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]

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.

[logdates]

Perdita recoiled, but honestly, she was too concerned to be particularly grossed out. "I don't like this... I think we better get you to Steven."

[gobetween]

Once he was done with the round of dry heaving that'd followed up that, he sat back with a moan.

"I think we'd better..."

[logdates]

"Come on, you little twerp. I've got you," Perdita sighed, carefully picking Gobo up. "Try to hold onto my arm, okay?"

[gobetween]

"Mmnh, careful..." But he did as she was asked, shutting his eyes at the motion.

[logdates]

"You got it."

This was one of those rare times she really wished her car worked. It was a bit of a walk to the beach... But off she went, periodically glancing down to make sure Gobo was- Well, okay wasn't the right word. Just alive, really.

Eventually, Gobo would hear her footsteps fade away as she walked through the sand, but only briefly. Soon after her shoes were plodding up wooden steps.

"You with me, Gobo?"

[gobetween]

While being carried, he honestly went in and out of consciousness, some of the same sleep from before but not entirely. He was at least aware of motion and of being outside, but not much more than that. The difference in her steps was curious, but it was lost in the sea of sickness he felt himself in.

"Mm-hmm."

[logdates]

"Good." She took a deep breath in, then shouted as she pounded on the door with her free hand. "STEVEN! STEVEN!" Fortunately, the teen was quick to answer the door - and even more fortunate that it was he who answered it. Perdita wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone who wasn't going to be able to help. "Peridot, what's wr- Peridot?" Steven quickly took in her distraught face and the condition of the little creature - he was vaguely aware, Amethyst had a joke about Fraggles she liked to tell, though it went over his head; not important right now anyway - and nodded once. "I'll help him." Perdita took in a shaky breath, the bolster from screaming all gone. "Please," she whispered, holding Gobo out. Steven carefully took him in one hand. He didn't even bother stepping inside just yet, much less inviting Perdita in. "Hey, little guy. I'm Steven. Just relax, okay? I'm going to fix this."

[gobetween]

Gobo had half glanced up when the door was opened, taking in Steven at a look and then slumping down again. When he was moved he nodded somewhat vaguely, but didn't react much more than that. Seemed he might've been lapsing back into the state Perdita had first found him in, which was anything but good...