Rad crouched down to try and be at Dendy's level. "Listen Dendy, K.O. didn't send out that letter."
Dendy blinked in surprise. "Oh. Was it…you?" She asked hopefully.
Rad stood up, shaking his head. "No no no no no. Listen, you know how K.O. wanted to set up this ask thing and we've been getting questions and answering them?"
"No."
"Well, he set it up a few days ago and we've been getting questions for the past two days. It's almost like a smash hit!"
"What does that have to do with the letters?"
"Well, an asker sent out these letters to both you and Fink and reported that both of you liked them. Mr. Gar and I went out for revenge, but found that if we tried tracking the person down, it'd probably be really hard to track them down before you two made it to K.O."
"And you were worried because…?"
"K.O.'s hanahaki is pretty bad. I think he might be taking the medicine tonight."
"Oh my."
"Yeah. He barfed up some petals earlier, and we still don't know who is his soulmate. We're just trying to keep him away from too much stuff right now."
"Oh. I see. Very Well. I will not question him about the letters."
"Ready to go home for the day, Peanut?" Carol asked K.O.
"Yup! I'm ready mommy!"
"You clocked out?"
"Yup!"
"Okay." Carol picked K.O. up. "See you later Eugene!" Carol waved.
Mr. Gar stammered a bit, and Carol rolled her eyes, a blush starting to dust her cheeks. He was adorable.
Carol buckled K.O. into his car seat, to which he made a tiny fit over. "K.O., until you stop trying to crawl into mommy's lap every time we drive, you're gonna have to stay in the car seat." She booped him on the nose.
She then got into the car herself and buckled in.
The two made their way away from the plaza in silence. They knew what was coming when they got home. At a stop light, Carol blinked a couple of times before she looked into the mirror with concern. "K.O., would you mind taking a deep breath for me?" She asked.
K.O. did so, and when he breathed out, it sounded like a coffee filter.
She sighed. "K.O., you're gonna have to take it tonight."
"But I said I was fine!" K.O. protested as the light turned green.
"K.O., I know you might feel fine, but you sound like a coffee filter when you should sound like a more fleshy person."
"I feel fine mommy!"
"You might, but that doesn't change how your belly's doing."
"Mommy!"
"There's no way out of it, son. You're gonna have to take the medicine." Carol said as she pulled into their driveway.
"Mommy, please." K.O. pleaded.
"K.O., I don't like you taking the medicine as much as you don't like it. But you sound like a coffee filter and the doctor told you to take it when you have an episode."
"But it's not even medicine!"
"K.O., it was prescribed by the doctor and it makes your tummy feel better. You need to take it, baby."
K.O. made his best puppy eyes, but Carol ignored it, taking him out of his car seat.
"Tell you what, peanut: You take this medicine, and you get an adult sized bowl of ice cream, okay?"
"Black Raspberry?"
"And Cookie Dough."
K.O. looked away with a pout. "Okay, mommy…"
K.O. was set down in his chair and Carol began to make up the concoction. A tablespoon of the "medicine," diluted by 8oz of water. She set it in front of K.O. and went to the freezer to bring out 2 of the three flavors of ice cream that they had. She set them down and looked to her son. He was not drinking the medicine. She sighed through her nose. "K.O., do you need mommy's help?" She asked.
K.O. looked to her with watery eyes and nodded.
She gave him the same nod and pulled up a chair next to his, He brought the water to his mouth and began to try and gulp it down. Carol pressed her gloved hand against the bottom of the glass, as she began to "fight" K.O. with him trying to put the glass down. "Ah ah ah, K.O. You're nearly there, you can't give up now!" She encouraged.
Tears began to form in his eyes. He hated the bitter taste of the medicine, and it was prevalent in the water still. Even with his mom encouraging him to drink it he fought against her to try and put it down until the last drop was drank. K.O. made a coughing noise as if he had flem and was trying to cough/vomit it out.
"Great job, Dumbbell…" His mother reassured, patting his back. "Now to get you some ice cream for being such a trooper."
