I'm sorry this took so long! I was having trouble figuring out how to do it without making it sound too much like The Way the Cold Burns. I'm not completely happy with it but I wasn't sure what else to do... and then I got sick (probably pay back for making Jack sick...) but I'm almost completely better now.

Thank you all, lovely people, for the reviews, faves and follows :3 You guys are amazing.

One request down, a bunch more to go :P (it's freaky how some of your requests make me feel like you're reading my mind O_O)

Disclaimer: IDORotG

...

Misdiagnosis Part II

...

Nicholas St. North wasn't sure which emotion to settle on when the hum of wings preceded the arrival of a small swarm of Tooth's fairies, a limp Jack Frost and staff between them. There was a great deal of relief that they had finally located the boy, but also concern and traces of fear. Jack looked like a puppet the way he dangled lifelessly, the only sign that he was alive at all the shallow movements of his chest with each breath he took.

The fairies, clearly tired after having flown such a distance with the winter spirit in tow, moved immediately over to a couch against the far wall, depositing their charge down with great care. By the time North had removed the distance between himself and Jack, most of the mini fairies had taken the teeth the others had collected and were shooting off again, likely back to the Tooth Palace. The ones who remained fluttered down to land on Jack's chest, watching him with matching expressions of concern.

Up close, North found concern start to smother relief. Jack's usually pale skin was flushed, a light sheen of sweat dampening his forehead. He was struck momentarily by a memory of the way the boy looked when the summer spirit had carted him all the way through the endless snow and ice, but this was nowhere near as bad. Thank Manny.

What that left him with were a number of lesser causes that could have contributed to Jack's current state. If he hadn't brought it upon himself (and he really didn't want a repeat of that fiasco), the most obvious conclusion was that the boy was sick.

It wasn't common for an immortal to get sick, but it still happened. They were immortal, not immune. What that meant was that they were bound to recover eventually, but that didn't cancel out the potential for irreversible damage. Ergo, illness in an immortal could be just as worrying as it was in a mortal, perhaps more so; the victim could find themselves suffering from less than desirable side-effects for the rest of time.

Being careful not to jostle him too much, North gently lifted Jack from the couch, unintentionally dislodging the fairies as he did so.

"Phil!" he called as he and Jack's entourage passed the yeti in question. "Activate the Aurora Borealis!" He figured the mini fairies would inform their Queen upon their return to the Palace, but Sandy and Bunny would likewise want to know their youngest had been found.

Phil garbled a reply, heading swiftly toward the Globe to carry out the order.

The guest room North selected for Jack was situated within close distance to the Globe Room and kitchen so that, even if they did not stay by the boy's side (though he highly doubted any of them would leave Jack by himself even for a minute), they would be within calling distance should they be needed. North had once offered the winter spirit his own room at the Pole, even a permanent home, but as he'd suspected Jack had politely declined. The boy had always been a free spirit, going wherever the wind carried him and never staying in one place for more than a few days, if that. It didn't mean he hadn't been disappointed at the refusal, however.

As soon as Jack was laid neatly on the bed, the fairies retook their previous perch. North couldn't help but smile to himself as he watched them. He strode over to the window and hauled it open, allowing a stiff breeze of dancing snowflakes into the room. He was sure there would be snow on every surface within the hour. But if it would make Jack more comfortable it was a small sacrifice to make. Besides, he could just get the yetis to clean it up later.

What were the basics of taking care of someone when they were sick? Rest, plenty of liquids, staying warm, probably medicine depending on the sickness… Well, Jack was unconscious already, so that was rest already in play. He couldn't well drink anything while he was asleep, so liquids would have to wait (unless it got to the point where he required an IV drip). Staying warm… that was an interesting one. Normally you'd want the patient to stay warm. But Jack was a winter spirit. Ergo, warm = bad. He'd already opened the window to let in some of the cold outside air, but a bucket of ice water and a washcloth certainly wouldn't hurt, especially if Jack had a fever like North suspected. As for medicine, well, they couldn't be sure what to give him until they figured out what was wrong.

"I am going to get water," North announced, gaining the attention of the fairies. "You will keep eye on him?"

