Gooooooooood moooorrrrrrnnniiiinnnngggg! Or is it the afternoon by now?

Anyway, I don't know why, but I'm feeling awesome today. And in this awesome day, I'm putting up another chapter.

So, without further ado, Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Still don't know shat!

Warning: Same as the first chapter, but a little stronger.

Chapter 3: Cuddles and Coughs

You want to know something? …Well, too bad. I'm saying it anyway.

I have always wondered what dead silence sounds like. You know, the kind of silence that comes when you hear no airplanes, car, TV sets, lawnmowers, birds, or anything. It's kind of like when the people inside of horror movies know that they're in a really fucked up situation and they think that holding their breath can save them from it?

You know, that kind of dead quiet.

Well, I hope you can tell me because I don't, and I still don't. But I should.

Because really, this is the most fucked up situation I've been in. I just broke open a door and entered into a home without permission and now, the fucking owner catches me in the act?

That's called breaking and entering, you idiot. And now my college life is over. I'm going to be hauled off and be jailed. I'm such a fuck up! Just put a cherry on this fucked-up sundae and have my parents disown me. It'll be Aunt Maleficent and Aurora all over again, except with me and Dad. And, and…

That was when I had a feeling that something wasn't completely right.

Because after I knew who was behind me, I raised my hands, lowered my head, and closed my eyes like a caught criminal. I was cornered and I wasn't going try to run. I was going to face my (rather stupid) decisions. But, nothing's happening.

…and I really shouldn't have the time for these kinds of thoughts. Panicky thoughts take a while, so what…

It was still quiet. I mean, not the quiet like 'horror movie' quiet, but there wasn't any screaming or loud questions. I could hear Olaf jumping on the couch, the air conditioner was still working, and Ms. Vinters was breathing close to me.

…why isn't she saying anything? Come one, Anna. Man up, you pussy.

So, just very slightly, I opened my eyes.

Ms. Vinters is just standing in front of me. I can only see her legs and I can tell that she's wearing some old sweats, but that's it.

So, I lift my head a bit. Her shirt's messed up. It's a button up and some of the buttons have come off. That's how I know that she's not wearing a bra.

And I 'quickly' lift my head more to look her in the eye.

She just stares at me.

So I stare back. There's really nothing else to do, but I was still confused. Why isn't she saying anything?

"Ms. Vinters?" Maybe she didn't hear me the first time, but why would she stare at a stranger like that?

Anyway, Ms. Vinters doesn't answer me, but the room isn't dead quiet. Her breathing sounds off.

Main reason is that you're not supposed to hear someone's breathing, unless they're doing a serious work-out session or something.

But she looks like she just rolled out of bed. And she didn't run to meet me. So, what the actual fuck?

Ms. Vinters sways a bit and breathes a little louder. And she's still looking at me with her weird eyes. It's like looking at some idiot who got wasted, stoned, and high all in one night.

Seriously, it's really creepy to look at. And she's still not doing anything.

So, I try one more time to snap her out of whatever she's in.

"Ms. Vinters. I'm Anna Summers. Oak- um… Mr. Oaken sent me to give you your class assignments."

After that, I count to ten.

One Mississippi, two Mississippi,

Three Mississippi, four Mississippi,

Five Mississippi, six Mississippi,

Seven Mississippi, eight Mississippi,

Nine Mississippi, and ten Mississippi.

And… nothing. I might as well be waiting for Olaf to talk back to me.

But she still does nothing. Is she okay?

Okay. Spaced-out people clearly don't respond to voices, so what if I touch her?

And all you perverts out there can get your minds out of the gutter. I'm bi, not a creeper.

I stepped up close to Ms. Vinters and put my hands on both of her shoulders, shaking her a little.

"Ms. Vin- Eww!"

I jumped back as fast as I could, hitting the busted door with my back again. Seriously, I needed to stop doing that. I could just feel the bruise forming on my spine.

But I was too focused on wiping my face off with my shirt to worry about that.

