*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 18

Death

"Pik? Hey, Pik?"

"What is it Josh?.."

"What's wrong with us? Why can't I feel anything?"

"We're dying, Josh. We're dying."

"WHAT?! Pik, how the HELL are you giving up so fast?! What about Kia?!!"

"What can I do? I can't move at all, Josh. The poisons in this body cut our body away from us. We might as well accept that we're goners."

"GONERS?! PIK, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!!!!!!!!! Think! What do you ALWAYS tell your mother?! Don't you DARE die on me!

"On you?..But Josh, we're BOTH dying. We share this body."

"I don't care! You never let your mom give up! I'm not gonna let you!"

"Give it a rest Josh...Just accept it. What can you do?"

"I don't know, but I'm gonna try SOMETHING."

"I'm getting a response! He's still here!" The doctor shouted, unbelieving.

Kia gripped his hand tighter, "Can you save him?.."

"We don't have the right equipment, Miss Grey. But we can stabilize what's left of him. It'll keep him alive long enough to get him to a better hospital."

"Do it..." She said through her tears.

"Come ON Pik! Help me out here!"

"What can we do?"

"I don't know! But TRY!"

"Alright, alright..." Pik did whatever he could, but, like he'd said, it felt like nothing.

"Keep trying Pik! Don't let us die!"

Pik sighed. Alright. He'd keep trying, but this was useless. Hadn't Josh heard Babe? The poison was deadly. What chance did they have?..Kia...Ralph...Mother...they were..."No!" He understood now. He wouldn't leave Kia if he could help it. Why had he been so stupid?! He gave it EVERYTHING now.

In the new hospital, the doctors bent over Pik's motionless body. They were astounded that he had managed to hang on this long. Kia didn't care. They said they could save him. That's all she wanted. Even Ralph seemed to catch some of her mood, and watched Pik as the doctors worked on him.

Kia shook, "Come back Pik...come back to me..."

"Done!"

Pik cracked open an eye...what?.."Kia?.."

"PIK!!!!" She threw her arms around him, much like when he'd first woken up after being shot.

Pik smiled and weakly put an arm around her, "We did it Josh..."

"..."

"Josh? Josh, we're here! Josh?.."

"See ya..."

"JOSH?!!! Josh, wait!"

But he didn't answer. Pik tried to talk to him again and again, but either Josh wasn't going to answer, or he really wasn't there anymore...Pik hoped it was the former. Josh had been the one who forced him to come back. He couldn't think of not having Josh anymore...

Kia let go, "Pik...I was so worried...for three days you were in a coma...when the doctors found that pulse still there, they were able to keep you going...you've been asleep for a week."

A pulse?..Josh had kept him alive..."Wait! Kia, what about your mother?.."

Kia snarled quickly and calmed herself. She was still shaking a little when she spoke, "She's in prison now. Pik, she was a TDO! I found out yesterday. I--she was the one always trying to kill you!"

Pik groaned, "She got close too..."

"Pik, don't say that..."

"But she did. I had given up...Josh was the one who saved me...and I can't talk to him anymore...it's like he's just--gone... ... ...I miss him."

James took off and landed a few times in impatience. He wanted to go! He was going to see Christina again! Don was going to take him this time...Of course, Don kept stalling. James opened the door to see him talking to Johnny again.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Don asked.

Johnny nodded, "I've never seen Christina. It'll be fun. And Kim and Maiky haven't had a vacation in a LONG time. We won't be a problem."

"So long as you're sure..."

"Yeah. Ready to go? James looks impatient." Johnny pointed to James.

Don sighed and lowered his backpack for Johnny, Kim, and Maiky, then walked out the door. James shot off in an instant, Don following close behind...or at least trying to.

"There you are!" Babe said to himself. Kain's signal was stationary. He was obviously waiting for Babe. Good. Babe wanted to get this over with. He dove when he saw Kain. Why had Kain chosen THIS area? It wasn't populated by anything more than wildlife and vegetation. Kain had, before, been picking spots that were almost always filled with people. He landed yards away from Kain.

"What kept you?" Kain asked mockingly.

Epilogue

One month later, Pik was as good as new. His mother would be out in a few days too. Don's visit with James to Christina had gone well enough that he agreed to take James a second time. Kain had become a subject of study for Bill, and Kain himself was dead. Only the robotic body remained...which Bill used to give Babe some needed upgrades. They couldn't quite figure out the shield, but the extra speed and the heightened radar were very helpful. Babe hadn't wanted the rifle.

Everything had finally settled down...or...so they thought.

"I'm not done with YET, Babe Cleave. Sure, you defeated a copy that was almost exactly like me, but I'm still here. I think it's time I spoke to my non-anthro connections. Griffin, has yet to make his debut." Kain hadn't SEEN his so-called connections. But he knew they were out there. The SAE, they called themselves.

"Hey BABY! Are you busy tonight?"

What the--Pik shook his head, where had THAT come from?!

"I'm free if you are!"

Well, whoever was shouting was hitting on his wife. Why didn't she notice it?.."Josh?.."

"Took you long enough to guess, Pik."

"JOSH! I thought you were dead!"

"Nah...I just wasted a lot more energy than I thought I would. I said goobye because I knew I wouldn't have much strength for a while. Didja miss me?"

"DAMN YEAH!" Pik grinned widely and grabbed Kia, kissing her as heatedly as possible to give both himself, and Josh, a huge rush. Kia seemed to enjoy it too.