Another Update? Whaaaaat?! Haha it's U week here, meaning that I don't really have any classes. Which meaaaaans I have more time to work on CHANGE! Huzzah! This is to make up for the short previous chapter, enjoy everyone.
CHAPTER 06
"I beg your pardon?"
Marshall didn't even bother on restating his sentence, he simply unzipped his jacket in hopes that showing the little one's state would eliminate the delay on receiving the cooperation he needed. The look on the Prince's face clarified that the situation was being absorbed, upon seeing the girl he couldn't stop the words from escaping his mouth.
"A human…" the little noble hesitantly eyed the teenager before him with a questioning look. How in the world did he manage to get a hold of a human? So many other questions branched out from that, but it seems that now isn't the right time to think of such things. Right now, the girl's health is in need of attention.
"I'll show you to the Hospital ward." He gestured the taller boy to follow him down the right hall. Marshall immediately tailed after the Prince with much haste while zipping up his jacket. They soon found themselves nearing at the front entrance of a small hospital. A surprisingly large Ice-cream figure stepped out from the double doors upon hearing the rushing steps.
"My Prince, what seems to be the trouble?" The noble informed the Doctor of the situation, the walking dessert turned over to Marshall and asked for the little patient. Before doing that, Marshall wrapped the little one with his own jacket before giving her up to the Doctor, afraid that the touch of the Docs coned hands would somehow freeze the girl, seeing that he's a frozen treat and all.. The talking Ice-cream handled the poor girl in his arms with caution, he then asked the two to wait outside until all was done, much to Marshall Lee's dislike. But the vampire can't argue with the medical professional, since the oversized treat is willing to help the boy and all. So he let the girl under the Docs care for now. Once he and the little one disappeared through the double doors, the two boys were left alone. The atmosphere around them somehow thickened in a matter of seconds. The small Prince was the first to speak after he coughed subtly into his fist, "Marshall Lee I presume?"
The teenager eyed the Prince for a moment or two before he gave him a lazy nod, "Yeah, that's me." The vampire's response irked the little boy, seeing that Marshall is older and all, he would at least expect the teenager to respond with some manners and act his age.
"I am Prince Gumball of the Candy Kingdom. And I must say, your sudden arrival to my castle has surprised me greatly. I gentle knock on the door would be much more appreciated." The short noble managed to say with much poise exclusive of showing his slight hostility and annoyance for the tall boy for intruding the property of his home.
The little Gum knew of the Vampire's presence a few days ago as well as his deliquint records. A typical teenager with a shady character no doubt, his appearance gave all that away surely. But such looks mustn't be taken lightly, this has fooled many from his true potential and strength as the Vampire King. But the teenager didn't show any interest in the Candy Kingdom, which got Gumball into believing that the lack of appeal has kept Marshall Lee away from setting foot to the Sugar inhabited territory.
The Candied Prince made sure that he was to not interfere himself with the teenager whatsoever just out of pure courtesy and to maintain that mutual and distant space between the two for the sake of avoiding any trouble. But sadly it seems that trouble has made its way to him.
Marshall let out a tired sigh and crossed his arms over his chest, "About that, it wasn't all my fault ya know."
The Prince couldn't help but show his confusion at his words. "What do you mean by that?"
Marshall casually dusted the fine candy flavored debris from his shoulder, little sparkles descended to the elegant carpet. "I was asking your people for help on delivering a request to meet the Prince, which is you, to help me with something. But they ended up screaming and attacking me."
He couldn't help but hiss the last part out while he began ruffling his dark, messy locks that were also covered with sweetened dust. A small curse got out when one spec of crystallized sugar landed on his eye during the cleaning process. With the information given, Gumball quickly cleared out all his negative thoughts of the teenager as the embarrassment settled in his already pink cheeks.
"Now I understand... Seeing that you've made it past the gates, the Guardians must have not seen you as a threat. But it seems that my people have acted out on their fear to notice that you meant no harm. I truly apologize for the misinformation." Gumball bowed his head to further show his pardon.
