[Synopsis: Player has the flu, so the gang decides to take a break from the game to visit him for a while. Captain is especially eager to help him feel better, and he plans to go about it the way he knows best.]

[Location: Player's house]

Would you believe that most of this was done before anyone even asked me about writing something like this? XD

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"Dang, you two. I didn't suspect a thing."

MrEgg and Ria had really held their own as the Impostors that round; nobody had the slightest idea it was them until it was too late, and they won via a well-coordinated double kill in Medbay.

"Ha! EGG-cellent work there, Ria! You didn't hold anything back against Captain, did you?"

"Aww, come on, you're the one who came up with the plan!"

"Ha ha, well, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve, I suppose..."

"私は自分のスキルのいくつかに追いつく必要があります," Ninja remarked, shaking his head shamefully. "私はそこで自分を馬鹿にしました..."

"Whatever Ninja said, I gotta admit, MrEgg's right." Captain agreed. "Good game...I kinda wish Player had been part of it, though. He missed some good stuff."

"Yeah, it's weird," Veteran nodded. "Like, what's the hold up? He should've been online almost an hour ago."

"Yes, that is abnormal...Why don't you give him a call and see what's happening on his end?" TheGentleman suggested to him.

"Good idea. Hang on, I'll see if I can get ahold of him..."

He stepped away from the crowd, grabbed his phone, pulled up his contacts, selected Player's name and waited for him to pick up...One ring...Two...Three... Finally, the fourth ring stopped short, and he was met with his best friend's voice.

"...Hello?"

It was SUPPOSED to be, at least. But the voice on the other end was barely recognizable.

"Is that you, Player?"

"Y-yeah, Veteran...It's m-me."

"Dude, what happened? You sound like you tried to swallow a cheese grater."

"I'm sick..."

"Oh..." Veteran paused. "I, uh...I'm sorry to hear that. No wonder you're not showin' up."

"S-sorry I didn't call earlier t-to tell you. I've b-been trying to sleep most of the day s-so far."

"Sounds bad..."

"It is-"

Player was interrupted by a coughing fit, and Veteran winced...He didn't just sound bad; he almost sounded like he was DYING(hopefully not literally, though.)

 "It is bad..." he whimpered. "Y-you'd think a bad cough and fever w-would be the worst of it, b-but my stomach's acting up too. I c-can't keep anything down, and it's just so awful, I just wanna f-feel better..."

He coughed again and groaned, sounding like he was on the verge of tears.

"Hey. Take it easy there, compadre," he said to him, his rough voice a bit softer than usual. "Sounds to me like you could use some cheering up...Think you're up for a visit?"

"Y-you wanna come see me...?"

"Sure; wouldn't some company be nice if you're gonna be cooped up in your room all day?"

"I...I guess so, yeah."

"Would you mind if I brought the gang? At least, if they wanna come...And I'll see if we can get you some things to help you feel better, okay dude?"

"I-I don't want anyone to c-catch it, though..."

"Hey. As long as we're careful, you don't have anything to worry about."

"You sure...?"

"I'm sure. I'll be over in a little over half an hour, alright? And I'm probably not gonna come alone...You up for a crowd?"

"As...as l-long as they wanna help. I am k-kinda lonely."

"Alright...See you soon."

Click...

As soon as he was off the phone, Veteran returned to where the rest of the crew was and made his announcement.

"Player's sick, everyone."

"Is he?" TheGentleman replied.

"Gasp!" MrCheese exclaimed.

"How bad is it?" MrEgg inquired.

"Pretty bad."

"あなたが彼を訪ねるつもりなら、私たちはあなたに加わるかもしれないとあなたが彼に言ったと聞きました," Ninja told him. "さあ行きましょうか?"

"I have no idea what you just said, Ninja."

"I doubt anybody does..." Ria replied, feeling a little bad for their purple-clad peer. "Uh, you said something about us all going to visit him?"

"Yep. He doesn't mind it."

"So, are we gonna head out now?"

"That we are," Veteran nodded...Ninja let out an audible sigh of frustration.

"仲間とは異なる母国語を持っている人の人生もそうです..."

"Oh. And I said that I was gonna get him a few things to help him feel a little better. You guys wanna help out with that?"

"I will," MrEgg stated, looking very slightly nervous. "But I'll be extra careful to keep my distance around Player. My immune system isn't as strong as that of the rest of yours, so I may risk catching what he has if I get too close."

