Summary: Why is Numbah One bald? Numbah Five discovers Nigel's biggest secret, and it has nothing to do with the KND, or anything else normal or fair for a kid to go through. Angst and drama, lots of it. One-shot. R&R.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Mr. Warburton does.
Author's Notes: This story was originally published under my other penname, on August 27th 2005. Nothing has been changed to the story itself. Please review…again!
Mortal Enemy
By: PenPatronus
"Numbah Five…is wiped out."
"This is the cruddiest cruddy crud I've ever felt…"
"I couldn't find the square root of 73987 right now if my life depended on it…"
"Sleepy Sleep Sleeper Rainbow Monkey…
"86…needs…report…can't…can't…"
A pale, trembling Numbah One stumbled and Five reached out and caught him. She had him by the shirt and was surprised when some of the redness remained on her hands when she let go. "Numbah One…you're bleeding."
"So are you."
Just then Numbah Two collapsed unceremoniously onto the tree house's couch and was immediately asleep. Numbah Three, the only one to have escaped the Delightful Children From Down The Lane's mansion unscathed, led Numbah Four to his room. She was uncharacteristically quiet, and eyed the bruises on her friend's neck, only imagining how many more scars were beneath his yellow shirt.
"I'm fine, Numbah Five."
"You're really not. That mission was tough and we're all exhausted, but I've never seen you like this."
Numbah One turned away from her and readjusted his sunglasses to make sure they were covering his eyes completely. After a moment he seemed to grow taller as he straightened and stood on nothing more than pride. The smirk was back on his face but he was still incredibly pale.
"Numbah One…"
"We'll contact the moon base in the morning, Numbah Five—"
"One—"
"Until then we all deserve some rest—"
"Stop it, On—"
"See to everyone's injuries. Wake me if you need me." With that, One disappeared into his room. The door shut very slowly.
Five lowered the rim of her red hat and frowned at him. "Nigel…"
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At some point in the early morning, Numbah Five was awoken rather rudely when her own hat slapped her across the cheek. When she grabbed it she found Numbah Four on the other end. "Five, come quick," he hissed, his eyes wide with fear. "It's One, there's something wrong with him."
Five blinked at him, blinked at the sleep still in her, and then launched to her feet when she heard a scream. Their leader was in pain.
"Numbah Four, help me!" Numbah Two was kneeling in the middle of One's bedroom. A pair of feet stuck out from beneath his elbows and Three's black hair could be seen past his goggles. Four hurried over and grabbed one of the arms flailing in the air. When Numbah Five flanked them she took the other hand and shared a look with Three. Kuki had tears on her cheeks though she silently, strongly held Numbah One's head in her lap.
"He's been in this seizure for almost ten minutes!" Numbah Two reported. Numbah One screamed again and his head slammed against Numbah Three who was holding a sock inside his mouth. One thrashed out again and tears fell from his eyes. "We've been trying to keep him from hurting himself but—"
"Need—" One gasped. The other four looked down at him. His back arched upwards but his eyes remained fixed on Numbah Five. "Need—"
"Let him talk, let him talk," Five ordered Three who took the sock out when the seizure began to subside enough that One wasn't going to bite off his own tongue. "What do you need?"
"Need—ell…Need…Needle. Drawer."
Numbah Five reached for the bedside table without letting go of One's hand. She practically overturned it as she searched through. Finding no medicine, she desperately looked back at her leader.
One took a deep breath and got out in syllables: "Rain-bow-Mon-key—"
Five let go of him, reached deep into the drawer for a small, old stuffed monkey and turned it over to find a zipper hidden amongst long red fur. In a quick motion she opened the toy up and found its innards full of medicine bottles full of pills and liquids and syringes with labels pasted on them. Five immediately dumped the contents out and held up the bottles and needles one by one until the leader indicated which ones to use. Three and Four turned away as Five calmly loaded a large needle with a clear medicine and rolled up a red sleeve to find an arm spotted with red dots. When Five found a clear patch of skin, she looked at One and waited for him to nod, then injected him in a quick, swift squeeze.
A quarter of an hour later, when the aftershocks had finally subsided, and One lay gasping with all four of his friends embracing him, Numbah Five finally allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Only then did she pick up the pill bottles and examine them. She found that she actually recognized some of the labels. She'd seen them in the cupboard of her uncle's bathroom.
Three months later her uncle had died.
"Nigel…" she whispered. He stared at her through half-lidded eyes. He could give orders even without speaking. Five looked up at the other three operatives. She stood up slowly and cleared her throat. "Help him back to bed, and then head to your own."
"Numbah Five—" Two began.
She glared him into silence. "I'll stay with him. We'll have a team meeting in the morning. For now, get some sleep."
Numbahs Two and Four exchanged glances before standing up with One held limply but securely between them. Numbah Three scurried over to the bed and rearranged the blankets while Five shoved the medicine back into the Rainbow Monkey, her hands shaking. When the other operatives had filed out, Numbah Five sat on the edge of the bed, took her hat off and put her face in her hands.
"Abby."
One was staring at her. Sweat covered his face but he was shivering. He was pale, he was weak, he looked older than his age. He looked nothing like himself.
"Why didn't you tell us…"
"Numbah Five, look at me."
"I'm second in command! You should inform me of everything! Does headquarters know about this?
"Numbah Five—"
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me?" She got to her feet and crossed her arms over him, glaring through the mysterious liquid forming in her eyes. He stayed quiet, just looked at her, as if she was the one who deserved pity. Abby finally turned away. She kicked the nearest thing which happened to be the Rainbow Monkey still on the floor.
"Abby, please…"
She pivoted away from him and stared out the window. "Are you dying, Nigel?" Her sniffles intensified and her knees started shaking along with her sobs. She turned back to him, her attitude returning. "Are you dying, sir?" she demanded sarcastically. Numbah One shifted in the bed as he considered his answer, the increasing time only worrying Five all the more. "Geeze—" she muttered. Her knees gave out and she all but collapsed onto the bed.
She raised her hands to her face again and started when someone grabbed them. Numbah One sat up and tugged on her, forcing her to look at him. "I'm not dying, Abigail. But I am…coming out of a long "remission" or whatever the adults call it. I start chemotherapy again tomorrow. The mission yesterday just…caught me at a bad time. And no, nobody knows about this. My parents haven't even told the rest of my family, I haven't told Kids Next Door command. It hasn't affected my duties or my abilities as a leader…not yet. And it won't, I won't let it. But if I ever does, I'll deal with it when that time comes. So please…please don't tell anyone."
"Is that an order?"
"I'll make it one if I have to."
"Why?"
One looked at her for a long moment before more weakness rippled through him and he collapsed back against his pillow. With his sunglasses off he looked even more helpless. The moment they stared at one another was a lengthy one. Abby didn't have to ask him again. She knew why. She knew that if she was in his position, she'd do the same.
"Can I make one request?"
Nigel yawned, "Of course."
"Keep me updated? Not as your second in command, but as your friend?"
"Of course…And can I make a request of you? Report to 86 for me, will ya? I have plenty of headaches without her to deal with."
"Sure, boss."
"Goodnight, Numbah Five."
"Goodnight."
Numbah Five stood at the doorway and kept watch until her leader was asleep. He looked restless; his limbs twitched every once in awhile. He slept with a frown—whether from pain or stress or nightmares, Numbah Five didn't know. She just knew that she didn't want to see that expression when he was aware of it. For awhile she reconsidered her role in the Kids Next Door, thought about her friends, mulled over their lives so far and experiences yet to come. Battles yet to come, of all sorts—against enemies she would and would not be able to protect her teammates from.
But they would, as always, fight.