A/N: Still not one of the stories you guys want, I know. Sorry. I've been having ideas about this for a while. There's a variation of this and one about Freddy on their way.

Overheated

Bonnie powered up to the familiar ringing of the phone. He subtly checked the camera in the corner. He was surprised to notice the red light was not blinking, which meant that the camera was not being checked. He almost let out a predatory chuckle, but he refrained. If that endoskeleton was stupid enough to leave the cameras off, then he deserved to be caught.

The purple rabbit quickly stepped down from the stage. He took his usual path through the tables. Again, he didn't see the red lights of the cameras flickering to life. The animatronic took a step into the hallway and stopped.

The new endoskeleton was laying on the floor.

Bonnie tilted his head as though that would help him see what was going on with the endo. They had seen a lot of endoskeletons since they first became aware, but they always seemed to hide in the security office. Why would this one be laying the hall?

The bunny considered that the servos in his leg might have locked up. It had happened to each of them at least once before. It had even happened to Foxy during a show once!

Bonnie bent down and grabbed the endoskeleton by the back of his neck as he'd seen Freddy do with the broken one in the back room. He held the endo up, shaking it lightly when he just hung limply and breathed shallowly.

Freddy and the gang didn't breathe, and Bonnie pondered if it was just a feature of the new animatronics to make the humans more comfortable. He'd seen all the endos doing it. Vaguely, he wondered what it felt like.

After a moment, Bonnie noticed the faint heat radiating from the endo into his paw. Since Chica helped cook in the kitchen and they each handled various machinery, the animatronics had been designed with heat sensors in certain parts of their body to keep their suit from catching on fire.

When the animatronic felt the heat coming from the endo, he came to an immediate and alarming conclusion. He gently placed the endo back where he found him and ran to the stage.

"Freddy! The endo is overheating!" He cried. Immediately, the bear moved, proving that he'd been powered up the whole time.

"Overheating?" The bear stressed, a concerned look coming over his face. Chica quickly looked over as well.

"What are we gonna do Freddy?" She asked worriedly. "He could be really damaged if he's overheated!"

"Well, we'll have to cool him down and make sure he isn't too damaged. Looks like we can't fix him with a suit tonight. The suit would be too hot and make it worse," the bear frowned and carefully thought over the protocols for overheating. "Bonnie bring him in here."

The rabbit nodded quickly. He hurried back to the hall and gently picked up the endo. He noticed the limp limbs with a wince and carefully pulled the whole frame into his arms. His feet plodded heavily on the linoleum floor as he made his way back to the main room.

"Set him on the table there. Chica's gone to get some ice packs," Freddy directed. Part of a table had been cleared of all party hats and decorations.

"Won't the condensation mess with his circuits?" Bonnie fretted even as he laid the endo on the cleared space.

"All these new endos seem pretty water tight," Freddy assured. The bear moved closer to examine their overheating patient. "What's this?" The bear plucked at the button up shirt that covered the endo's torso.

"It looks like human clothing... Why would an endo be wearing human clothing?" Chica questioned as she joined them at the table. In both hands she held a bucket full of ice packs.

"Maybe he made his own suit?" Bonnie suggested. He flicked open one of the buttons. "He doesn't look like he could fit in one of our suits, actually..." A frown settled over his face. "In fact, if we put him in a suit I think we'd break him. But what kind of endoskeleton doesn't need a suit?"

"What be all tha blubberin' about, mateys?" Foxy drawled as he finally made his way from Pirate's Cove. "Tha endo hasn't checked me... all night... Freddy! What's tha endo doin' on tha table?!"

"He's overheating!" Chica helpfully supplied. The pirate's jaw dropped, and not in its usual way.

"We've got ta save 'im!" The fox cried. "What do we do?" The three animatronics turned to Freddy.

"Well, I say... I say we cool him down first," Freddy reckoned. The others nodded and they began to carefully arrange the ice packs around the endoskeleton. A few minutes later, the endo was still the overheated red color but he was shivering!

"What do we do?!" Bonnie lamented. "It isn't working!"

"Maybe we have to fix the damage first?" Chica wondered. She gently unbuttoned the endo's shirt and set it aside. All four animatronics stared at the smooth surface in front of them.

"Ya think he's already in a suit?" Foxy asked, head tilting curiously to examine the torso better.

"Either that or he's very advanced," Freddy frowned. Chica blubbered beside him.

"How are we supposed to fix him noooooow?" She cried.

"Do you think there's a hidden panel or something?" Bonnie asked. Freddy's paw wandered over the torso.

"I don't think so. It's all very smooth," the bear puzzled. He scratched his head. "Do endos normally shiver?"

"No. I've seen him breathing too. Look!" Bonnie pointed out. The animatronics studied the endo intently for a second.

"Well, I'll be!" Foxy exclaimed.

"None of this makes any sense!" Chica wailed and retreated back to the stage.

"That's some mighty advanced tech," Freddy scowled.

"I don't think he's meant to have a suit," Bonnie concluded. "He's the wrong size, and he does things we don't. And don't you remember how all the other endos broke when we put them in a suit? I think it's a new kind of animatronic. Smaller, more... cuddly."

