Poor Insane Son

In Trouble

Dib was in school when it happened. Not that he necessarily wanted to go, what and all with kids being constant wedgie-giving jerks and the teachers, especially his teacher, Ms. Bitters being... he didn't even want to remember the situation that happened with Ms. Bitters that one time*. He shuddered.

But Zim was there. And where Zim was, he had to be. How else would he have a chance to stop him?

"OOH, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE!" the children around him teased.

"Huh?" he looked around to see what was going on.

"REPEAT. DIB MEMBRANE, REPORT TO THE OFFICE. NOW."

Dib accepted his fate and stalked to the office. The principal (and her weird beaver) must've got sick of him throwing food at lunch.... Or tackling kids on the playground or, now that he thought about it, he definitely was not a poster child by any means. And this wasn't exactly the first time he had to make this trip.

He saw that Gaz was there, too, sitting on the bench right outside the office and laser focused on her game.

"Did you try to kill Mr. Elliot again?"

"No, not today. Did you start another food fight?"

"No, not today." Dib started to get a bad feeling in his gut, an omen. Dib did believe in omens.

Then a man came out of the door, wearing a white button up shirt and a black bowtie. He had a huched back and black hair.

"I'm sorry to meet you guys like this children, I'm Mr. Dwicky. I'm the new school counselor."

"What happened to the old one?"

"Just.... something bad, just like the news I have for you. I wish we could meet in better circumstances but I have to inform you: I just got a call from Membrane labs, your father was in a lab accident."

***

A few minutes later their "mother" as mistaken by the counselor, came to pick the children up and take them to the hospital to see their father.

"Who are you?" Dib asked the "mother."

Gaz added, "We aren't supposed to take rides from strangers."

"My name is Mary, I'm your father's intern. I should be on the list of people who can pick you guys up."

Mr. Dwicky said, "I'm sorry. I don't see your name on the list."

Mary would've growled if she wasn't so shy. That man said he'd put her on the list. Per the usual, she pulled out her name card and showed it.

"I'm here in their father's name, he really can't be here right now."

Gaz looked up, her eyes actually open, "What happened?"

"I'll explain everything on the ride there, you're letting me take them right?" She stuck her card out in Dwicky's face, hoping that her sudden, more aggressive approach to him.

"Okay, okay, go ahead. Just make sure your name gets on the list if you need to pick them up again."

"Good." She grabbed the two children's hands and took them out to the van.

Dib couldn't process anything properly. His father couldn't be here right now. That was not a new sentence to him, but paired with him being in a lab accident....

He held his stomach as he tried not to puke.

Mary looked at the kids through the rearview mirror. "I'm telling you this to prepare you for what you'll see when you walk through the hospital doors. We were filming the shark segment, your father decided to try to befriend the sharks.." she held back from blurting how stupid that was,"... but he hasn't been sleeping or eating properly, he passed out and fell into the tank before we were ready for him."

"Just please say he's alive!" Dib blurted out! He wouldn't be able to handle if he was dead, and especially not with the last things he said to him.

"Calm down, he's alive."

The relief that flooded Dib's system could not be measured using scientific instruments. Even Gaz was willing to show a rare ounce of sisterly affection and pat his shoulder as he cried tears of joy.

Gaz too was relieved. Her last words to him wouldn't have been the best either.

Mary continued, "Kids, he was attacked by the sharks and let's just say, don't expect a hug from him, not right away."

They understood what she meant as soon as they saw him.