It bothered Marshall on how formal the boy was acting, and how incredibly pink he was under the light of the candles that hung above them. A boy his age shouldn't act with so much maturity… He really disliked formalities.
"Nah forget about it." The teenager waved a hand at the little one, "Not much damage was made on me or the little kid anyways. I'm just glad that I was able to get to you one way or another. The cooperation was really appreciated so thanks." Seems that the short one's wise old fashioned grammar got the teen into doing it as well, which got the vampire to grunt out unintentionally. To cover his sudden noise, Marshall began rubbing the back of his neck to get rid of the nonexistent ache.
Upon seeing the discomfort, he couldn't help but feel even more guilty, "I would gladly offer you some medical treatment with my doctor as well, but seeing that you're a vampire and all… such action would be useless." He admitted quietly. Marshall rolled his eyes again and reassured the little Prince that it was nothing to worry himself over.
The quiet air from earlier returned, only this time it made things a bit awkward between the two boys to even start up another conversation. Marshall found himself leaning against the wall, with his hands in his pocket and his feet still barely touching the ground. He was not at all bothered by the strange air in the room since he was much too concerned by a certain someone.
Gumball had both of his hands behind him while shifting his whole body weight from the heel of his shoes to his toes in a continuous motion. The earlier questions in regards to the little human bothered himdeeply, he couldn't seem to suppress his unanswered questions any longer. With a forced gulp, he built up the courage to voice out the words that he wanted out from his mind.
"Pardon for my sudden curiosity, but… how exactly did you manage to get your hands on a human?"
The Vampire Teen tensed a bit at the sudden topic, curse the young one's nosiness. But Marshall decided to answer pink boy as truthful as he could allow himself to be, seeing that answering the noble's questions would serve as a reward for his service… and to make up for busting up his door
"I found the little Squirt near the Dark Forest one night. Took her home and looked after her, that's all."
"A girl huh? Intriguing." The little pink gum shot another question, "How long have you kept her under your care?" The vampire teen mentally counted the number of days in his head, "For about a week… or maybe more than that. No more the ten days."
Then came another, "What made you to do that exactly? Taking her in I mean." Marshall fell silent for a second or two before giving the Prince a shrug, "Not sure really. To be honest, I wasn't considering it at first."
Gumball couldn't help but lean in a bit closer, his eagerness on knowing more of the girl becoming even more obvious, "Do you know her age?" Marshall pinched his nose a bit, the little noble was beginning to get on his nerves. "I don't know, probably one or two years? She's old enough to toddle and talk a bit."
"Talk you say? What were the words that she said?" Marshall suppressed his violent nature on bonking the boy on the head to make his blabbering stop. "All she can say is mushroom, nothing fancy. I tried to get her to say other things but it didn't work out."
Expecting another question from the oh so curios Prince, he prepared himself for another hit.
"So strange. I can't seem to understand your relationship with that human…" the honesty and bluntness from the boy got Marshall to look strangely at him. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
Gumball let out a sigh, "I know of you Marshall Lee, I've heard many things about you before you settled yourself in this land." He moved his head to the vampire's direction, his round gummafied eyes staring seriously into Marshall's dark orbs. "I am just intrigued to this interest you have over her, you are aware that she is probably the last of all humankind. Such a rare discovery to possibly let go of yes but knowing you, a Vampire King with such character to suddenly take her under wing is just obscure."
The boy rubbed his chin thoughtfully, carefully trying to connect the dots in his pinkishly colored head, while Marshall stood (well more like levitated) in place in hushed uncertainty on whether he should leave the freaky boy or simply stay put for the sake of the girl. He prayed desperately to Glob, wishing that he would somehow interfere in a way to make all the little Gum's questioning to stop. He didn't like being interrogated, especially from someone so nosy.
