New chapter! Yay! I don't own Ice Age. Oh, and I have very bad news. I have the flu. Darn… Enjoy!

Shira stared up at the clouds. She was so very bored. Nobody wanted to play with her. Her mom was cranky for some reason, claiming to not have gotten a lot of sleep, so she was taking a nap. In fact, that seemed to be what they were all doing. Squint was lounging in a half coconut shell, a large leaf covering all of his body, except his feet, to block out the sun. Yep, asleep. Silas was perched on one of the tall branches, head under his wing. Unconscious as well. Gupta was draped over a little woven hammock of vines, eyes closed. In dreamland as well.

Flynn was stretched out in the middle of the ship, a sleepy smile on his face, 'sunning', whatever that was. Her mother was curled up under the high rise platform, head on her arms, long tail tucked around her body. Boris was laying down near the edge, just staring at nothing. The captain was lounging at the top of the mast between two branches that formed a 'v'-ish shape, hands folded on his stomach. Ugh, why did adults have to be so boring?!

She smacked her lips together a little and, upon noticing that her mouth was dry, she got up. She padded past her family members, being careful not to make a sound. They all got very angry and were highly crabby for the rest of the day if you woke them up during a nap. She needn't have bothered, they were all practically the heaviest sleepers on earth, all snoring heavily. But still, she wasn't risking a grounding and making an already plenty moody pirate crew mad.

Going over to the fruit, she selected a juicy looking melon. Slicing it open, the long way, around the middle, she happily lapped up the juice. After slurping it down quickly, she began to eat the sweet inside, spitting out seeds every now and then. After she was finishing, she tossed the shell to the rats, who were squeaking insistently at her, jumping up and down and trying to get her attention. She rolled her eyes at their version of whining and begging. The tiny rodents tore into it.

She went back to thinking, staring at the clouds. She laid on her back, until a strange sensation came upon her. A strange tightening in her throat. What was… "Hic!" her whole body jerked and she sat up, putting a paw over her mouth, hearing herself involuntarily make the strange sound twice more.

What was going on? She'd never experienced something like this before. Frightened, she went to her mother and shook her arm. It took about five minutes, but her eyes eventually cracked open. "Oi, whaddaya want Sheila?" she snapped moodily. Usually she'd be nicer to her daughter, but she didn't want to be disturbed, she'd made that perfectly clear, and was rather peeved that she had.

"Something- hic- something's wrong hic with me!" Raz sat up and watched the cub for a moment, still jerking and making the squeaky little sounds.

Suddenly, a grin spread on her face and she laughed. "Oh Sheila- there's nothing wron' with ye."

"Then what hic what's happening hic?"

"Nothin." she chuckled. "Y've jus got th' hiccups."

"The hic the what?" what was that? Was she sick? Had she been poisoned? "Make hic make em go hic away!"

Raz shook her head and grinned. "Can't. Sorr'eh Sheila. They'll go 'way 'ventually. Y'll jus hafta wait i' out."

"But what if hic what if they hic don't?!" she fretted.

"They will." The marsupial reassured her. "They always do." She hiccupped again and groaned. It was beginning to make her throat hurt. Raz suddenly smiled as she got an idea. "Bu' if ya wanna git ridda 'em faster, go see Squin'. He migh know."

Shira took her advice and went off, bouncing every few moments, still making the little high pitched sounds. Unknown to her, Raz was smiling mischievously and laying back down. She shook her head. "Kids." She closed her eyes again and shifted to get comfortable. "Ge' upset ova the smalles' things…" and she was snoring softly again.

Shira padded over to Squint, body still bouncing up and down as her diaphragm involuntarily contracted. With the way she was jerking, as she reached up to nudge him awake, she hiccupped and again and accidentally shoved the coconut shell off it's perch on a small piece of raised ice.

He tumbled to the ground with a surprised yelp, pulling his knife out of nowhere and pointing it at her, until he realized it was just the cub. "Oh for love of- what is it Shira?" he asked in annoyance. "I was sleeping!"

"I've hic got hic hiccups! Make em hic go away!"

He groaned and put one hand over his eyes, shaking his head and willing himself not to explode on her. "Was that all?"

She nodded. "Uh huh. Get rid hic get rid of em!"

He sighed. "Who told you I could anyway?"

"Mama. Hic!"

He rubbed his temples. Of course. Leave it to Raz to make her daughter's problem his. "I dunno… try hanging upside down. Or holding your breath. That might work."

"What hic what am I? A hic a bat?"

"Just hold your breath then!" perhaps then she'd be quiet and he could go back to his nap.

"But I-"

"Do it!"

"Hic! Fine!"

After Shira almost collapsing and turning blue underneath all her fur from lack of oxygen, she still had hiccups and kept bothering her uncle. "Well hic what else might hic work?!" she asked, exasperated.

"Oh…" he groaned. "I don't know…" he pulled his leaf blanket over his head. Was it really too much to ask that she let him have his nap? "Just-" a grin spread on his face. "Why don'tcha try givin 'em ta someone else?"

"Huh? How does hic that work?"

"Oh it's easy. Go find someone else and bother- I mean, talk with them for a little while. They get your hiccups, and your cured."

"Well why won't you take them?" she asked indignantly. If the cure was that easy…

"Cuz I can't. I'm immune."

"Huh?"

"Already took my medicine. Ya can't give em to me. They'd just come right back." She looked confused, but nodded all the same. He couldn't believe she was actually buying it. "Oh, one thing. Don't try I on her mom. Already gave her some too." Raz would be very upset if she found out A) he'd tricked her daughter, and B) she'd been woken up for something so silly.

"Ok…" and the cub wandered off. He folded his paws against his chest and looked up at the sky. Thank you he mouthed dramatically before laying down and pulling the covers over his head. Now hopefully Shira would keep occupied for a while…

A few hours later, around dark, Raz was glaring at Squint murderously from his place high up on the mast, his knife embedded in it and holding on for all he was worth. He yelped and jumped as yet another starfish embedded itself an inch from him. "I'munna hic I'munna kill you for this!" she threatened.

"How was I hic supposed to hic know hiccups're hic are contagious?!"

Ha, funny! At least, I thought so. Karma, you guys, for ignoring her. Just thought this would be kinda funny. Review please!