Wow, I asked for reviews, and I got four more on this chapter then I did on the last one! Thanks! ::dances:: Oh, and to clear up so confusion, Kali has forgiven Gray, she's just being bitchy and confused since she found Kai mutilating himself. It makes sense to me, at least ::sweatdrop:: So here's another chapter . . . but first, if anyone sees my dear muse Kali, please let me know. She ran away quite recently, but I don't know why . . .
Chapter 7
Kali snorted and pressed a random button on the remote control. Infomercials weren't the least bit interesting to her. Click. Click. Click.
"Graaaay? Are you done changing yet?" Kali called out to Gray, who was changing out of his wet, water drenched clothes. A 'mhn' followed as a response. Kali shrugged to herself and continued to channel surf. Finally settling on a cooking show, she leaned back into the couch and watched the TV, eyes half closed in boredom.
"Graaaay," she called out again. "Hurry uuup!" Learning how to make granola bars didn't interest her much either, so Kali got up and walked outside to watch the city shrink into the distance as they sped back to the village. Without Kai. Kali stared out at the sea, not really wanting to get depressed again. A creak behind her warned her of another presence, which descended next to her.
"What are you thinking about?" Gray asked her as he leant up next to her on the railing, also looking out to sea.
"Nothing really," Kali told him. "I find it easier to not think about anything at all." Gray nodded his understanding. "Actually," she continued, "I have nothing to think about. Maybe granola bars . . . I'm bored!" she exclaimed, throwing her head back.
"Granola bars . . .?" Gray muttered to himself, amused. "We could go fishing off the boat side or something," he said louder so Kali could hear. She lowered her head to a normal level and shrugged.
"Sounds like more fun then making granola bars. Maybe we can catch dinner. I don't think I'll be able to stomach eggs again. I hate eggs," Kali stated and shuddered a little.
"Yes, that is well known," Gray told her as he backed into the house to get fishing poles and bait. Kali yawned as she was yet again overcome with boredom. The ocean was finally beginning to look cleaner again. The sky was cloudless and it was not too hot, not too cold. A perfect day.
Gray came outside dragging two chairs with fishing equipment and a bucket filled with water heaped on top of them.
"Alright," he grunted, and pushed a chair towards Kali, who took everything off the chair and put it on the ground next to her. Gray pulled his chair up next to hers and placed a bucket full of water in between. "This probably isn't as good as your own fishing rod, but you'll have to make due," he commented as he watched Kali glance over the rod. She nodded distractedly, placing a wriggling worm on the hook.
"Where'd you get live worms at in the middle of the ocean?" she asked. "Unless these things live on the boat or something." She narrowed her eyes at the worm.
"Greg keeps some on the boat, I guess. I found them with the rest of the fishing stuff," Gray replied and cast the rod into the water, settling down into his chair. Kali followed suit, and they sat in quietness for a few moments.
"What do you want our house to look like?" Gray asked suddenly and quite randomly. Kali quirked an eyebrow at him. Gray caught the look and continued.
"Well I know one of those girl things is having a nice house in a nice spot. And I was thinking of having Gotz help me build a house for when we get married."
"Oh," Kali said, surprised, "but what about Kai? And my other home?" Gray squinted out at his fishing rod as he thought of a reply.
"Well Kai's gonna eventually get married to Popuri. I'm surprised they haven't already! And you can sell your old house and live here in the village. It's not like you'd be separated," Gray devised. Kali thought for a moment and rolled her ankles around.
"I'd have to ask Kai of course, but that's actually a good idea. My idea of a perfect house," Kali stopped and thought. "Well actually, if it was a land house, something cozy and small and a little isolated." Gray nodded and tried to hide the grin growing on his face. Kali briefly thought it looked suspicious, but dismissed it when she felt a tugging on her line.
"I got one," she yelped and began reeling the line in. Gray anchored his rod to the railing and stood up to help Kali, who was struggling with the line. Gray pulled the rod while Kali reeled in the line, still having a lot of difficulty.
