In sickness and in health

Daylight

 You knew something was wrong the minute you woke up; your head ached, your nose was stuffed, and your throat felt raw. The moment you sat up, a hacking cough left your lungs as you blinked tiredly at the wall. Cotton grew in abundance in your mind as you tried to get ready for the day- lead filled your bones as you sat down for breakfast, unwilling to admit the obvious.

"Go lie down," your mother instructed the moment she saw your face, making you sigh.

"Ma, it's not that bad," you insisted, coughing as you tried to stand and continue on with your day. You mother immediately tutted and forced you back down, frowning and crossing her arms.

"You are clearly sick. Go lie down. I will go and talk to Julieta after breakfast," your mom instructed, and you had no choice but to accept it. She was right, of course- you were sick. You hadn't been sick in a while, not since you met Julieta, but this was not the same sickness from before. It was a common cold, something you knew was easily fixable from your time living in Encanto. You'd seen Julieta help those who had gotten sick hundreds of times. You had nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately, Camilo did not seem to understand this.

You were startled awake by Camilo bursting through your bedroom door, panic clear in his eyes as he looked over at you. Your brothers stood behind him, clearly just as confused as you slowly sat up, coughing and groaning in annoyance.

"Are you okay?!" Camilo asked anxiously, immediately kneeling next to the bed and cupping your cheek. You gingerly pushed his hand away, not wanting to get him sick.

"I'm fine, mi amor, it's just a cold," you stated firmly, and he sighed, standing and starting to pace around your room anxiously. Your brows furrowed in confusion as your little brothers giggled at his reaction.

"Is it really just a cold?" he finally asked after a small beat of silence. Understanding dawned in your eyes as you tried your best to smile reassuringly at him, decidedly ignoring the snot dripping down your face.

"Yes, Cami, it's just a cold, so stop your worrying," you chided, reaching for a handkerchief to wipe your nose with as you scowled at the said handkerchief in slight disgust. Camilo sat next to your bed, watching you with careful eyes. You raised a brow at him. "Something on my face besides the snot?" you asked, and he shook his head, looking away shyly as he fidgeted with the comforter of your bed.

"He ran all the way here!" your littlest brother chirped, the older of the two brothers nodding in agreement with a proud smile.

"He almost fell over when he first came in," the older brother snickered, both boys giggling and running off as Camilo shot a playful glare at them. You sighed softly.

"Camilo, I'm not made of glass you know, you don't have to be so worried about me," you stated softly, and he frowned.

"Why would I not be worried about you? Your mother came in saying you were sick, and I know how it was the last time, and I just- I had to know that I wasn't about to lose you."

Oh.

"Mi pobre camaleón," you whispered softly, grabbing his hand with a gentle smile, despite the pressing discomfort your body was feeling from trying to fight off your illness. He let his head hit the bed, squeezing your hand tightly as he tried to hide the tremendous amount of worry he'd clearly been feeling. You'd scared him, almost to death, with the mere thought of having to live without you. You knew that your situation was a unique one, considering what you had already been through, and his reaction was more than reasonable the more you thought about it. The poor man had probably thought you were on death's door again, your mother going to beg his tia for help to save your life once again. How was he supposed to know it was just a simple cold unless your mother said something?