Ugh I really hate whatever they did to the Doc Manager :/

Hello again! You guys are amazing, honestly. I feel so loved ^w^

This one is the first part of a request from NorthernMage, who has not only given me an interesting prompt to work with, but has also made me realise the amount of crap I put Jack through ^^; I think I'll have to make some of the other characters suffer a bit too soon XD So, prompt: "...something where Jack gets sick (as in, seriously sick) and the Guardians find him hiding as he tries to recover?" (It got more complicated than that when we started bouncing ideas, but that's the gist)

Disclaimer: I don't own RotG

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Misdiagnosis Part I

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It started with a headache.

Now, to be fair, that was nothing unusual; after all, everyone gets headaches now and then, immortals being no exception. So Jack had played it off as a minor irritation and continued pouring his focus into the snow day he was making for the kids in South America.

It was when he'd finished and was admiring his handy work that he finally realised how hot he was. That was strange. He was surrounded by his element in the middle of winter and he'd never felt warm like this after using his powers. His raised body temperature made his stomach roil queasily and he took a moment to lie in the snow and let it settle.

Jack and sickness was about as common as Ceres and giving compliments, but that didn't mean it didn't happen. Jack could remember a few occasions in the past where he'd been forced to take a few days off to let some minor illness (mostly colds (which was rather ironic, if you asked him)) pass. And, from the way his head was pounding and the unease of his stomach, he felt quite sure what he was suffering from now was the start of a stomach bug.

It was no big deal and he was far from worried. Last time he'd managed to catch such a thing he'd buried himself in a snowdrift for a while and slept it off. There was no reason this time around wouldn't be any different. All he had to do was find somewhere secluded so he wouldn't be disturbed and with enough snow to accommodate him.

Aconcagua wasn't too far away and was just about perfect, so Jack allowed the wind to gently lift him off the ground and began a slow journey towards the mountain.

By the time he reached one of the higher peaks, Jack's body was more than ready to release the contents of his stomach but he meticulously held back the urge, landing heavily in the snow. Any onlookers, if there had been any, would have considered it a crash landing. But there weren't any. So it wasn't.

On all fours, his staff resting beside him within easy reach, Jack began digging into the fluffy ice until he had created an indent just deep enough for him to curl up in. It was a small matter of making himself comfortable and covering his entire body (with the sole exception of his head) with snow before he was content to sleep off the stomach bug. Happy in the knowledge that he wasn't afraid (and therefore could expect to sleep in peace without any interruptions from Pitch) and that he had done enough work to allow for almost two weeks off (not that he thought he'd need that long), Jack allowed his eyes to slide closed and let the quiet whispers of the wind to lull his tired body to sleep.

When Jack next opened his eyes, it was to a hot, aching body and dampness. The snow he'd buried himself in was partially melted, kept in at least partially solid form by the wind and wilderness alone. He was pretty sure he had a fever. It would explain the fogginess of his head and why he felt so hot. His stomach was still protesting, but there was nothing in it to expel.

Blinking in an attempt to keep his eyes open, Jack gazed up at the full moon in the night sky looking down at him. Without a word, he rolled over onto his side, burrowing down deeper into the coldness and letting sleep reclaim him.

...

...

No one had seen Jack Frost in a week.

Now, this wasn't something they felt they should be panicking about; Jack was a free spirit who barely stayed in one place for more than a few hours. It was only to be expected that he would vanish every now and again. Of course, Sandy had taken it upon himself to keep his eyes open for the winter spirit, often allowing Jack to accompany him on his dream delivery when they did meet, and the tooth fairies had been known to occasionally take an impromptu break to chat with (read: drool at the teeth of) the boy. But neither Sandy nor Tooth's helpers (nor the fairy Queen herself) had seen their youngest for almost seven days.

It wasn't enough to make them panic, but that didn't mean they couldn't be worried. The kid did have a knack for getting into trouble, after all.

"He is not at lake?" North asked, partially distracted as he went over a clipboard one of the yetis had handed him.

