32 Productions Presents…
A HIVE Team StoryThe HIVE Team In…
"Unpleasant"
Chapter Six
Hospital Lobby: The Next Day
At last! At LAST Jean was allowed to leave this wretched place! She ate the less then appetizing breakfast and waited. Finally around the afternoon, the doctor told her she could leave…with the tube still in her side. In three days, she was supposed to get it removed. It wasn't draining so much anymore, but the doctor still wouldn't take it out. Wincing, she climbed out of the wheelchair they brought her down in and walked to the H-car.
Jean: Aren't you just going to run home?
Tad: Can't risk being spotted before I dash off.
Jean: Whatever…
Jean opened the door and climbed into the car, Tad getting into the back.
Rose: Feeling better?
Jean: Aside from a little pain, no. I'm going to be on some pain killer and antibiotics for a while though… Nice disguise job on the car.
Rose: I thought it would look a little odd if the H-car was seen picking you two up.
Jean: Speaking of…
Jean glared daggers at Rose.
Jean: Why did you make it so that HE was the only one that visited me?
Rose: Would you rather I have sent Krystal?
Jean: No! I mean…no.
Krystal wasn't known for her bedside manner. Jean had horrible mental images of Krystal trying to insert her finger into her tube hole in her side. Ugh…
Rose: Did it kill you to have him around for a while?
Jean: …no.
Rose: Well there you go.
Tad: You sound like a parent.
Rose: …Tad, I'm going to ask you to never say that about me again.
Jean snickered. Tad got in trouble, Tad got in trouble.
Tad: Yeah, that's real mature.
Jean: Bite me.
That's it. Rose had enough. She turned on the radio and turned it way up. Tad winced.
Tad: What the hell is this?!
Jean: What?!
Tad: I said, what the hell is this?!
Jean: I can't hear you over the groaning and shouting!
Rose grumbled. Death metal was NOT groaning and shouting. Sonic liked some decent music, but it wasn't hardcore enough for Rose. All his CDs were by his statue in the Hall of the Fallen. It was a new name, one that Gizmo came up with. A little too dramatic, perhaps, but fitting.
HIVE Tower: Main Room
Jinx sighed as she entered the tower. Right now all she wanted to do was lounge around and enjoy the fact that she was finally home again. Maybe watch some television or… Suddenly everyone jumped out at her.
All: Welcome home, Jinx!
Jinx jumped. She shook her head.
Jinx: I should have known.
The room was decorated up with a banner that stated exactly what they had screamed at her. Streamers and other such items hung all over the place. Holding up her hands, Jinx shook her head.
Jinx: Guys, guys…I just got out of surgery yesterday. I'm not in a partying mood.
Mammoth: Oh…
Gizmo: Guess we'll just have to throw this cake out then…
He gestured to a large…c…cake…with…vanilla icing…an…and…Jinx's stomach growled, reminding her how little she had eaten recently.
Jinx: On the other hand…
Krystal appeared next to her and held out a noise maker. Smiling softly, Jinx took it and blew into it.
Krystal: YAHOO! Cake conquers all!
Jinx: Well…vanilla icing is my favorite. Is the cake chocolate?
Blackfire: And store bought. Gizmo didn't lay a hand on it.
Gizmo: …what's that supposed to mean?!
Rose smiled and nodded. This was the reaction she was hoping for. Also, whether Jinx realized it or not, she was opening up around Inertia more. …and she just had to find out how that ring worked. She would LOVE to store her costume in a ring like that!
Rose: Save me some cake. I want to get back in costume.
Jinx: I make no promises.
She really did seem to be feeling better. That was good. Rose went off to her room to change.
Krystal: So Jinx…be honest. Rose being Red X, surprised or no?
Jinx: Not really.
Krystal: YOU LIE!
Jinx: Nope, I…
Krystal: YOU LIIIIIIE!
Blackfire: Krystal, don't screech in her ear.
Krystal looked downtrodden. She kicked the floor.
Krystal: But she lies…
Blackfire: I know, baby, I know.
Jinx rolled her eyes. Just because none of them had an inkling doesn't mean she couldn't. Ah well. At least she was back home, safe and sound.
Mammoth: What exactly does the gall bladder do anyway?
Jinx: …I…don't know.
Blackfire: The gall bladder is basically a storage unit for the bile that is used to break down foods containing certain types of fats. Once stored in the gall bladder, the bile becomes more potent, increasing the effectiveness of the digestion process.
Everyone went silent.
Blackfire: What?
Gizmo: How did you know that?
Blackfire: I looked it up. Duh.
Jinx: …so…eating cake…
Blackfire: That's fine. Now eating foods high in grease, that's bad.
Jinx: Damn…that means I have to cut back on pizza.
Everyone was silent again.
Gizmo: Cut…back…on pizza?
Krystal: Can…does the English language even…can you put those words together that way?
Hmm…Inertia couldn't be sure…but it sounded like pizza would be a big part of his diet on this team. Call it intuition.
Jinx: …hey, Inertia?
Inertia: Yeah?
Jinx: …just wanted to say that you're probably not the asshole I thought you were. …but that's probably the pain killers talking.
…well, that was close enough.
Inertia: Um…thanks?
Damn…that tube in her side really itched. She couldn't wait to get it removed. Oh well. Like she was told, Jinx had to take it one day at a time…and apparently with less greasy foods.
FOURTH WALL BREAKING GOODNESS!
The Titans lined up next to each other in a world of white emptiness, going from left to right; Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Changeling, Terra, Raven, and Shade.
Robin: For all the fans who've read this garbage for the last year or so…
Starfire: To you, we give our thanks.
Cyborg: We hope you'll continue reading in '08, but more importantly…
Changeling: …have yourself a merry Christmas!
Terra: A Happy Chanukah!
Raven: And in general, an enjoyable holiday.
Shade: …
Raven: …he says have a happy New Year.
They all smiled and waved. After a few moments Raven shuddered.
Raven: Sweet Trigon, why did we have to do that? I'm going to go swimming in disinfectant to get this dirty feeling off me.
Cyborg: And why didn't anybody mention Kwanza? That's just freaking disrespectful.
Terra: Well, you should have said it! I'm Jewish, that's why I said "Happy Chanukah".
Robin: …but you eat pork.
Terra: I never said I was a dedicated.
They all walked off. Shade poked his head back in and waved his arm, creating a banner from shadows that simply read…
"HAPPY HOLIDAYS"
Raven: Get your stupid, well wish giving butt back here!
Shade winced and ran off after Raven. Now he was going to get it…
END