Pairing: Johnny V/Devi D

Summary: This story takes place after the events of I Feel Sick. Devi realises that Johnny is sick and needs her help. She rushes to his aid and is surprise with what she finds.

Warnings: Language

The night had a warmth to it. Devi stood outside of her apartment building, confused. "What. . .the. . .fuck. . .just happened?" She scanned the area around her. Everything appeared to be normal. People walked passed her blatantly stupid as par usual. 'Did nothing change'? Maybe she was just tripping.

She gave her wrist a sharp pinch, "Ow! Okay, not a dream." She never believed in that little trick but right now she needed something to believe in. After all, at this moment, she should be happy she's alive.

Just a few moments ago she defeated a horrid creature. She felt like one of the characters from those crappy superhero comic books she hated so much. 'Sickness', she thought, 'Was. . .he not strong enough?' She paused for a moment thinking of him. . .

All this time, she pretended to hate Johnny for what he did. I mean, he DID try to kill her on their first date. Whatever creature took over Devi's painting definitely had something to do with Johnny. Was he really a victim in all this? Driven insane by a monster beyond compare? Or maybe he was just born bat shit crazy and Devi's losing her mind.

No. . .

The blood was real. Sickness DID try to kill her. 'Johnny. . .' She mouthed his name. She wanted to call out to him, but couldn't get the words out. Somehow she knew he needed her. Johnny is being haunted by the same freak that Sickness was. And He needed to be free. He needed help. He needed Devi.

"Shit!" She circled around herself. It had been so long since she went to Johnny's place. She had almost every moment trying to avoid him that she forgot how to get there. "What was his address again?" She shouted but was ignored by the passer bys. "7. . ." She pulled tightly on her pigtails.

Devi looked like a street performer circling around that single spot, but no one paid any mind. They didn't stare one bit, like it was the norm for them. But it wasn't.

"Devi!" A voice called from the door.

"John-" She sped into a turn, "Oh. . .it's just you Teena."

" 'Just you'? What's that supposed to mean?" She made her little skeleton squeak toy dance around like a puppet.

"I'm just looking for someone is all, sorry, I guess." Devi didn't mean to insult her best friend. Teena really did bother her nerves in honesty. She distracted her from everything! As Teena went on a rant about something or other, Devi zoned out trying to figure out how they became friends in the first place.

"But yeah!" She seemed to have stopped.

"Yeah?" Devi had no idea what she missed so might just wing it.

"Right up there." She indicated the floor below the one where Devi's apartment was located.

"What's up there?" She knew she was going to regret asking this.

"Fat lady."

"Fat lady? Oh! The one that never leaves her apartment." Devi thought for a moment. Her neighbor really never left her apartment except today. It was a pathetic ploy to stop Devi from killing Sickness. "She's still stuck in the hallway?"

"Yeah, it's funny." Teena smiled sweetly, puffing up her mini-fro, "Wanna go watch 'em get her out?"

"No, I'm good."

"But it's been awhile since we hung out. You've been so busy with that project for that advertising company or whatever." She squeaked her little toy.

"I quit. We can hang out tomorrow." She raised a brow, "Look Teena, I really gotta go."

"But, why?" Her eyes glazed over with tears.

'Sickness?' She pondered. Somehow Sickness put a spell on everyone, Devi thought that once Sickness was gone so would be the spell. Was she wrong? She really didn't have time to worry about that right now she needed to get to Johnny.

"Wait, did you meet a guy?" Her lit up once more.

"Uh, yeah and I'm almost late for our date. Soooo…" She avoided making eye contact. Devi just grabbed Squeaky from her friend and launched him across the street just to be safe.

"SQUEAKY!" Teena forgot her mission to distract Devi and chased after her toy.

"I'm sorry Teena," She began running off in the opposite direction, "But I really do hate Squeaky."

She ran as fast as she could to find Johnny. Once out of her comfort zone she made sure to pay close attention in order to see if anything looked familiar. "This day is just fucked up!" She shouted running another idiot after another. "And why the FUCK is EVERYONE outside tonight?"

It seemed the more she ran the less things looked familiar, "FUCK!" She slowed to a stop in order to catch her breath. "I loathe this city," She scanned around her current area, "let's see. . .nope, No Johnnys here."

She jumped into a dash and continued on her way. Even though she was getting no where fast, she'd never give up. She was determined to find Johnny. But where is he? If she wasn't worried that Sickness's spell still affected the city's cockroaches, she'd ask for help. But luck just isn't on her side.

She thought of their first date, the deep conversation they had. Now that she recalls it, he was perfectly normal until they went to his place. He seemed honest to her. And all the cryptic things he said made sense to her. They were targeted by the same freak. But why? Why Devi? Why Johnny? They weren't exactly important to society. They were artists, seen as beatniks. They barely had a dime to their names. Why were they so important to these freaks.

Her thoughts raced and her mind became crowed with all this shit. She never felt like a deep thinker. All she ever thought she'd do was paint. That's it. She never asked for much. She just wanted to live a simple life painting, and maybe get a nice guy. A nice guy that doesn't shit sewage on the first date.

But things don't always go Devi's way. Nope. But after her own painting tried to kill her maybe things will start looking up. She could get Johnny the help he needs and they could be together. Like a fairy tale. Yeah right. That would never happen. Devi wasn't lucky enough to dance in an empty room in a fancy dress. But then again, she was never into that shit, even if luck really was on her side.

Devi felt like she was flying. She couldn't feel her feet touch the rotten ground covered in garbage and hobo droppings as she sprinted across town. Still no luck. She couldn't find a house number with a single 7 in it. What the fuck was this shit? 'This is one messed up town,' she said to herself half tempted to move the fuck out.

She was getting tired. Out of breath. And sweaty. Man, did she wreak once she jotted passed 8th street. But she was a girl on a mission and nothing could stop her, and I mean nothing! This is a woman that crawl through some lady's folds of fat just to kick Sickness's ass for Christ's sake. In short she felt invincible.

All her frantic running soon paid off, things started to familiar. She paused to get her bearings. She grasped a light pole on the corner of street, she didn't bother looking for the street's name. Her eyes locked on the convenience store by her. It was opened 24/7 so the poorly trained employees were used to the unreasonable hours and shit pay.

She seen this 'fine' facility before. This is where Johnny made late night trips, she assumed. She ran passed it her first time in the area when Johnny attacked her. She knew she was getting close.

Devi slowed her run into a strut. She wanted to continue with caution. Several emotions filled her; fear, worry, pride, and even love. Her pale complexion was tinted with a bright hue of red as she preceded. It's been so long since she's seen him. She hoped he retained some sanity.

She drifted passed a nice wholesome house. The inside was lit up bright. She glared at the number, '775'. That means. . .

She turned her attention to the next house. Dimly lit, no sign of life, crooked numbers read: 777. Definitely Johnny's place. Everything seemed normal on the outside. There were no noise as she walked toward the lonesome door. She knocked. Nothing. Once more. Still nothing.