Chapter 3 Not loving Fish-stick Friday...

When the guys arrive home, Carlos wakes up by himself. He is surprised to find himself leaning on Logan's shoulder and quickly sits up. He feels completely drained, but tries not to let it show. Logan smiles at him.

"Feeling a little better?" He asks the boy, who frowns a little in return.

"Uh, I've felt fine all day, but okay." He says, with a small smile. Logan smiles back, but watches him with concerned eyes.

They head up to the apartment, where the smell of fish sticks already awaits them. They sniff up the air happily, mouths watering at the thought. But the second Carlos catches a whiff of the usually so enticing smell, he can feel his stomach turning. Not wanting to worry his friends, he just goes along with their cheering and races inside the apartment. He sits at the table right away and acts eager, like he always does when food is served. But he wonders whether his face has turned pale or green yet.

Mrs. Knight smiles at him and quickly puts a pile of fish sticks on his plate. His stomach is giving of warning signals, but he can't get sick. He's fine. He never gets sick. So instead of listening to his body, he dives right in and puts a piece of fish stick in his mouth. He sends a huge smile towards Mrs. Knight, who just shakes her head in amusement.

But it's hard to keep up that smile when he swallows the piece of food. He can feel how his body really doesn't agree with his decision to eat anyway. He ignores it though and continues to eat. Sweat is starting to form on his brow as he tries to keep his stomach under control. His hands are slowly starting to shake.

"Dude, are you okay?" James suddenly asks him, making everyone turn their attention to him. He looks up in surprise and tries to send them a smile. But their worried faces tell him he probably has lost color.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He tells them, waving it off.

"Are you sure? Because you're looking a little green, buddy." Kendall tells him. He slowly continues to eat, but it is getting harder and harder to keep it in.

"Yeah, I'm uh..." He trails off when he can't take it anymore. "Would you excuse me for a minute? I just have to get something real quick." He mutters as he practically runs off to the bedroom and then as nobody notices into their adjoined bathroom.

The small family exchanges worried glances at his odd behaviour, but they slowly continue to eat and talk. Logan however doesn't trust the situation and slowly gets up as well.

The others don't seem to notice as he walks into the bedroom. He frowns when he doesn't see his friend.

"Carlos?" He calls out, when he hears sounds coming from the bathroom. He heads for the door and knocks. "Carlos, is everything okay?" He asks. But he is met by silence. He makes a quick decision and tries the door handle, which opens right away. "Carlos?" He softly asks as he enters.

His eyes widen when he sees his friend hunched over the toilet bowl, just as he starts to throw up once more. He rushes forward and grabs a washcloth. He makes it slightly wet and then kneels down next to the young Latino.

"Oh, buddy..." He softly murmurs and rubs his back until the boy finishes. He leans over and flushes the toilet, before handing him a towel and wetting his face with the washcloth.

"'M sorry..." Carlos mutters. He closes his eyes when Logan softly presses the washcloth in his neck.

"Why didn't you tell us you were sick?" Logan asks him. He looks down.

"I'm not sick. I think I just ate something bad..." Carlos tells him. Logan sighs at his stubbornness.

"Buddy..." he starts.

"Really, I'm fine... I feel a lot better now." The raven-haired boy softly says, trying to show him a smile. Logan doesn't look convinced, but decides not to push him. As Carlos tries to get up, he stumbles slightly. Logan catches his arm right away.

"Come on, lets get you to bed." Carlos whines, but a stern look from Logan has him sigh and rolling his eyes. He reluctantly lets his friend lead him into the bedroom and to his bed.

Carlos lies down as Logan grabs a bucket and puts it beside the bed. The brunette then pulls the blankets over him and sits down. Carlos looks at him with a smirk.

"Uh, Logan, you don't have to stay with me. I can lie here by myself. I just need some sleep." He informs his friend. Logan nods and gets up.

"Okay, well, do you want me to tell the others?" He asks his friend. The boy shakes his head right away.

"No, no need to worry them. Just let them eat." He tells his slightly taller friend.

Logan still looks weary to leave. "Go on, Logie. I'm fine. It's just something I ate, I promise. I don't get sick, remember?" He says with a small smile. The brunette doesn't return the smile. "Go eat, Logan. If I start to feel bad again, I'll call you. Okay?" He offers.

Logan sighs, but gets up. "I'm holding you to that, Carlos. If you feel any worse, just let me know. I mean it, Carlos, if you need anything, just say so." he insists and Carlos rolls his eyes. He motions for Logan to leave.

He looks over his shoulder one more time, before finally heading back into the living area. The others look at him questioningly.

"Carlos got sick." He immediately says. The others frown.

"Why didn't he say something?" Kendall asks, sounding a little angry.

"He didn't want anyone to know, because he doesn't want us to worry." Logan explains. Mrs. Knight gets up immediately, looking worried. "It's okay Mrs. Knight, I made sure he went to bed straight away." She wearily sits down again, but keeps looking over towards the bedroom.

"So, what's wrong with him?" Katie asks as they slowly start to eat again.

"He says it's something he ate." Mrs. Knight's eyes widen right away. "But I think he's coming down with something. He's been having some weird symptoms for a few days now." He informs them.

