A/N: Hello readers! I'm kinda getting into writing again lately, so I figured I might continue this story. A few days ago, I revised the first three chapters slightly (improved phrasing, added/adjusted a few lines here and there), though I've tried not to change the structure of the story too much (apart from moving the first few lines of Chapter 2 to Chapter 1, for a less abrupt ending.)
Chapters 1-3 were written in 2014-15, so there's some slight weirdness in how characters act (Garnet asking questions, Gems other than Amethyst sleeping), though this may also be because I was younger then. I kept these errors in, though in these new chapters I'll try to be more mindful of the Gems' personalities.
P.S.: I've decided not to force this story into the continuity of the show, since it's been ages since I've last updated it. Some ideas might not gel with the later parts of the series.
Three hours had passed since the events of the last chapter. Pearl had gone to her room to check on the waterfalls and how they were operating (and perhaps, for a bit of relaxation as well.) She left about thirty seconds later, then called Amethyst over the walkie talkie she had given her. Luckily, Amethyst was in her room, and so she came down to Steven's to check on his condition. Not long after, the Gems decided to contact Steven's father, Greg, to tell him about his son's weird sickness. As you might expect, Greg was a little more than freaked out about the whole situation. Steven had not felt any more strangeness coming on, but the Crystal Gems were all there at his bedside just in case. Steven was sound asleep again, probably experiencing another surreal dream at the moment.
None of the Crystal Gems could figure out what had gone wrong with Steven. They were all worried for the kid's safety. They knew that whatever Steven ate must've been some really bad stuff for it to incapacitate him like this. Could the stomach medicine have exacerbated Steven's condition?
"There's no possible way the stomach medicine could've hurt Steven any more than he already has been," said Garnet to the other Gems. "Otherwise, I would have not gotten it for him."
"I still don't understand if it was supposed to be the candy or the expired Cookie Cats Steven ate that made him sick," said Amethyst. "Maybe this is how humans react when they eat too much sugar or something."
Neither Pearl or Garnet said anything, both lost in thought. They had figured that the food might have been spiked, but they couldn't prove anything or ask anyone.
Greg broke the silence. "I think he's looking a little better. He's a bit less pale." He turned around to the Gems. "I still say you should've taken him to the doctor. What if he starts acting up again?"
"Well... Something like this can be easily addressed at home." said Pearl, who wasn't very confident in her answer. "As long as he gets a lot of rest..."
Amethyst transformed into a doctor, slightly behind schedule. "Yeah!" she said. "When you need to bring a doctor over, just send for Doctor Amethyst! Come on Pearl, gimme your medical tools!"
"I don't know if I-Amethyst!"
Steven started to stir as he heard Amethyst laugh. He opened his eyes a little bit, trying to make sense of the scene. His vision cleared up enough to see his dad's face.
"Hey Steven..." said Greg. "How are you holding up?"
Steven sat up in his bed, all groggy. He mumbled a greeting to his dad and went back to sleep.
"Come on Steven. Wake up!" said Amethyst. "You're going to be late for school!" She wasn't in high spirits, but she wanted to get a reaction out of Steven anyway. Steven opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't in the best shape, and still had some minor stomach pain, but at least he wasn't on the verge of keeling over. "Oh... hey, Amethyst," he said. The Gems were slightly ecstatic, though they kept these feelings to themselves. Amethyst said to no one in particular, "So... This is the third or fourth time he's woken up, right?"
Greg went into the kitchen, where he watched the Gems observe Steven. He never would've expected Steven to be so frazzled. Greg sighed as he thought, "Do the Gems even know what they're doing? I figure I might call the doctor and see what they have to say about him. I don't want to step on any toes here, but something has to be done."
To be continued...
