A/N: Set after the events of Haunted. Written because I survived on less than six hours of sleep for three days.

Of course, now I can't feel my head but that's beside the point.

Disclaimer: This is getting redundant but I still don't own the Titans.

037. Sound

Beast Boy realized that he was awake at about the same moment that he realized he did not remember falling asleep. He made a groggy attempt to get up but the ache in his body quickly stopped him, and instead the changeling focused on how he had gotten to…wherever he was. He could recall being in the infirmary. He had just gotten his sneezing—and morphing, for that matter—under control and the girls were having a good laugh at his expense. He had wanted to tell them to leave him alone so he could wallow in misery in peace but whatever energy he had to yell abruptly left him. The temperature seemed to drop dramatically in the next few seconds, and he began shivering. He wanted to morph into something with a thick coat of fur but couldn't muster up the will to do so.

The last thing he remembered was curling into a ball and shutting his eyes to block out the suddenly too-bright lights. He thought he had heard Starfire stop laughing and anxiously ask, "Friend? Are you truly unwell?" but he couldn't be certain.

Now he didn't know where he was but he did know that he was simultaneously burning up and freezing. His entire body was sore and stiff—that included even his lips, which were dry and cracked from breathing out of his mouth too long—while his head felt thick and pounded mercilessly, telling him that it would also be painful to open his eyes. He would have to rely on his other senses to figure out where he was. His stuffy nose was still working, though barely as he couldn't pick up the faint smells of oil, gel, lavender, and mustard that normally drifted through the Tower. He couldn't smell the acrid anesthesia anymore so he knew he was no longer in the infirmary. He was lying on something soft and since the heavy scent of tofu and old socks wasn't wafting in the air, he knew he wasn't in his bedroom either.

Which was a good thing—with how weak his immune system was at the moment, the disaster area he called a room was not the place for him to be.

Thankfully, he could still hear well enough and the sharp sound of a pot hitting a pan met his ears, causing him to realize that the kitchen was nearby. And since he was lying on something cushy, Beast Boy decided he had to be on the couch. He wanted to give a triumphant smile but felt that would take too much effort.

The murmuring voices around him told Beast Boy that his friends were close but speaking quietly. They didn't seem to know he was awake but that was fine with him. He didn't feel well enough to talk and listening to their conversations helped to distract him from exactly how bad he really did feel.

"…shouldn't have been out in that weather," Robin was saying. While Beast Boy could barely make out the sound of Robin's feet worriedly pacing around the common area, he had no problem hearing the Boy Wonder berate himself. "He kept saying he wasn't feeling well, and he didn't look well either, which I should have noticed. I should have paid more attention to his condition. I should have let him take a break instead of allowing him to overexert himself—"

"Robin," Starfire interrupted quickly. "I believe that Beast Boy's catching of the influenza has more to do with a germ than you, yes?"

"Well…maybe, but—"

"Then you shall accompany me on my journey to get the medicine which will combat the infinitesimal invader that has infested our friend!" The Tamarian princess exclaimed. A surprised yelp told Beast Boy that Starfire had probably picked Robin up and was heading toward the door. "Come, Robin, we will also retrieve more Advil for your injuries while we are out."

Had he been feeling a bit better, the scene—or what he heard of it, at least—would have made Beast Boy laugh. He shuddered more violently as a sudden chill ran up his spine and in the back of his feverish mind, Beast Boy thought about how odd it was that he was sweating and shivering at the same time. He could feel moisture gathering on his forehead and the back of his neck but he couldn't keep his body from shaking with cold. The changeling could not force himself to feel too worried about that paradox, though, not when he was just thankful that he'd stopped sneezing.

The warm fleece blanket that was suddenly draped over him did wonders to fight off the chill. Something soft—a towel, he thought—on his forehead wiped away the beads of sweat gathering there and that sensation was replaced by a cool hand, which felt wonderful against his burning skin.

"He's still feverish," someone said. The voice was gravely but feminine. Raven.

"Maybe we should make some soup…" Cyborg mused. From the sound of clanging pots, it appeared that the half-metal teen was already putting his plan in motion.

"What kind?" The couch dipped down, and the changeling realized she must have taken a seat next to him. "It's not like he'll eat chicken noodle."

