Flu

Chapter 1: Waking

Héctor woke up shaking. It felt cold somehow.

What time is it?

Reaching the bedside table, he looked at the small clock: 3:45 a.m.

Another chill shook his body and he huddled in bed. Nausea caught him off guard as he rubbed his forehead.

He was feeling terrible.

••••••••••••

Morning finally arrived and the family was in the kitchen making breakfast.

The poor skeleton felt too weak to get up from bed, also the smell of food was making him feel more nauseous. His stomach churned again as he changed position under the sheets.

His throat felt dry and hurt too. He coughed and discovered that even his chest was aching.

Sick again, he thought.

At least thirty minutes passed and Héctor was still in the bedroom. That was worrying Imelda a lot.

"He's just tired" Felipe said, feeling her anxiety. "Don't you remember when we were alive that he used to sleep a lot?".

"I know, I know. I mean, it's strange that he's still sleeping. He wakes up late, but at this time he comes down right? He's always hungry in the morning after all" Imelda felt her phantom heart racing.

Another ten minutes passed.

Imelda decided to check him up.

As she opened the door of their bedroom she found him shaking a lot and whimpering. She touched his body and immediately shrank back. He felt too warm. A coughing fit escaped his throat and he started shaking even harder.

"Héctor, querido, are you ok?" Imelda whispered to her sleeping husband, trying not to wake him suddenly.

He did not respond, instaed he opened an eye. Imelda felt her heart sinking, it looked devasted and even had a reddish tone.

"Mmmmh.... I-I-I-melda..?" the poor man tried to speak but another terrible cough broke his sentence.

"Ugh, you look very sick" she said, caressing Héctor's head.

Then, Imelda fixed the bed sheets to make them more confortable.

"I should bring you some food before you take a medicine, you know that you cannot take them without eating" Imelda said, as she closed the door of their room.

Food?? Not now-

Just the mention of food made his poor guts twisting again, feeling vomit rising up his throat. He swallowed and fortunately that horrible sensation disappeared.

That's going to be worse.

•••••••••••••••

Imelda went upstairs bringing some huevos rancheros for her sick husband.

As she reached the bed she said "I absolutely understand you're feeling bad right now, but please at least try to eat something".

Even if they were skeletons, they could still feel hungry, thirsty, sleepy, ecc. They had invisible stomachs where the food could go to. Illnesses and other infections could still affect them. They, of course, couldn't die after getting them, but they were still troublesome, especially for Héctor, who still had a very sensitive immune system.

She placed the tray on the bedside table, but Héctor gave her a worried glance.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I'm feeling... queasy..." the poor man spoke, his voice sounded hoarse.

"Oh," Imelda realised, "means that I'll have to call a doctor to see if he can prescrive a medicine to take without eating"

A chill ran down the man's spine as he heard the word 'doctor'.

"I'll be right back! Rest for now. If you may feel a little better try to eat something"

Imelda placed a small kiss on his forehead (which was boiling) and quickly left the room.

Silence invaded the bedroom. He could hear how his breathing sounded bad.
He placed his aching head on the pillow, closing his eyes.

At least sleeping may be helpful, the sick skeleton thought.

He yawned and finally sleep overwhelmed him.