Authors Note:

Thanks To me Beta YummyTimelord x

This is a one shot sequel to A Cough, A Cold and A Kiss

Usual Disclaimers apply, don't own the characters, just bend them to my will!


Tifa was just opening the door when she heard a groan coming from the sofa. Placing the shopping bags on the counter-top, she walked into the sitting room where she saw blond spikes peaking out from over the arm rest of the sofa. She walked over to the spikes and looked down at the man laying there. He was wearing his black dressing gown and socks. Tissues were strewn all over the floor around him and he had taken the quilt from his bed and wrapped himself up in it. She stifled a giggle.

'Cloud?' He groaned a little and tilted his head back to see an upside down Tifa, a smile gracing her lips.

'Yes...' he answered lowly, with a defeated tone.

'Are you ok?' she asked, walking around to sit on the coffee table by the sofa.

'Tifa... I think I got pneumonia last night...' he croaked pitifully. He was of course referring to the down pour of rain he got caught in coming home last night.

'Oh really? Pneumonia huh? Sounds pretty serious.' She smiled at him.

'You don't believe me?' a little hurt that she thought he was lying.

'Cloud, you do not have pneumonia.' was all she said as she walked back to the kitchen to put away the shopping.

'But I read it in the medical book. I have all the symptom's of pneumonia.' He called after her. She didn't reply to him.

After a few minutes, he stood up, with the quilt still wrapped around him and shuffled slowly into the kitchen. Tifa was still putting away the groceries.

'Tifa, I think you should call the doctor.' He started to cough lamely.

'I'm not calling the doctor, because there is no real cure for the common cold... which you have.'

'I don't have a common cold!' he protested as he flopped down on a kitchen chair, in front of the medical book he had looked up earlier.

'Look!' he pointed to the page he had read. He began to call them out.

'Cough

Sputum (phlegm)

Shortness of breath

Increased respiratory rate

Pleuritic chest pain – if the pleura (membranes lining the lungs) are inflamed.

Abnormal breath sounds when the doctor listens to the chest with a stethoscope

Dullness on percussion (tapping) of the chest wall

Fever, shaking and chills

Tiredness

Loss of appetite

Muscle aches and pains

Nausea and vomiting

Rash

Abdominal pain

Rapid heartbeat

Drop in blood pressure'

Tifa looked over at him and raised her eyebrow. 'Show me that'. She grabbed the medical book and looked at it. After a moment of reading the symptoms she looked at him. 'You have pleuritic chest pain?' she asked him.

'I might!' he answered defensively.

'I thought you said you had all the symptoms of pneumonia?'

He looked at her blankly. 'I have most of them.' Then she flicked through the book, and read a paragraph.

'...Nasal stuffiness or drainage, sore or scratchy throat, sneezing, hoarseness, cough, and perhaps a fever and headache.'

Cloud nodded enthusiastically while she read the symptoms, all of which he had. Tifa continued.

'...Many people with a cold feel tired and achy. These symptoms will typically last anywhere from three to 10 days.'

'You have a cold.' she said closing the book and continued to put away the shopping. Cloud stepped back into the living room in a sulk. Tifa smiled a little and put the kettle on. 'Would you like some chicken soup?' she called to him. No answer. Rolling her eyes she walked into the sitting room, where Cloud was lying on the sofa again and had the kids thermometer placed under his tongue.


Authors Second (Or maybe third) note: Below are the links to where i got the symptoms.

Hope you liked it and review if you feel fit, but again niceness and constructive criticism!!

/commoncold/article.htm – Link to the paragraph on the common cold.

www.vhi.ie/hfiles/hf-401p.jsp – Link to the symptoms of pneumonia.