It started out fine...

[mitochondriaaya]

She was fourteen when the area karate regionals came around. Never mind the fact that it was early December, and her mid-terms were coming up, and she was still trying to come to terms with her new breast size. Like an idiot she said she'd be there, layered on sports bras, and trotted to the gym.

The fights were simple exhibitions, points awarded on execution and touches rather than beating an opponent into the ground. In her third bout Aya was getting tired, and her opponent, a human from two towns over she'd met in the ring before, was as well. That was probably why things went wrong.

Three points in he flubbed a spin kick and his ankle buckled, making the attacking foot lash in an unexpected direction. She didn't get a block up in time and he tagged her hard on the ribs, taking them both to the floor. The referee blew his whistle, hard, halting all conversation as paramedics came forward to access injuries.

One cracked ankle on his side.

Two cracked ribs on hers.

They both managed to facepalm at the same time when it was announced they were unfit to continue. "Next year," they mouthed at each other around the pained wincing as they were bandaged.

Comments

[mitochondriaaya]

"Braig was sick forever when he had pneumonia!" Aya pointed out, squeezing said boy's hand. "It's a long thing!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah, but Braig gets sick more than anyone else."

"Dude, uncool. Mom and dad get sick just as often."

[mitochondriaaya]

"You have a normal immune system for an olia!" Aya soothed. "It just really did feel like forever. And the having to stay in bed thing..." ugh. A lot of trouble for some shadows on an x-ray!

":Oh, hey, I can see the cracks in my ribs!" She hadn't noticed that!

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yes, they're healing quite well." the doctor said, "Not as fast as you normally do, but quite well."

Dilan rubbed Aya's shoulder, "We'll keep you entertained, Ayay."

[mitochondriaaya]

The nurse came in then to take blood and Aya held still dutifully for it. "Oh right, you guys are out for winter break aren't you? Hah, you're all mine..." cough.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yup." Braig agreed, "And not due back until Dilan has finished being sick, regardless of when that happens."

There were a couple of times it took until January for him to get ill.

[mitochondriaaya]

No girlfriends, no parties, and a sick kid sister to take care of of? Ouch. "You're gonna go stir crazy," she pointed out.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Nah." Braig said, stroking her hair, "You're always first. You and Dilan."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Doesn't prevent stir crazy," she laughed, ducking her head into the fuzzling. "Just saying. You guys do a lot now."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Because we love you, dork-face." Braig said, snorting.

Dilan grinned and nodded, "I'll get you back to the car while Braig gets your 'scripts, okay?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Yep, that's love." Aya snorted.

"Bad news!" The doctor announced. "No protein markers for bacteria. You're viral kid. That means rest, fluids, and sleep. I'll be giving you something to ease the coughing, and something to help break up gunk in your lungs, but those are only aids alright?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"We'll make sure she takes them." Dilan promised, "Can I take her out of here? Braig can get the 'scripts."

"Yeah." Braig said, moving away from Aya, "Thanks, doc."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Not a problem," the doctor grinned. "I want you all back in a week to make sure there's progress. Else we might have to consider hospitalization for a bit."

"I'll be good!" Aya swore, wrapping her arms around Dilan's neck.

[sliceitwithwind]

"You bet you will." Dilan muttered, "Or I'll sit on you."

Braig grabbed the prescriptions and headed to the pharmacy to get them filled.

[mitochondriaaya]

"...that might not be conducive to the 'continuing to breathe' thing." Aya noted to Dilan. Granted, he could sit on her legs and she would be just as stuck!

[sliceitwithwind]

"You have legs." he said, following her line of thought. He managed to open the car one-handed and slid her in gently, "Braig'll be back soon."

[mitochondriaaya]

"My poor legs," yep, she was doomed. When he slid her into the seat though she grabbed his hand. "Dilan? How...I know Braig has had pneumonia but how bad is it really? It doesn't look like a lot on the pictures right?"

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan sighed and cupped her hand in both of his, "It can be deadly, monkey, if it's not caught early and not taken care of. We caught yours early, and you're going to take care, so you'll be fine. We're going to keep you all wrapped up and babied until you hate us, but it's for the best."

[mitochondriaaya]

Deadly. Meep. Yeah, it was one thing to risk her neck or take a fall or something and get cracked up, but disease?! Disease was scary.

Yeah, that probably showed on her face. She didn't do scared often.

"I don't want it." Because that totally made sense.

[sliceitwithwind]

"I know." Dilan said, "I don't want you to have it. We're going to take care of you...you're going to feel awful, but we'll be there the whole time. You can order us around like Braig does when he's sick."

[mitochondriaaya]

"...that would be really weird." She could bossy, sure, but usually she had to be in the moment. Forethought and bossy didn't work out for her! "Can I have some of my favorite foods though?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Probably some of them." Dilan agreed, "It depends on how your stomach is doing."

[mitochondriaaya]

"It'll get in my stomach too?!" It was a super virus! She was doomed! Wait. Waaaait. Stop panicking. Think about biology class right? Did the lungs AND stomach make sense?

No. Not really.

"The medicine might make me feel sick?" she hazarded.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yup." Dilan said, "And sometimes you might be nauseas if you're not breathing very well, or the fever could make you not up to eating things."

[mitochondriaaya]

"That doesn't seem very well thought out, evolution wise." she muttered. "Hard to get better if your defenses screw you up!" Obviously Dilan needed to fix this. He was a genius biologist! He could...eh, rewrite people maybe?