(((.-)) Zel |||^.^||| Xelloss |{{^.^}}| Lina |((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^)) Amelia |))-.-((| Val
Chapter 51
THE SLAYERS
Xelloss locked himself in the bathroom as best he could, making it quite obvious that he didn't want to have any one of the number of important conversations he and Zel needed to have. It was just as well, since Zelgadiss didn't exactly relish the thought of talking to him about anything, either. That said, it was lonely in that hospital room, with only their thoughts to keep them company.
Luna was a godsend, strangely. "Hey, you," she directed at Zel's bowed head. He looked up with sleep-deprived, red-rimmed eyes. "You look like unholy crap," she commented. "I don't know why, but Lina wants to talk to you. I just gave her the news about Zelas, if you want some background—though I don't know WHY I bothered to tell you that."
"I…can't leave Xelloss—"
"I'll stay here with him. I like that nutcase best of all of you: he's nice and clean."
Zel nodded and left, calling back to the closed bathroom door, "See, I get to see Lina since I'm still under control. Maybe you'll get special privileges if you calm down, too."
Xelloss didn't answer.
"Oh, Xelly-boy! Coming out to see me, eh?" Luna was calling as Zel closed the door behind him. "Oh, you're wearing the pants I bought Zel! You look better in them then he does…I don't remember that god-awful shirt, though…"
Zel shook his head. He was glad he wasn't the one stuck in that room.
Lina was a thunderhead confined to a bed. Lightning clashed in her eyes as she turned them on Zel. "So, Zelas is dead."
"Yes."
"How is Xelloss?"
"Why don't you just call him in and ask him!" Zel spat, then instantly regretted it. "Oh, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I know, I know…"
"I didn't say anything," Lina pointed out.
"Yes, but I can hear you yelling at me in my mind!"
Lina laughed, but ended up gasping in pain. "Damnit, Zel. It hurts to laugh. It hurts to scream. I hurts to cry, too. Hell, it hurts to breathe! You never know how pleasant breathing really is until you can't do it right anymore."
"Yeah, I can't breathe too well, either, from the broken ribs."
Lina looked gentler for a moment. "What happened, Zel? You're a wreck. Something happened, and I wasn't there. So you have to tell me. What happened when they told you about Zelas? Is that why you're so broken up?"
"Kind of…Xelloss started singing that song from that movie…Wizard of Oz, you know, 'The witch is dead,' and they wanted to sedate him! To pump him full of more chemicals! Why can't they just leave him alone? If he wants to act like an idiot, let him!"
"I know. I don't like it when people use drugs to try and 'cure' annoying personality traits. I say, the less drugs you can take, the better."
"Yeah, and Xelloss hates hospitals, he hates being confined, and its just wearing on him."
"I hate hospitals, too. I hate this room. I HATE IT!! It's just so…clean, and bare, and there's nothing interesting to do! I've tried to make it like me—"
Zel noticed that, despite the fact she was stuck in bed, her room was the messiest of all of them. She'd managed to spread out everything that wasn't tied down, so it looked like the Hurricane Lina had hit.
"—and now I can't reach anything!" she lamented.
Zel sighed. This was not good for her, nor for Xelloss, nor for him. The others were fine, as far as he could tell, but it was killing the three of them to be stuck there. Funny that they were the three who really had to be there…
"Well, you're in luck. I blew up at the CIA agents, threw them out, and proclaimed us liberated. No more meetings, no more hospital. The adults are all conferring, and by tomorrow, we'll be out of this place. Where we'll be, I don't know, but it won't be here…maybe we'll crash the Clan…"
"You cussed out the CIA? Zel, I have a new-found respect for you! Where did you get that strength?"
"Well, it pissed me off that they would sell themselves to the syndicate—"
"Ah, so it's not just me who suspected."
"Of course not, I'm a genius too, remember? It was that, and I was just…really angry for other reasons."
"That was lame. Such as?"
"You don't want to know."
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT I DO AND DO NOT WANT TO KNOW! I'VE BEEN STUCK HERE FOR HOURS WITH NOTHING TO DO, AND I'M STARVING FOR CONVERSATION! So I'm even interested in your feelings today."
"I'm touched."
"You should be. I'm now in searing pain from all that yelling. The sacrifices I make for you!"
"Yelling is supposed to be beneficial for me?" Zel arched an eyebrow.
"Zel, I'm going to kill you. Just tell me what's eating you already!"
"Now I don't want to since you've make such a big deal about it—"
"TALK OR DIE."
"Fine!" Zel sighed and pulled his chair closer, arranged himself so he could rest his folded arms on his bent knees, and let his head droop so he didn't have to make eye contact with her. "It sounds dopey when I have to say it… Filia…decided it was time to put Amelia on the spot…and me too. You probably can guess where I'm going with this, right? Well, Filia came down on Amelia pretty hard, I thought, so I tried to stand up for her…"
"Hold it…what was the issue here? " Lina asked puzzled.
"Me. Filia told Amelia that I was a lost cause and to stop… whatever … thinking about me I guess. I said that Amelia had better things to do than focus on romantic crap and that she was too young anyway. That got me into deeper shit…I don't even want to think about it. I thought Amelia would be mad at Filia, but things happened that I don't seem to be able to fathom anymore and they're all buddy-buddy and I'm the bad guy. And if none of that made any sense to you, then I told it correctly."
"I'd say you deserve to be so confused simply for trying to tell Filia that she's wrong about anything, but that's too harsh. Man, I'm on your side in this. Amelia usually has more sense, though. My best bet is that the confinement is starting to wear on them, too. And Amelia wouldn't have started her period, would she?"
"I don't know! Don't ask me about that stuff!" Zel turned nearly purple. "Wait, Sylphiel brought in some pink plastic package of god-knows-what…they were talking about toenails or something, but…"
"Zel, you need sleep. You're ranting. And I was right. Zel, they're just emotional and hormonal, and, being male, you were a handy target. Don't worry. Amelia will come crying into your personal space soon enough, begging forgiveness for her unfair and unrighteous behavior. Mark my words."
"I dunno. They didn't seem liable to ever speak to me again."
"Oh, you're blowing it out of proportion. Now, you may go. I'm finished with you. I can't breathe deeply any longer, and it's my bedtime," she shooed him with the air of a queen dismissing a pageboy.
Zel smiled, shook his head, and took his leave of her. The storm had blown over, and now it had rained itself out
.
"Yo, Zel…gimme yer car keys," Val grunted on his way down the hall.
"Won't do you any good without a car to go with them," Zel remarked acidly. He felt restrictions constricting tighter and tighter, like his pants.
"I kin take care o'that," Officer McGywn offered from the side. "It's been checked for evidence and is cleared. Yer kin pick it up down at the station, even at night. I assume yer know the place?" he grinned at Val, who nodded. "Yer do have a drivers license, Val-ma-boy?"
"I won't break any laws gett'n it home," Val mumbled.
