Disclaimer: I don't own Mutt, Indy OR Marion. Too bad, so sad. ;_;

Please review. Please? -puppy eyes-

Chapter one: In which Dr. Jones plays hookie

Mutt rolled over, placing a weary hand over his right ear, trying to block out the voices coming from his parent's room. It had to be at least midnight, probably later. Why couldn't they just shut up?

But Mutt sat up as he heard Indy walking past his door.

"Dad?" Mutt called. The footsteps stopped and he heard his door open, just a crack.

"Yeah, kid?"

"What's going on?" Mutt sat up, trying to clear his head.

"Nothing. Go to sleep." The door closed again. Mutt scowled and crawled out of bed, stumbling over to his desk where he turned on the reading lamp. He placed his ear to the wall and he could hear his mother mumbling something from the other room. He tiptoed to his door, his pajamas making a swishing noise as he walked. He hoped Indy wouldn't hear him.

"Mom?" Mutt poked his head into the master bedroom. Marion was lying on the bed, one hand on her forehead and the other dangling over the edge of the bed.

"Mutt, darling, go to bed." Marion murmured, sitting up slightly. "It's just a headache."

"OK." Mutt frowned a little. "You sure?"

"Yes, dear." Marion massaged her forehead with a pale white hand. "Good night."

"OK… love you." Mutt scampered back to his own room as he heard his father returning.

"Here you go. Hold still." He heard Dr. Jones saying. Mutt stayed in the doorway of his room for some time, listening to his parents talking.

"How badly does it hurt? On the scale." His father asked.

"Eight." Marion grumbled. She either said eight or great. Mutt couldn't be sure.

"I'll get some more water."

Mutt jumped into his bed as he heard Indy walk past his door again. The teenager was determined to stay awake until he was sure his mother would be all right, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to get back out of bed. I'll just listen from here. He assured himself, though he knew he wouldn't be able to understand his parents from the warmth of his bed.

"You still awake, Henry?" he heard his dad asking, but he didn't answer. After all, he wasn't.

*****************

Mutt trotted downstairs, running a comb through his gelled hair with one hand and straightening his collar with the other. It was almost time for him to leave for school. When he arrived in the kitchen he was surprised to see that no one else was awake yet.

There was no breakfast waiting and no father telling him to get a move on.

Mutt poured himself a hasty bowl of cereal before going back upstairs to find out what was with his parents.

He knocked on the master bedroom door cautiously, but there was no answer. He knocked again.

"Come in, dear." Marion answered. Mutt did. His mother was alone in the room, sprawled across the bed, reading the newspaper.

"Where's Dad?" Mutt asked, noticing that Marion had half a piece of cold toast lying on a plate beside her. An empty glass sat on the night stand. It looked like it might have held orange juice not too long ago.

"He went to get some cough medicine." Marion said, sounding peevish.

"You're sick?" Mutt asked, trying not to appear worried.

"No, but he thinks I am. He's confined me to the bed until he gets back." Marion smiled a little. "He thinks I may be coming down with some awful disease."

"I thought it was just a headache." Mutt said accusingly. He was none too happy that his mother had probably just been trying to shoo him away last night by telling him it was a mild headache.

"Well, I had a little tickle in my throat today." Marion explained. "And you know your father. When it comes to family, he's way too protective."

"Right." Mutt didn't agree with that, but he kept his mouth shut. More like, when it comes to you, he's too protective.

"You're going to be late for school, dear." Marion said, glancing at the clock on the night stand.

"I'm not going to leave you home alone, Mom. No." Mutt sat down on the carpeted floor defiantly.

"I'm not going to let you stay here, whether or not I'd be 'home alone'." Marion scowled. "You're not skipping school again."

"Just until Dad comes back." Mutt ran his comb through his bangs, slicking them back where they belonged.

"He's going to school after he brings back the medicine." Marion sat up.

"Stay there." Mutt commanded, standing. "Dad said to and I'm enforcing that."

"Make me." Marion stood up, wobbled a little and walked towards her son. "I'm just getting a glass of water, dear."

"Let me get it." Mutt offered. His eyes widened as his mother stumbled slightly and grabbed him for support. She looked up, slightly embarrassed. "Would you?" she asked, smirking.

"Here." Mutt took his mother's hand and led her back to the bed. "Now stay here. And eat your toast."

"Yes, Your Royal Majesty." Marion gave her son a tired smile as she snuggled under the covers and took a subdued bite of toast.

"I'll be right back." Mutt stepped out the door, and was going to go downstairs when he heard the bed creak slightly. He poked his head back into his parent's room. "No. Stay." He said, giving his mother an annoyed glare.

"That's right."

Mutt jumped, turning to see his father standing behind him. "You, however, need to get to school."

"I want to stay home today." Mutt said. He knew what the answer was already, but it was worth a try.

"No, Junior, I'm going to. I can miss a day of work. There are subs. You already have a lot of catching up to do." Indy scowled slightly. "Now go on."

"Oh yes?" Marion's voice called from the bedroom. "That's what you think, buckaroo! You're both going."

Indy gave Mutt a conspiratorial smirk. "We'll see about that." He muttered before entering the bedroom.

Mutt stood awkwardly waiting outside, not daring to enter, not wanting to leave.

"Mutt, come here, please." Marion called after a few minutes.

"You're going to go to school today. If I'm still sick tomorrow, you can stay home." Marion explained. "But today your father's staying."

"You mean Dad won an argument!?" Mutt asked in mock amazement.

Marion scowled, crossing her arms.

"OK, fine." Mutt sighed, shrugging. "But I hope you aren't sick tomorrow, much as I'd love to stay home."

"Thanks for that." Marion smirked and Indy handed her two pills.

"Now take these, for heaven's sake."

"Well… bye." Mutt exited the room, feeling slightly confused. Marion didn't seem terribly ill, but his father was sure pampering her. He was staying home, after all. Mutt left the house and walked over to his motorcycle, putting on his driving gloves. Maybe they knew something they weren't telling him. Maybe his mother had symptoms that Indy recognized, that meant she had some horrible sickness. And he wasn't telling her?

No. It must just be a headache. And a sore throat. And dizzy spells. That was all. Mmhm.