A/N: Enjoy this little one-shot inspired by how sick I felt last week. Unfortunately I'm still sniffing like Rex and Kix... But it made it easier to write about a sick person! XD

A runny nose was the captain's first warning.

Torrent Company had been locked in combat for a week straight, the droid forces making their attacks random to further disgruntle the tired and soggy clone troopers. The battle would have long ago been won had General Skywalker been allowed to make his forward approach on the base, but the General's superiors had insisted that they make it a stealth mission.

When the drop-ships had landed the rain had only been a sprinkle on Rex's pauldron, but as they moved across the saturated ground towards the droid army the sprinkle had turned into a full-out deluge, the heavy rain disrupting even the ARC's HUDs.

The losses had been few thanks to the fact that the droids also had problems with the water, so neither side had an advantage over the other.

Taking a deep breath through his nose Rex tried to ignore the drops of water that made their way between the armored plates of his armor, leaving moist trails on his bodysuit. A shiver racked him, and sniffed again.

Captains do not get sick. Rex told himself for the third time that day, checking the charges on his DC-17's. He should probably tell Kix or Coric that he had a massive headache, or that his chest felt compressed in his armor. If he did what he was constantly telling the men to do maybe it would be easier for them to comply to the reg manuals. Maybe...

"Captain Rex,." General Skywalker addressed him, taking shelter with the captain under his makeshift lean-to. Using an emergency blanket coated with mud for camouflage Rex had draped one of the naked trees, providing limited cover for himself and the troopers beside him.

Needless to say, one emergency blanket was not enough to cover the captain, general, and five other troopers, but no one dared complain. There were no leaves on the trees, so they provided nothing but flimsy wind breaks. Not a cave was in sight, and even if there was Rex doubted that it would be any drier.

"General Skywalker." He said curtly, saluting the jedi. For a moment he found himself envious of the cloak the man wore before taking in it's soggy appearance. The jedi was faring no better than his men.

Last time Rex had seen the jedi he had been speaking with his dripping padawan, the togruta shivering under her short cloak. Water ran in rivulets down her montrals and lekku, bags under her blue eyes. He had wanted to say something encouraging to her; compare this siege to one of his others... But he knew that it wouldn't help. Frak, he couldn't stand to try and lighten up the mood.

A shiver racked the jedi, "I just had contacted General Kenobi. He's in position for our new plan."

Hope flared withing Rex and the men around him startled, peering at the jedi through their t-visors. Finally!

"Our.. new plan, sir?" Not daring to sound to excited he remained at attention, hands itching to grasp his twin blasters.

Smiling wryly the General turned to look at the men. "We're going to storm the base like we should have done a week ago. The 212th will take the rear, causing a distraction, and we'll rush them from the front. In these conditions their sensors will be jammed just as well as ours are. Our advantage? We aren't mindless machines."

Several comm channels opened up on Rex's HUD, the men clearly relaying the good news to their fellow troopers. "It's about time, sir." Rex couldn't hold back the joy in his voice.

"Yes it is."

#

The battle had gone very well, and based on Coric's report the battle had been spectacular on the medic's end. Limited casualties, nothing too messy... Coric didn't often regale the 212th medics on a battle but that was what he was currently doing in the mess hall on board the Venator class starship.

It had been a spectacular battle, even better because all of the men had been a little too eager to vent their frustrations. Rex had to admit that there weren't enough tinnies, and he may have joined the men as they practiced their sniping skills on severed battle droid heads.

Rex was currently picking at his ready-made meal, not bothering to try and figure out what the food in front of him was supposed to be. It tasted slightly batter than ration cubes, so he didn't dare complain. However, he wasn't at all hungry.

"You okay, captain?" Jesse asked, giving the other clone a hard look. "You're sweating." He said, looking over at Kix who had just shoveled half his plate into his mouth.

The medic looked up, frowning with stuffed cheeks as he surveyed Rex. "You are." He mumbled, putting down his spork and scratching the bridge of his nose. Rex knew that the movement signaled that the vod was about to go into full medic mode on him, and he quickly took a bite of food.

"I'm alright." Rex said, taking another bite of his meal to prove his 'alrightness'. Jesse looked satisfied but the medic still eyes him like a gundark sizing up it's prey. Wiping the sheen of sweat off his brow he frowned, wondering at how he could be sweating when it was so cold in the mess hall.

As he finished his plate he felt a tickle in his nose, closing his eyes instinctively as he sneezed. His body impulsively curled in on itself, and he tried to groan as another explosion of air left him.

"You okay, Rexter?"

The captain looked up at the togrutan padawan, rolling his eyes at the amused expression on her face. She was his commander, but that didn't mean either treated each other as reg manuals demanded. He cleared his throat, "I'm fine."

