TWO
"Hey everyone," Phoebe said coming into the kitchen the next morning.
Piper glanced at the clock. It read nine twelve.
"Hey," Paige said, "how was the earthquake? We saw it on the news last night?"
"So Leo said when he came to check on me," Phoebe replied. "Nothing special. Only a four point three. Hardly even felt it."
"Did you run and hide naked under the table in your hotel room?" Piper asked, smirking.
"Naked under a table?" questioned Paige.
"I was eight years old and had just gotten out of the shower," Phoebe replied. "And it was the first really big one I had ever been through. You aren't going to ever let me live that one down are you, Piper?"
"Nope," Piper said, smiling.
"Where's Cole?" Phoebe asked, looking around. "I figured he'd be in here with you guys."
"He must still be in bed," Leo said. "Maybe you better go let him know you're home. He was pretty worried about you."
"Think I'll do that," Phoebe said.
She turned and headed out of the kitchen.
"See, I told you she was fine," Leo said, smiling at Piper.
"Lucky for you she is," Piper replied, feigning anger.
Suddenly the three heard Phoebe scream from the entryway. Expecting a demon attack, they all rushed out of the kitchen. They found Phoebe halfway up the stairs holding onto Cole. He was clutching the railing of the stairs for dear life with his head hung down.
"I think someone put a spell on me," Cole said, lifting bloodshot eyes. "I think I'm dying."
"Oh my God," Phoebe said. "We have to do something. He's burning up."
"Maybe so," Cole said, "but I'm freezing. It's like standing in a walk in freezer. And I...."
He was interrupted by a series of sneezes. He wiped his nose on his sleeve as Phoebe began to help him down the stairs.
"I'd better check the Book of Shadows," said Paige, turning for the stairs. "We need to find out what's going on."
"Good idea," said Piper.
"Hang on a second," Leo said suspiciously. "Cole, how do you feel?"
"How do you think I feel?" Cole snapped at the White Lighter. "My head is pounding, first I'm freezing then I'm burning up, then I'm freezing again. My entire body aches like I just went ten rounds with the Source. On top of which...."
He was interrupted by a fit of coughing, then several sneezes.
"On top of which," he continued, "I can't seem to stop coughing and sneezing. Someone must have put a spell on me. To kill me slowly. There are a number of people, not to mention demons, that would like to see Belthazor dead, let me tell you. And they won't care that he's been stripped from me. They'll still see me as him."
"Don't do anything," Leo said to Piper. "I need to check on something real quick. I won't be gone long."
Without another word Leo orbed out of the manor. Phoebe helped Cole to the sofa as Paige went to get a blanket for him.
"Oh, this is awful," Cole said, pulling the blanket close about him. "I always thought I'd be vanquished or die fighting someone. To die like this without even a chance to defend myself. Or to know who's doing it."
"Don't worry, sweetie," Phoebe said, putting her arm around Cole, "we aren't going to let you die. I'm sure Piper can come up with a potion to counteract this. And once we find out who's doing this we'll put an end to it."
Suddenly Leo orbed back in. Everyone turned to see what he had found out.
"Well," Leo said, "I checked with the Elders. They agree with me. Cole, you're not under any kind of a spell. In fact, there's nothing supernatural about it at all."
"What is it?" demanded Cole. "What's killing me?"
'You're not dying," Leo said. "You have the flu."
"Hey everyone," Phoebe said coming into the kitchen the next morning.
Piper glanced at the clock. It read nine twelve.
"Hey," Paige said, "how was the earthquake? We saw it on the news last night?"
"So Leo said when he came to check on me," Phoebe replied. "Nothing special. Only a four point three. Hardly even felt it."
"Did you run and hide naked under the table in your hotel room?" Piper asked, smirking.
"Naked under a table?" questioned Paige.
"I was eight years old and had just gotten out of the shower," Phoebe replied. "And it was the first really big one I had ever been through. You aren't going to ever let me live that one down are you, Piper?"
"Nope," Piper said, smiling.
"Where's Cole?" Phoebe asked, looking around. "I figured he'd be in here with you guys."
"He must still be in bed," Leo said. "Maybe you better go let him know you're home. He was pretty worried about you."
"Think I'll do that," Phoebe said.
She turned and headed out of the kitchen.
"See, I told you she was fine," Leo said, smiling at Piper.
"Lucky for you she is," Piper replied, feigning anger.
Suddenly the three heard Phoebe scream from the entryway. Expecting a demon attack, they all rushed out of the kitchen. They found Phoebe halfway up the stairs holding onto Cole. He was clutching the railing of the stairs for dear life with his head hung down.
"I think someone put a spell on me," Cole said, lifting bloodshot eyes. "I think I'm dying."
"Oh my God," Phoebe said. "We have to do something. He's burning up."
"Maybe so," Cole said, "but I'm freezing. It's like standing in a walk in freezer. And I...."
He was interrupted by a series of sneezes. He wiped his nose on his sleeve as Phoebe began to help him down the stairs.
"I'd better check the Book of Shadows," said Paige, turning for the stairs. "We need to find out what's going on."
"Good idea," said Piper.
"Hang on a second," Leo said suspiciously. "Cole, how do you feel?"
"How do you think I feel?" Cole snapped at the White Lighter. "My head is pounding, first I'm freezing then I'm burning up, then I'm freezing again. My entire body aches like I just went ten rounds with the Source. On top of which...."
He was interrupted by a fit of coughing, then several sneezes.
"On top of which," he continued, "I can't seem to stop coughing and sneezing. Someone must have put a spell on me. To kill me slowly. There are a number of people, not to mention demons, that would like to see Belthazor dead, let me tell you. And they won't care that he's been stripped from me. They'll still see me as him."
"Don't do anything," Leo said to Piper. "I need to check on something real quick. I won't be gone long."
Without another word Leo orbed out of the manor. Phoebe helped Cole to the sofa as Paige went to get a blanket for him.
"Oh, this is awful," Cole said, pulling the blanket close about him. "I always thought I'd be vanquished or die fighting someone. To die like this without even a chance to defend myself. Or to know who's doing it."
"Don't worry, sweetie," Phoebe said, putting her arm around Cole, "we aren't going to let you die. I'm sure Piper can come up with a potion to counteract this. And once we find out who's doing this we'll put an end to it."
Suddenly Leo orbed back in. Everyone turned to see what he had found out.
"Well," Leo said, "I checked with the Elders. They agree with me. Cole, you're not under any kind of a spell. In fact, there's nothing supernatural about it at all."
"What is it?" demanded Cole. "What's killing me?"
'You're not dying," Leo said. "You have the flu."