"But Carlos never gets sick." James mentions, while the others nod.

"I know, but with the sneezing and the coughing this morning and the fact that he had a slight fever when he fell asleep again in the car... I think this might be the first time." Mrs. Knight looks a little angry and concerned after hearing all these symptoms no one told her. "That combined with him falling asleep everywhere is enough to assume that he is getting sick. Although I'm not sure what's wrong with him yet. The symptoms don't fully add up. It could be a common cold or the flu, but most of his symptoms continue to disappear after a while." Logan keeps explaining and analyzing what is wrong with his friend, while the others have stopped listening and continue to eat.

"Logan." James calls out, making him snap out of his ranting. "Are you going to finish that?" Logan looks down and sees a small pile of fish sticks still on his plate, while Kendall and James eagerly stare at it. He rolls his eyes.

"Katie, would you like some?" He then asks, ignoring the gasps coming from his friends.

"Hell yeah!" She yells out, ignoring the stern look her mother throws her. Logan hands her his plate and tries not to snicker at the glares his friends send him as she digs in.

After dinner, the guys head for James and Carlos' bedroom to check on their friend. He's completely covered with the blankets, looking peaceful. Logan furrows his brow at the boy's flushed cheeks. He walks over and puts a hand on his forehead. He frowns.

"What is it? Does he still have a fever?" Kendall asks him as he and James watch from the doorway.

"He does feel a little warm." Logan tells them. He turns back to the Latino when he shifts a little. he sleepily opens his eyes and watches the smart boy through half lidded eyes. Logan smiles at him. "Hey, bud. How are you feeling?" He softly asks him.

Carlos glares a little and even crosses his arms underneath the covers. "I am not talking to you." He states and Logan frowns when he looks away.

"What? Why?"

"I asked you not to tell the others I got sick and you did anyway." He explains. Logan sighs.

"You know you shouldn't eavesdrop." Logan tells him with a small smirk.

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I was just lying here and managed to overhear." He stubbornly argues, making Logan chuckle.

"It's the same thing, dude." James suddenly pipes in, making Carlos look up. He sticks out his tongue and the guys laugh.

"But in all seriousness, you feel better?" Kendall asks him when the laughter dies down.

Carlos nods. "Yeah, just a little tired. I guess I ate something bad, you know." He says with a shrug, before yawning loudly. The guys chuckle.

"Go back to sleep, 'Litos." Logan tells him, before ruffling his hair. Carlos pushes him off and mock glares at him.

"Still not talking to you!" He calls out at Logan retreating back. Logan grins.

"Love you too, buddy!" He calls back, before the guys leave the room.

"Shouldn't you check his temperature?" Kendall asks Logan outside.

"And have him beat me up? No, thanks. I'll just wait until he's had his nap to calm down." Logan responds with a chuckle.

"I heard that!" Carlos yells from the bedroom, making the guys crack up.

"Go to sleep, Carlitos!" Kendall yells back. The only response is a grumble from Carlos. The guys shake their heads and walk off with amusement on their faces.

In the evening, the guys watch TV together, enjoying themselves until loud coughing is heard from the bedroom. Logan is the first to hear it. He turns his head, but then it stops. He continues to watch TV again, when the sound is heard a second time.

"Does anyone else hear that?" he asks, the others hardly pay attention. "Guys, turn down the volume a little." He asks. Kendall and James exchange glances, but turn the volume down.

"What, Logan? I don't hear any.." James complains, when the coughing starts up again. "Is that Carlos?" He suddenly asks, making Logan roll his eyes. He gets up, the other two quickly following.

As Logan walks in, he flickers on the light and his eyes widen at the sight of his friend practically coughing up a lung. His face has turned completely red and his body shakes with each cough.

"Woah, come on, sit up a little." Logan tells him as he hurries to his friend's side and helps him sit up. He rubs his back soothingly. "James, could you get a glass of water?" James rushes off right away.

Kendall sits down on Carlos' other side, while the boy's body wracks with every cough. Logan exchanges a glance with Kendall when their smaller friend seems to have trouble breathing after his coughing ceases.

"Alright, it's okay, just take deep breaths." Logan says encouragingly, when James comes back in. He sits on his knees in front of the bed and hands Kendall the water.

"Here, drink a little." He softly says as he holds the glass to Carlos' lips. His breathing is ragged, but slowing down as Logan helps him. He carefully takes a sip of water and closes his eyes.

The guys wait for his breathing to go back to normal and watch him with concern until he opens his eyes.

"Thanks, guys..." He softly croaks.

"You okay now?" Kendall asks him while rubbing his back.

"Yeah, I'm good." He nearly whispers with a nod.

"You scared us, dude. That was some coughing fit." James mentions with a smile, but his eyes show he is worried.

"I think I swallowed something wrong." Carlos sheepishly says. The guys look at each other, before bursting into laughter. "It's not funny, I have a really bad taste in my mouth now." He tells them as he looks disgusted. The guys just start to laugh louder, while Carlos pouts a little. But a smirk makes it way to the corners of his mouth as well.

After a few minutes the guys are still laughing, while Carlos watches them with crossed arms.

