~~~~Piccolo~~~~
Cat couldn't stop coughing all the way home; so, I called Gohan by utilizing my telepathy skills.
(Gohan, there's something wrong Cat! Please, call for a doctor and give them my address; she needs medical attention immediately!)
I nearly thanked Dende-sama when I saw the white doctor's car parked outside my door and I let the doctor, Cat, and myself inside the house. I was told to put Cat on the bed and then step outside while the doctor worked on her to determine what was wrong. I can tell you those few minutes outside Cat's bedroom door felt like those centuries she must have gone through in Retraining, every minute felt like an eternity... but FINALLY the doctor opened the door and allowed me entrance.
I sat in a chair by Cat's bed and turned to the doctor expectantly, "Well?"
"I'm afraid Cat here has caught pneumonia."
I felt my eyes widen in surprise, "How?"
"She tells me that she has been feeling rather sluggish lately; so, my best guess is that she picked up the illness somewhere and then had what we call 'walking' pneumonia before it progressed to full-blown pneumonia."
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head, "What the hell is 'walking' pneumonia?"
The doctor smiled at me like I was some kinda ignorant child before informing me that "walking" pneumonia was the stage in which pneumonia is almost dormant, it's presence can still be felt but it doesn't do the host much harm.
"Is she gunna be okay?"
The doctor nodded, "Yes, Cat is going to be just fine; her coughs have subsided and I have just filled out a prescription for her. She is to take that as directed while getting plenty of sleep and drinking lots and lots of fluids."
I let a breath out that I wasn't aware I'd actually been holding..... "Well, that's good news. Anything else?"
"No, I just did a regular check-up and took a blood sample---"
"A WHAT?!" I heard my chair clatter to the ground behind me.
Cat's hand reached out and grasped mine in a weak effort to calm my nerves, "It's okay, Piccolo, it didn't hurt."
I turned my lethal glare on her, "It didn't?"
Cat smiled, "It felt like a pinch, you big, dumb green bean, it wasn't like losing an arm."
I sat down, trying to regain my composure, "Yeah.... Hmph... Whatever..."
"Anyway, I'll be sending this information and Cat's blood to The Lab and you'll receive your wife's reports within a week."
I choked when the doctor called Cat my wife and didn't recover until the bastard was out the door and out of my sight.
~~~~Cat~~~~
A FEW DAYS LATER
Ugh.... I've been in bed for way too long... I had to cancel my date with Powers; I just wouldn't have been any fun, I feel and look like shit on a good day. Piccolo's been a real sweetie, getting me fast food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner cuz he can't cook! It cracks me up every time he comes in and asks what I'd like to eat cuz I know he isn't the one cooking it! He's such a dork but I totally appreciate his help-aw!
Piccolo's so over protective though.... Every hour on the hour, he comes in and refills the two cups by my bedside with water and orange juice and gives me a dirty look if I make a fuss. He says he'll let me go see Jackie and Laura tomorrow if I'm feeling better and I say I'll kick his ass if he tries to stop me from doing whatever the hell I wanna do! Grr!
I have been taking my medication as directed though and I feel a bit stronger; I sleep easier these nights.
"Cat?" Oh, there's Pic, it must be "dinner" time! Hm... I think a Double Western from Carls Jr would hit the spot tonight! Ha ha ha ha!!!!
THE NEXT DAY
"CAT, you need to sleep!"
"Kiss my ass, Piccolo! I'm getting ready to see my friends!" I glared at Piccolo from under my freshly cut bangs. "Don't make me get Jackie over here! You know she'll bring her blender!"
Piccolo turned a bit greener than usual and unconsciously crossed his hands in front of his crotch, "That girl is sick."
"She gets what she wants from you doesn't she?" I scoffed at him but shot a good-natured wink in his direction.
"All she ever wanted was to get your lazy ass out of training freshman year---"
"And now she wants to see me after 25 years of separation. I'd say she's more dangerous now than before!"
Piccolo threw his hands up in despair, "Irony of ironies.... a girl like that couldn't so much as touch me if I really wanted to protect myself and yet I give into her childish whims anyway! Why?!"
Tying my hair up in a messy bun, I stood up from my vanity mirror, "Cuz she's a very dear friend of mine and you like her too whether you'll admit it or not!"
"Feh!" Piccolo crossed his arms over his chest and turned his face to the ceiling.
"Okay, c'mon you big nerd, you gunna take me or not?"
Piccolo turned his gaze back to me, his eyes serious, "You're a real pain in the ass, Cat. Why don't you ever listen to me?"
"Because my life would be very boring if I did!" I stuck my tongue out at him and he walked over to me.
"Well, let's go..."
