Virus

Derek sat at the dinner table, fingers gently massaging his temples. His eyes were closed; he was almost serene, in his own little way. The rest of the family looked at him very curiously.

"Derek? Are you okay?" Nora piped up, taking a bite of her salad. He opened his eyes, with some difficulty.

"I'm really, really exhausted." He replied quietly.

Casey rolled her eyes.

"From sleeping in until noon and watching TV all day?" Casey muttered. Derek didn't even notice she had opened her mouth. Instead, he closed his eyes again. George and Nora exchanged surprised glances and then looked back at their son.

"Do you think you're coming down with something?" George asked. Derek didn't respond.

"Derek?"

His eyes shot open and he looked back at his father with droopy eyes.

"I don't know. My throat kind of hurts." Again, George and Nora exchanged glances, but this time they were filled with worry.

"Eat something," Lizzie piped up, pointing at the plate of pizza and salad in front of him. He shook his head furiously.

"No, I'm not hungry,"

This time, even Casey seemed bothered. Derek would never pass up a slice of pizza, ever. George stood up and grabbed his keys.

"We're taking you to the doctor," he stated, "Nora, stay here with the kids."

She nodded in compliance. With that, Derek and George made their way slowly out of the house and into the car. The engine rumbled as the rest of the family heard the car sputter its way down the road. The rest of the dinner was eaten in silence.

Casey was in her room when she heard the front door open and close. Sneakily, she made her way out of her room and perched herself right above the stairs to see what was up. She couldn't help but feel almost dizzy when she saw George and Derek downstairs.

"Nora, come in here," George called. In a matter of seconds, Nora appeared from their bedroom.

"What is it? Is there something wrong with him?"

"Well, it's only temporary, but yes."

Casey closed her eyes, feeling multiple chills run up her spine. Nora looked at the boys expectantly.

"He has mononucleosis," George concluded. Derek looked somewhat smug, caught with a common teenager virus otherwise known as "the kissing disease". He knew how the guys at school would react. But at the moment, all he wanted to do was collapse in bed. As Nora badgered George with questions about medication, treatment, etcetera, Derek hobbled his way up the stairs, careful not to fall over. When Casey saw him approaching, she stood abruptly and ran to her room.

The next day, Derek barely wanted to get out of bed. He was exhausted, and he claimed he was freezing even if he was sweating and had layers of blankets on top of him. The rest of the family seemed fine, except for Casey. During dinner, she seemed to be worried, and her face was pale as the white tablecloth. They didn't bother asking questions.

The next morning, her throat was swollen and red, almost as bad as Derek's. No wonder it's called "the kissing disease".