Piccolo lay in bed, noting that today was different from the day before. He felt like crap. His nose was stuffed up to high heavens; his throat was sore and his head pounded. In short, Piccolo had caught the mother of all colds.
He tried to sit up, but his throbbing head made him lie down again.
"Denda!" He called out, his stuffed up nose making his voice sound funny.
"What is it, Piccolo?" The young Namek asked as he walked into Piccolo's room.
"Ah tink ah hab a code," Piccolo wheezed out.
"You think you have a code? Do you want help in deciphering it?"
"Nob! Ah tink ah hab a code!"
"Why, yes. This is a new coat I'm wearing."
"Nob! Ah tink ah hab a cobe!"
"A comb?" This is fun! Dende thought.
"Nob!" Piccolo shouted.
"Could you try not to breath on me, Piccolo? I think you have a cold." Dende said.
Piccolo grabbed at his antenna and pulled at them, nearly tearing them out in frustration. "Yeth, ah hab a code. Please helb meh."
"Sure! I'll help!" Dende ran out of the room.
At least he finally got it, Piccolo thought.
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"Mr. Popo!" Dende called as he ran past the genie in the hallway, "Our time has come! Call plan C into effect!"
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Piccolo had not improved by mid morning. He just wanted to sleep, but he could hear everything going on in the entire universe, and it didn't help. Finally, he sat up and pulled open on of his bedside table drawers, revealing two large foam-like ovals.
Grade A, two thousand decibel blocking, Namek sized earplugs, He thought, this will let me get to sleep for sure!
Piccolo popped the two earplugs in and laid his head down on his pillow. The adult Namek was just about to fall asleep when he heard a voice. He opened his eyes to see Hercule sitting by his bed, chatting away aimlessly about his multiple adventures.
"And once I had Cell cornered I said-"
"What are you doing here!" Piccolo sneered, "And how come I can hear you through these ear plugs?"
"Why every ear plug in the world is designed to let the specific frequency of my voice through, because everything I have to say is important! And the little green dude let me up, saying you could use the company!"
Piccolo groaned and looked at the package the earplugs came in. Well, I'll be damned, he thought. Right on the front of the package it proclaimed that they were non-Hercule proof. He groaned and pulled the covers over his head. (1)
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Piccolo was still in bed; Hercule left a few minutes ago when Piccolo got a great idea and told him a villain was coming to the lookout. Naturally, he fled for dear life. Now Piccolo could get some rest.
"Rise and shine!" Dende called from the doorway.
Piccolo looked at the Namek and sniffed the air, something smelled awful.
"What is that smell?" He asked, looking around.
"It's my home-made chicken soup!" Dende said, wheeling in a pot full of the stuff, "I don't have any recipes, but how hard can it be? I'm a god! I can do anything perfect."
Piccolo thought about Dende's trumpet playing skills, and was a little apprehensive of looking into the pot. Against his better judgment, he looked, and was sorry he did.
The broth was water intermingled with blood and chicken guts. The rest of the soup was made from a whole chicken that had been hacked into separate, bite-sized parts. He didn't even take off the feathers! And it looks like, wait, is that a beak? (2)
He looked up at Dende, who was smiling and obviously proud of his soup.
"Uh, maybe later Dende. I'm not really hungry."
"But you have to eat it!" He cried, "It will help you get better faster, and I made it myself!"
Piccolo paled. This was not going to be fun. "Go ahead and give me a bowl..." He said.
"Bowl?" Dende asked, "You don't need a bowl. Just eat it out of the pot!" The small Namek handed Piccolo a spoon and sat down beside him, waiting in eager anticipation.
Piccolo dipped the spoon into the so-called soup and pulled it out. One of the chickens' eyes stared back at him. His hand trembling, Piccolo stuck the spoon in his mouth. He nearly gagged. It tasted awful! (Needless to say.) Piccolo swallowed the mouthful and swore he felt a bone scrape against the side of his throat.