Baby Tooth saluted, giving a little chirp of affirmation. North nodded contentedly, slipping from the room with a great deal of stealth for someone of his size.

...

...

He was far too warm; borderline hot. There was something soothing pressed against his forehead and a refreshing chill to the air but it did very little for the heat he was finding himself affronted with. It was also rather hard to breathe, he noted absently. Not so much that he couldn't breathe or that he wasn't, but more that he couldn't seem to take in enough. Sort of like trying to breathe through a sponge.

…Where he'd pulled that comparison from he had no idea.

As consciousness continued to pull at him, he became aware of the general ache to his body. He felt not unlike one giant bruise, with a bruise on the bruise in his chest, and his head was pounding like someone was going at it with a jackhammer. Heh. Jackhammer. Jack-hammer. His name was Jack.

He was still smiling at his own mental joke when words that weren't his thoughts reached his ears.

"Jack? Are you awake?"

He recognised the voice, he was sure of it. It was soft and sweet, belonging to someone equal parts kind and beautiful. It felt… wrong to hear that underlining hint of worry there, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.

Something nagged at the back of his mind and he realised he hadn't provided the voice with an answer. His throat felt rather dry, and he doubted he'd be able to grind out more than a grunt if he tried to talk so he opted instead for opening his eyes. That way he'd at least be able to figure out why the voice was so familiar.

The first attempt was a disaster. Light assaulted his retinas and he quickly scrunched his eyes shut again with a hiss. Well, at least the voice had an answer to its question now. The sound of movement to his left pushed him to try again, and this time he was pleased to find the light wasn't quite as severe.

A blurry bluish green thing, which he assumed was the source of the voice, slowly began to become more focused until he could make out exactly who it was.

"Tooth?" he asked in confusion, his voice like two stones grinding together. The attempt at talking tickled something in the back of his throat and he launched up into a sitting position, breaking out into a coughing fit that stole what little air he'd been thus far managing to get and jostled his body painfully.

"Easy, Sweet Tooth," Tooth said calmly, pressing something to his lips after the fit had subsided. "Here, drink this, but take it slow."

It was only when the first drop hit his tongue that he realised what it was; a glass of water. A glass of water that must have been sent from heaven because he was sure water had never tasted so good before. It soothed his painful throat and, for all of five seconds, allowed him to breathe a little easier. But even with his mind slightly clearer than it had been a moment ago, the confusion lingered. How had he gotten to the Pole (because he was pretty sure he wasn't at the Tooth Palace and like hell he would be at the Warren, especially since there were small piles of snow scattered around the room)? The last thing he remembered was being mostly buried in snow on Aconcagua. There was a bit of a distance between there and here and he was at a loss as to how he'd closed it without any recollection whatsoever.

"How are you feeling?" the Tooth fairy asked, placing the now empty glass on a small bedside table.

"'M fine," but it sounded like a lie even to his own ears. And if the look he was receiving was anything to go by, she didn't buy it either.

"You're hardly fine," she frowned disapprovingly.

"…Okay," he relented. "I've been better. But it's no big deal… just a stomach bug. Nothing to worry about," and then he promptly broke into another coughing fit. Wonderful.

"I think this might be something a little more than a stomach bug, Jack."

She was probably right. His stomach was feeling a little queasy but that was probably because he was too hot. The pain was more centred around his head and chest. Probably just a cold or something, then. And oh the irony of that.

He hadn't realised he'd spoken aloud until Tooth said, "I think it's worse than a cold, too. When you cough, does it feel like you're trying to bring something up?"

"…I don't know. Maybe?" Why was that even important?

She began looking through a bunch of small brown bottles perched beside the glass from before that he'd only just realised were there. Finding the one she was looking for, Tooth took off the cap and measured out some of the red liquid. He knew it would be gross even from a distance.

"Here, drink this," she directed, holding the liquid out to him.

Jack eyed it warily. "What is it?"

She was looking at him strangely, as if he'd asked a stupid question. But he thought it had been perfectly valid.

"It's medicine," she said slowly. "It'll help with your cough."

