READING BEDTIME STORIES

Chapter 11 - Soaking Wet and Stressed

Disclaimer: I remind you all the DBZ stuff belongs to Akira Toriyama.

The sense of crashing through an unreal layer of life screamed through him with a silent splash. The water was absolutely freezing. He couldn't breath. As he slammed in… he slammed up as well - bolting upright in bed and crying out in alarm. Later his nurse would explain he had reflexively yelped for help and that he'd muttered about drowning in a inaudible, half crazed mumble.

Jeice sat in his hospital cot, trembling and panting as though he'd been suffocating. As the world spun he could recall a strange sensation of falling and then a burst of reality - very cold and shocking. All he could think of, as the world went wild, was of some near-drowned animal who'd managed to struggle out of the cold, dark water against all odds… with all the world watching with indifference.

Pain shot through him and the dizziness persisted. The back of his mind believed himself sopping. He quivered, shivering from imaginary cold and shaken from the experience. He felt the water dripped and his teeth chattered, heart racing. He could see the hospital, but feel the delusion. His breathing slowed, but became more labored as he weakly called out, "Nurse! … Nurse!" Trapped between reality and illusion the young soldier's mind was in shambles.

Freeza screeched like a banshee as he smashed a chair over Zarbon's back. It shattered and the handsome blue officer nearly crumpled in pain and surprise. The pretty boy was on his hands and knees, bracing himself in case there was anything more. Fortunately, one chair was enough.

"Get the hell out." Freeza spat.

Zarbon rose, determined to have dignity as he left. As he made his way down the corridor he remembered his confusion when Lord Freeza had ordered him to the floor. SMASH! It had come to the point where Freeza wanted all to suffer, all to bleed, for his inconvenience. Even his favourites. No one was safe, it seemed.

He couldn't resist rubbing his bruising back, wondering why something as simple as a chair across him had hurt so much. Perhaps it was the surprise, more likely though, it was Freeza's strength. There would never be another like him.

He stumbled into his office and found notes about the mysterious fire on his desk. It wasn't the first of its kind. Freeza clung stubbornly to the concept of a conscious force attacking him. The Lord was fascist in his principals and frustrated with the situation. He wasn't accustomed to the inability to fight back. Who could stop the weather? However, he was determined to punish whoever was responsible once he found them. He wouldn't accept anything else - someone was to be blamed. They say lightning never strikes twice… but in Freeza's mind… lightning never struck once. Even at the first blow he'd suspected enemy activity.

His ego refused to allow the possibility of a force he couldn't fight, couldn't control - no matter what. It just wasn't possible.

"HMPH…" Guldo sipped his soda and listened to Burter convey the information he'd picked up from the night nurses of Emerge. "There's always something wrong with that boy. His life's like one of Racoome's soap operas. Frankly, I've had enough."

Burter snorted, but said nothing. Guldo constantly muttered about Jeice's mental and physically frailty - it was certainly nothing new. However, even he was forced to admit Jeice had been too much over the past few weeks. If Jay wasn't careful he'd have a funk as bad as last year and that would certainly be the end of him professionally.

Racoome started to speak, but Guldo interrupted, angry. "Every single time we turn around that feeble fool is holding us back. I can't believe Ginyu hasn't exterminated him, let alone let him stay on this team. He's unfit for the army, let alone our elite force!"

Guldo, on a roll, would have continued had Ginyu not blasted from nowhere, slamming the pop can from his warty hand, shouting, "Shut up!" The scenario was very startling. Ginyu stood before them heaving, almost seething, trying to control his temper. Realizing the awkwardness of it all, the Captain cleared his throat, "Get back to work."

He watched them resume their orders, his arms crossed with an air of authority. He was so infuriated with the situation he could scarcely stand the sight of any of them at the moment, let alone listening to them tear down one of their own. It was a sickening display no Ginyu should… Oh, shut up.

It was more than that. His annoying Ginyu flare was faltering under all the stress. The fires had put him in an awful state. He couldn't fathom where the mysterious lightning was suddenly coming from. Why was it picking off their buildings one by one?

His mind wandered to a painting from his childhood on the wall of his grandfather's cottage. A strange painting of decaying gray log barns from the pioneer days in a lonely field... the sky dark... a beautiful fork of lightning striking one of the ancient buildings... It had been such an interesting art peice...

He shook his head, hard. That life didn't exist anymore. That cottage was gone. That planet was gone. His entire family was gone. And he needed to forget about it all once more. He scolded himself for allowing his mind to slip away from the present so. His mind tended to drift to the past when he was particularly stressed out. He hadn't always been a murderous military commander and sometimes he actually remembered that fact... which wasn't healthy for him to do...