Ahsoka looked at him, the smile leaving her face. "You're sweating," She put a palm to his forehead, "Wow, you're hot."

"Thank you." Rex replied dryly, standing and trying to move away from the group. Kix was once again eyeing him like a hawk, and Jesse had a concerned look on his face. It wouldn't take long for Hardcase to catch in on what his two firends were doing, and then it would be impossible to leave the mess hall.

Snorting she put her hands on her hips, taking his plate out of his hands and sending it sailing into the nearest waist bin. "You know what I meant..." She seemed to hesitate before straightening up to her full height, which was still only ast his chest.

"Captain, how do you-"

Raising a hand before the situation escalated further he cut off the medic. "I am perfectly fine... However I don't think Fives is." He had just managed to catch the ARC in a similar sneezing fit, however his continued far longer. Based on Echo's reaction the brother must have had a very runny nose. Both were giving each other disgusted looks and trying not to laugh.

With Kix's attention turned away from him he set for the exit at a brisk pace, rubbing his eyes. He was exhausted, and he planned on heading straight to the bunks.

#

When the captain awoke from his nap his throat was raw and felt constricted, swallowing painful. Raising a hand to his neck he sat up, blinking away the weariness he felt. His entire body was sore, and Rex knew for a fact that the feeling was not from the last battle. "Must have been how I slept..." He mumbled, licking his dry lips. Heading for the 'fresher he looked around the barracks, noting that most of them were full of vode.

Tup started coughing, the sound moist and unpleasant. None of the other clones roused from their sleep, a few just sniffling.

Not good.

Skipping the 'fresher he sped into the hallways, clad in nothing but his red off-duty slacks. As he entered the chilly air he shivered, sneezing as he moved towards the mess. Hopefully someone there would be able to tell him where Kix or Coric were.

A familiar ARC was heading towards him, their eyes widening as the took in his appearance. "Rex?" Fives asked, looking him up and down in disbelief. "I thought for sure that you were too preppy... I mean, no disrespect..."

"Fives!" Rex grabbed the vod by the pauldron, frowning at the weak grip he held on the ARC. He should have practically ripped the shoudler armor off. "How do you feel... wait, where is Kix? Coric?" His head was fuzzy.

"Kix and Coric are in the medbay taking care of some of the boys... I feel... fine." The clone wouldn't meet his gaze, choosing instead to chew his lip and look away.

Rolling his eyes he coughed into his shoulder, grimacing as it chaffed his still sore throat. "You don't feel fine you frakkin Di'kut. I feel like osik right about now." He grumbled, stalking past the ARC trooper.

"You do?" Fives followed him, eyes on his captain as the entered the mess hall.

The sounds of coughing reached his ears, and Rex practically whimpered as he felt the temperature drop. "I miss my armor..." He muttered, too low for Fives to hear. He sniffed again, wiping his nose with his arm. Okay, bad idea.

Wiping his arm of on his pants he hobbled across the cold durasteel floors of the ship, beginning to hate the designer. Had it occured to them that durasteel was extremely cold? And that sick barefoot clone captains may come and murder them because of this?

"Tell them... All of 'em that they need to report... To the med bay." Rex mumbled to Fives, shivering again. The ARC trooper nodded, a sheen of sweat on his brow as he called out orders.

Rex knew that Fives could take care of the situation, and decided to get his own treatment over and done with. A stim-shot, anti-inflammatory... All of that would make him feel good, and then he could go back to the barracks. He'd put on his bodysuit under the red off-duty clothes... that should warm him up...

"Rex!" A hand was on his forearm, and he looked down into worried blue eyes. "I told you that you weren't OKAY." Ahsoka rolled her eyes, using her other hand rubbing his back in an attempt to warm him up.

"No.. you said I was hot." He grinned, still too groggy to think about how improper what he had said was. The togruta flushed, her lekku darkening as well. He allowed some teeth to show, liking the way it looked on her.

The padawan cleared her throat nervously, leading the clone captain down the hall the the med bay.

It seemed to get colder as they neared the facility, and Rex could swear he could see his breath fogging. It was far too cold down here, and he would definitely have a word with whoever set the temperatures on the ship.

"... Honestly, I'd think they would have learned... achoo!" Kix's voice reached him, the voice distinct even though it was shared with over a million other people. "... By now. I am their medic! Achhoooo!" The field medic sounded furious, and Rex wondered if he really needed to face the brother's wrath.

"Hey... 'soka. We can just go back... the barracks-"

Letting go of him she took a stance, arms crossed over her chest and on brow arched at him. "You are facing Kix, with or without me... I actually want to see what he does to you."

"I don't." Rex grumbled, shivering before deciding that it would be wiser to get it over an done with. He made a show of striding in there, attempting to look as healthy as possible as he made his way towards the medic.

