These Dreams
Part Thirteen
Drink water. Throw up. Drink ginger tea. Throw up more. Eat soup. Throw up until I can't see straight. Thanks to some pills Mrs. Briefs gave me, I didn't have the runs anymore. However I couldn't keep anything down after I took the medicine. At least with vomiting I can keep it off my clothes. Nothing worse than having diarrhea in my pants. It only happened to me once. I was five years old and in my mom's car, coming back from the doctor's office. I thought it was just gas, so I lifted my rear end up to fart and...splat. We got stuck in traffic and I had to sit in that stinking mess for almost an hour. Luckily my mom was very understanding, but I NEVER want to go through an experience that again! If it's a choice between puking and pooping, I'll take the puking!
It was impossible to tell if worry or the actual illness kept making me hug the toilet. Every time I exited the bathroom, Freeza would hand me a glass of some orange-flavored electrolyte fluid(can't remember the name). The most it did for me was give my stomach something to reject within half an hour.
Two and a half hours dragged by. Piccolo still wasn't back. Vegeta didn't give a damn either way, he just trained. Freeza put the recliner back and, being so tired, dozed off without intending to.
Freeza looked so sweet when he was asleep. Like a little China-doll with hand-painted features. I would kill to have perfect skin like him - not a zit or flaw anywhere! His form did age somewhat. Unlike Piccolo, Freeza wasn't one to stay unchanged forever. The lines I saw around his lips when he tightened them were still there, though not readily apparent unless you looked close. There's the proof that he doesn't wear lipstick. If he did it would've feathered into those fine lines. He still had that cute little button-nose, it didn't get all pointy like King Kold's. I'm no expert for judging age, but I'd guess he's the Icejin equivalent of middle-aged or thereabouts.
I spent much of my time sitting by the door, propped against the frame. Hoping to see a flicker in the sky indicating Piccolo's return. No such luck. Not even a twinkle of his power in the distance. The clear blue sky remained utterly still, a deceiving sense of peace considering the chaos I saw on the news earlier.
"Where are you, Piccolo?" I whispered aloud.
The recliner creaked. Freeza rubbed his eyes and looked around. He spotted me seated in the doorway and padded over, "Looks like our green friend 'ere went walkabout on us."
"No, something must be wrong. Piccolo would never be gone this long for such a simple task. Freeza, I'm really worried!" I grabbed his lean arm and pulled myself up. I was thinner than him...but only because he's a guy and has bigger muscles. "Come on, we better go look for him. He might need our help!"
"You're still sick with a bad case of the trots, 'luv. What about sending Vegeta after him?"
"I'm just puking now, Mrs. Briefs gave me something for the runs. And sending Vegeta in wouldn't work." I sighed, exasperated, "He's not interested in anything but the fight. He can train until his balls fall off for all I care. I wouldn't be so worried...but I can't sense Piccolo's power. He might be suppressing it, but still..."
"I s'ppose we could blow in and 'ave a gander. But flyin' around in the city would draw too much 'tension."
"It's too far to walk." I complained, "and I can't drive."
"I can." Freeza stated simply, shaking his armored head. He turned from me and started towards the kitchen. "No need to carry on like a pork-chop now. I'm sure the missus 'ere will lend us somethin' to drive. Lemme look 'er up."
By then I was too worried to care HOW I got into the city. If the only way there was to walk on two fingers across a tightrope, I'd do it without hesitation. My ears detected Freeza's voice speaking to Mrs. Briefs and her excited reply. Freeza came back looking like the cat that ate the canary and wiggled a Capsule before my eyes.
"Cool! What kind of car is it?"
"It isn't a car, 'luv." Freeza depressed the plunger and tossed the Capsule outside. It clattered against the grass and exploded.
POOFFFFF!
