It Was a perfect day inside the pod of rosiepuff, John dory, clay, spruce,Floyd and branch were practicing their newest song. They would be recording it in a couple weeks at the recording studio.

Today was one of those rare days when john dory wasn't quite so ...bossy. Everything was going perfect. Clay smiled and thought. 'Whoa, John dory's not quite as bossy. We should have more days like this. Oh well, at least nothing can ruin today. '

But just as they were getting to the ending of the sing Floyd felt dizzy. He groaned quietly. He suddenly tripped and fell to the floor.

John Dory turned off the music. "Floyd what happened? You guys were perfect! Why did you...." John dory stopped as soon as he got a good look at his brother.

Floyd did not look good. He was flushed, sweat was running down his face, he shivered as if he was cold.

"Floyd are you ok?" Branch asked feeling concerned for his older brother.

Floyd groaned. "I dont... I don't feel so...good." He whimpered.

At that moment grandma rosiepuff entered the room,she took one look and gasped seeing her younger grandson. She ran to him and felt his forehead.

"Oh my... Floyd you feel pretty warm." She said. She helped Floyd up. Floyd whimpered and clung to his grandma. "I don't feel good grandma." He whined.

"Shhh I know baby. I know." She said she turned to his brothers. "We need to get floyd to the doctor."

John Dory nodded and picked up branch who reached out wanting to hug his brother.

At the doctor's office, clay was trying to distract branch by making goofy faces but branch wasn't interested.

Spruce noticed John dory look worried. He touched his brother's shoulder. "It's going to be alright John. Floyd is going to be alright. He probably has some kind of a cold. If that's the case all he needs is some rest, plenty of fluids and grandma's soup and before we know it he will be as good as new."

John Dory smiled gently at Spruce.

The door opened and out stepped the doctor with grandma rosiepuff and Floyd.

Branch started running to floyd wanting to give him a hug but suddenly Spruce picked him up. Branch was confused. What was going on?

He looked at floyd. Why was his brother covered in sparkly stickers.

Floyd sneezed and sniffled he moaned.

Grandma rosiepuff looked at the brothers and sighed. "I'm afraid Floyd has cone down with shimmer glitter spots."

"Aw man!" Clay groaned "not those!"

"Ugh! shimmer glimmer spots are the worst." spruce moaned. ( shimmer glimmer spots were like chicken pox but the spots are colorful glittery dots which covered a troll from head to toe and were not quite as itchy as chicken pox.)

"I'm afraid floyd will have to be on bed rest for a week."

John Dory suppressed a groan. He looked at floyd sympathetically. It wasn't Floyd's fault he had gotten sick. He sighed.

"Just make sure he gets plenty of rest, and drinks plenty of water and gets some soup and who knows he might feel better in 4 days instead of a week."

"Thank you doctor." Rosiepuff said gently.

Branch squirmed. "I'll cure floyd with a big hug." He declared trying to run to floyd.

Grandma rosiepuff shook her head. "I'm sorry branch but shimmer glimmer dots are actually contagious. If you get too close to floyd, you might catch them. I'm sorry branch but until your brother feels better, you're going to have to wait to hug him."

Wait to hug Floyd? That wasn't fair at all!

"But I wanna hug him now!" Branch said.

"I know branch but sometimes we have to wait to do the things we want to do." Clay said. "Besides you still have us."

Branch looked at floyd sadly.

At the pod, branch looked at the door to the den where floyd was placed in. The den was a room the boys would rest in when they got sick. Branch sighed. He didn't want to wait he wanted to give Floyd a get better hug right now! But how? His brothers were watching. He sighed as he looked at the room. He stared down at the blocks and began to build a tower . He sighed and suddenly he had an idea. He walked up to clay and tickled clay clay yelped and giggled. "Branch stop it what are you doing?" He asked as he laughed.

Branch smiled innocently. "Playing tickle tag." He replied.

