THREE
"The what?!" Cole exclaimed. "That's impossible. I can't get the flu. I'm immune to all human ailments. My demonic half...."
"Is gone," Phoebe reminded him. "Remember, it was stripped from you. You're fully human now. Which means, I guess, that you're just as susceptible to human ailments as the rest of us."
"All this fuss over the flu?" Piper asked. "For crying out loud, we thought you were dying."
"I feel like I am," Cole said. "I've been half demon for more than one hundred twenty years. I've never even had so much as the sniffles. How was I supposed to know this is what the flu was like?"
'You've never known anyone who had the flu before?" Paige asked.
"Of course I have," Cole said. "But I never knew it was like this."
"Well if that's all it is," Piper said, "I have better things to do than sit here and listen to you whine."
"I don't whine," protested Cole. "This is a new experience for me. I have to learn to deal with it. But I don't whine."
"Fine," Piper said. "Just stay in bed, drink plenty of fluids, and get some rest. And take some Vitamin C. That should help."
"Leo, you can fix this," Cole said turning hopefully to the White Lighter. "If this is just a simple disease, you're healing power should take it right away."
"Sorry," Leo said, looking apologetically, "I can't do that. My healing power is only supposed to be for demonic attacks. Healing the flu doesn't fall into that category."
"I've seen you use your healing on them when it wasn't demonic related," protested Cole.
"Not often," Leo defended. "And each time I do I hear about it from the Elders. I can justify using it on them. To keep them healthy in case a demon attacks. It's weak but it's also true. There's no way for me to justify using it on you, especially considering you were half demon. I'm afraid you'll just have to suffer through it like most people do."
"Great," Cole said after another sneezing bout, "when Belthazor was stripped from me I thought my only problems would be demons trying to take me out now that I'm without my powers. Now I learn I have to worry about bugs and germs and God knows what else. I hope this is the worst of it."
"Probably not," said Paige, a little less than sympathetic. "You seemed fine last night which means it's just started. It will probably get worse before you get over it."
"Oh, that's comforting," Cole said sarcastically.
"Come on, honey," Phoebe said. "Let's get you up to bed. Piper's right. You need rest and plenty of fluids. And I'll bring you up some orange juice. Best source for Vitamin C I know of."
Piper and Leo went back into the kitchen as Phoebe helped Cole up to their room. Paige just sat in the living room wondering how a demon that had been through countless battles with humans and demons alike could be so helpless with the flu. While it was uncomfortable, it was hardly life threatening. It was going to be a long couple of days.
"The what?!" Cole exclaimed. "That's impossible. I can't get the flu. I'm immune to all human ailments. My demonic half...."
"Is gone," Phoebe reminded him. "Remember, it was stripped from you. You're fully human now. Which means, I guess, that you're just as susceptible to human ailments as the rest of us."
"All this fuss over the flu?" Piper asked. "For crying out loud, we thought you were dying."
"I feel like I am," Cole said. "I've been half demon for more than one hundred twenty years. I've never even had so much as the sniffles. How was I supposed to know this is what the flu was like?"
'You've never known anyone who had the flu before?" Paige asked.
"Of course I have," Cole said. "But I never knew it was like this."
"Well if that's all it is," Piper said, "I have better things to do than sit here and listen to you whine."
"I don't whine," protested Cole. "This is a new experience for me. I have to learn to deal with it. But I don't whine."
"Fine," Piper said. "Just stay in bed, drink plenty of fluids, and get some rest. And take some Vitamin C. That should help."
"Leo, you can fix this," Cole said turning hopefully to the White Lighter. "If this is just a simple disease, you're healing power should take it right away."
"Sorry," Leo said, looking apologetically, "I can't do that. My healing power is only supposed to be for demonic attacks. Healing the flu doesn't fall into that category."
"I've seen you use your healing on them when it wasn't demonic related," protested Cole.
"Not often," Leo defended. "And each time I do I hear about it from the Elders. I can justify using it on them. To keep them healthy in case a demon attacks. It's weak but it's also true. There's no way for me to justify using it on you, especially considering you were half demon. I'm afraid you'll just have to suffer through it like most people do."
"Great," Cole said after another sneezing bout, "when Belthazor was stripped from me I thought my only problems would be demons trying to take me out now that I'm without my powers. Now I learn I have to worry about bugs and germs and God knows what else. I hope this is the worst of it."
"Probably not," said Paige, a little less than sympathetic. "You seemed fine last night which means it's just started. It will probably get worse before you get over it."
"Oh, that's comforting," Cole said sarcastically.
"Come on, honey," Phoebe said. "Let's get you up to bed. Piper's right. You need rest and plenty of fluids. And I'll bring you up some orange juice. Best source for Vitamin C I know of."
Piper and Leo went back into the kitchen as Phoebe helped Cole up to their room. Paige just sat in the living room wondering how a demon that had been through countless battles with humans and demons alike could be so helpless with the flu. While it was uncomfortable, it was hardly life threatening. It was going to be a long couple of days.