There sat a bitchin' looking motorcycle with black chrome and gleaming silver engine parts. Freeza eyed the vehicle like a piece of candy. "I 'ave my own 'Arley Davidson back 'ome. It's cherry red." The petite Icejin hurried to the motorcycle, hopped on and stomped his foot to start the engine. At least it looked like he stomped to get it started. He used his own leg like a kickstand and twisted something on the right handlebar to rev the engine.
Vrooooommmm.......VROOOOOOMMMM! VROOM-VROOOMMMMM!
The engine was as loud as a Harley, that's for sure!
"Just like a kitten!" Freeza's face split into a huge, almost sadistic grin. His teeth flashed white in the sunlight. He fished a pair of Ray Bans from his back pocket and donned them. Somehow they stayed in place on his face and looked damn cool at the same time. He looked over at me. The black lenses shimmered like Master Roshi's. "'op on, I'll use my tail as a seatbelt so you won't fall A over T every time we 'ave to stop."
I never rode a motorcycle before, this should be fun!
"Okay!" I climbed on behind Freeza and felt his tail wind itself once around my waist. For safety's sake I grabbed onto his narrow shoulders. And prayed that my hair didn't wind up tangled in the rear tire. "Let's go!"
"Better 'ang on tight back there." Freeza twisted the accelerator a final time. With a screech of rubber and a vibrating roar from the engine, we were off! It was like flying! My hair and stomach will be a tangled mess later, but oh well! Both of us almost ate it turning onto the road, but Freeza leaned the other way just in time. He obviously knew exactly what he was doing. "Now where's the mall?"
Damn, I wasn't sure. "I don't remember, I only went once. I do know it had a billboard that told the date, time and temperature near the driveway where you turn in."
"No worries, 'luv. I'm keen
as mustard to try this baby out anyway." He chuckled excitedly. Leaning
forward, he poured juice into the engine and sent us ripping down the main
road. Completely ignoring the red stoplight at the intersection. We ramped
off a little hump in the road, came to a tooth-jarring landing and tore
off into the heart of the city, the roaring engine echoing off the buildings.
Just when I thought Western City wasn't experiencing the same chaos I saw on the news...Freeza and I pulled into a huge traffic jam. People were halfway out of their cars, screaming. Others had fist-fights on the sidewalk. One man threw another man into a store window, shattering it with a loud crash.
The motorcycle halted behind a small red hovercar with a yellow-haired driver and a very tanned passenger. I looked around in sad dismay.
"Shit, look at this mess!"
"We gotta find another way around." Freeza lifted his foot and turned the handlebars, "'ang on, I'm gonna chuck a yewy and roll between the cars up ahead." The motorcycle slowly rolled in a half-circle. I clung nervously to Freeza's shoulders as we turned around yet again and started gliding between the cars. Had either of us been just an inch taller, our combined bulk would not have fit in the small spaces. More than once I pressed my knees tighter to the seat to keep the skin from being scraped off.
People honked and cussed at us when we passed. Freeza ignored them, but I couldn't. I just cringed the whole time. We got past the traffic jam unscathed. But what existed beyond made the mess of cars seem like nothing.
Immense smoke pillars rose from buildings on the horizon. Three cylindrical towers with spheres on top lay collapsed on their sides, broken like giant twigs. Fires raged unchecked.
I heard Freeza gasp. He gripped the handlebars harder. "Crikey! The world is goin' mad!"
"Piccolo isn't there...somehow I just know he isn't. Let's check the mall first. That sounds harsh, but...we just have to find him before anything else."
"Fluorescent green needle in a 'aystack. If the bloke was thirty feet tall 'e'd be easier to spot."
"Yeah well, he's seven feet tall." I closed my eyes and sighed. My mind formed a perfect mental image of an unsmiling Piccolo standing with his handsome face half-shadowed, his arms crossed and wind playing in his cape. My heart pounded instantly. I could smell his salty outdoor scent and feel his smooth fingertips tracing my cheek. Piccolo always touched my face when he thought I was sleeping. A sudden jerk from the motorcycle jolted me from my daydream. My stomach knotted up. "Stop the bike! I'm gonna throw up."
