16
"Tigress? Gods, please hear me sweetheart..."
Tigress slowly opened her eyes, wincing when the light penetrated her pupils. Immediately her paws slammed over her eyes to save them from being damaged. When she finally opened them a little more taking a few intakes of air, and pulled her palms away, she panicked. Blurry shapes loomed over her, all talking at once. Some spoke quicker than others, but all shared the song of concern. Holding her head as a sharp pain panned across her forehead, a muffled voice, louder than the rest, told them to be quiet. "Where am I?" She mumbled weakly.
"Everyone just back off, give her space." There was brief shuffling. "In the infirmary." Rubbing her eyes, everything came into focus, and face slid into view.
"Shang?"
"And company." Tigress looked past Shang, where Po, Viper, Mantis, Shifu, and Woo stood, all looking at her with worry. Po, visibly shaken, ran up to her and knelt by her, hugging her tightly. She welcomed the embrace... but his warmth bounced off her, but for some odd reason it was too much. She was boiling, and his hug wasn't helping the temperature. Pushing him off her apologetically, he took the opportunity to lace his fingers with hers. "Thank the Gods you're okay..."
Tigress held her husband's gaze with obvious confusion. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?" Woo asked bluntly, before his eyes looked up to the ceiling, not amused. "She must of hit her head."
"Sh..." Shang felt her forehead with the back of his paw. Woo glared at him offensively, before turning elsewhere. Feeling the heat go through his paw, a nod towards Viper wordlessly asked her to wring out a cloth that was soaking in a basin. "Just rest..." He placed the slightly damp, but ice cold rag after pulling his paw away. Immediately feeling the cold sink in her head, her upper body followed suite and fell back slowly, til she felt her ears flat against the pillow. "How are you feeling now?" He asked softly.
Tigress gave him the same look that she gave her husband. "I'm..." the pain came back to her head. "Feeling off..."
"Mom!" Everyone turned to the door, where the twins, Chang, and Crane came crashing through, nearly knocking Woo over if he hadn't leapt out of the way. "Are you okay?" Seeing all three youngsters visibly worried in their wobbly words, she smiled and pulled them into individual hugs when they got close enough.
"I'm fine, I just had a fall." She said reassuringly.
"Is the baby okay?" Chang asked worriedly.
Tigress laughed. "Of course... we'll be fine."
"Now boys," Shifu caught their attention almost immediately. "Let Master Tigress rest; go on to the training courtyard and start your Tai Chi exercises." The trio looked like they wanted to argue, but reluctantly hugged Tigress again, before leaving the room.
Once they were gone, Shang held Tigress' paw, and spoke quietly. "Do you remember experiencing pain in you abdomen, and then collapsing?"
"No... what?" Tigress went to sit up, but Po pressed her back down gently by her shoulder. "The baby..."
"The baby's fine, like you said," Viper assured, drying the end of her tail in a towel. Tigress gave a sigh of relief, but placed a paw on her stomach anyways, just to be sure."But you gave us quite a scare... we thought you went into labor... next time, warn us before you give us a fright." Po, Crane, and Viper laughed, but Tigress saw that Shang looked a little troubled. Mantis, who sat on Shang's shoulder, was also quiet, his pincers folded tiredly.
"Shang? Mantis?" He glanced at her. "What is it?" Her question killed the laughter, and everyone turned to Shang.
"It isn't a laughing matter. Tigress... I think you may have the same illness you endured after you had the twins, and..." he cleared his throat, before he and Mantis changed slow glances. Mantis turned around and asked everyone to come outside with him, and they all followed, all their faces chalked white. Once the door was closed, Shang's paws found themselves in Tigress', squeezing them tightly judging by the look of it, not the feeling.
"It's more serious..." It was like he ripped her heart out of her chest and pounded it into the ground.
Po stood up slowly. "How serious?" He had that dreadful lump growing in his throat again... something he never wanted to ever experience again. Tigress switched her gaze briefly to watch his movement, before looking back at Shang, her paws slightly moving with the anxiety that was starting to run through her nerves. Pulling one out of his hold, it cradled her stomach almost fearfully.
