Chapter 34: Recovering
Cici woke up. She seemed dazed thinking she was just dreaming.
Jack was asleep in the bed next to her's.
She stared at him for a bit. She seemed reluctant, but climbed onto his bed and cuddled him.
He pulled her into a hug and smiled in his sleep.
She relaxed and slept in his arms.
After a few minutes a nurse came in with a tray of breakfast items. She gently picked up the currently 3 feet tall girl and put her in her bed. Cici looked up at her and got a pat on her tentacles.
"Good morning, Miss Bubble. Just bringing the morning meal...which I know will go to waste. But it's there if you want it." She smiled at the little inkling.
"Thank you." Cici replied while just staring at the food.
"Oh, here is where Mister Trench went to." The nurse picked up another tray from the cart and placed it on a table next to his bed. "It's there for him when he wakes up." She smiled and patted Cici again.
"Thank you… I think he needs the energy" Cici bowed her head.
"Yes, and you need the sustenance. Please consider eating today." She smiled and pushed the food cart out of the room, walking down the hall into the next room.
Cici just stared at it.
A loud growl was heard and Jack rolled over in his sleep, one hand on his stomach.
She moved her tray to the side and tried to reach for him. She reached too far and fell, letting out a yelp.
Jack's eyes sprung open and he quickly grabbed her before she hit the floor. "You okay?"
"...Um, hello… Um... B-breakfast…" Cici hung in his grip.
"Hi, Cici." He put her back into her bed and sat back onto his, putting his tray on his lap. "Good to know. Looks good."
"Um, you are probably starving… do you want mine too?" She held her tray to him.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I want you to have it." He replied as he dug into his breakfast.
"But… I'm not really hungry…" She looked down at it.
"Trust me, Cici. Your body needs the food. Now more than ever, from the looks of it." He looked at her with concern.
"He's not wrong, my lady" Chives walked in with a box and some more flowers, "Clear squid are very malnourished. They don't have the energy to produce any color. If you stopped the IV you would be squid jerky."
Jack had a forkful of food halfway to his mouth when he stopped and looked at Cici and Chives with fear in his eyes.
"...That was kinda the point… but I think… that should change…" Cici replied.
Jack smiled at hearing that and looked at Chives, signaling him to bring him the box quietly.
He slowly gave it to him as Cici was poking her food with her fork.
Jack slowly opened the box and placed it next to him, picking his own tray back up and continue to eat from it.
"Slowly does it, my lady. Eating too fast will just make everything come back up."
"Okay" Cici nibbled at the fruit first.
Jack smiled widely at seeing Cici eating. He quickly finished his plate and watched her.
She slowly ate parts of everything. She could not eat all of it.
"Cici?" Jack reached into the box. "I have something for you."
She moved the tray to the side and looked at him.
He held out a plush sheep toward her. "Take it." He gave her a gentle smile.
She crawled towards it and nearly fell off the bed again, but was caught by Jack again.
"Be careful, okay?" He sat her back up onto the bed and let her take it from his hands.
"Alex made this…" She stared at it in disbelief.
"Oh…" Jack looked up at Chives with concern.
They sat there in awkward silence.
"..." She put it down and lept at him.
"Ah- mm!" Jack was kissed by Cici as she wrapped her arms behind his head. His eyes were wide as he sat there, before putting his arms around her as well.
Chives seemed relieved and happy.
Cici broke the kiss after realizing what she just did and hid her face in his gown, her tentacles faintly glowing red in embarrassment.
Jack just smiled and rubbed her head. "I enjoyed that."
"...Stop being so stupid..." She whined and lightly headbutted him.
"I will not." He smiled wider and laughed.
She 'grumpily' nuzzled into him as she hid her face from him.
He gently placed her into bed. "You are silly sometimes."
"Am not…" She pouted.
"Are too." He chuckled and kissed her cheek.
She blushed and hid her face in her sheep.
He put a blanket over her and picked up the tv remote. "Anything you want to watch?"
"Um, what do you wanna watch?" Cici looked up and petted the plush.
"Anything you wish you watch." He smiled at her and turned the TV on. "Hey, Chives?"
"Hmm?" Chives was cleaning up the room.
"Where is everyone? Callie and Marie? Arisara? Adstrum?"
"They are en route to Calamai Country… I thought it would be nice for them to go see their families" Cici replied, "It's a vacation for them."
"Oh. Okay." He flipped through channels looking for something.
Cici looked at the TV and watched him channel surf.
