"Why is the room pulsating?"
"It isn't."
"The door's growing."
"No it's not," Dan sighed, "Just drink the water and try to cool off," and he pulled his feet up onto the seat of the armchair.
He watched Phil shakily raise the glass to his mouth and oddly stare at him.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Focusing on faces helps," Phil replied, and Dan didn't argue, even though it was slightly awkward staring at someone straight in the eyes.
"Are you feeling any better?" Dan asked, calmly, seeing the soft lamplight reflect off of the fish tank on the table.
"Not really, no," Phil mumbled with a frown.
This was not surprising as it had only been 5 minutes since he woke up.
He'd sat up to steady himself slightly and moved the blanket off him to attempt to cool down. It didn't work that much, but at least it was something.
The water was helping, though.
It's important to stay hydrated.
He bit the rim of the glass in his hand with his pointed teeth and tilted his head to the side, watching as everything in the room went a bit wobbly and funny.
"Did you have a fever-y dream?" Dan asked, putting his chin in his hands and resting his elbows on the arm of the chair.
Phil nodded, thoughtfully. He remembered it vividly and how neon blue and hazy everyone had looked.
He gazed down to the patch of floor where he'd seen Erica, Summer and Eliza in his dream. They certainly weren't there now, which was re-assuring.
He didn't know what he'd do if they were.
Cry, probably. Mostly from confusion.
"Where are you going?" He wheezed as he watched Dan stand up.
"Nowhere," Dan replied, quietly, walking over, "I'm coming to sit with you," and he sat himself down on the sofa.
"Hi, Coming To Sit With You, I'm Phil," Phil rasped with a weak but sly smile.
Dan frowned.
"Really, Phil?" He hissed, "You're supposed to have a temperature, you're not supposed to make dad jokes."
Phil smirked and laughed a strange, wheezing snuffle of a laugh.
"I had a weird flashback to February," he said.
"Did you?" Dan swallowed, slightly nervously as he sat down beside his friend. Why couldn't Phil just forget about it already? It had been 5 months.
"It wasn't… that bad, I suppose," Phil shrugged, "I'm over it."
Dan smiled, relieved, and closed his eyes.
He seemed to be dropping back off to sleep, too, even if he was still warm and dizzy, but Dan kept him awake with conversation and occasional nudges.
"Do you want to come with me on Sunday to Oasis Springs?"
Dan frowned. He knew what his answer was, but he didn't know how to phrase it.
He knew that Phil didn't really mind Summer or Eliza and was trying to make ends meet and befriend both of them, but Dan wasn't too keen on spending time with either of them.
Then again, he didn't fancy leaving his friend alone with them, either.
He supposed he'd better let him do what was needed, though, and being there probably wouldn't help.
"Not this time," he whispered, softly.
"Why not?" Phil asked. He sounded nervous and probably just wanted Dan there to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.
"I don't think Summer would want me there," Dan explained, "She doesn't like me much. Alright for you, pal: she'd gladly spend hours on end with you…"
Surely nothing could happen.
He still didn't want to go, though.
"Well… you don't have to go, then," Phil said, even if he really wanted the company. He was dreading sitting at a table with Eliza and Summer and trying to make conversation.
As long as nobody like the Landgraabs, Erica or the Goths turned up, he should be alright, he presumed.
Why did this always happen whenever they came here? Was it something about this particular universe that was giving off a bad vibe?
Whatever it was, Dan had made the decision to never come back once they left. Yet, of course, that meant spending as much time as possible here this time.
All he'd wanted to do was have a bit of fun with the Howlters after February's fiasco. So much for that idea.
It was when Dan pulled himself from his thoughts and back to reality that he realised that his friend had fallen asleep again, and even though he was still warm and was probably going to have another fever dream, Dan didn't bother to wake him up.