Freeza stopped the motorcycle and stared ahead while I blew chunks in the bushes by the street. White frothy goop, probably the remains of the fizzy electrolyte drink Freeza offered me earlier. Didn't ginger-ale exist in this realm? I really wished for a bottle of the stuff right then. It always settles my stomach.
I felt like someone glued an anvil to my head when I straightened again. That familiar sensation I feel when I have a fever. I was dizzy, the headrush kind. I barely made it back to the motorcycle, and put my head down against Freeza's back when I'd straddled the leather seat. Freeza didn't protest to or refuse my action.
"We'll take a squizz for one hour...if we don't find Piccolo, I'm takin' you back to the Capsule place and comin' back 'lone. You're not well enough to be pokin' around like this."
"But - "
"Bite your bum. You can't fight Void if you're so sick you can't distinguish your arse from your 'ead."
I sighed regretfully. Every inch of me ached. Whoever put rocks in my joints is going to die. "Fiiiiiine, one hour. Let's hurry."
Of course my body screamed at me to lay down and rest. But I just couldn't, not when I feared the one I loved so much was in danger. My mind is a scary thing when it gets to thinking of worst-case scenarios. I forced myself not to think that way. Piccolo is one sly Namek...he'd be cunning enough to avoid hurting people or getting hurt himself.
Then why didn't he come right back?
Now I know how my dad feels whenever mom is late and doesn't call, or when I got out anywhere with someone he doesn't know well. He's probably sitting in my empty bedroom right now, scared out of his mind and wondering where I am.
A different scent woke me from my reverie. Kind of a tangy smell like......gas! "Do you smell that?"
"Smell what?" Freeza eased us around a pothole without slowing down.
"Gas fumes."
He turned his cheek into the wind a little.
"...what are you doing?"
"Smelling the air, ya boofhead." Freeza tapped the ridged pads lining his cheeks and I sensed a smile behind his voice, "You smell with your nose, I smell with these. Kinda like a snake sniffs with its tongue. Pretty 'andy for picking up poisonous fumes without breathin' 'em. And yeah I do smell gas...s'close. Very close."
I hung on tighter. So tight in fact that he reached up and moved my arm down a bit because I was choking him. I don't even remember clamping an arm around his neck. "Can you tell where it's coming from?"
"Left, in front of us somewhere. I'm guessin' that intersection several clicks a'ead. I'm gonna blow through it." Freeza glanced over his shoulder at me. I felt his tail tighten and press down against my hips for added safety. Boy was I glad he's so tiny, it made me feel safer knowing my arms wrapped fully around his narrow shoulders. He waited while I adjusted myself. "'ang on back there. Ready?"
My poor joints ached so bad. I just wanted to sleep. "As I'll ever be. Let's hope my stomach keeps up."
He laughed, a naturally harsh sound. "Just don't chunder on my back."
"Feh." I did my best Piccolo impression, "Don't you worry, the wind will probably blow it back into my mouth."
Freeza shook his horned head, nearly poking my eye out with one of his shiny black horns. "Nothin' like a mouthful of pavement pizza for lunch."
I put a finger on the offensive sharp thing. It felt like polished ivory. "Let's just go...before...ah shit!" I leaned over far when I felt another spasm. My body acted like it was throwing up, but I had nothing left to puke out. "Well, no need to worry if I do this during the ride, nothing left. I'll just heave away when the urge comes."
"Are you sure you're up to this, 'luv?"
"Yes! Please, let's go."
Freeza shook his head slightly. "Poor thin'. You a'ready 'ave to run around in the shower to get wet. Lose too much weight and you're gonna disappear."
"Freeza," I gave him a little squeeze and tried to be brave. Fever chills made me shiver violently. I felt like I'd been gargling my own puke. "Finding Piccolo is all I care about. I'll worry about myself when I know he's okay."
