Why Don't We Sickfics

Tonsils

A lil bit of Jachary 😜

"Everybody up! Everybody up! Promo in half an hour!" the boys' tour manager called.
Zach yawned as he sat up in his bed, instantly feeling the sharp pain of regret as his throat clenched. Something had been bothering it since they'd started the tour, and as he kept performing, it only got worse. He hadn't even eaten the night before, it was so painful.

What used to just be a weird tingling sensation became a dull pain, then a throbbing ache, and now it was like something was stabbing his throat repeatedly. But he could still sing, and talk, so he figured it was just a sore throat. This kind of thing happened to Zach all the time, but it was the first time they were on tour and he didn't want to go ruin it.

He reluctantly rolled out of bed, doing his hair as quickly as possible before grabbing a cup of yogurt for breakfast.

"Not too hungry?" Jack asked through a mouthful of bacon and eggs. "We actually have a decent breakfast today."

Zach shook his head. The breakfast was tempting, but the stinging pain that engulfed his throat every time he swallowed was enough to dispel the feeling. "I'm good." He threw away his yogurt after half a spoonful.

This happened way too often for the singer. For some reason, he kept getting a really painful sore throat. He thought at first that it was because of all the singing. But he protected his throat as much as possible-- he drank so much water that he had to switch bunks with Jonah and have the one closest to the bathroom. The older boy had been complaining that Zach's footsteps up and down the bus were waking him up at night.

Zach took a swig of water, eyes closing in relief as the liquid cooled his throat. He rubbed his throat instinctively, feeling it ache.

"You okay? Jack asked, tiny particles of scrambled eggs flying from his mouth. "You look tired."

"I am tired." Zach rasped, cringing at the scratchy feeling in his throat.

~~~

"Two minutes until air!" the TV producer announced. "Everyone to places!"

The boys assumed their positions in the TV studio, holding their microphones. They looked out at the fans in the live audience. There were at least fifty of them, and even more standing outside by the windows.

"It's a live performance," Zach muttered to himself, rubbing his throat mindlessly. "Don't screw this up." He always got a little nervous for shows. The idea that millions of people could be watching him live was a bit more frightening than he cared to admit.

The music started, and he followed the simple choreography, smiling nervously. The youngest band member felt his throat inflame aggressively as he swallowed, feeling tears rush to his eyes.

It was almost his turn to sing, so he raised the microphone to his lips and mentally prepared himself. This was going to be good.

As soon as his part started, his voice cracked. Noticeably. The usual flush in his cheeks increased, but he continued singing. His voice was off, and he knew it. It wasn't pitchy or anything, but the tone of his voice was much raspier than before. It sounded deeper, scratchier, almost like he was a county singer without the country accent. He could just imagine the comments fans were going to make about it.

His voice was slipping. And it was pretty obvious, too. His voice cracked again during the group harmony, and he gave up in the middle. At least he just had a lower harmony, not the melody in this harmonic part.

Zach tried singing more quietly. His throat was angry, it felt swollen and painful. Every breath that went through his airway sent a searing pain through his throat. The brunette blinked the tears out of his eyes, frustrated and humiliated. The pain was getting worse-- stinging, throbbing, stabbing... It was probably the worst his throat had ever been. He rubbed it gently, but it only made the pain pulse harder.