"That's what I thought. Here…" McGywn placed a couple quick cellphone calls, then returned to the boys, "Pick up his car, then tomorrow, go directly to the DMV. There'll be a restricted license there ready for yer signature. Now, it's only good for three months, so yer kin take care of the professor and the others. Yer kin git a regular one anytime now. You'll need a birth certificate…but yer have no problem finding those it seems."
Val's mind cleared for a second, "I can get a driver's license?"
"That's right. When I said all charges were dropped, that goes fer yer record. Clean slate, it is now. Yer other bad times are behind yer. Now yer an adult and it all counts. Remember that, will you? Okay, so it's up to yer friend here—if he trusts yer driving his car-- but yer be driving legally now."
Val whooped it up, and jingled Zel's keys, "I'll be back ta get ya tomorrow, Zel. I'm on a mission for Rezo so if ya wanna know more, talk to yer old man. Uh, and thanks for the wheels, dude!"
"Don't mention it…" muttered Zel. "Mission…what kind of mission?"
As it turned out, he was not to find out until the next day. Going home day. All the parents and Luna chose the evening to disappear and Gourry's family called to say that they'd all be there to pick him up tomorrow – no visit tonight. That was that. Zelgadiss had done it. Whether or not he had changed the world was hard to tell, but he had changed his little piece of it for the time being. He felt worlds better now as well.
~*~
"What? Oh, poor Mr. Xelloss and Zelgadiss and… Professor Rezo…" Amelia cried. "To have lost a mother…a wife…even one like that…I have to go talk to Zelgadiss. And Miss Filia! After putting him on the spot like that, she should be here now and apologize to him!"
"Oh, Gods, how horrible for them. But, what can I say to Xelloss? It's all been so awful!" Sylphiel sniffled.
"You've lost a mother and a father. I'm sure you can go with that," suggested Amelia as the older girl pushed her wheelchair out the door and down the hall.
Gourry, Zel, and Xelloss were talking in low voices when the girls appeared. Gourry heard their knock on the door, but asked first, "Wanna have them in too? Okay…Come in! There's an extra chair or a cot. Take ya pick."
Sylphiel nodded and first crept timidly up to Xelloss. He was lying on his back on his 'bed', one arm slung over his 'well' eye. The IV was attached and he appeared to be asleep. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, touching his sleeve lightly before taking a seat on the chair near Gourry. "Is he awake?"
Gourry shook his head, "Don't think so. Luna gott'm to lie down after he started cry'n. He's been up too much, doctor said. Zel is, though. He's just rest'n and pretend'n to be asleep."
"Are you playing 'possum', Zelgadiss?" Amelia giggled quietly as she rolled over his way. "That's what my daddy would say…when I was pretending to be asleep. Especially if it was morning and I was supposed to be getting up early to do something I'd promised to do. Sometimes he'd let me sleep and get away with it, but other times he'd make me get up and follow through with my promises. It taught me two things…first, not to make promises I couldn't keep and second, not to put off some things to have to face them later."
Zel rolled to his side and opened his eyes, "'Possum, hmmm... Your dad's a pretty smart guy. He's been very good to us too. I think he's taken a lot of the heat off of us. I'll have to thank him tomorrow. A man of honor, that's what I'd call him. He's the kind of hero folks look up to, or should. You do, don't you?"
"Yes. Dad, Mom, Hero—he's all that and more to me. I consider myself lucky to have him. I didn't always, though. I used to be so jealous having to share him with the city all my life. He couldn't always be there with me when there was a catastrophe and he'd have to rush out and help others or direct or mobilize or fend off the media. Nahga, dear Nahga, reacted worse, though. I haven't called her today… Oh, did I tell you that I called Max Sterling at the Macross Recording Studios to explain why we were canceling and… he said he'd heard about our car accident on the news! The band wasn't identified by name, but when I called, he figured it out. Didn't know what to say so I just told him I'd call him later and set a new date."
Zel reached out and squeezed her shoulder, "You said the right thing. You show good judgement for a little girl." He added the last part with a twinkle in his eye.
After a quick glance to make sure that he was yanking her chain, Amelia said, "Little, yes… but not YOUNG! There's not a thing I can do about my height, or my age!"
"I know…me neither. I wouldn't mind being taller or older than any of the other guys I know… except Van. I've got him beat, I think.
Amelia giggled. "I think he's a little bit taller than you, though it may just be the hair. That Inu guy from fencing isn't very tall, though."
"Yeah, I guess there are some short guys…" he looked at Amelia. "You're not really…depressed because of me, are you?" Wow, where did the courage to say that come from?
She looked a bit sad. "Not…not terribly. I mean, there was truth to what Filia said, but some of my outburst was just girl stuff."
Zel knew what 'girl stuff' meant, so he blushed and nodded.
"I'm sorry for making you a scapegoat for my frustration!" she cried. "It was wrong of me to be so hard on you, but when you called me a 'little girl'—"
"I was only trying to defend you—"
"Oh, I realize that. I just wasn't ready to deal with it at the time. It's okay. I understand, now, and just want to apologize. It's not really worth getting so upset over!"
It took a minute for that to compute. It did sound a little like Filia's sentiments that Zel 'wasn't worth it', as if he was insufficient to bother about, but he decided that even that was a good thing. Amelia wasn't mad at him, or about him.
"I agree. That's what Lina said, kind of…"
"Besides, I AM only fifteen! There's plenty of time for all that stuff when I'm a sophomore!"
Oh joy…
Gourry pretended that he hadn't heard a thing. He really didn't listen to most of it. These confusing social problems were too much for him, but he could at least figure out that everything was okay between his friends. Zel and Amelia were reasonable people, and he had confidence that they would be there and not emotionally wasted when he needed them. There was really little else that he needed to know. "Hey, I think Xelloss is waking up!"
"Great. Let's crowd around him so he gets claustrophobic when he wakes up and freaks out!" Zel said, sarcastically.
Amelia slapped him gently on the arm and said jokingly, "You are so mean to him!"
Xelloss blinked a few times then fumbled for the bed-adjust button. He pressed the 'head up' button and regained an upright position. He opened his eye and squinted at the cluster of friends. "The problem with disposable contacts is that once they've all been disposed of, you've lost contact. Anyone see my glasses anywhere?"
Gourry shook his head. He didn't understand what Xelloss said half of the time, but he did understand the question. "No. I don't think any of your stuff got here."
"Oh, well I know who you all are so I guess I don't need to see any deeper. I wanna go to the beach."
"You can't go to the beach," Zel corrected.
"Yes the beach," Xelloss went on, "Just me, the waves, and my IV!"
"I think the IV drip has been adjusted a tad. Feel better?" Zel asked.
"Nooooo. I ache all over. Gods, pain…I liked it better the other way," Xelloss moaned.
"I'm sure you did. You were feeling no pain and sailing pretty high there."
"Yeah? Boy, I can see how kids get into drugs…beats reality sometimes…" Xelloss began.
To everyone's surprise, Gourry shot up and said in a controlled voice, "No, ya don't mean that really. Ya know they make ya sick and hurt ya. My older brother…I got his stuff…bass, wheels… he got into drugs…He went to college—real smart, ya know? He started party'n and all… One night mom got the call, he'd OD'd at some house and was at the hospital… after he died, I got his stuff, so I'd remember… Don't ya ever do that to us…your friends. NOT EVER, HEAR ME!
