"Fix ya posture, ya nasty." Ariana smacks Ethan's back, and he slouches even further, almost drooping onto the counter he's wiping. Ariana sweeps over to Kristopher's counter, and frowns when she sees that he's not there. "Where's Kit, y'all?"

"Um. Dead? Taking a vacation? Personal day? Celebrating National..." Ethan checks his phone. "Pigs-in-a-Blanket day? Ew. People still eat those?"

"Duh." Avery hands a cup to a customer. "Should we call him?"

"No need." Sadira slid her phone across. A text from Kristopher shows that he called in sick just a couple hours ago.

"Oh, shit," Ethan gasps. "Do you think he's OK? Should we check on him? He doesn't seem like the sort of dude to just call in sick. I feel like he's just at home, dying."

"Probably." Ariana squints a bit. "I'll go check on him in a bit. Sadira, you can stop by when you're done with work."

"What about me?" Ethan pouts.

"And me??" Avery slams down a cup a bit harder than necessary.

"Y'all aren't really known for your... bedside manner," Ariana slides a side-eye at the both of them. Sadira grins and goes on wiping down a table.

"Neither? Are you??" Avery raises her eyebrows so far they almost disappear.

"What?? I have the BEST bedside manner, thank you VERY MUCH." Ariana huffs. Ethan snorts and chuckles, skeptical, and Ariana calmly flips him off.

"KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTT! ARE YOU DEAD YET??" Ariana keeps pounding on my door. If she keeps up like this, she'll break down my already-decrepit door. I shuffle over and open my door. This stupid fever came out of nowhere, just after my relapse. Someone up there must be really annoyed- possibly at me, possibly just in general.

"Yes." I open the door for her, and she walks in, carrying a Panera Bread bag and a plastic bag.

"Tragic." She sets her stuff down and looks around. "Wow. This is really- you, ya know? It's just like, hey, this feels like somewhere Kit is. It's kinda amazing."

"Thank you?" I close the door behind me and just stand there, awkward in my own home.

"How ya feeling?" Ariana stretches, picks up her Panera bag, and starts setting stuff out on my table. Two things of soup, spoons, napkins-

"You brought me soup? From Panera Bread?"

"Yeah, I was gonna text you, but before I knew it, I was next in line and I didn't want to hold everyone up, so I just got black bean and tomato. Which one? How ya feeling?"

"Black bean, please."

"Okey dokes. How ya feeling?"

"Why do you guys go to Panera Bread so much?" I open the container clumsily, almost dropping the lid.

"Kristopher! Answer the damn question!"

"Awful, how are you?" I sit down heavily and close my eyes for a bit. They hurt.

"Amazing." Ariana sits down and starts eating, then stops and looks at me. "Do you say grace, or pray? Or anything like that? Which I would be totally fine with doing, if you did happen to do them."

"Um. No."

"Alrighty." She continues eating.

"Are you religious?" I toy with my food.

"No. Grew up non-denominational, chill parents, still non-denominational. Oh no, did you throw up or something? Are you feeling nauseous? When was the last time you ate?"

"I didn't throw up. No, I'm not feeling nauseous. Um....I ate... last night, on the date." I push a bean around the bowl.

"KIT. That was on Saturday!"

"Yes....?"

"Today is MONDAY. You haven't eaten for like, two days!! Eat!! The soup!!" Ariana glares at me across my table.

"Uh. OK." I start eating.

When we finish, Ariana bosses me onto the couch and throws a blanket on top of me. She cleans everything up, then comes and pushes the recliner across my living room until it's right across from the couch. I'm watching (bemusedly) as she sits down when there's a knock on the door.

"Aha. That'll be Sadira." Ariana gets up and ushers Sadira in.

"Sadira?" I ask, mildly alarmed. "Is everyone coming??"

"Nah, I said they couldn't come. They don't exactly have... soothing personalities. Plus, we wouldn't want everyone to get sick. I don't think you'd be able to handle the guilt." Ariana sits back down. Ariana doesn't exactly have a soothing personality either....? Sadira smirks a little, reading my expression. She comes over and pats my leg and pulls out a huge bottle of Gatorade™. Then a huge bottle of water.

"Aaaahhhhh...." I trail off weakly. "That's a lot..."

"You have to drink all of it." Sadira holds my stare until I drop my eyes. "Staying hydrated is very important. You need to drink a lot of liquids. My mother is a pediatrician, so do not argue with me. I know what I am saying." She narrows her eyes at me.

"Alright." This is the most I've ever heard her say.

"And then you have to sleep. If you still do not feel well tomorrow, you stay home and sleep. I will bring more Gatorade™ and water, Ariana can bring more soup. Okay?"

"OK." I lay down, feeling overwhelmed.

"I'll sit with you until you fall asleep, and I'll get the rest of the gang to come and check in on you. So I'll need a key for that." Ariana gets up, and Sadira gives me a pat before leaving.

"In the key holder near the door." I blink sleepily and drink some water.

"Get well soon, Kit."