"The outcome can be one of two... you can decide if you... or the baby, gets to live."
Crashing through the door, both feline and primate hit the ground by the left-hand side of the reflection pool, breathless, trying to answer their lungs' pleas for oxygen. "Those... damn... steps!" Tai Lung hissed, coughing hoarsely.
Monkey was patting his chest to get his lungs working again, cupping in large amounts of air like there was barely any left. "I... thought I'd be... used... to them." Wiping his forehead, he tried to spring back up onto his feet, only to fall over. Tai Lung, annoyed by the time already wasted in their bickering back in the cells, grabbed the primate by the arm, hauling him to his feet. There, they ran around the desolate pool, and towards the medical wing.
Upon arrival, it didn't take them long to spot the cluster of bodies standing by a particular door. They all looked up slowly from the ground, before staring at both Monkey, and Tai Lung wide eyed. "What is he doing here?" Woo glared daggers at Tai Lung, who in return, rose his head respectively.
"I'm here to see Tigress."
Crane just shook his head. "None of this is your-"
"Don't. Finish... that sentence," Monkey warned, folding his arms. "Let's not make this hard on anyone okay? Just tell us that she's okay..." Tai Lung awkwardly looked at each Master for some answer, but they all just exchanged saddened looks. Viper was wiping away tears, before turning towards the door. Crane pulled his hat down slightly, frowning at the ground. Woo gave a dull huff and looked at no one, and Shifu kept his balance stable with his walking cane, eyes closed.
Mantis' pincer slid under his chin uneasily. "She has the same illness as before... but worse."
"What do you mean?" Tai Lung's heart skipped a beat when Mantis opened his mouth to talk, but the soft conversation between Po, Tigress, and Shang in the other room caught their attention.
"It can't be..." Po said, with all three silhouettes visible to them outside the room. Po was pacing back and forth, Tigress was sitting on the edge of the medical cot, and Shang was by her side, but sat on a stool. "It has to be something else..."
"I'm sorry Po... we can... cherish whatever time we have left." Shang's voice cracked under the weight of guilt and sadness, having to be the one to tell the news. Turning to look at Tigress, he leaned in slightly. "But there's-"
"A simple decision..." Tigress straightened up, looking at Shang at the same time as Po.
"Tigress/ The baby lives."
Tai Lung's heart dropped so quickly he was close to hitting the ground too. The blow of realization hit everyone else, so hard they had to stop themselves from running for the door.
"What/ What?"
Shang backed stood up, and back away slightly, his silhouette growing as he neared the door. "Okay we just need to take a minute and hear what I-" He was immediately cut off by the abrupt screaming match.
"Are you crazy?"
"As a father and husband you would understand where I'm coming from-"
"But I also have a say. What about you?"
"What about me? I've walked on this earth... I want our child have a chance at life."
"What about the two sons we already bare? Don't they need their mother?"
"Po please-"
"NO!" His silhouette moved along to grab her by the shoulders, ready to shake sense into her. "I CAN'T LOOSE YOU!" He roared what seemed like to be right in her face (unwise, full stop), and the volume tore through the air so violently, that the long silence that followed quickly was in after that, and before Viper and the others made an attempt to move, there heard sobs. "My sons can't grow up without a mother, neither can this baby..." They soon sank to the ground, where their shadows muddled together to make an odd shape. "I nearly lost you before... I can't loose you."
"Po... I can't things any easier." It was Tigress that set Viper off. She, not able to listen to their controversial bickering, turned away to slither off, While Monkey, Crane, Mantis, Woo, and Shifu continued to stare at the door. "There has to be another way..." Monkey whispered, his heart twisting at the thought of both scenarios. Viper bumped into Tai Lung, gasping as she bounced back. She looked up at him, seeing his fists curling before his infuriated eyes looked at the barrier that kept him from the two people he was closest to in their hour of need. He knew better not to take a step towards the door, or else he would've been taken down, but it angered him of how weak he was to let himself do this.