Everyone sat stock-still in shocked silence.
"I, ah…" Gourry continued. "… Told Val, if he ever brought stuff on him 'round us, the band, I'd make sure he'd never be able ta come back. He never did. He said he just sold what he had to, what his…Gaav, made him, but stayed clean. He knew better than slowly kill himself. You too. Ah, that's all I wanted to say…"
Xelloss shook his head slowly, "Okay, I won't…I don't even drink cough medicine. It's just tempting when it hurts so bad. But, hey, I got my friends here. That's so cool…to have friends here. Gourry, my little brother, Amelia, and Sylphiel. Your arm's hurt?"
Sylphiel moved her chair closer, "Yeah, part of the building fell on me on the, you know, way out after that crazy boy… Sniff!
"…then Zel just kept pushing me and was carrying Amelia. Gourry was carrying Lina…who was bleeding all over… Martina and Zangulus got out first. Some men in black clothes were pushing and directing us out some back door as the building just started crumbling you know, and stuff was flying around and the noise! It was so awful! I'd tried to forget it all until now," she was shaken by Gourry's disclosure and now blocked memories from her nightmarish experience 'unloaded' and flowed forth. Amelia wrapped her arms around her shattered friend and together they wept away the painful recollection.
"I wanna go to the beach," Xelloss repeated. "I had so much fun there with you and Val that day."
"We'll all go to the beach," Zel agreed this time. "As soon as Lina can get around, all right?"
"Yes the beach," Xelloss said in a different tone of voice, "Just me, the waves, and my friends. We'll take sleeping bags. No tents, just the sky above. And cook hotdogs and tofu-dogs and melt marshmallows and sing songs all night until we can't sing any longer then we'll tell scary stories and when everyone's all creeped out we'll try and fall asleep. That's what we'll do."
"Yep. Sounds good ta me. Long as the weather's good," Gourry smiled at Zel.
"I think we'll have to buy new sleeping bags. Our last ones were lost, I think…" Zel tried to remember what had happened to their stuff after the wind and rain chased Gourry and him back into the motel room.
"Val and I threw them in the garbage. They were really foul, believe me!" Xelloss chuckled.
"I see…well…I don't suppose you have one either?" Zel smirked.
"Sleeping bag? No. I've never slept outside before. Have you?" Xelloss asked.
"Oh, yeah…Lina and I up in the tree house," Zel paused when he noticed that his friend's stares were burrowing into his brain. "We were only little kids then! Not after we were twelve! She was…my only friend. The only one who I could talk to…It never occurred to me that it wasn't 'appropriate' until Luna stopped us. I didn't know that she was a girl, I mean that it MATTERED that she was a girl. I treated everyone about the same…still do…that's my problem…isn't it?"
"I'm sure Lina doesn't think you have a problem…and nor do I, now that I understand you better," Amelia smiled. Now she got it! Gourry had kept telling her to just 'be Zel's friend' and he was right! Zelgadiss thought of girls as equals, friends, not potential GIRL-targets. Amelia turned toward Gourry and looked at him with a new respect. He rarely said much, but what he did say mattered. It wasn't that Zelgadiss spent so much time talking to Lina because he liked her as a boyfriend would, it was because she treated him like an equal would…like a boy- space –friend.
Amelia looked at Sylphiel and wondered. She wondered if Xelloss wasn't the same, just looking for friends to talk with and share his thoughts with. It was hard to tell with him. He said the oddest things. And he certainly was more… aggressive and outgoing than Zelgadiss. She wondered about him, a lot. Her Daddy called Zelgadiss a 'late bloomer' with promise, but Xelloss was an 'unstable and immature' young man. She wasn't sure either one of those descriptions were entirely correct.
Sylphiel was asking Xelloss about his injuries. He was lucid and coherent, but spoke in another language at times. Zelgadiss spoke it too. Amelia listened carefully; yes it was that way of talking, funny, clever. He spoke to her like he would one of the guys, not like someone he was trying to impress or pretend around. Amelia sighed thoughtfully. Friends. But very special friends. WE are all very special friends. She closed her eyes and smiled, giving herself a hug.
"Amelia? Care to share that thought?" Sylphiel asked slyly.
"I'm so happy. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful friends. The most special people in the world," she whispered.
Xelloss smiled. "My sentiments exactly. Things have been so hectic, I haven't had time to say it, but I'm indebted to you all. You came and did something brave and terrible for me, and I was so scared to ask you because it was so dangerous and…awful…but I'm just so GRATEFUL that you all came through for me." It was hard to tell whether he was deadly serious or slightly acting—until Zel caught sight of a shimmer of tear in his eye. He meant it all. He'd just seen so many musicals that sappy dialogue was ingrained in his immature brain. "No one's ever done that for me before."
"Oh, Xelloss!" Sylphiel cried and threw her well arm around his stock-still form. "That was so beautiful! And I don't regret it at all! I'm so glad we did that for you, because you deserve it! I'm so sorry about all the horrible things that have happened to you, and I just want you to know that you are a wonderful person and none of it is your fault!"
She rambled on for a while, and Xelloss wasn't sure whether to be touched or uncomfortable. Sylphiel was very emotional, but not very articulate. Zel smiled and watched Xelloss pat Sylphiel stiffly on the shoulder in the classic, "there, there," gesture.
"You're enjoying it, big brother," he whispered.
Well, it WAS nice to be held. So he let her, he wasn't strong enough to do much more. After a few more seconds of that, Xelloss mused, "Too bad we don't have our computer games here, huh?"
Amelia helped drag Sylphiel off him and cried out, "WE have games, don't we Miss Sylphiel? Come with me and help choose some and bring them back. It'll be fun!"
"But Zel always wins!" she whined.
"Not the games I have in mind, come on…" Amelia insisted.
Zel shuddered. What could they possibly be, and did he really want to know? He didn't ask. He simply watched the girls roll out the door.
Xelloss chuckled, "Gourry? I was thinking about what you just told us…about Val and discouraging him from bringing drugs around the band. I did the same to him to stop him from smoking. Didn't know? Yeah, the smell on his clothes sometimes. He never smokes inside the house. I've hardly seen him taking a break outside either. My point was that he must really like us and the band a lot to give up his vices. He hasn't even time to hang out with his old friends with the band practices, school, and his job."
Gourry smiled, "More to it than that, ya know."
Xelloss thought a moment, "Ah, yes, Filia. She's quite talented with her hands. Those clan healers know their massage technique. Which brings to mind…Where are she and Val tonight? Do we know, or did I just miss out on something?"
Zel sighed. He definitely wanted off the 'hands on' discussion so he offered his report on Val's activities, "Val left to pick up my car. He's got a temporary license from McGywn so he can take care of us, I guess. Anyway he's doing errands for Rezo and took Filia with him. Oh, no…the girls are back…with the games, too…"
"LIFE and HUNGRY, HUNGRY HIPPOS!" announced Amelia as the girls returned to the room.