"Anything catching your eye?" He stopped surfing.
"Callie and Marie." She pointed at the screen.
"Hm?" He turned and looked at the screen.
"Oh wait… if you look closer it's not them. Isn't that a drama show?"
"Huh? Drama show? Weird." He shrugged and put the remote in Cici's lap before sitting on his bed.
Cici pressed a random channel number and inklings ran from a monstrous human on screen. The human with sharp teeth tried to catch the inklings and roared.
"Hey, Humanity Park. Good movie." Jack smiled.
"I wonder if humans were actually that hairy…"
"Maybe. Who knows?"
"Oh, they caught him…" Cici got quiet as the human ate the inkling.
"Wow, what cheap effects. It's obviously animated at that moment." He shrugged.
"Do they… actually eat us?" Cici asked.
"I don't know."
"I hear they usually cook animals. Oddly enough they have something like books of human food…. They boil, fry, roast, and eat some things raw..." Chives noticed Cici becoming uneasy, "Oh… my lady they were just primitive animals."
"Hey, it's okay. Come here." Jack pulled her into a hug.
Cici relaxed a bit as Chives changed the channel to a cartoon about three mischievous inklings trying to scam the other inkling kids living on their block.
"Oh, I love this show!" Jack smiled, still hugging Cici.
"I like the show with a pink scaredy dog, but this one is a great classic too." Cici looked up at him.
"I like that show, too." He smiled down at her.
The door opened and a yellow inkling walked in with a HUGE bouquet of roses.
"HOOONNEEEY, I brought you flowers!" The voice made Cici shudder.
"Oh, dammit…" Jack muttered before looking up to see the face of Rubert.
"...Wait… This is awkward… You aren't Cecilia. You're just that peasant." He lowered the roses.
Jack rolled his eyes and looked at the inkling in the doorway. "Cici's not here. Get lost."
"Well, THIS was her room number. So what are YOU doing here?"
"We changed rooms. This is my new room." He lied. "Cici's new room number is 11-23-Go-jump-in-a-lake." He glared.
"I can see her right there… She may have shrunk, but she isn't invisible."
"She doesn't want to see you." Jack gently held her closer.
"Humph, says you. Honey, come give your man a smooch!"
"Kill me" Cici muttered.
Jack looked up at Chives. "Would you get him out of here?"
The atmosphere felt hostile all of a sudden. Rubert had some stripe markings on his tentacles.
"Do you think a worm like you has any power here?" Rubert had a growl in his voice.
Jack raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Ooh, terrifying. I've heard scarier voices come from Adstrum."
"That is….true" Cici muttered.
"... You are no squid." Chives stood in front of Jack and Cici.
"Heh heh, no. But she was the greatest thing we could have had in Octarian forces." Rubert morphed into a thin striped octoling with stripes running down his arms and legs.
Jack immediately sat up straight and hopped out of the bed, placing Cici down gently. He then turned toward Rubert and glared at him.
"She almost killed you… the legendary Agent 3… taken down by the the love of his life… it would have been... ABSOLUTE. Perfection." Rubert had an insane look on his face.
"You did it to her…" Jack bared his fangs.
"Yeah, all according to plan… until that traitor threw a wrench into my plans. When I find her... I will tear each tentacles from her body."
"You will not harm a sucker on Ari!" Cici's tentacles boiled.
"Please don't, Cici. I'll handle him." Jack punched his palm.
"It doesn't matter… I can end you all here."
"You already tried to once. And you failed."
"Correct, she failed. I have yet to play…" Rubert took out a pistol.
Jack kept his cool and stood between Chives and Cici. "What do you want?"
"Cecilia. If you don't want me to blow off their brains. Come here. Just so we are clear." He shot Chives in the shoulder.
"ARGH!" Chives knelt down holding his shoulder in pain.
"Chives!" Jack glared at Rubert. "Leave him alone. What do you want with Cici?"
"This is a gun. It can kill everyone in one hit if aimed at the right places. Like if I aimed..." Chives aimed at Chives's head
"STOP!" Cici screamed, "OKAY! Okay… you win. Just stop..."
Cici walked to Rubert.
"Cici, hold on." He grabbed her arm. "What do you want with her?"
"To kill you, of course."
"And you need Cici for that because…?"
"She is by far the easiest to get fully brainwashed. Permanently." He grabbed Cici and yanked her to him.
"That's it? A brainwash subject?"
