Chapter 2

Holiday Hangover

As the school day went on, Princess remained unusually quiet, the phlegm in her cough worsening as she sat mostly exhausted, her head down in her arms at her table. Even Blossom and Buttercup were started to get worried.

"Princess, are you sure you're feeling well enough to be at school today?" Ms. Keane had asked, placing a hand on the girl's burning forehead. She frowned as soon as she pulled her palm away. "You're running quite a temperature, dear."

Princess's only response was a feeble groan, an evident sign of her deteriorating condition. This elicited a series of uneasy glances amongst the girls, their victory tinged with an unexpected sensation of guilt.

"She's faking it," Buttercup insisted, though it didn't sound too convincing.

"I don't think she is," Bubbles countered, shaking her head in disagreement. It was hard to feign such an intense, phlegm-ridden cough, and a high fever was impossible to fabricate.

Blossom chewed her lip in contemplation, her face mirroring Bubbles's concern. "Maybe we should have flown her home..."

In retrospect, it seemed callous to have abandoned her at the North Pole, forcing her to navigate her way back home through the harsh and bitter cold.

Buttercup, however, was still defensive. "Well," she retorted, stiffly crossing her arms, "maybe she shouldn't have jetted off to Santa's workshop in the first place to meddle with his list!"

"That still didn't justify leaving her stranded out in the cold..." Blossom countered softly.

Her sentiment hung heavily in the air, and Buttercup found it increasingly difficult to keep her own guilt at bay. Her body language remained stiff, but the internal conflict was evident on her face. She hadn't meant to hurt Princess or make her sick but she also didn't want the brat to have the satisfaction of holding something over them. It was agonizing mental battle.

There was no sign of improvement in Princess's condition as the school day progressed. Her sneezes echoed through the quiet classroom, each one weaker than the last. Her pale complexion stood out starkly against her usually vibrant features, her eyes glossed over with fatigue.

At recess, she remained indoors, too weak to join her classmates in their outdoor games. Her usual high throne of superiority had been replaced by a solitary corner in the classroom, her eyes barely mustering the energy to follow the antics of her peers through the window.

"Maybe we should do something for her..." Bubbles suggested softly, her eyes lingering on the frail figure of Princess, huddled in the corner.

Blossom, usually the voice of reason, sighed deeply, her gaze also on Princess. "I agree. We may not see eye-to-eye with her on most things, but she's still a classmate. It's not right to leave her suffering like this."

Buttercup, though initially reluctant, nodded grudgingly. "Fine! But let's make it clear we're only doing this because it's right, not because we like her or anything."

With a plan in mind, the Powerpuff Girls approached their teacher, Ms. Keane, expressing their concerns about Princess's health. After a brief discussion, Ms. Keane agreed to let the girls take Princess home.

"Thank you, girls," she said, her voice full of gratitude. "I'll call her parents and inform them that she's on her way home."

With a nod, the Powerpuff Girls turned towards Princess, ready to make amends for their past decision.

Blossom was the first to lightly shake Princess's shoulder. "Come on, Princess," she said. "We're taking you home." She looked away remorsefully. "It's the least that we can do..."

"Yeah, we're sick of looking at your snotty face all day," Buttercup chimed in, not wanting to seem too sentimental.

But her hardened facade crumbled when Princess slowly lifted her head from the crook of her arms. Her eyes were dull and unfocused, her lips parched and chapped from her constant bouts of coughing. There were no snide comments, no spiteful retorts, only a weak groan escaping her lips.

Buttercup's eyes widened in surprise. "Uh, right," she stammered awkwardly. "Well...come on, then."

She held out her arms as Princess stood, but to everyone's surprise, she was unsteady on her feet, nearly fainting and falling right then and there.

"Whoa, careful!" Buttercup exclaimed, instinctively catching and steadying the girl. "Um, you can lean on me if you want."

There was no resistance in Princess as she did just that, slumping against Buttercup almost bonelessly with a groan. In the meantime, Blossom helped her into her coat, while Bubbles put on her hat, gloves, and scarf. With that, Buttercup situated her onto her back, piggyback style, and after a quick wave to their teacher, the girls were off.

