Smile Mousey

    A tight unit needs to help keep their troops right as rain. So when one falls depressed, it's time to cheer them up. Noiz found that to be the case with Rob one week after Artemis was arrested. It all started with a health scare. Rob had collapsed in the dojo doing class on Monday. Noiz rushed to the hospital in fear for her mouse. The administrators stopped her in the entry. The cat tried her best to fight her way through them. But, they proved to be stronger than her.

    "Get out of my way!" the cat yelled out. "I have to see him!"

    "Are you part of the family?" a nurse asked her.

    "Yes!" Noiz called. "I'm his girlfriend!" They all looked at the chart.

    "We're sorry," the nurse said. "But you're not listed as next of kin."

    "Then who the Hell is?" Noiz barked.

    "His seir, former student, and his former student's wife!" the nurse replied. The cat looked at her as if she was crazy.

    "WHAT?!?" she said snapped.

    "Sorry," the other nurse said. "That's how it is!"

    "But Andrea's on vacation!" Noiz protested. "You'll never reach her in time! Shannon and Perry are just hopeless! They don't really care about him!"

    "Sorry," a doctor said. "That just how it is!" Noiz sat down pouting in anger. This was just so wrong! Rob could be dying and she couldn't see him! And because of what? Some stupid paperwork filed years ago! This was just some stupid crap! Two hours went by. Noiz waited around in a panic. She hoped that her mouse would be just fine. Right then, the doors burst open. Noiz looked up and saw Perry and Shannon walking through the door. They seemed to be dressed for a party. She had on a tight shimmery red party dress with her long brown hair bouncing freely as she walked. Her matching high heels didn't stay flat like they were supposed to. He was dressed in a nice suit. Shannon looked drunk as usual. She had a hard time standing up. Perry had to help her to a seat like a worn out mule. Noiz rolled her eyes pissed off. "Oh great!" she thought. "The dullard and the drunk tart are here!" The conversation made things only worse.

    "Perry!" Shannon slurred out.

    "Yes dear?" he asked.

    "Why are we here?" she asked asked like a typical drunk woman.

    "Rob-sensei is in the hospital, dear," Perry explained calmly.

    "Bummer!" she said. There was a moment of silence.

    "Perry!" Shannon called again.

    "Yes dear?" her husband asked.

    "Fuji Daisuke squeezed my bum!" she announced. There was a pause on that one. Noiz rolled her eyes at that statement. "Oh please!" she thought annoyed. "Can you get any tackier?" Sadly, yes in after Perry's reply and a short pause.

    "That's nice dear," he said flatly. There was another moment of silence. Then, a drunken smirk came across Shannon's face.

    "Hey Perry!" she spoke again.

    "What dear?" he asked. She was smirking now.

    "If the rodent dies," the drunk tart spoke up. "Do we... get his kantana... and his manga collection?" That really pissed off Noiz now. She wanted so badly to kill the lying little gold-digging tart. Perry wasn't helping her either. He just sighed and shook his head.

    "I don't know dear," he said. That caused Noiz to snap pretty badly. She got up from her seat and walked over to Shannon. She violently scratched the drunken tart in the face. Shannon cried aloud in pain.

    "OW!!!!" she screamed out. "I WAS ASSAULTED!!! ARREST THAT CRAZY BITCH!!!!"

    "Shut up!" Noiz hissed at her. Then, she sat back down. Suddenly, she felt all better. Shannon on the other hand was still screaming like a moron.

    "I WANT TO SUE THAT EVIL COW!!!" she screamed out. Perry tried his best to quiet her down.

    "Easy dear," he said. "It's not that bad!" Sadly, that never really works. Shannon kept screaming her head off in fake pain. However, the door opened wide and everything quiet. The three of them looked up to see Rob standing in the doorway. Noiz looked at him relived for a moment. But then, she saw the sorrow in his eyes. Rob looked at the trio in silence. Something was really wrong with this scene. Perry stood up.

    "Rob-sensei!" he called. "Are you okay?" The mouse didn't answer him at all. Noiz hurried over to her mouse and hugged him close to her. The mouse just stared out in a daze.

    "Shhh," Noiz whispered. "It's okay, I'm here now." She lightly kissed him on the forehead. Rob still didn't say or do anything at all. Shannon just sat back with a scratched face and rolled her eyes. "So sappy and pathetic!" she thought.

    "Is he going to die?" she asked out loud. Noiz and Perry turned to her at that question. The cat became pissed off again.

    "GET OUT!!!" she snapped at Shannon. "JUST GET OUT!!!" Perry backed up his wife and hurried her out of the hospital. He turned to the couple silently embarrassed.

    "I'm so sorry for her," the man said to them. "She means well." Then, he hurried out the door after her. Noiz glared at them coldly.

