"Ah-CHOO!!"
Kit sniffled, bags under her eyes and nose red.
"I HATE being sick…" She muttered in a stuffed-up voice.
"I hate it when YER sick…"
Glaring down at Hellboy, she rubbed her eyes.
"And why is that, wise guy?"
"'Cause ya keep me up with yer sneezing."
With a snort and a loogie, she plopped back onto her back.
"EW! Why I oughtta-!"
"Will you two stop fighting?!" An annoyed Liz asked, exasperated.
"…Sorry, Lizzie…"
"Sorry, babe…"
Both settled down, not wanting to keep Liz up and get beat around.
Listening to the silence with keen ears, Kit moaned silently as her stomach twisted.
'Why does it hurt so much?'
Sweat broke out over her forehead and body, making her skin clammy.
Her throat seemed to close up, and she closed her eyes as the pain started to sharpen, like needles.
Her tail lashed around as if trying to fight off an invisible foe, and her ears laid back against her darkening hair.
Her hammock swayed slightly as Hellboy smacked it with his hand.
"Would ya stop moving around, kid? It's annoying."
A whimper escaped her, and there was silence until the red-skinned demon stood up to check on her.
"Kit…"
He paused, putting his left hand on her forehead.
A concerned look crossed his face, and he pulled his hand back.
"Yer burning up…"
Without a moment's hesitation, he picked the young girl up and headed straight for the med bay as fast as he could go.
Kit had been sick before, but she'd always taken it rather well.
Her life had never been threatened by anything as small as a sickness, but it was like her body was trying to burn itself to cinders from within.
"Abe! Sick bay! NOW!"
His voice boomed, making her ears close and her stomach twist.
Kit blearily realized she was being carried, that she was put down on a metal surface…
Something pricked her neck, and she whimpered again…
A blue blur put a cool hand on her forehead, almost frigid against her burning skin…
Then everything seemed to go…dark…
--
With a moan and a roll, she saw Abe looking at her with worry.
"Hey, Abe…"
Her voice was rough, and it hurt to swallow at all.
"Don't speak. You're throat swelled, and it only just went down."
Confused, she looked around.
Her body felt heavy, like she'd put ten ton weights on, and her chest heaved as it sucked air in.
"What…happened?"
"Someone's trying to kill you, I believe."
Wide blue eyes fixed on him, and Abe sighed.
"You were sick, so your guards and such were weak or down altogether. Someone must've used a spell of some sort to try and kill you."
"Why…?" She rasped, ignoring the pain.
"That I don't know. But I'm doing research."
Rolling her eyes, she noticed her claws were unsheathed.
Pulling them in, Kit noticed Hellboy and Liz at the doorway.
"Hey, guys…do I…really look that…bad?"
Trying to give a reassuring smile, she winced as her chest and throat protested.
"Ya've looked better, kid."
"Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?"
The cat-girl shook her head.
"I'm just…tired…"
Her eyes started to close, and she rested her head on the chair back.
"Don't worry, Kit. We won't let you go so easily."
Nodding ever so slightly, she was off in the world of dreams…
--
She was floating in what looked like gray mist, pain gone and replaced with a cold, numb feeling.
"Where am I?"
Her voice echoed, the gray mist swaying with her breath.
"You are in your mind. And your grave."
Whipping around, she only saw a pair of glowing red eyes.
'I blame sickness nausea…'
"What are you?"
"I am your executioner, your highness…"
Shivering at the breeze that made goose bumps across her skin, she tried to move back.
"Well, you can forget that, buddy!"
She tried to sound brave, but something about this place scared her nearly senseless.
"You can not stop me…Now come to me, princess…Come to your doom…"
"No!"
Ears back and tail wrapped around her waist, she tried to get away.
The eyes seemed to follow her, gaining a strange, lumbering shape.
Claws sliding out like swords, her eyes flashed.
"GO AWAY!!"
Suddenly, something grabbed her shoulder, and her surroundings suddenly shifted to the med bay.
Breathing heavy and ragged, her skin seemed to shake with her muscles.
Black claws were dug deep into metal, and blood dripped down her chin as she bit her lip.
"Kit? Are ya okay?"
The voice brought her fully back, and her whole body relaxed.
Claws sheathed themselves, fangs pulled themselves free of skin, and her whole form slumped against the chair.
"Kit?"
Looking up with misty eyes, she spotted Hellboy.
"Hey…"
"Nightmares? Ya haven't had those since ya first came."
"Yeah…darn things…" She muttered, throat still sore.
"Are ya okay?"
She shook her head slowly.
Kit wasn't one to admit she was hurt, or sick for that matter, so it was a surprise to see her, metaphorically speaking, showing her belly.
"Need me to get Abe in here?"
Nodding slightly, she grabbed his hand when he turned to leave.
"Don't…"
She was like a sleepy little child scared of the dark, needing someone to scare the monsters away before she could close her eyes.
"Alright, kid. Just relax."
A slight nod, and her eyes closed in exhaustion.
Calling Abe in, Manning followed unbidden.
"How is she?"
"Tired as hell."
Manning turned to the cat-girl.
"Kitrian, are you awake?"
She nodded, nose wrinkled.
"Don't…call me…that…" She forced out through her raw throat.
"Alright, alright…How are feeling?"
Slowly, in obvious pain, she pointed at her rear.
"…No…I feel…like…crap…"
Hellboy smirked at that, his hand still in her grip.
"Are you going to feel better soon?"
Blue eyes glared warily.
"Why…?"
"Look, something apparently is trying to kill you, so you should be on the mission to find out who."
She glared, sitting up.
"…Kiss…my ass…"
Kit leaned back, closing her eyes.
"No way…in…hell…"
"It's not a suggestion."
"Go…screw yourself…asshole…"
Hellboy's smirk grew, and he chuckled.
"She's a bit testy when she's tired…"
Abe sighed, checking the cat-girls pulse and breathing.
Before Manning could insist, Kit raised her free hand and flipped the birdie.
"No…"
Abe smacked her wrist, and she gave a weak, dejected whine.
"Are you guys harassing her?"
Two out of three males flinched at Liz's miffed tone.
"He is!" Hellboy stated, pointing at Manning accusingly, like a child blaming his imaginary friend for stealing cookies.
Liz gave a questioning look to Kit, and the younger nodded, pointing at Manning.
A minute or so later, Manning was muttering something as he walked down the hall, and Liz was looking at her friend worriedly.
"Kit, are you okay? Head ache? Fever? Exhaustion?"
"Annoyance…?"
Smiling slightly, Liz put a hand on her friends forehead.
"As witty as ever, I see…"
"Don't fix…what isn't…broken…"
Abe sighed.
"Though some manners wouldn't hurt…"
"Don't…start…Abe…"
"It's the truth."
"Shove…it…"
The cat-girl started drifting off again, nose still stuffed and throat feeling bleeding raw.
"Sleep tight, kid…"
"Don't worry about anything…"
"…Thanks…" Kit muttered, curling in on herself and falling asleep…