Here you go, Steph. You did ask...
______
Some time later, Lina opened her eyes and blinked sleepily.
Where--oh, that's right, she was sick in bed. And Zel was
watching her.
She looked over at the chimera who was playing nursemaid
and saw that he'd fallen asleep, his head drooping, his
arms crossed loosely. He looked awfully peaceful. Lina
decided not to wake him.
However, Zel stirred just the same. Lina wondered again
if he had some sort of weird link with her or something.
Zel frowned, realising he'd fallen asleep. How careless
of him! He looked over at Lina, and saw she was awake.
"Have you been awake long?" he asked, kicking himself
again for drifting off.
Lina shook her head. She pointed to herself then gestured
upwards with both hands.
"You just woke up?"
Lina nodded.
"How are you feeling?"
Lina considered this. She actually felt a little
better. She did, however, know one thing she felt.
She gestured at her stomach.
"Hungry?"
Lina winked at him: of course, wasn't she always hungry?
"It might take me a little while," Zel warned her from
the doorjamb. "I doubt they'll have something prepared
that would be appropriate for your condition."
Lina inclined her head.
Zel closed the door gently behind him. Doubt nothing,
he knew there would be nothing already prepared that
Lina should eat. He made a quick detour to his room
to extricate his supply of herbs. He noticed Gourry
was no longer there, and hoped that Amelia had warned
the swordsman not to disturb Lina.
Amelia, however, had been quite preoccupied when Zel
had told her that she and Gourry should leave Lina
be. Therefore, Gourry had no idea he was all but
committing suicide as he trotted to Lina's room after
eating lunch.
Fortunately for the blond, Zel was heading toward the
kitchen and spotted Gourry about to disturb Lina.
"Gourry, wait."
Gourry turned and saw Zel walking up to him. "Hi,
Zel. Why am I waiting?"
"You're not supposed to disturb Lina today. Didn't
Amelia tell you?"
Gourry thought about that one for a minute. "Nope."
Zel sighed.
"Why aren't I supposed to disturb Lina?"
Zel took a deep breath before answering Jellyfish Brains.
"Because she is ill." And therefore more likely to
commit murder than usual.
"Oh, yeah. I remember now. She can't talk, so I got
to sleep in."
Why did he even bother? "Something like that."
"Oh, okay." Gourry, having forgotten just what it
was Zel had said before reminding him that Lina
was sick, moved to open the door.
"Gourry!"
"What?"
Zel sighed. "Come with me," Zel instructed the swordsman,
herding him in the direction of the dining hall.
Upon reaching the bar, Zel instructed Gourry to sit. "Eat
something. Drink something. Whatever. Just stay here."
"Okay!" Gourry, needing no further encouragement, called
to the bartender, "I'd like some food, please."
The bartender looked at the blond, then did a double-take.
This was the crazy guy who'd earlier been eating enough
to feed a horde of berzerkers! "Ack," was the bartender's
initial response.
_____
--Elizabeth, Trickster Priestess ~_~