*Barrel's POV*

I woke up on the floor of my base, my left arm caked in dried-up blood. From the sensations of it, it seemed like my fever was beginning to come back. I felt hot and sweaty all over, and the pain returned. I was beginning to get sick again.

Coughing until my throat hurt, I pulled myself off the floor, and tied a white rag around the wound from stabbing myself with the needle. Then I went upstairs to my bedroom. After curling up in bed, I decided I needed medical attention or I would never feel any better.

So I reached over to the sidetable, picked up the handset, and called one of the BarrelArmy nurses. Once I got one to come, I closed my eyes, and had a nap.

"Barrel, sir?"

I groaned as someone shook me by the shoulder very gently.

"Barrel, sir. I need you to wake up for me, m'lord."

After making sure my sunglasses were on, I opened my eyes to see the nurse standing over me. She had ribcage-length, indigo hair, and bright, turquoise eyes as blue as the ocean. She wore a flowy white tank top and skirt paired with shiny white heels. Her voice is always soft, and she has a thick, Scottish accent.

"There you are sir," she whispered. "You called because you weren't feeling well, hm?" I simply nodded. "Alright then," Raspberry answered. "Stay nice and calm for me. I'm just going to feel your forehead." She gently slid her hand under my bangs, and rested it on my sweaty forehead. Then she lightly felt my left cheek, then my right. "Feels like a fever to me," she whispered. "Let's take your temperature, now."

Raspberry pulled a thermometer out of her pocket, and slipped it under my tongue. When there was a shrill beeping, she took it out. "103.1; you're running a very high temperature, sir," she said. She took an otoscope out of her pocket, and clicked an ear specula onto it. She gently pulled on my earlobe, and looked into my right ear. When she finished, she winced and looked into my left ear.

"Gosh, do they hurt, Barrel sir?," she asked. "They're all red and look really sore. Not to mention all of this wax." I nodded. "They're quite achey," I answered. Raspberry nodded, and took a little reddish-brown bottle out of her pocket. "Are you having any problems hearing?," she asked. I shook my head; I could hear just fine.

Raspberry nodded, and shook the bottle. Then she squeezed two little droplets from the bottle into each of my ears. It was a little sore at first. After a few seconds, the coolness of the liquid was very soothing.

Raspberry took a tongue depressor out of her pocket. "Now, open wide, sir," she said. "I'm just going to look at the back of your throat."

I opened my mouth.

"Stick out your tongue."

I did, and Raspberry placed the tongue depressor on my tongue. I immediately started to gag, so Raspberry took it away.

"Ah, I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't trying to trigger your gag reflexes. I know that yours get quite strong when you're sick. Now, relax your throat. If you feel gagged, let me know. Open up again."

I open my mouth, and stick out my tongue, letting Raspberry rest the tongue depressor on my tongue, but not far enough in so that it'll make me gag.

"Good job. Now say 'ahh.'"

"Aaahhh..."

"Goodness sir!," Raspberry said with shock. "This is why I have told you that you must invest in taking those tonsils out, Barrel sir. They get extremely swollen when you have sore throats. This tonsillitis looks like it hurts you a lot."

Raspberry placed a finger on either side of my throat. "Have a swallow, sir." I swallowed as best as I could, but it really hurt. "Ah, Barrel sir," Raspberry whispered. "Your throat must be causing you a lot of pain. You're forcing yourself to swallow; the movements in there are not natural at all." I nodded. "It does hurt. It hurts a lot to talk as well," I croaked. Raspberry nodded sadly.

"Now, Barrel sir," Raspberry said, "May I have you take off your shirt, and just pull the blankets down to your lower abdomen?" I nodded. Sitting up as much as my sore body would let me, I removed my vest, then my shirt. I laid back down, and covered my legs back up, making sure my chest and stomach were exposed well enough.

Raspberry took out a stethoscope, and put the ear pieces in her ears. She carefully pressed the chestpiece to my hot, sweaty chest. It felt very cold and comforting, as I was nearly cooked to death by a fever. It took half of my strength to hold back a sigh of relief.

"Deep breath, sir."

I breathed in, and then out nice and easily.

Raspberry then gently pressed on my belly, and had a listen to my stomach. Then she listened to my neck pulse, and put the stethoscope away. "Oh, Barrel sir," she whispered, Her voice wreaking of worry. "Your heart's beating a mile a minute, your neck pulse it just hammering, and your stomach is making the most wretched of sounds. I think I know what's going on here, sir."

I sighed, and laid back down, leaving my shirt off. "What's going on with me, Razz?," I asked. "This horrible fever is from stress," she said.

I knew it! It was Bro Fever all along!

"Barrel sir?"

"Yes?"

"Does this have something to do with the Barrel Army, m'lord?"

My eyes watered. "Y-yes..."

"M'lord, you look like you need to cry. Have you been holding these tears in, sir?"

"Y-yeah, but..."

"No 'buts', sir! Let those tears out right now. This isn't at all healthy for you. Especially since you're very sick."

I didn't exactly want to cry. Sure, I had cried a tiny bit when Mayo got hurt. Maybe I got a little emotional when I told Gonzales about Barry's death. And sure, I cried quite a bit when Mayo and Gonzales betrayed me. But crying something I only do in private, and if not, in front of one or two other men. And Raspberry was a woman.

But I did what I was told anyways, and let the tears flow, pathetic sobs erupting from my sore throat. "Now, now. What's been giving you the troubles?," Raspberry asked. "Is this something you would like to talk about?" In reality, I didn't want to talk about losing Gonzales and Mayo at all. However I felt like it would make me feel so much better. So I started to talk.

"I-I got two of the Bros to side with me and become Barrels," I explained through heavy sobs. "I treated them so well. As if they were my biological brother and son. The stupid Bros got them back on their side. A-and I...I really miss 'em like hell."

"Ah, Barrel, m'lord," Raspberry whispered. "We need to not think of these bros. They've made you upset enough. They've damaged your sick heart, and hurt your feelings." I tightened the cloth around my arm to make sure Raspberry wouldn't see the cut; if she did, she would rat me out about self harm.

Raspberry patted my head, as I sniffled, and wiped my tears. "Now, it'll be okay. You're going to destroy them. It's all going to be yours. Completely yours. You're very strong," she said, feeling my bicep muscles, most likely to emphasize her point. "Now, about this awful fever; your potions are downstairs, am I right?" I nodded.

Raspberry got up, and went downstairs for a few minutes. When she came back up, she was holding a pear-shaped glass filled with a bubbling, sea-green colored liquid. She handed he glasses to me, and helped me sit up.

"Now, drink this up," Raspberry said. "With this potion and a lot of rest, you'll feel much better in no time." I nodded, and drank the potion down in almost one swig. Raspberry set the glass on the table beside the bed, and tucked me back in.

Almost immediately after closing my eyes, I had a wonderful dream about my soon-to-be victory against the BroArmy.