A/N: We are getting back to Drakken's POV for a bit.
Drakken came to terms that the whole really dating Shego thing was not a dream when she ushered him to make the second round of scans that she was to fly to the good doctor. Well, blackmailed doctor, but who was caring about such details? Particularly since Shego agreed to actually be with him. The whole ordeal was as bizarre as her incident with the Moodulator, but at least now they were both on the same page. Or at least trying to write the same book.
Drakken gave over the initiative to Shego, since, firstly, he had to stop the world hunger or at least to prepare properly for the continuation of the project and that included training his replacement – in case the surgery fails. Secondly, she knew much better how the whole dating was supposed to go, because he had never actually dated. Although, their repertoire was severely limited, because the lab campus hardly provided much ground or time for romance.
But that's where Shego's ground rules came into play. Every day from 9 till 11 p.m. was Shego's time. No exceptions. She spent the Sun sessions with him too. They talked a lot during those. Shego's second rule concerned her promise to try to understand his work and for him not to disregard her suggestions about said work. That rule led to Shego hanging at the lab a lot, wearing her new suit that fit her like a glove. Yes, she was protected from reagents, glass shards and other dangerous elements of the lab experiments, but she was extremely distracting to all men with eyes.
Once he mentioned it to her, since another rule concerned them not lying or hiding important truths from each other… Shego just kissed him real hard (which was also a new habit of hers, particularly since the aftereffects seemed to be lessening) and skipped to follow her usual patrolling schedule. She did came wearing a lab coat over the suit the next day however.
Drakken loved just spending time with his former sidekick. They didn't do anything special – were getting to know each other by exchanging memories and life stories, watched movies, walked in the plantations, and yes, made out on the couch in his room. He always knew that Shego was a passionate person since her hands glowed at the slightest provocation, but when that heat translated into a different kind of passion… At least she was patient with him, which was a miracle in itself.
At some point she started to call him Drew, but only in the privacy of his room. When he asked about the reason, she only asked in return: 'Don't you like it?' Of course, Drakken liked it, he was just not sure if she understood why. He didn't elaborate on the reasoning, not wanting to go into the dangerous territory of his or her true character.
But the name was not the only change. Shego kept to do small sweet things for him like telling him not to waste his vines on giving her flowers, but to make a protective lab coat for himself; or massaging his stiff shoulders after a long day at the lab; or talking him through why what he said was offensive to her instead of just tossing him across the hall with her glow. Frankly, he didn't even remember when was the last time Shego ignited her hands. Was that an indicator of something?
…
Drakken stared at the ceiling as if it held the answer to his current predicament. It was close to nine in the evening so Shego will appear in his room any minute now. It could be very well their last evening together. Ann Possible, her assistant and husband were flown in yesterday, because it was time to proceed with the surgery. It was unclear why James came too – curiosity, he said. Well, he asked Leila to show his former classmate around. Shego showed the brain doctor the facilities they prepared. Everything was met with approval, so there wasn't going to be any delays… Not that he wanted to endanger his health any further… And yet he can die tomorrow.
Should he say good bye to her? He didn't say anything to his team or anyone else at the premises. They explained the unexpected arrival of their guests as potential research partners, who wanted the tour of the facility. That's why Leila didn't question him about the excursion. Andrew was sworn to keep silence even to his girlfriend. The possibility of him becoming the next head researcher must've motivated him well enough. Will they miss him? The crazy Doctor D? Or will they just move on with the research and their lives? Well, he couldn't begrudge them that. They were half his age, their lives were only starting. They will forget him soon enough.
What about Shego? Will she miss him? He didn't plan anything special for tonight. Should he have done something? Should he say something in particular? Strangely, there was not much on the Internet about saying goodbye to a loved one on your deathbed. Especially if it was a potential deathbed.
There was a creak of the door, indicating Shego's entrance, followed by the click of the lock. Drakken turned his head to ask what was locking the door about, but the words died in his throat, because Shego was wearing the black dress. And was barefooted. Her nails obviously painted black.
