Sickness

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd, 'n' Eddy or it's characters.

Chapter 3,

Edd stirred awake when he felt a damp cloth on his face. He heard hushed tones conversing with each other, but couldn't quite make out the full sentences.

"Is... okay?"

"Don't... dork... fine."

"... sure?"

"Sure enough."

The damp cloth returned, patting Edd's neck, and at his forehead again.

"Who...?" Edd said softly, wanting to know where such gentle hands came from.

"Shh." A voice said and Edd didn't question it. His eyelids were so heavy, that even if he managed to open his eyes, he just closed them back up.

"Jimmy, why don't you try calling Edd's parents again. He's getting worse." The voice said and Edd heard tiny feet shuffling off.

"You gave us quite the scare, Mr. Genius." The voice continued to dap Edd. He rubbed the damp rag across Edd's chest, or at least what was already exposed because of his t-shirt.

"S-sorry." Edd muttered and a muted chuckle was heard.

"Eh, I can't get mad at you until you're better." Edd said and to his surprise, he was lifted slightly and he felt the wet cloth on the back of his neck. Edd shuddered with a soft moan and he clenched his hands which grabbed a small handful of his surroundings.

"Hm?" The voice noticed Edd's reaction and Edd was set down again.

"Uh, you... need to rest." The voice said and Edd's bed moved as if someone was getting off of his bed. Though he did not possess the strength to open his eyes, he reached out and grabbed what felt like a hand.

"Wait..." Edd whispered and the hand trembled in Edd's grasp.

"I-l..." Edd started and then he swallowed to clear his throat.

"I don't want to be alone." Edd said and a tense moment passed as the voice considered what to do.

"Fine, I'll stay. But you'll totally owe me one." The voice said and Edd smiled as the speaker sat back down on the bed. Edd felt like he could really relax now. Edd kept a hold of this gentle hand and pulled it close to his chest.

"Um... E-Edd...?" The voice questioned, and Edd nuzzled it softly.

"Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy." Edd robotically spike before snoring loudly. Edd slept soundly and peacefully, for a while. He kept the comforting hand close as his own personal delusion of staying safe. Guarded by the person who gentle nature would protect him from anything.

Eventually, Edd woke, feeling much more stable and alert, but still ill. He opened his eyes and saw the cover of a book titled 'Illnesses and Cures'. Edd tried to remember pulling the book off of the shelf to read, but all he could recall was that hand. Edd looked down and saw that he was still holding the soft hand close to his heart and Edd blushed a little. Normally people don't touch him, and if they do, they are either the Kanker sisters looking for love, or one of his friends trying to manipulate him.

The hand had a green sleeve, and was connected to the book. And though this did make Edd think of the song 'Green Sleeve', he didn't let the tune distract him from discovering who this person was. Edd looked up at the reader and saw a young boy, about his age.

He read the book with concentration, and occasional confusion, but he looked quite humble. He sat in a chair next to Edd's bed and he held the book with one hand as he read. And when he wanted to turn a page he set the book down on his lap, and flipped it before lifting the book back up again. Edd looked at the boy reading, and in his groggy state, he still struggled to find a name for this individual. Edd looked at the boy's hat, so familiar, and yet he couldn't truly grasp a memory with it.