Tak was in class, suffering a blaring headache that had been getting worse for hours. It was worst on the left side, and she knew exactly what the cause was. That dratted thing…she cursed the day it was installed. Still, she couldn't get out of class to go to the nurse. The source would never be discovered as long as she had her hologram up. Besides, the day was already over. She might as well wait it out.

As the bell rang, as she and Zim were leaving, she couldn't help but feel increasingly irritated by him. He didn't even notice that she was in pain (albeit, she was doing the best to hide it, but still). All he was doing was blathering on about the Dib and how inferior he was.

That stupid implant…it was the whole reason for no one taking her seriously. She'd needed it ever since she was a smeet. Unconsciously, her hand went to where the tube would be if her hologram weren't up. Still Zim didn't notice, and she was starting to get angry with him. Didn't he care?

HOLD THE PHONE, she thought. Why the heck did she care if he cared? The only reason she was here at all was to take his mission. She had to focus, or she might miss the opportune moment.

In the end, she didn't mention the pain in her head to Zim at all. She didn't need to, because she didn't need his help at all! No, she didn't need anyone!

Looking through her things for her pain suppressants, she was alarmed to discover that they were missing! What could have happened to them?

Earlier in the week…

"Oooooh, these things look just like lil' beansies!" GIR exclaimed, popping open a small container of purple tablets. Tossing them, container and all, into his mouth, he yawned, and was knocked out for a couple of minutes.

The present…

The pain would go away on it's own, like it always did when she ran out of the medication. Still, it was distracting, and she probably wouldn't be able to do very much work. She should tell Zim that she needed to rest today.

"Stupid thing," She muttered, rubbing the area around the hole the implant was in.

"Was GIR bothering you again?" Zim asked, looking up from the blueprints of his latest evil plan.

"Oh, no, nothing like that." Tak shook her head, sighing a little. "Say, you don't mind if I take the rest of the day easy, do you?"

Zim looked startled, then suspicious (or possibly concerned?). "Why? I don't think you've ever had a problem before. Is something wrong?"

"Well…" She debated telling him her problem, but in the end, she shook her head. "No, never mind. I'm fine." She hated admitting to her problem. Still, she couldn't help but feel irritated when he immediately took her word for it and began discussing his blueprints with her.

The plan involved yet another giant laser, a few cyborg gophers (which he had finally perfected), and at least one moose. Tak couldn't focus on it, and made a few noncommittal noises whenever he asked her a question.

Oh…her head hurt so much…she had forgotten how bad it could get. Now she remembered why she had to take those pain suppressants every year. Although her PAK would suppress it on it's own, the tablets were able to cover for it on the one day it didn't. The PAK's suppressants worked for approximately a year, but then it needed a day to recharge.

She was trying to listen to Zim, and focus on the pain in her head at the same time, when all of a sudden he decided to head down to the lab to work on those cyborg gophers. Getting up to follow him, she felt very dizzy all of a sudden. Her legs felt weak, and she toppled over.

She blacked out as she fell, and didn't see Zim's look of alarm as she hit on of the chairs, didn't see him run over to see what was wrong, didn't hear as he called for the computer to bring them to the lab to figure out the problem.

Didn't feel him as he carried her the whole way.

A/N: If I ever wrote a chapter that made Tak OOC, it was this one. Still, I've always wondered what that thing on her head was (if it's ever mentioned, I never heard it). For the story's sake, I decided to make it a robotic-implant, but you'll hear the rest of that next chapter. However, I think I did Zim pretty well. And if any of you think he's out of character, re-watch Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain.