After that awful, suspensefully concluding chapter four, here is chapter five, which you have been anxiously awaiting to read. But first…
Reviewers! Yay!
CrazyCosmoFan: Yep, cliffies are evil. Which is why I love them ;)
GIR's Cupcake: You know what? Your name is making me hungry for some reason. Cupcakes. Yummy. Conspiracy theory mode? Heheh… Does the Box Ghost need an explanation for anything he does? I remembered that he warned Danny in one of the episodes whose name escapes me… Um, I think it's 'Prisoner of Love', but I'm not sure. I'm bad with names, and I haven't seen said episode in a while. And I just threw in that Alex guy for side interest. But, you never know with me. I'm always adding in random little things that get just skipped over but come up later in the story of some importance, and putting it in right next to random stuff of no importance just to confuse people. (winks) And the griffin? Whenever I need random ghosts, I'll go with the 'pick a random discolored giant mythological creature' option.
Purple Ghost Sausage: Hey, your name makes me hungry too! Yes, I know I am ebil. How on earth could I not know?
purpledog100: Not really, considering that now some of the classes are behind, we have a lot of homework. But on the bright side, all of the science classes were cancelled for two days after my school reopened, so we watched 'The Day After Tomorrow' in the theater. And I've probably just made you really jealous. Bad Penguin!
Lady Gallatea Ravenclaw: Hey, you have a long name too. Why am I attracting people with long names? I must be special! No one seems to be able to wait for more. Patience is a virtue ;)
crazyvi: You say 'O' a lot, for some reason… And yeah, I had to stop there. It would almost be a crime not to, don't you think?
Iamratgirl: Everyone thinks I am ebil for some reason. I wonder why… (pretends to be thoughtful) Nope, no idea O:-)
Ari-Griffin: Griffin? Hmm… Anyway, thank you! I'm glad you like it!
little-n-lost: I've lost count of the times I've been called evil so far. I will try my best to 'keep it up', but the story is getting heavy, and my arms are tired. ;) Anyway, glad you like it!
DarkAnimePhantom: Horridable? Okay, I know that was a typo, but I like that! I'm going to use that word now to annoy all of my friends. Reviews can give such interesting inspiration. oO Why did I use such an evil cliffhanger? Because I can:P
Silverstagbeauty: Four love it's it all caps? I feel so loved Thank you!
Zirra Nova: Arr! I'm glad you be a-liken me booty, so ye are! Haharrharr! But we'll just be a-seein' about them cliffhangers, so we will!
PhantomKat7: Aww, and none of my other chapters were cool? They're all jealous now… Heheh, LOL :P
good story: Ah, doesn't everybody? Oh, but, um, I'd prefer it if you not ask when I'm going to put the next chapter up. If I know when I'm going to put if up, or if I'm setting a goal for a certain date, I generally tell you when it will be in a footnote of some sort. If not, I generally put my chapters up as soon as they're finished. Sorry, but it's just pointless, because I don't feel like e-mailing everyone to tell them when exactly I'm putting my chapter up. Ugh, I ramble too much, don't you think? Anyway, can I take your name as a personal compliment?
EvilRobotZombieLoofaOverlord: I read a lot too. But random names are fun :P I'll just call you Erzlo for now, because those are your initials and it's an acronym I can actually pronounce.
As ever, thank you reviewers, thank you! This actually beat last chapter, with fifteen whole reviews. FIFTEEN! All the praise is going to go to my head. So be honest with me: Are you all conspiring to drown me in reviews? Good thing I have a life jacket, heheh.
Anyway, I'm sure you'd all just love to hear me blabber on and on and on all day, but you have a story that, judging by all of the update soon's in my reviews, you all are anxious to read. So I'll let you get to it, hm?
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. Bummer, eh?
Chapter 5: Home Sick
The bright blue eyes opened groggily. Danny groaned and sat up, taking in his surroundings.
He was sitting on the couch, covered by a blanket which had half-fallen to the floor when he sat up.
"Danny! Oh, good, you're okay!" Jazz hurried over to him as soon as she saw that he was up.
"What- what happened?" he asked, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he remembered.
"Oh... that's right," he said, half to himself. "I felt all dizzy, and really tired, and then..." Danny's voice drifted off. A few silent moments later, in which Jazz peered intently at him, Danny posed a question to Jazz.
"How'd I get here?"
"I carried you up here after you passed out. You should really eat more, you know. You're really light," Jazz answered. "So, how're you feeling?"
"Fine," Danny answered. "No, really! I feel great," he protested at the look Jazz gave him. And it was true. He'd felt awful before he had fainted, as if he had a bad cold or something. Now, however, he felt fine. Just... sleepy, groggy, sluggish... as if he'd just woken up. And, really, he had just woken up, so it was no big deal.
"Danny, you've been asleep for almost a whole day! How is that fine?" Jazz argued.