"LIFE? There's a board game named LIFE? And that other…you made that one up, didn't you?" Xelloss laughed.
Xelloss was not up to the 'hippos' game. Too strenuous, he claimed. Gourry had the right attitude and managed to gobble up the lion's share of the marbles each time.
When it came to LIFE, Xelloss summarized his game in two words, "LIFE sucks!"
"Only yours, mine is marginal," Zel quipped. "This game is all a matter of chance, you are aware of that, are you not, Amelia?"
"Of course! It's fair that way. See, Miss Sylphiel has made the most of her choices and is about to win. Whereas, Mr. Xelloss…Let's just say you need to rely on someone with good life-affirming skills and team up next time. Of course it's not a team-type game but…Mr. Gourry? You and I are tied. I think we could make a good team. You seem real lucky to me! Mr. Zelgadiss? You have an attitude problem."
Zel shook his head, "You think? No, I'm just bored. I think I'll draw some more, if you don't mind. I'd like to finish the sketch I started of Sylphiel."
"Don't draw me like this," moaned Xelloss, covering up his bandaged head with a sheet.
"I'm not going to."
Soon after, a nurse or two came in to check Xelloss and change his IV. "How is the pain level now?" a nurse asked him.
"On a scale of 1 to 10? Seven. I have a migraine coming on and what happened to my gut, anyway? Can I take this head bandage off? And my shoulder…damn Gaav… How long before this heals? I play drums and dance and do Bo combat and…"
The nurse shushed him, "I'll up the pain medication a tiny bit so you can sleep. You need to change back into your gown so the doctor can examine you again tonight. He'll answer all your questions. Here's a clean gown. Do you need help changing?"
"No," he muttered, grabbed the cloth, and walked gingerly into the bathroom.
"He shouldn't be leaving so soon," the nurse said, turning on the silent cluster of kids watching. "He'll need constant supervision and someone to change his bandages and monitor his medication."
Zel looked away. He'd already made his decision. They were going home. "Gourry? Rezo's cot's up for grabs. Want to stay in here tonight with us?"
"Ah, sure. Val's not coming back tonight. I'll pack up, use the bathroom there, and be back later. Thanks!" The tall lanky blond slunk out of the room, hair flying in a breeze of his own making.
"If the doctor's on his way, we'd better be leaving too," Amelia said thoughtfully.
"Drop on by if you want any company though!" Sylphiel added in a friendly tone, as she and Amelia followed Gourry out the door.
When Dr. Adams arrived, Zelgadiss offered to leave, but he was stopped.
"You'll need to know what to do if you plan to be the one to take care of your friend. Is that your plan?"
"Show me what to do," was all Zel said to the doctor. To his friend, he asked, "Is that all right with you, Xelloss? That I do this?"
"I trust you with my life, little brother," Xelloss smiled weakly.
"I know you're good for bandaging a simple head wound but these are more serious. Go wash up at the sink and lend me a hand, would you? Fine. First I'll remove the main wrap with the scissors…"
Zelgadiss winced at the sight of his friend's bruised face and swollen cheek and eye.
"The break was here and very clean…it's healing fine so no further…"
Gourry tapped lightly on the door and pushed in. Zel waved him in, then continued to attend to the doctor.
"Oh, that feels so good to have off!" Xelloss gasped. He quickly ran one hand up to his head and through a few strands of hair. "Oh, that's still there too! I was afraid that you'd shaved it all off!" he said with relief.
Adams chuckled, "If I had, I would be auctioning it off right now and make my millions. Your band has a large fan-base out there, I understand, from all the messages and cards pouring in. I know, you haven't seen a thing. All your mail was being opened and scanned for threats or…It's all being boxed and sent home with you tomorrow. Now, then, back to business, Zelgadiss…"
Zel watched and listened. "I'm going to replace the face-protecting bandage for a few more days, at least. "
"Can I at least WASH my hair before you do?" Xelloss whined piteously.
"You'll need help so that you don't get any of the other bandages wet," Adams cautioned.
"Of course…" Zel moaned. "And since your brand of shampoo is not available…You can use this one Filia got you. Oh, she got us all one, so don't feel special. You can use mine as well since it's too …flowery for my tastes."
"He prefers those earthy scents like 'Oh! Desire In De Dirt', 'Passion Sur la Burrow' and 'Lust du Cave'!" Xelloss giggled.
Zel gave him a dark look, then glanced pleadingly toward Gourry, who, in turn, picked up a biker magazine Val had found some place and began to read. Ooh…a '99 Valkyrie for $700…must be a rusted out frame for that money…
Xelloss continued, "I use lavender shampoo because it cuts the oil—my hair gets really oily—and maintains the color balance… What are YOU laughing about, Zelly? Maybe your hair doesn't take any special care to keep its unnatural color and texture while still getting clean, but I don't want mine to get split ends after blow-drying…What's so funny? You're the one who showed me the benefits of the blow drier! Gourry? You do stuff to keep your hair looking…Oh, I give up! People buy the stuff so I know I'm not alone!"
"Girls do, Xelloss. You are just so vain about your appearance, its funny," Zel smirked.
"Me, vain?! You are the most self-absorbed guy I know!" Xelloss blurted out in defense. "Hiding yourself in baggy clothes—well not tonight I noticed, but usually! Hooded sweatshirts…what else…oh, yeah, the oft repeated 'I'm just a freak, she can't possibly love me!' line…" Xelloss cried in a falsetto. The funny voice plus the fact that Xelloss looked like a freak himself, made the situation humorous, even to the target. With Zel chuckling slightly, Xelloss teased some more, "So where did this new 'poured into our clothes' look come from?"
"Luna," Zel gasped in barely controlled laughter, as Xelloss' one good eye grew wide.
"L…Luna picked these out?"
"Yes. For me, though the black jeans fit you…I believe one of the nurses said something about 'leaving nothing to the imagination'…course the other said something like, 'I don't need to use MY imagination.' That was the one who gave you the bath, I think."
Xelloss kicked Zel hard enough to knock him off the edge of his bed.
"All right, boys…I would like to get this done…" but he just shook his head. "Go wash your hair! Gourry, let me look at you awhile.
While Xelloss stuck his head under the shower and Zel scrubbed gently, Gourry talked with the doctor.
"I'm stiff all over and it hurts, but not noth'n I can't take. I just wanna know when I can carry stuff, ya know, like books, my bass, and skate again. And I don't think archery's gonna happen either, huh?"
"Four weeks. No sports. You might be able to play bass sitting down. No weight across your chest. No girl carrying either, got that?" the doctor joked.
"Ah, no…I wasn't plann'n to real soon. It's gonna be hard to keep my little brothers off, though. I'll manage. I don't know 'bout those two though. If they can keep from killing one another- like me and my brothers-- that'll be someth'n… Course with Val there, he can take 'em both on with one arm the way they are," Gourry smiled. "How's Lina?"
