Author's notes: Wahoo! Chapter eight! Man, it's a long one! Oh well, hope you guys enjoy. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It's really great to read someone else's perspective on fanfiction. No-one here has even heard of fanficton, let alone writes it! Hurray for the internet!
Disclaimer: Property of Almighty Vasquez and suck ass Nick! Not me (pooh!)
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"My gnomes!" Zim kneeled among the tattered remains of his defence sentinels.
"Come on, Zim." Dib kicked on of the severed heads from his way. He dropped a gas mask into Zim's lap, eliciting a cry from him. As an apology he offered a hand to the stunned alien.
"How long have you had the ability to do this to my security network?" He took the offered hand, hauling himself to his feet.
"For a while now but I needed two people to do it. I've been saving to bribe Gaz with a new Game Slave game so she'd help." He chuckled. "I never imagined you'd be the one!" He shook his head in mirth while pulling the gas mask over his face. Zim quirked an eyebrow at Dib before following suit. "Well, here goes." Dib's voice was muffled by the layers of plastic and shielding. He reached into his backpack retrieving a crow bar.
"That's hardly necessary." Zim stopped Dib, before strolling to the door and rapping three times on the purple wood.
"Who is it?!" GIR's slightly insane lilt rang through the air.
To his surprise Zim's heart did a little leap at the familiar high-pitched voice. "Free pizza-man." He did his best impression of the idiot Bloaty's delivery boy who frequented their door.
"This is your plan?" Dib eyed him condescendingly.
"PIZZA!" GIR quickly pulled opened the door. His eyes were watering as he scanned the area for pizza. "Pizza?" His lip started quivering when he noticed the absence of any congealed cheese on bread.
Before entering the house, Zim smirked condescendingly back at Dib. His face dropped once he observed the state of the house. Food wrappers littered the floor. It appeared GIR had been gorging himself consistently since he left. Any area not covered in discarded rubbish looked sticky and disgusting. Many pipes and tubes that kept the computer system running had been pulled free and were emitting steam at irregular intervals.
Dib followed Zim immediately after, eyeing the state of his home wearily. "Whoa!" He chuckled, shaking his head at the mayhem.
"My beautiful base!" Zim slowly pulled off his gas mask, dropping it abruptly to the floor in his distress.
"Zim, what about the gas? Put your mask back on!" Dib swiftly picked up the mask, shoving it into Zim's grip.
Zim ignored him, breathing easy. Obviously once the computer noted all 'intruders' had left the base it all owed the gas to escape. He eyed the destroyed ceiling before turning his attention on GIR. "What have you done, GIR? You know better than to mess with the base when I'm not home!"
"Oh, you're back greeny! You look like mint ice cream! ICE-CREAM!" GIR turned on heal and ran into the kitchen, rummaging around in the freezer, presumably hunting for ice cream.
Zim sighed, running his hands through his new hair, feeling the urge to rip out the foreign cells. Dib observed him wearily as he pulled off his gas mask, assured the air was breathable. "Well, I guess this is a good start." He nudged Zim with his elbow.
Zim looked around the room once more before looking back to Dib. "I do not want to know your definition of 'good'." He entered the kitchen. Dib laughed to himself before following Zim.
"Hello Big Head." GIR exited the freezer, his face covered in what looked like chocolate ice cream.
"Eh, hi." Dib greeted the crazy robot before going over to Zim.
Zim was examining the toilet entrance to the lab. Dib sat next to him, not wanting to hinder his work. Zim sighed and turned to him. "We could enter the lab this way but the chances of the computer detecting intruders are increased. It would be wiser to make our way to the main core through the service tunnels." Zim stood up and made his way over to the sink.
"Ok, we'll do that then." Dib got to his feet and followed Zim.
Zim opened the press under the sink revealing a large dark tunnel. Carefully he climbed inside.
"What about GIR?" Dib looked around to find the robot sitting cross-legged on the floor, slurping an ice-cream cone.
Zim reappeared from the tunnel, eyeing GIR. "Leave him. He couldn't possibly do more damage." He disappeared back inside the tunnel.
Glancing once more at GIR, Dib silently agreed, before following Zim into the darkness. "How far have we to go?" He asked, already uncomfortable. The tunnels were made for an Irken's slight frame and he felt uncomfortable cramped inside.