"Are you done making fun of me?" He asks them with a playful smile.

The laughter dies down and Kendall slaps him on the back.

"Dude, only you..." He says while chuckling and shaking his head.

"But in all seriousness, you did scare us. I mean, you were coughing so badly I thought you were choking or something." Logan tells him.

"Must have been some huge bug you swallowed." James adds. Carlos' eyes widen in fear and his hands go to his stomach. The guys crack up immediately.

"That's not funny, man!" He calls out, before rolling his eyes and grabbing his pillow. He whacks his laughing friends with it, but they keep on going. "You guys are horrible." He tells them with a pout.

"Don't worry, buddy. If it's really big, I'm sure it'll manage to crawl back out." Kendall suddenly offers. Carlos widens his eyes and puts his hands over his mouth in shock. He shoots off the bed and makes a beeline for the bathroom. The guys are howling with laughter, but Logan punches Kendall's shoulder anyway. "What?" He asks.

Logan just shakes his head and walks to the bathroom as well, still laughing and wiping tears from his eyes. He knocks on the closed door.

"Carlos? Are you okay? Kendall was just joking. If you did swallow a bug, it's not going to crawl back up. Carlos?" When the boy doesn't respond, he opens the door. His laughter stops right away when he sees a very pale Carlos holding the sink tightly with his eyes squeezed shut. "Kendall!" he yells and both laughing teens walk into the bathroom. Their laughter dies down as well when they see their friend.

"Jesus... " James exclaims.

"Uh, he knows I was kidding, right?" Kendall asks quietly.

"Carlos?" Logan asks as he approaches his friend. As he steps closer, he sees how the boy is trembling all over and is trying to keep his breathing under control. He puts his hands over his arms. "Come on, why don't we get you back to bed."

"N-no, I'm f-fine..." Carlos mutters quietly. Bu the moment he lets go of the sink, his knees buckle and Logan has a hard time holding onto him. Carlos' eyes are wide open and Kendall rushes over and grabs his left side. Logan and Kendall each lift one of his arms over their necks and they help him back into the bedroom.

"Come on, lie down." Logan softly tells him as the two friends help the very pale boy into bed. He is still shaking like a leaf and has gone white as a sheet. James stands on the side, watching worriedly. Logan sits on the bed and holds the glass of water to the deathly pale boy's lips. "Take a small sip, it might help." Carlos slowly sips the water and lies in his bed with his eyes closed. Logan coaxes him through breathing, while Kendall has gone to stand by James.

As James stands there in shock, Kendall suddenly rubs his back. James flinches at the sudden touch, but then tries to calm down.

"I've never seen him sick before. Or this pale, you know?" He asks. The blonde nods.

They watch in silence as the color slowly comes back to his face. He opens his eyes and tries to sit up, but Logan pushes him back down.

"Just lie still for a moment, you don't want to get dizzy again, do you?" He warns the boy.

"What was that, dude?" Kendall finally asks after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, you uh, you scared us, buddy." James joins in as he finds his voice again. "I've never seen you so pale before."

"Well, I'm fine now, so you don't need to worry anymore." Carlos simply tells them. James and Kendall share a look.

"Uh, Carlos, you almost fainted a minute ago. Even your lips were completely pale. You are not fine." Logan tells him with a stern look. Carlos rolls his eyes. "Hey, I'm serious." Logan tells him. He looks down. "You're sick, Carlos. Just be lucky Mrs. Knight didn't see you."

"Like you're any better..." Carlos mutters under his breath. Kendall and James snicker, but stop when Logan shoots them a glare.

"Look, I know you're not used tot his, because you've never been sick before. It's not fun and you know what, it's not supposed to be. It sucks, because you're body is trying to get rid of bad germs, which makes you feel bad." Carlos looks at him with a glare.

"You're forgetting something here, Logan." He starts.

"And what's that?" Logan asks him in a challenging way.

"I don't get sick." Carlos tells him.

Logan sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Wow..." Logan states after some silence. "Yeah, okay... you don't get sick. Stupid me, I completely forgot about that." He says, slapping his own forehead. Carlos smiles triumphantly. "'Cause you're a superhero, you're Carlos, the invincible!" Logan shouts out and Carlos' smile falls. "But wait... you're not." Logan then tells him. "You're sick, Carlos. Just suck it up and go to sleep."

With that Logan stands up, while Carlos sighs exaggeratingly and rolls his eyes. James and Kendall chuckle.

"Hey, at least now you know what it feels like, dude." James tells him.

"Yeah, you've always made fun of us for getting sick. Now it's our turn." Kendall tells him, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously with an accompanying smirk.

They quickly head out the door, laughing as a pillow is flung at them.

A/N I know, I know, it sounds weird how all his symptoms come and go, get worse and then go again. But remember; he has never been sick before, so his body doesn't know how to fight it.

Anyway, thank you all for the support You guys make me smile, even on a bad day, I just want you to know that!

Love all of you and I will try to update sooner next time. But I am really tired right now, so heading to bed. Let me know what you think of the chapter and if you have any one requests for this or any of my other stories, just let me know

Love, Baxxie