A/N: Hello, me again. Not quite sure why I'm saying that, as who else would it be? But anyway, here is your next chapter to be read at leisure. Enjoy it :)
Disclaimer: If I owned the Boosh, many things would be different, and I'll let you work that out for yourselves...
Howard was trying to conceal the emotions that fought for prevalence inside his mind. He wanted to curse at Vince for going up to that building, shout at him for being stupid enough to think he would ever hurt him. But he also wanted to check he was okay from all the drugs, he wanted to hug him close and tell him it would never happen again, he promised. In the end, he settled for placing a hand gently on Vince's shoulder and saying:
"You know I would never do that, right?"
"Yeah, I know. I wouldn't be here otherwise." He reached up and put his hand on top of Howard's, smiling gently, wearily.
"Alright." Howard said eventually. "Are you okay?"
"Considering all that, I'm not too bad. Really tired though."
"You can go to bed for a bit, if you like. No one's touched your stuff since you left."
"Oh. Thanks. Yeah, I'll go to bed for a few hours. See you." He limped towards their bedroom and got into bed. It wasn't long before Howard heard gentle snores.
Vince woke up as the sun was setting. He hobbled back through to the living room to find Howard just putting down the phone. He turned as Vince walked in, a pained and uneasy expression on his face.
"What's up, Howard?" Vince asked warily. "Who was that?"
"That was Bollo." He replied. "Not an easy conversation to begin with, but... we have to go to the shaman lodge. They're picking us up in an hour."
"Why?" Howard took a deep, calming breath.
"It's Naboo."
"Oh, no. He's not… dead?"
"No. Not yet." Howard grimaced at how morbid this sounded. "I mean… he's getting worse. They told us we should come as soon as we can, so I told them to bloody well get us there."
"No…" Vince covered his face with his hands, whispering denials into them. "No, this is my fault."
"Vince, I've told you, it was a coincidence. Please, stop blaming yourself." Vince looked up, then back down at the floor. Howard hugged him, ignoring the false shudder that ran down his spine. He received a hug in return, Vince standing on tiptoe so they were about the same height.
"I guess I should tidy myself up?" he whispered.
"We both should. You go first, though." Howard pulled away from the hug, and Vince nodded and lowered himself down to his normal height. He went into the bedroom and Howard heard him digging around in the wardrobe for something to wear, before disappearing into the bathroom. It took him half an hour to shower, change and sort his hair out. Howard used the bathroom next, washing, shaving and putting on some decent, respectable clothes. Lastly, he put on his faithful hat and left the bathroom. Vince was standing in front of the mirror with a pair of scissors in his hand, holding them dangerously close to his neck. His hand was shaking.
"Vince," Howard said, "What are you doing?" Vince spun around quickly.
"Oh! I was going to cut my hair, but my hands aren't steady enough."
"Let me." Vince nodded, and Howard crossed the room and took the scissors from him. He turned him around and began to trim the overgrown hair at his back.
"Thank you, Howard." Vince muttered.
"It's my pleasure." He cut in silence for a few seconds; the only sound in the flat was the steady scraping of the sharp blades. "This'll have to be quick, you know."
"I know, it's fine. Just take a few inches off. It looks weird." Howard continued his fast slicing of extra hair, letting it fall onto Vince's shoulders. It wasn't long before he was finished and sweeping it gently from his satin jacket and onto the floor. Vince turned and looked in the mirror, pulling sections of hair around his face to hide the faint bruises that still lasted. He took a deep breath and nodded.
"I'm ready." He said quietly.
"Me too." Howard sat down on the back of the sofa, facing the window, looking out into the dusk. Vince came up and stood in front of him.
"Howard, take your hat off." He commanded.
"What? Why?"
"I want to see your hair." Howard sighed and removed the trilby, placing it on his lap.
"Wow." Vince said. "You've grown it." A small smile again traced across his lips.
"Not deliberately. It was more like not bothering to cut it because I couldn't see the point."
"Oh. Well, I did that too, and mine went all wonky." He considered this for a moment. "Maybe yours just grows straighter."
"Maybe." There was a sudden rushing noise from outside, and a quiet sputtering. The smell of burning magical 'herbs' infiltrated the window, a smell they knew from Naboo. The shamans had parked the carpet outside the shop door. As they went down the stairs, Vince and Howard heard two raucous voices raised in argument:
"This is a nightmare! I'm gonna chuck!"
"Oh, wonderful, you're going to be sick. Again. This happens every time!"
"It's not my fault! I've got a sensitive stomach!"
"You have no stomach, Harrison."
"I 'ave! I've got five!"
"You don't have five stomachs; you have a head like a ball sack and some tentacles."
"I do, I've got at least three stomachs!"
"Harrison, you're a cleft." The unmistakeable voice of Dennis the head shaman cut in to say:
"Please! This is not appropriate. Our comrade is gravely ill, and you are arguing like… well, like you always do! Desist!" The voices grew silent as Vince and Howard opened the shop door and stepped out into the cool evening. They were bowed to mutely, respectfully, as they climbed aboard. They were informed that Kirk had been left behind to help Bollo care for Naboo, and that while their tiny shaman friend had been asleep when they left, he may be roused when they got there. However, they were told tactlessly by Tony Harrison not to get their hopes up for him pulling through. Although Saboo swiftly batted him over the head, nearly hard enough to send him off the carpet; they had an uncomfortable knowledge deep inside them that he was correct.
I've wanted to do an argument between Tony Harrison and Saboo for ages. Maybe putting it in this one was inappropriate, but never mind. It made me smile. Reviews are glorious :)