"Right-o." He lifted his three-toed foot from the pavement and twisted the accelerator. The idling engine roared, vibrating my butt and legs. "I think the gas up a'ead is a busted line."
I gazed over Freeza's shoulder at the wavering air. Something silver sparkled. A fuel truck? As Freeza and I drew closer I realized I was right. The truck sat jackknifed in the middle of the intersection. Its large back end blocked half the intersection and a tow-truck sat parked off to the side a little ways. Another tow-truck halted before the jackknifed semi. So this is what caused the traffic jam behind us!
"I hope that truck is full..."
"Ay?"
I went on, "Empty gas trucks are more dangerous than full ones. Did you know gas fumes are worse than a puddle of gasoline on the ground? Strike a match and BOOM!"
"I thought I 'eard somethin' about that on - "
VRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!
A tiny black convertible whizzed past us. One of the tow-truck operators gestured at the insane driver to pull over.
I heard a rumble from behind. Glanced over my shoulder to see one hovercar rear-end another. Suddenly all the jammed traffic started moving. Were those people really so crazy to think they'd get around that semi in the road!?
Obviously so. The result? A small car pile-up on one side of the street and a mass of cars streaking down the other. I've never seen chaos erupt so fast.
"The 'eck is all the kafuffle?" Freeza twisted his head around and his shades reflected the mess behind us.
I kept watching the road ahead. Just when I thought nothing could get worse, it did. A car spun out of sight. The fuel trick bucked, tipped over and exploded! A fireball erupted into the sky. Window shattered and glass rained down in the street. The truck wasn't quite empty, a huge fuel puddle spread fire across the road. Flames ten feet high covered the pavement.
And we were rolling straight for it!
"FREEZA!!!"
Freeza whipped his head back around. "'oly-dooly! Desp'rate times call for desp'rate measures!"
He kept going straight for the fire!
I screamed, "ARE YOU INSANE?!?!"
"TRUST ME!" Freeza turned the motorcycle just a little, aiming for the tow-truck. He pulled his shades down on his nose and fired his eyelasers at a chain on the back, knocking the metal car-holding tray down to street-level. It landed at a steep angle. "'ang on tight!" He twisted the accelerator further and the engine screamed. We raced towards the makeshift ramp at break-neck speed. Blistering heat drew closer. The wind whipped my face and blasted my hair back. Gasoline fumes nearly choked me.
The front tire hit the makeshift incline. A second later we rolled up without losing any speed. We left the ramp and leapt straight through the wall of fire.
Ka-BOOM!!
The rest of the semi exploded just as the rear tire passed above it. The fireball nearly engulfed us! More prickling warmth seared Freeza and I from behind. My ears popped because it was so loud. I saw nothing but flames and insanity in the handlebar mirrors. The shockwave rattled the motorcycle and my bones. So did the rough landing.
It was all over in less than five seconds, yet felt like an eternity. Let's just hope my heart stays in my chest where it belongs!
Freeza abruptly turned the bike sideways, bringing us to a screeching halt. He put his foot down like a kickstand and stared in awe at the fire we just barely escaped. Sweat shimmered on his cheeks and nose.
"Maybe I shouldn't 'ave watched Triple X before I came 'ere." He gave me a reassuring squeeze with his tail and peered at me over the rim of his cool black shades. "Did I do a good enough impression of that bald bloke?"
"You...you show-off!" I clung to him, shaking like a leaf. "T-That was cool...let's NEVER do it again, okay?"
Freeza chuckled a little. He pushed his Ray Bans back up on his nose. "No worries, 'luv. I promise I'll be good from 'ere on out."
No wonder. I've seen Triple X, I think it's a pretty cool movie. Lots of neat explosions!
"Good. Now tell me, you didn't like the movie much, did you?"
That made him grin like a sadistic clown. "Too right!" He glanced over his shoulder and turned the bike in the correct direction. "I see your billboard a few clicks a'ead. Looks like we found the mall."
