Amongst The Reeds

Concerns and Revelations

This story is based on a comic series by Esthyradler on . If you haven't read it yet and you enjoy this story, please check it out! They're a great artist, and I really love their fan works. They've been a great help with this story already. Based on the Ghost Stories AU by @esthyradler.

Summary: Zim can't shake this awful feeling away. Sleep doesn't help, and he can't get that ghost out of his mind. Why does he feel worse now? What's wrong with him?

After arriving back home, Zim tried to spend some time constructing a laser gun, but the uncomfortable feeling in his squeedlyspooch prevented him from getting any work done. Not even Gir's nonsense could distract him long enough from the feeling. Exhausted from the tense buzzing of anxiety, and the encroaching paranoia, Zim shoved himself from his lab table. "Why won't this feeling just GO AWAY!"

Gir looked up at him from the puzzle he was putting together. "Is Master upset? I know! I'll go make some waffles! That will cheer you up!" Zim smacked his face with his hands. "I don't need waffles." Gir saluted him before running off to the kitchen. "Sometimes, Zim wonders why he even tries." He rubbed his eyes with his hands. "Computer." The AI echoed through the room. "What is it this time, master?" The alien glared at the infernal thing. "Take me to my resting chamber. I do not want to be disturbed unless it's an emergency."

A scanner dropped from the ceiling. It scanned Zim for a couple of seconds before disappearing. "You? Want to sleep? I didn't find anything wrong with you in my diagnostic scan except a slight decrease in temperature and a high level of cortisol." Zim huffed in annoyance. "Of course, there is nothing wrong with the Great and Powerful Zim! Stop questioning me and take me to my chambers!"

The floor opened up below him, and he landed right on his bed. "Fine. Anything else? I'm going to enjoy this moment of peace and quiet." He didn't have the energy to keep arguing with him. "No."

The silence was deafening. Even though he was exhausted, Zim could not fall asleep. He tossed and turned, hoping that sleep would come as long as he was in the right spot. Thirty minutes rolled by. Then an hour. All he could feel was a constricting pain in his chest. Another hour passed, and he could feel an itchy tingling on his right shoulder. He rubbed it as he sat up in bed. So much for resting.

Zim unwillingly pushes himself out of bed. "Computer. Search for 'Grey Lady' on the internet." A screen appeared in his room. "Well, it was nice while it lasted. Are you referring to that ghost you encountered earlier?" The little alien nodded slowly. His computer was so surprised by the lack of a quip, he brought up the search engine as requested. Computer pulled up article after article for his Master to read. Every article he read mentioned the same boring details that the human worm baby spoke of earlier. Nothing seemed to stand out as important to Zim. "Woman drowned looking for lost engagement ring?" The title seemed promising, but the article itself was sparse of details.

"Ugh. This is getting me nowhere.' He spun on his heel intent on trying to sleep again when a pulse of pain shot through his heart. He stumbled. "Master? Maybe you should sit? You're looking a tad pale." Zim disregarded his computer as he raised his lekku. There was definitely something here. He could sense it. "Computer. Contact Dib. Now." Before Computer could even respond, Zim collapsed on the floor.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?" Dib paced back and forth as Gaz changed the washcloth on Zim's forehead. Computer had provided her with a bowl of cold, purified water in the hopes it would lower his temperature better than using the AC.

It didn't matter to the Membrane siblings that it was three in the morning. They had immediately rushed over the second they received the alert. A scanner popped out of the floor. It positioned itself above Zim's prone figure and started running a comprehensive health scan. A section of the wall opened up, allowing for a monitor to display the results of the scan.

"I ran a scan on Master earlier because he was tired. I have compared this scan to my previous one and have found multiple health discrepancies. First, his temperature appears to be fluctuating. It was a couple of degrees lower than standard, nothing extreme, but now my scan shows he is running a fever. He still has high levels of cortisol in his body, resulting in fatigue, headaches, and high blood pressure."

Dib brushed his hands through his hair. "This doesn't make sense, though! Did he really just collapse because he was stressed ? He stresses out all the time, but Zim has never had a reaction like this before. And temperature fluctuations aren't a symptom of stress anyway."

The AI interrupted him. "I am unaware of what is currently ailing him, but the scan also shows inflammation and bruising on his shoulder. Maybe you can make better sense of it because I sure can't."

Robotic hands manifested from the wall, gently unbuttoning the top couple of buttons on Zim's purple pajama shirt. It adjusted the clothing enough for Dib and Gaz to see the dark, hand-shaped bruise. "Is that what I think it is?" Dib covered his mouth in horror. Gaz's eyes widened as she connected the dots. "Quick! Do you have the photo?"

That snapped him out of his growing panic. He pulled the photo out of his pocket and held it out for them to see. Computer looked over their shoulders with a robotic eye. The bruise was in the exact spot of the ghostly hand in the photo.