"Ya think he's meant for... cuddlin'?" Foxy spat as though the action were repulsive.

"Well, yeah! He's the right size for cuddling. Humans are about this size. We could cuddle him, a human could cuddle him... I think he's meant for cuddling. Freddy's for jokes and Chica's for food. Foxy, you're for playing. I'm for music... It just makes sense, don't you think?" Bonnie explained with a warm smile.

"But how do we fix him!" Chica demanded.

"I don't know!" Bonnie responded, back to being worried. The new animatronic shifted weakly on the table.

"So... cold..." A small voice croaked.

"Cold?!" The four animatronics exclaimed.

"But you're still red!" Chica frowned.

"It doesn't make sense!" Freddy scowled. He help his hand to the new animatronic's head. "You're still overheating!" The animatronic shivered violently and made a soft sound.

"If he says he's cold..." Bonnie frowned. "He's different than us. He probably know what's best for his mechanics..."

"I guess..." Freddy agreed in frustration.

"Do we still have any blankets around here?" Chica asked.

"Aye," Foxy nodded. "They were moved into me Cove when it started bein' used for storage." The red animatronic quickly ran past his curtains and returned with one of the old blankets. Sometimes, children would get sick during a party, and the staff would take care of them until their parents arrived. Most of the supplies had been moved into storage as business died down.

Foxy threw the blanket over the shivering animatronic after Chica removed the ice packs. The four older animatronics leaned over the form and watched intently for any changes. Gradually, the new animatronic stopped shivering. They each breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, I'm curious. If he's a new animatronic, what is he supposed to be? I'm a bunny, Freddy's a bear, Chica's a chicken, and Foxy's a, well, fox. So what is he supposed to be?" Bonnie questioned.

"He's kinda small... So it must be a smaller animal!" Chica exclaimed excitedly.

"A kitten?" Foxy sneered lightly, staring at the thin limbs and lean frame. Each of them were big and powerful; this animatronic looked weak and frail.

"Maybe he's another kind of bird!" Chica hopefully cried.

"He doesn't have a beak," Bonnie pointed out. "Or wings. Or feathers."

"A mouse," Freddy stated gravelly. "He's a mouse." The other animatronic peered searchingly once more.

"You're right!" The chicken cheered. Foxy nodded, accepting Freddy's observation.

"He is kinda mousy," Bonnie agreed. "Look, he's got the soft brown hair and a little mousy nose." The others nodded.

"What about his ears though? I thought mice had big ears," Chica pouted.

"They don't. I caught a mouse once," Foxy grinned wickedly, instantly falling into story mode. "It was when we was still roamin' these halls. It was just after closin' when I spotted it..." Chica unnecessarily sucked in a breath in anticipation. "A vermin!" Chica gasped. "The little creature was all grey and dirtied... I did 'im a favor I did." Freddy nodded solemnly. "Anyway, mice has them small ears and big eyes."

"So he's a mouse," Bonnie concluded for all of them. There was a brief period of silence.

"What do we do now? We haven't spent a night away from catching an endo in years..." Chica pondered. "I'm going to go bake! There's a birthday party tomorrow, and I'm sure I can find the cake order."

"I've been meain' to count the doubloons I got left..." Foxy muttered as he drifted back to Pirate's Cove. Freddy turned to leave as well, but Bonnie quickly stopped him.

"Freddy? I'm still confused. Why wouldn't management tell us if there was a new animatronic? And we haven't seen him at all during the day..." The rabbit trailed off uncertainly.

"I've been wondering the same, Bonnie," Freddy stated. His back was still turned to the purple animatronic. "I've also been curious about the endos before. We kept breaking them, Bonnie. What if they were supposed to become one of us? We broke them, and they aren't coming back... Maybe that's why management didn't tell us... They don't trust us after everything that's happened..." With that, the bear left.

Bonnie struggled for a moment with the feelings Freddy's little speech had given him. His eyes wandered down to the overheated animatronic on the table, and he was thankful they hadn't broken him too.

Gently, Bonnie sat next to the table and pulled the new animatronic into his lap. If he was meant for cuddling, then cuddling would make him feel better, right? Or maybe Bonnie just felt the need to cuddle...

Bonnie searched his memory banks for all the endos they'd broken before. His hands roamed mindlessly as his thought processors whirred, fingers combing through soft hair and stroking the other animatronic's cheek. His sensors vaguely registered that the new animatronic was beginning to stir.

A quiet whimper pulled Bonnie from his data banks. His fingers stopped their ministrations as he looked down. The other animatronic shifted weakly, eyebrows creased, before he finally opened his eyelids to reveal dazed blue optics.

Bonnie was stunned for a moment by the realistic looking eyeballs, but he remembered that the new animatronic was simply more advanced.

The new animatronic's fingers twitched weakly, his arm having escaped the blanket at some point. The fingers buried themselves in Bonnie's chest fur, and the body settled more heavily against him. The glossy blue eyes stared blankly at the purple fur. Bonnie's was somewhat worried the animatronic's optics were damaged; it would be a shame because they were so pretty.