He watched his warriors scurry about. They all looked so serious, as though a smile would be their undoing. He realized this was the case - he'd set that mood himself. He observed Guldo huffing and puffing like a wolf before a house of bricks. The sweaty little toad was too comfortable, too cocky. The lavender leader had heard almost every word he'd said about Jeice.

That was another factor to his great stress. Jeice.

Presently, the team was down a man… and if things didn't improve… Ginyu would find himself pressured to select someone with elite potential. How annoyingly awful it would be. Especially considering he'd just gotten comfortable with his team over the last few months. Gotten comfortable with Jeice. Initially the guy had been an annoying pain in the ass... a prima donna and a brat... but he's grown up fast after his first real taste of his mortality. The near death experience a year ago had changed him for the better.

That orange punk had really become an asset. He'd cleaned up his act and trained hard and gotten extremely strong this year! No one had predicted he'd rise to his full potential so quickly. He and Racoome were in tight competition now for second spot. It was a shame to face the possibility of losing the kid.

He had to admit to himself he'd taken a shine to the kid. He really seemed to understand what it meant to be Ginyu. He shared the Captain's sense of fun and style. He showed true Ginyu attitude, like none before him ever had. He was young and he had the ENERGY level to keep up with the Captain's craziness!

Ginyu silently predicted he would never find a replacement who was even a shadow of the fiery, foolish Jeice. That lead to the biggest problem of all. He was forced to question his personal bias. At points he'd thought the world of Jeice… He enjoyed working with his entire Force… but Jeice was definitely his favourite now. Such biased wasn't good. He'd never known it before. It was troubling. I'm starting to risk my neck for this kid. I'm starting to care WAY too much...

Ginyu had been like Jeice's mentor all year as he grew to his full potential. And Jeice had been with him several years now.

But he remembered the kid from long, long ago. He'd been so memorable. His appearance, for starters. The striking orange child.

Then he heard Guldo muttering under his breath again, "That Jeice is a liability. It's gone too far. We-"

Racoome finally interrupted to say his peace, "In case you've forgotten… Jay was nuked the other day. Sure, he's been really vulnerable the last little while, but I assume it's a streak of bad luck. I mean, if you were mutated, I doubt you'd bounce right back."

"How can you defend that traitor?" Guldo spat the words before he realized what he was saying. They all froze as if frightened and waited for Captain Ginyu to lose it.

However, the Captain stood his ground and pretended to have missed the entire conversation. If they continued, he would snap at them to shut up… he couldn't handle it.

Ginyu innately knew Jeice was no traitor. And yet he couldn't help but play the possible scenarios through his head. Under what circumstances could Jeice BE a traitor? Were there any?

I am really biased... He COULD be a traitor, after all... And I'm sticking my neck out...

Being a traitor would explain much of his behavior. However, no matter how long the leader debated the issue he couldn't picture Jeice being evil. He'd seen Jeice angry… but never hateful. Hurt… but never vengeful.

Maybe someone had promised him a way out of his deadly enslavement... err, promising military career...

NO. Jeice had finally been prospering. He was working his way up in their world. Why would he risk it all? Why would he blow it now?

Ginyu unknowingly sighed aloud. He turned away from the smoking ruins. All the above subjects had been talked dead. He was all talked out about it, frankly. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Freeza's temper was frightening and the lavender leader's personal stress level was rising rapidly. Between the Base's troubles, the Force's failings and Jeice's antics… he couldn't take much more. His arrogant smile fell into a troubled frown. What the hell was he going to do?

Jeice rubbed the sleep from his mouth and eyes, knowing that he was an unkempt, embarrassing mess. He felt as groggy as he looked grubby. He glanced into the next room and noted two female doctors chatting quietly over their clipboards. One, was the pretty little doctor he'd been dealing with all morning… the second was an unfamiliar face. As far as he knew, he'd never seen her around the Base before.

His doctor was smiling somewhat as she tapped her pencil on her notes. Her skin was as white as snow, her hair and eyes a warm rose colour. She was so pleasant. The second doctor wasn't smiling at all. She looked extremely serious behind her intellectual spectacles. Her skin was pale green, which complimented her hunter green hair and eyes. Her hair was in a professional bun, not free and lovely like the first girl's. Jeice shook his head, scolding himself for staring. He loved women. Always had. He couldn't help himself.

He watched them discuss his case, their lips moving silently through the glass, hoping the pretty pink would return. Fortune smiled and so did she as she reentered, "Good news, sir."

"Oh, the respect…" he smiled, charming in his jest.

