Chapter Six: Chiro Comes Home
We had to wait three weeks before Chiro was allowed to come home. I had missed my little boy. Life in the Super Robot just wasn't the same without him. "Nova!" Antauri shouted.
"What?" I asked.
"Do you want to come with me?" he asked. "I have to pick up Chiro and his medication, along with some more medical supplies for Gibson."
"I'm coming with!" I shouted. I wanted to be the first one Chiro saw when he came home. I finished up my 'surprise' and ran to the Command Center. Antauri was waiting. "Are you ready?" he asked.
"Of course I am!" I shouted. "Chiro's coming home!"
Antauri let out a little chuckle and we went to the Brain Scrambler Two for take off. I couldn't stop bouncing around in my seat. He was coming home. After nearly a month of being separated Chiro was coming home with us, the Monkey Team.
We landed and I jumped out eagerly. Antauri followed with less enthusiasm. We walked into the hospital and there he was. Chiro was in Doctor Wilder's arm and his eyes widened as he saw me. "Nova!" he shouted.
"Chiro!' I shouted back. Doctor Wilder gave Chiro to me and I spun him round and round and round.
"I'm guessing your Antauri." Dr. Wilder said, looking straight at Antauri. Antauri nodded his head. Dr. Wilder handed him a bag. "I want you to give Chiro a green pill every two hours for the next two weeks and a purple pill every twelve hours for the next month. Don't be surprised if Chiro is sometimes less energetic for the next three or four weeks. He's still in the recovering phase." Antauri nodded and wrote on a piece of paper When was the last time he had these pills?
"About a hour ago." Dr. Wilder said. "And give Gibson these. I suspect this isn't the last time anyone in your team will get pneumonia." He handed Antauri three shopping bags full of medical supplies. Antauri expressed his thanks and left the hospital. "Nova." Dr. Wilder said. "I need to give Chiro a check up next Wednesday. Don't forget that."
I promised I wouldn't and went back to the ship. Antauri already had put the car seat into place and had started up the engine. I buckled Chiro into the car seat, buckled myself in, and we left to get the rest of Gibson's supplies.
"Anbauri!" Chiro shouted.
"It's nice to see you Chiro." Antauri said.
Antauri landed and left Chiro and me in the plane. I looked back at him and smiled. He still had the same blue eyes and black hair but his skin was paler than usual. Must be a side-effect of pneumonia. I thought.
"How Obbo?" Chiro asked.
"Otto's doing good." I said.
"Gibson?" Chiro asked.
"Just finished his experiment." I said.
"Parks?" Chiro asked.
"He's doing fine." I said. Antauri came back with a whole bunch of medical supplies. Once everything was loaded up we went home. Chiro talked our ears off the whole time. He never stopped talking about the nurses and Doctor Wilder. "Who taught you all these words?" I asked.
"Nurse Sawyer." Chiro said. "She nice nurse."
"Yup." I said. Antauri landed at the Super Robot and I quickly unbuckled Chiro from his car seat and unbuckled myself. With Chiro in my arms, Antauri and me went into the robot. Strangely, the lights were off. Chiro began to whimper. I had forgotten Chiro was still somewhat afraid of the dark. "It's okay." I whispered. "I'm here with you. Antauri's here too."
Chiro stopped whimpering, but his grip on me never loosened. The elevator ride was slow and eerie and as we neared the Command Center I swore I heard whispers. I looked at Antauri, slightly confused.
Antauri shrugged his shoulders and the elevator stopped. Antauri turned on the lights and a mixture of voices shouted, "Surprise!"
Chiro emitted a little scream and I jumped. Antauri smiled and asked, "Who planned this?"
"I did." Otto said. "Sprx helped me put up the banners and the other stuff. Gibson helped me bake the cake."
I looked around. The roof was decorated with streamers and paper balloons. Above a table covered in food and a cake that said welcome back was a banner that said Welcome Home Chiro.
"This is amazing!" I said, completely astounded at what they accomplished. Chiro wriggled out of my arms and hugged Otto, Gibson, and Sprx in turn.
"Thank you guys!" Chiro shouted as he spun around in a circle.
"Your welcome kid." Sprx said. "You still look pale."
"Doctor Wilder said I would." Chiro said. "He said a lot of things." Then Chiro was off, talking in kid chatter. I had forgotten how much I loved hearing his voice. Nine-months-old and he was impossible to keep quiet.
"Chiro." I said.
"Yup." Chiro said.
I grabbed a little box from the table. "Surprise." I said.
Chiro eagerly grabbed the box and opened it. Inside was a little wooden monkey with sapphires for eyes. It was painted black, white, and orange, Chiro's team colors.
"Thank you Nova!" he shouted and embraced me in a warm hug.
"Your welcome." I said.
"Hey!" Otto shouted. "Are we gonna eat or what?" We all laughed and dug in. By the end of the night We were all full and Chiro had taken his green pill about two times. We called it a night and after a ton of good night hugs and kisses we were all tucked in bed.