~~~~Piccolo~~~~
Yeah, yeah, yeah... I took Cat to see her stupid friends.... I'm getting too soft. Cat finally has SOME energy and she wastes it on nonsense.... although it was pretty cool seeing Jackie and Laura again. Jackie ran up to me and gave me a hug, calling me her hero like she used to, and Laura Nazi-saluted me.... which.... uh... resorted in me chasing her ass for days. I was a dictator bent on taking over the world, not freakin' Hitler!
So, now I'm at home taking care of the little brats until Cat calls me to pick her up.....
~~~~Cat~~~~
I watched Piccolo's vapor trail disappear and realized that Laura and Jackie were giving me weird looks, "Nani?"
"You liiiiiike him, don't you?" came Jackie's inquisitive quip.
"WHAAAAT!?!?!"
"It's totally obvious! She's fallen for her now-single ex-husband; geeze Cat, do you always hafta fall for the impossibly unattainable guys?!" Laura rolled her eyes and burst into giggles.
"Who says I like him?!?!?!" What the heck?!
Jackie crossed her arms over her chest, "The look in your eyes when he was chasing Laura and when he flew off where obvious enough but now the blush on your cheeks is even better proof!"
Blush?! What blush?! I don't have a freakin' blush!!!
"Cat loves Piccolo! Cat loves Piccolo!" Laura taunted, swinging a giant mallet between her pointer and middle finger. Where'd THAT come from?! "Admit it or get bashed by the Baka-Mallet!"
"I don't like him!" BASH! Ow, that hurts.
Jackie gave Laura an evil look..... Great, now it's two against one! "ADMIT IT!"
"No!"
BASH!
"Admit iiiiiit!"
"NO!"
BASH!
"Admit it! Admit iiiiiiit! ADMIT IT!"
"No, no no! Your mom, NO!"
BASH! BASH! BASH! "Sucks to YOUR ass-mar!" BASH!
~~~~Piccolo~~~~
It was about 3:30 when the phone rang.... Hm... That can't be Cat, the girl knows how to use telepathy. Hm.... I walked over to the phone and picked it up.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Is this Mr. Daimaou?"
"Speaking."
"My name is Viet Chou and I'm from the Satan City Health Department; we have Ms. McDrougal's reports."
"She's not here right now but I can take a message."
"Okay.... Mr. Daimaou, after a series of tests... it's been brought to our attention that Cat McDrougal has AIDS. Apparently she's in the later stages of the disease and now that she has pneumonia----"
"WHAT?!" I felt sweat bubbling up on my forehead. AIDS? That shit doesn't have a cure doest it?! AIDS?!
"Sir, Ms. McDrougal has about six months to live."
Cat couldn't stop coughing all the way home; so, I called Gohan by utilizing my telepathy skills.
(Gohan, there's something wrong Cat! Please, call for a doctor and give them my address; she needs medical attention immediately!)
I nearly thanked Dende-sama when I saw the white doctor's car parked outside my door and I let the doctor, Cat, and myself inside the house. I was told to put Cat on the bed and then step outside while the doctor worked on her to determine what was wrong. I can tell you those few minutes outside Cat's bedroom door felt like those centuries she must have gone through in Retraining, every minute felt like an eternity... but FINALLY the doctor opened the door and allowed me entrance.
I sat in a chair by Cat's bed and turned to the doctor expectantly, "Well?"
"I'm afraid Cat here has caught pneumonia."
I felt my eyes widen in surprise, "How?"
"She tells me that she has been feeling rather sluggish lately; so, my best guess is that she picked up the illness somewhere and then had what we call 'walking' pneumonia before it progressed to full-blown pneumonia."
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head, "What the hell is 'walking' pneumonia?"
The doctor smiled at me like I was some kinda ignorant child before informing me that "walking" pneumonia was the stage in which pneumonia is almost dormant, it's presence can still be felt but it doesn't do the host much harm.
"Is she gunna be okay?"
The doctor nodded, "Yes, Cat is going to be just fine; her coughs have subsided and I have just filled out a prescription for her. She is to take that as directed while getting plenty of sleep and drinking lots and lots of fluids."
I let a breath out that I wasn't aware I'd actually been holding..... "Well, that's good news. Anything else?"
"No, I just did a regular check-up and took a blood sample---"
"A WHAT?!" I heard my chair clatter to the ground behind me.
Cat's hand reached out and grasped mine in a weak effort to calm my nerves, "It's okay, Piccolo, it didn't hurt."
I turned my lethal glare on her, "It didn't?"
Cat smiled, "It felt like a pinch, you big, dumb green bean, it wasn't like losing an arm."
I sat down, trying to regain my composure, "Yeah.... Hmph... Whatever..."
"Anyway, I'll be sending this information and Cat's blood to The Lab and you'll receive your wife's reports within a week."
I choked when the doctor called Cat my wife and didn't recover until the bastard was out the door and out of my sight.