"Quite a bit. The labs are extensive." Zim's voice sound eerily in the oppressive darkness.
Achingly slowly they crawled their way to the heart of Zim's base. Dib was not the only one to suffer from bumping his head consistently on the low ceiling. A constant stream of curses, in what Dib presumed was Irken, were heard from the alien. Obviously he had yet to adjust to his increased height. The groaning of metal caught Dib's attention. The subsequent crashing and flooding of the tunnel with eerie pink light alerted him to the end of their arduous trek.
Zim jumped down to the ground. He miss judged the distance and hissed in pain as his hot, lightning pain shot through his legs. Dib followed quickly after, landing on top of Zim as the alien righted his painful legs. They lay in a tangled heap until Dib pulled himself to his feet. He eyed the area in awe. Never before had he been this far inside Zim's labs. His jaw dropped at the vast array of technology displayed before him. What he wouldn't have given for a camera! Everything he had imagined was lying before him. He wanted to sit down and study everything.
Zim watched his reaction with something like fondness. He found it almost adorable how intrigued Dib was with, what he considered, every day items. He could in a way, understand Dib's fascination. The most technology advanced things on Earth were mere children's playthings in his eyes. He knew what Dib must have been feeling. This was his Holy Grail, his life quest. Out of all other humans, Zim respect Dib above all others, even before this whole mess had happened. Not only was he the only human to see through his disguise but he had an amazing grasp of science. He really was a genius and had he had access to the kind of technology Zim had at his disposal, Zim doubted he would be still intact. Dib really was amazing, for a human anyway.
Cautiously he made his way forward, glancing back to ensure Dib was following him. He instructed the human to be on the look out for any signs the computer had detected their presence. Dib briefly wondered why Zim hadn't thrown him out already. It wasn't like he needed his help anymore. Deciding to just be grateful he let the subject drop.
They emerged from the hall and out into the main control room, where the computer core was housed. Carefully Zim approached the console. He growled low in his throat when the view screen came into view. It displayed nothing but static. It looked like GIR had got down to the labs and messed with the system. Thankfully he had numerous safe guards in place in case of an accident and so, with luck, only a small amount of information was lost. He took his usual chair, sighing as his new form had difficulty getting comfortable. Dib came to a rest behind him, still in awe.
Zim began typing as quickly as his five fingered hands would allow. He knew his computer systems like the back of his hand and was confident he would have everything up and running in no time.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Dib rubbed his numb rump as he tried vainly to get comfortable in the too small chair Zim had provided him with. He couldn't be sure the amount of hours they had been in the very bowels of Zim's base. Although Zim hadn't actually allowed him touch any vital systems he had explained most of what he was doing voluntarily. Dib had to admit, Zim wasn't exactly the idiot he had taken him to be, not in a programming sense anyway. He had restored most of the computers systems, explaining the numerous back up programs he had written once the extent of GIR erratic behaviour had fully exhorted itself. Dib watched as the alien yawned, massaging the area where his nose would have been located had he been human. "You ok?" Dib's frowned.
"I'm about to re-install the computer's A.I. I just hope the new programs work or else it'll be back to square one." Zim sighed. He drummed his fingers on the keyboard a few times before keying in a number of sequences and hitting 'enter'.
Immediately the computer began buzzing. Dib watched as a percentage bar slowly filled on the screen. He glanced at Zim. For his part Zim was oblivious to anything but the slowly filling bar. Once it reached one hundred the computer screen went completely blank. Zim's jaw dropped before just as suddenly the Irken insignia appeared. The computer then went through numerous starter programs.
"Well done." Dib smiled at Zim.
Zim however failed to return the smile. "Don't congratulate me yet. We have yet to see if the new voice recognition systems have been uploaded."
"What?! Zim how could-" Dib was cut short as the computer began to speak in its usual disdainful voice.
"System recall complete. Welcome...eh...who's there?"
"Yes!" Zim jumped up from his seat and began dancing around the control room. Dib tried to scowl at the shorter green boy but was forced to discretely cover his smile with the back of his hand.
"Hello?" The computer sounded impatient.
Zim regained his composure, taking his seat and addressing the computer. "It's is I, Zim." Some of his previous self-confidence.
"Oh...ok." The computer didn't seem particularly interested.
