Mordecai stood with the circle of employees standing around Benson , all awaiting the chores they would be assigned on this Friday's chore handout.
"All right, we have a lot to do today, so everyone," he paused and glanced up and saw Mordecai's pale face and the shadows under his eyes, "Mordecai, are you feeling' alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine,Geez , why does everybody here seem to think a I'm sick?" This amount of concern was getting under his nerves.
"Geez, Mordecai, we were just asking if you were alright," Skips chided in . He could sympathize with Mordecai for hating the vulnerability of being sick, but even he was not like this.
Mordecai knew everyone was only trying to be nice, but he really did not need everyone fussing over him.
" OK," Benson broke the silence."Mordecai and Rigby, you guys will be weeding the garden at the back of the park and cleaning then tending to the snack bar duty after Muscle Man and HFG do it.(said duo could be heard groaning) ..."
Mordecai inwardly groaned. With his sore body, the last thing he wanted was to pull weeds out of a garden in the hot , he knew if he told Benson he would have tell him he wasn't feeling well.
*#*
Mordecai and Rigby were in the garden patches at the back of the park, pulling out weeds. Mordecai wasn't really making much of an effort, his body was so sore. His nose was itchy (or his beak,let's not think too hard about that) and he bright sunshine was only making it worse. He sneezed and held it in , hoping no one noticed." Bless you. Rigby looked up from his weed" dude, just come clean already." "I'm not sick, it's just allergies."
Rigby immediately knew this was a lie. The only thing Mordecai was allergic to was cats, " a lie. the only thing your allergic to is cats, and that's why there are NO CATS ACTUALLY SICK JUST ADMIT IT"
"Dude , I'm fine !"
Skips walked over to them "What's all the yelling?" he Ben saw Mordecai's pale, exhausted face,"Mordecai, are you sure your not sick?You look horrible."
Rigby jumped onto Skips testimony "Doesn't he? He's been coughing and sneezing and looking awful all morning, and he won't admit it."
"Lemme take a look at him," he pressed his thumbs under Mordecai's
throat, almost enough to make him gag. He was feeling for swollen lymph nodes, a sure sign of infection (Mordecai, being a bird, was cold blooded, there fore he could not have a fever, because cold-blooded animals don't have an average body temperature, so to avoid making things awkward he just thought he'd feel his throat)
As if to read Skips's mind, Rigby asked, "Why don't you just check if he has a fever?"
Skips sighed and replied, "Because Mordecai is a blue jay, so he's cold blooded, so he doesn't have an average body temperature, it fluctuates with his surroundings, so checking for a fever would be useless."
Rigby, "Oh."
Mordecai blushed slightly and this mention. He realized he wasn't anatomically he same as everybody else, but hearing Skips saying it in front of Rigby was embarrassing. He also knew there was no way to push Skips off of him, so he let the yeti press his thumbs gently under under his throat.
Skips could feel two lumps under Mordecai's throat, a sure sign that his glands were swollen , fighting an infection. "Open your mouth," he requested gruffly. "Oh,Geez, this is gonna be awkward, " though Mordecai, but nonetheless, he opened his beak and Skips looked at his throat. You could see swollen glands in his throat as well, and his tonsils and the rest of his throat were swollen and red as well.
"Hhhhmmmm" muttered Skips " OK, Mordecai , you can close your mouth now." Mordecai gratefully shut his mouth, and swallowed since it made his throat really dry.
"Now, Mordecai , I know your going to hate me for saying this, but your glands are swollen, and so are your tonsils and throat. Thats a sure sign of infection. I know you hate admitting to being sick, but you'll only feel worse if you keep trying to work. Just get some rest. Rigby, you take Mordecai to his room, and I"ll tell Benson he can't work."
Rigby looked at Mordecai, "Come on."
Mordecai sulked and followed along. He was sort of embarrassed, and almost wished he had just said he was sick this morning.
Rigby walked Mordecai upstairs to their room.
"Dude, if you were sick since this morning, why didn't you just say something? It was obvious that you were." This was one thing about Mordecai that really annoyed Rigby, how stubborn he was . He never admit to having anything wrong with him. Ever. This only annoyed Rigby because he actually cared , Mordecai now looked worse than he dis before, he was paler and looked weak and shivery. But before he could say anything else, Mordecai responded.
" I don't know , man. I thought it would go away, but it didn't, and... I don't know, , I just feel so weak admitting it..."
"But right now your physically weak, Mordecai. Skips is right trying to work when your sick only makes everything worse.
Mordecai hugged his knees to his chest, and shivered slightly.
Rigby's anger and frustration faded when he saw this, his brows furrowed And his ears and tail drooped, " Dude, your shivering. You want a jacket or something?"
"No, I'll just wear the navy blue hoodie got for me last Christmas. I'll be fine. I just need to rest. "
"OK...well...see ya." Rigby closed the door and left.