Three weeks after their reunion with Joel Robinson had left the robots feeling bored and restless. Joel had given his two robot friends a departure gift that was sure to keep them entertained for hours on end: a restored and specially modified Super Nintendo. One that had controllers custom designed for Crow's claws and Tom's less than nimble hands.

Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo were sitting next to each other on the floor of their modest apartment's living room, surrounded by discarded candy wrappers and empty soda cans. The two bots were engaged in a record breaking Super Mario Kart marathon and paid no attention to how much time they were wasting.

"Aw come on Crow!" Tom hated it when Crow 'cheated' and wasn't afraid to make the accusation. "You can't be getting all the red shells without cheating! Cheater!"

"Bite me Servo!" Crow was too into the game to really care. "You're just jealous because Luigi is going to win gold and Yoshi is going to get silver!"

"I refuse to lose to Luigi!"

"Well, you're gonna'!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Dink!"

"Dickweed!"

The front door of the apartment unlocked and in walked Michael J. Nelson, or to be more accurate, in stumbled Michael J. Nelson.

"Hi Mike!" The two bots greeted in unison without taking their eyes from the TV screen.

"Hey..." Mike replied flatly. He was resting against the wall, his face significantly pale with a fine sheen of sweat.

"How was work?" Tom asked casually.

"Fine..." He pulled off his heavy leather jacket and dropped it on floor next to the front door.

"What about dinner? We're starving!" Crow tagged on. "Ha! Eat red shell Servo!"

"Ah! Crow! You knocked me off the track!"

Mike didn't respond to the question. His stomach was too upset to keep anything down, and the last thing he wanted to do was sit in the living room during a videogame battle with two arguing robots at the controllers.

Using the wall as a guide Mike slowly made his way from the door, into the kitchen, down the hall and into his bedroom.

Crow and Tom hadn't been paying attention to him until they heard the click of his door closing.

"Mike?" Crow finally paused the game. "What gives? Since when did humans get so rude!"

"Beats me. Wanna' order some Chinese?"

"Sure! I know where Mike puts his wallet." He answered while rummaging through the dropped jackets' pockets.

Mike absentmindedly flipped on the light switch as he slowly walked over to his bed and fell face down onto the soft brown quilt. His nausea was lingering and he knew he had a fever, but he didn't have the strength to get back up and find something in the medicine cabinet. Instead he pulled his pillow down from the head of the bed and curled up with it. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

"Thanks!" Crow answered the door and scared the hell out of the unsuspecting delivery man. After paying the man with a twenty dollar bill Crow slammed the door and yelled for Tom. "Hey Servo! Chow time!"

The slamming of the front door startled Mike awake. He looked at the clock on the table next to his bed. "Fifteen minutes, that's a new record." He was long used to the bots disturbing his sleep. Through his closed door he caught a whiff of the delivered food which only made his nausea worse. He buried his face in the pillow and tried to ignore his building queasiness.

"Okay, this is for you Servo, chicken with broccoli. This is for me, beef with broccoli, ooh! Pot stickers! And some wanton soup for Mike." Crow finished sorting through their order. "Where is Mike anyway?"

"He's still in his room."

"What's his deal? Is he mad or something?"

"Maybe he isn't hungry."

"What? Are you kidding? He's always hungry when comes home from work!" Crow looked at the closed bedroom door. "Something's up, let's go check it out."

"Right behind ya'."

Crow easily opened the door with his increasingly dexterous claw and pushed it open with his beak. "Mike? You in here?"

Mike didn't answer. He remained as still as possible on the bed, his face buried in the pillow.

"Mike?" Crow climbed up on the bed and stood over him. "Are ya' dead?"

"Touch him!" Tom encouraged.

"Ew! If he is dead I'm not going to touch him, you touch him!"

"No way, you touch him! You're closer!"

"It was your idea!"

"Only because you said-"

"Will you two please be quiet?" Mike's stifled voice was barely audible from the pillow.

"He's alive." Crow noted. "So what's the deal? Why aren't you eating?"

Mike pushed Crow aside. "I'm not feeling well. I can't eat."

"Another headache?" Tom was familiar with Mike's chronic headaches.

"No. This is a stomachache."

"What's that gotta' do with eating?" Crow still didn't fully understand human ailments.

Sighing Mike looked up from the pillow at the two curious robots.

"Gah!" Crow and Tom were startled by Mike's pale complexion and bloodshot eyes. The red hue made his natural blue eyes more intense.

Tom was almost fascinated by the way he looked. "Geez Mike, did you get in a fight or something?"

"No..." He answered slowly with irritation in his voice. "I didn't get in a fight. I'm sick and need to rest."

"Oh."

Crow climbed off the bed. "Want us to bring you some wanton soup or pot stickers or-"

The very idea of food was too much. Mike bolted off the bed and down the hall into the bathroom slamming the door shut behind him.

"Huh..." Crow looked at Tom. "The guy can really move when he wants to."

"But why did he-"

The all too distinct and uncomfortable sound of Mike throwing up filled the small apartment.

"Oh."

"I guess that's a 'no' on the soup." Crow quipped.

"Mike, honey, do you need anything?" Tom was sitting outside the bathroom door. "It's been almost twenty minutes, I think you're done!"

Crow had grown impatient with waiting. "Alright, I got this!" He grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open. "Mike? Now are ya' dead?"

"No..." Mike muttered. He was leaning against the shower door with his eyes shut. His face was even paler and his gray t-shirt was soaked through with sweat. He had his left arm wrapped around his abdomen like he was in pain.

Tom hovered into the bathroom and sat next to Mike. "Mike, you look terrible. Maybe you need to see a doctor."

"No, I'll be okay."

"Good." Crow answered sternly.

"Crow?"

"What?"

"Show a little compassion, will ya'?"

"I thought I was."

"You're hopeless." Tom turned back to Mike. "Mike, you need to get back to bed and rest. Let's go."

Mike opened his glassy blue eyes and looked down at the helpful little bot. "Okay..." On shaky hands he pushed himself up from the floor and struggled to find his balance on his trembling legs. As he tried to take a step forward he suddenly lost his balance but caught himself with one hand against the sink.

"Whoa! Easy Mike!" Tom hovered up pushed his body against Mike's chest to help him stand up again. "Lean on me if you have to, but you know, not too hard."

"Thanks..."

Crow led the way from the bathroom back to the bedroom while Tom acted as a guide to help Mike find his way back down the hall. "Watch the door, don't run into it now!"

Mike put out his hand to find the doorway and maneuvered through. Crow pulled back the covers on Mike's bed and Tom guided Mike to the bed.

"Good. Now stay there!" Crow demanded.

"Okay... thanks." Within minutes Mike had fallen asleep again.

Tom and Crow turned off the light as they left the bedroom and pulled the door partially shut behind them.

"Crow, I've never seen Mike in such rough shape before. What do we do?"

"I don't know. What would Joel do?"

"Crow, you're brilliant! We'll ask Joel! To the laptop!"

...to be continued...