"That's, uh, really good Dende," He said, his skin looking a little greener then before.
"Oh good!" Dende said, "Eat up! It'll make you feel better!"
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Piccolo's cold was worsening, and now he had a stomachache from Dende's soup. No wonder Mr. Popo does all the cooking around here.
At fist he thought the throbbing in his head was from the headache, but he could hear that it was a drum beat. Pissed of, he threw the covers aside and walked out to the landing. Spread out all over was a familiar looking marching band. I don't believe it, He thought, the thousand-mile band made it up the lookout.
The band was playing a tune while Dende and Mr. Popo stood on the side, clapping their hands and urging the band to play louder. Piccolo screamed and went back into his room.
Dende turned to Mr. Popo and grinned, "We're just getting started and he seems like he's already about to explode."
"I can't wait to see what he's going to do next!"
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Piccolo had his ear plugs back in, but had assured Hercule would not bother him by placing a big sign outside his door saying, "Large ugly villain inside, do not enter!" He was at peace, and almost asleep.
"Hey Piccolo!"
Piccolo turned around and glared at Goku.
"What's up? You don't look so good hey what's in your ears are you feeling okay you might want to get your ears looked at that's a nasty growth you got going there well are you going to answer me?"
Piccolo was dumbfounded. His earplugs were not working! He looked to the package once more and saw right underneath where they told you they did not work against Hercule that they said they didn't work on annoying Saiyans either.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I asked you a question first!" Goku pouted, "Answer me first!"
"Fine. Nothings up these things are called earplugs I'm not feeling okay and I just answered you."
"Oh! I'm here because I saw a villain was in the room and I wanted to destroy it, but let it kill Vegeta first, just like I always do."
"Goku, I hate to be rude, but I'm not feeling well here, so could you..."
"You're not feeling well? I know! I'll make you some chicken soup!"
"No!" Piccolo shouted, grabbing onto the back of the Saiyans gi.
"What? You don't want any soup? But I thought-"
"Ah, ah, AH CHOOO!" Piccolo sneezed, cutting of Goku's whiny voice, and covering the warrior in snot.
Goku blinked, his eyes being the only thing visible through the green goo, and said, "Chichi just washed these clothes last month! She's going to be furious!"
Piccolo got an idea. "AH AH AH..." Goku fizzled out with instantaneous movement and was gone.
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Piccolo woke up the next morning and noticed he was feeling a lot better. He stretched and walked out onto the landing, happy that the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and no villains were trying to blow up the Earth.
He noticed Dende and Mr. Popo were absent and walked into the room they shared. Both looked like crap. Dende was sniffling and Mr. Popo was coughing his lunges out (Not literally, and even if it was literally, Ewwwww.)
"Well, boy's," He said, looming above there beds, "It looks like the tables have turned." Both Namek and Genie cowered under their blankets. Goku popped in. His nose was red and his eyes were tired.
"I caught something," He said, "Chichi called it a cold, but I think it's an alien race that is slowly draining my power, trying to make me weak enough to take over the world."
"It's a cold, Goku," Piccolo said.
"Oh, really? Hey, isn't there an expression, "Feed a cold, and starve a fever?"
"Yea,"
Goku ran up to Piccolo and gave him a hug, "Thank you for giving me this cold!" He popped back out.
Piccolo turned back to the others in the room, "Well, boys. It's up to me to take care of you," He said, "I think there is some left over soup, let me go get you some."
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(1) In the story COATS, I had mentioned the fact that Piccolo had Hercule proof earplugs. This story was why. I had written it about six months ago, but when I tried to bring it home, my disc got destroyed and I never got to post it. This is a re-write.
(2) Anyone hungry?
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My motivation for writing this again is the fact that currently have a cold that has made my life a living hell. That's also the reason I haven't updated in a while. On the pole for the favorite story, I'm going to hold it until Nov 1st, and then I'll tally up the votes. Also, I could use some suggestions, as I'm running low on ideas here. I promise to write soon! Brad