"I don't think you understand. I mean you care about this wittle face, right?" Rubert squished Cici's cheeks together. "How messed up would it be to see you kill her or she kill you? But the money and the gear is icing on the cake."
"I do. But I won't kill her." Jack noticed what he said and a lightbulb appeared over his head. "Hey, Chives? Could you go to my room real quick and get Cici's will and spider silk cloth? I think I remember seeing Rubert mentioned in it." He lied.
"Yes sir. Right away sir." Chives scrambled away, returning a minute later with Jack's cloak and Cici's will.
"Take a look at the will, Rubert. See how much money is left for you. I don't know why Cici left you any, but apparently she cared." He looked at said squid and gave her a small smile.
"Heh, really? Aww honey you shouldn't have." He took the envelope and pulled out the will.
Jack winked at her and slowly scooched closer to Rubert, his eyes stuck on the paper.
"Aww, but since this is a will something is missing, isn't it?" He pointed the gun at Cici's head.
"Wait! Before I die. Can I have one last kiss? I never got it so at least let me have my first kiss..."
"...Heh. Okay, that I can do" Rubert leaned down until their noses touched.
"Thank you… thank you VERY much" Cici bit into his face. He screamed and flailed about in agony. He grabbed and threw her across the room before aiming the gun at her.
Jack wasted no time and turned into a squid, quickly superjumping at Rubert. He slammed into him and both flew into the hallway, the pistol flying out of his hands and landing on the floor of the room. Jack quickly changed back into his inkling form and punched the octoling in the face.
He punched Jack back. They wrestled and punched each other.
Jack got his arms around Rubert's waist and picked him up, leaning backwards and slamming the octoling's head onto the tiled floor.
Rubert became disoriented as he stood up and prepared to strike back.
Jack grabbed his fist and twisted his arm before reeling his leg back and kicking Rubert between the legs.
He let out a yelp and tackled Jack into a wall.
Jack's head rattled for a moment before he leaned his head back and slammed his forehead into the bridge of Rubert's nose.
He growled and a loud metal "pow" interrupted him. He glared as Cici held a folded metal chair and prepared to hit him again
Jack saw Rubert turn toward her but quickly wrapped his arm around his neck, yanking him back. "Never turn your back on the one you are fighting, idiot." He squeezed tighter, putting Rubert in a choke hold.
Cici was tensed and pale looking. She was kinda hyperventilating and her mouth was bleeding.
"I got this, Cici. Please go lay down. I'll be with you in a moment." Jack smiled at her as he punched Rubert's side, the octoling trying to move Jack's arm away from his throat.
She didn't seem to listen to him. She was spacing out glaring at Rubert.
"Just go to sleep, stupid." Jack growled at the octoling as he kept his grip on Rubert.
Cici seemed to be in her own world staring at Rubert. Eventually Rubert became limp and just slumped in Jack's grip.
"There we go. Sleep tight, you son of a bitch." Jack placed the octoling down before looking around. "Where did Chives go?"
"Here, sir… lost a bit of blood… I can't really walk straight… I apologize, young master" Chives dragged himself out in his octopus form.
"Okay. I'll go get a doctor. Keep an eye on Rubert here. Don't let him get that pistol again." He pointed to the gun on the floor of Cici's room. "Also, if you can, call the police." Jack quickly ran off to find a nurse or doctor.
All the staff were locked up in a meeting room. They were pounding on the wall and shouting.
"Well, smart of that dumbass to do this beforehand." Jack muttered as he came up to the door and pulled the pipe out from the handles of the door.
The staff ran out and some called the police and others tended to those hurt by Rubert.
"We need some doctors, now. We have two octolings injured. One with a wound from a non-ink gun. The other is unconscious and is the cause of this." He led some doctors and nurses back to Cici's room.
They rushed back to the scene. Cici was still spaced out and shaking. Chives had dived into a pool of ink.
"Chives! The doctors are here to help." Jack said as he immediately approached Rubert, his hands close to the mimic octoling's neck in case he moved again.
The doctors pulled out an injured large striped octopus. They took him away to take out the bullet. Cici was unfazed by anything and stared at where Jack and Rubert were struggling earlier.
Jack watched over Rubert's unconscious body until police came and took over, letting some doctors look at him before taking him away when his injuries weren't serious.
Cici lean to one side and collapsed.
Jack quickly rushed over to her and gently picked her up. "Cici! Are you okay? Please be okay."
She was shaking, but snapped out of her trance. She was scared out of her mind.
