Taunyia Gets Sick

     "Cripes! Taunyia, hey, you okay?"

     "No, Mama," the jelly Tonu said. She sniffled, sounding like an avalanche of rocks in the process.

     "Of course she's not okay, she's got red spots all over her because you fed her a negg of all things and she's sneezing because her body is trying to get that negg out of her system. If there's one thing you don't ever do, it's feed a Tonu a negg," Indamira said. She adjusted the blanket on her sister. Taunyia was lying on the couch, with Indamira and KT beside her. Taunyia started to scratch at a spot but Indamira slapped her hand with her paw. "No."

     "I didn't know, though!" KT said, on the brink of panic. She pulled at her hair in frustration. "It was chocolate and it looked like an egg, I just found it, how was I suppose to know it had negg in it? I'm not a mind reader!!"

     The Christmas Cybunny scoffed. "You fed her something you just found? Wow, Mama, I'm never taking food from you again."

     "It was in my inventory, don't give me that look!"

     "For how long?"

     "It wasn't melted--"

     "Hhhey," Taunyia said, flinging her arms out. "Hey, Mama."

     "What, Taunyia dear?" KT asked in a shakiest sweet voice she could muster.

     "How about, instead of arguing, you go get me some medicine? I'd like that, y'know, if you could, I mean. I'm not in a rush. Just going to stay sick for a while right here."

     "Medicine," KT repeated. She nodded. "Right."

     "While you're out, maybe you could get some more food?" Indamira asked, fluffing the pillow under Taunyia's head with her stubby paws. "We're out of marshmallow omelettes and Samii's acting like it's the end of the world."

     "Sure. Yeah. Um."

     The Cybunny looked at her owner incredulously. "What. What could possibly be the problem. There is no shortage of neopoints there's like a gazillion in the bank you let no one touch ever."

     "I, uh." KT laughed a high pitched laugh of guilt. "I forgot the bank PIN number."

     Both Indamira and Taunyia stared at her; Taunyia blinking the information in, Indamira torn between seething and unsurprise.

     "Of course," she said. "Of course this is something you'd do. Oh my Fyora I can never expect you to remember anything, from negg allergies to PIN numbers!"

     Indamira was genuinely annoyed. She would be angry but she didn't feel like wasting it at the moment. She might as well go on trying to keep Taunyia from scratching all those spots on her, not that she felt a need to out of sisterly kindness or anything. She just didn't want Taunyia to accidentally make it worse. That'd only create more problems.

     And so Indamira reacted in the only way she knew how, which was to smack Taunyia's arm again as she went to rub a red spot and growl in annoyance at her owner. She liked KT, really, but the human could be insufferable sometimes. "Mama," she said, kneading her own forehead. "Mama, just go get some neopoints or something, I don't care how, and buy the cure. Some shot or something. We don't have any shots in the safety deposit box. So go get the right one."

     The owner nodded frantically. "Right, right, of course. I will go. Now."

     She left the room. Indamira sighed with relief.

     "Indamiraaa," Taunyia whined. "It's so--so--BLAHTCHOO!"

     "Oh Fyora you're sneezing up chocolate jelly chunks," Indamira said in the blandest shock she could muster. Disgusting. "Do you need a tissue for that?"

     "That would be nice, yeah," Taunyia said, sliding deeper and deeper into the couch.

     KT poked her head back into the living room. "Hey, uh, can I just grab someon--"

     "Take someone and GO OH MY GOSH," Indamira said, not even looking back as she pointed to the living room. KT cheered to herself and ran up the stairs, coming back down with little Urgerrt, the white Grundo baby of the family. He gurgled some sound out, joyful as ever.

     "See ya!" KT said, slamming the door behind her.

     Indamira groaned. Taunyia grumbled in agony.

     "Oh shut up," Indamira said, "it's just an allergic reaction."

     Taunyia blew a raspberry at her.

     --

     "Hey, Urgerrt, baby doll, how's Mama's little Urgerrt doing?" KT gushed to the pet in her arms, because at least this pet wasn't sick or angry beyond measure with her. Urgerrt grabbed at her fingers as she walked, giggling like an adorable little child.

     KT smiled. "Awwwww," she cooed.

     Urgerrt laughed. "Ur-ur-ur! Urg urg!"

     "Right, I gotta get medicine for your big sister, because Mama was a big dummy and fed her a negg and now one of your other big sisters is really really mad at Mama, Mama can just tell," KT rambled on, scurrying as fast as she could into town. She tended to do both of those actions in reaction to extreme nervousness, or stressful situations, or even both.