Dib looked at Zim quizzically, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I though it didn't recognise you." He glanced at the screen.
"I haven't locked out any particular voice yet. Well, except GIR's." He explained. "Are all your systems running at full capacity?"
The sighed dramatically. "Yeees."
"Good." He held out his hand. "Take a blood sample from me and analyse it." The computer beeped in response. A long tube with what looked like a syringe attached extended to Dib's right. In a almost violent action it pierced Zim's skin and began draining some blood. Zim winced in response, clenching his fist tightly. Once the computer was satisfied it had collected enough blood the tube retracted.
"Analysing." The computer commented as it whirled into action.
"How long will it take?" Dib asked, frowning as Zim rubbed his injured arm.
Zim looked up at Dib before looking to the computer screen. Various readouts were displayed but as yet the results were inconclusive. "Computer?"
"I dunno...give me an hour."
"An hour!?" Zim sighed dropping his head into his hands. "I suppose we better go inspect the damage upstairs." He got up from the chair and entered the elevator, closely followed by Dib. Zim instructed the computer to bring them to the house level and it grudgingly complied. They emerged in Zim's living room finding it in much the same state as when they left, except for the puddle of melted ice cream directly in front of the television. GIR sat transfixed next to it, an ice-cream cone slowly melting in his left 'paw'.
"Aw GIR!" Zim marched over to the little robot. "Look at this mess!"
"HI!" GIR beamed up at him. "Want to be my friend?"
"GIR it's me! Zim! Remember?" Zim stared down at the confused 'dog'. "Dib tell him!" Zim whirled around to Dib, who stood smirking at the scene.
Dropping his smirk at the death glare he received from Zim, Dib strolled over and joined them. "Yeah GIR, it's Zim. He's just been screwing up as usual." Zim narrowed his eyes at Dib's playful dig before turning to GIR, hoping desperately he would believe Dib.
"Ok!" GIR jumped to his feet. "Aw, you look sad!"
Zim's eyes widened in fright as GIR fixed his insane gaze on him. There was only one thing accompanied by that crazy glint. "No!" He began backing off slowly, his hands raised in a defensive gesture.
"You need a hug!" GIR launched himself at Zim, latching on to his mid section.
"No GIR. You're all sticky and disgusting! Get off me. Get off!" Zim tried desperately to detach GIR, wriggling and squirming in a most comical fashion.
Dib watched in silence for a moment before erupting in peals of laughter. GIR really was insane! How Zim ever managed to get anything done with that crazy fool hanging around was beyond him. He got slightly worried when a wicked look crossed Zim's face.
"Oh GIR?!" Zim sing songed. "Dib looks a little sad doesn't he? Do you think maybe he needs a-"
Before Zim could finish GIR had launched himself at Dib, knocking him over in the process. "HUG!"
Zim dusted himself off, frowning at how sticky his arms and face felt, before strolling over to where Dib was desperately trying to escape GIR attentions.
"GIR! Stop. Ouch. Seriously, come on. Ok, that's great. Nice hug, thanks." He reluctantly returned the hug, hoping to satisfy GIR. GIR sat on his chest for a moment, grinning to himself, before, without a word, he got up and plopped himself in front of the television once more. Dib closed his eyes in a silent prayer of thanks. When he opened them again he found Zim staring down at him, a worried look on his face. "What?" He asked, sounding more worried than he had wanted to. Silently Zim kneeled next to him and lightly ran his finger over Dib's lip. Dib's breath caught in his throat and he blushed furiously. Zim regarded his finger for a moment before showing it to Dib. "What?" Dib swallowed as his voice sounded slightly croaky. He glanced at the offered finger. A small drop of blood hung vicariously to it. Dib brought his own finger to his lip but it only came away with a tiny amount of blood. He regarded it feeling only slightly nervous. "Is that all?" He pushed himself into a sitting position. "The doctor said that might happen for a little while, something about weak blood vessels, I don't know. It's nothing to worry about." He hauled himself up, rubbing his lower back where it had connected harshly with the floor.
"I wasn't worried." Zim replied angrily. "Eugh." He glanced down at his sticky arms. "I'm going to wash this off." Without a comment his licked Dib's blood from his finger and proceeded to the kitchen.