Drakken sat up, but instantly regretted since it was he, who was hit with a dizzy spell now. Just remembering how Shego was pressing herself to him at the reunion…
"Wha-what's going on, Shego?.."
Shego stepped, no, floated towards the bed. "Whatever tomorrow brings, tonight we are going to be happy." And then the dress shimmered down revealing… Shego in her most natural beauty. There was no need for words after that.
…..
Drakken has never been a morning person. Well, he has never worked on a normal schedule, he worked whenever inspiration stroke. After moving into the lab, he still did not conform to proper work schedule, he could work well through lunch and/or dinner. Shego was the only one, who dragged him to meals, well, she did that quite frequently at the lair too, citing as the reason – nobody could conquer the world on an empty stomach.
Still, on possibly his last day, Drakken woke exceptionally early. He turned to look at his bed companion. He could die without regrets now. And not because Shego gifted him with the most amazing night, but because she gave him that morning. She could've sneaked out at any point of the night, but she stayed in his single bed at the danger of falling off. Drakken was thankful for her trust to share the room with him at her own volition and not because it was just the presented circumstances. He shifted to the side, involuntary shuddering at the pain from the scratches on his shoulders. What will the doctor think after seeing these? Not that Drakken was ashamed of them… No chance of that. The mere memory of hearing Shego scream his name, his real lame name, in ecstasy… Who needed the world after that?
He brushed a lock of hair from her face, hoping not to disturb her. No such luck. Shego stirred awake, sleepily blinking to access her bearings. Suddenly, she snapped her eyes open and frantically looked around, searching for something. Did she regret staying and was looking for a quick way to escape?
"Something's wrong, Shego?"
"Flowers. There are no flowers," she answered, sounding panicked.
"What flowers?"
"At the hotel, remember? The nest of flowers. You said, you were happy. You are not happy now?"
"Of course, I am, Shego. How can I not be? And Drakkenia is practically non-functional, conserving her energy for the surgery, so…"
"Of course! What an idiot I am!" Shego exclaimed, falling back onto the sheets. At least she was not tailing out of the room. Or bed, for that matter. "What time is it?"
"Around five."
"The surgery is at noon. You are not allowed to eat, so no need to go to breakfast. So we have a lot of time."
"For what?"
"Oh you know, Drew… And you should feel special, since I haven't allowed anybody to take me on my back since Adrian."
"Of course, I feel special. In multiple ways. On that note… We didn't use anything for, eh, protection yesterday."
"You old dog! So you are not infertile after all!"
Drakken didn't know why Shego was so ecstatic about the news and couldn't defuse the dilemma, since she decided to straddle him in her enthusiasm. And since she was still very much naked, he was very much distracted.
"Oh sorry, your back hurts, right, D?"
"It's manageable." Who cared about some back pain when a gorgeous naked woman was on top of him?
"Alright then. Adrian couldn't handle me on top. Let's see if you manage. Although, considering your yesterday's performance… I am very hopeful… And don't worry about protection, we are covered. So where were we?"
….
Through the years Doctor Ann Possible had worked out a routine to perform a successful surgery. It started with reading through the surgery plans once again during the evening before. The next step was to have a good night sleep. That step was at times hindered while bringing up three children, two of which were scientific hooligans, but she persevered. Lives of her patients depended on her.
Her routine for the most unique surgery during her career started well enough, but she could not get to sleep at the right time, since James could not stop talking about his excursion of the lab. Ann has not seen him so awed about a research center for quite a while. He complemented all aspects from buildings' architecture to the security systems for the vines' plantation. He went on and on about how perfect and highly productive everything was and how NASA would be idiots not to accept Drew's fabric for astronauts' suits.
Thus when Ann woke up and entered the cafeteria where she was told to get breakfast, she was not at her full clarity of mind. She had a few hours till noon, so she planned on catching a bit of sleep. The nerves however didn't help, she kept tossing and turning until she decided to skip to her next step – talking to the patient about proceedings and reassuring him or her if they had doubts. Ann thought that it was hardly the case with Drew Libsky. They met only briefly the previous day and she and her assistant were given over to Andrew to expect the allocated room and ask any questions. The question about the source of blood bags for transfusion was not answered.