     Urgerrt calmed down a little, looking at his owner curiously. "Urgerrt?" the little Grundo gurgled.

     "Haha, no, I'm fine, Mam's fine," KT said. "Or at least she hopes she will be. But, bigger matters, just bigger matters! Medicines for Taunyia!"

     They just hit town. She started walking toward the hospital, but then backtracked and started heading toward the money tree.

     "Money first!" she corrected, in the same nervous jubilant tone, "Can't buy medicine without money!"

     --

     Indamira nodded at her handiwork. "There. Now you won't scratch yourself."

     Taunyia was wrapped neck-scruff down in towels and blankets. "Gee, um, thanks Indamira, I was under the impression you'd just keep yelling at me to stop but, this is nice. Kind of." She paused. Blew out some air. "Definitely cozy."

     "Now you can't complain that I never do anything for anyone," Indamira said. She crossed her arms over her chest, smirking to herself. "Yes. This is just dandy. Helping is actually enjoyable."

     "Are you, um, I don't know, helping.... right?" Taunyia asked, struggling under all the cloth she was wrapped in.

     Indamira frowned. "What. Of course. This is the only way I can think to make you stop scratching yourself. Don't even think about--stop that, do you want me to wrap up your NOSE too??"

     Taunyia froze mid-action, horn scratching at her somehow exposed shoulder. "Um. No. Um. I mean. I don't. Need. That."

     "Oh gosh," Indamira said, walking out of the room. "I will be back in a minute, don't scratch anything, or move, AT ALL."

     Taunyia whined. Tried pouting. But Indamira was already gone. Crud.

     --

     "GOT IT, FINALLY!" KT shrieked for joy, holding the sack of five hundred scrounged up neopoints in her hand. Urgerrt was clinging to her neck piggy back style, so tiny he was nearly slipping off. But he was happy that she was happy.

     "Urgerrt urgerrt!" he cried. KT did a bit of a victory dance until she was bumped into by three different Neopians trying to get their money tree items first.

     "Maybe we should move," she said. "Yes. Great idea. Thank you, Urgerrt, you're a gem."

     "Urgerrt!" he cheered.

     --

     "BLA-TCHOO!"

     Indamira kept her eyes closed, for a moment, before groaning. "You sneezed in my face," she said in a calm, irritated manner.

     "Sowwy," Taunyia groaned. "Can dhu wipe my node?"

     Indamira used the shirt she found to frustratedly wipe the jelly-chocolate-snot from Taunyia's nostrils. Taunyia smiled.

     "Thanks," she said. Then she frowned. "Is that Mama's shirt?"

     "It was all I could find, okay?" she snapped.

     Taunyia's ears drooped in fright. "Okay."

     They were both silent for a moment, as Indamira wiped herself clean with the other side of the red shirt.

     "When's Mama coming back?" Taunyia asked.

     "Beats me," the Cybunny said. "Depends on if she remembers the PIN number--isn't it just a PIN? Eh. Could be gone another two years, I don't know." She stopped, looking the Tonu in the eye. "Oh my gosh, I'm kidding, stop making that face."

     --

     The Hospital was not nearly as busy as it usually was, being there were no sudden curse springing pandemics or random events that anyone knew about at the moment, and also because a lot of the people that would come to the Hospital went to the Healing Springs instead these days to just cure the illness outright, not identify it's source. People were so lazy these days.

     KT looked over the list with hard, intense focus, rubbing her chin for good measure too. She moved her mouth in different ways, as if that would help her thought process too. She looked over at the front desk, where the doctor Gelert guy was hanging around smiling brightly. She grabbed his attention in the only way she could think of, with her focus primarily elsewhere: informal name calling. "Hey doc, I'm looking for a cure for a disease my pet at home got."

     "Oh?" The green Gelert walked over to the human girl, who was studying the wall-board of diseases and cures. Her little white Grundo was clinging to her legs and making a ruckus of noises. "Can't find it up there?"

     She shook her head. "No, it's not that, it's that I can't remember the name but I know the symptoms and I know the cure is a shot or something. She ate a chocolate negg and got this sneezing going on, and these big red splotches. Not neggitus. N....neezles? Is it neezles?"

     "Oh! I can get you a prescription for that at the pharmacy, no prob," he said, smiling wide. He was glad to help. He motioned for her to follow him as he went back behind the counter and started pulling out slips of paper from a chaotic filing cabinet. "Right in here, right in here..."

     "Uh, doc?"

     "One moment!"