"I don't think he could keep the noodles down anyway." Beast Boy was almost sure Cyborg was frowning thoughtfully now. "Maybe we could drain the noodles out and just give him the broth."

He was absolutely certain Raven had just rolled her eyes. "Chicken broth? You're going try to give Beast Boy chicken broth?"

Fearing for his vegetarian way of life, Beast Boy struggled to gain enough consciousness to dispel the chicken soup plan. He opened his eyes and couldn't find the strength the blink the blurriness from his sight. His throat hurt but he forced himself to speak.

"Cy?" the changeling called. Raven looked down at him, and he realized how close his head was to her lap. An idea formed in his head, and he was coherent enough to realize it wasn't a good one but sick enough to not really care. Moving a few inches felt like miles but he managed to maneuver his head to lie slightly on her leg. She was probably annoyed by this action but didn't push him away so Beast Boy was more than content to stay where he was. "Du', no chicken."

Raven sent the half-robot a pointed look. "See? I told you he wouldn't want it."

Cyborg's head suddenly appeared in the changeling's fuzzy field of vision. "It'll make you feel better, B. Go back to sleep for now, though."

Beast Boy shook his head and winced at the pain the action caused. "No chic'en," the changeling repeated thickly.

His best friend sighed and gently patted his head. "Okay, okay, no chicken. I promise."

Beast Boy nodded slightly and curled up tighter under the blanket. When he woke up a few hours later, he could still hear the others around him. His head was still on Raven but a slight dip near his feet told him that another person was on the couch.

"…here tonight. I'll stay with him." Robin's voice again and coming from the other side of the couch but Beast Boy couldn't tell what the conversation was about.

"No way, man, you've had a rough couple of days, too," Cyborg replied firmly. From the determination in the half-metal man's voice, the green teen figured his arms were crossed. "You need your rest. I'll watch him."

"He wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for me," the Boy Wonder responded stubbornly. Beast Boy wished he had the energy to roll his eyes, thinking that if one of the Titans ever got a splinter, Robin would find some way to blame himself for it. "I want to be here."

"I'm already here." Raven's voice this time. "He's actually being quiet so if I want to meditate I can. Plus, this book is interesting enough that I would probably be up all night reading it anyway. I might as well just stay here."

He expected Starfire to speak up next, and she didn't disappoint him. "But you all have done so very much for our beleaguered friend today while I have done so very little. It is only fair that I be allowed to do my fair share of the caretaking by staying up with Beast Boy."

"That's sweet, Star, and you know the little guy would appreciate it but you've done just as much as the rest of us," Cyborg told kindly her, and Beast Boy wondered just when his best friend had decided that his teammates were the younger siblings he'd never had. "Okay, y'all, let's look at this logically. The city could need us tomorrow, and with BB and Rob out of commission—don't give me that look, gel-head. You are sitting out tomorrow and if you don't, I'll sic Star on you—it would be a good idea to have to have you girls completely rested. I can recharge at any time—"

"But that's exactly why I should be the one to watch BB—I can't do anything else." Robin sounded somewhat bitter but still determined to have his own way.

Starfire seemed to be equally resolute. "I insist that I have the job of watching over Beast Boy. I have already taken charge of Robin's recovering so I see no reason why I should not care for Beast Boy as well."

"He's using me as his pillow so I'm stuck here regardless. There's no point in anyone else staying up, too," Raven said, seeming to ignore the fact that she could shove his head off her at any time. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice but for the first time in as long as the changeling could remember, it wasn't directed at him. "Now will all of you stop talking before you wake him up?"

Beast Boy felt a small smile form on his lips. They were arguing over him, over who would be the one to take care of him. He didn't want to be a burden but the thought of them all being so concerned about his health that they were willing to stay up all night with him made the green teen feel completely contented. Well…as content as it was possible to feel when dealing with the flu. His body still ached, and his hearing was still the only sense that seemed to be functioning properly but his friends were near and obviously cared about him. Beast Boy didn't think he could ask for more than that.

They were still talking but it seemed like they'd finally come to the decision that they would all stay on the couch that night and just sleep in shifts. The current topic of discussion was who would take the first shift but Beast Boy did not feel like paying much attention to it. The sounds of their voices were soothing enough that he could feel himself drifting off again.

He would never admit it but having the others fuss over him, being babied…

It was kind of nice.