She was not given any samples that contained DNA, only CT scans. She had no idea, if the blue-skinned scientist had special type of blood or not. And if he did, did they somehow harvested additional blood from his donation?! What else could they do here?
Ann stumbled at her patient in one of the corridors. He was talking to Andrew, looking at something on the tablet. After hearing the waterfall of praise from James about the facility and the work they were doing here, Ann decided to shamelessly eavesdrop on their conversation to see confirmation for her husband's words.
"With our luck, Dementor will appear at 12:01," Drew grumbled to the young man. "I told the Chief of Security to shoot a warning torpedo at any approaching vehicle, who won't identify themselves. And then shoot a targeted one if they don't comply. That bastard won't risk attacking the building like last time, he will do everything to just burn the vines down and for that he needs only a couple of rockets. How fast can the shields be activated? Moreover, they eat too much power; we are in a freaking desert, why aren't we covered with solar panels? Put Paul on it right away. If he can invent solar panel system that is two times more effective than the best one on the market, I'll personally negotiate for him to be given a cut. Let that motivate him."
Ann couldn't just stand silently anymore. Was she trying to save the life of a killer?! Was he still a villain at heart?! "You are going to blow people out of the sky?!"
Her, now quite possibly not, patient gave her a blank look, as if she was talking in a language he didn't understand.
"The radar has a five miles radius, Doctor Possible. Any unwelcome guest will have enough time and space for evasive maneuvers."
"You hardly want a chopper to fall down here, right?" And with that the only human-plant hybrid, who is not going to be one at the end of the day, ran off, muttering something under his breath. An ungrateful patient indeed.
"He needs to finish a lot before… And if… So don't let Doctor D's attitude throw you off. I'll try to bring him in on time, but there is a strong possibility for us being late."
….
Young Andrew was right – they were late. Doctor Possible and her assistant already completed cleaning up and put each other in scrubs, but the operation table was still empty. They were finally joined by the other half of the proceedings at 12:37. Doctor was used for her patients to be prepped by the surgical staff, so she was shocked to see Drew rushing through the doors, followed by trotting Andrew and Shego, who was securing a cap on her head – the only consideration for the operating theater they steamrolled into.
Ann still stood motionless, when the patient took off his lab coat, threw it into a corner and proceeded to pull off the T-shirt that was underneath, grunting all the time. Finally, the T-shirt followed the coat and he hopped onto the table, taking quite some time to get comfortable. Since he had to be completely flat, the head had to be placed on a donut shaped base. And since there was no full anesthesia, there were also armrests with belts to make his arms immobile, another five belts secured shoulders and legs. Belts were Shego responsibility which she seemed to relish in if Drew's grumblings were any indication.
"Okay, you big baby, here is your mouthpiece. Squeeze my right hand once when we can cut, two squeezes when the pain is too much. You can start, Doc."
Ann watched confused, but still fascinated, as Shego took place at the head of the table, holding Drew's right hand and pressing her whole weight through her right hand onto his left shoulder, preventing any movement. It was also the first time that Ann saw the actual back she was going to cut open. James hinted at some point at the green skin and seeing how the plant moved under it. It was still a shock to see it for herself. And the scars… Where did those come from?
The plan was to first cut the vines and then open up the lower back to take out the root system. Numbing the skin at the first part was risky since there was no guarantee that the vines could move with anesthetic around them. Doctor Possible positioned herself with the scalpel above the vine furthest from her and nodded her readiness. Nothing happened for several minutes then three vines appeared from the holes on the back. One was with green flowers, the middle one with green and blue flowers and the last one was with blue flowers. Shego's gasp told Ann that the colors bore some significance, but it was neither the time nor the place to uncover it.
Ann watched Shego's hand for the signal and when it came, she plunged the scalpel into the skin and the vine underneath. It was surprisingly easy to cut and she proceeded to the next one after another signal. When all three vines were cut, Shego slowly pulled them out by the visible ends and put into a tub. Whatever the tub's purpose, Ann had to proceed with the surgery. After a couple of injections, the skin was numb enough to open up the surgical field.
