I do not own Kim Possible or any of the related characters. I own only the story. Feel free to use my characterisations, or the storyline, but message me and credit me please.
Chapter Four: Old Friends
"James..."
"I don't want any of that bureaucratic nonsense; I want to know what you've done with my daughter!"
"If you will let me speak I can tell you."
He calmed, but not much.
"Your daughter went into outer space, in the company of aliens; I think that a rocket scientist should be aware of the need for appropriate quarantine."
"But that doesn't mean kidnapping her without even informing us."
She sighed heavily, "Our scientists found traces of radiation on the Lorwardian technology. Their power cores were highly irradiated, and when they exploded, or were taken down, if the core cracked..."
"What about my daughter?"
"The tests have turned up an anomaly, I just received the report. Something is disrupting our equipment, it could be the radiation. We're sending agents with biometric scanners to the houses of every one of their school friends, and using a satellite scan to locate any hotspots. Your daughter and her partner were underneath the spaceship when it exploded, they could have been bathed in the stuff, so could most of Middleton by now."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Nothing for now, not until we know there's a real danger. The anomalies could be something the Lorwardians did to them, or something else entirely. I'll keep you informed."
"Dammit Betty!"
"James... Nowadays it's Doctor Director. I have more people to worry about." She looked away from the screen, then quickly back again, "I'll be in touch."
***
Shego was not someone who was often at a loss. She had dozens of escape plans for hundreds of situations. Spare apartments round the globe, assorted safe boxes, money stashes, even a plastic surgeon on call for in case things ever got really bad. She was not someone to worry, no matter how dire the situation got.
But she was at a loss now.
Doctor Drakken had been fine at the press conference, had been joking and laughing as they sped out of there in the helicopter, had cheered her up about their recent bout of heroism by making rude faces at the paparazzi helicopters who had managed to follow them a few miles. He had been fine, all the way up to the door of the secret apartment.
"Shego?" His voice was low, and his face was drawn in pain.
"Yeah Doctor D.?"
"I don't feel so good."
And he collapsed into her arms, the solitary vine that had been wrapped round her since the conference untangling and lying limp on the floor.
"Doctor D.!"
She burned through the lock and pushed the door open, dragging her erstwhile employer inside. She laid him out on the sofa and raced for the medical kit, which was of course stocked for things a little more serious than simply cut fingers and grazed knees. One didn't become a mad scientist without risking some injury.
"Okay Drakken, I'm back, tell me what to do."
"Not sure," He grunted, holding his stomach, "Use scanner, might help."
She fumbled for the scanner and ran it along the length of his body. The result was inconclusive. Something was wrong with Drakken, but it wasn't something that could be picked up on the scanner. She showed him the result.
"Try, on, self." He was getting worse fast.
She scanned herself, and it returned the same result, something was wrong but it couldn't be pinpointed. "But I feel fine!" She protested, "The scanner must be broken."
He grimaced, it almost looked like he was trying to smile, "Scanner, fine, you, healing."
It made sense; her accelerated healing could be keeping whatever it was at bay. "Something the Lorwardians threw at us?"
"Then, Kim, Possible, has, too." His blue skin was going pale, "Must, warn, her. Go, to, Global, Justice."
"No way!" She almost recoiled from the sofa, hand herself over to the people who wanted her more than any other criminal on their lists? Hand shaking, he reached out to touch her face.
"Must, warn, them. Might, have, aid, there."
"Dammit!"
He was right, she couldn't do anything for him, and it was unlikely he was going to be able to cure himself. Cursing to herself, she lifted him onto her shoulders and staggered out into the hall. She had to get him to treatment, and whether she liked it or not, GJ were probably the best people for it, since they thought Drakken and Shego had turned to heroism now.
The hovercar was one of the fastest vehicles in the world, barring rockets and the Sloth, but it wasn't the speed which made this one of the longest rides of Shego's life.
***
"I didn't expect to see you again Shego." Doctor Director was very calm, given that Drakken could have been dying. He had fallen unconscious, but was still writhing in pain every so often.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't need help, so stop standing around and get me a medical cart or whatever it is you hero people use."
"Manners Shego, the cart will be here momentarily, but you aren't going with Drakken. We need to examine you both."
"But what if he..." She bit back the retort, if it would get Drakken assistance, she would do anything right now.
"So I surmise you've returned to your heroic antics. Or was that just a temporary blip?"
"What? How can you ask something like that?"
"Because I need to know whether I can trust you or not. I need to know whether you should be in a cell or a guest room."
"Why do I get the feeling the only difference would be if there were cuffs on my hands."
"Shego, tell me."
Once upon a time she had followed every order that issued from the woman in front of her. Nowadays things were different, but the clipped tones and formal tone still had the power to make her stand straighter. "I won't cause any problems while I'm here."
"Good."
At that moment the medical team came rushing through a side door to the hanger and went straight to Doctor D. strapping him to a crash cart and charging back into the base. One paramedic stayed behind to escort Shego.
"They seemed to turn up at a pretty convenient time." She growled at Doctor Director.
"I don't know what you're talking about, please go with the doctor, we'll see if we can get you out of here quickly."
As she watched the thief being led away, Doctor Director had a sudden memory of a scared teenage girl and her brothers, uncertain about what to do with their new powers.
How things change.
Shaking the image of a younger James Possible from her head as well, she headed for the observation room. Something told her that Drakken's condition was the key to Kim and Ron as well.
***
"I think the problem here is pretty clear," The doctor's face was obscured by his surgical mask, but Betty could tell that he was exasperated.
"What?" She had no time for his typical manner, which was much lacking in bedside courtesy.
"He fused himself with plants."
"Dick, I don't have time for your cryptic messages which eventually reveal some sort of life message, what's wrong with Drakken?"
"When he fused himself with the plant genetic growth formula, some of it grafted onto his DNA, and it's started rewriting his genetic code. The reason we saw anomalies in our scans of Possible and Stoppable is because the markers are a lot similar to radiation poisoning, although the effects would be quite different."
"Different?"
On the table, Drakken's entire body suddenly erupted into petunias.
Dick didn't even look back at patient, "Different."
"Can you reverse the process?"
"As long as Drakken doesn't mind not turning into a daisy for the rest of his life, yes. It'll take nearly a week to get him back to normal, but Shego, Kim and Ron can be finished with a short purge of their systems."
"That doesn't sound pleasant."
"It isn't. It will have them fighting fit in a maximum of three hours though."
"Do it, then get started on Drakken."
"Yes ma'am."
***
Being purged was one of the single most unpleasant experiences of Kim's life, and one she would not have wished on anyone, although it did give her a little sadistic glee to know that Shego was undergoing the same process in the next room over. She spent most of the half hour in the bathroom, alternating between wishing it was over and hoping no one ever brought up what had happened as long as she lived.
Ron had escaped scot-free. His meditation hadn't been for show, he had been cleansing his body with some healing techniques Sensei had taught him. He didn't need to know what was wrong, only that something was up, and his mind would do the rest. She had forbidden him from being around to comfort her at the moment though. They were closer than close, but some things shouldn't be shared between a couple.
AN:- The interaction between Shego and Doctor Director is foreshadowed in my story 'Even Evil Has Standards.' I've often been intrigued by the ways people in Kim's life might know each other apart from through Kim.
Some notes on characters: Dick the Doctor. This is a very, very bad pun on my part. Scrubs has Doctor Cox, leading naturally to a few jokes about said name, I have Doctor Dick, a rather obvious Cox expy. I apologise heartily for the awfulness of that pun. I only mention him because I'm going to use him some more later. Also, you lucky people, three updates in two days from me! Christmas is obviously affecting my spirits.
