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Billy was sick. Like, really sick. The type of sick that has you rolling in bed groaning in pain, uncomfortable and delirious.
It started yesterday. He knew something was wrong when he woke up in the morning with his throat feeling like a cat’s scratching pole, and his nose felt like it was stuffed with a billion cotton balls. He managed to get through the entire school day with no issues though, so he was fine, really!
Or, he was, until he woke up today feeling like he was hit by a truck. Thank god yesterday was Friday, because Billy was absolutely not in any state to sit through lectures for 7 hours.
Billy had also woken up 10 minutes ago, and he wants to go the heck back to sleep.
The blankets on top of him were too hot, but taking them off meant he was too cold so he had to lay under the covers sweating bullets, he couldn’t breathe through his nose, his throat throbbed to even swallow, he had a massive headache, and he’s been constantly coughing every 30 seconds-
“Hey twerp, Alpha’s been on my ass because apparently you’re supposed to be doing something right now-“
Billy was too tired to figure out who was talking, but it was familiar and comforting, and that’s all he really needed at the moment.
“I th’nk ‘m sick…”
“No duh you sentient Dora the Explorer spinoff! I can hear you wheezing from across the room!”
Billy coughed with a force that probably could move continents, shaking and racking through his entire body. Suddenly, there was a cool hand pressed against his forehead, and he couldn’t help but lean into the temporary chill bliss.
“My cod, you’re literally burning alive. What the heck did you do to even get this sick, anyway?” Billy couldn’t answer that question even if he wanted to, but that first part didn’t sound good. He was fine yesterday! Why did he suddenly get so miserable?
“Stay here and don’t move. Not that you probably can without tripping over your feet and falling on your butt, anyways. I’ll go get you medicine, I guess.”
And with that, the voice left. Billy didn’t even realize the whine that left his throat until he heard a chuckle from the doorframe.
“Jeez, you’re really out of it, huh? I know, I’m just that irresistible. Just give me a couple minutes and I’ll be back.”
The minutes felt like agonizing hours between his coughs, sniffles, and noises from the kitchen, but eventually the person came back and was tapping his shoulder.
“Can you sit up? No matter how much I want you gone, choking you with cough medicine and a fever reducer is a lame way to die, and I’d prefer to not have to deal with Alpha hounding me because of it.”
With a groan and a mission, Billy, helped by the familiar voice next to him, managed to sit up, with his head leaning against the headboard of the bed, and his legs curled into his chest under his blankets. Squinting his eyes open for the first time today, he couldn’t help but groan at how bright the room is.
“God… alright what is it now?”
“i’s too brigh’…”
After some shuffling, the bright lights dimmed enough, no longer pricking at his eyes like needles.
“I closed the blinds and the door so there’s less light. Can you shut up and take the medicine now?”
Billy opened his mouth to respond, but instead all that came out were ragged coughs that almost made him want to puke. Instead of trying to talk again, he just nodded as best as he could, which was probably pathetically small, but it got the message across! After the coughing fit settled, he saw the plastic measuring cap, signature of most liquid medicines, pressed to his lips. He grimaced at the taste of the cough syrup. Who likes that gross cherry flavor anyways?
“Yea I know, it does taste like shit. It’ll make you feel like, uh, less… shit… I guess. Just do that a couple more times and then you’re done.” Oh god, there’s more?
Eventually, after what was probably a few minutes but felt like forever, Billy managed to get through the seemingly endless sea of medicines (there were 3), and he took greedy sips at the plastic cup filled with water the person next to him was holding for him.
“You aren’t stranded in a desert- ugh. Whatever. You done?”
Billy nodded. He was feeling really tired, again. Huh, when did that happen?
“You look like you’re gonna pass out, kid. Why don’t you, like, get back to sleep or something?”
Sleep sounded nice, and he could feel his eyelids drooping and getting heavy with sleep. After some adjusting, he got into the position of curling up into a ball under the covers.
He heard the door open. Oh no, were they leaving? Billy didn’t want them to leave, they were comforting!
“What do you want now, you expired jackfruit? You sound like a dying cat!”
Oh, had he said that out loud? Oops!
“Don’ leave…”
“Listen kid I got better things to do, and I would rather not get sick from your toddler germs-“
“Please?”
“…..Fine. Not ‘cause you asked, I’m just doing it to make sure you don’t throw up on the blankets or something stupid like that.”
Billy heard the door close, and for a second he almost thought the person left, but then he heard a chair being dragged over from his desk.
“There, happy? Now go the hell to sleep.”
And sleep he did.
——————
What a day… At least I got all the footage I needed. I can’t believe Billy got sick, of all things. How did we never even know, anyway? At least the Host of the Inkspedition texted me about it… in an angry rant that could rival that of a middle school break-up…
Chuckling quietly to himself, Alpha opened the door to their shared apartment, taking off his shoes and putting them on the shoerack because he is not a heathen, thank you very much, and he just now realized how quiet it was. It was only, what, 6 o’clock in the evening…
“Hello? Anyone home?”
He got no response. Huh… Maybe he should check on them.
While the door to the Host of the Inkspedition’s room was wide open, which is the first and probably only time it ever will be, Billy’s door was closed shut. Hopefully he got medicine or something…
Careful to not make too much noise, Alpha opened the door.
Whatever he was expecting, it definitely wasn’t Billy curled up in bed, with the Host of the Inkspedition snoozing on a chair right next to said bed, resting his head on the edge of the mattress and using his arms as a pillow.
Alpha definitely didn’t take a photo of the scene with a smile on his face (that’s a lie, he took 50 photos on burst with a smile so wide it almost hurt).