Kix was currently engaged in a frenzy of handing out antibiotics, stims, and nausea relief hypos. The captain noticed the medic sneaking one of the many hypos into himself before continuing to treat the brothers around him. "Now go get some rest, doctors orders." A stern glare had every clone returning to a sterilized bed in the medical facility, a pantoran nurse handing out blankets and heat pads.

I didn't know we had nurses... shaking the remaining fuzz out of his head Rex reached past Hardcase and tapped Kix's shoulder, frowning when he had to try and get the medic's attention a second time.

"Will you cut it... Oh, it's you." Kix gave him a withering scowl, rolling his eyes before handing over an antibiotic. "I told you that you were sick. Just for kicks, I should put you in bacta... for a week!"

"Is that why they call you Kix? You do med stuff at another brother's expense for kicks?" The chuckles of the nearest brother were replaced by coughs, and the man quickly looked back up at Kix. "You're doin good vod... If you want, I can help hand these out." The trooper gestured towards a crate of hypos, not touching them until the medic nodded his approval.

Injecting the needle directly into his bloodstream the clone captain's eyes followed the trooper until he disappeared into a flood of brothers.

"Rex! What's going on?"

A groan erupted from Rex as he turned to see Cody and Waxer approaching, both eyeing the scene around them. "Get the frak out of here! What the heck were you thinking you di'kut!" Rex practically the two out of the medical bay, wheezing as he did so. He quickly coughed into his elbow, one hand still pushing Cody.

The commander pushed Rex away, straightening up and giving the captain a look used primarily on shines. "You probably just broke about... two dozen manuals worth of regulations." Cody said, eyes widening before a grin slid over his face. "I'm not sure what to make of this vod before me. Waxer?"

"Never seen him." The other trooper said smiling broadly, rubbing his waxed scalp with one black-gloved hand.

A light, feminine cough sounded behing the three clones and Rex had to turn to see what new disease was coming at him. It was the pantoran doctor he'd seen in the med bay earlier, a hand on her hip while the other cradled a datapad. "Commander, Captain, trooper... Unfortunately all of you are in direct violation of the quarantine initiated two minutes ago."

"Quarantine?" Rex hissed, squinting at her. I need to lay down... oh no... He paled, glancing around as he tried to stand strong against the waves of nausea. He doubled over, barely managing to angle his face towards the durasteel bowl put under him as he emptied his stomach.

He looked up to thank the person providing the much-needed platter, scowling when he saw who it was.

Ahsoka smiled cheekily, "C'mon captain. I think your making the boys squeamish." She handed the full bowl to Waxer, who held it as far away from him as possible and the contents lurched against the sudden movement.

"I'll take that." The nurse took the durasteel platter, smiling at Waxer before moving away. Rex almost sworn he saw the trooper blushing and watching the pantoran as she walked away, dumping the captain's meal into the nearest waste bin.

The togruta started to lead Rex back into the med bay, gesturing for Cody and Waxer to follow. "You two have been exposed. Henceforth you shalt be cared for by Coric, Kix, and Nurse Michi." She said the last part in a regal tone, waving her arm about imperiously. She was enjoying this far too much, and Rex knew just how to know her on her shebs.

"It's a pity that you were exposed as well, commander." He straightened up, composing his face into a 'genuine' look of pity.

Her mouth dropped before she composed herself, pulling one lek nervously. "I- I'm not..." She flushed, putting both hands on her hips and taking a stance against the captain. "I'm fine!"

"Technically, you aren't." Cody said thoughtfully, winking at Rex when before Ahsoka could turn to look at him. The togrutan was outnumbered.

Waxer put a hand on her shoulder sympathetically, "We're good company commander. Even better when we're drugged."

All three clones led her into the med bay, grinning whenever she would look away from them. If they were going down, they were taking at least one jedi with them.

Once Kix and Coric had effectively stuck at least five needles into every clone they could find (including themselves) and had deemed the padawan to actually be infected Nurse Michi had taken over, preparing beds for all of the sniffing and coughing clone troopers.

Most of them had insisted that the beds be moved around the commander so that they could regale her with stories and make her stay in the medical facility far more 'enlightening', and the laughter could be heard a corridor away.

Hardcase was in the middle of telling Ahsoka a tale of extreme proportions, that centered around himself, Jesse, and Kix. Apparently Jesse had suffered from a 'sewage back-up' and the field medic and Hardcase and suffered the most.

Jesse interrupted every few minutes to defend himself against Hardcase's description of the 'bantha load of osik' the other trooper was spewing every five minutes.

Meanwhile the jedi was spluttering and her face was red from the exertion, the other vode around her chuckling. Whether the clones were laughing at the commander's expression or Hardcase's story it was hard to tell, but Rex was content to watch them all congregate in the usually glum med bay.

Sick clones may be miserable up until they're treated, but they knew how to make people smile.