"I was just visiting her. She's doing very well. I wish I could keep her over a few more days, but…anyway, the setup for her and her sister sounds adequate and I will be stopping by to check you all twice a day for a week, then gradually taper off if I see that you're all taking good care of yourselves. I recommend that none of you return to school for another week, however. That's to give some time for this accident/incident to blow over and for your injuries to heal more completely. I don't want you jostled in the halls and back in the hospital."
The shower water was off now, but the two guys inside the bathroom were still arguing about towels or something.
"Do you know that you saved Lina's life, son?" the doctor asked in a kind, low voice.
"Um, kinda, if ya say so."
"I do. I was there, remember? Her heart had stopped and the emergency crew was frantic. I pushed you in that room against all the rules of sanity and you called out to her…repeatedly. But, it was that last trick you pulled off pretty smoothly that I'll have to remember for the next time I have such a case. If I write it up for the medical journal, I'll call it the Gabriev Kiss of Life."
Gourry smiled and shook his head, "You saw that? She's not too happy 'bout it, so don't say anyth'n, 'kay?"
"You guys about done in there? I want to finish with the bandage changing," Adams called to the now-quiet kids in the bathroom.
Xelloss was first to burst through the door, "You kissed LINA? That woke her up?"
Zelgadiss smiled faintly, "No wonder you've been so tight-lipped. Whoa, teasing Lina about the Gabriev Kiss of Life is sure to bring on that famous Inverse Slam of Death. You can write that one up as well, Doc!"
Gourry looked like he'd just received the I. S. of D. Then he smirked in an odd way and told Zel, "You sounded just like Xelloss, ya know. If my eyes had been closed, I woulda thought it was him."
Zel shut up like a clam.
Xelloss chuckled though, "And that sounded like Vally-boy to me! We have been stuck together too long, huh?"
"I want you to watch how I change the wadding over the bullet entry and exit points," Adams calmly nudged Xelloss in his attractive boxers-with-towel look onto his 'bed' while simultaneously directing Zelgadiss' attention to the business at hand.
"Ugh," Zel let out his breath when he saw the ugly wound. "How long's it going to take before he'll repair all that muscle? Archery's definitely out, but the drums…"
The doctor shrugged and continued showing Zel how to replace the dressing, "You young guys heal fast. Now his ribs are taped like yours and will remain that way until I say so…at least four weeks. Don't mess with them or yours. I'll be around often enough in the next few weeks to make any adjustments necessary. Now, that other bruising from before the weekend is nearly gone. That's amazingly fast."
"Thank Filia and her healing arts, Cephied clan secret sauce, magic fingers…" Xelloss smiled a lop-sided smile and winked his eye. "So we're famous, huh?"
Doctor Adams pulled out a newspaper clipping and read it aloud to the three kids.
"'SLAYERS SLAIN!
Seyruun High principal, Zelas Metallium, was killed when the van she was driving hit the center divider and overturned. The van was carrying the local teen band, the SLAYERS, to a recording date in Atlas City. The lead singer, Lina Inverse, is in critical condition with chest injuries. The principal's son and drummer for the band, Xelloss Metallium, remains in a coma. The other band members are being treated for broken bones and contusions at Seyruun General. '
"So…" he continued. "That's what the public believes is true. The Cephied Believers are taking a great deal of heat over the shrine attacks. Gaav was killed by another syndicate member. Saygram and a van-load of his lackeys—all dead-- was found…another inner-circle syndicate cleansing. Ah, let's see…Phibrizzo. More of the same. No Slayers family soap opera. I hope you're not too disappointed. I sure am."
Zel shook his head, as did Gourry. Xelloss closed his eye and remained motionless. Gourry was the first to break the silence, "Lina's gonna blow. We better think of somethun special for her birthday."
"Oh…that's is coming right up, isn't it? She'll still be a mess too…" Zel mused.
"Can we take her to the beach? In just a couple days, will she be well enough?" Xelloss directed the question to the doctor.
"I'll do everything possible."
~*~
Val had made excellent use of his cell phone and Zel's car and Rezo's credit card. Xelloss' place and his shared house were getting a make-over supreme. He had assembled three work crews, and more kids were showing up and volunteering all the time. The objective was to make Xelloss' place into a hospital ward for Lina. Luna would stay in the loft aerie of Xelloss' to watch Lina at night. Neither Lina nor Xelloss could handle stairs so Xelloss would be staying in Val's newly remodeled room. Val moved his things in with Rezo, sharing the master bedroom weekdays. Weekends he would stay with Milgasia at the settlement. Zel kept his room, unchanged.
The Draconian forces included Van and Allen (surprise), and proved handy at moving computer hardware and reassembling it. From the dojo came Sano, Kenshin, Nuriko, and Sango, who dragged along Miroku, Inu, and Kagome. Miroku also picked up his friend (and Xelloss') Kazumi from the Shrine. They moved furniture out of the master bedroom, painted, and rearranged.
Martina and Zangulus showed up with others from the play, including Ranma, Ryoga, and Bunny. They helped rearrange Val's room to make room for rented monitors and other hospital equipment.
Gourry's brother Joey and two sisters took down the drums, put away the band stuff in the labeled travelling boxes, stacked pillows, emptied the refrigerator, and helped the rental company move in Lina's 'bed' and monitoring equipment. Allen, Nuriko, Sano, and Van dropped by to pickup Xelloss' computer games and clothes. Allen emptied the closet, while Van stuffed boxes with the contents of his clothes drawers. They were amazed at how neat the place was.
Val supervised one house, while Filia supervised the other. They took turns. She smiled civilly at Allen, then Val found a reason to exchange houses. Simple redirection. Filia ordered food for the 'work crews'-- making use of that credit card Rezo had lent Val. Pizzas, pop, and salads were devoured by the table-load. Some of the kids worked through the night, crashing to sleep where they fell. By late morning the last of the stragglers had gone.
The places were ready for occupancy Thursday early afternoon.
~*~
"You know, the ceiling is very interesting," Lina mumbled, "if you're as bored as I am. There's all these dots, in interesting patterns—well, not so much interesting as not boring—and you can make pictures out of them…See, there's a pizza with olives and pepperoni, and there's a bowl of rice…cheerios spilled on the floor…those are hell to clean up…" Suddenly, Lina burst into laughter. "The Greeks! I get it now! All those constellations…they made pictures out of the stars cause they were DAMN BORED!"
And Lina laughed all alone until her chest hurt too much, which coincided with the doctor's arrival.
"Lina, are you alright? Is there something wrong?" he was alarmed by her tears and the look of pain on her face.
"No no no, I'm fine…I just had an epiphany…"
The doctor shook his head. That Lina was one strange girl.
"You are recovering with astonishing speed, Miss Inverse, still tomorrow's move will be very tiring for you so I want you to sleep now. These painkillers will help you relax…"
"Yeah, yeah, that's what all the dealers say when they offer ya drugs, heh, heh…just jok'n. I'll take you up on it tonight, doc!" Lina smiled and swallowed the pills and water.
He patted her head and turned out the light on his way out.
"I mean, they really didn't have much to do back then, other than farming and building and villager stuff. And at night, it was too dark without electric lights to see anything, so all they could do was look at the stars…I wish I had a window…"
~*~
Thursday Afternoon.