My stomach squeezed itself, but without anything to throw up I didn't worry about moving. I just waited for the pain to abate. "Then let's go...I need to find some ginger-ale when we get there. Think we can make it before my body tries to puke again?"
"'ow long is a piece of string?"
"Eh?"
"Just teasin'." Freeza started the bike gently forward towards the nearest driveway, mindful of outgoing traffic and people running out to see what exploded. Me and Freeza drew quite a few stares, too, but I was too out of it to care. Freeza went on, "You rest on my back and stop worryin'. Gimme a few ticks."
I didn't protest. "Okay."
Maybe listening to my body's needs would've been easier than coming all the way here. By the time Freeza and I parked, I couldn't take four steps without getting a massive head-rush. Freeza carried me piggyback style into the mall. More stares greeted us. He placed me gently on a bench, felt my forehead and frowned disapprovingly.
"You're burnin' up. That's it." He untied the jacket around his waist and wrapped it around my shoulders. I welcomed its warmth. Then he said, "Don't move from this spot. I'm gonna find you some of that ginger-ale, and then I'm lookin' for Piccolo alone. I'll bring 'im 'ere."
"But - "
Freeza shoved me back down. "Can it, 'luv. You're too wonky to go on. Even Saiyajin bodies 'ave limits. Sit still now and I'll be back in a tick."
Deep down I knew Freeza was right. I curled up on my side, using my arms as a pillow. Not the most comfortable position in the world, but better than sitting up. Freeza pushed my hair out of the way and patted my shoulder before walking off.
Man, if he doted over his young daughter this much whenever she got sick...well then he's a great dad.
A minute later he came back with a bottle of fizzy liquid. "'ere, I popped the lid for you. Sip it down slow. Now I'm gonna find the green bloke."
"Mmfanks." Was the only response I mustered. I picked my head up enough to sip from the glass bottle. My parched throat welcomed the cool fluid like a desert welcomes rain. I may puke later, but at least my mouth didn't taste like an old sock anymore. I screwed the lid back on and laid my head down on my arms again.
Freeza left without me noticing.
I didn't care anymore. Every inch of my body ached and felt heavy. I couldn't
think straight. I shut my eyes and imagined myself in a nice, soft bed.
What
I would give for some Tylenol...
"...so the old, half-blind indian guy made them for me." Piccolo's deep, raspy voice reached me from far away. He came closer as he spoke. "He did a ritual over each one as it was finished, I think he called it 'smudging'. If I'd known it would take this long I would've left to inform you and come back. Where is she?"
Freeza's distinctive alto pipes answered, "I made 'er plant 'er bum on the bench over 'ere. Poor thin' couldn't make it through the parkin' lot. I woulda parked closer if the traffic wasn't such a problem."
Words can never explain the relief I experienced when I heard Piccolo speak. If I wasn't sicker than a dog, I would've nailed him with a glomp hard enough to register on the Richter Scale.
"Hm." Piccolo was right next to the bench now. Probably glowering down at my pathetic condition. "Hey, kid."
I forced my eyelids open and stared up at Piccolo's handsome green face. "Heyyyyy! I'm gonna kill you for scaring me like that...you green butthead. Did you get the dream catchers?"
"Yeah. Freeza has them right now."
Freeza stepped into my peripheral vision, smiling a bit. Somehow I knew he was thinking about the awesome jump we did on the way to the mall. "Speakin' of, I'm gonna go put the motorcycle back in its Capsule and 'ead out. The traffic is bad and we ran into a nasty bungle on the way 'ere, so I'll just say 'ell with it and fly. See youse back at the Capsule Corporation in a bit. Don't take all arvo gettin' back." He patted the three small boxes cradled in a plastic bag. "'ooroo, mates."
"See you soon, Freeza." Piccolo nodded and Freeza disappeared from my view.
"Later ice-man."
