(BEASTBOY'S PERSPECTIVE)
A few days ago, Raven stayed with me in the living room. I was in the Common Room restless and cold as heck. Despite that, my teammate made sure I was okay.
I remember talking to her in the dark room, only the two of us. This is not the first time that the steel wall of hers has faded into a soft pillow. I realized Raven had such a barrier up for a few reasons.
She was hurt a lot from the past.
She is apprehensive about others.
She is insecure.
But the matter that Raven soldiered out her fatigue and issues to comfort me was simply selfless. I recall falling asleep on her leg, her slender fingers stroking me to sleep.
I woke up the next morning tucked gently into my bed.
I wish I could go back to a few nights ago. To hear her tender words, lean into her understanding heart, and be close to her again.
Raven was my friend and only my friend. But every now and then I felt a little tug on my soul saying there was something deeper to us.
"Beastboy?" someone knocked on my room door.
I gritted my teeth and took off the blanket.
"B, you there?"
It was Cyborg.
"Yes." I groaned and wiped the back of my neck.
Sweat coated my hand, my eyes felt like boulders, and my body felt like an oven.
The blood in my body seemed to stiffen and my limbs ached as well.
"What's up, Cy?" I wheezed.
My lungs felt like they were locking and crushing shut.
"Whoa, B.B., you okay, man? You look really pale. And you look like you haven't slept in years." Cyborg gave a worried expression.
"It's almost twelve in the afternoon!? I went to bed at eight last night."
I shivered violently as I glanced at my alarm clock.
"That's the issue. Do you realize you've been sleeping excessively lately?"
"And still feeling tired thereafter." I responded.
"You still feel tired? After about sixteen hours of sleep?"
"Yes, it's fine though." I smiled frailly.
"B, you look out of it, man, I'm telling you." Cyborg insisted.
"Nah, I'm okay. I only need some sleep. Sometimes all you need is sleep to feel better." I yawned.
"But you've gotten a lot of sleep recently, probably more than enough. I think something's wrong."
My head sent a ringing pang through my body but I kept my face masked.
"Not really."
I recalled my restless, feverish nights.
"How come?" Cyborg asked.
"Nothin'. So what's up?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to play fetch for a bit." Cyborg suggested reluctantly.
"Oh, yeah, of course let me change off and I'll be out in a jiff." I jumped slightly.
But it hurt.
It hurt to jump.
My sockets and joints felt rusted and hard.
"Alright, are you sure, though? If you want to rest you can I understand." Cyborg raised his brow.
"Nah, I'm good. I'll be out inna sec."
Cyborg nodded and closed the door.
I peeled off my tee and noticed a few red spots on my stomach.
"Huh, this is strange. My skin must be irritated. From what though?" I poked the scarlet dots.
"Meh, prolly nothin'."
I zipped on my uniform and shuffled my warm hands through my head.
I fluffed my hair and spritzed on a little cologne. I took a shower last night, but boy was it painful. Not only did my body ache but showering motivated that fever and chill feel even more.
That was okay though, I was still myself for the most part.
"Woo, I'm sick but I am handsome." I teased my fang with my tongue.
I trotted happily out of my room and smelled food. My smile dropped as I continued down the hallway. The usual attraction I had to food seemed to vanish. My stomach did not eagerly growl like it usually did and my mouth was dry and pasty.
"Hey, Beastboy, you alright?" Robin was cleaning off the counter.
Robin was a clean freak.
He never made a crumb sit on the floor overnight. He never tolerated dust bunnies or spiderwebs. Every crack and corner possible, Robin cleaned.
Except our rooms, mine especially.
"Hey, yeah I'm good. Dude, it's hot in here, is Hades paying a visit?" I fanned myself.
"Beastboy, your mythology jokes do amuse me, but I am afraid that it is quite cool in here." Starfire popped her head up from the fridge.
She was most likely gathering ingredients for her next Tamaranean concoction.
"Oh, heya, Star. You sure? I feel like Hotspot."
I glanced at my clammy hands.
The fabric of my uniform seemed to be melting into my flesh.
Starfire laughed, "I am sure. The Conditioning of Air is on right now." she said.
"Yeah? A broken one." I noticed Raven was sitting on the couch, reading.
"You still have a fever?" Raven turned around to me.
"Huh? What fever?" Cyborg startled me from behind.
"A slight fever I've had for a couple of days, nothing big, right, Rae?" I nervously looked at my friend.
Raven's eyebrows hunched.
"It was low grade, but by now I think it should be gone. And, do not call me that." Raven huffed and flipped a page.
That stubbornness of hers is so irresistible.
"Beastboy, you are the only one that feels hot right now, correct? Is anyone else feeling hot?" Starfire asked, everyone shook their heads no.
"You look like you need to rest, Beastboy." Robin dried the counter with a paper towel.
