It was the beginning of the school day and Addison was having difficulty focusing on what the teacher was saying in the front of the room. She had a slight headache, and her stomach felt tied up in knots. But she was trying her best to take good notes. Finally, the bell rang for her next class, and she slowly followed the rest of the students out the door. Once she entered the hallway, Zed immediately found her.
"There you are, I was almost worried you skipped class or something."
"Sorry, I'm feeling a little slow today." She said as she fell in beside him.
She could see Zed taking a closer look, carefully studying her face, "Are you OK? You don't look so hot."
"Ouch." Addison tried to joke.
"You know what I mean."
"It's nothing just a slight headache and my breakfast isn't agreeing with me for something. I'll be alright."
"Are you sure?" Zed lightly reached out and placed his hand on her forehead. "Scratch that you feel really hot. But I'm not entirely confident on human body temperatures."
"Don't worry Zed I'm fine. Less just get to class. Besides I have to cheer at your game tonight."
"You know you're more important to me than a game. I'll be fine if you have to miss one because you're sick."
"I'm not sick, let's just go to class."
"Fine, you win for now, but I'll be watching you."
They arrived at their next class, English, and took their seats beside each other as always. The teacher started their lesson, but neither were paying very close attention. Addison gradually felt more and more exhausted and her mind was swimming. Zed's attention was completely on Addison the entire time. He could plainly see her drooping eyes and posture in contrast to her usually bright eyes and perfect posture. Her face was also quite flushed and he could tell she couldn't hide her nausea.
At one point Mrs. Nelson noticed and asked if Addison was feeling OK, as she was usually one of her best students always having her hand raised to ask and answer questions. but Addison still insisted she was fine. Zed gave Mrs. Nelson a look to tell her he had everything under control but he was worried too. So she continued on with her lesson but kept her eye on the couple, but didn't bother them further about their obvious lack of attention.
Thankfully the bell soon rang, but neither of them had any real clue what Mrs. Nelson had been saying. As they walked out to head to lunch. Zed whispered in Addison's ear. "Addie I really think you should go to the nurse."
"Don't worry Zed I'm fine, let's just go lunch."
"I really think you should rest, how about you go lay down in the safe room. I'll go grab food from the cafeteria and bring it you, but you should at least try to take a little nap."
"Zed I don't need-"
"Please Addie, for me?" Zed looked straight into her eyes, giving her his best puppy eyes.
"Fine, I see no problem with having a private lunch date." She finally agreed and walked slowly towards the saferoom. Zed followed a step behind her, carefully watching her every movement.
When they arrived Zed told Addison to choose a bed while he grabbed her a pillow and a blanket and after making sure she was comfortable he tip-toed outside the saferoom but then started sprinting down the halls towards the cafeteria. Zed didn't want to leave Addison for a moment, but as long as she agreed to rest for a little while, he chose the lesser of two evils. Plus, if she refused to go to the nurse, he needed to find someone who understood human biology more than he did.
When Zed entered the cafeteria, he ran to the food line and was tapping his foot against the floor in impatience as every second made him worry more about Addison. Finally, he grabbed enough food for both of them, but he had a feeling neither of them were in the mood to actually eat. He then power-walked over to his friends' usual table.
"Hey Zed where have you and Addison been? Oh, wait don't tell me you two are hiding in the safe room again." Eliza asked.
"Actually sorta? She is in the safe room, but Bree I need your help. I think Addison's sick but she refuses to go home because she has to cheer tonight. Can you come and try to convince her, or try to diagnose her, because I think she has a fever but I don't know enough about human biology to be sure."
"Of course, I'll come Zed. I'll see you in a bit Bonzo." She told him, giving his hand a squeeze before following Zed to the safe room. As they were walking she told him, "I honestly wouldn't be surprised. The whole cheer squad has had a bug going around the last few weeks. Last week, Bucky and the Aceys were all obviously sick but they still refused to miss a game. Addison was finally able to convince them to leave after they nearly fainted from exhaustion at halftime and they were recovering all weekend. It's probably only a matter of time before I catch it."
"Well if she won't listen to me, maybe she'll listen to you telling her it's OK if she misses one game."
They arrived at the saferoom and Bree pushed open the door so Zed could walk in with his tray of food.
Bree knelt over Addison's bed. "Hey Addison how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine Bree, just a little tired and my stomach hurts but don't worry, I'll be all fired up to cheer tonight." She said halfheartedly.
Bree reached out and gingerly felt her forehead. "Addison I hate to disagree with you but I think Zed's right. You're burning up."
"She is? Addison why didn't you say anything."
"Because I need be at your game and I didn't want you to worry."
"Of course, I'm worried about you, and you don't need to be at this game if you're sick. Coach isn't afraid to bench players when they're under the weather. He always says it's better for us to stay home when we're sick rather than come, make ourselves feel worse, and spread it. Both the basketball team and the cheer squad will be perfectly fine."
