I'm sorry to those who asked for Zim to not die. (How many times do I have to put these apologies on my fics?)
Enemy Mine
Dib walked as quietly as he could through the camp. He passed by the replicator that kept up its' steady humming.
Zim was asleep. He didn't do that much anymore. He said it was a symptom of the rupture. It was also the last symptom before the Irkan died.
The Human fitted a few more rocks along the base of the impromptu cradle. It was lined with sewn together scraps from 'Big Bug' skins.
The 'Big Bug' wasn't really a bug, but it wasn't anything else either. It's shell was quite hard but underneath it was a layer of soft skin that the two of them had used for cloth.
Dib tested the stability of the cradle and nodded to himself.
He glanced at Zim who had started kicking in his sleep. How much longer did the alien have? A month? Half that?
From what Zim had told Dib the as of yet unnamed child would be finished soon. The replicator was being slow because the Human and Irkan blood were not immediately compatible. They weren't even sure if he would survive.
Suddenly Zim bolted up right from his sleep. "No!" He screamed to no one. He glanced around confused.
"You had a bad dream." Dib said pouring some water he had gathered earlier into a cup. He offered Zim the cup.
Zim grunted and took it. After a few sips he set the cup down. "How long was I asleep?"
"Not long." Dib said.
The replicators' hum suddenly became more high pitched.
"What the?" Dib rushed over to it. "What's it doing? Is something wrong?" He turned to Zim.
"Nothing wrong, it's in the last cycle. It will open in a few days." He rubbed a hand over his once more bruised sides. "I don't think I have that much time though."
"You said it would take two years. You should have at least a month." Dib said not daring to leave the replicators' side.
"I know what I said!" Zim yelled. "I just. It hurts so much now. I don't sleep." He wrapped his home made blanket around himself. "Who knows what happened, maybe the food is doing it, or the air." He trailed off a moment.
Dib waited patiently, this was another symptom so close to the end.
"I really don't know why it's so much sooner." Zim finally said.
Dib took a few steps from the replicator. "We need a name for him."
Zim gave him a blank look. "Name? I don't know how to name. We are given our names from a computer bank, first come first serve order. That way no two have the same name."
Dib glanced around slightly frustrated. Human and Irkan ideals often didn't mesh well. "He will need a name." Dib finally said.
Zims' face went blank again but snapped out of it quickly. "Zeeg."
"Zeeg?" Dib asked. He knew it was Irkan, but couldn't quite place the meaning.
"Strength." Zim said.
Dib thought a moment. "Zeeg it is."
* * *
Zim thrashed around in his bedding. Dib did his best to keep him cool with some water.
This was horrible. He kept screaming, the replicator was making odd sounds and there was nothing Dib could do.
"No! I did it! Promise." Zim rambled off. He finally calmed down and fell into a light sleep.
Dib sat back wondering how long he had left. He glanced at the replicator and was struck with fear.
It was blinking.
He rushed over and checked its power. It was failing.
"Damn it!" He cursed and spared a praying look at Zim before he started to pry it open.
It didn't take long, the top flipped off spewing sparks at him. He reached into the container and made a face when he found it to be full of a thick liquid. He felt the small being inside and pulled it out as gently as his panic would allow.
He held the small greenish infant and realized it wasn't breathing.
More panic.
He held it on its stomach and rubbed its back trying desperately remember his baby-sitter training.
Nothing happened.
He fought off tears and opened the childs' mouth then reached in with a finger.
A small memory from watching an ER program. An infant has a mucus ball in its mouth to keep it from breathing in the womb.
He pulled out a sizeable lump and the infant shuddered drawing a breath.
Then is wailed loudly at him.
Dib reached into the cradle and wrapped the crying child in a blanket then took him to where Zim slept.
"Zim. Wake up. He's alive." Dib looked down at the child then at Zim. "Zim?"
Zim opened his glazed eyes. "Zeeg?"
Dib nodded. "Yeah Zim. Zeeg's alive."
Zim nodded then closed his eyes.
Dib rocked Zeeg a bit, the infant was already tired out and sleeping. "What do I do now?" He looked back a Zim and halted. "Zim."
The alien wasn't breathing. His skin had a sort of frosted dull look to it.
"Bye Zim." He said pulling the blanket over his one-time rivals' face.
* * *
Dib placed the last rock over Zims' grave. He marked it with a 'Big Bug' shell he had carved Zims' name on.
He stood a moment wondering what to say.
"You were once my enemy Zim." Dib finally said. "Then you were my friend. Now." He glanced across the cavern to where Zeeg lay sleeping. "Now we have something in common that no one can take. Bye Zim, see you on the other side." He turned and made his way to the cradle.
Zeeg was paler green than Zim. His antenna were short but pointed forward instead of backward. His eyes were pupil and iris-less like Zims' but were the same amber-ish color of Dibs'. He had a human number of digits but no nose like his Irkan father.
"Guess it's just you an me buddy." He said quietly. "Some day I'll tell you about Zim. Another day I'll tell you about what you are." He stroked Zeegs' slightly fuzzy head.
Dib wondered if the fuzz would get longer. Would it look like normal Human hair? What if they were found? What if they took Zeeg from him? What if?
He shook the thoughts away.
Zeeg squirmed in his sleep and Dib smiled.
