A Sick Day To Remember

Surgery vs. Reality

When she finally woke up, it took her awhile to figure out where she was. It took a minute longer to realize that she wasn't in a hospital bed anymore. Instead, she found herself lying flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling above her.

"Hello?" She croaked hoarsely. "Is anyone here?"

"Yes, I am," a familiar voice responded. Gaz recognized it immediately.

"Dib?" She asked uncertainly. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Dib explained, walking over to stand beside her bed. "I heard you passed out earlier today and wanted to check up on you. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Gaz lied easily, hoping that he would buy her excuse. "Why did you bring me here? Where am I?"

"You're at the hospital," he informed her calmly. "We brought you here last night when you collapsed. The doctor said that you have a bad case of tonsillitis."

"Oh, great," she groaned sarcastically. "Just what I needed."

"Sorry," Dib apologized sincerely. "But you shouldn't have stayed out late last night. Your body needs rest."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes dismissively. "I'd rather stay awake than sleep anyway."

"Well," Dib sighed heavily. "At least you'll be able to recover faster now that you're resting properly."

"Yeah, sure," she murmured noncommittally. "Thanks for bringing me here. Now go away. I'm tired and cranky."

Dib gave her a small smile before heading back towards the door leading out of the room. Gaz watched him leave, relieved that he hadn't bothered to say goodbye. At least now she wouldn't have to listen to him babble on about aliens or conspiracy theories anymore.

* * *

After a few days of rest and medication, Gaz was finally released from the hospital. She returned home to find her dad waiting for her at the front door.

"Welcome back, kiddo," Professor Membrane greeted warmly, giving her a big hug. "I missed you terribly."

"Thanks, Dad," she whispered softly, returning the gesture. "I missed you too."

He smiled proudly at her. "I knew you could handle yourself without me around. You're growing up fast."

"Yeah, I suppose so," she mumbled shyly. "But I still need your guidance sometimes. Especially when I'm sick."

"Of course," he agreed.

Gaz then felt a sharp pain in her ear. Not from recovering from a cold, but she might need to have her tonsils out. This was confirmed by a specialist that the professor took her to.

"How does it look, doc?" Professor Membrane asked hopefully.

"Well, Mr. Membrane, I'm glad to report that your daughter's recovery appears to be progressing nicely," Dr. Lacey Wilson replied cheerily. "She seems to be responding quite favorably to the antibiotics we prescribed for her condition. Though, we may need to operate for a tonsillectomy."

"WHAT?!" Gaz nervously exclaimed.

Dib fainted at the mention of the word "tonsillectomy", which caused a commotion within the room.

"Dad, please, I don't want surgery!" Gaz pleaded desperately.

"I understand, dear, but it's necessary," Professor Membrane reassured her gently. "Doctor Wilson believes that removing your tonsils will greatly improve your chances of staying healthy in the future."

"But I'm fine now," she protested stubbornly. "I just need some rest and relaxation."

"Unfortunately, that isn't enough," Dr. Wilson interjected. "If we don't remove those pesky growths in your mouth, then you risk developing serious complications down the road. And believe me, it's better to get rid of them sooner rather than later."

"I still don't wanna do it," she whined petulantly.

"Come on, sweetheart," her dad coaxed soothingly. "This isn't going to be fun for any of us, but it's important for your overall health. Don't fight me on this. Please?"

"Fine," she huffed reluctantly. "But I swear, if anything happens to me during this operation, I'm gonna sue the pants off of you both. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Dr. Wilson promised obediently. "We'll take excellent care of you during the procedure. I promise."

"Good," she sighed resignedly. "Let's get this over with then."

**During her stay at the hospital, Gaz felt slightly nervous from the start. She was used to hospitals, but this was different. For the first time in her life, she was facing a major surgery. She didn't know what to expect, but she trusted that Doctor Wilson would do everything in his power to ensure that everything went smoothly.

"Hey, Gaz~" a familiar voice asked.

Gaz turned her head. It was Mandy! She was probably in the hospital due to a bad case of tonsillitis too!

"Hi, Mandy," she greeted her friend wearily. "What are you doing here?"

"My throat has been aching and I've been feeling tired," Mandy said. "My mom brought me here because she thinks that I'm getting sick."

"Oh," Gaz nodded. "Well, I hope you feel better soon."

"Me too," Mandy yawned. "I hate being sick."

"I know," she agreed. "Being ill sucks."

"So do you know what's happening?" Mandy asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Gaz wondered.

"I mean, why are you here?"

"Oh, that," she sighed. "My dad says I'm having my tonsils removed. Apparently, I have a bad case of tonsillitis."

"Oh," Mandy blinked in surprise. "That explains why you looked so pale yesterday."

"Yeah," she grimaced. "It's pretty gross."

"I bet," Mandy sympathized. "I've had tonsillitis myself once or twice."

"Really?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, when I was younger," Mandy nodded.

Mandy and Gaz sighed, looking at each other.

"So, how's Billy?" Gaz asked.

"He's fine," Mandy said. "Still annoying, but that's expected."

Gaz giggled. "Yeah, he is."