    "Yeah right," she mumbled to them under her breath. Then, she turned her attention back to her beloved mouse.

    The next day, Noiz was on the yard trying to draw. She was getting frustrated pretty quickly. The kitty began erasing again. She started over again. After a couple of minutes, Noiz paused and looked at her work. Disappointment met her face right away.

    "Oh!" she said aloud. "It never comes out right!" Then, she noticed someone standing over her. Noiz looked up slowly. June was standing over her smiling. Noiz rolled her eyes.

    "What June?" she asked annoyed. June kept her smile.

    "Hi Noiz!" she called. The cat rolled her eyes.

    "What do you want?" she asked. June looked down at the sketch.

    "Oh!" she said. "That's a nice picture. But what is it?" Noiz tried to remain calm.

    "Thanks," she said. "I'm trying to make it a nymph." June looked at it oddly.

    "That's a nymph?" she asked.

    "Yes," the cat said. "Why?" June just shrugged.

    "Nothing," she said. "It's just..." Noiz raised an eyebrow at her.

    "It's just what?" she asked slowly losing her patience. June breathed in again. She became really nervous now. Noiz was unpredictable at times. One moment, she could be nice and mellow. Then, the next would be a pretty ugly scene. June didn't know what to get today. So, she pressed on gently.

    "It's just..." June started again. "It doesn't look like a nymph." The cat kept staring at her.

    "Oh?" she asked. "And what does it look like?" June was really afraid now. She didn't want her head to get bitten off. But yet, the truth had to come out.

    "It looks like a floating mermaid!!!" she blurted out. Heavy silence followed. Noiz just glared at her coldly. June went pale in a heartbeat. "Oh no!" she thought in fear. "Now I've done it! Noiz is going to kill me!" A few more seconds passed. Noiz just shut her drawing pad, got up, and walked away passed. June looked at her confused. She wasn't expecting that one. The woman blinked for a second.

    "Okay..." she mumbled. "That went well..." Then, she walked back to the office.

    Noiz came back to dorm to find all of Rob's kendo students surrounded by the door. Curious, the cat made her way over to them. She looked around for a moment.

    "What's going on here?" Noiz asked aloud. One of the students turned around to her.

    "It's sensei," he said. "He won't get out bed." The kitty looked at him confused.

    "What do you mean?" she asked. "He has class today." The student just shrugged.

    "That's what we're going to find out," he said. Noiz breathed out and pushed her way through the crowd. She pounded happily on the door.

    "Robert!!!" she yelled out. "Open the door!"

    "No!" the mouse cried out.

    "Sweetie," the cat said. "Why not?"

    "It's not worth it!" he called back.

    "What are you talking about?" Noiz asked him. "What' not worth it?"

    "Life is too short!" he cried out. "I'm going to die soon! It's not worth it anymore!" That worried everyone. The students were dead silent then.

    "Come on now!" the kitty called. "You can't mean it!"

    "I really do!" the mouse said. There were small whispers among everyone. The students were staying the collapse yesterday turned their sensei suicidal. Noiz was still trying to piece together what was going on.

    "What the Hell is going on?!?" someone shouted at them. Everyone looked up to see Artemis walking towards them. June was following close behind. The pig looked around at all of them.

    "Should you be in class now?" he asked. One student stepped forward.

    "That's the thing," he said. "Our sensei won't come out."

    "Well why won't he come out?" Artemis asked. The student shrugged.

    "He says it's not worth it," he replied. "I think he might be suicidal now!" That was all Artemis needed to hear. He pushed all the way through and pushed Noiz aside from the door. The cat nearly felt over. She managed to catch her balance and stand up again. Artemis pounded hard on the door.

    "ROBERT!!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "GET UP YOU LAZY BUM!!! YOU HAVE CLASS TODAY!!!" Noiz became pissed off at how the pig was dealing with the situation. She kicked him hard in the lower back. The pig whipped around quickly.

    "Ow!" he said.

    "That's not helping!" Noiz hissed.

    "Sorry!" the pig hissed. Then, he turned back to the door.

    "Robert!" Artemis yelled out. "I'm coming in right now!!!"

    "Good luck with that!" the mouse replied. The pig was really pissed now.

    "Right!" he called. "I'm coming in!" Artemis then tried to force the door wide open. But, Rob had pulled the chair and clothing basket in front of it. Artemis was forcing the door open as hard as he could. But it just would not open at all.

    "OPEN THIS DOOR, YOU BASTARD!!!" the pig screamed again. "I'M WARNING YOU, I'LL HAVE YOU FIRED FOR INSUBORDINATION!!!" Noiz just rolled her eyes at that statement.

