Chapter Twenty-one: Cream Soup

[A/N]: Unexpected help... to you, anyways! ^^;; [End A/N]

Vash shut the door to the doctor's office, and turned to face Milly. She was fiddling with the hem of her cloak, and looked up quickly upon the sound of the door shutting.
"He's going to be fine."
Vash said. Milly sighed heavily in relief.
"That's great! Is he still asleep?"
"Like a baby."
Vash replied, causing Milly to giggle. There was a short pause before Vash looked very seriously at Milly.
"Who did it?"
Milly stopped smiling immediately to look at Vash, biting her lip.
"That... man. The man wh-who shot Meryl."
Vash froze. Then he balled his hands into fists, his eyes stricken with anger.
"I see."
He said, then looked away from Milly to think. Milly needed answers.
"Who is that man? Do you know, Vash-san?"
Unfortunately for Milly, Vash wasn't the one who had them.
"...I don't know. But... he knew that I..."
He trailed off, making Milly frown.
"What did he know?"
"He knew that I was half-plant. Well, a plant in human form anyway."
He ran a hand through his hair, still ridden in thought.
How was he supposed to find this stupid Temaskals guy again? Was he supposed to wait for contact, or was he supposed to run out and shout out to the sands that he was willing to negotiate? Then again, did he want to negotiate with a man who had nearly killed Meryl -- and, although he hadn't told Milly how serious Wolfwood's condition had been, Wolfwood?
"Uhm, Vash-san?"
"Yes?"
Vash answered distractedly. Milly looked nervously at him. She didn't like it when he looked like he was thinking hard. It wasn't something she was particularly used to - at least, not from Vash.
"Do-- do you know how to stop him?"
"I don't even know how to find him."
Vash said, frustration growing in him. He had a feeling that if he didn't stop the psycho, he'd go trampling over Milly, then towns and cities, just to bite on his nerves... then he realised something.
There was a way to find him.
"But... I think I know someone who does."
He searched Milly's blue eyes for a moment. They were full of concern, but were also set in determination. Vash knew that he probably couldn't stop her from coming with him. He took a deep breath, before saying,
"Let's go."
Milly nodded.