"I promise they'll never hurt you." He finally said. "I promise."
Enemy Mine
Dib walked as quietly as he could through the camp. He passed by the replicator that kept up its' steady humming.
Zim was asleep. He didn't do that much anymore. He said it was a symptom of the rupture. It was also the last symptom before the Irkan died.
The Human fitted a few more rocks along the base of the impromptu cradle. It was lined with sewn together scraps from 'Big Bug' skins.
The 'Big Bug' wasn't really a bug, but it wasn't anything else either. It's shell was quite hard but underneath it was a layer of soft skin that the two of them had used for cloth.
Dib tested the stability of the cradle and nodded to himself.
He glanced at Zim who had started kicking in his sleep. How much longer did the alien have? A month? Half that?
From what Zim had told Dib the as of yet unnamed child would be finished soon. The replicator was being slow because the Human and Irkan blood were not immediately compatible. They weren't even sure if he would survive.
Suddenly Zim bolted up right from his sleep. "No!" He screamed to no one. He glanced around confused.
"You had a bad dream." Dib said pouring some water he had gathered earlier into a cup. He offered Zim the cup.
Zim grunted and took it. After a few sips he set the cup down. "How long was I asleep?"
"Not long." Dib said.
The replicators' hum suddenly became more high pitched.
"What the?" Dib rushed over to it. "What's it doing? Is something wrong?" He turned to Zim.
"Nothing wrong, it's in the last cycle. It will open in a few days." He rubbed a hand over his once more bruised sides. "I don't think I have that much time though."
"You said it would take two years. You should have at least a month." Dib said not daring to leave the replicators' side.
"I know what I said!" Zim yelled. "I just. It hurts so much now. I don't sleep." He wrapped his home made blanket around himself. "Who knows what happened, maybe the food is doing it, or the air." He trailed off a moment.
Dib waited patiently, this was another symptom so close to the end.
"I really don't know why it's so much sooner." Zim finally said.
Dib took a few steps from the replicator. "We need a name for him."
Zim gave him a blank look. "Name? I don't know how to name. We are given our names from a computer bank, first come first serve order. That way no two have the same name."
Dib glanced around slightly frustrated. Human and Irkan ideals often didn't mesh well. "He will need a name." Dib finally said.
Zims' face went blank again but snapped out of it quickly. "Zeeg."
"Zeeg?" Dib asked. He knew it was Irkan, but couldn't quite place the meaning.
"Strength." Zim said.
Dib thought a moment. "Zeeg it is."
* * *
Zim thrashed around in his bedding. Dib did his best to keep him cool with some water.
This was horrible. He kept screaming, the replicator was making odd sounds and there was nothing Dib could do.
"No! I did it! Promise." Zim rambled off. He finally calmed down and fell into a light sleep.
Dib sat back wondering how long he had left. He glanced at the replicator and was struck with fear.
It was blinking.
He rushed over and checked its power. It was failing.
"Damn it!" He cursed and spared a praying look at Zim before he started to pry it open.
It didn't take long, the top flipped off spewing sparks at him. He reached into the container and made a face when he found it to be full of a thick liquid. He felt the small being inside and pulled it out as gently as his panic would allow.
He held the small greenish infant and realized it wasn't breathing.
More panic.
He held it on its stomach and rubbed its back trying desperately remember his baby-sitter training.
Nothing happened.
He fought off tears and opened the childs' mouth then reached in with a finger.
A small memory from watching an ER program. An infant has a mucus ball in its mouth to keep it from breathing in the womb.
He pulled out a sizeable lump and the infant shuddered drawing a breath.
Then is wailed loudly at him.
Dib reached into the cradle and wrapped the crying child in a blanket then took him to where Zim slept.
"Zim. Wake up. He's alive." Dib looked down at the child then at Zim. "Zim?"
Zim opened his glazed eyes. "Zeeg?"
Dib nodded. "Yeah Zim. Zeeg's alive."
Zim nodded then closed his eyes.
Dib rocked Zeeg a bit, the infant was already tired out and sleeping. "What do I do now?" He looked back a Zim and halted. "Zim."
The alien wasn't breathing. His skin had a sort of frosted dull look to it.
"Bye Zim." He said pulling the blanket over his one-time rivals' face.
* * *
Dib placed the last rock over Zims' grave. He marked it with a 'Big Bug' shell he had carved Zims' name on.
He stood a moment wondering what to say.
"You were once my enemy Zim." Dib finally said. "Then you were my friend. Now." He glanced across the cavern to where Zeeg lay sleeping. "Now we have something in common that no one can take. Bye Zim, see you on the other side." He turned and made his way to the cradle.
Zeeg was paler green than Zim. His antenna were short but pointed forward instead of backward. His eyes were pupil and iris-less like Zims' but were the same amber-ish color of Dibs'. He had a human number of digits but no nose like his Irkan father.
"Guess it's just you an me buddy." He said quietly. "Some day I'll tell you about Zim. Another day I'll tell you about what you are." He stroked Zeegs' slightly fuzzy head.
Dib wondered if the fuzz would get longer. Would it look like normal Human hair? What if they were found? What if they took Zeeg from him? What if?
He shook the thoughts away.
Zeeg squirmed in his sleep and Dib smiled.
"I promise they'll never hurt you." He finally said. "I promise."