"Well, that was Zel say'n he's ready ta go. Yer stay'n here? Ah, come on… What's that look for?" Val asked Filia.
Filia had stayed overnight at Luna's place, which was an eye-opener to one used to a clean, organized, natural environment. She had just walked over to the Metallium/Graywords house, leaving Luna to finish some personal tasks before returning to the hospital with Rezo and Val.
"Ah… I said some stuff to Zel yesterday that I wish I hadn't now, that's all," she said wistfully.
"Like what stuff?"
"Like 'you're not worth Amelia's time' kinda stuff. This was WAY before Zelas was killed. I was going to have a little heart-to-heart with Amelia and Sylphiel, after our…tea …but Amelia needed some pads… her period right?"
Val swallowed and nodded while looking out the window.
"So Sylphie found us and, you know, you went with her and I went on to Amelia's room. So I was gonna have this talk with just her. I've been giving her some guidance lately through her pathetic romance with that idiot Zelgadiss."
Val 's eyes narrowed.
"Not that he'd notice if she ran naked through the streets, but just a few hints. Anyway…don't give me that evil glare. I think Zel's a dream-boat, but he's hopeless around girls. And touchy as hell! ANYWAY… he comes into the room so I include him in our discussion, which was a bad idea, but I think he got the point. And I think he's got his wish too."
"And what's that?" Val asked.
"She's moving on. Leaving him alone, where he wants to be," she answered evasively.
Val was glaring at her now. Filia was wonderful, but sometimes she was too callous. Val had once thought that she and Zel were actually a good match for one another, but, luckily, they were not on that wavelength. "That woulda been hard on a shy guy like Zel, Filia."
"Worse than that, Val. I, uh…got carried away and called him an 'ice-cold bastard' and told her that 'there are dozens of better guys interested in her'…and that he doesn't care about her feelings and that he treats her like a little girl and acts all superior to make up for his own inadequacies… maybe some other things too. Well…I was on a roll!"
"A roll," Val shook his head. "He saved Amelia's life when he carried her outta that blasted up building…with, what, nine broken ribs? He pushed Sylphiel out ahead of him, Martina and that Zangulus dude, too. He's gonna stay home ta take care of Xelloss and Lina until they can go back ta school, if they do."
He turned to look down on Filia, "I hope you get on a roll apologizing to him. He's one of the best guys you'll ever meet."
"Oh… I know…" she moaned. "Yeah, I need to clear the air with Zel. I mean, he's so smart and able to articulate about just about anything but interpersonal relationships. I wanted to get him to open up a little, but I'm afraid he'll close up forever now," Filia sighed.
Val smiled, "So that's why ya volunteered to help him with Lina, eh? Guilt eat'n away at yer?"
"Well, Lina needs the help and Zel can't carry her around with those broken ribs, can he? It'll give me a chance to re-assess and make up to him for sure," she insisted.
Val placed a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, he's an old friend. He's probably frett'n bullets about facin' ya and will let ya off easy. I'm gonna havta keep my eye on them both now though…"
"Huh?"
"Mr. Dream-boat and Mr. Beau-ti-ful-hair both under the same roof with you, almost…"
"Oh, yeah. I guess you will. And for someone's dad, that Rezo guy's not so bad a looker either. Whoa, testosterone alert!" she chuckled at Val's wide-open-eyed response. "That's why I plan to stay at the other house, where I'm needed."
Val grinned and mumbled something she couldn't quite make out, then added, "I'll be back in an hour or less with at least one of my 'brothers'" He collected Rezo, loped down the walkway to Zel's car, climbed in, and drove off to pick up Luna.
"This is gonna be fun," she whispered. She found a sunny spot on the newly-mown grass and stretched out and relaxed.
Spring. It was spring and not raining or cold or windy. Just nice. She couldn't believe that her parents had agreed to let her do this, especially after running out without telling them the other night to…to go help Milgasia and Val eventually bring down Zelas. So dangerous! But Milgasia had explained it all to them and had her call in several times to assure them that she was okay and out of the line of fire. But still!
Filia let her mind wander as she melted under the sun's rays, And now to help take care of Lina for a few days, with Rezo and Luna around at night. The taste of freedom and independence is sweet. Sweet like a spring afternoon. Sweet like that kiss from Xelloss…
… !!!! …
Where did THAT come from? That kiss was NOT sweet, that was …ahem… those were preconceived, calculated moves to annoy me. Yes, I'm sure of it. 'Last wish of a dying man', my foot! 'Sealed with a kiss', I should have sealed it with a …a… pounding him with my meat tenderizer! But his head can't take much more abuse, can it? Sigh…and he had such a gentle touch and a sincerity, unlike Allen. But those scars! Ugh! And I touched them, and more! I can't believe I did that either! But I HAD to and it did help him…
At least he doesn't wear purple boxers…God, what am I thinking about? I shouldn't even KNOW that about my goofy, nerdy friend! I wish I didn't! Get that OUT of your head NOW, FILIA! I am SO glad no one I know is a mind reader!
Lean and muscular…you wouldn't think so from his clothes. Must be that Karate workout, or the dancing… Sylphiel said I REALLY missed out on something special by not dancing with him. He must be good if he was asked to join a troupe. And to think I thought he was gay! Nerdy and a goofball but not…definitely not gay.
Time to trim his hair too…Val's also…cool green hair like grass… Oh YUCK! I've got grass stuck under my fingernails now! Better go in and wash them before everyone gets here…Yeah, Zel and Val and Xelloss under one roof! I could sell tickets! Maybe I'll mention that to Lina… Toss in that great looking hunk Gourry and there they are, the Slayers men… Come right in! $5 a head! Oh, I've been out in the sun WAY too long… Better make some tea, too…
~*~
The Slayers were escorted by police out the back way, whether walking or rolling on two wheels. The media missed their escape. Val drove Xelloss and Dr. Adams, with Xelloss stretched out across the back seat. Amelia's van carried Lina and Luna, in addition to herself and the mayor. Sylphiel left with her father and Rezo to be dropped off at the communal house. Zel and Gourry sat stiffly in the car seats on their ride home with Mr. Gabriev. The rest of the Gabriev family had remained at home to minimize the chaos and to give the boys room to stretch out in the family car rather than the pickup
.
"I'm staying where? In the practice room? Whose bright idea was that? Zelgadiss', I bet? Oh, Rezo and Luna combined…well I can't fight that dreadful duo, can I?" Lina smirked to her good friend, Amelia.
Luna had been explaining the setup to the mayor and now to Lina in a louder voice, "Zel want's to play nursemaid to the sickies, I guess, and his father figures it'll help him deal with the load of guilt he's been carrying around. He can cook and walk. Filia said she'd stick around during the day for awhile—probably until school starts-- to help you get to the bathroom and all. I would, but I gotta get back to work and classes start up at the college next week. So I'll crash up in the loft…"
"That's Mr. Xelloss' place," Amelia said. "Hope you like the color purple!"
"And water beds," Lina chuckled. "Gourry said it was like balancing on a raft at sea. Don't you get sea sick, big sis?"