Dib stood dumbfounded watching him. Ok, that was weird...right? Shaking his head to unfreeze it he followed Zim into the kitchen, too embarrassed to ask about the whole blood licking, vampire-ish thing.
Zim pulled open a drawer and retrieved what looked like a bar of soap wrapped in a greaseproof covering. Removing the packaging revealed a sausage, however. Zim growled, throwing the sausage at the wall before shouting to GIR in the living room. "GIR, do we have any soap not made by YOU?!" Dib arched an eyebrow at him. "Don't ask." Zim observed him, shaking his head.
"Eh, I think so!" Came the high pitched reply.
Zim struggled to keep his patience. "Where?"
"Eh, near the back?" GIR didn't really sound too sure.
Shaking his head Zim began to route around in the drawer, reaching further back. Retrieving what felt solid enough to actual be some soap and not another form of pork product, Zim smiled triumphantly to himself. Again removing the packaging he was glad to find actual soap. He was about to descend to the lab and cleanse there when the tap caught his eye. Slowly he turned on the tap and was about to place his hand under the flow when Dib grabbed his wrist.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked.
"Only one way to find out." Zim placed his arm under the flow, catching Dib's arms in the water too. Again the water heated upon contact with his jade skin, turning to steam and dissipating into the atmosphere. He gave Dib a know-it-all look before proceeding to lather up the soap and remove the sticky mess from his skin.
Dib followed suit, taking the soap when Zim offered it to him. "So I guess you must be pretty nervous." He commented scrubbing a particularly stubborn patch of skin.
"Nervous?" Zim was having a much easier time removing GIR's mess. As his skin was completely smooth all that was required was for him to dissolve whatever it was that GIR had been eating.
"Yeah, ouch, you know, you're going to find out if you can reverse this...whatever it is you've done to yourself. I'd be pretty nervous." Dib winced as the fine hairs on his arms stuck together and pulled each other. He would never tease Gaz about waxing her legs. Never.
Zim finished scrubbing, furrowing his brow in thought. He didn't really want to think about not being able to fix this. He just had to, there was no alternative.
Dib glanced at Zim when he received no answer. The sight that greeted him was surreal and almost ethereal. The water soaking Zim's skin was slowly evaporating, surrounding him in a vale of water vapour. Coupled with Zim's bright green skin, he looked almost supernatural, well in a more heavenly way. Wait a minute did he just use the word heavenly to describe Zim? Well, he did have an non-corporeal look to him, almost like a dryad Dib had heard described in The Chronicles of Narnia or Roman myths. Blushing for the second time in less than five minutes Dib turned back to the sink, washing off the remaining suds from his skin. "What will happen if you can't reverse it?" Dib permitted himself to glance at Zim.
"I will reverse it." Zim clenched his fists.
"Yeah, but what happens if-"
"I WILL reverse it!" Zim stamped his foot, glaring at Dib.
Dib dropped his eyes, ashamed. That was exactly helpful, he supposed. "Sorry."
"I will." Zim spoke barely above a whisper.
Dib dried his hands on his pants and turned to Zim. "Yes, you will. With my help."
"I do not need your help." There was none of the malice Dib expected in Zim's voice.
"I know. But you've got it. I'm more involved in this than you're letting on." Dib sighed. "And though I loath to admit it, I owe you one."
Zim's smile was so small and fleeting that had Dib blinked he would have missed it. "Do whatever you want." Zim paced past him and back into the living room. Dib rolled his eyes before following. "GIR, you will shut off the television and commence cleaning this stink pile!" Zim placed his hands on his hips and attempted to look threatening.
"Aw, do I have to?" GIR looked up at Zim, tears brimming in his eyes. "My favourite show is on."
"You say that about every show!" Zim scowled. "Now, start! I want this place shining when we come back from the lab." Zim handed GIR a mop and slop bucket and stood staring at the little robot, tapping his foot. GIR looked from the mop to Zim, a single tear spilling from his glistening eyes. Zim sighed. "That won't work, GIR." GIR continued to stare up at him, his impossibly large eyes twinkling with unshed tears. Groaning in defeat, Zim threw his head back before looking back down at GIR. "Fine, once everything's all cleaned up I'll take you out for tacos and you can rent a movie."
"Intestines of War?" GIR wiped a tear from his eyes, his lip quivering.
