Virus awoke the next morning to the sound of someone knocking on her door. She didn't feel like getting up.
"The door is open." Willy walked in, carrying a tray of food and followed by an oompa-loompa. He gestured to the small figure beside him.
"This guy informs me that you need to have you're bandages changed." The oompa-loompa was decidedly female and carrying fresh clean bandages with her. The two women fixed Willy with pointed stares until he finally got the point and turned around obediently. He had just started admiring the pattern around the door when he heard a gasp and whipped around. Virus's bandages had been cut away, but now there was a purple ring around her waist. It was as if she was wrapped in a blotchy purple towel. Virus cringed.
"I'm guessing I moved around to much yesterday." Willy reached out and gently touched the purple flesh.
"This isn't normal." He turned to the oompa-loompa. "Right?" The tiny woman shook her head franticly. Virus tried to placate them.
"It's not that bad. I bruise easily, don't worry." The small women had no other choice but to rewrap Virus's ribs, if a bit looser. Unwrapping her wrist showed the same bruise pattern but they had to rewrap that as well. Afterwards Willy sat down on the bed so they could eat breakfast. He'd brought cereal this time. Willy waved a spoon at her.
"I'll send lunch up here at lunch time and you had better eat it young lady."
"I won't be up here at lunch time."
"You can't wander around the factory injuring yourself like this."
"I can't stay up here until my ribs heal."
"Why not?"
"Do you have any idea how boring that would be?" Willy thought about it.
"Would you prefer to be bored or in pain?"
"I don't have to be either. I can go down to the Bucketts and keep the Grandparents company. That way I don't move a lot and I won't be stuck up here by myself." Willy looked skeptical but soon gave in, brightening immediately.
"Fine, but I'm walking you down there." They finished their cereal and walked to the elevator, whizzing off to the chocolate room. Before they got there Willy covered Virus's eyes. When the elevator landed he lead her into the room, still covering her eyes.
"Alright. You can open them." Virus gasped. It was beautiful, the hills were covered in white, icicles hung from the plants, and the river looked almost frozen.
"How did you…" Willy chuckled smugly.
"Sugar on the river, it sparkles and sticks to the top making it look frozen, powdered sugar covers the hills, and the icicles are really made of rock candy." Willy then resumed walking to the Buckett house but Virus had an idea. She reached down and balled up some snow before taking careful aim at Willy's head. It crashed into the back of his head with a 'Smack.' His hat fell off and Willy turned around slowly.
Virus tried to look innocent. Quick as a flash Willy had gathered a snow ball and sent it souring through the air at her. An all out war started between the two. Growing larger when Willy accidentally hit an oompa-loompa in the back. Charlie and a few of the other Bucketts ran outside when they heard the noise and soon they were lobbing snowballs at the group too.
Since the factory was still warm the snowball fight lasted what seemed like hours, only ending when Virus slipped and fell on top of Willy. His knee jabbed her hard in the ribs and she gasped.
"I'm sorry! Are you ok?" Willy helped her stand as best she could. The others hadn't seen them so they continued throwing snowballs while the two young adults went into the house, Virus trying to hold her side without anyone being able to tell. Grandpa George and Grandma Josephine looked up when they walked in.
"You there, what's going on out there? You lot sound like someone's dieing." Willy clued him in.
"Snowball fight. Or rather, a sugar fight. Is it alright if Virus stays here for the day?" Virus rolled her eyes.
"I'm not a little kid, I don't need a babysitter." Grandma Josephine ignored her.
"Of course she's welcome here." Willy turned to Virus, whispering.
"Be careful." She nodded reluctantly. That settled, Willy collected Charlie and they left for the inventing room. Virus spent the whole day playing games with the grandparents and helping Mrs. Buckett cook. After losing a game of Egyptian Rat Screw to Grandpa George Virus returned to the kitchen to help with dinner.
"Are you sure you're OK dear, you look a little tired." Mrs. Buckett was right, Virus was tired, she also had a headache and her ribs felt like they were going to rip out of her side. She stifled a yawn.
"I suppose I am little tired." Mrs. Buckett chuckled.
"Why don't you go upstairs and take a little nap in Charlie's bed?" Virus didn't argue, Charlie's bed was soft and warm, and she really wasn't feeling all that well. She drifted off to sleep quickly.
Dinner came around and went, and still she slept fitfully. Willy was finally forced to either wake her up or carry her to her room again. He chose the later, he'd found that he liked holding her. They way she curled up against him, how peaceful she looked in her sleep. The sleeping girl didn't even move until he was laying her on her bed. Her eyelids fluttered open.
"Willy? Did you carry me up here?"
"Yeah, don't worry about it, you're still too light." He poked her when he said the last and she smiled a bit.
"Thank you Willy." He finished tucking her in and said goodnight before heading to his room to get ready for bed.
He was trapped in a nightmare. It had started off harmlessly; he and Virus were just walking and talking. But then she'd collapsed, gasping. Now he was sitting in a white room, the only sounds her ragged breathing and a heart monitor. But then it all stopped, a high pitched whine filled the air and she stopped moving, forever. Willy ran to her side, he tried shaking her, calling her name over and over again. But she wouldn't wake up.
Virus could hear shouting from across the hallway. At first she was confused but then she shot up and ran to the other room, the person was shouting her name. Inside was a thrashing Willy. She tried to wake him up. An arm caught her in the side but she just held him tighter. Willy was moaning now.
"No, please don't. Don't leave. Wake up, please Virus wake up." Virus was scared, was Willy dreaming about her death? He couldn't be!
"Willy, I'm right here and I'm awake. Now you have to wake up. Come on Willy!" He shot up, eyes wide. Willy saw her and instantly engulfed her in a tight hug, rocking back and forth.
"Don't leave, don't ever leave."
"I'm right here Willy." She wanted to tell him she would never leave, but she couldn't lie, not to Willy. Virus climbed into bed next to Willy.
"See? I'm right here. Go back to sleep." He just held her closer.
"Promise you'll still be here when I wake up?"
"I promise." Willy soon fell asleep, with Virus cradled close to his chest. But she couldn't sleep now, she had to stop this. If Willy was having nightmares about her leaving him then she had to leave now, before they could get any closer where her death could really hurt him. But she couldn't leave; Derek was still out there, and her father. She would just have to avoid Willy, keep her distance so they couldn't get any closer. Willy would forget about her soon enough, she was sure. He could have the pick of any girl out there. Yes Willy would forget, and she would stay away. The very idea of staying away from Willy brought tears to her eyes. But she'd made up her mind; she wouldn't hurt him like that.
Virus had promised she would still be there in the morning so she made a promise to herself before drifting off to sleep. Tomorrow she would have to avoid Willy as much as possible, no matter how much it hurt.
Yay, I'm ungrounded!!! Yay, new chapter!!! Boo family! I have to spend the day out of town… computer less, just like yesterday. So no new chapter until tomorrow. I'm sorry! We got back about two hours ago and I typed this up for you, so sorry if it's a little rushed.