Because okay, not fucking cool. Why the fuck did she just spit in my face?! Fucking little bitch! I wanted to see that she was okay and…and…

Why is she still spitting? And…coughing?

And these were legit coughs. Not the fake ones that people do when they're awkward about something. These were wet, gross, and sound like Ms. Vinters was trying to cough out a lung. The coughs were so strong that Ms. Vinters's entire body was shaking from it.

To be really honest, I forgot my attitude and my overall bitchiness real fast.

I was scared.

You see a sick person every time winter comes, but this wasn't winter. And this wasn't some little cold.

Because a little cold doesn't make coughs sound so horrible. And a little cold doesn't knock a person to the ground. And that's what happened to Ms. Vinters.

I could see her knees buckle before she literally collapsed on the floor. She was still coughing and shaking as she laid on the floor. For a long second, I forgot how to use my legs, before I finally moved.

I crouched down to my knees next to her and turned her over onto her side to help her breathe. I even begin rubbing her back as she coughs and shakes next to me.

I have a little déjà vu moment when I do this. And suddenly, I remember and am glad to have made some drunk, idiot friends during my time at the university. Because with those drunken shitheads, I quickly learned some rookie first-aid. Anyone needs to learn it when they're the designated sober driver to a bunch of drunkards. But, they're nice drunkards.

Herc, Eugene, Meg… You're still stupid drunks, but I love ya all.

But I can thank them all later, because this is serious.

At least, the coughing's over. Ms. Vinters is still on her side and she's still shaking. Her breathing is terrible. Its sounds like broken glass scratched up her throat and the look on the blonde's face kind of agrees with me.

And my eyes stay on her face. She's sweating. Her hair is tangled and messy with sweat and whatever other fluids that were caught in it. Her nose was clearly stuffed and irritated and her entire face was a bright red with fever. To make sure, I put my free hand on her forehead and I might as well be putting it on the steaming concrete outside.

She was sick. But this was the most extreme I've seen it.

And she looks so drained. Her shirt was all rumpled up, so I could count a few ribs with my eyes, and I could feel her spine easily as I kept rubbing her back. Her tired, blue eyes had been closed for a while, but she wasn't sleeping. She was still shaking and kicking her feet a little bit as I tried to think of a plan of what to do next.

I wasn't joking when I said that I was scared. The woman fucking collapsed in front of me and she looked terrible. My bag was still against the door. I would call 911 and ask for an ambulance. I would say she was dazed, weak, and maybe undernourished. I would stay until they arrived and tell the truth of how I found her. Even if I-I…

I… could just hear something. It was so quiet and slurred that it didn't sound like a word, but it was an almost attempt at one. And it came from the sick professor next to me. I leaned in a bit.

"Hmm?" Yeah, that was my great response, but that was all I needed.

"I'm… cold"

Cold? She's cold? The lady is practically dripping in sweat and the first thing I hear that's not coughing is that she's cold? But then I think about it.

This air conditioner is a pretty good one to make this apartment as cold as it is right now. And Ms. Vinters is covered in sweat, so… she is cold from her sweat. Eww…but it makes sense. I wonder where she keeps her blankets…

I mean, blankets are made to keep people warm. And I can't really trust her to take a warm shower. For all I know, she'll slip and knock her head on something. I want her to stay on the floor for as long as I can, so she won't hurt herself.

"I'm c-cold," she shivered as she said it again in her scratched-up voice.

"Shh. It's okay. I'll get something to make you warm." I use a soft voice to calm her down. I think that with it and my back rubbing did work a bit, since she's not kicking her feet anymore. But now, I have a mission. Find a blanket, make her comfortable, and then figure out what I should do.

Baby steps are always good to start with.

I looked around to see if there were any doors that looked like closets, but what I saw was so much better.

"Aww…" I couldn't stop myself. It was too adorable.