"GIR that's all you ever rent. You've watched it hundreds of times!" Zim exhasberted. GIR's eyes began to water once more. "Fine, fine! I'll buy you some tacos and then we can rent Intestines of War."
"Yay!" GIR began running around, his hands in the air. "Yay! Yay!"
"To work GIR!"
"Okey dokey!" GIR ducked the mop in the bucket and began cleaning up his melted ice cream.
Zim merely shook his head as he made his way over to the elevator. "We better begin cleaning up the lab. I don't trust GIR to do it, idiot robot." Dib chuckled as he joined Zim in the elevator. "Computer take us to the lab." He arched his eyebrow as Dib continued to smirk at him. "What?"
"Nothing." Dib became stone faced before his face was broken by a smile once more.
"What?!" Zim whined.
"It's just funny, that's all." Dib shrugged.
Zim narrowed his eyes "What is?"
"You...and GIR." Dib explained once he received a confused look from Zim. "Well, you always complain about him and you're always giving out to him but well, you like him don't you?"
"Nonsense! That robot is a menace. One of these days I'll figure out what is causing his malfunctions and he will malfunction correctly." Zim waved off Dib's insights.
"Don't you mean he'll function correctly? And that's not true. While I've never see you actually be nice to anyone you treat GIR half-decent. I mean how often do you walk him or take him to get tacos and do you know you've rented that Intestines of War seventy eight times now?"
Zim observed Dib for a moment. The human's knowledge of his every day activities was slightly unsettling. Dib seemed to realise this fact a minute later. He scratched the back of his head while chuckling nervously to himself. "Yeah, whatever." Zim shook his head before exiting the elevator.
The lab was no where near as messy as the house level. With the help of the computer controlled cleaners (dubbed skutters by Dib) they succeeded in restoring the lab to it's former pristine condition. A beeping from the computer informed them it had completed it's analysis. They proceeded to the main lab where the results were displayed on the screen. Zim took his usual seat while Dib took the one next to it.
"Computer, what are the results of the analysis?" Zim was shaking, although he tried to hide that fact. He could see Dib observing him closely in his peripheral vision.
"Results; DNA from the Irken, Zim, is being altered."
"I know that! How is it being altered?" Zim banged the control panel. Dib wanted to try and comfort him, touch him on the shoulder, anything, but he decided against it. He knew Zim well enough by now to know that he wouldn't take well to interference. He was an immensely proud creature.
"Foreign DNA introduced into the blood stream have begun to alter the genetic material, re-writing it."
"What kind of DNA?" Zim hissed.
"Lymphocytes. Human in origin, from subject Membrane, Dib. Code name, Idiot Human Meat Child Number 1."
"What?" Dib jumped from his chair. "How?"
Instead of explaining the computer opened a window. It contained a feed from one of Zim's many surveillance cameras. No sound played, perhaps it had never been recorded, it did, however, show Zim sitting at the very workstation. He clutched a syringe, filled with the very liquid Zim had injected Dib with. He clutched it tightly and Dib could see him shaking. Suddenly, out of no where GIR popped onto the screen. Dib watched as Zim silently screamed in fright, accidentally jamming the syringe into his own shoulder, just above his collarbone. Ignoring GIR, screen Zim gingerly removed the needle then got up from the table and disappeared from view. The computer then closed the window.
Dib looked to Zim in shock. Zim was fingering the pale area where the syringe had entered, a far away look in his eyes. "But, I...I didn't think any of the liquid entered my system."
"How did you get hold of my DNA?" Dib asked Zim. However it was the computer who answered for him.
"From a recent blood sample."
Dib furrowed his brow in though. His memory flashed to the second of Zim's hospital visits, when the nurse dropped his blood second blood sample. He knew she had take two. "You stole my blood from the hospital?"
Zim seemed to snap out of revere. He turned to Dib, a muted look on his face. "Yes."
Dib began to back away from him. "Did you mean to cure me at all?"
Zim licked his lips, taking a step forward with each step Dib took back. "Yes."
"Why? Zim, none of this makes sense! How do I know this isn't all part of some weird plan? How do I know you wanted to help me at all? Why would you? We're enemies!" Dib stood his ground.
"You helped me." Zim continued to advance.
"Yeah, well I don't even know why I did. Why I still am! I want to know everything that's going on, Zim. You owe me that!" Dib began to feel weak. He put a hand on a console next to him to steady himself.
