A normal kid with a cold would just sneeze and cough but for Alphonce's case, his sneezes were taken more seriously. Alphonce lets out a loud and powerful sneeze. It was incredibly strong that it shook the entire flat. Alphonce was a special child with powers that also means his coughs and sneezes are stronger. Back inside the kitchen the cabinets and dishes started to shake from the loud sneeze. Shamus was trying to keep things from falling while Kim was trying to prepare a few things for Alphonce, but also to prepare herself for what needed to be done first.

"Shamus, your arrival here couldn't have come at a better time," Kim told him.

"Happy to help," Shamus replied holding a stack of plates that fell from one of the cabinets.

"Now, the last time Alphonce sneezed it was last Christmas Eve at my parents' house. He went outside to play in the snow, while I was helping my mom shove the snow, and Alphonce caught a bad case of the sneezes. We didn't think much about it until he let out the first big sneeze. It nearly shook the entire house like it was caught in an earthquake, but thankfully and I can't stress this enough, my mom gave him a strong medicine that stopped it for good." She explained.

"Great, so give it to him," Shamus plainly suggests to her.

"That's the hard part. Alphonce didn't want to take the medicine my mom had, and I really can't blame him either when I had to take it whenever I got sick. It's an old family cure and it smells like fresh sweaty shoes that just got back from a long jog, the taste doesn't change anything. It took, me, my dad, my Uncle Francisco, my Uncle Juan, my cousin Juan Junior, and my other cousin Kenny to hold Alphonce down until we got him to take the medicine and swallow it." Kim added.

"Oh," Shamus stared surprise.

Kim needed to get Alphonce to take her mother's medicine before his next sneeze shakes the entire flat. She carefully carries a tray upstairs, Shamus followed her from behind but stopped when they heard something familiar. Alphonce was about to sneeze again.

"Hang on it's another big one!" Shamus covered Kim as the entire flat shook again.

The entire flat shook just like Kim parents' house, everything inside, rattled and shook things off from the shelves. Kim fears that the flat wouldn't hold too long since she sees cracks forming on the walls and ceiling. When things calmed down, they hurry up to Alphonce's room. Everything inside his room had a few things that fell off the shelves and was all over the floor. Alphonce, sitting in his bed, grabs a fresh tissue near him and blew his nose. He plopped on his bed. His head hurt, and his throat felt itchy. He rubbed his stuffy nose as he tries to breathe through his mouth.

"Being sick is no fun," Alphonce groaned.

"Hey, sweetie," his step-mother called to him from his door, "Feeling bad? Well mommy brought you something that could help cheer you up, some nice hot soup and tea with honey for your throat."

Alphonce smiled as he sees the tray set before him. Shamus sat oppose from Alphonce and patted his head. Alphonce smiled and giggled. Kim gestures to Shamus to distract him while she prepares the medicine.

"Um, kid, you know I bet you would feel a lot whole better if you took strong medicine," he starts.

"It's got to better than grandma Elsie's medicine. It smells funny and the taste does not help," Alphonce complain.

Kim kept gesturing to Shamus to keep the conversation going. Shamus continues, "Well there's a saying that worst tasting medicine is better, the quicker you take it the faster you'll recover and the faster we can get started on your lessons."

While they talk, Kim was trying to open the medicine bottle, she carefully pours it into the spoon, but sadly, even though Alphonce's nose was stuffy, the strong smell from the medicine got to him. Alphonce jumps on Shamus' lap. Shamus held him down.

"Come on kid, your sneezes need to taken care of and you need to take your medicine." Shamus struggles to hold Alphonce down.

His black hair spikes up when Kim got close to him with the medicine. She tries to get close to Alphonce's mouth. Shamus struggled trying to hold onto the small feisty boy, but Alphonce proven to be difficult and starts kicking his feet in the air. One his kicks landed hard onto Shamus' private. Shamus yelped from the pain, he loosens his grip and Alphonce made his escape. He ran out of the room.

"Young man, you're taking this medicine right now!" Kim yelled.

She turns to Shamus who was curled up on the ground, "Come on we need to get him before he sneezes again."

"Why can't you get the others, woman," Shamus exclaim, his pride still hurting.

"What did you call me?" Kim asked him.

Shamus groaned, clears his throat, and replied in a calmer tone, "I mean the others, Miss why don't you ask them?"