Then it hit him. Shang didn't finish his sentence. "Maybe there is!" Before anyone could stop him, he opened the door, and revealed the shadowed scene. Po's head was under Tigress' chin, while his paws and eyes were directly on the bump. His eyes were fixed in such a way like he could see right through to his baby boy/girl, whispering to him/her... or Tigress. Who, on the other hand, held him close with her eyes shut, hushing him softly.
"What are you doing in here?"Although Shang was giving him the evil eye, Tai Lung nodded respectfully.
"Is there anyway to make sure they both make it? There must be."
Shang hesitated, before reluctantly nodding. "There is an antidote..." Everyone else piled back into the room, while Po jumped to his feet, eyes ogling Shang, almost high in hope. "It has a list..."
"I don't care how dangerous to journey." Po cut in. "I'm going."
"Po." Tigress rose up from the floor as quick as her condition could allow her. "No, the boys need you-"
"But they need you too Tigress... I'm doing this." He held her gently in his arms, close enough that their foreheads were touching. "I want you here to see our children grow... this baby grow... to help them see the simplicity in all around them... I want you there..." Tigress looked to the floor, still reluctant, so with the aid of his paw, his cupped her chin and helped her look back up at him. "You're not going to change my mind. I'll come back, and that's a promise."
"I'll come," Monkey piped up.
"Me too." Viper nodded.
"Why are three of you going?" Shifu glanced at Woo in annoyance. "Surely Shang will need assistance to look after her."
"I'm here," Mantis stated firmly. "So is Jasmine, Jun, Lok, Sapphire, Yuki, Yumi, Shifu and Crane... and maybe yourself if you're charitable enough." Woo rolled his eyes, and mumbled something in agreement. "We can defend the Valley with the two of us, and Master Shifu." He nodded at Viper. "If the three of you split up to get the ingredients, you can get back quicker."
"I can defend the Valley-" Tigress was cut off when she felt a paw on her shoulder. Twisting her head to look over her shoulder, Tai Lung lightly squeezed her shoulder, shaking his head firmly.
"No Tigress... your job is to rest. You need to... don't make things hard on yourself, okay?" She opened her mouth to argue when his paw peeled away, but Viper slithered up her frame, until she was laced around her shoulders.
"We're going to make you better Tigress, no matter what... just look after yourself." The little snake kissed her friend on the cheek softly. "We're not going to lose you, or this baby... not on our watch."
Tigress examined everyone around her, and their determined faces were enough to prove their loyalty, and she nodded slowly. "OK, I will..." They all smiled at her as Viper slid off her. "Just get back home safe..."
Po nodded reassuringly. "We will..." he turned to Shang. "Is there a period of time we have to get everything?" he asked, as Tai Lung moved Tigress to the cot steadily after her body shivered slightly.
"You have until the end of her pregnancy," Shang replied, scribbling out the ingredients again a second and third time, "that's not til another four months, but the quicker, the better, and the lesser chance we have her going through the same ordeal post-birth, as before."
"I'm helping too, in whatever ways possible." Everyone turned, and realizing Tai Lung spoke up, barring Po and Tigress, they exchanged glances, and Shifu immediately stepped forward.
"You're going back to the cell." He glared at Monkey, while Tai Lung frowned, his arms twisting around each other against his "I have a decent idea how you got out... but there is absolutely-"
"No shadow of a doubt that he is helping." Everyone spun their heads around, to stare at Tigress and Po in utter shock.
"What?!"
Tigress sighed. "You all need to see the good in him... he's helped before, and I personally ask to let him be around..."
Po smiled sheepishly. "Many paws make light work... right?" Crane, Monkey, Mantis, Viper and Shang turned to Shifu for advice. He, in return, grumbled to himself, before pointing his staff at Tai Lung, who stared at the red panda like a kid caught stealing from the cookie jar.
"If you mess up in any shape or form, you will suffer the consequences..." He said through gritted teeth.
Slowly, the leopard raised his arms in neutrality. "Understood."
Hope you're liking this so far guys!
Please review and let me know what you think is going to happen next!
Ciao!