"Don't worry Addison. I'll keep everyone in line, and if I need it I'll have Bonzo and Bucky to help me. You need to focus on getting better."
Addison slowly reached for the sandwich Zed had brought her. "Don't worry I'm totally fine see." Addison took a big bite to prove her point but after swallowing, her stomach started grumbling, and she felt even more nauseous. "Um uh trashcan!" She managed to choke out.
"What?" Zed asked confused but Bree understood, she ran over to the corner and brought back a trashcan that Addison grabbed moments before the sandwich and her breakfast made their return appearance. She continued to retch for a few more seconds, and afterward as Bree set the trashcan off to the side. She leaned back on the bed and felt even more drained than before.
Zed gripped her hand, "OK Addison that's it. I'm taking you to the nurse I really think you need to go home and rest."
"Fine, you two are right. I think that sounds great, I just really want to sleep right now." Addison admitted, now feeling completely drained of energy.
"Do you need me to carry you down?"
"No, I can still walk." Addison slowly sat up and shakily stood from the bed. Zed's arm was wrapped around her waist in an instant to help support her. "Alright let's go."
"Addison do you need anything else here?" Bree asked.
"No I think I should be good for the moment, my stomach should be empty now. Tell me how it goes tonight Bree."
"Don't worry I will, you just focus on getting better. Oh and I'll get notes and any homework from chemistry and Zombie as a Second Language for you."
"Thank you Bree. I'll talk to you later I guess."
"Get well soon Addison."
Zed and Addison slowly shuffled down to the nurse's office and once they arrived, the nurse took her temperature and finding it was 102°F told her she had to go home. Addison felt resigned to that outcome by now and was looking forward to her bed.
While the nurse called her parents, Zed offered to go grab Addison's backpack from her locker and anything else she needed and promised to get notes from their friends in all of the classes she was missing. `
By the time he returned her dad was almost to the school so Zed and Addison walked together to the front doors and after signing out exited the building just as Dale's car pulled up.
Zed opened the door for her and handed over her backpack. "Get well soon OK. I love you."
"Call me after your game I want to be able to congratulate your victory."
"You got it, but only if you're not sleeping."
"I don't care call me anyway. I love you too. Bye Zed."
"Thanks for your help Zed, I better get Addison home and you should get back to class."
"You got it Dale. See you both later."
Zed watched the car drive off before turning around and heading back in the school. The rest of the day his thoughts were still mostly on Addison, but he forced himself to focus and take good notes for her. Also at the end of the day, Bonzo, Bree, and Eliza, all had notes and homework from Addison's other classes for him to take to her. And unfortunately, tonight was an away game so he had no time to check in on her after school. He called Dale who reported that she had been sleeping most of the afternoon, so no real updates. He just reminded him to focus on his game so he would have good news to share.
For most of the bus ride he thought about Addison the entire time, but thankfully once they arrived Zed was able to get his head in the game. The game was more difficult than most because everyone who was watching could tell Zed wasn't playing quite at one hundred percent either. He still made plenty of shots, but his percentage was way down. At halftime, the Mighty Shrimp were down by ten points. Coach kept Zed in the locker room to talk to him some more after the rest of the guys left.
"Hey Zed, is there anything bothering you? You just don't seem to be in the game tonight."
"Sorry Coach, Addison's sick at home and I think my mind is focused on thinking about her. But I'm still trying my best, I'm sorry I'm not my usual self."
"Hey I understand, it can be difficult to do anything when you're worried about someone you love. In fact, right now my Aunt Edna is sick with the flu too, and I want to be there to help take care of her. But I know I have my job to do, and that is to coach this team and win this game."
"I know Coach, I'm the one that told her to go home but I also feel like I should be there for her."
"I'm assuming she has her parents to take care of her, and if you actually tried to take care of her I'm pretty sure she would tell you to come and focus on the game."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
"But let me guess, part of it is also that she isn't here cheering you on. Not that I specifically watch for you two, but I know you've developed plenty of game day traditions."
"Yeah, that's true. It feels weird not seeing her standing up for my free throws or hearing her cheer during timeouts, not that I'm not listening to you at timeouts of course."
"I know Zed, but I also know you listen to your heart more than your brain most of the time. But we have twenty-four minutes of game time left, can I count on you for those twenty-four minutes?"
"You got it Coach, I can do it. I promise I'll always do my best for you."
"I know you will." Coach checked his watch, we only have about two minutes left, we better go back out there. "Now what should you be thinking about?"
"The game, and nothing else."
"True but also, Think of the slacks." Coach patted his shoulder. "Now get out there my monster player."
"Thanks Coach."
