Getting It Together

Cough Syrup

The next morning came and went, and two days after the mess of a reunion dinner, Jory found himself in the living room talking with Logan about school. He wanted to gag. Right now, he should be in the college of his dreams, working to become a world-renowned chef. Instead, he was stuck as the best cook in the house, meaning there was little that anyone could teach him that he actually cared to learn.

"What's the point of learning astronomy if we can't look out the windows." He snarks under his breath.

"Jory-" He did admit he felt bad for making Logan upset. "If you would rather, we can go over math, science, or history, but these are the only things I can teach you at the moment. We have to work with what we've got."

Jory scowls, looking over at the couch where Giovonnie sat. Sela rested her head on the boy's lap. Florencio was half-heartedly trying to teach him something English-related, but Giovonnie was far too engrossed with his new favourite game "Stare at the TV like it was on". Alejo was playing the same game from where he sat at the armchair, lost in thought again. Then Jory looks down at Logan's finger, his nose wrinkling in quiet disgust. It was red and swollen and looked like Logan had dipped his finger in hot wax.

"Alright," Logan says stiffly when Jory doesn't even dignify him with a response, certainly noticing him looking at his hand. "Let's take a break then."

He stands and moves to squeeze into the armchair with Alejo, hiding his face in the older's neck and saying quiet things to him. Alejo snaps back into reality and starts to mumble a response as Giovonnie sneezes. Sela's head shoots up at the noise, then settles back down.

"Jory, maybe you could try a little harder to do what Pascal says." A ghost named Pumpkin sticks their head through the wall, staring at Jory. "For yours and Giovonnie's sake."

"Can't you see that I'm trying?" Jory says tiredly. "But this is way worse than last time. Pascal's going to kill all of us. What do you want me to do? Just eat whatever he hands me? Betray my faith like that? Betray myself like that? He never had a problem with feeding me Kosher foods before. I know he knows, and yet he insists on playing dumb!"

"Pascal's coming." Pumpkin suddenly says, disappearing. Logan hurries back to where he was sitting, picking up his textbook with some difficulty and starting to read off of a random page.

The door opens and Pascal steps inside, huffing as he struggles with the grocery bags. He closes and locks the door, smiling happily at his family before going to put everything away. Giovonnie sniffles, starting to cough.

"Are you alright Gio?" The ghost named Cat was back again, placing a hand to his forehead that goes right through him. "You aren't looking too well."

Florencio squints, inspecting the boy and putting his own hand to his forehead. "Oh, shit-Jesus Gio you're burning up."

"I don't feel good." Giovonnie mumbles. Jory did notice how red Giovonnie's face was looking.

"Cal!" Florencio yells, the nickname slipping out instinctively. "Gio feels sick!"

"Hang on!" Pascal bustles into the room, holding a thermometer. "I'm sure it's nothing." He pops the thermometer into Giovonnie's mouth, foot-tapping as he waited for the beep.

Pulling the thermometer out, he glances at the number on the flashing screen, pausing.

"Is he running a fever?" Cat asks worriedly. "He might need to see a doctor depending on how bad it is."

"It's...It's fine, I can handle it." Pascal mutters, lifting Giovonnie into his arms and starting to carry him upstairs.

"Pascal!" Florencio calls after him. "What was it?"