Gold, Raven, & Lavender: An Erasermic Family Fanfic

Chapter 10: Sickness and Recovery

Hizashi woke up alone in bed, blinking in the warm sunlight that streamed over his face. Shouta was off on a morning patrol while he had today and the rest of the weekend off. And Hizashi was more than ready to enjoy a few days of kicking back. Rolling over onto Shouta's side of the bed, he relished in the coolness of the sheets and closed his eyes contentedly. But something kept him from fully returning to slumber; a nagging little fear that fought through his sleep-hazed mind, telling him something wasn't quite right. With a groan, he pawed blindly beneath the pillows and eventually produced his phone. Maybe he was forgetting something he'd scheduled for today?

He unlocked the phone and the time and date were displayed to him in bright, bold characters:

9: 13 AM
Friday, February 7, 20XX

Why did that make him so uneasy? There was nothing particularly special about the date that came to mind, but he checked his calendar anyways. As he scrolled through his appointments, it hit him like a freight train: Hitoshi. He should have been up long before now, yet the baby monitor was dead silent.

"Oh, shit!" He cursed, eyes fully opening as he shot out of bed. He rushed out the bedroom and headed for the nursery, flinging open the door in a panic. Hitoshi was still in his crib, apparently asleep. Hizashi sighed and leaned against the doorframe, his anxiety subsiding.

"Shouta must have put you down a little early, huh pal?" He whispered, waking over to the crib. But as he got closer, he realized that the baby wasn't sleeping. Far from it actually. Hitoshi's eyes were half open, looking glazed and vacant as he sluggishly turned his head towards Hizashi. His breathing was shallow and his entire body looked flush.

"Toshi? You're not lookin' so good, buddy."

He placed a hand on Hitoshi's forehead and his eyes went wide when he felt the heat emanating from his tiny body.

"You're burning up the charts, little guy! C'mon, let's get you out of here and take your temperature."

He gently lifted Hitoshi out of his crib, shocked by the sheen of sweat that coated his skin and soaked through his pajamas. Hitoshi didn't squirm or kick as he was lifted, only giving a pitiful whine as he rested his head on Hizashi's shoulder. Hoping to comfort him, Hizashi gave the baby a few gentle pats. But instead of feeling soothed, Hitoshi felt even worse and vomited all down Hizashi's back and shoulder. Hizashi winced while Hitoshi let out a pathetic little cry once he'd finished. It was then Mic also noticed the awful smell coming from him.

"Oh boy. You're really sick, huh Toshi? It's okay. Shirts can be washed."

He carried Hitoshi into the master bathroom, stripped him of his soiled garments, and set him in the tub to give him a quick rinse with lukewarm water. Hitoshi barely protested the bath, making Hizashi's anxiety skyrocket once more. Once Mic was done, he bundled Hitoshi up in a soft towel and set him on the floor of the closet while he changed into jeans and a clean T-shirt. Hizashi then laid the sick baby in the crook of one arm, grabbed the first aid kit from the medicine cabinet, and pulled out a small, digital thermometer. He gently but firmly stuck it in Hitoshi's armpit, pulling a whimper from Hitoshi at the cold sensation. He weakly squirmed in Mic's grasp.

"I know, I know. It's a little chilly. Just be grateful this isn't going somewhere else." He mumbled, trying to keep Hitoshi still to get an accurate reading.

It beeped after a few seconds, displaying Hitoshi's temperature to be 101°F (38.3°C).

"All done! That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Mic crooned over him, removing the thermometer and returning it to the kit. "But we definitely need to call the doctor. Don't worry, rockstar! We'll get you fixed up in a jiffy."