    "Move aside!" she ordered as she pushed the pig out of her way. "He won't respond with force!" She lightly knocked on the door

    "Robbie-kun," she said sweetly. "May we come in?" There was no answer at first. Then, they heard rumbling around inside. Rob opened the door and looked out. Noiz, Artemis, June, and the students were all staring at him. He looked really down this morning. The mouse looked at if he had been crying. There were heavy sandbags under his eyes. Noiz was really worried now.

    "Robbie-kun!" she exclaimed. "What happened to you?" The mouse didn't answer her at all. He just walked back into the dorm. Noiz, Artemis, and June followed him inside. The students stayed outside and watched. Rob crawled back into bed again. The trio crowded around him.

    "Rob," Artemis spoke up. "What's wrong with you?" The mouse shook his head.

    "I'm going to die soon," he said. They all looked at him confused.

    "What?" Artemis asked. "What the hell are you talking about?" The kendo sensei reached under his bed and pulled out a calendar. He pointed to a circled date on this Friday. They all looked upon it.

    "What is the meaning of this?" June asked when she looked up.

    "That's the date I'm going to die," Rob said. "I just know it. I'm going to die on Friday! It would have been this tomorrow, but the stupid gates to the land of the dead are always filled then." This rose up high concerns right away. Then, Noiz figured it all out.

    "Does this have to do with when you collapsed yesterday?" she asked. Rob looked at her with sad eyes. Noiz knew the answer already.

    "Robbie-kun!" she called. "It was only minor stress! You won't die from it. The doctor said that you would be fine!" Rob didn't seem to believe her at all.

    "The doctor only said that to make me feel better!" he said. "But I know the truth! I'm dying! And that is that!" Artemis, June, and Noiz all looked at each at a loss for words. This was bad. Really bad! But what they do? Rob was dead-on convinced that he was going to die by Friday. Then was no way to convince him otherwise.

    The afternoon only got worse. Noiz was walking back from one of her classes when she noticed a very familiar jacket in the hands of one of the students. His friend next to him a long bamboo practice sword that she has seen before as well. Curious, she walked over to the boys.

    "Excuse me!" she called out. The boys paused and looked up at her. The cat took a long while to look at them.

    "Where did you get that jacket and practice sword?" she asked. The boys went sheepishly silent. Noiz looked at them and waited.

    "Come on," she said to them. "You can tell me, I won't get mad."

    "Rob-sensei gave it to us!" the one with jacket finally spoke. His friend nudged him hard. That was it for her. She snapped the items from their hands and ran back to animal. Noiz came back to their dorm just in time. The mouse was giving away one of his favorite practice swords to another student. Noiz looked on in worry. Then, she saw Perry and Shannon coming over to their former sensei. The drunken tart was falling all over the place. Such a sad sight. The cat crept over and listened quietly.

    "You wanted to talk to me?" Perry asked Rob.

    "Yes," the mouse said. "I just wanted to say a few last words before I went." The former student looked at him confused.

    "What are you talking about?" he asked. Rob held up his hand quickly.

    "No!" he said. "Don't speak." Perry went quiet.

    "Now," said Rob. "You were always a good student and a great guy. But, you have let yourself go over the years. Turn it all around for yourself. Break away! Don't be that boring guy that you have become!" His former student looked at him confused.

    "Rob-sensei," he spoke up. "What are you saying? Are you feeling okay?" Rob didn't answer.

    "Listen," the dullard spoke up. "I'll just come back when you're well again. Come on, Shannon..." But before he could leave, the mouse stopped him being grabbing onto his wrist. The former student looked up at him confused.

    "Rob-sensei?" he asked. "What are you doing?" Rob looked at him with serious face.

    "And Perry," he said. "Shannon does not mean well. She is just an evil screeching little harpy. You would do yourself a great favor if took Shannon up high to Mt. Fuji and pushed her straight off." Perry looked on shocked. Rob had never said such things about Shannon to his face before in his life. The man grabbed his tarty wife and ran towards the hall as fast as he could. Noiz walked over to the mouse as she passed the dullard. Perry turned straight to her.

    "This is all your fault!!!" he yelled. "Rob-sensei was never this nasty before at all! You've ruined him!!!" Then, the former student stormed off with his drunken and drugged wife. Noiz looked on silently.

    "Okay..." she said softly. Then, the cat made her way over to her mouse. Rob looked up and saw her.

    "Momo-chan!" he exclaimed. "Just the sexy woman I wanted to see!"

    "Look, Rob..." the cat spoke up. "We have to talk..." But, the mouse held up his hand.

    "I have something especially for you!" Rob spoke up. Noiz was at a loss for words for a moment as he walked into the dorm. She looked on in completely worry. Oh, this was not good. Rob returned with his most prized kantana and his manga collection. He shoved them into her arms. Noiz was really shocked beyond words now.

