Okay, let's see what type of fun we can have with this.

Sickness

Chapter One

It was early Monday morning- around three am or so- when Ichigo came to. He didn't understand why he woke up so early; he was tired and he wanted to go back to sleep, but his body wasn't in the mood for relaxing this morning. His head was killing him, his throat was raw, he felt nauseous not to mention the thought of moving much just made his body ache.

Regardless, he couldn't stay where he was. He was thirsty to the point his throat was screaming in pain. With great reluctance, he rose from his bed to try and reach the kitchen for some water. Unfortunately, his body was far from agreeing with the movement. Not only did his legs feel like jelly, but the entirety of the room began to spin, making it very difficult for him to see the door.

He hunched over; vomiting on his floor and barely missing his own feet. Leaning against the wall, Ichigo tried to calm himself and wait for the dizziness to pass but his body was against him. The dizziness got worse, he ached all over and his throat was still burning. Tears formed, it was so damn painful to him.

Finally, he slid to the ground, heavy breathing following. It hurt to breath, but he had to calm himself somehow. He shut his eyes once more, clutching his uneasy stomach as his vision turned black.

It wasn't anything unnatural for the father of the Kurosaki household to wake up at 4:15 in the morning. It allowed him to check on his kids, get a shower, and get ready for the day ahead of them. It helped the father feel a bit more secure, and it allowed him better watch over his children.

So, creeping down the hall, he first looked to see his girls sleeping peacefully. He walked on in; giving Yuzu back the stuffed animal that fell on the floor and pulling Karin's comforter more over her. His beautiful daughters sleeping the night away, warm, comfortable and safe. It's how it should be, and Isshin was determined to keep it that way.

Sneaking back out and shutting the door quietly, Isshin turned to head into his son's room. He was five feet away from the door when an odor reached his nose and an all too familiar one: vomit. There have been rumors of a stomach bug going around, so the man assumed his son caught it and opened the door to check on him.

And then he saw it. Ichigo was hunched over and leaning on the wall; groans of pain escaping him in the form of hoarse whimpers. His being was shaking and sweating, making it considerably obvious his son was in pain. Careful not to step in the vomit, Isshin reached Ichigo; turning his body slightly so he could see his face. His face twisted in pain and his cheeks a nice shade of red.

He carefully picked up his son first moving him to the closet to get him changed into something more comfortable before placing him back in bed. He then went downstairs grabbing a cloth, a glass and a basin. He first filled up the basin and cup with water, put the towel in the basin before carrying the objects up the stairs.

He set the basin down before gently lifting his son up and placing the cup in between his lips. The teen drank gratefully; allowing the cold liquid soothe his burning throat. After the drink, Isshin put the glass down and started to dampen the towel he had brought up with him. After getting it moist enough, he began to dab his son's face in an attempt to cool down the fever.

A whimper came again; the young man's face twisting slightly and his eyes squinting for a bit. It lasted for about five to ten minutes but eventually, Ichigo's brown eyes opened; the boy using great effort to keep them that way. He was gazing at the man barely awake; taking a few minutes for the fog to clear so he could see him clearly. "Dad?" He croaked out, his voice still too weak to go above a whisper.

This broke the father's heart; seeing his son in this type of position was beyond worrisome, especially at seeing the boy's expression. Pain was evident, but it was also a helpless and scared expression. Ichigo probably didn't know what was going, all he knew was that his being hurt.

Dabbing the cloth on the boy's forehead, Isshin whispered: "Go back to sleep, son. It'll be all right, I promise." Ichigo stared at him for a few minutes longer before shutting his eyes, more water escaping as he welcomed unconsciousness.