As if his prayer was answered, the Doctor made his sudden appearance, which got the two to suddenly jump in surprise. "Prince Gumball and Mister Marshall, I finally have the medical result concerning over the little one." Marshall immediately floated his way over to the talking Ice-cream, eager to hear whatever it was about the girl.
"What's wrong with her? Is she hurt?" The teen couldn't hide the concern in his voice, the Doctor shook his head reassuringly to the vampire. "No, not at all. She is only sick tis all." The Prince couldn't help but interject, "How is it that you were able to identify her state Doctor? We know not much of the human body due to the lack of any human resources…"
The Doctor bowed his head before he spoke to the Prince, a custom that he very much grew into, "Her symptoms showed similarities to that of the sick animals that I've attended many times before my Prince. Although the treatments must be given differently. But before I do so, I must first ask some things."
Great, more questions. Marshall rolled his eyes as the doctor glanced down on his clipboard before finally speaking, "Mr. Marshall-" The Vampire King raised his hand to stop the Doc. "Marshall is fine." With that said, the large Ice-cream gave his apologies and continued on with whatever he had left off.
"Right then, Marshall. What have you been feeding her lately?" The teen answered back casually without any falter in his voice, "Strawberries, nothing but that because it's her favorite food. That and she doesn't seem to accept anything else I offer her. She drinks Bug Milk Juice and some water here and there." With a nod from the doctor, he took out a pen from the breast pocket of his white coat and started jotting words down on his clipboard as he spoke. "Mhm, Mist- I mean, Marshall. I've noticed that the little human wasn't being responsive and could barely hold her eyes open. How often or what time does the girl usually sleep?"
"She sleeps at around seven in the afternoon, but her sleeping schedule has been changing recently." The Doc couldn't help but raise a brow, "Is that so?" More scribbles could be heard on the paper. "And also her pale complexion shows her lack of vitamin D, have you been exposing her outside lately? If so, how frequently do you take her out?"
Marshall went tense after hearing that question, he scratched the back of his neck and gave a hesitant response, "I haven't really let her out of my house per say. She stayed indoors ever since I took her in." No response was given from the Health Professional, only the sound of the pen writing against the paper could be heard. After what felt like an eternity, the Doctor gave a quick click on the end of his pen before putting it back in his pocket.
"Well, judging from your answers and her medical results here. The lack of sleep, choice of food, and zero exposure to the sun are what caused her in such a state." Marshall's face didn't seem to give away any expression at the dessert's words. But on the inside, he felt a huge wave of emotions. He was relieved to have finally known what kind of condition the girl was in, shocked at how three seemingly minor things were capable enough to have caused her illness, and overall angry at himself for being so careless and stupid for not knowing what to do at first.
"Doc, will the little Squirt be alright? Will she be cured by this?" In the background, Gumball couldn't stop the questioning look that made its way to his face, "Squirt?.." The Prince silently judged the Vampire's creativity on making names. Pretty damn ironic of him to come up with a name such a "Squirt" out of all the others he could've thought up of, since he is noted for being a creatively talented musician and all.
Other than that, what really got to Gumball off balanced was the teenager's sudden display of concern for the human. Were all the things that he heard about Marshall false? He didn't look like a total psychotic monster at all, but instead a helplessly worried boy who looked like he was about to lose a dear friend of his. Seems that the vampire does have a heart after all
The Doctor once again gave him a reassuring smile, "Of course. A mere cold is nothing out of the ordinary. She will be up and about sooner or later, however… She needs to stay in here for the night, or perhaps a couple days or so. She is still far too weak to be carried back home with you. And also we can provide the needed nutrition she requires at the moment. I hope that's understandable."
Sadly, the teenager couldn't argue with that, all that he had in his kitchen where junk food and red colored fruits that the girl seemed to have already grown sick of. But to leave her here got Marshall Lee rigid. Could he really allow himself to trust them? But what other choice does he have? Who else can he turn to at that exact moment? That's right, no one. The girl needs to get better, and they are the only ones who can offer the medical care she needs.