Two strong arms wrapped around my body and lifted me like a kitten. "Up you go." I found myself pressed to Piccolo's broad chest with my forehead resting against his thick neck. It was damp, he's always a little sweaty. His taut skin felt like water-cooled leather against my burning forehead.
I caught him in a death grip and held on for dear life, inhaling his salty outdoor scent. I'm never letting go of you again after THAT nightmare! All those frightening images my mind conjured up melted away. I let my hand slide up and rub behind his large, pointed ear. Piccolo rewarded me with a throaty rumble, almost a little purr.
"Piccolo, I was so worried! The news was saying stuff about worldwide insomnia and people going insane. I mean...people are seeing Void in their dreams and becoming too afraid to sleep at all. Everyone's exhausted. She's, you know, making people attack themselves and each other." I burped unexpectedly and blushed. Good thing it wasn't in his face! "Uhhh...I want a bed and Tylenol..."
"Enough, we're leaving." He scowled, "You're resting until the fever disappears, no exceptions. You aren't any good in the fight if you're sick and weak. After you get well, you'll be eating and training to regain your strength. Maybe I'll train Freeza and Vegeta a little, using the same techniques I used to train you. Those two may not need it, but I want to be sure myself."
"Okay. Just one sec...one thing." I clung tighter to him, "Sorry about all this...I was just worried and I wanted to see you were okay with my own eyes. Now I can relax. Hey, big guy...love you."
Piccolo found my impatience to see him somewhat amusing. "Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you," I heard him say jokingly. He tucked my tangled hair behind my ear and laid his cool palm across my burning forehead. "Your fever's getting worse. You poor kid...let's get you back to the Capsule Corporation and bring your temperature down."
Movement and shifting. I squeezed my eyes shut when Piccolo carried me outside and took off.
"Sorry I messed up all our plans."
He shook his head and tightened his hold on me a bit. "Nah. You can't control it if you fall ill. It happens to everyone. Now shut up and put your head down. I don't want to hear another peep out of you until you've rested. All this running around made it worse for you. I guess it's my fault for not coming back to tell you I'd be longer than I expected...I'm sorry about that."
"It's okay...I know you're all right. I can relax n- oh God." I covered my mouth and tried not to heave. Piccolo stopped and quickly flipped me facedown like a football. There went all the ginger-ale I drank on the bench. My face was all red and tear-streaked. I've never thrown up so many times in one day for as long as I've lived. It scared me a little. "....sorry...let's hurry."
Piccolo was such a sweetie to me. He held me with one arm, tore off a corner of his cape with his teeth and moistened it with water from his flask. He used it to wipe my face off, especially the icky crust around my mouth. Not once did he speak as this took place. By then I didn't care what happened to me. I just wanted a bed and some kind of pain relief!
"That's it. No more fooling around. No more puking. No more talking." He pushed my head down against his shoulder and took off towards the Capsule Corporation.
That's the last thing I remember.
Coldness beckoned me into dim awareness. Ice packs were pressed to my armpits, neck and stomach. I felt a cold cloth resting across my forehead. Someone packed bags of ice against my sides. The searing coldness made me shudder violently.
I tried to squirm away. "Nooo....too cold..."
Large hands pinned my shoulders down. I pulled my legs away from the cold packs pushed between my feet. Smaller hands grabbed my ankles, immobilizing them.
"'Luv, be still now."
I wrenched myself left and right, trying to break free. "Nooo!"
"Shhh, settle down." Piccolo materialized in the haze above my head. "Bulma took one look at you and sent you down to the emergency facility. Your fever was measured at over a hundred and six degrees and climbing when I got you here. The nurse is going to put you on chilled intravenous fluids and antibiotics."
"Cooooold." I whined again.
Freeza let go of my left ankle long enough to scratch the inner corner of his eye. "It just seems worse 'cause of your fever. It'll be right, don't you worry."