Slowly but surely Doctor Possible separated the roots of various thickness from the spine. It was indeed the most unusual surgery she had witnessed or participated in. Usually, the tension among the doctors or nurses could be measured by their sweaty foreheads since the lower half of the face was covered. That time Ann clearly saw the deadly determination on Shego face not to allow Drew to move, but the fleeting feeling of worry was also present. And it appeared every moment the patient moaned from pain, which was also a usually nonexistent sound in the operating room. And yet, there was no double squeeze.
Until another alien sound reverberated in the room – a siren.
"Oh for the love of- How much longer, Doc? We are being attacked right now, so I need to be up there."
"I have six more and then it's done."
"Splendid. Andrew, take my place."
Suddenly Shego appeared at Ann's side and stared into the loupes, lightly pushing her to the side. "Yeah, I see the little buggers. Okay, everybody, stay still and don't move or make a sound."
What happened next toppled Ann's surgical experience of the day into a completely different dimension. A green light, akin to a laser, appeared from Shego's index finger, with which she touched the roots and… they just burned out? It was the only conclusion Ann could come to without the magnification equipment.
"Why did you even need me for if you can do something like this? How are you doing it, by the way?"
"No time to explain, Doc. But I can concentrate only for seven times and you've been at it for three hours now, so… I am going upstairs to kick ass of whoever dared to invade us, while you stitch him up. I'll be right back," Shego threw the last phrase on her way out after roughing up Drew's hair.
Ann returned to her surgical duties, gently pulling out the last roots and then removing the whole system. It was instantly taken away by Andrew and placed into the tub. The stitching didn't take much time, although the siren was still screeching. The belts were removed and Andrew helped Drew to sit up to be bandaged. Shego stepped back into the room right when the bandage was completely fixed.
"So who was it?" were Drew's words after the operation. Right back to business then?
"Not Dementor. Hopefully, he learned his lesson. No, some NSA agent wannabe. Was sent here to see if we are manufacturing weapons of mass destruction or some other nonsense. They sent him packing before I could have any fun with him. So we are all okay, Doc?"
Ann shuddered, feeling Shego piercing green eyes at her. They felt exactly like the laser that appeared from her finger – deadly. There was a clear threat in the question – she will pay if they were not okay.
"The scan revealed no remaining cells of foreign origin, Miss Shego."
Scan? What scan? When did Andrew manage to do something like that? When he hovered his hand above the wound just before they started closing it? Did he have some kind of large ring? Anna was too distracted by the manifestation of the green laser to remember.
"Well, yes, the surgery went well," she mumbled, feeling the opposite of her confident and elated self after a successful operation. "No straining activities, no lifting heavy objects and a bed rest for a couple of weeks till full recovery."
"Two weeks?!"
"Yes, mad scientist, you, two weeks! You are going to live for many years to come, so your precious lab can wait for two weeks. Not to mention you can analyze the tests' data on your laptop anyway. What does it matter where you do it?"
Ann watched the silent battle of wills in the glares that followed Drew's protests. It was not a surprise that he succumbed to Shego's opinion on the matter, but what was interesting was Shego comforting caress of his hip which bordered on sexual. An odd couple indeed.
"Take care of the assistant, Andrew, while we proceed to the matter of payment. And tell the others… quietly."
Ann's assistant silently followed the young researcher out. He was quite fond of all the cloak and dagger atmosphere and didn't ask any questions even if fascination with the mystery around the surgery was all over his face. Even with the mask on.
"Shego?"
Whatever the question actually meant, Shego appeared beside the former patient with a lab coat and assisted him with putting it on and then steadied him while he climbed down from the table. Ann believed that Shego's constant touching of her boyfriend was more to reassure herself of his well-being or being alive at all than anything erotic and it was very touching to see them care about each other to such a degree.
