"Bonnie! I'm-*cough cough*-fine..."
Michael had come down with a nasty case of what seemed like the flu. It was no surprise since, with all of the missions he goes on, he never has time to go to the doctor and get a flu vaccine. You'd think the foundation would make him keep track of this, but I guess it must have slipped through the cracks.
Currently, Bonnie was pestering him to go to the doctor, and he was obviously refusing.
"Michael! You need to see a doctor! Please! Just use mine!" Bonnie pleaded.
"Bonnie! It's the flu! I'll get-*cough hack*- over it..." Michael said with a raspy voice.
"No!" Bonnie said in a rather worried, yet firm way. She then realized she'd have to put her foot down to get him to listen. "Michael. Make the call, or I'll do it myself." Bonnie narrowed her eyes at Michael, who sighed with another cough.
"Fine..." Michael called the doctor, who fit him in for an appointment in an hour. And wouldn't you guess it, the place was an hour away.
"I better get going….." Michael got up and put on his coat. It made sense since it was winter, and as to why he had the flu.
"Oh! By the way, Michael, KITT doesn't know you're sick..." Bonnie said, sheepishly.
"What!?" He coughed. "You didn't tell him!?"
"That's not something you just casually tell someone, Michael!" Bonnie said as she put her hands on her hips, whilst giving him an annoyed look.
"Ugh...this is gonna be great..." Michael put on his comlink watch and headed to KITT, who was in the garage.
"Good morning Mi- Michael! You look terrible!"
"I feel terrible….look, I have the flu and I need to get to the doctor."
"Say no more, Michael." KITT let him inside, and they drove off.
Michael was coughing and hacking like crazy., and KITT was taken aback, having never seen him so sick. So, to help him feel better, he turned on the heat and played some rock and roll softly on his radio.
"Feeling better?" KITT asked, sounding concerned.
"A little. Thanks, partner."
"It's no problem, Michael. However, how did you get so sick? As far as I know, you haven't been to any unsanitary places, lately."
"KITT, germs are everywhere, and sometimes we just don't know it."
"I see. Well, wherever you HAVE been, I hoped you did take the necessary health precautions."
Michael went silent.
"Michael..."
No answer.
"Michael! You need to take better care of yourself! One well-timed touch to the face and you could end up with strep throat! Or worse!"
"I know….I know..." He coughed again.
"That cough of yours is getting worse. How about I dim the windows and you can lie down till we get there?"
"Wait…..really..?" Michael asked, sounding very surprised. True to his word, KITT dimmed his windows and Michael's seat slowly eased down.
"Really. Now get some rest, and I'll take it from here."
"KITT….you're a really great pal…." Michael chuckled to himself.
"Why, thank you, Michael. I also think you're a great pal."
He didn't get a response.
"Michael?"
Michael had fallen asleep. Upon seeing this, KITT smiled internally. "Of course."
When they got there, KITT woke Michael up in... a rather funny way.
"Michael…."
"Michael…."
Suddenly, orchestra music began to play, loudly.
"AAAAH!" Michael sat up very quickly, and started to hear KITT….laughing?
"I'm sorry, Michael! I thought I would try a different way of waking you up."
"Were you laughing?"
"…...No….."
"Mhm…."
"You'd better run in, Michael. You don't want to miss your doctor's appointment."
"Right...I'll be back in a bit."
"Yes, Michael."
Michael went inside, checked in, and waited. When they finally called his name, he went into the exam room. 30 minutes of sitting in a cold exam room later, the doctor gave him his diagnosis.
"Well, Mr. Knight, I am very glad you came in." The doctor said in a professional tone.
"Why is that?" Michael asked.
"Mr. Knight, it seems you have a rather mild case of pneumonia. That's why you've been coughing every few minutes."
Michael was shocked. Pneumonia? Yikes! "Well uh...what should I do?" He asked.
"I'm going to prescribe something to you, it should help. If things start to get worse, come back for a re-examination.." The doctor handed him a small piece of paper that had a prescription on it.
"Thanks..." Michael then left and headed back to KITT, who was waiting in the parking lot. Once he got inside, they left for the pharmacy.
"So, how was it?" KITT inquired.
"It's not the flu...it's pneumonia." Michael sighed.
You could've sworn you heard KITT gasp. "Pneumonia!? Oh, Michael, that's terrible! How bad is it?" KITT asked, sounding worried.
"It's * cough cough * very mild….I just need medicine and bed rest..."
"Thank heavens. Let's get you to the pharmacy, and then get you home, and into bed."
"You sound like my mother." Michael said in a dull tone. He did think it was a little funny, though.
"I am nobody's mother, Michael. But I can talk and stick it to someone like a mother." KITT said rather matter-of-factly.
Michael coughed and laughed. "Trying out new phrases and sayings?"
"Maybe..."
Michael went to the pharmacy and got his medicine. Unfortunately, due to a traffic jam, they were stuck on the road.
"Michael? Do you want me to find an alternate route home?"
"Sure...but no pursuit mode, super pursuit mode, or turbo boost..."
"No turbo boost!? You really are sick!"
"KITT..."
"I'm sorry! But in the years I've worked with you, I've never once heard you say anything similar to that!"
"Yeah yeah….you really are sounding like my mother..."
"I'm getting tired of that. And make sure Bonnie washes that leather jacket of yours and that coat."
"Wha- KITT!" Michael exclaimed, shocked at his partner's behavior.
"Michael, you have never washed them! It's no wonder you're sick! Plus, they probably smell like sweat and harmful chemicals!"
"KITT...I'm sorry, but you're really sounding like my mo-"
"One more peep out of you and I'll use super pursuit mode. I mean it."
"You wouldn't * cough * dare..."
"Try me..."
Michael kept his mouth shut, and once they got home, he went inside. For days KITT would talk through the comlink and pester him non-stop. He was constantly hearing, "Did you take your medicine? Have you eaten? Are you feeling any better?" Michael was going crazy from it. But, after a week and a half, he recovered and went out to KITT, who was "sitting" in the garage.
"Morning, pal!"
"Good morning, Michael! You must be feeling better!"
"I do feel better." He smiled and stretched for a moment before saying, "Hey, since we don't have any missions right now, how about we go for a nice drive?"
"A drive? As in, no other purpose but just to relax?"
"That's right."
"Wonderful! But...did you ask Bonnie to wash your jacket and your coat?"
"Not this again..." Michael sighed.
"Michael! They're filthy!
"KITT...come on, let's go- Hey! Open your door!" KITT had locked his doors.
"Not until you wash that coat and jacket of yours, young man." KITT said in a sassy way, which shocked Michael. He hadn't expected that, and with no way out of it, he went back inside and washed his coat. He later came back out wearing his coat, and with his leather jacket in his hands.
"Did you wash them?"
"Only the coat...the jacket isn't machine washable...so we'll need to stop at the dry cleaners, first."
"Very well, Michael." They left and went to the dry cleaners. Once the jacket was dropped off, they drove down the highway. They felt like nothing could hold them back.
"Isn't this great KITT?"
"Yes, it is, Michael."
"Nothing like a long drive to help you relax..."
"You're absolutely right, Michael. Although I must say, you had me worried while you were sick. With every cough, I was worried you'd get worse."
"KITT? Were you concerned?"
"Michael, I am programmed to protect you, I-"
"Come on….you cared, and you were concerned."
"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't."
"Thanks, buddy." Michael smiled and sighed. "Nothing could ruin this..."
"Michael?"
"Yes KITT?"
"Devon's calling."
A/N: Thank you to VINAI for beta reading this story! You're awesome!