Sandy shook his head, no. And he'd checked nearly every night. He'd decided to share his and Tooth's concern with their unofficial leader, hoping the holiday figure would have some idea of where Jack might be or help them locate him. He wondered briefly if the other Guardians' 'mothering' bothered the winter spirit. But then he decided he didn't really care – they were worried and it wasn't like they could switch off the feeling because the subject of their concern was a little overwhelmed.

"Hmm," North handed the clipboard back to the yeti he'd received it from before moving off across the workshop, Sandy not straying far behind. "Perhaps South Pole? Doesn't he go there on off season?"

That would be good and fine – and would explain why both he and the fairies hadn't seen him – except it was the middle of winter; a point he conveyed to his friend.

"Point taken. But I do not know where else boy may be," North said, looking increasingly concerned. "We are probably over-thinking, but better safe than sorry, no? I will go out in sleigh to search. You and Toothy keep looking, too. I will contact Bunny."

Sandy nodded in understanding and gratitude. With a final wave, he headed off to once more return to his duties, leaving North with his.

...

...

Even with all of them searching no sign had been found of Jack. It was like he'd just vanished off the face of the Earth. They'd asked other spirits they'd happened across but not even they had caught sight of the youngest Guardian. As the days passed one by one, each agonisingly slowly, their concern increased until the search for Jack had taken over most of the time that should have been reserved for their responsibilities.

Baby Tooth sighed to herself as she replaced a molar under a child's pillow with a shiny coin. She had been taking the long route home after each tooth she collected, desperately searching for the winter spirit she'd grown so attached to. If her Queen knew about the little hunts, she didn't mention it – except to ask her and her sisters if any of them had seen or heard anything at all.

Gripping the small piece of enamel in her tiny hands, she zipped southwards, intending to check a few of the snowier places in South America on her way back to the Tooth Palace. Mount Aconcagua stood proudly before her and she halted mid-flight.

There wouldn't be any children on the tall mountain – or anyone at all, really – but maybe, just maybe, a winter spirit would go there for a break or to make a blizzard or something. There were no dark clouds that she could see (not that she could really see all that much at all in the darkness) but that didn't mean Jack wouldn't be there, as unlikely as it was. She didn't have all that much hope of finding anything – all the other mountains she and her sisters had checked had been Jack-free – but it was still worth a quick look at the very least.

Zipping through the peaks, Baby Tooth kept her eyes and ears open for a familiar patch of blue or the sound of carefree laughter. But all she could see was the white of snow and the dark rocks and all she could hear was the billowing of the wind.

A particularly strong gust caught her from behind, tumbling her forwards in an out of control manner, and it was all she could do to keep her grip on the child's tooth still clasped in her hands. If she lost it here, she would be hard pressed to find it again amongst all the white snow and howling wind.

Just as she'd managed to right herself, another gust sent her off balance once more, sending her down towards one of the peaks. Struggling against the force, Baby Tooth tried to get back up where the wind was less strong and less likely to impale her against the rock face (that had already happened once and she had no intention of letting it happen again). But the wind continuously persisted in blowing her down, no matter how far she managed to travel.

It was strange, the way the wind seemed to be working as if it had a mind of its own, not contouring around peaks or following the weather patterns at all. The tiny fairy froze as the thought struck her. How often had she seen Jack playing with the wind like it was an old friend? How often had all been silent and then he would call and suddenly a breeze would pick up?

A surge of hope rippled through her tiny body and she called out to the wind, asking it to direct her; no longer fighting it, but letting it carry her where it wanted her to go.

As soon as she was close enough to the snowy side of the mountain the wind let up, more of a gentle breeze than the gale-force it had been a moment ago. Baby Tooth frowned, scanning the endless white for a sign of the wind's constant companion. But no blue hoodie stood out to her, and no welcoming voice reached her ears.

A soft blow shifted her gently forwards, the wind encouraging her not to give up her search.

And then she spotted it.

A mop of messy white hair, nearly completely camouflaged in the snow, rustled with the touch of the icy wind. Only the side of the face of the pale teenager it was attached to could be seen, and even then more snow was blown onto him, burying him further. If things kept up, he would be completely concealed in no time.

