Here we go again dudes and dudettes! As always I own nothing and I apologize already for out-of-character-occurrences… Enjoy and SMILE!
Chapter 4: Vaccination or not
Two weeks after the engagement ball, Cyborg stood in the Medical Bay checking the schedule and gulped heavily. Vaccination time was coming up and Richard always insisted that all of them got vaccinated.
He didn't care that Victor was half robot and more had to worry about cyber-viruses nor that BumbleBee ever got sick.
He didn't care that Raven was a half demon who was immune to diseases, hell, the woman could even spread them by herself if she wanted to.
He even cared less that Changeling despised needles which reminded him of the experiments he once had been abused to or that the vaccination interfered with his alternated DNA. Gar usually got through several months of adjustment pain and got sick afterwards anyways, so he was the one suffering from it the most.
But Dick didn't care, because Kori was an alien who hadn't had any chance to build up resistance to most earth infections as a child and could suffer easily from any illness. Although she never had been sick of an earthly disease a single day, her boyfriend wouldn't jeopardize her health and insisted on the vaccination every single year.
Richard, Victor and Karen got through it without a blink, Kori usually whined a bit but knew it was for her best, but the remaining two members of the team weren't cooperating in the matter.
Every year they would have to chase down Changeling, knocking him out before they could approach him with the syringe and restrain him even then, because he tended to stir in his unconsciousness. The women always stood out of the hunt out of pity for their friend. Afterwards Gar would not talk to them for weeks, the first few days out of anger and afterwards because of his health condition. He would get one cold after another, sometimes even worse infections. When the vaccination wore off he would be more tired and have muscle aches a lot, but usually he was back to normal in about four and a half months.
Giving Gar his vaccination was always the hardest part of the whole mission, even if Raven objected, she usually let them proceed when they would have taken down Changeling. She didn't like to be knocked out for something this pointless, she always stated annoyed. Still she also ignored them angrily for a few days and meditated more than usual. Maybe the vaccination messed within her too, but who knew…
Still, Cyborg doubted that they would go through their yearly routine as always – not after their discover of Gars' new 'venom abilities' as Dick used to refer to them. He gulped again at the thought of his green friends' reaction to the announcement of vaccination time he would get.
Just as if he had been reading his mind, Garfield strolled into the Med Bay smiling brightly.
"Hey tin-man! Isn't vaccination time coming up soon again?"
Cyborg started to sweat. He hadn't had the time to brace himself to spill the news to the younger man, but now he couldn't back down, he just would get it over.
"How did you know, buddy?" he asked lightly.
"Aw, you know, you'd remember the time of the year in which you're hunted down by your supposed to be friends like a deer, get stabbed with needles, get intoxicated with chemistries that mess with your body and make you sick instead of preventing diseases like they should…" Gar said faking nostalgia. Cyborg had a really bad feeling about this.
"Hehe, you know, Gar, dude, buddy, pal, best friend, you're… grown up… twenty years old and… maybe… you will…" he tried desperately to convince the other.
"You're right, Vic. We're all grown up now. Let's just break the old tradition and get it over, don't you think, dude?" Garfield stated to his friends' surprise.
"Wow… yes… of course! That's – wow – really… that's really mature of you! I already dreaded you'd object like every year…"
But he got interrupted by his green friend: "Nice to know we all want the same, dude!" he grinned, placing a hand on Cyborgs' shoulder. Somehow Gars' expression seemed to take a more… vicious trait. "You know, Cy, as grownups we surely can agree that we are all old enough to make our own decisions about our health."
Cyborg feared what would come next; he should have known Gar cooperating with vaccination had to be too good to be true.
The younger pursued: "See, I just think for the sake of us all, I won't get any vaccination this year. Nor ever again I suppose. And Raven won't need it as well. Don't you agree?" His voice had gone more menacing with every single word. It was right then that Cyborg realized how terribly gloveless Changelings hands were. He was so screwed…
"B-b-but Nightwing won't… agree…" he stuttered trying to save his skin. His friend never had intimidated him, but this had been before he had stopped underestimating the grass stain. This had been before Changeling had knocked out Superman and had given him a poisoned bruise in the process. Darn, this had been Superman, not any second-rate side-kick-hobo, no, freaking Superman, ladies and gents!
As Cyborg looked at his friend he could make out that malicious grin from the other day and felt his heart sink.
"Well, Vic, I'll talk to him and I think, as the official medical pro in the tower, I guess you could help me convince our 'fearless' leader, that with my new gained 'condition' and Ravens demonic state which both would horribly interfere with the chemistry, vaccination will be. Absolutely. Out. Of. Question. Are we cool?" Garfield stated in a calm and low voice, keeping his grin steady.
Maybe it was just in his imagination but Cyborg seemed to feel a slight burning feeling on his shoulder sensors, like if a jellyfish had grasped him. He was indeed half robot, but his human half probably wouldn't stand the same poisons…. He gulped heavily, not leaving Changelings' glare, smiled awkwardly and piped: "F-freezing buddy… I'll convince him!"
"Great!" Gar said with a genuine smile, giving Cyborg a pat on the shoulder, "Glad we could get it over so fast this year! See you later, tin-man!"
As Garfield had left, Cyborg let out a breath he couldn't remember he had held in. If Richard would insist on vaccinating the green man or the dark empath, he would be on his own. No way Victor Stone would oppose Gar this time…
Just a few minutes later a rather shaken Nightwing entered the Med Bay. Without any greeting he started: "You know, Vic, about vaccination this year, maybe we should leave Gar and Rae out of it, just this once…"
Cyborg sighed in relieve. Garfield had already talked to their leader by himself. "Yeah man, 'was thinking the same…It could mess up within them…"
"You… you don't think it would… you know, endanger anyone's' health if we don't force them to?" Richard asked unsure.
"Seriously mate, I think it would endanger OUR health if we do!" he blowed. Nightwing looked like his worst fears had been confirmed and turned even paler.
"Probably… So it's decided, we'll let them be?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
"Yeah. Glad we could get it over…"
"How exactly did you convince them to let us off the hook this year?" Raven asked her boyfriend curiously. She was sitting on the couch reading a book while he rested his head in her lap. As long as she allowed him skin contact he managed to remain silent and calm; he still did some catch-up sleep now that their difficult friendship didn't haunt his nights anymore. At her question he opened up an eye.
"Aw, you know, I just made clear that as grownups we could make our own decisions concerning our health and they agreed."
"Before or after you threatened them with poison?" she inquired smirking darkly.
"Why do you always ask me questions you already know the answers to, Rae?" he returned her smile evenly.
"Because I love it to make you crush your good-boy image. Your vicious side can be kind of alluring, I have to admit. Especially when you display it to please me…" Raven said as she put her book away, looking into his now fully opened eyes.
"You give me too much credit this time, Rae. I mostly did it for my sake as well," he answered grinning and getting up to meet her gaze on the same level.
"You're becoming humble?" she asked incredulously lifting an eyebrow while they inched closer.
"Nah, just being honest… like we agreed to be…" he whispered as he closed the gap between them and leaned in for a kiss.
Only seconds later they got interrupted by Karen's loud entrance.
"Come on guys! You're cute, but can't you get it over? My favorite soap opera starts any sec'!"
The couple on the couch grinned at each other and disappeared in a black portal, probably to the sorceress' room, but who knew…