"I'll manage…Now Xelloss will be in a downstairs bedroom in the boy's house," Luna began.
"That would be Mr. Val's room. Poor guy! He just moved in!" Amelia sighed.
"He's going to Milgasia's on the weekends and rooming with Rezo the other days. Nice kid. He and Filia having been organizing bunches of friends to get the house all fixed up so don't forget your manners and thank them before you start complaining, GOT THAT SIS?" Luna turned her head back toward Lina to make sure she heard that.
"Yeah, yeah, hearts of
gold…hard work…I'm impressed," Lina mumbled.
"So who's going back to school next week? Are you, Amelia?"
She shook her head, "Dr. Adams
said no, not until I'm stronger and can manage a walking cast, but I think I
could get enough friends to push me in a wheelchair and go back sooner! Val and Filia are going next week, of course,
and Sylphiel can, if she wants. She's so
upset about all this mess though.
Especially about Xelloss. She
took his being hurt so badly pretty hard and considering how she feels
about... You, too! She'll cry at the drop of a hat right
now…maybe four days of quiet at home will heal her heart. Let's see…Gourry…"
"He's not go'n next week. He told me as we were go'n out. He can't move or carry stuff for long and the doctor doesn't want him gett'n too tired either. He doesn't want to get behind, but Val and Sylphiel should be able to keep him up to date. Zel will get him through history, he promised… Geez, I wonder who the new principal will be, huh?" Lina wondered allowed.
Amelia nodded, "I have an idea who it might be. The vice principal will probably fill the position temporarily until the year is over, then a search for a new one can go on into the summer if necessary. I hope it's someone nice."
~*~
"LUNA! LUNA's got my waterbed? Where do I sleep? In the…what? Val's room? That gloomy, gray cave? What about the practice room? There's lots of room there. Lina won't mind. Why not? What do you think I'm up to anyway? I can barely walk! Lina's bedridden! Give me SOME credit! Oh. Privacy. Gottcha. We could put up a screen…" Xelloss muttered sulkily.
Val chuckled, "Hey I don't even get a room to myself, so quit yer bitch'n, all right? It's only temporary til ya get back ta school."
"I'm not going back."
"Sure."
"I'm not.
"I said 'sure'!"
"Okay."
"Okay."
Doctor Adams remained the silent listener in this exchange. Without Zel's argumentative nature added to the mix, Xelloss calmed down. Unrequited, but quiet.
"Where are my clothes?" Xelloss started up again.
"In my room where ya get to hang out all by yourself and whine to Zel ta get yer water," Val shouted over his shoulder.
"How's Lina going to get help then?"
"Filia, for a while, then Zel's gonna run back and forth until he drops dead. That's what he gets fer lett'n guilt get to him."
"Guilt? What's he blaming himself for?" Xelloss was mystified.
"Well whaddya think? Ya got shot and beat up and HE didn't stop it from happen'n. Lina got shot and HE didn't protect her. Little Amelia, Sylphiel, Gourry… all got hurt. He told me he shoulda got them out faster, sent Amelia out from the start…it goes on and on. You'll have days to mess with one another's minds over all that crap," Val snapped back.
Xelloss was satisfied: he had Val in a conversation. "So, Filia's going to be around? Did I hear that correctly? What guilt-sentence is she working off?"
Val chuckled, "Ya got her pegged. She in-sul-ted Zel. Called him a cold-hearted bastard. Ya know, about ignor'n Amelia most of the time. She put him on the spot with Amelia stand'n there and all. Then he left the room to find out about…yer mom and all…Filia feels bad about it."
"Cold-hearted? Oooooh, that's so low it misses the mark entirely. He's very emotional, just scared to death and unsure of himself. Funny too! So he feels guilty, eh? And SHE feels guilty too? Oh, this will be fun! A guilt fest. Hey, I can do guilt good…but should I make them feel guilty for my condition or…should I play the guilty one begging for their mercy?"
"How bout ya just be the sick kid trying to get better fast so his friends' lives can get back to normal…and try be'n thankful yer have them!" Val growled.
"I am…" Xelloss said sullenly and fell into silence for the rest of the ride home. There was no way of getting Val's goat. Val's goat had a spiked collar, sharpened horns, and saber fangs…
~*~
Nels Lahda looked over at his passenger quickly, then back to the road, "You're a brave man. A house full, TWO houses full of teenagers, boys AND girls. Most injured and all hurting. Good kids, terrific, but quite a handful!"
Rezo nodded, "Yes, my life has certainly been transformed this year. I never imagined anything like this would happen…I'm too concrete a man. It's wondrously marvelous! Want to help?"
"Ho, ho…sure, I'll stop by and lend a hand," Nels Lahda chuckled.
"And bring food, father! Lina's there now and she eats more than Zel and Xelloss combined! I'm so glad they're better. When Zel got his hearing back we all cheered! And Xelloss sigh , when he woke up and started telling us about his dreams and all…we were sooo happy. He asked me about my arm and then I started crying and telling him about that horrible accident when that kid blew himself up…he…"
Nels Lahda glanced a Rezo a moment, "She's a bit enamored of one of your boys over there, I'm afraid…"
Rezo nodded, "The kids all seem close. I wouldn't worry about yours. The boys appear harmless. We got the sarcastic wit, the neurotic wit, and the wit-less, noisy punk—take your pick, but they're all good kids. I can't tell you how they got that way, either. I truly cannot."
~*~
Filia had all the doors and windows open to rid the house of the fresh paint smell and air it out. Beast was happy to sleep out on the porch with some human company. He had missed his boys, his pack. He heard Zel's car. Yep, they're here!
"AHWOooooooooooooooo," he howled and stood up. "AHWOooooooooooooooo!"
"Yes! Hi! When you're ready, I've made tea in the kitchen!" Filia cried out as she watched the cars and vans pull up and empty out her friends.
Gourry wanted to wait to see everyone get settled in. Zel invited him to stay, "Val can drop you at home on his way to the DMV. That way we can make sure he actually follows through."
Gourry agreed. He told his dad the plan, then found a couch in the front room on which to collapse. Filia brought him a cup of tea, then hurried out to greet the Amelia van. Zel, tired as he was, checked Val-Xelloss' temporary room, then the practice room-Lina's place, then collapsed on another couch with Beast at his feet and a cup of tea.
He nodded as Dr. Adams rolled Xelloss into his room. "See you in a few minutes, little slave—I mean, brother."
"Oh ho! Hey, I don't even know how to hook up your IV yet; I'm not quite ready to be your slave. I could neglect you and let you rot away in there alone if you annoy me too much!" he winked. Xelloss stuck out his tongue. Gourry shook his head.
"You guys act just like me an' my brothers. You're really like family now."
Filia raised an eyebrow. "Is that what it is? I thought they were just weird."
Gourry shook his head. "Naw, that's just the way bothers act, you know? Me an' Joey do stuff like that all the time. If you live with someone near your own age, you get on each others nerves a lot…"
"Well, me and Quinny won't behave so immaturely! We'll read and listen to music and learn the Clan ceremonies…"
Gourry laughed. "You're gonna do that with your little BROTHER? Sure…what about him? He's gonna have his own ideas, you know, he's not just a doll to play with."