"Bye, Ms. Keane."

"Take care out there, girls," Ms. Keane called after them, her voice echoing the worry in her eyes.

As they traveled the distance toward Morbucks Manor, Buttercup became increasingly aware of the heat emanating from Princess, a stark contrast to the biting cold outside. The sick girl's head rested heavily against Buttercup's shoulder, her fevered, ragged breaths warming Buttercup's neck. Bubbles maintained a comforting hand on Princess's back, offering silent support.

Upon arriving at the manor, they found it devoid of Princess's father but bustling with servants. They made their way to the fireplace, where Bubbles ignited the logs with a well-aimed zap, filling the room with a comforting warmth. Buttercup tenderly placed the ailing Princess onto the plush, red futon, her care surprising even herself. Meanwhile, Blossom dutifully tucked the young girl in, pulling a thick, downy quilt snugly around her.

A servant promptly arrived with a basin filled with cool water and a cloth. "Thank you, girls," Shelly said gratefully, setting both the basin and herself down on the floor. She positioned herself next to Princess, ready to take over the care. "I'll take it from here."

Buttercup waved off the thanks nonchalantly, "Don't mention it." Then, she turned her attention back to Princess, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "And you! Don't make things harder for your servants!"

However, it didn't seem as though Princess had the energy to cause any trouble. She remained unresponsive even as Shelly placed the cool washcloth on her forehead.

"Um, right," Buttercup muttered, the absence of Princess's usual snide retort making her feel oddly awkward. She scratched the back of her head, trying to dispel the uncomfortable silence. "Well, uh, in that case...get better soon, Princess."

"Yeah, get better soon," Bubbles and Blossom echoed, their voices soft and sincere, lingering in the room as they left Princess in the capable hands of her caretaker.

They waved a goodbye to Shelly and the incapacitated Princess, their hearts filled with an unusual concern for their rival. They genuinely hoped she would feel better soon.

After exiting the grandeur of the mansion, the girls were about to launch into the sky and return to school when they hesitated, an unusual curiosity compelling them to take one last look. They silently hovered near a window, their eyes drawn to the sight inside. They watched as Shelly, with motherly care, gently dabbed at Princess's fevered forehead, her movements soothing and rhythmic. Princess, in contrast, lay abnormally still, her eyes closed and her face devoid of its usual defiance.

A part of them clung desperately to the faint hope that this was all just an elaborate act by Princess - a dramatic performance designed to elicit sympathy and serve as a source of amusement once she thought they were out of sight. But as the moments ticked by and Princess remained motionless, that hope slowly crumbled away. The uneasy knot in their stomachs tightened further, their minds filled with worry for their usual adversary.

"Let's go, girls," Blossom finally broke the silence, her voice lacking its usual assertiveness, "We need to get back to school."

And with a heavy heart, they turned away from the window, their minds preoccupied with the unusual events of the day. They flew back to school, their joyful chatter replaced by a contemplative silence, the image of the frail and sickly Princess Morbucks etched into their minds.

Back in the confines of their school, Bubbles couldn't bring herself to partake in the day's festive activities. The task of crafting paper snowflakes, usually an enjoyable task, lost its appeal as her concern for Princess weighed heavily on her mind. Her scissors and paper remained untouched on the table, while her hands were nervously clasped in her lap.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" she asked anxiously, her eyes reflecting her concern.

"Of course she will!" Buttercup shot back, her response almost too quick, too forceful to be entirely sincere. "It's just a little cold. It'll take more than that to bring Princess down."

Blossom, however, voiced her disagreement, her brows furrowed in worry. "It wasn't just a cold when we found her. And it could always turn into something worse..."

"No, it won't, okay?" Buttercup interrupted, her voice rising in agitation more than anger. "She's going to be fine! End of discussion."

Yet, even as she tried to convince her sisters, a part of her wondered if she was also trying to convince herself.