     "Urgerrt!" the little Grundo cried jubilantly. KT leaned over and patted his tiny head.

     "One moment, sweetums, Mama's talking to the doctor guy," she said, not taking her eyes off the Gelert. His organization was definitely chaotic. "Did you just stuff a bunch of different prescriptions into one cabinet drawer?"

     "No," the doctor scoffed, appalled by the notion.

     "That's not how filing cabinets work."

     "I didn't!"

     "Right."

     "Aha!" the Gelert cheered, holding up a slip of paper. "Prescription for the medicine! Magic cookie, here ya go!" He swirled around and reached over to hand it to her, nearly dangling over the edge as he did so.

     "What?" she screeched. She held the paper to her face. "Magic cookie!?? Those are expensive! And for sneezles! That I know! My pet has neezles!"

     "Neezles? Ohhh! I thought you said sneezles!"

     "I didn't!"

     "Well, that's something else entirely!" he said, going back to digging through the filing cabinet. "One moment!"

     She stared at him. "This might be easier just going to the shop wizard or somethi--"

     "Here!" He handed her another slip of paper, taking the previous one back. "Neezles jab, quantity one. Just what you need. They get those all the time at the pharmacy, but you can go to the shop wizard too to find them."

     "Thanks," she said, glancing the paper over before pocketing it. "You know a price range estimate for those?"

     "No, sorry. I just do the prescriptions."

     "Of course."

     --

     "Indamiraaaaa it's so itchyyyy," Taunyia whined, unable to move with all the towels and blankets and clothes wrapped around her.

     "Stop thinking about it!" Indamira shouted, on the verge of punching a vase due to sheer frustration or something. "Stop it, stop it, stop it! I can only find so many of KT's shirts to wrap you in!"

     "Can I just itch one of them?" she asked.

     "No!"

     She pouted. Did puppyblew eyes.

     "No! Come on, Taunyia, if you scratch it, you'll only make it worse!"

     "But it feels like a thousand little biting petpetpets are crawling all over meeeee!" Taunyia bawled, whining and crying without the actual tears. "It's terribllllle!"

     "It won't be much longer, you doof," Indamira huffed. "Mama'll be back soon with that shot or whatever. Eventually. Maybe. Hopefully."

     "You make it sound so baaaaad!" Taunyia wailed. "What if she doesn't come back?? Then I'll be sick forever! Itchy forever! I don't wanna be itchy forever!!"

     "Stop being a drama queen! That's just the fever talking!" Indamira felt a tap on her shoulder. She spun around. Resu the yellow Ruki looked at her, hesitant and finicky, like he was about to pass out from nerves in his blue sweater. "What, Resu?" she barked, trying not to sound gruff. Resu flinched anyways.

     "Ev-ev-everyone upstairs is as-asking what all the shouting's about," he spluttered, clacking his hands together frantically. "Ar-are you--you in need of a mediat-tor?"

     "HEY," Taunyia said, eyes frantically wide as she stared eerily at him. "HEY RESU, scratch my arm please, will you, it's really really REALLY itchyyyy!!"

     "Um, but," he mumbled, looking between the two. Indamira groaned.

     "Sourbaby over here ate a chocolate negg Mama gave her and now she's having an allergic reaction rash and she keep trying to scRATCH HERSELF TAUNYIA STOP IT!" Indamira roared, as Taunyia tried to lick herself in an attempt to get rid of the itchiness. Indamira rushed over and jerked her head upward.

     "Ow!" Taunyia cried.

     "Better," Indamira sighed. Then she glared. "I'm not holding your head until Mama gets home, Taunyia."

     "Just let me itch the spotssss?"

     "No!"

     "Pleeeeease?"

     "Come on, Taunyia, are you really this idiotic--"

     "I," Resu stuttered, "I guess, this is, okay then?"

     "But Indamira, it is like the faerie of bad luck has cursed me with itchiness to match the burning of a thousand suns--"

     "Taunyia, I'm going to say this once, as your sister--"

     "A THOUSAND SUNS--"

     "--AS YOUR SISTER, I care about you and I don't want to see you get into more rash problems by scratching the rash--"

     "I'll just, I'll just go, then, I guess," Resu said, pointing to the doorway leading to the hall and the safety of upstairs. "Y-yeah, is that fine? I think th-that's fine."

     "IT ITCHES SO MUCH, THOUGH," Taunyia screeched.