"Oh. Sorry to hear that..."

"That doesn't mean I'm not on board, though...What do the rest of you think?"

"I think that sounds like a splendid idea," TheGentleman nodded.

"Sure thing!" Ria concurred. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it, won't he?"

"Well, of course I want to help out!" Captain swiftly exclaimed, sounding the most eager to help out of everyone. "I can't just leave my bestie hanging! Once we get there, I'm going to make sure he's as comfy as possible!"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on Cap," Veteran interrupted him. "I like you're enthusiasm, but you don't wanna overwhelm him, y'know?"

"But how else will I help him feel better unless I shower him with as much comforting attention as I can possibly muster?"

"See what I mean? You're goin' a little too overboard. Just keep cool, and try to focus on what Player wants when you see him, okay, dude?"

"Focus on what he wants...Got it," he nodded, still trying to contain himself. "...Do you think he'd be alright with me reading him something?"

"Maybe. Just ask him about it, a'ight?"

"Right."

"Okay, then," Veteran nodded. "...Let's move out, team."

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"Ugh..."

Player blew his nose for what felt like the tenth time that hour and pulled his beanie further over his head as he huddled further into the covers. He hadn't felt this horrible since...well...He actually wasn't sure if he'd EVER felt so horrible.

I'm freezing, I can barely breathe, everything aches, and I can't even drink water without feeling like I'm gonna throw up...Why did this have to happen?

He had no clue where his sudden bout of flu had even come from; he'd felt perfectly fine for most of yesterday, and it was only in the late afternoon that he'd begun to feel a little tired and stuffy. Now THIS? This was worse than anything he'd ever expected. And the fact that it'd seemed to come out of nowhere didn't make him feel much better about the situation.

...At least I'm not gonna be alone the whole day, he reminded himself, slightly cheered by the thought of his friends coming to visit soon.

*knock knock*

The sound of someone rapping their knuckles against the door caught his attention. Were they here already? If it took them that quickly, they definitely hadn't wasted any time.

"Who is it...?"

A familiar yellow head slowly peeked in through the doorway as it slowly opened.

"Hey, dude."

"Oh. H-hey, Veteran."

As he entered into Player's room, he signaled for the crowd behind him to follow, but keep from being too loud.

Man...He really LOOKS bad, too, Veteran said to himself.

"You doin' okay?"

He sighed raspily.

"I wish I c-could say I was, b-but...I'm really p-pretty miserable."

"Well, the gang and I are gonna try to turn that frown upside down as best we can. Ain't that right, fellas?"

Everyone responded with a series of nods and agreeing statements...It was after they gave their response that Player noticed that most of them had something in hand.

"A-are those for me...?"

"Heck yeah, who else would they be for?" MrCheese teased lightly as he stepped forward to hand him the fluffy galaxy-pattern blanket he'd brought.

"Here you go, Player. I know that havin' a fever can make you feel super duper cold, so I thought this would help warm you up, y'know?"

"Aww...Th-thanks, MrCheese..." Player replied, pulling it under the covers with him and wrapping himself in it. "That does f-feel a little better...S-so soft..."

"How about an extra pillow to go along with that, Mr. Player?" TheGentleman offered, holding up the one he had in hand for him to see.

"...Thank you, TheGentleman."

Almost everyone else stepped forward, having each brought something for Player, too; Ria brought him a pair of fuzzy socks, Ninja got him a thick scarf, and MrEgg had a few different medicines on hand to help him out with. Veteran and TheGentleman had offered to make him some soup and tea, but Player still wasn't sure if he could hold anything down, so he reluctantly opted to take some of the stomach medicine MrEgg had brought and see how well he did afterward...He knew it'd probably help him, but that didn't stop the vile pink fluid from tasting like liquefied chalk.

Despite the aches, chills, mucus and bad-tasting medicine, Player found himself feeling quite a bit better once most of the crew had done their part.

"...Y-you guys..."

He smiled weakly, a tear pricking at the corner of his visor. He never imagined that they would go to such great lengths to help him feel better.

MrCheese gently patted the top of his head and tucked him in a bit more.

"Just doin' what we can to help you out, Player."

"Thank you guys so much..."

Right after he thanked them, Player let out a long, somewhat strained yawn. MrCheese carefully pushed his head back and lowered it down onto the pillows before stepping back.

"You tired?"

"M-maybe..."

