go to see everyone… tell them that I – that I -"

"Wot, Noods?"

She clutched her hand tight, "That I'll never forget them." She then closed her eyes, "I haven't even made a will yet, 2D."

2D chuckled lightly, "It isn't too late now, is it?"

She shrugged, "I might as well say it now." She then opened her green eyes again, "I want my guitars and things… to go to a museum or something; I don't want Murdoc selling them so he can get drugs and hookers and things. And I want all of my swords, axes, and various battle gear to go to Kyuzo-sama. Tell him that I'm sorry we couldn't meet again." She took a ragged breath, it was getting harder to speak now. She winced, closing one eye, "My clothes and room things can be donated or something… I don't care."

"Even yer Graham Coxon shrine?"

She smiled softly, "Do whatever you see fit. Send it to Damon for all I care." She coughed strongly, wincing. "And finally… I have something for you, 2D."

2D was surprised. He pointed to himself, "Fo' me, love?"

Noodle nodded, "Other people may own my things at various times, but you will be the only person… that will have my heart." She bit her lip, "Suma nai, I wish it wouldn't have to end this way."

2D nodded, his black eyes blinking, "I'm sorry, love. You fallin' in love so early in yer young life and then dyin'… I'm sorry."

She shook her head. She winced out loud, "Ku-so…" She struggled through the pain, possibly for the last time. "I should have practiced… saying good-bye to you… 2D-ku….n…." Her head fell to the side.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.

2D let out a childlike strangled cry that filled the whole room as he collapsed onto her now-dead body. "NOOOOODLEEEEE!" His slow mind tried to grasp the situation – how could Noodle be dead? She was just alive two seconds ago! How could someone be snatched out of the world so fast? Why? Why? WHY?!

Noodle opened her eyes, eying the chain attached to her chest. She gasped, looking at her body in the bed, "I'm… dead."

A voice replied, "Hai… you are, in fact, dead." A young woman appeared from the windowsill. She had bright magenta-brown hair in a ponytail at her right ear, beautiful teal eyes, and wore a black kimono and hakama with a white slash – standard shinigami attire. She had a red sword inside the sash and unsheathed it. She smirked, looking at Noodle's eyes, "Nice eyes. They have a fighter's spirit in 'em, na?"

Noodle nodded, "Ee. Before I died, I was quite the swordsman."

The woman nodded, "So ka." She grinned, "You have quite a bit of reiatsu there. You'll make a fine shinigami. Boku wa Ogawa Remekia ya, if ya eva see me."

Noodle bowed, "Arigato. And I am Nudoru, yoroshiku." She smiled, "I'm going to the Soul Society then, ne?"

She nodded, "Any last words?"

Noodle looked back hesitantly at 2D. She walked over and kissed him lightly on the cheek, "Sayonara, 2D-kun." She whispered to him softly, "I'll never forget you."

The shinigami then butted Noodle's head with the back of her sword. Noodle smiled, fading away into the ground, bright blue light surrounding her. Then, a black butterfly soared up into the sky. Remekia smirked and stepped onto the windowsill again. She looked back at the blue-haired mess crying buckets over the dead Noodle. She closed her eyes, "Tch." She then jumped out and into the bright moonlight.