Chapter 2
X-Ray was more than surprised to awaken to an empty mattress across from him. He glanced around the tent for ZigZag. And there, on Magnet's mattress, lay two still, sleeping boys.
It was 3:30am. Normally, if X-Ray could sleep in for another hour he would, but he needed to know what was going on. He saw that Squid, and Armpit were also staring with disbelief at the mattress. Squid caught X-Ray's eye.
"You don't think they're...." The question need not be finished. It was quite clear what Squid meant.
"No! Course they aren't!" X-Ray hissed through the soft blue light of the morning. He glared at Squid as Squid shrugged, and cautiously walked up to the mattress, and shook Magnet's shoulder. Magnet awoke with a start.
"What time is it?" Magnet asked, oblivious to the slumbering boy next to him. X-Ray shook his head.
"Don't worry dude. It's only 3:30am. What's Ziggy doing in your bed?" he quirked an eyebrow.
Magnet glanced over, resting his eyes on the peaceful, but weary, face of Zig. "We were talking last night and he fell asleep. He was really tired. I couldn't wake him."
X-Ray breathed a sigh of relief. He could hear Armpit and Squid do the same. "So you're not..."
Realization gleamed in Magnet's chocolate coloured eyes. "No! No, of course not! Where would you get that idea?"
X-Ray glared at Squid. He blushed. Magnet rolled his eyes. "I should have known."
ZigZag coughed hoarsely. Panic washed over the D-Tent members that were conscious. Zero sat up in his mattress, silently wondering what was going on.
Magnet lifted Zig's head and gently laid it in his lap. He stroked Zig's heaving back with care, ZigZag's coughs subsiding slightly. They turned into soft whimpers.
"What's wrong with him?" Armpit asked, joining X-Ray's side at Magnet's mattress. Squid laid back and watched the scene with interest.
"I don't know," X-Ray said with regret. Armpit touched ZigZag's deeply flushed face, withdrawing his fingers quickly as though they had been burned.
"Dude, check it out. It feels like a fever!"
Magnet drew a sharp intake of breath. If ZigZag was sick, he'd still have to dig holes and work all day out in the sun...'till he died from an overworked immune system. He caressed Zig's cheek. It sweltered with a raging illness. He slowly closed his eyes. No...
X-Ray was more than surprised to awaken to an empty mattress across from him. He glanced around the tent for ZigZag. And there, on Magnet's mattress, lay two still, sleeping boys.
It was 3:30am. Normally, if X-Ray could sleep in for another hour he would, but he needed to know what was going on. He saw that Squid, and Armpit were also staring with disbelief at the mattress. Squid caught X-Ray's eye.
"You don't think they're...." The question need not be finished. It was quite clear what Squid meant.
"No! Course they aren't!" X-Ray hissed through the soft blue light of the morning. He glared at Squid as Squid shrugged, and cautiously walked up to the mattress, and shook Magnet's shoulder. Magnet awoke with a start.
"What time is it?" Magnet asked, oblivious to the slumbering boy next to him. X-Ray shook his head.
"Don't worry dude. It's only 3:30am. What's Ziggy doing in your bed?" he quirked an eyebrow.
Magnet glanced over, resting his eyes on the peaceful, but weary, face of Zig. "We were talking last night and he fell asleep. He was really tired. I couldn't wake him."
X-Ray breathed a sigh of relief. He could hear Armpit and Squid do the same. "So you're not..."
Realization gleamed in Magnet's chocolate coloured eyes. "No! No, of course not! Where would you get that idea?"
X-Ray glared at Squid. He blushed. Magnet rolled his eyes. "I should have known."
ZigZag coughed hoarsely. Panic washed over the D-Tent members that were conscious. Zero sat up in his mattress, silently wondering what was going on.
Magnet lifted Zig's head and gently laid it in his lap. He stroked Zig's heaving back with care, ZigZag's coughs subsiding slightly. They turned into soft whimpers.
"What's wrong with him?" Armpit asked, joining X-Ray's side at Magnet's mattress. Squid laid back and watched the scene with interest.
"I don't know," X-Ray said with regret. Armpit touched ZigZag's deeply flushed face, withdrawing his fingers quickly as though they had been burned.
"Dude, check it out. It feels like a fever!"
Magnet drew a sharp intake of breath. If ZigZag was sick, he'd still have to dig holes and work all day out in the sun...'till he died from an overworked immune system. He caressed Zig's cheek. It sweltered with a raging illness. He slowly closed his eyes. No...