Clay smiled. Branch loved tickle tag. In his opinion it was better then hide and seek. It gave the brothers an excuse to tickle each other. Although John dory claimed he was no longer ticklish, he still had a tickle spot or 2.

"Did I hear tickle tag?" Spruce asked

John Dory smiled to himself. "Maybe one game. But we gotta be quiet or grandma will tell us to be quiet."

Branch giggled. "Clay is the tickler." He said as he ran off.

"Not for long!" Clay said as he chased after Spruce who ran around the play room.

In the den, grandma rosiepuff spoon fed Floyd the last drop of soup.

Floyd swallowed and yawned. He snuggled under the covers.

"OK floyd now, I have to do some laundry. I'll be back in a bit to check on you after I give your brothers their cookies."

"OK grandma." Floyd sleepily said as he lay down and closed his eyes.

Grandma rosiepuff stepped out of the room and picked up her laundry basket. As she headed to the door, she heard the muffled sounds of giggles and smiled. She headed outside.

John Dory squirmed as branch tickled his feet.

"OK I give branch I give you win!" John Dory laughed as tears ran down his face.

Branch smiled happily clapping and he smiled even more when each of his brothers started to yawn.

Slowly each of the brothers lay down on the macrame rug. John dory was already asleep as soon as he lay down on the rug.

Spruce yawned and closed his eyes.

Clay yawned "just gonna take a real quick nap then...." He fell asleep before he finished his sentence. Branch smiled then tip toed to the den he pushed the door open and smiled seeing his brother in bed. "Floyd?" Floyd mumbled a bit in his sleep but remained asleep.

"Floyd?"

Floyd's eyes blinked open and he looked around he noticed branch and smiled, sitting up. "Hey branch." He said to branch who ran over to the bed chanting.

"Hug. Hug. Hug."

Floyd smiled then frowned. "Wait a minute I'm stil contagious branch if we hug you will get sick too."

Branch crossed his arms. "I don't care if I get sick. Plus if I get sick I can stay next to you and you won't be lonely. Plus hugs make everything better."

Floyd smiled. "Well alright one hug." He picked up his brother and hugged him. Branch giggled as he hugged his brother.

A little later grandma rosiepuff entered the playroom with a plate of cookies she smiled seeing all 3 brothers sound asleep... wait a minute... 3! Where was branch?  Frantically she looked all over the house. Where did branch go. As she passed the den she froze the door was open. She went in and saw Floyd sound asleep, hugging branch close to him.

Now grandma rosiepuff understood why branch had played tickle tag with his brothers. She shook her head smiling. She was about to try to pick up branch then stopped. And she found she couldn't do it. Branch looked so happy, sucking his thumb next to his brother.

She them sighed seeing a glittery spot appear on branch. Well looks like she couldn't keep them separated anymore. Since now branch had caught the shimmer glimmer dots. She pulled placed the bed for branch next to floyd and placed branch next to floyd. She felt Floyd's forehead and smiled. Floyd didn't feel quite as warm as he had earlier. Perhaps branch's hug had helped floyd after all.

A little later grandma rosiepuff found herself explaining to John Dory, clay and spruce what had happened

John Dory  blinked in disbelief. "OK grandma let me get this straight branch played tickle tag with us to tire us out so he could visit floyd and hug him?"

Rosiepuff nodded.

"Smart move." Clay said impressed with his baby brother. 

"But now there are 2 sick trolls." Spruce said.

Branch and floyd smiled at each other. .

"Well branch what do you have to say for yourself." John dory asked with his arms crossed.

"Now Floyd and I can get better together and I don't regret hugging him at all." Branch said smiling.

Grandma rosiepuff smiled. "You both must be thirsty. I'll get you and Floyd some juice."

Floyd smiled and he reached his hand to touch Branch's hand. Branch smiled happily. He was happy he didn't have to wait to be able to see floyd.    Floyd gently smiled at his brother.