Hallucination?

Elizabeth Knight

Chapter 7

She'd just laid down when she heard the horrible scream split through her head. She sat up in fear looking over at the child next to her. She stirred restlessly, but went back to sleep. Zantha crept out of the bed as another scream echoed through her mind. She stumbled out of the room and ran down the hallway. She opened the door to Goten's room as another scream pounded against her skull. She held her ears, knowing it wasn't coming from outside but within her own mind. Goten was lying on the floor not moving with two large bite marks festering up. She didn't see Trunks, but if he was ok to scream mentally he'd be fine. She transformed and used her fangs to open the venom pockets so it would be able to leak out then she got back up to look for a window. She'd smelt the strong hypnotic induced poison in the air when she'd entered and she had to get fresh air into the room.

*Over here.* She heard him off to the side and looked. He was standing right in front of the window. Good. First she had to open the window, but then she turned back to Trunks. He looked funny just standing there, only his eyes moving. When she started sucking out the poisoned air she knew he'd fight so she placed a paw on both sides of his head before beginning. She was right. He did fight weekly, but he did not have the strength to get away. When she'd pulled the last of it from his chest, she ducked his head out the window for fresh air. Zantha expelled the air in the room and bent to take a breath of fresh air. She needed to get Goten out of here. She tossed Trunks one last look, before leaving him to the window. He'd be fine. Already the fresh air was reviving his strength. She grabbed Goten's feet and began to pull. If she didn't hurry and get Goten out of the room she wasn't sure how much damage could be done.

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Trunks watched Deirdre go flying forward and land sprawled across Goten's motionless body. "Don't come in!" he hollered at ChiChi who'd collided with her in the doorway. She slowly backed out again as Trunks made his way over to Zantha. Holding out his hand, he was surprised by the soft fur that slid into his palm. She looked up and he caught sight of those golden eyes glittering with warning. It was one that wasn't needed. There was no way he'd say anything. Glancing at the paw in his hand, his heart soared as eh securely closed it within his own to pull her up. He didn't have time to analyze anything at the moment, but he didn't' want someone coming upon her like she was either. Once he got Goten out of the room he was sure no one would miss her in the excitement. ChiChi stood in the doorway gaping at Goten. He couldn't risk saying anything out loud to her so instead he'd try to send her a thought and hoped she understood what he was doing. He left her facing away from the door to pick up Goten and haul him out.

*Stay!* She heard the one word echo in her mind as Trunks grabbed up Goten and took him down stairs. ChiChi left on his heals, giving Zantha the opportunity to escape to her room, collect her wits, and shift again.

Trunks made a dash for the stairs as people began coming out of their rooms, knowing they'd follow him. Everyone crowded around them as he laid Goten in the living room floor. Goku knelt at his side to inspect the bite mark on Goten's hand.

"It was good thinking on your part to open these. If you hadn't' let the venom seep out he might already be dead." Goku told him.

"I didn't open them. Deirdre did."

"Where is she?"

"I'm here." He heard Deirdre say as he looked up to see her standing on the bottom stair.

"Thank you for saving my son's life. Did you see who it was Trunks?"

"A native."

"The intruder from this evenings handy work I'm sure. Can we catch them?"

"I wouldn't know where to start looking for a trail. The creature came through the wall and then disappeared." Trunks answered. He looked up and Deirdre was gone. No one had even noticed yet they were so concerned about getting bandages and making sure all the poison was out that they could get. Looking around the room, Trunks decided to make a stealthful exit to go find her. He slipped back up the stairs and into her room fully expecting to see her climbing out the window or some other hasty departure act, but she wasn't' there. He panicked running for the window and flinging it open to see if she had already gone. He could see nothing. Quietly closing the window, he turned and backed out of the room. Closing the door behind him, he gave the empty hallway a curious inspection. A small muffled sound at the end caught his attention and he headed that way.

Deirdre sat in the middle of Goten's room in a small ball on the floor. She held something in her hands pressed to her face and she was shaking. Silently sweeping into the room, he crept closer to her. She had her face pressed into the robe he'd had on earlier that evening and was mumbling something he couldn't quite make out. Trunks crouched down and at the slight sound she quit crying and looked at him. He crawled over to her and pulled her into his lap, kissing her forehead.

"Shhhh. It's alright now." he whispered. "I'm here now. Open your eyes Deirdre." She obeyed him, peeking through spiky lashes at him. His heart had been beating rapidly until he saw her green eyes open. A stab of disappointment shot through him and he shook her shoulders slightly. "Show me. I want to see you with my own eyes. Everything, Deirdre."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying to you."

"Then what did I see this evening?"

"You tell me. It was your hallucination."

"I wasn't hallucinating. I know what I saw, and I know what you are."

"Your crazy. You were hallucinating. I'm just another human. No better, no worse, no different." she told him, getting up and dashing out the door. Trunks let her go, knowing she'd still be there in the morning.

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