"It's a big one," Gray announced as they tugged on the line. Kali rolled her eyes sarcastically, if that is even possible, stopped reeling the line in, and gave one short, particularly hard pull. The fish flew out of the water and landed on the deck, flopping noisily.
"Ohhh! It's so cute!" Kali exclaimed and put the tiny, colorful, 6 inch fish in the water filled bucket. Gray glared down at the fish in annoyance and then glared at Kali's fishing pole.
"It snapped the line," he muttered and glared at the fish again, who was swimming circles around the bucket.
"I gotta name it," Kali squealed, watching the little fish swim. "How about Hotaru?! I think it means firefly." She squealed again and ran inside to find a more suitable container. Gray continued to glare at the fish in disgust.
"Damn you, fish," he seethed. Kali ran back outside a moment later, with a small fish tank, the bottom covered in multicolored gravel.
"I found this in the kitchen, but I don't know why it would be there," she commented and shrugged. "Hotaru's the same color as the gravel!" She added gaily, and Gray scoffed.
"Just hurry up and put the fish in there so we can continue," he said and recast his own line. Kali pouted at his back and poured half of the bucket's water, along with Hotaru, into the fish tank. She grinned at the fish again before picking the tank up and racing inside to place him in a better location.
"You must be good luck," she said to the fish. "I don't think I've ever seen a fish quite like you." Hotaru swam in another circle, the sun catching his scales and creating different colors to appear on his body. A small jolt of pain went through Kali's stomach suddenly, but disappeared just as quickly. Kali winced at the pain, shrugged, and then set the fish and tank on a counter carefully and ran back outside to join Gray, who was standing up in apparent excitement.
"We're almost home," he shouted when he saw Kali, and pointed. Land was visible from their spots on the deck.
"Great," Kali called back enthusiastically before plopping down on her chair and grabbing Gray's fishing rod.
"Hey, that's mine," he complained as Kali cast it.
"Then get a new line on mine, and maybe I'll let you have it back," she muttered, her attention captured by the pounding headache she had just received. Gray sucked in a deep breath and let it out, and then picked up the discarded rod.
"Fine. I'll be back soon." And with that, Gray left. Kali smirked at his retreating back.
'He lets me get away with waaay too much,' she thought idly and laughed once, regretting the pain it caused in her head. Land was getting closer, she noted with relief. As much as she liked living on the sea, it was getting to be too much . . . especially since her own boat and all her belongings were destroyed in that storm.
Suddenly, Kali's little pink cell phone rang from its spot in her pocket. A look of surprise crossed her face briefly before she answered.
"Hello?" Silence. Kali blinked in confusion. Prank call?
"Hello," she repeated, and was surprised to hear a timid 'hello' mumbled back.
"Who is this?" she asked, loosing patience fast.
"You can't tell? It's Kai . . ." Her brother stopped talking to hear her response. When there was none, he continued. "They already told me when I'll be home. I can get home in a season, hopefully. If you need it, there's money inside the lodge on the counter so you can stay at the Inn. I know you don't like staying home alone," he added regretfully. Kali's response was a guttural, surprised noise. Kai sighed dejectedly.
"Okay, if you don't want to talk to me, I understand. I can't talk any longer though; because I snuck on this phone. It keeps beeping at me . . . So take care of yourself, little sister." With that, the phone went dead. Kali stared at her cell in shock, and then disappointment. How could she not have been able to talk to her own brother? She shoved the phone back into her pocket, her good mood completely diminished. She reeled Gray's line in and set the rod on the ground just as Gray walked out clutching Kali's own rod.
"I don't feel like fishing much anymore," Kali mumbled and walked inside as another jolt of pain attacked her stomach. Gray made an annoyed noise sounding ironically like a hiss, before following Kali inside. Kali had collapsed on a couch, watching her fish warily. Gray sat beside her stiffly and turned on the TV. Kali stifled a whimper in a pillow.
"What?" Gray asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Kali turned to him, and he was surprised to see that her eyes were glassy. "Are you okay?" he asked, annoyance covered up by concern.