Kim explain to Shamus from what Noodle had told her when they came back, that since both 2D and Russel had started to work late nights, they both come home exhausted and end up sleeping the day away without any trouble. Even if there was heavy traffic or construction happening near them, that still wouldn't wake them up so easily. Kim stresses the fact that they need to get Alphonce to take the medicine before his next sneeze brings down the entire flat.

Shamus groan as he tries to get up and gather his personal strength back. They look for Alphonce in the other rooms. Luckily most of the rooms upstairs were locked, including the bandmates' room, but Alphonce kept switching rooms behind them to avoid being caught. They search downstairs to see if Alphonce was there. They look under tables and everywhere that was possible for a small kid fit inside. They still couldn't find him.

Meanwhile Alphonce was hiding in his brother, Stewart's room. Stewart peeks out the door and saw Shamus and his step-mother was coming back upstairs to check again. He climbs back into his bed. He needed to stay quiet until he hears their footsteps walk pass his room.

"You sure this is a good idea, I mean you're sick and maybe they know what's good for you," he whispers to Alphonce.

Alphonce, hiding under the bed, answers, "If it means not taking that yucky medicine it's worth it. It won't be long before big brother Jacob, Cyborg and aunt Noodle will wake up, while they distract them, I'll make my run back to my room and lock it."

Alphonce coughed a bit. He sniffs under the dusty bed and felt a tickle in his nose. Alphonce covered his nose, if he lets out a sneeze they'll fine where he was hiding. It wasn't easy, but he stopped it time. He sighs with relief. He notices Stewart was bouncing a lot on his bed. Alphonce recognized that dance. He was hoping Stewart doesn't have an accident. Stewart was trying had to hold it in.

"I don't know if I can hold it in much longer. I drank some water before going to bed and I really need to go." Stewart told Alphonce.

"Use a can or a bottle," Alphonce looks around under Stewart's bed.

"Sorry, Alphonce I'll try to be quick and even if they catch me I won't say anything to them." Stewart jumps out of bed and walks up the door.

He checked first to see if anyone was around. He carefully closes the door behind him, but bumps into Shamus and Kim who was coming out from another room. Stewart gulped, but he quickly runs back them and locks the bathroom door. Shamus and Kim soon hears Stewart's bedroom door lock from behind them and knock on it.

"Alphonce, please come out. You're sick and this medicine will help you feel better." Kim reasons with her sick son.

"No, mommy, I don't want to take that…that…" Alphonce let out an even more powerful sneeze that shook the entire flat harder.

Finally, a tiring look Noodle emerges from her room to see what was going on, "Is everything alright? Why the house shaking a lot?"

Kim sighs, but Shamus got an idea, "Listen, Miss why don't you and go and this lady go down to the kitchen and have some breakfast? You did say she starts work in an hour."

Kim looks at Shamus who gives her back a wink. She blushed, Shamus grabs the medicine bottle and spoon from her. Stewart comes back from the bathroom, Shamus quickly added they take Stewart too. Kim got whatever Shamus was thinking and lead Noodle and Stewart down to the kitchen. Stewart held onto Noodle's hand as they went down. Kim looks back to see Shamus waving back at her, mouthing out 'he got this'. When she and the others were gone, Shamus knocked at the door, "Come on kid, you're sick. Hold your nose and take it, easy." He coughed a bit.

"The taste. I can't stand it! It's slimy and it smells like a sweaty sock!" Alphonce exclaim.

"Look, you want to be a good musician like your dad, well I think personal that he wouldn't like knowing you're sick. Remember, I won't teach you anything about playing bass if you're still sick." Shamus argued.

"No, please! I want to play!" Alphonce pleaded.

"Well? What's it going to be mister? The medicine or not?" Shamus suggested.

Alphonce pouted, but he still wasn't going down without a fight. He waited to think of something, but he didn't wait too long when he hears Shamus was coughing a lot. He had an idea and smiled. He opened the door just a bit. Shamus was staring at him.

"Show me." Alphonce asked. Shamus, confused by what he meant, Alphonce explains, "If grandma Elsie's medicine isn't as bad as it looks, then show me by trying it, and I mean the whole spoon-full."

Shamus looked at the medicine in his hand, he opened it and the smell was bad as they kept saying it was. He tries to reason with Alphonce about their deal, "Well, I don't know if it'll work on me. I'm not that sick," he coughed again, "Not that sick." Shamus was sick.