She smiled back professionally before continuing, "You're free to go. All symptoms have gone and your tests have come back perfectly normal. Originally, we assume it was just a brief bug - a fever that passed. Then we noted your eye colour and voice have returned to normal. Obviously, the radiation caused a little glitch, but now everything's fine. You can resume your duties without concern."

Jeice liked her smile, but couldn't stand the bull it fed. He was certain there was much more going on then she was admitting. Why had they spoken of him so long in private? Did the other doctor always look so grave… or was something serious going on? He finally asked, "What if it happens again… you know… a relapse?"

She sighed, "If there's a reoccurrence I'll have to sign you over to Doctor Vallen. She specializes in unique cases. No other physician on the Base has the expertise to analyze such a case."

Jeice didn't respond right away. He found himself looking out the window. Black smoke slowly snaked across his faint reflection. He barely noticed the dead fire outside… he stared blankly at his orange eyes. Eventually, he turned back to her, "What happened last night?"

"To yourself, sir… or the base?" Jeice finally registered that something had happened to the base AGAIN. Another fire.

"Both."

The officers private bar was deserted aside from the three. Zarbon sipped his heavy liquor, watching Apple and Dodoria devouring something very much like spoiled yogurt. Normally he'd look away with turned stomach, but not today. Today he was staring right at them blankly, filled with a sense of hopelessness. He stopped sipping and took a good, long swig… knowing as the moments ticked by he would sooner or later have to go "home". It was so disheartening.

He played the scene repeatedly in his mind and still couldn't understand the disturbing smile his master had given, personally informing him of his new living quarters. Freeza claimed there was a housing shortage with all the fire, therefore, Zarbon had no choice but to relocate to the Ginyu Building… right next to Jeice and Guldo. It was the most awkward situation he'd crossed in a long time. In truth, he'd rather continue without quarters, rather than live with those idiots. Those… those…

His expression darkened, knowing very well it wasn't protocol for Master Freeza to inform someone of new living arrangements personally. Nor was there a housing shortage. In fact, a few rooms in Dodoria's wing were available. Apple had applied for a move and they hadn't hesitated to except. It was obvious Freeza had had a few days to collect himself and was now searching for some cheer. He knew placing his snobby left hand among the freakish and despised Ginyu would amuse him for months.

"So, who wants to help me move?" Apple slobbered. His quarters had been lost in the most recent fire.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I have to work overtime that day." Dodoria answered instantly without a thought.

"I didn't even say the day!" Apple started to accuse. "You lazy-"

"Be grateful you missed the housing shortage…" Zarbon unexpectedly entered the conversation, his tones calmly bitter and sarcastic. He was tired of the two bothersome simpletons and couldn't stand their constant bickering. They squawked back and forth like filthy birds. Stupid, filthy birds. He almost said it aloud.

"What's your problem?" Dodoria suddenly turned to him, accidentally spitting food upon his smooth blue cheek.

Zarbon felt the slop on him...

... and suddenly lost it, shattering his glass on the counter. He fumed from the room without looking back.

It wasn't until he was alone in the corridor that he realized he had nowhere else to go and still had slop on his skin. He sighed and leaned against the wall, wondering what he'd done to deserve such circumstances? Working with imbeciles and now living with imbeciles…

Jeice hated him. They all hated him.

Had his life always been so crappy? Yes. Every since he'd been pulled from the rubble by mercenaries. Life had been crappy since then.

Jeice was drying his bright white hair, head tilted on a strange angel, as he thought. His bathroom was too warm and steamy and he would never dry if he remained in its humidity. He'd expected the shower to make him feel better, but it hadn't. He still felt disgusting. The phlegm in the back of his throat and the sleep and other gunk throughout the rest of him was driving him mad.

He felt sticky and ill, wanting nothing more than to go to bed. He was almost tired enough to have that 'skeleton-eye-socket syndrome' he despised.

He stepped out into the cool living room of his apartment and flopped into a comfortable chair. He would air dry and feel much better, hopefully…

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Jeice fell from his chair in panic. It took him a moment to realize someone had given up the doorbell and was now banging on his door. He'd fallen asleep. He'd fallen asleep and was two hours late for work!

By the time the orange youth had wrapped a white housecoat around himself and was about to open the door, Captain Ginyu barged through it. Seeing a very tired Jeice in his bathrobe irritated the arrogant officer. Jeice looked like hell. Absolute exhaustion. "You've missed duty again! I've had it. Get dressed."

"Captain…" Jeice tried in vain. There was no excuse.

"You're coming with me!" Ginyu snapped.

Chapter 12: Black As Pitch