"Dib-" Zim eyed him worriedly.
"No! Tell me, Zim! What's changed between us! We hate each other. This...none of this makes sense." Dib's voice dropped as he felt nauseous. He brought his hand to his mouth as he began to gag but immediately pulled it away in shock. It was covered in blood. He looked down. His shirt too was saturated in blood. How had he not noticed that before. "Zim?" He looked up to Zim, his eyes betraying the terror he felt at seeing his so much of his own blood once more leaking from his nose.
Zim had to dive forward and catch him as Dib collapsed in a dead faint. Zim cradled his limp body, clutching it tight with worry. What was happening? This was what happened to Dib the day that started this whole mess.
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Dib woke still feeling nauseous and weak. He was lying on some kind of bed, although it was far from comfortable. Wearily he began to sit up. Almost immediately Zim appeared at his side, pushing him back into the pillows.
"You're not strong enough to exhert that much exercise, Dib." He looked nervous and, if Dib didn't know better, upset.
"What happened?" Dib winced inwardly at how pathetic his voice sounded.
"You collapsed."
"I know!" Dib replied furiously. He sighed, feeling ashamed as Zim shrank back. "Sorry. I just..." Dib felt the familiar prick as tear filled his eyes. "It's back, isn't it, the cancer?"
Zim looked around the room briefly, unsure how to reply, afraid of the sorrow it would cause Dib. "Yes. It is." Dib bowed his head as sobs wracked his body. Tentatively, Zim placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Dib wiped his eyes, gaining most of his composure. "For what? That my cancer's back or that your cure didn't work?" He didn't mean to sound flippant but it came out sounding that way.
"Both." Zim seemed unaffected by the tone.
Dib sat in silence, trying to digest the information he had just received. This was so much worse that the first diagnosis. He had managed to accept that but to be told you would survive and then have that hope cruelly ripped away...it was just too much. He began to cry, silent tears running down his face. How would he ever tell Gaz...
Zim worriedly observed Dib. He felt his chest constrict when the pale human began to weep. He dredged his memory for anything that would be helpful in this situation. Irken's were far more independent than humans, they really were such a fragile species. Zim shook his head at this thought. He had always thought humans to be fragile, but not in this way. It was causing him...pain to see Dib like this. Gently he squeezed Dib's shoulder, wanting to let him know that he was there for him, but not knowing how to verbalise it.
Dib looked back to Zim, this time not bothering to clean his tears. "Can you take me home, please?"
Zim swallowed before taking a deep breath. "No." Dib opened his mouth to protest but Zim cut him off. "Not yet. I...I've been working on something while you were unconscious." Dib looked confused. "The reason the cure didn't work was because it only infused your system with enough lymphocyte suppressers to contain the excess. They neutralised the threat but I didn't counter in the fact your body continually makes more. It's an insidious condition." Dib almost laughed at the military like fashion Zim used to describe his illness. "I have created a device that will connect to your nervous system and continuously suppress the production of excess lymphocytes."
"What?" Dib had heard and understood everything Zim had said but he couldn't believe it.
"I would have to insert it into your spinal cord. It would probably be a painful procedure but it's all I can think of." Zim picked up a small glass test tube, stoppered at the open end. It contained what looked like a microchip, about a centimetre squared.
Dib eyed the device. "Will it work?"
Zim straightened up. "I believe so, yes."
Dib took a deep breath. "Ok."
Zim posture collapsed. He hadn't expected Dib to agree so readily. In fact if he had had the device finished before Dib had woken he would have installed it without the human's consent. "Really?"
Dib began to look a little worried at Zim's less than confident reply. "You don't sound to sure of yourself."
"No, no." Zim didn't want Dib changing his mind. "I just...I though I would have had more trouble convincing you."
"Yeah well, it's not like I have much choice." Dib sighed leaning back on the hard pillows for support.
"So it's not because you trust me?" Zim asked, feeling, for a reason he couldn't explain, hopeful.
"I said I would never trust you, Zim." Dib reply was devoid of malice or hate. He was merely repeating something he had explained to Zim a day earlier.
Zim dropped his eyes, feeling deflated. He shook his head. He needed to concentrate now, there would be no more focusing on irrelevant matters. Dib sighed at Zim's reaction to his answer. The green alien picked up the test tube and walked over to a metallic table. "But..."
