Broppy: Baby On Board

Chapter 7: Gray Again

"Creek!" Branch cried the troll's name before going into another coughing fit as he somehow managed to crawl out of the cave somewhat. He tried to look around but the other troll was nowhere in sight. The egg and Tiny gone, he couldn't protect them. How was he going to face Poppy, his brothers or Guy? He might not even make it to tell them what happened.

Branch bit his bottom lip as he shook while tears welled up in his eyes and spilled over. So many regrets swirling around in his head as he sobbed and called for, "Pop-Poppy!" He said her name over and over but it didn't matter how many times he called for her, she had no idea where he was. She wasn't going to show.

That's when Branch started singing the first song they ever sang together.

"Y-you with the sad eyes... D-Don't be dis— discouraged, oh I realize, It's hard to take courage in a world full of people, you can lose sight of it all."

Branch continued the song while trying to hit the notes but his voice was hoarse and scratchy from being sick. The more he sang the sadder he became to the point he slowly started turning gray.

"And I see your true co-colors... Shi... Shin...Shining..." He weeped as he couldn't finish the verse and the last of his colors dissipated.

***

Poppy was nervously sitting on the couch while her arms were wrapped around her legs and forehead against her knees.

Floyd, Bruce, and John Dory not looking much better.

"Hey, come on guys. I know that the storm slowed us down and Debbie isn't the fastest but she is great at sniffing things out. I'm sure we'll find him in no time." Barb tried to cheer them up but it didn't work.

"Guy... you don't think it was... Creek do you?" Poppy had many friends who were purple with blue hair but only one troll was that color that tried to backstab them.

"He is the only one I can think of..." Guy agreed with her.

"I don't care who he is, if he hurts one hair on my Baby Brother, I'm going to clobber him!" John made a fist as he punched the palm of his hand.

"I'm right there with you brother." Bruce was normally calm but he was anything but that.

Floyd only nodded as he couldn't remember the last time he had been this angry. Let alone at one of their own species.

***

Branch laid there motionless for what seemed like hours, coming in and out of consciousness. His tears were dripping out every once in a while when he felt something shake the ground with a pattern as it got closer and closer. Eventually it stopped but that was because whatever was making the ground shake was down on their hands and knees looking at him. He looked back but only for a few seconds before he passed out.

***

"Mommy! Look what I found!" The small Rageon girl gently held up the troll in her hands when the mother screamed bloody murder.

"Put that thing down right now!!" She shouted at her daughter.

"But it's a Troll!" The girl announced proudly.

"I don't care what it is, go put it back where you got it from!" The mother demanded before she looked at the father. "This is why I hate camping!"

"Hey, now hold on a minute." Veneer who was in the same vicinity had come over. "May I see the little thing?" He asked nicely when the girl placed it in his hand. He pulled his sunglasses up as he took a closer look. It appeared to be a troll just like the girl stated but its colors were all... gray.

Veneer wasn't even sure the little guy was even alive until he saw the faintest movement from the troll breathing before it trembled a little.

"Veneer! WHAT are you doing?" Velvet demanded as she trotted over and saw the thing in his hands. "Ewwww, get rid of that—" She stopped mid sentence as she pulled her brother's wrist closer to see the troll. "Isn't this one of the trolls that helped rescue the one we had trapped?"

"Kidnapped, tortured and trapped. Don't sugar coat it sweetie." Veneer corrected as his sister rolled her eyes. He then gave it another look when he agreed with her but... "What is he doing all the way out here?" He was a bit confused since Floyd and his brothers seemed close.

"Ugh, who cares. Can we just move on?" Velvet didn't want or care to know.

"But sis, we should help him. Look." Veneer showed her once more. "He is all tied up." He didn't know what happened but he knew he wanted to help. That's when he placed the troll on a table and grabbed a small knife to cut the ropes but every time he got close he freaked a little because he was scared to hurt him.

Velvet watched this go on for a while before she snatched the knife and pushed her brother out of the way. She then quickly made work of the bindings without hurting the small troll.

"Oh, good job sis!" Veneer was glad she helped. It was rare so he always made sure to praise her. "There is good in you after all!"

"Just don't get used to it." She glared at him.

"Whatever you say girl." Veneer spoke as he got a small towel and placed the troll onto it. After a while of waiting, it never moved which started to worry him.

Velvet sighed and was about to speak when she and her brother heard the troll coughing until it slowed to a stop and the troll didn't move again.

"The little guy is sick! Velvet, what do we do??" Veneer scooped the troll up as he covered it with the towel to keep it warm.

Velvet crossed her arms as she thought of a way to help it but Mount Rageous would be useless since their doctors wouldn't have the necessary equipment to take care of a troll, let alone how... that's when she remembered something back when the trolls had foiled them. "The Bergen's, they might know what to do."

"Oh, good idea! We can take him there!" Veneer rushed as he got up before grabbing his sister's wrist to pull her along.

"Wait! You're not actually thinking of going there now?! What about our stuff??" Velvet protested as she was dragged over to their motorbike.

"Please, mom and dad will watch over it. We'll be back in just a few hours, lickity-split!" Veneer was confident if they rushed.

"Agh!! Fine! But I'm driving!" Velvet reluctantly agreed as she put the helmet on while Veneer did the same. She then proceeded to turn the engine on while her brother got into the passenger side car and off they went.