Now it was his turn to stare at her. They had stuff for that? Wow the modern world was incredible. Back when he'd been alive… well, not so much 'alive' (because he was technically alive now) but before he'd been 'Jack Frost' they'd had similar stuff, but it was expensive. They'd made do with water and rest and for the most part they'd pulled through. Well, his family had, anyway. There had been this one kid who'd caught something and hadn't managed to–

Jack cut off his internal musing when he realised Tooth was still waiting for him to drink the red 'medicine'. Tentatively, he reached out to take it from her, as if expecting it to lash out and bite him. Bringing it up to his lips he downed it in one gulp.

And, oh, it wasn't medicine, it was poison! Gagging at the foul taste that seemed to burn on its way down, he coughed, hoping there was still time to bring it back up before the damage was done. Something else was pushed into his face and he leaned away, not wanting any more medicine. Ever. But his body betrayed him, too weak to fight off the gentle hands that forced the second liquid down.

He could have breathed a huge sigh of relief when he realised it was just water. If he could get that much air in, that is. The water didn't help much to remove the awful taste of the poi– medicine, but it was better than nothing and he gulped it down greedily.

"Better?" Tooth asked once the glass was empty (which confused him, because hadn't he already drunken all of it when he first woke up?).

He hummed, which could have been a positive or negative response, but Tooth didn't push the matter.

"Have you never had medicine before?"

"Are you sure that was medicine?" he croaked.

She looked like she was trying to restrain a smile. She was doing a poor job of it, if that was the case. "Try to get some sleep, Jack."

He didn't protest, letting himself sink back down onto the pillow and shutting his tired eyes.

...

...

Sandy was on Jack-watch when the shivering started. It was subtle at first; so much so that he thought he'd imagined it. But then the small shaking spasms had increased until they were easily noticeable, but all Sandy found himself capable of doing was staring.

Why was a winter spirit, of all beings, looking for all the world like he was cold? And it wasn't just the shivering that had caught his attention. Jack's breath was more laboured than it had been, sounding like the boy couldn't draw in enough air.

They needed to keep him cold – heat would only make things worse – but it was a hard prospect to keep in mind when Jack kept giving off signs of needing to warm up.

At something of a loss, Sandy gathered some of the snow that had piled around the room and added it to the collection already on the winter spirit. It was doing wonders in keeping his fever down, but he wasn't sure how much it would help the sudden onset of chills.

The last time Jack had been ill, he'd known exactly what needed to be done. If they'd listened to him then he would have gotten better a lot sooner. Maybe this was a similar case. Maybe Jack knew what to do to heal himself but was unable to do anything about it.

It was a strange feeling knowing you had to go against what your natural talent was. His sand was designed for putting people to sleep with good dreams, not waking them up. So he resorted to the old fashioned way. Gently shaking Jack's shoulder, Sandy tried to wake the younger spirit, if only just for a moment to ask. But Jack gave no signs of regaining consciousness, only curling in on himself tighter.

Sandy bit back a sigh and reclined in his chair. He would just have to wait until the boy woke naturally, which was probably for the best. The kid looked like he could use all the sleep he could get.

...

...

The next time Jack awoke it was under the watchful eye of Bunny. The Pooka had insisted the kid get as much fluids into him as he could; after having spent so long asleep, there was no doubt he was in need of them. Jack had been less than lucid the entire time, gazing around in something of a daze. Bunny had managed to get a few bites of food into him before he'd nodded off again, but not before a nice coughing fit that made him sound like he was trying to cough up a lung.

It had been a few days since then, and Jack had yet to wake up for a third time. They were all in varying degrees of worry from fretting (Tooth) to denial of said worry despite clear anxiousness (Bunny). Nothing they did would rouse the winter spirit, and they'd tried everything they could think of.

Bunny grumbled to himself as he waded through the freezing snow that littered the room. It was starting to resemble the environment outside more than a bedroom. It was his turn to go on 'Jack-watch' as they'd started calling it, and North really looked like he could use the break if the way he was slouching in his chair was anything to go by.

"You look like you could use a rest, mate," Bunny said, coming to a stop beside the large man. "There been any change?"