Filia was surprised. Insights—from GOURRY? But he was the most knowledgeable on the subject. He had a steady, normal family with lots of interaction with younger kids. Maybe that was why he got along so well with so many different kinds of people? She'd have to think about what he said…
Zel smiled. He was proud of Gourry. The guy had just wowed Filia with knowledge he had and she didn't. It would just go to show that there were some things even SHE wasn't the ultimate expert on…and maybe it would create a few chinks in that armor of self-righteousness…show her right… Zel devolved into stewing over Filia's past comments.
He was distracted from these bitter but dangerously intoxicating thoughts by the sight of Lina being wheeled into her new residence. Gourry perked up, too, and Filia returned to the kitchen to fix up another cup of tea.
The pilot of Lina's vessel was none other than Megumi, the nurse friend of the Sano-Kenshin-Val contingency. Val had said something about getting her to help a bit, and it was she who was going to teach Zel what to do with the IVs and other medical equipment.
Zel tried to get up to greet her, but found that he couldn't budge. As soon as he exerted any strength, he turned into pain-riddled gelatin. Oh, how he hated Jell-O…
With those handy animal instincts, Gourry rose, smiled at Zel reassuringly, and wandered out of the room to deal with the new arrivals.
Filia noted that Zel was alone. It would be the perfect time to apologize to him…but not until she finished delivering her tea. Any excuse to put off THAT talk…
"Hey, Miss…"
"Megumi. You're Gourry Gabriev, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, good to see you again. I wish it was under better circumstances, but I just don't get to make any social calls unless someone gets hurt, I guess."
"Yeah, that's too bad."
"Anyway, we're going to get Lina settled in here, but then I want to talk to Zelgadiss."
"He's not moving well, but he's in the living room. He's sorry he couldn't get up ta greet ya, too, but his ribs are really bothering him."
"Oh, that's awful. But he's still up to the training?"
"Yeah, he's really interested in it, from what I can tell. He kinda likes all this doctor-stuff."
"Really? Maybe he'd like to pursue a career in medicine? I'll talk to him about that. Now, would you like to stay with Lina and keep her company while I go talk to Zelgadiss?" the dark-haired beauty asked, finishing the final touches of Lina's medical arrangement.
"Sure!" he smiled affably and pulled up a chair. "Nice talkin' to ya!" he called after Megumi as she left.
"Sure was!"
Gourry looked down at Lina, "Wow, you've been so quiet!"
"Well, you were doing fine on your own. I didn't have to interrupt you."
Gourry realized that was a compliment and glowed. "You feelin' any better?"
"No…but I had the best dream."
"Oh?" Gourry said to seem interested.
"It was me, James Bond, and Winston Churchill playing jeopardy. The categories were 'Silver Age Marvel Comics', 'Japanese History', '31 Flavors of the Month', and some other stuff I don't remember…I won, of course. But instead of getting money, I got bags of rice, and suddenly Zel was dressed in a big pink bunny suit and was complaining so loudly I woke up. But it was cool, 'cause I got to beat famous people in a game that takes world knowledge."
"That's pretty weird, Lina."
"Hey, I don't have any control over what I dream! Besides, I've been so bored lately…Did I tell you what I figured out about the Greeks?"
Megumi found Zelgadiss half asleep on the couch in the living room. Rezo was seated in a nearby chair 'watching ' the news on the TV. She knelt by his head and smiled. "I have an idea. Why don't I stop by tonight to check the IV's, then come by in the morning for your training session. I have to go to work part of the day, but I can stop by twice a day to help you. No…don't get up. I can see you need to rest as much as the others and I don't mind helping out, you know. So, nod your head and I'll see you later! Bye, bye!"
Rezo said to his son, "See sounded like a lovely young lady, Zelgadiss."
"Yeah, Sano's girlfriend, serious too. She's going to make a great doctor."
"Introduce me next time," Rezo demanded gently.
"Sure, if I can keep my eyes open…"
Filia had decided to bite the bullet and talk to Zel. She found him much as Megumi had, lying half awake on the couch. Rezo took a deep breath, "Hmmmm, Lilies of the Valley…must be Filia Ul Copt."
"Ah, yes! It's my favorite fragrance. We distil many of our own essential oils at the settlement. Um, Zel? Can I talk to you a second?"
"Why don't you help him get upstairs to his room where he can sleep and not bother me with all his moaning," Rezo said with a touch of sarcasm. It was catching, or inherited.
"Sure…Zel? Oh, here comes Gourry…I know you can't do much either, but can you help get him standing? I know you can walk, don't be such a wimp!" Filia chided him into moving.
It wasn't easy, but he made it up the stairs and onto his bed. Filia pulled over the desk chair and began, "I really wanted to say how sorry I was to have ripped into you like I did. You do have feelings, I know. You may not show them like I'D like you to, but…well, I shouldn't have called you names and…Zel? Zel, are you listening?" Silence. "You're asleep, aren't you?" She shook her head. "Well, at least you're back home, huh?"
Filia closed the door on her way out and climbed slowly down stairs. She carefully stuck her head into Xelloss' room. He was asleep, too. "I'd better go check on Lina while I'm at it…"
She ran into Val on her way out.
"Hey, I'm gonna run Gourry home now and go by the DMV. Do we need anything? Food?" Val asked.
Filia thought a moment, "I'll go with you. We need to go shopping. Zel is definitely not going to be able to do a thing for a few more days, much as he'd like to. I'll tell the professor and Luna. Maybe she can drop off some stuff from the restaurant!"
"Good thinking, Filly-girl!" Val chuckled and he opened the door for her.
Gourry stumbled out to the car, clearly in need of bed rest too, and added, "I'm not sure, but I think my mom is bringing dinner over. Ask when ya drop me off."
At that moment another car slowed to a stop out front. Milgasia with the Ul Copts stepped out and into the arms of their daughter.
"We came to pick up Milgasia at the hospital and have a meeting with the Mayor to attend, so of course with thought we'd stop by. Oh, hello Val and …Gourry!" her mother greeted them all.
Val nodded, "'Lo. Ah, Filia? I gotta go do my stuff now. I'll come back for the shopping part, if we need to. Ah, nice see'n ya."
"Well, would you all like to come on in and have tea? Professor Graywords may be the only one awake, though," Filia said, linking arms with her mother, while her father carried the sleeping baby.
"If its not too much trouble…"
"No, Mom. This is nothing!"
Beast woke up to find his favorite human gone again and a noisy bunch of strangers entering his space. He slowly rose and sniffed his person out—upstairs. With supreme effort and grace, the huge wolf-dog hopped upstairs to the right room and then crawled up onto the bed alongside the sleeping boy. Zelgadiss sighed and draped a thin arm over the warm animal. At peace again. There's no place like home.
There's no place like home.
There's
no
place
like
home…
(((.-)) Zel |||^.^||| Xelloss |{{^.^}}| Lina |((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^)) Amelia |))-.-((| Val