Both sprinted out to the court and Coach quickly ran through the game plan to start the third quarter. As they started playing, Zed quickly realized the other team must have noticed his earlier distractedness because anytime he got the ball the other players were pressing him hard but thanks to Coach's pep talk he was back in the game for good and while the pressure was on him, that just gave the other guys' lots of opportunities to get open. And in the end, thanks to a last-second buzzer-beating three-pointer from Ryan, the Mighty Shrimp were able to notch another victory under their belt.
Back on the bus, Zed was in his usual seat next to Ryan, and after the team finished congratulating each other on another victory. Zed texted Addison.
U Up?
Yes call me. Her reply came about ten minutes later.
So Zed happily followed her instructions and dialed her number.
In the car ride home Addison was tiredly explaining all her symptoms to her dad. "I've had a headache all morning, an upset stomach, I vomited about a half hour ago, I've been exhausted all day, and I have a fever."
"Alright we'll go home and I'll let you sleep all day. Are you hungry for anything?'
"No, I don't think I can keep anything down right now."
"OK, I'll make some chicken soup for whenever you get hungry."
'You weren't busy today were you?"
"No don't worry, you're more important than anything at work, and I can easily work from my office downstairs."
They got home and Dale followed her upstairs until she got to her room. Then went back down to begin making the soup.
Addison changed out of her cheer uniform and threw on some pajamas and used the bathroom. She heard a knock on the door, it was her dad with a bucket in case she vomited again. And also some medicine to try to relieve her head and stomachache She thanked him and allowed him to help tuck her in under the covers and place a gentle kiss on her forehead before he closed the door, leaving it open a crack and she soon drifted off to sleep.
She woke up a few hours later and her head did feel a lot better, but she was still exhausted, but she was also hungry, so she came downstairs and was able to eat half a bowl of soup before she felt nauseous again but thankfully she was able to keep everything down. She chatted with her dad for a few minutes before returning to bed. She checked her phone but other than a few get-well-soon messages from her friends, and Zed telling her he just got to the game she had nothing to do and just went back to sleep.
Her mom checked in on her when she got home from work, and unfortunately, she vomited again shortly after. Her mom came right back to help her clean up, and she went back to sleep again for a few more hours.
She woke up later and when she reached over to her phone he saw that Zed had texted her about ten minutes earlier. She happily replied yes and told him to call her.
"Hello?" She asked.
"Hey, Addie how are you doing?"
"Good or at least better than this morning, I've spent most of the day sleeping, and my headache's gone but I still have a fever and I threw up again. How was the game?"
"We won, but barely. Honestly, I was thinking about you for most of the first half, but Coach gave me a good pep talk at halftime and got me back in the game."
"What was the score?"
"59-60 its only thanks to Ryan we won at the last second."
"I wish I was there."
"Hey, everything's fine. We won and that's all that matters, and the team was kind of annoyed with me but they all said they understand, and I if I was more distracted than usual it's all my fault, not yours."
"How was the cheer squad?'
"I think they were just as great as always, but I tuned them out a lot easier than usual since I wasn't listening to your cheers. So really it kind of balanced everything out with you not being there."
"Oh, wait a minute, did you get your post-game snack?"
"Yeah don't worry I grabbed it from your locker before we left. It was just as delicious as always. Speaking of I have all your homework from everyone. I'll bring it over tomorrow. So I have an excuse to check on you in person of course."
"Sounds good, oh wait to you want a ride home? I can tell my dad to go pick you up."
"Don't worry I can walk home with Bonzo and the other zombies on the team. Plus he would probably ask for your homework then and I wouldn't have an excuse to come over tomorrow."
"Wow, you think of everything." Addison couldn't stifle her yawn. "Sorry I am still way more tired than I should be."
"As long as you get a goodnight's sleep, that's fine with me. See you tomorrow Addison."
"Bye Zed, Gar Gar Gaza."
"Gar Gar Gaza."
The next day was Saturday, so when Zed woke up he knocked out most of his homework right away, and around noon he texted Addison to check if she still wanted him to come over which she responded to with an enthusiastic yes. So grabbing his backpack filled with all of Addison's schoolwork he walked straight to her house.
He greeted Dale and Missy when he got there they offered him soup for lunch for both him and Addison to eat upstairs. Zed accepted the offer and now slowly crept up the stairs carefully so he wouldn't spill anything. He knocked on the door and after hearing "Come in." He slowly opened it up.
Addison was sitting up in her bed, her hair disheveled, and still looking less perky than usual, but her smile brightened when her eyes met Zed's.
"Good morning, and I have a special delivery if you can handle lunch."
"I'm willing to try it. I'm starving and my stomach is starting to feel a lot better."
"Did anything else happen since we talked last night? Zed asked, handing Addison her bowl and setting his down on her desk to slip off his backpack before taking his up again.