Olaf, that little fluff ball, was coming around the corner of the room and was trying to drag a huge bed comforter into the living room. It was an adorable and needed distraction from the sick woman. I could make a bed in the living room and keep an eye on Ms. Vinters. I was going to get up and grab it, but someone stopped me.

Ms. Vinters was grabbing onto my shirt and not letting go.

"Huh? Umm…uh," and that was all I could say. Ms. Vinters was looking at me with a stoner's eyes. She really was out of it.

"Don't leave. It's scary…"

Okay… she really was out of it. But she just looked so sad right now. It was almost cute, but still sad. I have to keep her calm.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm staying. I just need to get you warm."

"You're warm…," she whined a bit. I couldn't deny that that was sort of cute, but I got to take care of her. And that means only one thing: I need that blanket.

"Yes, I am. But I want you to be really warm, so I need a blanket." I move my hand from her back to her forehead as I say this. I begin brushing her hair back with my nails really softly. She closes her eyes again as I keep talking. "Don't worry, I will be right here."

She doesn't answer for a moment, before beginning to be even cuter than before. "Pinky promise?"

I mean, really? How could anyone not smile at that? Well, not me because I began smiling like an idiot.

"I pinky promise that I'll stay." I even waved my pinky in the air to prove it. I had to try so hard to not laugh.

It looked like she wanted to say more, but the coughs came back. I took this chance to quickly move towards Olaf and grab the comforter that he was dragging. Around the corner was an open door that led to a bedroom, but I only looked at it once before turning back to the living room.

The little, white fluff ball bounced around my feet as I went back to the coughing woman on the floor.

First, I made sure Ms. Vinters recovered from her coughing and got to some (almost) normal breathing before I started moving the comforter. When she stopped trying to hack up a lung, I spread it out, so that it almost covered the entire living room floor.

Now came the hardest part. I bent down and wrapped my arms around her shoulders and scooted them onto the edge of the comforter. I did the same to the backs of her knees and scooted her lower body onto the edge of the comforter. I repeated this to get Ms. Vinters more towards the center of the comforter.

All the while, Ms. Vinters didn't move much or talked. I guess she was really tired.

When that was done, I folded it up like a burrito. A little, warm bed on the floor with long white-blond hair flowing out of one side. Olaf was panting and running around the strange, new thing in the living room, but I didn't want him bothering her.

"Come here, you little stinker." I caught him on one of his circles around the tired professor and I kept him in my arms. "Your mama needs to sleep."

And I guess she need a pillow and maybe some medicine.

Me and Olaf moved towards the same kitchen and looked into some of the cabinets. The first had some clean dishes stacked against each other.

Nothing useful.

The second was a spice cabinet with salt, sugar, several different spices, and a bottle of honey.

Honey is good for sore throats. I'll take that. And I'll need a spoon, too.

The third one seemed for home improvement and had nails, tools, and lots of graphing paper. Nothing looked very useful until I saw one thing stand out.

Super glue? Hmm… Maybe.

The last cabinet was the jackpot. A few boxes of over-the-counter medicine were in there with other healing stuff, like bandages and Icy Hot Packs. There was even a little first-aid kit in there. But I focused on the box of DayQuil pills and looked around some more. I saw a little box of nasal strips and took those with the pills.

I took a quick peek inside the fridge to see if there was some water. Ms. Vinters was going to have a pretty hard time if she had to swallow the pills dry. But a small group of cold water bottles was a sight for sore eyes.

Anyway, I came back to the living room with Olaf, a bottle of honey, a spoon, some super glue, a box of DayQuil pills, a box of nasal strips, and a cold water bottle. You could imagine how hard that was to not drop anything.

So, I dropped the little stinker on the couch again and dropped the rest of the stuff near Ms. Vinters's head. Sitting Indian style, I got to work.

…Well, almost got to work. I forgot that she was still sweaty, so I jumped up, grabbed the whole roll of paper I saw in the kitchen before coming back. I fished my phone out of my bag and put it in my pocket. I did have a phone call to make later. For now, I got to work.

