Off Planet (Asterism Chronicles Volume One)

Sick

I woke up coughing. I coughed until I couldn't breathe, which made Jack wake up. He shot out of bed and looked at me as I caught my breath. Holding my side I looked at him.

"Are you okay?" He asked feeling my forehead

"I'm fine. It's just a cold, I told you." As the pain in my side subsided I stood up and stretched my legs.

"Your warm. I think you have a fever. Sit back down, I'll get Martha."

"You don't need to. I'm fine. I don't feel sick." I said as he left the room.

Shaking my head I went to the bathroom. My side hurt still, but the scab was healing. As I looked at it I noticed the veins around it were visibly darker. I'm fine, this is what it's supposed to look like, I thought, convincing myself its okay.  Its going to leave a scar, just like Jack's.

As I went into the kitchen for water Martha came in. Jack was following her saying that I'm sick still.

"It takes a couple days to go away, Jack." She said as he walked up to me.

"Feel her forehead, its warm."

Martha felt it and looked at Jack. "She'll be fine. She has a cold, it will get better soon. Here." She handed me a couple tea bags.

"Thanks Martha." I put them in a bowl laying on the counter as Jack grabbed a mug.

"Now, I have to go back to Alex before he wakes up. If you get any worse, lay down. I'll come check on you later."

Martha left as Jack started the fire again. He boiled the water he collected from the rain and dropped a tea bag in it. We sat there as a sharp pain hit my side. I almost dropped the tea as it hit.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked jumping up.

"It's fine. I think its from coughing. Don't worry." I hope its from the coughing. I thought.

"You need to rest. Jun will be here tomorrow, if we have extra money I'll take you to a doctor."

"I said I'm fine. We need the money for when we go to the
next planet. It's only a cold."

"But what if it isnt. What if the bullet in you is making you sick?"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry." I placed my hand on his arm as he stared at me. "And if it is the bullet, we can wait until we get off this planet. It will be safer."

At my touch his eyes grew less scared, "okay, but if you get worse we are taking you to a doctor."

"Fine."

We sat there watching the small fire on the stove until it fully died down. As it did Jack pulled out the art supplies again. He handed me a pile of paper and pencils. We sat there drawing for hours as my cough got worse. Every time it racked my body, my side grew more painful and Jack's expression grey more severe.

After a while I decided to lay down, for the coughs tired me. Jack brought me more tea and sat beside me as I grew hot.

"Your burning up." He said feeling my forehead. "We need Martha. "

He stood up to go get her but I grabbed his hand. "Please don't bother her." My voice hoarse from coughing. "I'm fine, its just a small fever."

"That's what you said about the cough. Now you're worse."

He walked out the room as I lay there clutching my side. Please say it's not because of this. I prayed.  Martha came in as I let go of my wound. She felt my head and looked at me worry in her eyes.

"It's only been five hours and you've gotten this much worse?" She said placing a wet rag on my head.

"Martha, it's just a fever. I'll be better soon."

She smiled at me as she spoke with doubt in her eyes, "yeah, you'll be fine. Jack, keep the rag on her head cold. Her fever needs to break."

"Okay, Martha." He left the room to grab the bucket of rain water he collected.

"How your side?" Martha went to lift my shirt as I stopped her.

"It's fine. The scab is going away, I'll have a scar though."

With suspicion on her face she let me be. She didn't want to force me to show her my side.

Jack came back with water as Martha told me to go to sleep.

"Tomorrow I'm taking you to a doctor. Don't try to refuse, you need it. I'll buy the tickets first."

Not wanting to worry Jack anymore I agreed, knowing I wouldn't go through with it. As Martha and Jack sat there I fell asleep, my face burning and my side throbbing again.