"Mommy, said it's good for me and grandma Elsie said it's even better than the ones the doctors give you. Remember our deal Mr. Shamus you can't teach me if I'm sick and I know mommy wouldn't let me near you if you're sick." Alphonce pointed out.

Shamus gulped nervously, but he needed to get Alphonce to take it. Alphonce played with Mr. Shamus and pretended he was about to sneeze again.

"Alright, fine! I'll do it to show you that you need to be a man to take strong medicine, no matter how bad it might taste or smell or anything." Alphonce watches Shamus, as he pours the medicine into the spoon. Alphonce almost felt sorry for him.

"Remember, no holding it inside, trust me it doesn't make it better if you're holding it." Alphonce added.

Shamus groan, annoyed that a kid was outsmarting him, but like a man he need to keep his word. He held his nose as he takes the entire spoon into his mouth. He quickly pulls the spoon out and covers his mouth. It was hard to get himself to swallow it, Alphonce was right holding it, doesn't make it better, but made the experience feel worst. His fist pounding on the ground as he kept his mouth shut tight and finally he could feel himself swallowing the nasty medicine down. He gasps and gagged for fresh air, but he'd done it.

"UGH! That was just wrong! Never did I ever had anything that nasty enter my mouth! And I've eaten shark meat soaked in its own urine!" Shamus exclaims.

Alphonce couldn't believe it, but he saw it happened. He laughed at him, but Shamus wasn't too happy as he got up from the floor and barges into the room and grabs him. Alphonce at first was shock by what was happening, but he calmed himself down as Shamus set him on his lap.

"Alright, smart guy. You're turn." Shamus ready the spoon and poured the medicine into it.

Alphonce wanted to run, but he needed a teacher to help him to learn how to play his father's bass. He covers his nose and forces open his mouth, Shamus fed him the medicine, and Alphonce tried very hard to keep his mouth shut. He didn't like it. It was bad as the first time he took it. He reacts the same way as Shamus did. Alphonce couldn't hold it in much longer. Shamus held Alphonce close and gently rubs his back. The trick calms Alphonce down for a bit and finally got to him to swallow the horrible medicine down.

"There that wasn't so bad now was it?" Shamus told him.

Alphonce didn't answer back, he was comfortable being in Shamus' arms. They stayed like this. Holding each other so close. Shamus starts to gently sway a bit, rocking him, and this made Alphonce very sleepy. It felt good to Alphonce and made him very happy, but also very sad at the same time. Being held like close to someone, reminds Alphonce when he was young, and his father, Murdoc, used to hold him this tight too. Alphonce didn't want to let go just yet.

Carefully Shamus carries Alphonce back to his room and tries to tuck him into bed, but Alphonce didn't want to let go of him. Shamus yawned, was it a side effect from the strong medicine, or was he still tired from getting up early this morning. He laid down with Alphonce on his chest and soon falls asleep.

An hour later Shamus comes down the kitchen, he left Alphonce in his room sleeping and soon 2D and Russel last. They didn't know anything about that happened earlier. Cyborg came out of the basement and following behind her was a very sleepy and tired-looking Jacob. He was about to introduce the others to Shamus, but Cyborg explains for him.

"He's a nice stranger. I'm sure this isn't how Jacob would have wanted to introduce a new friend so early in the afternoon, but Jacob says he trusted Alphonce. Mr. Shamus helped us yesterday at the park and Alphonce didn't want to say goodbye just yet." She told the group.

They understand that Alphonce knows better than to talk to strangers but looking at Shamus he seems to be okay. Kim added that their early encounter this morning wasn't bad and said Alphonce was happy to see him again. She mentions her and Shamus' deal about providing private lessons for Alphonce to learn to play bass in exchange for a room. After much discussion, the bandmates had agreed to let Shamus move in with them, but as for a room he might need to stay on the couch a bit longer until they clear some things out. Shamus sighed, but was okay with the deal and left. He wasn't gone too long and came back with very few things he'd brought. He just had a large black plastic bag used for trash and inside it only held a small number of clothes Shamus owned. He was happily greeted by a well-rested Alphonce who ran into his arms. Shamus smiled and looked at him

"Well you're looking much better." He observed.

"Yeah! Now, can we start learning?" Alphonce ask eagerly.

"Sure, kid. Let's get started!" Shamus told him.