Piccolo ignored my complaints and continued holding me down. His eyes drifted to the plump nurse holding an IV catheter. I watched in sleepy fascination as she inserted the needle into the crook of my arm, taped it down and attached it to the condensation-fogged bag hanging above my bed. I only felt a little sting as the needle went in, that's it. Then she pushed a few buttons on the pump mechanism. It beeped, green and red numbers appeared and the little wheel whirred to life.
Needles don't bother me unless they're stuck in my butt. I'm desensitized to them. I went through a lot of blood tests when I was a kid. My parents wanted to find out why I didn't grow at all for almost two years in a row. So I was put through a whole buttload of blood tests for Turner's Syndrome, growth hormone deficiencies and other disorders...and the doctors found nothing! My growth hormone levels were normal. They tried taking me off my medication, which only succeeded in making me bounce off the walls. That didn't make me grow anymore. More tests and more NOTHING. I think I baffled their expertise too, according to the tests I have a very slow metabolism and SHOULD be morbidly obese. That just shows how much those idiot doctors know, huh? Years later, a psychologist tested me and discovered my autism. Eureka! That's what caused the developmental delay and deviant behavior! Of course, my parents didn't tell me that when I was diagnosed at age fourteen. I always knew I wasn't like the other people in my classes. I didn't learn I was autistic until, at age seventeen, I stumbled across the papers Dr. Berg wrote up about me. I threw a HUGE fit. It took my mom two hours to get me calm enough so she could explain everything.
That was five years ago. I got over it. Now that I'm aware of why I act like I do, I don't worry too much about my weird speech patterns, immaturity and obsessions. I exist on my own wavelength. So what if people see me as a simple person who acts like a kid. Let them! It's so much more fun when I turn around later and prove I'm more aware of the world than they think!
Anyway, I became fascinated with the needle in my arm and the memories it brought back. I wanted to pick at the damn thing. The tape itched a bit because it was wrinkled against my skin. More coldness from the IV fluid crept up my arm and into my body. I shivered violently. The F-word found its way into my complaints.
My incessant griping did finally get me a blanket. Even though I had ice under my armpits, on my stomach, packed against my sides and in my blood...my fever-stupified brain thought I was getting warm. I stopped shivering. Much better!
"Temp's going down."
More delirious babbling from me, "Oh no...did I miss the fight?!"
The question was so pointless and dumb that Piccolo and Freeza both laughed out loud. Piccolo gave more of an ultra-sexy cackle than a laugh.
"That proves it! She'll be apples." Freeza struggled desperately to quiet down. He knew full well that too much laughing stirs me up. When muffling his giggles with his hand didn't work, he staggered out of the room. I heard him slap the wall and crack up in the hallway. "Miss the fight....WEEHEHEHEHE!!"
Piccolo gazed down at me with a wry half-grin, one fang gleaming. "I wouldn't worry about fighting anything other than your sickness right now. Nobody's intentionally going after Void until you're back to a hundred percent."
"Mm."
The Namek inhaled noisily and looked around. We were the only two in the room, he seemed pleased at this discovery. Piccolo caressed the side of my face with his knuckles. He lowered his voice to a deep whisper, "I don't think my soul could take it if I lost you, Cyndi." His eyes softened as he went on, "Rest and get well, I'll stay here with you."
"Piccolo," I asked bluntly, "Do you love me?"
"Feh." Piccolo's cheeks gained a purple hue. He exhaled with a quiet, controlled laugh through closed lips and gave me one of his usual cryptic replies. "I think you already know the answer to that, kid." He brushed my bangs aside and bent down. Warm lips touched softly against my brow, making my heart pound. One of the rare times where he kissed me without being physically enticed into doing so. Maybe he finally understands what the gesture means.
The careful fingers combed my bangs back to where they belonged - spiked in every direction but down. He glanced at the rapidly-beeping pulse monitor and shook his head.
I glanced at it too. "It's all your fault."
Piccolo just rolled his eyes. He smiled and sat down on the floor to meditate. "Go to sleep."