"No, he is still same," North sighed, pulling himself to his feet. "I think you're right about rest, though."

"I'll keep an eye on 'im."

North nodded and left the room with a tired yawn as Bunny took the previously occupied chair, making himself as comfortable as he could and settling back for a few uneventful hours.

A raspy breath shattered the silence that had descended over the room in the last hour or so. Bunny was alert in an instant, but he didn't need his sensitive hearing to notice the struggling breaths of the prone spirit covered in snow on the bed.

"Jack?" Bunny frowned, leaning forwards. But the boy was still clearly unconscious, even despite the horrible sound each breath made. This was definitely more than a mere cold or stomach bug. It sounded almost like the kid couldn't get enough air in regardless that each breath was heavy.

Bunny carefully placed one paw under Jack and the other over, pulling him slowly up into a sitting position, using a combination of snow and pillows to keep him that way. The kid's breathing sounded a little better, but not much. He really didn't know enough about medical procedures, especially those for humans, let alone a winter spirit. Where were the first-aid yetis when you needed them?

Jack's brows were pinched in a frown as though he were in some kind of pain or the throes of a nightmare. Bunny pulled open the top drawer on the bedside table and pulled out a small pouch of dream sand Sandy had provided them with in case they needed it while he was out delivering dreams. A pinch was all it took for Jack to relax, his expression neutral once more.

Bunny sighed, rubbing a tired paw down his face. He was starting to wonder if the kid wasn't worth the trouble and worry (not that he'd ever admit it) he put them through.

"You're a bloody magnet for disaster, you know that?"

...

...

Jack didn't want to wake up; that was his first thought. He knew he was right on the edge of consciousness, and that now that he'd acknowledged it there was no turning back, but the knowledge of what was likely waiting on the other side of closed eyelids was a tad off-putting. He knew his body was going to ache and that there would be lingering pain and probably also a little dehydration, and in his opinion that was all the more reason to stay asleep.

It was, of course, then that he became fully lucid. Eyes still shut, Jack let himself take in the stiffness of his body and the nearly non-existent pang in his chest. His throat and mouth were nowhere near as dry and sore as he was expecting. That was a plus, he supposed. He could also breathe a lot easier and it no longer felt like a struggle to gain enough oxygen. It would be safe to conclude, then, that the worst was over.

It took more convincing than he would have liked to attempt to open his eyes half-way (he'd learnt from past experience) and was not surprised to find he was still in the same room as he'd been in the last time he'd awoken. He was sitting up in the bed, piles of snow all around making it hard to identify if he was actually inside or not, and to his left he could see Tooth sleeping with her head on an awkward angle. Her neck was probably going to hurt when she woke up.

He lifted a hand towards her but froze when something pulled on his arm. Very slowly and with an educated guess of what he was likely to find forming in his mind, Jack let his gaze fall to the origin of the pain.

He knew it. A needle.

It was, of course, attached to a tube attached to a clear bag of liquid beside the bed but despite the fact that it was obviously important and that he should probably leave it where it was, he found himself reacting in much the same way as the last time.

"What is it with you people and jabbing me with things?!" he cried, his voice hoarse from lack of use, as he pulled the offending object from his arm (more gently than last time).

Tooth startled at the sudden vocal outcry, blinking away the last tendrils of sleep as she locked eyes with him. It took her a moment to register exactly what was happening but when she did, her blank expression formed into a scowl.

"Jack! You shouldn't pull that out!"

"Why? What is it?" he asked, just as irritated as she sounded.

"It's an IV drip, it's been keeping you hydrated."

"That doesn't mean I want it poking into me!"

Tooth's eyes widened in realisation and she blinked owlishly. "You're awake!" she stated in relief and joy, flinging her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Jack jumped, wincing at the pressure on his chest. "Tooth… need air."

"Oh! Sorry," she smiled sheepishly, releasing him. "It's just we were so worried and you were just getting worse and never waking up and… how are you feeling?"

"Better," he said truthfully. "Sorry for worrying you." He paused to let her words sink in. "I guess I went into a hibernation-state to sleep it off."

"Well, that would explain why we couldn't wake you," Tooth smiled, but there were still lingering traces of concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine, really."