Squeaking in shock, Baby Tooth secured the tooth she was carrying to a small belt around her waist and flew the short distance between herself and the boy. She began trying to brush away the snow, ignoring the way it numbed her hands, pleased when the wind tried to aid her in her efforts. In minutes she'd uncovered enough of the boy's face to confirm her suspicions. It was Jack.

Baby Tooth knew she needed to send for help – there was no way she could completely dig out the winter spirit on her own and even if she could she knew she wouldn't be able to carry him. The boy was unconscious and his face was flushed, despite his surroundings. There were dark lines under his eyes and a sheen of sweat on his forehead, and he didn't so much as twitch despite her prodding. She couldn't leave him to get help; by the time she got back he might have completely disappeared under the snow and then she'd never find him again. But staying where she was wouldn't help Jack, either. Maybe if she could wake him up, she'd be able to get him to fly with her somewhere less likely for him to be buried alive. That way she could get help without losing or feeling like she was abandoning him.

Plan set in mind, Baby Tooth pressed both hands against Jack's too-warm cheek, urging him to open his eyes. Wake up, she willed him. Please wake up.

The winter spirit didn't stir, despite her cajoling. She tried again, moving closer to his ear. Still nothing. She didn't want to hurt him but she was running out of options. Convincing herself that she was doing it for his own good, Baby Tooth poked Jack in the cheek with her sharp nose.

A low groan gave her hope and she fluttered backwards so she could get a good look at the boy's face. Slowly, glazed eyes opened, seemingly only partially focused.

"Baby Tooth?" Jack slurred.

Baby Tooth chirped encouragingly, gesturing for him to get up.

"What are you doing here?"

Baby Tooth huffed; she didn't have time for stupid questions. Flying forwards, she grabbed the hood of his jumper and tugged upwards, trying to make her intentions as clear as possible. Jack watched her for a moment, clearly confused, before pushing himself up weakly, sending snow cascading off him like some kind of half-frozen waterfall. He fished around in the snow for a second before pulling his staff out from beside him, using it to keep himself propped up in a sitting position.

Well, they were halfway there, she mused.

"What's wrong, Baby Tooth?" he asked, still looking as though he couldn't figure out what was going on.

Baby Tooth flew up a little bit, gesturing down the mountain a bit, hoping he would take the hint.

"You want me to go down there?"

Yes! She nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay," Jack said hoarsely, using his staff to support his wobbly journey to his feet. He stumbled once he was upright but managed to catch himself before he could fall back down. His eyes still seemed unfocused, but he was cooperating and Baby Tooth wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As Jack walked unsteadily over to the drop, Baby Tooth took up her perch on his shoulder, unwilling to even risk losing him again. Tightening his grip on his staff, Jack didn't even hesitate before throwing himself off the peak. Baby Tooth twittered in concern as he wobbled in the air, even as the wind caught them and directed them downwards.

They'd made it about half-way before the current holding them up gave out beneath them. Jack plummeted towards the snowy landscape below, somehow managing to catch himself before they could hit the unforgiving ground.

"Sorry, Baby Tooth," he managed, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I don't feel very good."

Their descent would be better described as sporadic falling and catching than a smooth glide, but they managed to land without too much drama or pain. Baby Tooth flew down to rest in the snow before the winter spirit as he doubled over on his hands and knees and proceeded to cough up an alarming amount of water.

He glanced hazily up at her, their eyes locking briefly, before his eyes slid shut and he collapsed on his side, narrowly avoiding landing in what he'd brought up. Baby Tooth cried out to him, trying to see if he was alright (which, really, answered itself), but the boy didn't stir.

Glancing around, she noted there was less snow here than there had been further up and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Figuring it would be okay to leave him temporarily, she made a beeline for the nearest town, determined to find as many of her sisters as possible to help get Jack back where he would be taken care of.

Guest Review Responses:

ROTG Revolution: I wish I could! But alas the real world likes to give me responsibilities and when semester 1 comes around again I'll have to go back to uni *cries* Thank you so much!

Guest: Thank you!