"How 'bout we all head down to the kitchen and start workin' on some stuff for you to eat and drink while you take a nap?" Veteran suggested. "By the time you wake up again, that medicine should've probably kicked in and you'll be able to keep things down."

"I hope so..." Player mumbled. He would have shut his eyes and drifted off right there had he not been hit with another violent coughing fit.

"I m-might have to t-take th-the other s-stuff MrEgg brought s-so I can get to sleep...This congestion is gonna k-keep me wide awake."

"Hang on, Player. I might have a solution."

Captain stepped out of the crowd; he'd been the only one not to visit Player's bedside until now, and he revealed a stack of books he had with him, along with a pretty large stuffed animal on top of that.

"I know how much you hate the taste of medicine, so I thought...well...That I might be able to help distract you from your symptoms for a bit. Just to see if it helps you get to sleep, you know?"

"Distract me...?" Player repeated, slightly skeptical of the idea. "D-do you really think that'll help as much as the..."

He cringed at the thought of taking anymore medication; the taste of a second dose, even if it weren't as bad as the first, might bring the contents of his stomach back up before either had the chance to do its work.

"You know what...? O-okay. I'll give it a shot."

"Ah, thanks Player," Captain smiled.

"A'ight, we'll leave you guys to it," Veteran nodded, the group starting to pile out of the room. "We'll make you something to eat and tidy up a few things for you around the place. And don't worry. I know this place like the back of my hand; I won't let 'em go anywhere they're not supposed to."

"Th-thanks, Veteran..."

"Feel better soon, okay dude?" he nodded. "Come on, TheGentleman; you should probably be the one workin' the stovetop."

"I don't doubt that for a second. Ha...!"

Once they'd all cleared out of the room, Captain sat down on the edge of Player's bed and set down the pile of books and the stuffed animal (which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be a Triceratops,) before speaking.

"Player. I know how horrible it is to be in the spot you're in right now. I always seemed to come down with something NASTY in the middle of January or February when I was younger."

"Oh...Th-that doesn't sound good."

"No. It wasn't...But my mother was always there to make things a little better, and everything I remember her trying worked pretty well for me, so I'd like to take the opportunity to use what I learned from her to help someone else. And who better for me to help out than my best friend in the whole wide world?"

"Oh...Really?"

He was about to give his bestie a chipper "you bet!" in response, but before he could, his back-and-forth with Veteran from earlier came back to him.

"I like you're enthusiasm, but you don't wanna overwhelm him, y'know?"

"But how else will I help him feel better unless I shower him with as much comforting attention as I can possibly muster?"

"See what I mean? You're goin' a little too overboard. Just keep cool, and try to focus on what Player wants when you see him, okay, dude?"

Focus on what HE wants... he reminded himself. As much as he was sure Player would appreciate his efforts, he was no mind reader. And just in case there was a slight chance he was wrong about the situation, he decided to take Veteran's word for it.

"Well...Yes. If you wouldn't mind, that is...Would you?"

"N-no, I wouldn't mind. Really I wouldn't," Player replied hoarsely. "Anything that'll help besides anymore awful medicine..."

"Really?"

Player shook his head, his throat having become sore from speaking. Captain smiled lightly, then grabbed the first book off of the pile and showed it to him.

"This interest you at all? It was a favorite of mine back when I was a little mini crewmate...You know, I think they made a movie out of it, but I haven't seen it yet."

"Anything's fine..."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure...Th-thanks for asking, though."

"Well...Okay, then. Mind if I sit beside you so you can see the pages more clearly?"

"I...I don't know if that's a g-good idea, Captain. If you get too close, I m-might get you sick."

"No worries. I loaded up on Vitamin C before heading out this way! Besides, this isn't about me staying healthy. It's about you feeling better. So just sit back and relax, okay?"

"Well...I-if you say so," he finally agreed, scooching over a bit to allow Captain some room to sit down next to him. The white crewmate moved in and gave his bestie another pat atop the head, then handed him the plushie he brought along.

"Why don'tcha cozy up with Spike here? He did me a lot of good back when I was under the weather."

Player managed a small, raspy chuckle as he accepted the stuffed dinosaur from him.

"...D-do you name all of your stuffed animals?"

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I? It's just like naming a pet. Except they don't need to be fed, or have any litter boxes cleaned. Which is REALLY good, considering how many I have."

The red crewmate laughed a little more heartily for a fleeting moment, only for another coughing fit to overcome him.