"The others will want to know," Tooth said, letting her wings lift her off the chair. "I'll be right back."

...

...

It ended with an admission. For Jack it hadn't been an all too hard one to make, but it was awkward with the way that the other Guardians wouldn't stop staring at him like they expected him to keel over at any moment. For the Guardians it wasn't quite so easy. It was hard to hear and sent them all on a one-way all-expenses paid guilt trip. Because, when asked why he hadn't come to them from the beginning, the answer Jack gave was simply that he hadn't thought about it. After 300 years solo he'd never had anyone to depend on so it was sort of ingrained to just deal with things the only way he knew how and the way that had always worked in the past.

The hardest part to swallow was that he shouldn't have had to have gone through all those years without any kind of support; they should have been there for him and the knowledge that they weren't and they'd let him down – let down a child, even an immortal one – was painful to recognise. But nowhere near as painful as they suspected Jack's 300 years of invisibility and neglect had been.

And so they'd made themselves and Jack a promise. They promised that what had happened with the winter spirit would never happen again. He wasn't alone anymore and he needed to know that; needed to know that he could depend on them and that they wanted to be able to help him.

But that was something Jack had already known, even if it was only on a subconscious level. They'd already had many conversations like this in the past, and it wasn't his unwillingness to lose his independence that restrained him from taking them up on the offer, although that was, admittedly, part of it. It was mostly that he just didn't realise that there even was an option. 300 years of habits are hard to break, after all.

But he had promised to try and they had promised to be there. And that was all any of them could ask for.

For those of you who are interested, the illness I used was based around bacterial pneumonia, but I'm no doctor so 'based' is the keyword here

Guest Review Responses:

ROTG Revolution:I'm sorry! Heh a cliffy. On a cliff. Hehe. Naaaaaaw I just want to hug you *glomps* Sick computers are awful. I have gone through so many laptops it saddens me. I hope this one will last a long time. And I hope you solve your computer problems :3

WEast:OMG LOOK AT ALL THESE REVIEWS! Lol thank you so much for all your feedback XD Yeah, poor Jack... I'm very mean to him (:3)
(Halloween) The countryside in Halloween was more farmland and rural area rather than foresty, so that would explain why Jack had thought she wouldn't be there. Hahaha yeah, having frost powers would make pranking people so much more fun XD
(Blizzard of '68) Yeah, Lleu definitely could have handled that one better... but they do make up, as you've no doubt read (and aren't you perceptive?)
(Of Elves and Staffs Part III) Haha I love her too. She's such a great character to pick on (and very plot-convenient). I have plans for that particular reveal... I'm sure I'll get around to writing it eventually ^^;
(Low Batteries) Haha thank you! I'm glad you all can take enjoyment from my troubles lol
(The Way the Cold Burns Part II) Thank you! I can't remember how I got the idea, but it seems like you guys like it ^^
(Family Tree) I couldn't resist throwing that one in XD And WEW for shared head-canons!
(Revenge Served Hot Part II) I hadn't intended to originally, but I was getting a little sick of all the angst so I thought I'd lighten it up a bit XD
(Black and White) Bahahaha oh that's beautiful :') Now every time I see it I'm going to expect the same thing XD I think Pitch should be proud that he can write 'mauled by penguins' on his resume. It's an honour not many get to experience :P
(Stronger than Fear) I loooooove Jack and Bunny bromance. They're so cute it makes me squee. But sometimes I worry I overuse it and people would get sick of my obsession ^^; So there's less Bunny in this chapter than I normally would have done.
(Alone Together) All the bonding :P Yeah, I got confused myself when I was proof-reading it, but having the 'he/she saids' ruined the flow a bit. And I think the confusion as to who's talking makes it more fun for you to figure out. Let your imagination decide :P
(Misdiagnosis Part I) Yup, more than a stomach bug (hence the title :P) Sorry it took so long to get it out there!
Oh my gosh that was long... But again, thank you for all your reviews!

Cag:...Or that I bring down on him ^^; I really like that idea. It's been added to the queue XD Haha no yellow snow! Oooh blue raspberry :3