Kiss of Fate

Head Cold

Waking up at Mumbo's place, I immediately knew something was wrong. My head felt heavy, a dull throb pulsing at my temples, and my throat ached as if I'd swallowed sandpaper. My body felt sluggish, weighed down by exhaustion, and the faint dizziness when I sat up told me I wasn’t feeling great. For a second, I had to remind myself where I was—Mumbo’s couch, still wrapped in his blanket from the night before.

I groaned softly, rubbing my eyes as Mumbo’s voice broke the silence. “You alright?” He was leaning against the doorway, concern etched across his face.

“I feel awful,” I admitted, my voice rasping. “Like I got hit by a truck… but I can’t stay here.” I tried to stand, but the room spun for a moment, forcing me to grip the back of the couch for support.

Mumbo moved closer, gently placing a hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to go anywhere. Stay and rest up. I can take care of things for you.”

I shook my head, still stubborn despite how bad I felt. “I wish I could, but I’ve got stuff to do. I can’t just disappear.”

Mumbo frowned, clearly not happy with my answer. “At least let me drive you home then. You’re in no state to walk anywhere, and I don’t trust you driving like this.”

I hesitated, but after a beat, I nodded. “Alright... yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” Truthfully, I didn’t have the energy to argue, and the dizziness was making it hard to focus on anything other than getting home.

“Good,” Mumbo said, relief in his voice as he moved to grab his keys. “I’ll get the car ready. You, just take it easy for a minute.”

As I sluggishly gathered my things, Mumbo gave me a glance. “You sure you’re okay to go? You really look like you could use more rest.”

I forced a smile, though it probably looked weak. “I’ve been worse. I just need to get back, sleep it off.”

“Alright,” Mumbo said, still not convinced but not pushing the issue further. “But if you feel any worse, you better call me, okay?”

I nodded, grateful for the offer, even though I wasn’t sure I’d take him up on it.

The car ride was quiet. The early morning rain still lingered in the air, droplets clinging to the windshield as we drove through the misty streets. Mumbo kept glancing over at me, as if checking to make sure I hadn’t passed out, but I just leaned against the window, watching the city blur by.

After a while, Mumbo broke the silence. “You really should take it easy, you know? You push yourself too hard.”

“I know,” I muttered, not really in the mood for a lecture. “It’s just... I don’t have much choice.”

“There’s always a choice,” he said quietly, his tone more serious than I expected. “You don’t have to carry everything on your own.”

I didn’t respond. It was easier to stay quiet, to let the hum of the engine fill the space between us. But his words stuck with me, even as I closed my eyes and let the exhaustion take over.

When we finally pulled up outside my place, Mumbo turned to me. “You gonna be okay from here?”

“Yeah,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for the ride.”

He gave me a long look, then nodded. “Call me if you need anything. And seriously, rest.”

I nodded again, but as I stepped out into the chilly air, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of his words settle deeper on my shoulders.

I walked up to my front door, feeling the chill seep through my bones, and twisted the key in the lock. As soon as I stepped inside, I was met with two loud, hungry meows—Pearl and Maui were waiting. Their impatience brought a faint smile to my face, a small bit of normalcy in an otherwise overwhelming day.