Zim turned to Dib, swallowing nervously. "What?"
It was Dib's turn to drop his gaze. "Nothing."
Zim returned his attention to the table. On it were the instruments needed to install what looked like Dib's only chance of survival. He wheeled it over to the left side of the bed Dib lay on. "You'll need to remove your shirt." Dib sighed as he sat up and began to strip. However as he was feeling so weak he began to struggle. Zim abandoned fixing his instruments and moved to help him. Dib jumped when Zim took the hem of his shirt. Zim just smirked lop sidedly. "I owe you one" He echoed something Dib had said earlier. "Actually I owe you two." Gently he helped Dib out of his T-shirt, wallowing in the pleasure of mistakenly grazing the skin of his lower back. Dib failed to notice, however. He moved back from the half naked Dib. "You will need to lie on your side, facing away from me." Dib complied, moving slowly in his weakened state. "Are you comfortable?" Zim moved closer to Dib, inspecting the area on his spine where the chip would need to be placed.
"Not really." Dib replied. "But it's not really a physical issue."
Zim looked up and was about to quiz Dib on his cryptic answer when it dawned on him. Dib was emotionally uncomfortable. He was getting good at reading human emotions, but it would be a cold day in Hell when he would know how to deal with them. "Eh, well, everything will be fine. Don't worry, Dib. I know what I'm doing." Zim knew he was a horrible liar but hopefully the human was only looking for reassurance.
No such luck. "Really? You don't sound too confident. Have you ever done anything like this before? Are there any chances I'll be paralysed? Do you even have any medical training?" Dib fell into his usual rant mode.
"I have a basic medical training." Zim filled a needle with anaesthetic.
"What only basic! I'm-"
"You know, Dib, it's not necessary for you to be awake during the procedure. I could use a general anaesthetic if you want." Zim smirked behind Dib's back.
"NO! No, eh, I'm sure you'll do a great job, Zim. Keep me awake!" Dib rushed the last sentence.
Zim shook his head, still smirking. He leaned in closer, laying one hand on Dib's lower back, near the base of his spine. He felt Dib shiver under his touch. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, you're hands are kind of cold, that's all."
Zim rolled his eyes in response. "I'm injecting the anaesthetic now. You'll feel a slight pinch." He felt Dib tense as he inserted the needle under his skin. Once he had administered enough anaesthetic he removed the needle, placing it back on the tray. "Sorry, I know you are not fond of needles." Zim rubbed his finger over the spot he had injected, his body tingling. "Can you feel that?"
"No." Dib paused. "How do you know I don't like needles?"
"You're not the only observant one." Zim picked up a scalpel. "I'm going to make the incision now."
"Ok." Dib's voice sounded very small.
Zim bit his lip as he held the scalpel next to Dib's skin. It shook like a leaf. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to quell his nerves. Regaining his composure, he held the skin taught with one hand using the other to slice through Dib's skin. Immediately a drop of blood ran from the incision, dripping down Dib's back and pooling on the surgical table. Zim ignored it, cutting through tissue until he reached the desired place. He placed the bloody scalpel on the table and took up the tube containing the microchip. He removed the stopper carefully and, using a tweezers, picked up the chip. He placed it inside Dib's body, holding it in place until it activated. It clicked, before hair thin strands began to extend from various part of it. Dib hissed in response but other wise did not comment. Zim glanced at what little he could see of Dib's face before returning his attention to the device working inside him. It had firmly attached itself within Dib. Smiling to himself, Zim picked up the small surgical laser and began to seal Dib's incision. Once satisfied he had returned the patch of skin to it's former state, Zim wiped the trail of blood from Dib's back and replaced the instruments on the table.
"Are you finished?" Dib made to roll onto his back.
Zim placed a hand on his shoulder, shuddering slightly. "I am finished but the device is not. You cannot put pressure on it until it has completed the connections."
"Connections?" Dib tried to make himself comfortable on his side once more.
"Yes." Zim moved round to face him. "It will send out small fibres that will connect with every major organ in your body. That will ensure no excess lymphocytes are produced." Zim looked over Dib. "Are you in pain?"
"No." Dib shook his head as much as his position permitted. "It hurt when you put that thing in but now it's fine."