"WHAT! A whole day?" Danny exclaimed.
"Yes, you've missed school and everything. Tucker and Sam came by to see you earlier, they wanted to know if you're okay."
"Grghmmm..." Danny groaned in reply. He'd have to make up a math test, not to mention all the homework he'd probably have. And he still had to finish that essay on the Revolutionary War and study for the science test on top of that…
Danny sneezed suddenly, and fell through the couch. He shivered, forced himself to become tangible again, and got up.
Jazz was staring at him.
"What was that all about?" she asked.
"No idea," Danny muttered, slightly shocked. It had been quite a while since he'd accidentally phased through something. He supposed that it had to happen every once in a while, but it was still disconcerting. He hadn't made his whole body intangible since he'd first gotten his powers. And come to think of it, he hadn't fainted after a ghost battle since about that long ago, either...
"Danny... are you alright?" Jazz asked timidly.
"Fine," he muttered again. He coughed several times and looked at Jazz. "Okay, maybe not so fine."
"Danny! Oh, you're awake!" Danny's mom ran up to him. She placed her hand upon his forehead, the age-old method of testing one's temperature, and began worrying over him in the way mothers often do. "Are you okay? What happened? Oh, I should call a doctor!"
Danny's dad came up with her, brandishing the Fenton Peeler.
"What's wrong, son? Maybe it's a ghost virus!"
Danny groaned and managed to avoid annoying awkward questions by telling them that he was hungry.
Ten minutes later, he was eating a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup, and being forced to endure slightly less awkward but just as annoying questions anyway. He answered most of them with a nod or shake of the head, or an occasional "I feel fine!" in protest.
It was little use. Soon, Danny's mom was on the phone, calling up a doctor.
The doctor arrived quite soon.
"I didn't even know they made house calls any more," Danny commented to Jazz as he saw the car pull up through his window. (Danny had gone up to his room after he'd finished the soup.)
The doorbell rang. Danny walked into the hall and half-listened to his parents talking to the doctor.
"Danny! Come down here," his mother called. Danny walked down the stairs, feeling slightly apprehensive. Would a doctor somehow notice that he was half ghost? Or ask awkward questions that he'd have to answer in front of his ghost-hunting parents?
"Danny, this is Dr. Matthews. Dr. Matthews, this is Danny," Jazz introduced. Dr. Matthews offered his hand to Danny.
"Good afternoon, Danny," he said, quite pleasantly. The doctor was dressed as most doctors are, in a long white coat with several pens poking out of the breast pocket and tan pants. He had thick glasses, brown hair, and brown eyes. A stethoscope was looped about his neck, and he carried a black bag.
"Good afternoon," Danny replied politely, shaking the pro-offered hand.
"Now, why don't you step into my temporary office?" he said, gesturing towards the living room with a small smile.
The doctor examined Danny; taking his blood pressure, listening to his heart and lungs, looking in his ears, mouth, and eyes, and all the things doctors do during a check up.
This over with, Dr. Matthews began asking Danny questions, mainly about the symptoms.
"Hmm, coughing, sore throat, slight nasal congestion... I'd say flu, but it's early for the season. Of course, it's most likely a simple cold or an allergic reaction. Any other symptoms?"
"Well, I-" Danny began.
"Danny passed out, last night," Jazz supplied.
"Jazz!" Danny muttered, elbowing her.
"You passed out?" Dr. Matthews asked, mildly surprised. Danny nodded. "Hm, that's not normal. Have you ever overexerted yourself with any physical activities?"
"Um... No, not really..." Danny said. He couldn't meet the doctor's eyes.
Dr. Matthews, however, seemed to know that something was wrong. He knelt down to Danny's level on the couch.
"You do realize that, if you're lying, there might be something seriously wrong with you that I wouldn't know about? Listen, son, I have your best interests at heart-"
Danny turned his head quickly aside as he felt his eyes flare green, an automatic reflex at hearing those words. He hated being called that. It was far too reminiscent of a man who called Danny 'son' every time he saw him...
"Don't- don't call me 'son'," Danny said, a little more coldly than he intended.
"Well... If you're sure nothing's wrong..." Dr. Matthews said, stating it as one would a question. Danny turned back to him, certain that his eyes were once again blue.
"Yes, I'm sure," Danny said, meeting his eyes and being sure not to blink, so Dr. Matthews wouldn't think he was lying. "Like you said, it's probably just a cold, or an allergy, or something like that..."
"Well, okay then." The doctor got up. He packed away his various instruments into his black bag and walked to the door. Danny saw him pause to talk to his parents, then nodded politely to them and left.
"I- I think I'll just go upstairs, then..." Danny said. When no one contradicted him, he hurried out of the room.
The doorbell rang again, almost as soon as he had opened the door. Danny turned around and walked back into the hall, where he could observe whoever was at the door.
Jazz opened the door to reveal Sam and Tucker.
