Are we mortal?
Chapter 4- Retribution
A/N: Greetings one and All to my latest instalment. I know, I haven't updated and what not, but Damn it! I've been busy handling life and stuff, I NEED MY BREAKS *holds up a coffee cup* ~yahhhhhh~ so let's start, cut the Crap and get to the story.
---------------------------
Soon enough after the devastating night's events a doctor that both viper and mantis were searching for quickly found and brought up to the Palace. As they showed him to the room where Po's was placed, he ushered everyone out, even Master Shifu. Leaving him alone with his patient. After a short while of examining Po's body the doctor began to pack away his medical tools before exiting the room out into the corridor where all the Furious Five and Master Shifu were anxiously waiting. "How is he?" Shifu asked with a worrisome voice as he watched the door to Po's room open.
The doctor sighed as he pinched the bridge between his eyes, rubbing it for a moment. "It's very serious." He began. "By the looks of things, I would have to say he's lost a lot of blood, barley enough to stay alive. But somehow he's managing to fight his way to the end. I've cleaned and bandaged the cuts on his throat as well as the other's around his body, b-"
"What 'other'?" Interrupted Shifu. The other's looking just as confused, none of them had even noticed that there were other cut's on Po's body.
"Well...it would seem that he was also cut around the body, by examining the cuts I could tell they were made by a small type of blade, a throwing knife."
"How do you know?" Tigress asked, stepping forward.
The doctor rose up his hand to show a small blade, or part of it. "I found this still lodged within one of the cuts on his back. It must have got stuck and snapped off." Tigress took the blade from his hand and examined it, there was still blood across the blade and the metal was shiny as if it was just polished. Tigress could see her reflection on the surface through the blood stain. She inhaled and clasped her paw around the blade, holding it tight but not enough to cut herself.
"How is he now?" She asked.
"He's awake, but just barely. I would say that you leave him to rest. And do take into consideration that he may have trouble speaking, it may seem hoarse and raspy, due to the cut being so deep." The doctor explained. Monkey, Mantis and Crane each rubbed their necks, gulping at the thought of having their throats cut. The doctor continued "But he needs some food and water and due to his the cut on his throat being deep, I would suggest that he is fed his food."
"I'll do it." Tigress spoke without a second though, causing the others to have a look of confusion, especially Shifu.
"Are you sure Tigress, I mean don't you... dislike him?" Asked Viper.
"T-that doesn't matter. All that matter is the fact that Po is injured and needs to be catered to until he recovers. That's all." Tigress said the others, only looked a bit confused, confused by Tigress determination to care for the Panda.
Shifu 'hmmmed' at the sudden volunteer but didn't question it. Only leave alone, for the time being. "Very well then. Tigress, I leave you in charge of taking care of Po. As for the rest, I want you to monitor him periodically." he ordered.
"Yes, Master." they said in response.
"Alright. Now everyone, get some rest, we have a busy day tomorrow. Tigress, I give you one hour to help him, after that it's off to bed" Shifu instructed.
"Yes Master." Tigress said.
Just as Shifu began to walk away, Tigress called out to him. "And Master?"
"Yes Tigress?" Shifu asked.
"With your Permission may I stay in his room tonight?" She asked. The others had a shocked look, on their faces, and Shifu raised his eyebrow in question. "Just in case he needs anything?" She added quickly.
Shifu pondered this for a brief moment, and then nodded. "Very well. Permission granted." He stated.
"Thank you Master" Tigress said with a bow, while having her head down, and smile spread across her lips.
*Later, in Po's room*
Po awoke to a sound, stirring him from his. His eyes flustered open, turning his head to the source of the noise; he found it was the opening of his bedroom door. And in the doorway, there stood Tigress with a sleeping mate and in her night clothes. Even though it was a sight to see Tigress in her night clothes, Po still turned his head away. Closing his eyes tightly, hopefully she would assume he was asleep.