"Hello, little mouse," Bonnie greeted quietly. The new animatronic's breath hitched and his eyes slowly moved up to the rabbit's face. Unsure how to continue, Bonnie just asked, "Are you better now?"

"W-what?"

Uh oh. Was his voice box broken too? Bonnie's knew from experience that voice boxes were extremely difficult to repair or replace.

"You overheated and locked up in the hallway. We tried to cool you down but you started shivering... We covered you up with a blanket and you seemed better after that. Can I see your circuitry? I know it's inappropriate, but it seems like it'd be really fascinating!" The bunny babbled nervously.

The animatronic blinked a few times before shaking his head and examining himself. In an unsteady voice, and ignoring everything Bonnie had said, the new animatronic squeaked, "Where is my shirt?!" He lifted up the blanket and let out a sigh of relief at his pants. Bonnie quickly tucked the blanket back around him.

"The human clothing? We took it off to fix your damaged parts, but we were stopped by the seamless plating on your torso. How did the mechanics do that anyway? How are they supposed to fix your circuits and replace worn down parts?" The rabbit questioned. The animatronic have him a look of complete disbelief.

"It's called skin," he declared. Not even a second later, his chest stopped and his frame was shaken with coughs. Bonnie's hands hovered over him in worry, not knowing what could be causing this kind of malfunction.

"I don't understand," the rabbit pleaded. "Where are you damaged? How can we fix it?" Slowly, the coughs tapered off.

"Not.. damaged. 'M sick," the animatronic muttered. The purple bunny puzzled over the response, knowing deep within his data banks that animatronics shouldn't be able to get sick.

"Ooooookay? Well, I'm Bonnie! What's your name?" The rabbit smiled warmly.

"Mike," the new animatronic shifted restlessly, even though he looked dead tired.

"Wow! That's perfect!" Bonnie exclaimed, startling the weakened animatronic. "Mike the Mouse!"

Mike stared at him in confusion, his eyes becoming glassy once more. He shivered once and sank into Bonnie's fur. One hand pulled the blanket tighter around him while the other gripped the purple suit.

"I'm delirious," he murmured. "Hallucinating... Gotta be..."

"Mike?" Bonnie asked nervously.

"You're not real... Leave me alone," Mike whispered even as he snuggled closer. His breathing quickly evened out and he powered down again.

Bonnie fidgeted, unsure of what had just occurred. Mike was very strange for an animatronic. Maybe his programming was just different? The rabbit tucked the blanket around Mike again.

The mouse still seemed to be overheating, but Bonnie let it be. Maybe when Mike was fixed he could explain why he was so different?

-{[(•)]}-

Mike woke up to the familiar alarm on his phone. Shifting tiredly, he pulled the irritating device out of his pocket and stared at the time displayed. After a beat, his entire body rocketed up, leaving a blanket behind him.

"It's 6am, oh my gosh," he gasped. "I know I made it..." He looked around at the familiar main room of the pizzeria, strange when he wasn't seeing it from a camera. "Howam I alive?!"

The brunette ran both of his hands through his hair, spinning in bewilderment until his eyes rested on the animatronics. A blurry memory came back to him... He had thought it was a dream...

Bonnie...

The purple rabbit had picked him up last night... Had he really? Was it real, or just a dream?

Mike eyes drifted to his unclothed chest. He clenched his eyes shut and forcefully took a deep breath. When he was calm enough to move again, he pulled his shirt back on and buttoned it up.

So they had figured out he wasn't an endoskeleton...

That was good.

Mike shakily sat on the edge of the stage, realizing how close to death he had really been. He was lucky they had assumed he was another animatronic. Who knows how they would have reacted if they thought he was a human who had broken in or stayed after hours?

The brunette stood once more and turned to face the animatronics. He knew they meant well; they thought he was an endoskeleton for some reason. They weren't trying to hurt him. They were trying to follow the rules.

They were still the monsters who haunted his feverish nightmares.

He had caught a cold the day he applied for the job at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Of course, he desperately needed money, so he had gone to the interview anyway. He had been drowsy and sniffling the whole time, but the manager had hired him anyway.

He'd been shocked at the time, but it all made sense now.

From there, his cold had just gotten worse. He hadn't rested properly all week, he kept forgetting to take medicine, and the stress of working in this nightmare was agitating his symptoms. He had constant migraines and stomachaches. His vision was blurry, and he sweated constantly. It was awful.

He was almost afraid the cold would take him out before the animatronics did.

It seemed his cold had saved his life...

Sniffling weakly, Mike let himself pat Bonnie's arm. The animatronic had taken care of him. And if he pretended to be an animatronic, he might be safe, and maybe they could be friends.

Or this was all some crazy, sickness-induced hallucination and tomorrow he'd be back to fending for his life...

Mike let himself hope as he exited the pizzeria once more.

A/N: If you guys really want this to be more than a one-shot, I'll work on it after I update one of my other stories.

QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: What is your favorite memory of being sick? This is really awful, but when I was seven or so I got so sick I puked all over our couch. Gross, I know, but for some reason I look on that memory fondly now. Maybe it's because my family were so nice to take care of me after... :D