"Danny!" Sam cried, rushing upstairs with Tucker close behind. Jazz blinked and closed the door behind them, and walked off.
"Danny! Oh, I was so worried..." Sam said, as she embraced Danny. Tucker smirked in the background, and Sam quickly let go.
"Um, it's good to see you awake..." Sam said, blushing very slightly.
"You okay, dude?" Tucker asked Danny, throwing something of a triumphant I-know-you-like-him glance at Sam.
"Well... I think I'm fine, but..." And Danny found himself telling them everything that had happened since he had flown out of the window to confront the griffin ghost, up until they had walked through the door.
"...So, what do you make of that?" Danny asked them as he finished.
"What if your dad's right? What if it is a ghost virus?" Tucker asked.
"If it's a ghost virus, than why is it affecting me?" Danny retorted.
"Hm, let's think for a moment," Sam said in sarcastic thoughtfulness. "Maybe because you're half ghost?"
"Generally, Sam, these things don't affect me because I'm half ghost!" Danny said, throwing his hands in the air. Danny then gasped and turned around as his ghost sense went off.
"I am Technus! Ghost master of all things electronical, lord of all gadgetry..."
"Danny, maybe you shouldn't-" Sam began. But Danny had already gone ghost, and flown outside to confront Technus before she could finish.
"And still, as ever, master of incredibly long-winded introductions!" Danny shouted.
"It is you! Ghost child!" Technus shouted.
"Oh, good, you remember me," Danny muttered dryly. "So, why don't you enlighten me by shouting out your motives so you're distracted long enough for me to suck you into the Fenton Thermos?"
"I thought I had made it clear that I do that no longer!"
"Could've fooled me!"
"Why you little-"
Danny, however, had aimed a well-placed punch at Technus, so he didn't get to finish his sentence.
"Yaaaaaahhhhahhhhhhh!" he cried as he was flung across the sky, where he hit a building.
"Ha-had enough, T-T-Te-c-cough cough..." Danny rasped.
"I see you are not feeling well, child!" Technus shouted. "I, however, have fortunately remained untouched by the dreaded S-Si-Sickness...c-cough..."
Danny regained his composure slightly. "Um, you might want to rethink that."
"I-I... What is happening? I am not feeling... w-we-c-cough-well..." And with that, Technus fell limply out of the sky. Danny followed, diving downwards.
"Sickness?" he asked himself, hovering in the alley where Technus had fallen. "What sickness?"
"Danny!" Tucker and Sam cried at the same time, running towards him.
"Danny, are you all right?" Sam asked anxiously.
"Y-yeah... I-I'm-c-cough cough-f-f-fine..." Danny said weakly.
He collapsed, and had transformed back to normal before he had even hit the ground.
Tucker and Sam looked at Danny, looked at each other, and looked back at Danny again.
"I guess we'd better...take him home," Sam said, in a quiet, concerned voice.
Clockwork turned away from the Window of Time.
"Well? Are you not going to-" an Observant began. Clockwork cut him off.
"Yes, of course I am." The Master of Time picked up a small, wrapped package from a table and studied it. "But not just yet."
"But, when will you-" the second Observant broke in. Clockwork cut him off as well.
"Soon," he said softly, replacing the package upon the table. "Very soon..."
Clockwork turned away from them, gripped his staff tighter, and coughed, ever so slightly.
Danny groaned and opened his eyes to find Tucker and Sam staring anxiously down at him. He was lying on his bed this time, though.
"Tucker? Sam? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"You collapsed yesterday," Sam said.
"Yesterday!" Danny exclaimed, sitting up suddenly.
"Yeah, Sam was worried sick about you..." Tucker said. He stopped quickly at the venomous look Sam gave him.
Danny looked between them for a few seconds. Then he said, quite simply, "I'm hungry."
He got off of the bed. His head swam for a few moments, eyes blurring from getting up so suddenly. But his vision cleared, and his legs were steady, so he went downstairs to get something to eat. Tucker and Sam quickly followed.
A few seconds later, they were in the kitchen, Danny deciding what he wanted to eat.
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," he said, trying to get away from Tucker and Sam, who were now arguing whether or not meat or salad would help Danny get better quicker.
Danny opened the door. He gasped, and narrowed his suddenly green-tinged eyes, throwing the door open to reveal the man who was standing there, smiling benignly.
"VLAD?"
Oooh... I'm just downright cruel to you with these cliffhangers, aren't I? Maybe I have cliffhanger-itis.
Anyway, I just had to put Vladdy in there. Why? You'll see why... ;) And, what? You didn't expect me to bring Clockwork back?
Heheh... Well, I'll try to update as soon as I possibly can. I actually know what direction I'm going with this next chapter; this one was a sort of bridge from last chapter to the next one. Bleh, I hate chapters like that. So hard to write...
Ever suspenseful,
-E.P.