     "THEN STOP THINKING ABOUT IT! I WILL MAKE YOU STOP THINKING ABOUT IT," Indamira screeched back. "I WILL HIT YOU IN THE HEAD SO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT INSTEAD--"

     Resu raced up the stairs, their shouting following him all the way. As he reached the top of the stairs, it was muffled, but still loud. Jaws, his red Jetsam brother, tilted his head to the side. "Well?"

     "It's. It's not torture, or fighting, Inda-Indamira's trying to keep Taunyia from scratching her rash," Resu explained. Jaws took that in.

     He snorted. "Psh. Yeah right. What is it really?"

     "Th-that is what it is really, though," he stuttered.

     The voice of an invisible Grarrl boomed out, "YEAH, IT IS, I saw it. Have some faith in your bro, Jawsy!"

     "Aagh! Stop being so loud right next to me when I don't expect it!" Jaws shouted, covering where his ears should be with his fins.

     "SORRY!" she shouted, just to be extra loud and annoying. Jaws cringed. "IS THIS ANNOYING YOU?"

     "GRARRGOS! So help me Fyora--!"

     "D-do you guys need a mediator?" Resu asked.

     They ignored him. Resu slipped away and tried to find a pillow suitable enough to drown out all the yelling. He was glad they lived far enough out of town for no one to really actually hear them.

     --

     Walking into the Pharmacy was a debate KT had settled within herself in a few moments. It would, most likely, be cheaper to buy medicine from a main store instead of through the shop wizard anyway. And she only had five hundred neopoints on hand at the moment.

     She barged through the doors, gathering the attention of all the few people in there. "I need a neezles jab," KT said, hefting Urgerrt up a bit. The Grundo giggled.

     The Elephante pharmacist raised a brow at her.

     "No, not for him, he's completely fine," she said, waving a hand around. "I got a Tonu at home who had an allergic reaction to neggs."

     The Elephante raised both eyebrows at that, as if to say 'oh really come on'.

     KT huffed. "It was an accident, okay? Are you going to give me the neezles jab or what?"

     The nurse shrugged. "I will have to see if it's in stock. One moment."

     KT waited. The blue Elephante returned with one neezles jab, placing it on the counter between them.

     "That'll be 287 neopoints," she said.

     "I'll pay 200."

     "No, I at least need 268 for this lovely item."

     "Nurse, I will pay 220. That thing is one time use; I'm not going to pay a fortune."

     "Do you know the shop wizard prices? 250 is a bargain."

     "230."

     "250."

     "235."

     "Fine. I'll sell you this neezles jab for 235 neopoints." She handed it to her. "Enjoy."

     KT took it, pocketed it, and cheered. "Yes!" She pumped her free fist in the air. Urgerrt clapped childishly. The nurse stared at her.

     "You know... You could... probably... be more normal?" The Elephante shrugged. "Like, I don't know, go home now?"

     KT stared at her. "Oh. Right. I can do that."

     She walked out of the store, careful to keep the neezles jab safe in her hoodie pocket and Urgerrt hefted up in her arms. She made it five steps away from the Pharmacy before she stopped, stared at nothing in realization, stared at the sky, then cried out in internal agony.

     "OH! I REMEMBERED THE PIN NUMBER!"

     --

     Indamira finally had reason to let go of Taunyia's head when KT returned home victorious. (Yes, she'd held her head there. No, Taunyia did not appreciate that, ungrateful Tonu girl.) After KT set the little Grundo down, she smiled at the two in the living room gleefully.

     "I got medicine for Taunyia," she said. "Neezles jab."

     "Hey, I actually helped someone today."

     "Should be quick, and--"

     "I helped. I mean, I tried helping actually, not just lazy helping."

     "--then those splotches should be gone. Is the sneezing gone--"

     Indamira coughed. Loudly. Quite a few times.

     KT blinked. "Oh. And, uh, thank you, Indamira, for helping take care of Taunyia while she was sick."

     Indamira preened under the attention, actually smiling and proud of herself.

     "Do you want me to tell everyone or something?" KT asked.

     She legitimately considered that. "Would you? I'm actually really proud of this. Just. Don't expect it again. Ever. I only helped because it was Taunyia and I can stand her the most out of everyone."

     "Aww, you do care," Taunyia said, deeply touched. She tried to sit up and hug her but Indamira frantically stopped her.

     "No! You still need the jab! Sit down you're still sick! Sit!"

     "Oh, okay," she mumbled, slumping over. "Okayyyy."

     "This is such a great family," KT said cheerily, as she jabbed Taunyia's arm with the shot. Taunyia yelped loud enough for Kreludor to hear.

The End