    "Here," the mouse said. "I want you to have these."

    "But..." said Noiz. "This is your Bi-chi and your prized manga collection!"

    "I know," he said. "That's why I'm giving them to you. Bi-chi trusts you more than anyone else who tried to touch her. When I was floating over the lobby in the hospital yesterday, I heard Shannon talking about taking her and the manga if I died. I knew right then she was a bitch and I couldn't leave Bi-chi in her slutty hands." Noiz looked at him in shock. This was really bad now. She had to do something quickly. Then, an idea came into her head.

    "Say Rob," she spoke up. The mouse looked up at her.

    "Yes?" he asked. Noiz looked at him with a light smile.

    "How exactly are we going to do it?" she asked. The mouse looked at her confused.

    "What?" he asked.

    "You know," said the cat. "When we go kill ourselves." Rob was bewildered.

    "Wait!" he called "What do you mean we?" Noiz smiled at him kindly.

    "I'm coming with you!" she said. "Not worth hanging around here for much longer when it's boring, yeah?" Rob looked at her like she was crazy.

    "Now," the cat said. "How shall we carry this adventure out? Guns? Sadly, those are outlawed in Japan. Ooo! I know, stabbing and slitting the throat or wrists! *Pause* No, that's too messy. Drowning is nice. You get to see your whole life as you do so. Naw, that takes too long and you would get bored watching the same old slideshow. Throwing yourself in front of traffic is a quick way to go. But that hurts just thinking about it. Ick! *Shutters at the thought* But anyway, what is there left? Oh yes! We've got hanging next. But yet... the thought of choking and waiting to die is not a very pleasant thought at all. That's just as getting hit by a bus! *Shutters again* And of course, the classic poisoning. So many ways and come go on undetected. There is poison by vehicle, pesticides, foods, drink..." Rob was listening to her shocked. Noiz was treating this like a plan to the beach or a picnic. This was just so... tacky!

    "Stop it!" he yelled "Just stop it!!!" Noiz went quiet and looked at him.

    "Why? What's wrong?" she asked him. Rob looked at her hurt and annoyed.

    "You think this is funny?" he asked her. "I'm going to die and you're making jokes about it? No thanks! I'll die on my own and in my own way!" Noiz sighed aloud to him.

    "Sorry," she said. "I'm just trying to cheer you up. You're not really going to kill yourself! I just know it!"

    "Well, it's not working!" the mouse said. "How can you be so sure anyway?" His kitty shrugged at him softly.

    "Trust me," she said. "I know." They both went silent for a moment. Then, something caught Rob's eye.

    "What is that?" he asked as he looked under Noiz's arm. The kitty looked down at her sketch book.

    "Oh," she said. "Just a little something I have been working on." The mouse took the sketch pad, opened it, and looked at the picture of the nymph. He looked at her confused.

    "What is this?" he asked.

    "A nymph," the cat replied. "What do you think?" There was a long moment of silence. Noiz waited for him to reply. Then, Rob began smirking at her. He then was laughing! The mouse was actually laughing at Noiz's drawing. She raised an eyebrow at him.

    "What's so funny?" she asked him. Rob looked up at her with a smile on his face.

    "This is a nymph?" he asked.

    "Yes," Noiz replied. Rob tried to keep from laughing again.

    "This is the worst example of a nymph I had ever seen!" he called. "Her arms are too stumpy, she has flat head, and the legs look like a mermaid's tail!" Rob really laughing again. Noiz glared at him.

    "Oh man!" the mouse went on. "You've just reminded me there are still things worth living for after all! Thank you so much, babe!" Then, he kissed her on the lips and hurried down the hall to get his things back. Noiz sighed as she watched him. She listened to him argue with a student about getting his jacket back.

    "A cure at my expense," she mumbled to herself. "Whatever!" Then, she looked and noticed Artemis standing beside of her looking at her picture.

    "And what do you want pig?" she asked trying to be nice in this moment. The house owner took the sketch pad and looked at it closely. The cat waited for his reply. The pig smiled to himself a bit.

    "That's a nice picture," he said. Noiz smiled at him some.

    "Thanks Artemis," she said. The man smirked at her in cruel way.

    "But then again," he added on. "I'm an idiot when it comes to art!" Then, he walked away laughing out loud. Noiz rolled her eyes and sighed again. That did for her.

    "Oi! I give up!" she called aloud. Then, the cat chucked her drawing pad away with great force. Unintentionally, it hit Rob in the back of the head and knocked him right out. The student with his jacket ran away as ran as fast as he could with his "new" prize before the sensei could come to again. Noiz shook her head and sighed. A loss for a gain today was. A loss for a gain.