I'M DYING 4: FLU MISERIES

Chapter 4

It seemed like a long time till the doctor finally showed up, but when he did, he didn't look happy.
"What have we got here? One . . . two . . . three . . . four cases?"
Wanda nodded. "Brenda just got it."
"I see. Who would you say is the worst off right now?"

"Lance Alvers."

"And he would be . . .?"
"Right here." She led him over to Lance's side. The boy was trembling all over, his eyes closed.

The doctor began by checking his pulse.

"Hmm . . ." he said. Then he checked Lance's temperature. It was still very high.
"How long has he been like this?"
"Just after we arrived, I think."

The doctor shook his head. "I was afraid of that . . ."

"We've been isolated here ever since, so no one else gets it . . ."
"Right." The doctor looked toward the door, obviously expecting a flood of new arrivals . . . but no one came. For once, the quarantine worked.

"Got any water, yo?" said Toad.

Wanda brought him some. "Take it slowly," she said.
"But I'm thirsty!"

"You don't want to choke, do you?"

"I won't!"
"What have we here?" The doctor came over to take a look at him.
Toad's eyes widened in fear. "Don't hurt me, yo!"

Wanda came over. "Lance is throwing up again."

There was exactly one basin in the room . . . and it was full already.

"I'll get it." Brenda got a second one, then went to Toad . . . but never made it. Her legs gave out halfway (never mind that she shouldn't have been up at all), sending Wanda rushing to her side.

"Here, I've got you." She helped the other girl back to her bed and got her a cold compress.

The doctor finished examining all four teens a little less than an hour later . . . and the results weren't good.

"I think you know this is pretty serious," he began.

"How serious?" asked Wanda.

"You're all going to have to stay put for about two weeks."
" Two weeks?" Pietro exclaimed. "Two whole weeks?" He couldn't believe it.

"At least. Probably less in your case, but I wouldn't go running off just yet."

Pietro fell back on the bed. "What am I going to do for two weeks?"

"I don't know," Wanda said, "but it had better not have anything to do with Mr. Rabbit."

"What's wrong with Mr. Rabbit?"

"From what I've heard," she said, "a lot."
He was about to answer when a cell phone rang.

"Whose phone is that?"
Everyone looked around.

"I didn't bring mine," Pietro said.

"It's mine," the doctor told them. "I'll just be a minute . . ." He stepped out of the room.
There was a long, painful silence.

"So," Lance said, "you never told me why you call him Boo."

"It's a long story." Wanda said. "Back when we were kids . . ."

"Don't tell him!"

"Why not?" Wanda looked at her brother as if he'd grown a second head.

"It's . . . kind of embarrassing."

"Now I definitely want to hear," said Toad.

Pietro gave him an evil look, but he didn't catch it.

The door burst open suddenly. "I'm sorry," the doctor said, "but I'm needed back at the hospital. There's been a fire."

"A fire?"
"At the hospital?"
"Is anybody hurt?"
The kids were all talking at once. (Those that were able to talk, that is.)

Wanda whistled for silence, and the doctor continued. "No, it was in a building downtown. Sixteen people were injured. The hospital needs all the help it can get."
"We'll be fine," Wanda assured him.

"We will?" Pietro wasn't so sure.

As soon as the doctor had gone . . . several things happened.

Lance was sick again. While Wanda was trying to clean that up, Brenda started getting the shakes.

So she went to get another blanket . . . only to see Toad join Lance in a round of competitive retching.

There were no basins left. She'd either have to rinse one out . . . or else keep a mop handy. It was going to be a fun two weeks.

"I'm gonna die." Toad groaned.

"Only if you're lucky," Wanda sighed.

"And if I'm not?"

She didn't answer him . . . which worried Toad no end.

"Give it to me straight: how bad is it?" he demanded. "Am I dying or what?"

"What?" If she lived to be two hundred, she'd never understand boys. One little sniffle or upset stomach, and they thought they were dying. You didn't hear Brenda complaining! Girls know how to take it like a--well, like a woman!

Toad, meanwhile, thought Wanda didn't know the first thing about real pain . . . and he couldn't be more wrong.

Mystique, meanwhile, had showed up at the Xavier Institute, looking for answers.

"But why can't I talk to them?" she demanded. "Is it that bad?"

"I'm afraid so." said Xavier. "I've had the medical ward quarantined to prevent it spreading to the other students . . ."
Just then, Kurt came in . . .

Xavier turned. "Kurt? What's wrong?"
The boy didn't look good . . . like he might collapse any second.

"For zhe love of Gott," he gasped, "don't eat at zhe Clam Palace."
Then he collapsed.

"KURT!"

(Ooh, cliffhanger! Don't worry, we're working as hard as we can on Chapter 5, and will get it up as soon as possible. I won't leave you hanging long!)