The last thing that Po wanted right now was for Tigress to be in his room. But her sleeping in his room! This was something completely different. 'Why would she be coming into my room with a mat and her night clothes if she hates me?' Po thought.' Maybe she's just here to torment me. Say what an idiot I was for walking alone on a cold, rainy night.' But then something else slipped into his mind. 'What if she's here to take care of me? But she said she hated me to my guts. It just doesn't make sense. I know. Maybe I'm dreaming this.' He thoughtfully summed up. 'Maybe I'm just dreaming, she's not here' Summoning his courage, he turned his head over and opened one eye to find that he was alone. He sighed though his nose and looked up to the ceiling with both eyes open. But just when the panda thought he was alone, footsteps came at the doorway. Po turned his head and looked to find it was Tigress with a bowl of food in one paw and another filled with cold water and a flannel. She was staring right at him.
"T-Tigress! W-what are you doing here?" Po asked
"I'm brining you something to eat." Tigress replied, wincing slightly at the hoarseness in his voice. The doctor was not kidding when he said that Po was barely able to speak.
"I see. Well... thank you." Po said gently. Tigress only nodded. But what struck her was the fact as soon as Po began to talk softly and slowly his voice sounded normal, just a bit though.
"I think you shouldn't speak, Dragon Warrior." Tigress said, worried that the panda was weak and possibly losing his voice. "That cut on your throat is very deep." She explained, setting down the two bowls by his bedside before sitting down on her own across the room.
"Oh, this? Ah, don't worry. I'll be fine." Po said with a smile
Tigress couldn't help but smile a little herself; even when the most difficult of situations, whether it be himself or someone else, Po would always smile. But the cut on his throat was something that Tigress was not about to take lightly at all. "Still, Dragon Warrior. You're weak." Tigress immediately wished she could take back what she just said.
"I may be weak, but I can still look adversity in the face Tigress." Po countered.
"I-I didn't mean it like that." Tigress quickly said, losing her composure. "What I mean to say was that...um..." She sighed in defeat. "Po..." She quietly started again. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?" Po asked.
"Did you...over hear me and viper talking in my room earlier?" She asked him, looking right into his eyes.
"Yes, I did." Po stated flatly
The redness in Tigress's cheeks increased to the point where it was almost visible through her fur. But at the same time she felt saddened. "Which parts did you hear?" She asked.
"All of it, how I was fat and worthless" Po stated with a bored expression.
Tigress immediately got to her feet at the mention of the bad parts of the conversation she had with Viper. "Po...I...I'm sorry." She apologised, sitting on her knees by his bedside. "I didn't mean any of that. I-" She was going to continue but Po cut her off.
"Relax Tigress. I'm way past that." Po stated while waving his paw
"But that's not all I'm sorry for." She said. Getting up and walking over to her sleeping mat, she reached in and pulled something from the contents. She held it close to her chest for a moment, as if it were her own child. She turned around, still clutching the object sloe to her chest.
"Is that, my painting?" Po asked.
Tigress sat down by his bedside again and nodded. She handed it to him.
"Eep, that's the one alright. but- you kept it?" he asked.
Tigress's blush was now completely visible beneath her fur. She nodded again. "Yes. I kept it. I couldn't tear it up or throw it away. Why would I?"
"I thought you hated it." Po stated.
"How could I hate something this special?" Tigress replied, a little offended by Po's words, only a little. "Po, it's beautiful." Tigress commented. "And well...is this really how you see me. Like this?" she asked, averting her gaze.
"Everyday. Be it training, or not." Po replied.
"But why like this?" She asked. "Why not in one of my stances or standing with pride? Why like this?" She added.
"I don't know. I could try later on, but for now, you look really amazing, dressed formally, but other than that, it just captures you" Po said while smiling
Tigress was now fully embarrassed, but in a good way. Smiling and blushing crazily she looked away. Po saw this and used most of his energy to raise a paw, cupping it around her cheek, turning her face towards his own.
"Hey, don't go thinking I'm a negative person. Po said with a smile
"Truth is Po." Tigress said as she placed a paw over his own. It was soft and tender. "I never did. And I never will."
"Huh?" Po asked looking a bit confused.
Tigress sighed again. "Po....I" Tigress began, but she couldn't find the words. "I...I've..." Everytime she tried to speak, the words got caught in her throat.
"Ah, you don't have to say it again. I got it the first time." Po said with a smile
"But, you don't understand." Tigress said, grasping his paw on her cheek. "Ever since you fell in front of me on that day, I just couldn't help myself. You...you've somehow changed me, Po."
"Dad said the same thing. Ever since he adopted me, his life has been better than it ever was before." Po stated.
