I will be waiting, time after time

[logdates]

It had started off as concern about her garden. Sure, Gobo had been on Perdita's mind when her garden started failing, but mostly it had been her flowers and vegetables she'd worried about. But time went on, the source of the problem was revealed - a breakdown of the city's pipe infrastructure that resulted in lead in the water supply - and weeks passed without hearing from or seeing her little friend.

She was checking the mailbox - knowing it would likely be a fruitless search - once again, her cellphone held in place against her ear by her shoulder. "I don't care if the city's working on it, Roberta!" she was snapping. "I- Yes, I'm worried! ...No, I've been boiling water. I'm fine, but that doesn't mean I can't be upset! ...Yeah. Look, I... I'll talk to you later."

Pumpkin circled her owner's feet a few times, whimpering, and Perdita sighed. "I guess I could tell her, girl, but you know Bob. I'm not sure if she'd get it." She flipped through junk mail and a few bills on her way back into her home, but paused on the front steps, glancing around the front lawn.

"You better be okay, you dumb twerp."

Comments

[gobetween]

"Yes. Right now, that's the best argument I have." 'Sinuses clogged'- sniffle at the back of his throat.

[logdates]

She scoffed, shaking her head. "Then you must be really sick," she pointed out... And then she really heard herself, and sighed.

"Maybe you should get some more sleep, Gobo."

[gobetween]

He snorted softly, choosing to take that as a win. At her words though, he sighed and waved a hand.

"I ache too much to sleep. Even my tail hurts."

[logdates]

What could she do, then, to help? She wasn't sure, at first, but then an idea struck - and she started to hum.

[gobetween]

He lifted his head a bit, glancing over toward her. It wasn't often that he heard her singing, at least by his own comparison anyway, and it was... nice. He settled back and listened, and thankfully it wasn't long before his breathing evened out, shallow though it was.

[logdates]

At the very end of the tune, Perdita shifted from humming to softly singing. "...Is there anything that's worth more than peace and love on the planet earth?" she finished, looking over to Gobo. She, herself, had no plans of sleeping. She had to stay up and keep an eye on him, just in case.

[gobetween]

Sometime even further into the night, Gobo stirred and looked up. Dimly nearby he could make out a sleeping Perdita, and that it was dark outside, though he had no idea which day's night that actually was.

There were more pressing matters on his mind though, with his insides feeling like they were doing somersaults. He carefully, caarrrefully edged his way down to the floor by scaling the nightstand, rested there a moment, and then slumped off across the floor to another room, tail dragging behind him.

[logdates]

Where could he be?

Perdita had awoken the next morning in a panic, at first just because she'd fallen asleep after all, but that panic had only grown when she'd realized Gobo was no longer on her nightstand. When he wasn't under her bed, either, she got downright frantic...

"Gobo?!"

[gobetween]

Where Gobo was thankfully turned out to have an easy answer. Perdita would find him in the bathroom, slumped miserably against one wall and with his limbs wrapped around her smallest trashcan, in which his head was partly draped as he slept. He didn't seem to have gotten sick, at least not yet, but that he was in here in the first place easily meant he didn't feel nearly well enough for anything else, either.

[logdates]

"Oh..."

Perdita knelt down beside Gobo and gently - if not awkwardly - patted him on the back. She was definitely glad he hadn't appeared to actually have gotten ill, although there was something weird about that, too. "Gobo. You awake?"

[gobetween]

He stirred somewhat, looking around blearily before he turned to face her.

"Oh, Perdita. Hey..."

[logdates]

"Hey..." She drew her hand back, and nodded toward the trash can. "If you need to... You know. It's okay."

Was she giving him permission to get sick? Yes.

Look, it made sense to her.

[gobetween]

Gobo, being Gobo, took that completely at face value and nodded dimly.

"Thanks, but... I don't think I can."

[logdates]

"Don't think you-" Perdita began to repeat, before cutting herself off with a sigh and scooping him up carefully. "When was the last time you ate?"

Even as she asked, she was up and headed for the kitchen.

[gobetween]

"Right after I first started feeling bad. I tried some lettuce I'd had on hand. It was a mistake."

If Perdita were to look back she'd see him turn a little green around the gills just at the memory of the moment, and hug the trashcan a bit tighter. But still, he didn't get sick.

[logdates]

Perdita grunted, glancing back for a moment. "I'll be right back."

And soon enough, she was back with a tiny bowl, only half-filled, containing some vegetable broth she'd heated up in the microwave. She crouched back down beside Gobo and made her offering.

"Drink this."

[gobetween]

"I don't want it."

[logdates]

"And I don't care."

[gobetween]

"Alright, then take it and put it back."

[logdates]

"Gobo. I'm three feet taller than you, I can and will force this down your throat."

[gobetween]

He gulped, but for a different reason than his queasy stomach.

"...Fine."

[logdates]

With a smirk - she couldn't help it, okay? - she pushed the bowl across the tile, right up to Gobo.

"Smart move."

[gobetween]

He rolled his eyes and grumbled a little, as he picked up the bowl. He stared at it for a good few seconds then slowly, ooohhhhhh so slowly, sipped at it.

[logdates]

"Is it staying down okay?" she asked hesitantly, watching him.

[gobetween]

He didn't answer, swallowing it down as little a time as he could.

The warning she'll get is a visible shudder going through him, the tail going bolt upright and the poof flaring out. He shoves the bowl toward her, not caring if he threw it or if she caught it or what, so long as it was out of his hands, then grabbed the can as hurriedly as he could, losing what little he'd taken in.

Well. That answers that question.