" Ash?"

" Mmmmmmmm....?"

Gary, who was standing at the front door, raised a brow and walked to his friend's living room and gasped.. "Are you okay?"

Ash, who was lying down on his couch miserably, nodded weakly. " Mmmmmmrph...."

" Buddy, what happened?" Gary murmured as he walked to his best friend and knelt on the ground, gently brushing his poor friend's sweat covered hair off his face.

" mmmmm... M'fine."

" No you're not, buddy."

" Mmmmm....."

Gary didn't waste any time. He gently parted some of the blanket Ash was in and gently slipped his cool fingers through Ash's neck hole in his shirt

Ash flinched and weakly grabbed Gary's hand, trying to pull it out. " Mmmm.... Gary stooooooop...."

" I know, kiddo, " Gary said sympathetically. " Just a few more seconds."

" Garyyyyyyyy..." Ash whined, squirming.

" Okay okay I get it I got it we're done."

Gary quickly took his hand out and re- wrapped Ash in his warmth, then frowned and reached for his bag, pulling a pair of gloves and snapping them on.

" ' Kay, buddy, open your mouth for me." He said, taking the tongue depressor out and held it close to Ash;s mouth.

Ash blinked sleepily. " Hmmmmmph?"

Gary sighed patiently. " Open."

Ash blinked again. " .... Why?"

" Just humor me, buddy."

Ash groaned but painfully opened his mouth a little, albeit reluctantly.

" Thanks, buddy." Gary said as he helped pry Ash's mouth open a bit more, pressing his tongue down with his fingers and switched the depressor with a flashlight and waved it in his mouth, looking around.

" Hrrrrrmph...."

" Sorry, kid. I'm going as fast as I can."

Ash closed his eyes, his weak fingers grabbing Gary's hand weakly.

Gary's heart dropped. The poor guy.....

He quickly finished his examination and nodded, taking his hands out. " Well, your throat's irritated."

Ash opened his glassy eyes. " Gary.....?"

Gary swallowed. " Yeah, buddy. I'm here."

Ash managed a weak smile. " Gary...."

Gary let out a breath, his expression softening as he reached out to rub slow, reassuring circles into Ash's back. "Yeah, buddy?"

Ash blinked sluggishly, his fever-glazed eyes barely staying open. His fingers, still curled weakly around Gary's wrist, gave the faintest squeeze. "You're... warm."

Gary huffed a quiet laugh. "That's because you're burning up, dummy."

Ash let out a weak little hum, almost like he was considering this before he let his head loll slightly to the side. "M' tired..."

Gary shifted onto the couch beside him, tucking the blanket more securely around his friend. "I know, Ashy Boy. You're running a fever and probably have some kind of viral infection. Sore throat, body aches, fever—it's all lining up."

Ash made a miserable little noise, burrowing further into his cocoon of warmth. "Don't like it..."

Gary smiled softly, brushing some sweat-damp hair off Ash's forehead. "Yeah, I figured. But I'm gonna take care of you, alright? You don't have to do anything except rest."

Ash blinked up at him again, a drowsy kind of trust in his gaze. "Stay?"

Gary exhaled through his nose, like obviously, and gave Ash's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah, buddy. I'm not going anywhere."

Ash seemed satisfied with that answer, because his grip slackened, and within moments, his slow, uneven breathing evened out into sleep.

Gary shook his head fondly, pulling out a thermometer and some fever meds from his bag. "You're such a handful, Ashy Boy..." he muttered to himself.

Still, as he settled in to keep an eye on his feverish best friend, Gary figured he wouldn't have it any other way.