"Ugh, who is snoring!" Dawn awoke from a pleasant sleep rather rudely by someone's snoring. And this snoring was LOUD. Dawn got up from her sleeping bag and looked at Brock. He wasn't the one snoring, so must be Ash. Sure enough, when she looked at Ash his mouth was wide open and you could hear him snoring from a mile away. Ash usually snored but not this loud. Dawn had to wake him up, she wanted to give him a piece of her mind but also to see if he's okay. Most people dont snore THAT loud unless they're sick or something. She crawled up right next to his ear and yelled. "A-ASH!" He literally jumped out of his sleeping bag in surprise and Dawn started to giggle a bit when he mumbled in confusion and drowsiness about what was going on. "Whazzat? Huh? Dawn? What was that for?" Ash asked, only a bit slurred. Dawn giggled again. "You were snoring like crazy and I wanted you to shut up. And I wanted to see if you were feeling okay," Dawn stood up to face Ash. Ash always tried to hide it when he was hurt or sick. Dawn thought it was an ego thing but he didnt hide it very well. "I'm fine Dawn, well not as fine as I was when I was sleeping, but Im fine. Sorry 'bout the snoring," Ash scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Oh ok, sorry about the bad wake up call," Dawn apologized as well. "Hey, no need to worry right?" Dawn thought it was kind of cute when Ash said her catchphrase. "Right, goodnight." Unfortunately, there was need to worry. The next day Ash had a fever and felt terrible, but yet again he tried to hide it. But it was way out in the open that he was sick. "ASH! STOP TRYING TO HIDE IT! BROCK AND I BOTH KNOW YOU'RE SICK! GO BACK TO BED!" Dawn knew she shouldnt yell, but she thought Ash really needed to get the memo that she could easily tell when he was sick. "...Fine," Ash finally agreed. Brock told Dawn what she had to do and left for the nearby town to get some medicine. Dawn got out the thermometer and took Ash's temperature. 102 F. Definitely had a fever. She took care of her mom when she was sick so she knew all about this kind of thing. She got extra blankets in case Ash needed them, painkillers, whatever might be useful was there. Ash, on the other hand, was most grumpy. He let Dawn do her thing and only grumbled when it involved him. "Ash, if you dont tell me what's wrong then how are you ever going to get better?" Dawn was getting frustrated with him now. Why couldnt he be more agreeable? "Ugh, my nose is runny, I've sorta got a cough, and a few joints ache a little. Happy?" Ash was really feeling crummy, and this wasnt really helping. "Sorta, I'm glad you finally told me but those are all symptoms of the flu. You might be a bit bedridden for a few days," Dawn confirmed. "No way! We gotta keep moving, I'll be fine," Ash insisted he tried to sit up but Dawn rushed over and pushed him back down. "No, Ash. The sooner you heal the sooner we can get back on the road. So just be patient, okay?" Dawn was right, and Ash knew that so he gave into the treatment. "...Could I have one of those painkillers for my aches?" Ash asked meekly and Dawn gave him a smile. "Of course." For the next 2 days Ash was sick and for the next two days Dawn got barely any sleep due to Ash's snoring. Brock did come back with the medicine and it helped a bit. By day three, Ash was up and moving again and looking much better. Dawn checked on his fever and it had burned out. He looked and felt much better and soon they were able to continue on their journey. The next night of camping, Ash was fully recovered. "Hey Dawn?" Ash asked at dinner. "Yeah?" Dawn wondered what he could want now that he was okay. "Ummm... thanks for taking care of me... and stuff... while I was sick," Ash was actually blushing when he said this! "You're very welcome," Dawn replied. She was a little shocked by Ash's embarrassment but Brock only smirked at it. "Dawn? How come you took such good care of me when you didnt need to?" Dawn laughed, to her this was a really stupid question. "Ash, how could I not? That's like asking me why do I care so much about contests. It's because you're my friend and I like you and care about you," This only made Ash's blush grow greater. "You... like me?" Ash was scarlet and they all laughed. She gave him a little smack over the head for good measure though. Although what Ash said wasnt untrue, Dawn actually did have a small crush on him. That night, out of habit, Dawn checked on Ash to make sure he was ok. He looked so peaceful when he slept. Dawn gave him a quick kiss on the forehead and went back to bed. She slept well that night for the snoring was gone.