"But even though I tormented you, called you fat, useless. Showed you up, threw you about. How can you ever forgive someone and at the same time change them?" Tigress asked, remembering all those times before.
"Hmmm. You got me there. I just do what I do best. Smile." Po said with a grin
Tigress chuckled a little at the crude joke made by the panda. But then something caught her mind. "Po..." She said, grasping his paw, removing it from her cheek and holding it close to her chest. "Down in the Valley, who was that person attacking you?"
Po looked up at the ceiling and just 'hmmmed'. "I don't know, he just showed up out of now where and just attacked." he said.
"He used throwing knives, didn't he?" She asked, her tone getting a bit serious.
"That's right. He did." Po said. "In fact I still feel a piece still there."
"You mean this piece" Tigress said as she picked up a broken blade from a pocket in her night trousers. She held it up to the panda, which seemed both feared and mesmerised by it. The moonlight coming through the window seemed to glisten off its shiny surface. Po tied to shuffle away in his bed but he was too weak to move. His voice was getting hoarse again, to the point where he was coughing, it soon subsided.
"No, not that. I still feel the broken piece lodge in my back." Po said.
Tigress seemed confused. "But the doctor said he removed all the blades. He must have missed one."
"I think he must have." Po said trying to sit up, but he was too weak to even raise his head. He was becoming very tired. "Tigress. If it's not too much to ask...."Po looked at her. "Can you, get it out of my back, please."
"Alright. Just tell me where." Tigress said.
"It feels as if it's about my upper back, um...to the left, your left that is." Po explained as he used the sense of pain to guide his direction of thought. "Can you help roll me over, I...I'm...." Po's words were beginning to fade; he was becoming very tired yet trying to stay awake. "Tigress...." The feline understood what he was asking.
"It's alright, I understand." Tigress gently traced her paws over Po's back. she kept going till she felt something poke from his shoulder. Not wanting to hurt him she gently tapped the spot. "Is this it?" She asked.
In a slurred speech, Po muttered out. "Y...y...yeah."
"Okay, this is going to hurt a bit. But I'll do it as fast as I can." Tigress said while using her thumb and index fingernails, taking hold of the fragment
"Don't...worry...about me." Po slurred out, growing more and weaker by the minute. Tigress smiled.
"Okay, hang on." tigress warned. Now having the fragment in a tight grasp, she used all her strength pulling out the fragment, it came out, and a little blood flew from Po's shoulder. He gritted his teeth, determined to not yelp out.
Now that it was out, she showed it to Po. He smiled and just turned over to look at the feline.
"T-Thanks Tigress." Po replied.
"Po, what is this?" Tigress asked expecting the fragment.
"What do you mean?" Po asked, a little woken up by the extreme pain boost given when the fragment was removed. He turned his head to feline, his eyes just barely open.
"This, what is this liquid? It's green." Tigress said.
"Green?" He asked, trying to stay conscious. "Where's....the liquid?"
"Right here." tigress said, showing him the substance.
Po used some droplets of energy to open his eyes and focus on the liquid on tigress paw. She was right. It was a dark green substance; it seemed to be giving off a scent of toxins like burnt food. He looked at the blade fragment in Tigress' paw. The same liquid was mixed with his blood on the tip. Suddenly Po's eyes shot wide open, he gasped for air. "Tigress!" He quickly said.
"I take it you know what this is?" Tigress asked.
"That's Dragon's Breath!" Po exclaimed. Tigress just looked at him with a very confused expression.
"Dragon's breath?" she asked.
"It's a poison!" Po quickly replied. "It's deadly!"
"P-poison?!" Tigress said in reaction.
"And it's in my blood!" Po added. "Hei An poisoned me!"
"He did what?!" Tigress said in a furious tone.
"He must have dabbed some of the substance over one of the knives and thrown at me whilst I was running away from him." Po explained.
Tigress' fur bristled at what Po just said. Is that so? Well, just wait! When I find him, so help me!" Tigress stated.
"Tigress, listen to me. Hei An said that it will take at least three days for the poison to take effect. Then it will take another few days till the worse happens." Po explained. "But..."
"But what?" Tigress asked.
"I don't know if there's an antidote." Po said.
"W-WHAT?!" Tigress shouted out, so loud that it woke up the entire palace and possibly the entire valley.