He was warming cream soup in a saucepan when he heard several knocks sound on the door to his cabin.
"Who is it?"
He called out, throwing a handful of sand into the fire of the stove to stifle some of the heat.
"It's me..., Vash."
A pain stabbed at his head, but he had grown so accustomed to the sudden pangs that he simply ignored it as he approached his door.
"Hey!"
He greeted the blonde man warmly, and waved a little to the brown-haired girl behind him, adding,
"I see the big girl's with you?"
Vash nodded vaguely before asking,
"Uhm, can we come in?"
"Sure."
He swung the door open and let them walk in, the big girl trailing behind Vash in a cautious sort of manner. He joined the two at his table after lifting the saucepan off the stove and onto a folded pad of cloth to let it cool.
"Where's the priesty guy and the smaller girl?"
He asked curiously, observing the way the big girl chewed her lower lip and how Vash was running a hand through his hair more times than necessary.
"Well... I'm here because of them... sort of."
Vash answered. His eyes widened at Vash's reply.
"Oh! Did they go missing?"
Then he grinned a little as he said slyly,
"I thought you and the smaller girl were kind of..."
He held up his little finger and winked at Vash, causing Vash to laugh and rub at the back of his neck embarrassedly.
"No! They didn't elope!"
Vash said, laughing,
"I mean, they were attacked."
He stopped grinning to look at Vash with a dropped jaw.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. That's what brings me here. I was kind of hoping you'd know where I could find the attacker."
He looked worriedly at Vash.
"Are they okay?"
"They will be, soon."
Vash replied.
Part of the memory that had been revived of his included information about most of the bounty hunters on the planet. He also received intelligence from people he didn't know - or perhaps, didn't remember - about the strangest wackos and random companies. Most of the companies involved heavy usage of plants, but he didn't know why he got these contacts. He supposed one day, he'd remember, like Vash continuously told him.
"Go on, then. Describe the guy."
Vash sighed, closing his eyes. His brow furrowed, as though he was trying to remember, and then spoke slowly.
"He had red hair, I think. Yeah, red hair, with this... copper streak in it."
A faint image flashed across his mind at Vash's words.
"Go on."
"Light-red-pale-brown-kind-of-goldish-pinkish-no, yellowish-no, also pinkish-also orangey-tinted eyes."
"Amber."
The big girl explained. Vash nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, amber. Amber eyes."
The image cleared.
"Sturdy build?"
He asked. Vash nodded eagerly.
"You know him?"
"Yeah. I think we tried to recruit him."
His eyes flew open in surprise.
"Huh?"
Vash patted his back.
"Don't worry, it's just a memory pang. You'll remember soon enough."
Vash said with a smile. He nodded slowly before continuuing,
"Well, I don't what I'd try to recruit him into, nor do I know who 'we' include, but anyhow, I met him before. He tried to attack me too, but he was overcome easily. He was left alone."
Vash nodded.
"Who is he?"
"He was this guy. Some lap-dog of this wacko professor who worked in this laboratory in the middle of the desert. Should still be working there, infact - got a card from it a week ago."
"Lap-dog?"
He tapped a finger to his temple as he racked his memories of the red-head.
"If I remember correctly, he was a quarter or something plant. Had interesting powers, but didn't know how to use it properly. Loathed his professor, but got mad when we insulted him. Weird guy who seemed a bit nutty to me."
He paused, remembering,
"And just this morning I heard that he did something to some waitress at a town close by here."
He scratched his head as he thought.
"Uh... oh yeah, he calls himself 'Rederine the Temaski'."
Vash snapped his fingers, his eyes widening.
"That's it!"
Vash exclaimed before he paused, then asked interestedly,
"What's the laboratory for?"
"Uhm... it's on one of those papers over there,"
He said, pointing to a stack of them at the center of the table by a cactus plant,
"You can search if you want. Have you had lunch already?"
The two nodded. The pages were already in their hands, their eyes scanning as their fingers flicked through the pages. Sweatdropping a little, he added helpfully,
"It's got the name 'Corman' in it."
before he went back to his soup. Humming a little, he stirred creamy texture around before tipping it into a bowl, and carried it out with a spoon as the big girl's voice cried out,
"Vash-san! I found it!"
He sat down at the table as Vash and the girl read the paper carefully.
"'Corman Labs. Inc.'"
Vash muttered, his eyes searching for the address.
"Oh, here it is. Midnight Desert."
Said the big girl, standing up from her seat.
"That's just a little west of here."
Vash added, standing up as well.
"Going already? Must be in a hurry."
He said, a spoon of cream soup halfway to his mouth.
"Sorry, we just need to leave before the attacker does anything else."
The big girl explained apologetically.
"Can I keep this?"
Vash asked. He nodded, and waved as the two walked quickly towards the door.
"Thanks!"
The big girl called out gratefully.
"Yeah, me too!"
Vash added, already outside of the cabin.
"You're welcome."
He said, shaking his head with a chuckle as he heard the blonde gunman's footsteps bound away from his cabin.
"Absolutely crazy."
He muttered with a grin.
His ice-blue eyes reflected upon the back of the metal spoon before he dug into his soup.

"When will he recover fully?"
Milly asked Vash quietly. Vash shrugged.
"Soon."
He replied. Vash felt much better now that he knew where to go.
"So let's go to this laboratory."
Vash looked around the area. The cabin was isolated, although it was for a good reason. Vash looked around the area, relieved that they'd been close to the town in which the cabin had been close to.
"Can I drive again?"
Milly asked Vash eagerly as they walked towards the rented car.
Vash remembered the wonky car-ride they'd just had, thanks to Milly's over-enthusiasm over the wheel.
"Uhm, actually, you must be a bit tired now... I think I'll drive this time."
He said with a heavy hint.
"Oh, but I'm not tired at all!"
Said the oblivious Milly brightly.
"I think I'll drive this time."
Vash repeated.
"But I mean it, I'm really not--"
"I'll drive."
"Oh... okay."


I know I don't get many reviews for this, but I thought I might as well complete what I've started. Don't worry, I will finish this. There actually is an ending planned out, so please; I know my updates are completely random, but please bear with me, 'kay? ^^;; Thanks for your patience and reviews!!~...... and sorry~! ^^;;;;