"I'm still running a fever, but my headache is mostly gone, but I woke up and vomited in the middle of the night too, but so far this morning I'm not as nauseous." Addison slowly lifted a spoonful of soup to her lips. "Mmm this is good."
"I'm glad you like it I worked very hard to deliver it to you." Zed joked.
"My hero. So has anything else happened to you since last night?'
"No, I just went home, told Pops and Zoey about you. Ohh speaking of which…" Zed started to dig through his backpack. "Zoey made you a get well soon card."
"Awe that's so sweet of her." Addison opened the card to see the handwritten, heartfelt message within. "Remember to thank her for me until I see her again."
"You got it."
"I hate to ask but exactly how much homework do I have?"
"Well let me see I made sure I made a checklist of everything." Zed once again dug through his bag. "Here it is. For Zombie as a Second language, you don't have any homework, Bree just gave me her notes that you can copy. I already did most of the chemistry problems, good news it's 1-5, Bad news, 4 and 5 have parts A-F."
"Of course they do. I think Mr. Schwiesow loves to torture us when he gives assignments like that, so he can see the light fade from our eyes when we turn to the page."
"Then math you have a homework assignment, and English, I think you just need to read a chapter, I mean scene of Romeo of Juliet."
"OK, then I better get started."
"Are you sure you're OK? You don't need to do them now if your still not 100%."
"I can at least try to start them, and if I get too tired then I'll stop. How about we work on chemistry together, but don't just give me the answers." She warned him.
"As you wish."
Addison did truly feel much better than yesterday, though still not one hundred percent. Chemistry was an afternoon class that she normally shared with Bree as Zed was in a different section but Zed had been able to focus enough to explain what needed to be done to complete the homework. They soon finished all the questions for that assignment before they decided to have some fun reading Romeo and Juliet together, and lucky them, though neither was paying much attention in class yesterday they found they were supposed to read the balcony scene so it didn't take them long to split up the parts.
She speaks:
O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
"Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou-" Addison couldn't stop herself from letting out an enormous yawn as a wave of exhaustion suddenly hit her. "Actually I think I'm ready to take a break."
"That's OK you get all the rest you need. We can finish some other time or you can read it on your own when you're feeling better." Taking away Addison's book to place it on her desk with everything else. "Do you need anything else? Because if you want to sleep I can leave you in peace."
"Actually could you go get me a glass of water quick?"
"Sure thing, I'll be right back." Zed walked downstairs to the kitchen and filled up a glass before returning and holding it out so Addison could take a small sip before setting it on her nightstand.
"If you're ready for me to go I guess I'll be leaving now. Sweet dreams." Zed tucked her in and leaned down to place a quick kiss on Addison's lips."
"Thank you, but no kisses until I'm all better I don't want you to get sick too."
"Don't worry, another zombie power I have, most human diseases can't make us sick since we're already dead and all."
"Really? So have you ever gotten sick?"
"Yeah once or twice, but for the most part, nothing really affects us. So you can add germ immunity to my long list of superpowers. That just means I'll always be able to take care of you whenever you need it."
"I know you will, just like I will if you ever get sick too. Gar Gar Gaza Zed."
"Gar Gar Gaza Addie." Zed slowly left the room and softly closed the door. He gave Missy and Dale a report of how Addison was doing before they wished him well and he walked back home.
The next day Addison felt more like her normal self. Her fever finally broke and she didn't throw up since the night before. But her energy levels were way down still. She was able to finish all her homework and spent most of her time sitting in bed and talking or texting her friends. Zed offered to come over again, but she insisted that she was fine and would see him at school the next day.
At school, on Monday she was back to feeling like her normal self, excited to see her friends and rejoin her classes after her brief hiatus. Even though Zed hardly let her out of his sight and made sure to check on her between classes to make sure she was feeling OK. It was a little annoying but Addison didn't mind since she knew why he was doing it. She also knew if their roles were reversed she would be acting the exact same way.
But then at cheer practice, Bree told Addison to take it slow and sit out of doing certain stunts. Addison fought back a little but listened to her best friend and co-captain's advice, admitting she could go a day without being tossed up in the air for stunts. Bree also made it a point to tell everyone at the end of practice to stay home if they aren't feeling well, and that it's OK to miss one practice or game, rather than keep spreading stuff. That everyone nodded along with.
But then as Bree and Addison were finishing packing everything up. Bree suddenly grabbed her stomach and ran to the nearest trash can.
Addison sprinted after her and asked, "Are you OK Bree?"
"Dang it, looks like I was right, I was next." Bree sighed.
"Well Co-captain, I think you should follow your advice and go home and rest. I'll keep everything under control until you return."
"I know you will Addison. I better call my dad to give me a ride."
"Get Well Soon." Addison told her.