"I can't thank you enough for what you did. That was genius!" He hugged her.
"I didn't k-kill him…?" She asked.
"No, you didn't kill him."
"A-are you hurt? My body moved on it's own when I saw him slam you…"
"A bit, but I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"Are you sure?" She started crying, "And you aren't lying to me…?"
"I'm fine, Cici. Trust me." He wiped the tears from her face. "Please don't cry. It makes me want to cry."
"Promise? You aren't dying?" She held him tightly.
He wrapped his pinkie around her's.
"I pinkie promise." He smiled.
She jumped onto him, knocking him onto his back, and kissed him on the lips.
His eyes widened as Cici kissed him, but he returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around her.
She rubbed her face on his chest, "I never ever... want you to break that promise…"
"And I never will." He smiled and picked her up, taking her back into her room. "Now why don't we lay you down? I think we both need a rest after that."
"Why are your lips covered in blood?... Oh, wait it's mine..." She touched her mouth
"Doctor!" Jack yelled. "Or nurse! Now! Medic!"
The doctor put them back in the same bed since Cici refused to let go of Jack. They checked Cici and Jack up.
"Thankfully you are both okay. Just a bit bruised up. Looks like when he threw you across the room your face hit the metal bar on the bed. So you bit part of your mouth, therefore the blood. Should heal up just fine." He petted her bubbly head.
Jack sighed and looked at her, her cheek swollen due to a cotton ball in her mouth. "So…"
Cici clung onto Jack as she happily bubbled.
"Well at least these bubbles are a good sign of getting better. Rest up and take it easy, okay?" The doctor messed both their tentacles and began walking away.
"I'm so glad to hear that." Jack smiled widely. "And we will." He looked at Cici again. "So...how ya feeling?"
"My face hurts" Cici muttered from his shirt.
"I'm sorry. Hope it feels better soon." He kissed her forehead.
She blushed and hid her face in his shirt more.
"Hope your mouth heals before lunch." He looked over at the time, seeing it was 11:45. "What time is lunch here? Twelve? One?"
She shrugged and looked at the cloak she made for him.
"I'm really worried about your health, Cici. I hope you start eating more now. And drinking more water too." He gently rubbed her tentacles.
"Okay. I will" She put the cloak around him.
"Thanks." He smiled at her. "Also, please don't wear that...what was it called? Bind?"
"... But they get in the way" She held her chest closer to herself.
"But it makes it harder for you to breathe, apparently. And I don't like that." He put his hands on her shoulders. "Please. Don't wear it anymore."
"... But what will I wear then?"
"Um...a bra? I guess? I don't know."
"... I meant my cloth… these will make my cloth come off."
"But you are a tailor. An outfit maker. How will that be a problem for you? Can't you make custom clothing for yourself?"
"...I can but… I am… self conscious…"
"I don't know how to help you there, but I just don't want you to struggle with breathing. I'm sure you can figure something out. Okay?" He hugged her closer.
She rested her head on him and softly started drifting into sleep.
"Yeah, you'll figure something out. You're smart." He kissed her cheek.
She woke up a bit when the nurse brought lunch.
"Thank you." Jack smiled and took his tray, placing another one on Cici's lap.
"There you go sweet pea. We remembered to not put any seaweed." The nurse petted her, "I even brought you a cookie for dessert."
Cici watched her leave and started eating.
Jack smiled at her and picked up the remote off the bedside table. "Want to watch tv?"
Cici nodded with a mouthful of noodles.
He turned on the tv and flipped through channels before settling on one. He and Cici sat there and watched as they ate. At times Cici would forget to eat and just watch TV. Jack would gently take her hand and move it toward the food for her, making her start eating in autopilot again. Eventually she stopped eating again and fell asleep on him. He just smiled and hugged her closer, soon falling asleep with her.
Author's Note: That was longer than a week and a half...I don't even have a good excuse except I was distracted by Borderlands. I'm sorry guys.
Also, some bad news. Or maybe good news depending how you look at it. Apikachua and I need to write more chapters as we have run out. So we will hopefully write again some day soon. I'll try for Tuesday night and try to update the fic by Saturday. I have one less class this semester now and should have more time.
Thank you The Bowser Monster, Agent Cherry, and Devil Dude 42 for leaving reviews. I greatly appreciate them.
Thank you, Cherry. Glad the chapter was touching.
Key word being 'almost', Devil Dude. She's doing fine now! YAY!
I will see you all next update, hopefully being on time.
