Do You Blame Yourself?

[Chapter 43] - Cluster Catastrophe

"Good morning, how's everything going?" Kwazii hummed, slowly making his way into the sick bay.
"Everything is good, except for me," Peso muttered, coughing into the crook of his elbow.

He looked tired. Really tired.

"You look bad, dude. Not that you don't look fine- I mean you always look fine to me, you know, but you don't look good, Like you don't look like you're going to make it through the day," Kwazii stammered.
"I'm all right, I promise."

"If you say so," he muttered. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to fix inflammation and other things."

...

Sounds... lovely, doesn't it...

"That sounds nice. Is it going well?"
"Nope. I don't have everything for it and I can barely move."

That was alarming.

What was even more alarming was when Peso started coughing.

Sure, it sounds stupid. An overreaction. To Kwazii, it wasn't, though.

It kept getting worse.

And worse.

And the coughing kept getting worse.

At this point, he was considering smacking Peso on the back again to make sure he wasn't choking on his own air. Was he even choking?

Sounded like it.

"Slow down, breathe in, calm down..."
"I am calm."
"Doesn't sound like you're calm."
"I am."

Kwazii slowly removed his arms from Peso's sides, afraid that if he let go that maybe he would collapse.

Goodness gracious, Peso was too stubborn to let him take care of him.

Kwazii was expecting a cold glare to be thrown at him, but that never came. All that came was silence. "You need to sit down. You seriously don't look good," he stated.
"I'm fine, what's your deal?"
"I don't want you collapsing, Peso!" he hissed.
"I'm telling you, I'm f-" he began, attempting to move over to Kwazii, but he could barely walk. It felt like every ounce of strength had been drained from his body, like he was a strained wet cloth.

"Yeah, you aren't fine. Let's go."

~

"I'm not sick or anything, I don't know why I feel like this."
"Are you sure you aren't sick? Don't got the flu or anything?"
"I was fine yesterday, why would I be sick today?" Peso asked, slouching down in his spot.
"Well, it can come on suddenly, ya never know," Kwazii said, shrugging.

...

"Kwazii..."
"Hm?"
"Kwazii."
"Yes?"
"I know exactly what this is."

That, coming from Peso, was not a shock.

He looked deranged for a second, like the realization had hit him and he never wanted it.

"Is it... I don't know, the flu?" Kwazii questioned, his tone of voice a joking one.

This was no joking matter.

"That's the problem, it is the flu! Avian, to be exact, oh, god, go away!" Peso swat and flailed his arms around in a sad attempt to get people away from him.

"Woah, calm down, matey," Kwazii said, laughing. He grabbed Peso's arms and holding them above the two of them. "You don't need to smack me."
"I will kick you if you don't let me go."
"If you do that, I will chuck you out a window."

...

Peso went quiet.

"I don't think this is as bad as you think it is. It's just a cold, maybe!"
"Kwaz, I don't think we have the same mindset. If this is bad, then I think I would be the person to know," he said. "Look, I'll just run... something... I don't know..."
"Run a... test?" Kwazii asked.
"Yeah... I should do that."