Zim smiled, presently surprised. "Good." He carried the soiled instruments over to a decontamination area.
"What about you?" Dib called after him.
"What?" Zim turned, confused with the question.
"What about fixing whatever's wrong with you?"
"Healing you was more important." It was out of his mouth before Zim had even realised he said it, before he ever realised he felt that way in fact.
"What?" Dib's voice reached a pitch that mainly dogs could hear. "What do you-" Suddenly every muscle in Dib's body tensed. He wondered briefly what was wrong before a sharp pain pierced his skull. He screamed, long and high.
Zim dropped the tray of instruments in shock. He ran to Dib's side, desperately wracking his brain for any cure to the pain Dib appeared to be in. Dib had curled up in a foetal position, his knuckles digging savagely into his temples. His fist were clenched so tightly that his short nails had pierced the skin, slowly leaking blood. "Dib?" Zim took his hands and pulled them away form his temples, afraid of what damage he might cause.
"Oh, God, Zim!" Dib looked up at him, almost insane with pain. His back arched and bowed irregularly as his body tried desperately to find a way to escape the pain.
"Sush, Dib." Zim could think of nothing to help. He freed one of Dib's wrists as he removed the boy's glasses, afraid he might break them and harm himself.
"Please, Zim, make it STOP!" Dib screamed, bringing his free hand to temple once more and beginning to bang it hard of his skull.
"Dib stop!" Zim grabbed Dib's free hand once more, greatly disturbed. He watched as Dib's body thrashed. This was not good. Dib needed to keep his spine as straight as possible to let the microchip work. "Dib, you need to calm down. The chip-" But Dib didn't seem to acknowledge him. He balanced on the edge of consciousness, incoherent and unresponsive. Zim dropped his hands and ran to inspect Dib's back. Immediately Dib began to bang his skull with his hands. Zim had never been so panicked in his whole life. He jumped on the table, lying behind Dib. He slipped one hand under Dib's neck and succeeded in taking hold of both of Dib's wrists. He restrained them with that hand while he used the other to hold Dib tightly by the hip as he inspected the base of his spine. There was no sign of damage but Zim didn't want to take any chances. He held Dib tightly by the wrists and hipbone, forcing the semi-conscious boy to lie still. Once confident Dib was adequately restrained Zim tried to get comfortable. The surgical table itself was not very big, and so he was forced to lie right next to Dib. He began to relax slightly when another wave of pain flowed through Dib. Crying out, Dib began to thrash again. Zim pulled him into his chest. He wrapped the arm that had been restraining Dib's hip around the raven-haired boy's waist, hold it against his body for support. He continued to restrain Dib's wrists with his other arm. The pain seemed to subside and Dib settled down slightly, his body falling limp against Zim's. Occasionally a painful convulsion would rip through his body, but Zim had him adequately restrained. Dib began to mumble incoherently as he wavered around consciousness. Zim rested his head in the crook of Dib's neck, feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. He closed his eyes slowly. He would just take a little rest. He wouldn't let his guard down. He wasn't going to let it fail this time. He wasn't going to loose Dib.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
So what did ya think? Man, this story has more twists than a road in Mayo (the county in Ireland, not the salad dressing) It's weird being on my side of the fence knowing what's going to happen and getting other peoples views on what's happening currently!
To Maran Zelde, (assuming you made it through that chapter!) I just wanted to say thanks for your review. I was like yourself, a total non-slasher. I didn't hate it but it just kinda of squicked me. And then low and behold I stumbled upon a story that had all the characteristics I wanted, angst, drama, turmoil and…slash! Crap, I though to myself, I'm not into this whole slash thing. Long story short I caved and now here I am! I write both gay and straight couples. I'm just a major fan of angst and slash seems to have so much more potential for angst, I can't help myself!
Anyway, I'm not saying you're going to become Slash Emperor Supreme, I'm not even saying you'll come to like slash, I'm just saying I know how you feel. I felt it. I thought I was a little loopy liking slash (I don't anymore, no-one take offence!) I just really appreciate your open and honest review. I hope you continue to read this story but I won't be offended if you stop reading as it becomes slasher.
What I'm trying to say (however inarticulately) is thanks, thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. I'm not going to start naming names but you guys make me smile and I love you for it!