Where is Your Heart At?

Chapter 3: Not Fun

Where is your Heart at?

Chapter 3

Not Fun

Gadget woke up feeling like someone stuffed his head with cotton. Luckily some walking around and caring for Penny helped to clear it up. He looked around at the observatory. Penny had sat down for a nap on the couch bed near lunchtime. Gadget had to order pizza since standing up seemed so taxing and it would seem that Dr. Ren had decided to completely clean up and disinfect the check up room after Penny occupied it and threw up everywhere. Even though Gadget had cleaned it up himself.

"Don't you ever get sick?" Gadget asked, placing a plate of pizza down. She looked up and waved her hand dismissively.

"I have my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the body. I hardly get sick, but I can't have dairy...means I can't eat that pizza." Gadget looked almost shocked. He had known her for half a year(that he remembered anyways) and never knew that. But then again he hardly ate anything around her.

"I should have asked." He admitted.

"Nah, you gotta do what's right by you. Pizza is cheap and easy. Plus kids love it to pieces. Mine kept demanding it all the time." A soft rumble overhead had Penny sitting up and calling out for her uncle. Ren touched Gadget's arm and stopped him.

"Sit down and eat...allow me to take this one." Rather than taking Penny into an area away from windows. She took Penny into the observatory. Penny seemed incredibly scared.

"We're safe here. I have lightning rods all over these grounds so the lightning can't get us." She told the toddler who turned and looked up at the sky. "I used to be scared of lightning when I was younger too. It wasn't until I became a teenager did I finally understand the beauty in it." She told the young girl. Sitting down on the couch covered in blankets. Gadget wasn't too sure if Penny could understand half the things Dr. Anthem was saying, but she seemed to be listening intently.

She looked down at Penny as she shivered, she was still a little cold now that her fever broke. Ren picked up the blanket and pulled it around her.

"But that doesn't stop it from being dangerous." She told Penny who looked back up at the lighting as it forked across the sky. Penny had never seen it up this close before. Normally she hid from it. Her eyes grew wide as she watched it. "I was struck once when I was in my early 20s. It hit my shoulder and exited my left leg. I couldn't feel my leg for days. But I could still walk." She told Penny, Penny looked amazed.

"You 'tay?" She reached up, running her fingers over Dr. Anthems face. She smiled at the soft care of the toddlers fingers.

"Oh no, I totally died..." she giggled at Penny who somehow realized she was joking.

"Nu uh!" she giggled looking back as the rain began to pelt the windows around them.

"Nah, I'm okay." Anthem giggled as she hugged Penny.

Gadget stuffed the last of his slice of pizza in his mouth and threw the paper plate into the trash. She watched from the ground floor as Anthem spoke to Penny and giggled. A soft smile on her face. Sudden realization crunched onto his ego as he watched her. Penny didn't seem so scared of storms anymore. Why couldn't he do that?

Penny turned around and looked at him while pointing up.

"Unka! Unka come see!" The jealousy melted away as he walked up the stairs only to sit down on the step. The sudden feeling erupted from his senses as he felt a bucket being pushed into his hands. The dinner he just so welcomed...was ejected from his mouth into the bucket.

"Your turn." Anthem said as she ran her fingers over Penny's back. Penny almost seemed scared for a moment. "He'll be alright Penny. He's just sick."

"Oh." Penny said as she curled up on the couch and yawned.

"Yeah you sleep there kitten. I'm going to keep you two separate just in case. Go to sleep...watch the storm." Anthem leaned in and whispered. "Listen to God knock on the sky." she winked at her as she turned and walked over to Gadget.

"Come on then...I got to hook you up to the computers just in case." Gadget hated this part, he had to do this once before after his arms were taken off and replaced after his first meeting with Claw.

"Guh..." Gadget put the bucket down and followed. He had hoped life didn't give him this gunk, but it would seem that life had other plans. He looked at the table that Anthem pulled a sheet over and patted it. He hopped up and sighed. "Now you'll catch it for sure." He said. Anthem shrugged as she tapped something onto the computer and then picked up the thick cable that wound around the table.

"I will deal with it when the time comes. Currently we're dealing with yours." She held up the cable. "Off with the shirt."

Gadget groaned and pulled off his jacket. He didn't like this, he hated it...but he knew that this could be really bad if he just went on with it the way it was.

"I see...so you're..." She pushed the cable in and Gadget could feel every single one of his pieces falling into place. He himself outwardly sneezed. A smoke bomb flew out of his shoe and into the lockers on the other side. Dr. Anthem opened the windows and fanned the smoke out.

"Thats new..." She said as she looked up at Penny who walked over to the steps and looked at Gadget.

"Tay Unka Gaddy?" She asked him. Gadget opened up one eye and spotted her.

"I'm okay Penny. Go sit back down alright. Dr. Anthem is making sure I'm..." He noticed the horrified look at Penny was giving him.

"Owwie?" She pointed at the cable sticking out of his back. Gadget chuckled and shook his head.

"Oh nah, this is fine." it was not fine. It hurt like fire, but he had to put on a brave face for her.

"Ah...oh..." She turned back and climbed back up onto the couch and curled back up. Luckily the storm had died down a bit. If they were lucky she would sleep.

"I didn't actually need that locker anyways." Anthem chuckled nervously and looked up at Gadget. "You good?" She asked.

"I felt like that rocket came from my nose." He said even though he knew perfectly well it came from his foot.

This was so strange to him.

"With any luck that was it and you'll be able to go to sleep without anymore pr..." Gadget sneezed and the flame thrower came from his hat and scorched the couch bed.

Dr. Anthem ran over and plucked the fire extinguisher from the wall and used it on the couch.

"Let's get you into the danger room..."

"Danger room?" Gadget questioned