Shego grabbed the tub and they headed to wherever her payment will be settled. It turned to be a considerable distance away or maybe Ann had such conception since they moved very slowly. Ann wanted to advise pain medication, seeing as Drew was wincing with every third step or so, but will the meds be even effective for people of different biological nature? Although, on the inside Drew looked like a completely average human being with red blood and muscles. The density of bones looked to be higher than normal, particularly for his age, but that was not her specialty.
Finally, they reached their destination that turned out to be average sleeping quarters. Ann only could stand awkwardly in the middle of the room not knowing what to do with herself. She watched as Shego placed the tub into a larger one full of ice and the room's white walls had gotten colored green, reflecting the massive glow around the tub that was coming from Shego's hands. It was the first time Ann personally witnessed Shego's powers (which her daughter had to battle on semiweekly basis, but that's beside the point) and it was indeed something special. Two minutes and nothing was left from the plant, but the half-melted tub.
A moan switched their attention to the other part of the room, where Drew managed to sit down behind the desk, the movement clearly brought him a heavy dose of discomfort.
Shego was beside him in an instant, berating him like small child, which Ann imagined was a usual occurrence, "Forget about your ego, dammit, and ask for help when you need it! You will be quite an invalid for the next weeks, didn't you always want to be pampered? Well, use the opportunity, for God's sake! Or do you want to die from infection or complications?!"
"Pampering does sound nice…"
"Well, transfer the money already, so the Doc here stops enjoying the reality TV we are providing. How much was it exactly?"
"767 850 dollars. But you do not need to transfer the whole sum, the average brain surgery is many times cheaper and I was not even operating on the brain."
"I value my own life rather highly, Doctor Possible, so the previous deal stands."
It was the first time her patient addressed her properly - the only thank you Ann probably was going to get.
"Have you found the university for the twins?" came a sudden question.
"Yes… Columbia University agreed to take them on."
"Good for them and probably bad for Columbia. The money is there. I am sure the bank will notify you at some point. Do you want to be flown back right away or… it is karaoke night."
"In which you are not participating. Bed rest remember, D?"
"It is prudent for me to observe your recovery for a couple of days. We can leave on Sunday evening." Ann Possible had no idea why she agreed to the prolonged stay or why it was offered to her. Ann suspected it was because of James. Drew would hardly openly admit his wish to discuss James's opinions of the lab and the research they were doing, but the desire was obvious in both parties. Of course, they could stay the weekend… just for her to fulfil her duty as a doctor.
"I'll walk you back to your room, Doc."
"About that pampering-"
"Doy, doy, one cocoa moo coming right up. You are going to milk it for all it's worth, aren't ya, D?"
"You suggested it, Shego. Own up to your words."
"You are impossible!"
Shego practically shoved Ann from the room and rushed down the hall with the doctor having to run after her to keep up.
"What do I even see in him?" Shego questioned the ceiling or Heavens or whoever Shego was questioning.
"What do you? If you don't mind me asking."
"I do mind," Shego snarled in response and Ann noticed green flames surrounding her fingers, but they disappeared as soon as they appeared. "But… he is real. He has all kinds of deficiencies, but when he is in, he is in. There is no manipulating, lying, cheating or other bullshit. It is simply not in his nature. Although, I am sure he is already calculating how to use my new ability. Everything for science."
"Can you explain what it actually is?"
"Nothing major, I just learned to concentrate my glow in one finger. Just to diversify my repertoire from blunt destroying everything in my path without thinking of the consequences. Burned like 5 miles of yarn and scorched 8 tables to get to the current result."
"And to help me during the surgery if needed." Was Shego blushing? Or was it just a shadow? It was really hard to tell with her skin color.
"Here's your room, Doc. I'll assign a security guy to you, so he can guide you wherever you want to go. Some rooms can be reached only with researcher's authorization. Or mine. So yeah."
"You don't need to worry so much, Shego. He is going to be okay."
"Pfui, who said I was worried?"
Ann could only shake her head in disbelief at the proud woman who left in a huff, maintaining the expression of disinterest. Well, it was their life. Now Ann had to inform her husband about their change of plans and hope that the twins don't destroy their new house in their absence. From their experiments or burning food was another matter entirely.