"Alright… got it." He gave a curt nod to show them his understanding, but the slight pause in his sentence gave way of his hesitancy. The Prince gently tugged at the boy's shirt to get his attention. Marshall turned his face to the Prince and blinked down at him. Gumball all but gave the vampire a comforting smile.
"Don't worry, she will be handled with great care, I assure you that. And besides, if you feel the need to check up on the girl for any reason at all, you may do so anytime you wish." He retracted his hand once he saw the face of the teenager brighten up at the thought, "Really?"
The Prince nodded, "Yes, but when you come to visit her, I expect a more subtle knock on my castle door next time." The comment all but brought a small smirk on Marshall's face, "Dually noted."
Gumball let out a hearty laugh at the teenager's lightened spirit, "Excellent. And don't worry about my guards, I'll let them know that you mean no harm to them and my people. So by the time you come back here, you won't be facing any troubles when entering my Kingdom."
With another few exchanged words between the Vampire and the Doctor, Marshall saluted his leave to the two candy people as he floated off to the night sky. The Prince waved goodbye to the retreating figure until it disappeared from site. The motion of his waving hand slowed down as the smile on his face fell. He turned his attention over to the Candy beside him, "Doctor, I ask to see the Human patient. If that is alright with you?" How could The Ice-cream possibly say no to the Royal Prince?
The Doctor, after escorting the Prince to the medical ward, soon left to assist his nurses that were tending the injured Candy Guards, Leaving the little Prince alone in the nearly empty ward, for now at the moment. Gumball walked his way down the aisles of beds until he spotted the girl. The Candied Prince stood beside the bed, he wondered as to where the Vampire's jacket as well as the infant's hat had gone, but the concern quickly fleeted when his eyes took in the small human figure that laid before him.
Gumball stared down at the fragile looking girl with silent awe, the absence of the hat revealed her messy golden locks, she appeared freshly cleaned and was dressed in a small fitted pajama that the nurses managed to fish out from their wardrobe for little candy infants. The cute appearance of the girl's peaceful sleeping face could make anyone implode.
His small hands gripped onto the hem of his elegant sleeve. Gumball couldn't believe it, here lies an actual human. Here in the flesh! A human baby that is possibly the last of her kind!
That thought, as well as the site of the girl, was enough to thrill the Prince, "Remarkable… Simply remarkable." Gumball couldn't resist the urge to lean further to get a much better look of the girl's features. A hand rested on the bed to support his upper body before he settled himself down beside the human, careful to not waking the girl. Curiosity made his other hand to move towards the girl's face to tentatively poke her skin. It was plump and a tad bit squishy against his touch. The way the girl's cheeks jiggled got a small laugh to escape from Gumball's lips. But the laughter quickly died down when the image of the so called Vampire King popped up into his mind. He exhaled a sigh before he spoke silently to himself with furrowed brows.
"How very peculiar of you Marshall Lee… Why the sudden interest?" The Pink Prince gently took a hold of a few golden strands between his forefinger and thumb before he began to fiddle with them. The ends of the girl's hair made feathery touches against his gummy hands, leaving a tingly sensation at the touched spots.
"To keep such a discovery to oneself is very questionable indeed."
The girl shifted her head slightly to the side, making her move closer to the Prince. She gave a small noise before she settled herself down when Gumball ceased with his fiddling. The boy retracted his hand back to his side, his eyes never leaving the small human baby.
"Whatever the reason, I sense nothing good to come of it.""
Tada! So what do you think my readers? What was your impression of Gumball here? To those who are curious on how old Gumball is, he's thirteen years old. A little younger than Marshall (appearance wise of course), just a little something that I've decided to put out there. That and Gumball ages slowly in this story, so yeah…
Anyways, please tell me what you think of the story so far, and maybe even suggest what the next chapter should focus about? Don't be afraid to state your thoughts!