Thirty one: Narcissus

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He is drawing them all together. I smile. He colors them.
"Are you done?"
He nods. Then falls asleep. I do too. I wake up pretty much instantly. Yucca is standing beside me.
"How long have you been there for?"
"Just ran in here."
I nod. He yawns quietly. I get up to go check on Prissy. She nuzzles me. I hug her. She coughs. Yucca runs in
"Are you ok?" I ask her.
"Still don't feel good."
I nod, "just rest."
She does. He makes some soup. We hear a loud whimper. I go towards it. Narcissus?
"Narcissus are you ok?"
"Arf!"
He's a dog now... Not really actually. He has a tail. I sigh.
"Arf!"
I don't know what to do... He changes back. I smile. He lays down. I sit down. He whimpers softly.
"What's wrong?"
"Head hurts..."
I nod. He lays down weakly. I sigh. Yucca walks in.
"Narcissus?"
"Yucca?"
"How do you feel?"
"Sorry..."
"Hm?"
"I'm a sorry piece of shit."
Yucca's eyes go wide as he scoops him up. I look down.
"Don't act like that!"
I sigh.
"But it's true!"
"No it isn't!"
"It isn't."
He starts to cry.
"Yes it is! I've been such an ass hole to all of you!"
"It's ok!"
"No it's not! I don't deserve anything!"
"It's ok trust me it's ok!"
"No!"
I look down. He climbs out and starts crying harder. I sigh. Yucca sighs softly. Yucca leaves the room. I follow him. Acanthus walks overs, "How is he mentally?"
"Not good..."
I nod.
"Let's just get some food in them."
I nod. We hear loud sickly coughs from his room. He sounds sick... Yucca frowns. I look down.
"Let's get soup going."
I sit down. Aloe stumbles in.
"Is Narky okay?"
"He sounds sick."
"Is sick."
I nod.
"Narky..."
I sigh. He hugs me. I hug him back. He nuzzles me. I smile. Yucca comes back with some potato, carrot, celery stew.
"Narcissus' favorite..."
I nod. He smiles weakly. I smile back. He nuzzles me.  I sigh. He cries softly. I let him cry. He nuzzles me. I smile. He smiles back then collapses.
"Are you ok?"
"My legs went out."
I nod.
"Can you carry me to Acanthus?"
I nod. I carry him to Ancanthus. Acanthus smiles weakly. I smile back. He puts Aloe in a chair. I sit down. Aloe smiles and asks, "milk?"
"Sure what flavor?"
"Strawberry!" He cries.
"Chocolate!" Hollyhock cries.
I chuckle.
"Okay."
I sigh. He gets them it. I sit there.
"What do you want to drink?"
"A coke please."
He nods.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
I smile. He smiles back then hands me the coke. I drink it. Oh it's so cold!!
"It's cold!"
"Good cold? Or I need to put it in a glass in the microwave?"
"A good cold."
"Good."
I smile. I hear Yucca cough sickly. He must be sick too. Did whatever Narcissus have spread to Yucca? Acanthus realizes it and stuffs a thermometer in my mouth.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to make sure you're not sick too."
The thermometer reads 37 degrees Celsius. He sighs with relief. I nod. Wait is that normal? He nods and says, "yeah normal human temperature. We thrive at 38.7 degrees Celsius."
I nod.
"You seem to be immune to this... do you mind taking their temperature?"
"I don't mind." I take their temperatures. 40 degrees Celsius!! He must be sick! Now to take Narcissus' temperature... I take his temperature. 43... he's very sick! Yucca tries to get up to feed Narcissus but is too weak and sweaty. I feed Narcissus. He barely manages to swallow. I sigh. Yucca coughs and sputters. I feed him too. He smiles weakly. I smile back.
"Thank you."
"No problem!"
They fall asleep. I walk out.
"How are they? What temperatures?"
"Narcissus is 43 and Yucca is 40."
"Oh god..."
"I don't know if they're getting worse or better."
"Me neither..."
I sigh. He sighs softly. I look down. He rubs my back.
"I'm sure they'll get better..."
I nod. He smiles weakly. I smile back. He sits down. So do I. He sighs softly. I sigh too. He lays down.  I look around. It's the living room. I sigh. He gets up and goes back to bed. I go to bed. So sleepy now.

Dream.

Who is that man? He's in a crystal...
"W-Who are you?"
He doesn't answer because he's in a crystal.
"Who is he?" I hear Narcissus asks. 
I shrug. We walk towards him. I look at it. It's a grey crystal. He seems to bolt to life.
"Narcissus?"
I back up.

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