"...I hope your plan works," he rasped as he held onto the plushie a bit tighter, using the back half of it as an extra pillow as he snuggled the front.

 "So do I, Player..." Captain told him. "It's worth a shot, I know that much."

Without any further delay, he opened the book and started reading it to him, Player leaning in to listen.

"...Down in the valley, there were three farms. The owners of these farms had done well. They were rich men. They were also nasty men. All three of them were about as nasty and mean as any men you could meet..."

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"'He'll make a mad dash for it any moment. Keep your guns handy.'

They sat there by the hole, waiting for the fox to come out...And so far as I know, they are STILL waiting."

When he finished the last page, Captain closed the book and looked over at his buddy...Player had managed to fall asleep somewhere around the halfway point, and he was currently snuggled right up against the white marshmallow, curled up into a little bundled-up ball and snoring away.

Captain pulled the covers over him a little more and gently stroked the top of his head.

"Sleep well, Player...Hope you feel better soon."

He stayed by his side with his hand rested on top of Player's head, monitoring his breathing; it had a bit of a congested rale to it, but otherwise sounded steady and relaxed.

They stayed like that until a soft knock came at the door, to which Captain rose his head and Player stirred in his light slumber. The former went to answer whoever was on the other side, and was greeted by Veteran and TheGentleman, each of them holding a bowl of soup and a cup of tea respectively.

"Everything go okay in the kitchen, I'm guessing?" Captain whispered, not wanting to wake up Player just yet.

"Well...There were a few mishaps," TheGentleman admitted. "First, MrCheese and I had an altercation on what is or is not suitable to eat when one is under the weather, and we finally settled on making him the cream of chicken soup I brought along for him...And it wasn't until it was ready to be taken off the pot and served that Veteran came along and mentioned that Mr. Player was lactose intolerant. So we made him a bowl of chicken noodle soup instead and split what we made in the first pot up amongst the other members of our party...We'd have brought you some, but there wasn't really enough for another bowl by the time everyone else had been served. Apologies, Captain."

"That's alright. I had a sandwich before I joined the party today...But do you think we could wait just a little while longer to try feeding him anything? Now that he's finally asleep, I wouldn't want to disturb him...Maybe another half hour or so? It might also give the medicine he took more time to do its job better."

The black and yellow crewmates exchanged thoughtful glances with each other.

"Well...Alright. If he needs the rest," Veteran nodded. "We'll put this stuff in the fridge for now, but he's gonna have to try eating it in an hour. His immune system needs fuel if it wants to work properly."

"Sounds good to me."

"C...captain...?"

The three of them looked over at where Player was lying; he was whimpering in his sleep with his hands stretched out, reaching for someone who was no longer there.

"I better go keep him some more company," Captain told them. "I, uh...think he wants me back over there, by the looks of it."

"The poor soul..." TheGentleman frowned piteously. "I do hope he recuperates quickly."

"Don't worry about a thing, you two...I'll make sure of that."

"Well, if it's gone this well so far, I guess I'll leave you to it. Good luck, man," Veteran nodded as he turned away. "Alright, Gentledude. Let's go make sure MrCheese isn't trying to find Player's secret jellybean stash again..."

"I just hope he doesn't think to grab Cheddar and bring him over! He'd sniff it out in a jiffy...!"

Their conversation faded as they went back downstairs...Player was getting a bit more wound up without anyone there beside him, so as soon as Veteran and TheGentleman were gone, Captain headed right back over to his bed and sat down where he'd been before.

"I'm right here, bestie."

Player's wandering hands finally found his white-clad friend, and as soon as they did, he pulled Captain closer, nuzzling into his side.

"...P-please stay..." he murmured weakly in his state of half sleep.

"Shhhhh, it's okay. I'm not going anywhere."

He hugged him back as he settled down into the pillows piled up on the bed, starting to pet the top of Player's head again...The physical contact was quick to calm him back down, and he fell back into a deeper sleep within minutes, still holding Captain in his weak, tired grasp.

"...Sweet dreams, bestie," he whispered to him as he tucked him in further, snuggling closer to him. "...Glad I could help you."

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Tip of the hat if you figured out what book Captain read to Player. You're fantastic.

Oh. And of course Player keeps a hidden jellybean stash. Had one of those myself once. Really, who wouldn't want one of those? XD

and i don't rly ship them, but seeing player and captain interacting like this is just so cute and wholesome i can't even, asdfghjkds X3