"I think I may be getting sick," she replied truthfully and closed her eyes. Gray narrowed his eyes as he studied her seemingly paler face before placing the back of his hand on her forehead.
"Great timing," he muttered as he felt the heat on his girlfriend's head. Kali offered another whimper in reply as more pain streaked through her stomach.
'Good timing, indeed,' she thought miserably and bit back another moan. Gray caught the action and stood up.
"I'll get you something to keep the fever down. How could it have just hit you like that?" Gray stalked off to find medicine without waiting for a reply, knowing he probably wouldn't get one anyway. Kali rolled over so she was on her back so she could stare at the ceiling. And count the cracks. Gray rushed back with a cup of coke and medicine. He picked Kali's legs up and sat down in their spot, and then replaced them on his lap. Kali took the medicine quickly, and sipped the coke.
"Yanno," she began, putting the coke down, "Kai used to love to play drums!" A bemused look crossed Gray's face.
"Did he really . . ." Gray mumbled, watching Kali's face. She nodded enthusiastically.
"He had a drum set in the house! And he'd play it a lot! I don't remember why he stopped though. Wait, he didn't stop! Kai's a good drummer!" Kali grinned, her eyes glassy and tired looking. Gray decided it was the fever. Kali blinked, and a confused look crossed her face.
"Where is Kai? Oh right, he's not here. Kai makes me soup when I get sick. Am I sick?" Gray nodded slowly.
"I'm going to take your temperature, alright Kali?" he asked slowly, still watching her face. It took on a blank look, which then turned to agreement.
"Yes. I think I might have a fever," she declared while Gray found a thermometer in the bathroom cabinet. When he returned with it, Kali was still waiting for him on the couch. Gray stuck the thermometer under her tongue and held it there until it beeped. He held it up, and was almost unsurprised to see it over 101. Kali snuck a peek and giggled feverishly.
"Sleep," Gray muttered to her as she stared blankly up at him. How could a fever have hit her so fast? As if reading his mind, Kali answered his question.
"Maybe when I fell in the city water, some evil bugs got me! I think I swallowed some of the dirty water because that mean old man pushed me in."
"Bad water. . . Kali, you're lucky there's a doctor onboard. I'm going to get him, so you stay put." Kali nodded and yawned, so Gray headed outside to find the doctor. When they returned several minutes later, Kali was sound asleep on the couch.
-later-
"I think I'm dying," Kali moaned, resting her face against the cold porcelain of the bathtub. Gray took a slow, shaky breath from the other side of her. "I know you're squeamish, Gray. You can leave," she added weakly and placed a hand over her stomach. Gray shook his head at her kindness.
"I have to make sure you don't pass out," he explained patiently. "If your fever gets too high, you might do that." Kali groaned.
"Damn that old man and that gross water," she choked out and then winced at another sharp pain in her stomach. "I don't think I've ever thrown up this much in my life. Are you sure I'm not dying?"
"You're not dying," Gray told her bluntly, and wiped her forehead off with a wet towel. "Soon you won't have anything else to throw up."
"And then I'll pass out again," Kali whimpered and moved from her place against the bathtub to Gray's side and leaned her head on his shoulder. He tightened the ponytail holding her hair up and then rested his arm over her shoulders.
"If I do die, I want you to have Hotaru. Take good care of him for me." Gray sighed.
"Kali. You aren't dying. It's poison and your body is getting rid of it," he explained for the umpteenth time. "We're almost home anyway. When we get there, we'll get you some medicine to help all your aches and pains. And you can stay at the hospital in a cot, so you will be watched by either Elli or the doctor. And you'll get better in time for us to get married and Kai to get home. And Hotaru will be waiting for you." When Gray finished his speech, he looked down in surprise to see that Kali had passed out on his shoulder. He let out another deep sigh and leaned closer to the poor girl. After all, he loved her.
End Chapter . . .
This'll probably be the last chapter for awhile because I have marching band everyday after school for a few hours. I'll try to get some up whenever I can, but don't expect much. Please R&R!