~~~~Cat~~~~
A FEW DAYS LATER
Ugh.... I've been in bed for way too long... I had to cancel my date with Powers; I just wouldn't have been any fun, I feel and look like shit on a good day. Piccolo's been a real sweetie, getting me fast food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner cuz he can't cook! It cracks me up every time he comes in and asks what I'd like to eat cuz I know he isn't the one cooking it! He's such a dork but I totally appreciate his help-aw!
Piccolo's so over protective though.... Every hour on the hour, he comes in and refills the two cups by my bedside with water and orange juice and gives me a dirty look if I make a fuss. He says he'll let me go see Jackie and Laura tomorrow if I'm feeling better and I say I'll kick his ass if he tries to stop me from doing whatever the hell I wanna do! Grr!
I have been taking my medication as directed though and I feel a bit stronger; I sleep easier these nights.
"Cat?" Oh, there's Pic, it must be "dinner" time! Hm... I think a Double Western from Carls Jr would hit the spot tonight! Ha ha ha ha!!!!
THE NEXT DAY
"CAT, you need to sleep!"
"Kiss my ass, Piccolo! I'm getting ready to see my friends!" I glared at Piccolo from under my freshly cut bangs. "Don't make me get Jackie over here! You know she'll bring her blender!"
Piccolo turned a bit greener than usual and unconsciously crossed his hands in front of his crotch, "That girl is sick."
"She gets what she wants from you doesn't she?" I scoffed at him but shot a good-natured wink in his direction.
"All she ever wanted was to get your lazy ass out of training freshman year---"
"And now she wants to see me after 25 years of separation. I'd say she's more dangerous now than before!"
Piccolo threw his hands up in despair, "Irony of ironies.... a girl like that couldn't so much as touch me if I really wanted to protect myself and yet I give into her childish whims anyway! Why?!"
Tying my hair up in a messy bun, I stood up from my vanity mirror, "Cuz she's a very dear friend of mine and you like her too whether you'll admit it or not!"
"Feh!" Piccolo crossed his arms over his chest and turned his face to the ceiling.
"Okay, c'mon you big nerd, you gunna take me or not?"
Piccolo turned his gaze back to me, his eyes serious, "You're a real pain in the ass, Cat. Why don't you ever listen to me?"
"Because my life would be very boring if I did!" I stuck my tongue out at him and he walked over to me.
"Well, let's go..."
~~~~Piccolo~~~~
Yeah, yeah, yeah... I took Cat to see her stupid friends.... I'm getting too soft. Cat finally has SOME energy and she wastes it on nonsense.... although it was pretty cool seeing Jackie and Laura again. Jackie ran up to me and gave me a hug, calling me her hero like she used to, and Laura Nazi-saluted me.... which.... uh... resorted in me chasing her ass for days. I was a dictator bent on taking over the world, not freakin' Hitler!
So, now I'm at home taking care of the little brats until Cat calls me to pick her up.....
~~~~Cat~~~~
I watched Piccolo's vapor trail disappear and realized that Laura and Jackie were giving me weird looks, "Nani?"
"You liiiiiike him, don't you?" came Jackie's inquisitive quip.
"WHAAAAT!?!?!"
"It's totally obvious! She's fallen for her now-single ex-husband; geeze Cat, do you always hafta fall for the impossibly unattainable guys?!" Laura rolled her eyes and burst into giggles.
"Who says I like him?!?!?!" What the heck?!
Jackie crossed her arms over her chest, "The look in your eyes when he was chasing Laura and when he flew off where obvious enough but now the blush on your cheeks is even better proof!"
Blush?! What blush?! I don't have a freakin' blush!!!
"Cat loves Piccolo! Cat loves Piccolo!" Laura taunted, swinging a giant mallet between her pointer and middle finger. Where'd THAT come from?! "Admit it or get bashed by the Baka-Mallet!"
"I don't like him!" BASH! Ow, that hurts.
Jackie gave Laura an evil look..... Great, now it's two against one! "ADMIT IT!"
"No!"
BASH!
"Admit iiiiiit!"
"NO!"
BASH!
"Admit it! Admit iiiiiiit! ADMIT IT!"
"No, no no! Your mom, NO!"
BASH! BASH! BASH! "Sucks to YOUR ass-mar!" BASH!
~~~~Piccolo~~~~
It was about 3:30 when the phone rang.... Hm... That can't be Cat, the girl knows how to use telepathy. Hm.... I walked over to the phone and picked it up.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Is this Mr. Daimaou?"
"Speaking."
"My name is Viet Chou and I'm from the Satan City Health Department; we have Ms. McDrougal's reports."
"She's not here right now but I can take a message."
"Okay.... Mr. Daimaou, after a series of tests... it's been brought to our attention that Cat McDrougal has AIDS. Apparently she's in the later stages of the disease and now that she has pneumonia----"
"WHAT?!" I felt sweat bubbling up on my forehead. AIDS? That shit doesn't have a cure doest it?! AIDS?!
"Sir, Ms. McDrougal has about six months to live."