Chapter 1

(POV_ERWIN)

Everyone was already up and ready, getting ready to start the day, well, almost everyone.

I wasn't really feeling like my normal self today. There was a deep ache in my stomach, along with a stuffy nose and unusually warm flushed cheeks. I knew I had to get ready and be there for everyone. I wasn't going to let a little bug get to me, but I didn't know that this bug was worse than I thought.

I sat up, a bit too quickly, and my whole world spun in circles. My stomach was rolling, and I was very nauseous. I swallowed back against the vomit now threatening to force its way up my throat.

I rode out the wave of nausea, and got dressed for the day, putting on a nice crisp white shirt, along with some trousers and my matching boots. Just as I was about to slip on his Survey Corps jacket, another wave of nausea slammed into me with full force, this time twice as strong.

I clamped a hand over my mouth, almost collapsing to the floor from having almost no strength all of a sudden. My stomach churned and grumbled, telling me that if he didn't get to a bathroom quick, that it wouldn't be a good day for me.

I just managed to pull himself up and drag myself into the bathroom. I closed the door behind him and knelt next to the toilet, waiting for the inevitable.

After what felt like at least an hour, it finally came, a wave of nausea so powerful that caused me to be sick over the toilet.

This lasted for several minutes, until finally, I could finally breathe again, clenching my bloated stomach. I really knew I had a fever now because you don't just randomly start throwing up out of the blue. I stayed there for a few more minutes, riding out wave after wave of nausea, and throwing up a few more times. Eventually, I began to slightly doze, both hands now resting on my stomach, as if protecting it.

--

Then, a little later, I was gently woken, by a blanket being draped over my broad shoulders. I looked back and saw Hanji kneeling beside me, a gentle smile on her face as she asked, "Are you feeling alright, Commander, you weren't at breakfast this morning, nor did you show up for the briefing of the mission, so we canceled and rescheduled for another day this week."

I pulled the blanket up around my shoulders as Hanji helped me stand. I was actually thankful that she was there, because I didn't think I'd be able to get up off the floor with the bare minimum of energy I was running on right now, not to mention the high fever I was running.

"You shouldn't have done that Hanji, you should've gotten Captain Levi to lead the mission."

"Oh, and leave you here without anyone to take care of you?" Hanji asked, "I don't think so..."

Once Hanji got me back to bed, she turned her back as I stripped and reclothed into something more comfortable, though I was blushing while doing so.

Once dressed in something more comfortable, I got settled back into bed and Hanji pulled the covers up to my shoulders. I shivered a bit, shuffling under the covers a bit more, trying to conserve warmth.

"Levi will be here in a few minutes with some herbal tea to help with your fever. " Hangi said and placed a cool wet cloth over my warm forehead. I sighed in reply, relaxing a little underneath the cloth's cool touch. Hangi left the room to let me rest some.