"I've gotten enough of that."
"Bro, you're still tired." Cyborg retorted.
"Beastboy, at least get something in your system. Whatever is going on inside of you is going to get worse if you don't eat. Your body needs food to fight whatever it is off." Raven declared.
"Yeah, Robin made some..."
"I'm not hungry." I frowned, feeling my stomach churn.
"What!? Not hungry? Has someone replaced this kid with a robot?" Cyborg flashed his hand in front of my face and I pushed it away.
"No, I'm me, promise, guys." I grinned whimsically.
"Hmm…" Robin raised his eyebrow in disbelief.
"Alright, trivia's over let's go, Cy." I grabbed my friend's hand and dragged him to the garage.
Within a few minutes Cyborg and I got to the field. After reassuring him a hundred times that I was okay enough to play, he finally gave in.
Other civilians were blabbering and chatting with one another. Kids screamed in delight as they played games of their own. Some adults were reading books or cooking on grills.
Cyborg had our handy white ball in hand, I turned into a dog, and dashed to the far end.
The Sun hugged my chilled body as my paws clapped the grass. I felt like my legs and nerves were wooden, but I kept sprinting as freely as possible.
"Go wiiiiiiiiiiiide!" Cyborg threw the ball in the air.
I leaped and caught the soft sphere in my teeth.
I hurried towards Cyborg, he patted my head, and took the ball.
I ran back and forth several times and we repeated the same routine over and over again.
My body as strange as it was acting appeared to numb itself. I jumped and ran, hoping the ill feeling would be soaked up in the sunshine.
My brain still rattled and throbbed, my blood was still frozen, my heart seemed heavy.
However, I still drooled and barked like any dog would. I hoped that even if on the inside I felt like I wasn't feeling the best, I could still make the best out of it.
I hoped I could make the best out of the quality and rare moments with my best friend, outside of the butt kicking of villains and the quarrels at Home.
I turned back to human form.
"Gee, that's all you got? Your throws are slower than me as a turtle." I mocked, folding my arms.
"Is that a challenge?" Cyborg jeered.
"No, it's a compliment." I smiled sarcastically.
"Oh 'ight lemme me give yah a fastball. Heads up, Grassy!" Cyborg's genuine smile lit up as he zapped the ball my way.
I changed back into a dog.
I saw the white circle twirl in the sky, overlapping the Sun for the two millionth time.
The clouds swam, the kids still laughed, and the adults still cooked.
I stopped.
I stopped moving.
I stopped hearing.
I stopped feeling.
I stopped smelling.
I stopped seeing.
I stopped.
"Beastboy? Beastboy!" my fur changed to skin.
Lights flashed in front of my eyes as dizzy spells shoved me to the ground. My eyes fixated on Heaven but I felt like I was in Hell.
My muscles toughened, I forgot how to blink, and my fingers twitched. I bit my tongue uncontrollably, blood leaving my lips.
"Beastboy!? B, talk to me!" Cyborg said.
I couldn't see him or feel him, I was lucky enough to hear him.
"B.B.? B, listen to me! Are you in there?"
I couldn't stop the shivering, the biting, the bleeding, the wheezing, the twitching, the overheating.
I.
Could.
Not.
Stop.
It.
"No, no, no..." Cyborg panicked.
"Is he okay?" someone walked up to us.
"What happened?" another person quizzed.
"I- I don't know. I was playing catch with him and he just... dropped." Cyborg anxiously explained.
"Hello? Are you okay!?" an unknown voice panicked.
I wish I could answer that question for both of us.
"Wowwww! Is that Beastboy the Teen Titan? Mama, can I get his autograph and buy him a present? Oooooo, and you must be Cyborg! You are cool, too! I want to be like you guys when I grow up." a child marveled.
"Thanks, kiddo."
Cyborg was still apprehensive.
"Do you want me to call the ambulance?"
"No thank you. My friend has an unstable genetic code. Public facilities aren't the best for any of us." I heard buttons chime.
"Robin! Robin!?"
The communicator rang.
"Cyborg? What's wrong?" Robin picked up.
"It's Beastboy. He isn't responding, we were playing catch and all of a sudden he dropped. Some parts of his body are twitching, he is biting his tongue and his eyes are locked on the sky. Beastboy has lost complete awareness." Cyborg rambled quickly.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Cyborg… what?"
"He isn't... responding." Cyborg's voice broke.
"Cyborg, bring him home. I'll set up the Med Wing with the girls." Robin demanded.
"Okay, I'm coming."
I shuddered uncontrollably while a few tears left my eyes.
Everything hurt so much but I was not able to express it at all.
"Thank you, I will get him home, we have what we need there." Cyborg told the other voices.
"B, please hang in there." Cyborg rushed to the T-Car.
I'll try.