I first wiped her forehead and the rest of her face clean with the paper towels. That made putting on one of the nasal strips easier. When she was breathing better, I reached forward to shake her a bit. Ms. Vinters was kind of falling asleep, and I need her to be awake for her to swallow the medicine.

"Hmm?" She blinked open with her stoner eyes.

"Hey, there. I need your help with something." As I said this, I wrapped my arms around her shoulder and neck to lift her head onto my lap. She just looked at me, but I took that as an 'okay.'

"I need you to take some medicine for me and-" She cut me off with a disgusted look on her face.

"They taste nasty," she whined again. Yep, just like a little kid.

"I know. But if you take your medicine, I'll give you a surprise." Well, if she was going to act like a little girl, I got to treat her like one.

"Chocolate?" Damn, that was cute.

"Yes, I'll get you some chocolate. But the medicine is first and then you sleep. After that, I'll get you some chocolate." I said this with the same stupid smile on my face.

She looked like she thought about my offer before saying yes. The bottle of honey, the water bottle, and the box of pills were already open and ready for use.

I gave the honey first, so that the pills would be easier for her. The water and the honey worked to help her swallow two orange pills with only a few wet coughs. But I gave her another spoonful of honey after the pills went down to soothe her throat a bit more.

After the honey was gone, she could barely keep her eyes awake and fell asleep in my lap. I did 'aww' a bit, but I couldn't do that forever. I still had to clean up my shit. That stupid door was still in the back of my head. I had thought about using the super glue, but I wasn't moving with the blonde's head in my lap.

So, Plan B: the Internet.

Taking my phone from my pocket as carefully as I could, I opened the browser and got into Yellow Pages. I just plugged in 'door repairs' and I had a phone number to call. It was a place called Geppetto's Fixery. It had a nice, old-fashioned feeling to it and it was close to Ms. Vinters's home, so that was the first one I tried.

And finally, things were looking up. Thank you, Karma.

I chatted with the owner, who apparently was Mr. Geppetto himself. Cool, huh?

Anyway, the place did do door repairs, but he asked for details of the door. I explained as best I could about the rotten wood and the loose lock. I got kind of worried about the silence afterwards, but it was nothing. He was going to send his son out to fix it right now. I was smiling as I gave the address, because it was perfect.

The estimated cost that he gave me was fair and even if it was more, I could pay for it. And when Mr. Geppetto said that they took credit cards, I was almost singing. And I'm a horrible singer.

So, all was right with my world as I hanged up the call with the smile still on my face. The door was going to get fixed, Ms. Vinters was sleeping calmly, and Olaf was snuggling in my arms and acting like the little stinker he was.

"Hey, stop. That's my phone, Olaf." The little fluff ball was trying to chew on it. Good thing I had the case on. "Stop, I need to make another call." But he still tried to munch on my baby as I dialed another number.

I was going to be stuck here for a while, and after this whole day, I think that I deserved a beautiful slice of pizza. And I knew the perfect someone to deliver it to me. With a couple other things…

Letting Olaf play and bite on my fingers, I listened to the tone.

Rrrriiiiiiiinnngggggg…

Rrrriiiiiiiinnngggggg…

Rrrriiiiiiiinn-

"Yeah?!" Uh huh. There was my favorite, lovable, and (right now) useful blonde.

"Heeeeyyyyy, Kristoff." My evil voice started to show through as I continued. "You remember that favor you owe me, right?"

AN: This story was greatly inspired by a specific scene I saw once in a game. If anyone can guess it, then I shall bow before your prowess. Besides that, how did you guys think about it? Chapter 4 is already being written as you read, so I'll be typing away.

As always: comments, concerns, and informed critiques are forever welcomed in the reviews. I hope you're still alive after the cliffhanger, frozenfrickals. And I hope the wait was worth it to you as your review made me power through and get this chapter out for everyone.

So, until next time, Au revoir.