[REDACTED]

III

Three weeks later

- - - - - - -

Karl was half asleep in his math class, god he was tired. Robin was in this class with him, and she was noticing him falling asleep. She tapped his shoulder and he turned to look at her.///

"Karl, you're about to fall asleep, text someone to bring you home, or just go home." Karl shook his head.

"No I have to be in this class, my next block is pe with Luke, so I'll just take it easy ok?" Robin didn't seem to like his conclusion but didn't say anything to alter it.

"Ok, but I'm gonna make sure you sleep tonight." Karl nodded at his sister before attempting to pay attention in class again.

- - - next class - - - -

Karl was last to show up for class, they were outside today and it was hot, but he still felt cold. When he walked out to the football field and track the coach didn't seem to notice his lateness or tiredness, but Luke did. ///

"Karl are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm just kinda cold, and tired, Robin told me to go home but I don't wanna be there by myself."

"Are you sure? Come here let me feel your head." Karl walked over to his boyfriend who gently put his hand to the shorter's forehead.

"Oh Karl, you have a fever, c'mon let's go." Karl stayed put.

"No, I don't wanna be home alone." Luke still took his hand and began to walk over to the coach.

"It's fine, we can go to my house for a while." When they approached the coach, Karl was starting to feel dizzy. Luke talked quickly, "Coach, he isn't feeling good, I'm gonna take him to the nurse and I might have to take him home too." The coach just nodded and waved them off, caring more about timing the people on the track.

So then Luke began to walk Karl to the nurse's office. ///

"Hello Nurse Amanda, Karl isn't feeling good, I think he has a fever." She stood up.

"Well thanks for bringing him in, you both take a seat while I get a thermometer." She walked into the backroom quickly before coming back to them, she put the clear cover over the metal rod and then put it in Karl's mouth.

She stared at the handheld machine expectantly until it beeped, she nodded in confirmation as she hit the button to release the plastic cover into the garbage can. "Yep, he has a fever, 101.2. What feels wrong Karl?"

"Well, I've had a stuffy nose all day and I've been coughing pretty bad. I couldn't sleep well last night either." She set the thermometer on her desk and faced the two of them.

"Yep, you're definitely going home, is anyone at your house?" He shook his head no, so Luke chimed in.

"I can take him to my house for a while." She nodded in agreement.

"That's good. Oh, also make sure he gets lots of water, not carbonated drinks that I see him carrying around everywhere, just plain water. If he starts to throw up then possibly sprite but nothing more. I'll excuse you both for today."

- - - walking into Luke's house - - - -

"Ok Karl, I'm gonna go get some water from the kitchen, just wait here ok?" Karl nodded and Luke left down the hall. Karl looked around at the photos in the living room, there were photos of his parents at their wedding, a photo he was guessing was Luke's ultrasound photos cause of the date on it. There were photos of him as a baby, smiling and happy. Then were his sister's ultrasounds, then photos of her. There was also a slightly bigger photo of the two of them in the bath when he was four and she was two. He smiled seeing their laughing faces covered in bubbles. There was one family portrait of them all, Karl knew where they got their looks from.