This was requested by Kohakuhime of Konoha! I'm sorry it took so long, KoK! But this had struck me during my time when I was sick and also a dream I had. Funny combination, eh?

I wanted to post this (plus a few other written stories/chapters) up before I go camping this Sunday. Which will last two weeks from what my mom is telling me. And Saturday I won't be on much because I'm seeing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Therefore I basically only have today and tomorrow... and Saturday night (or morning, depends on what time I'm going to see the movie).

Disclaimer: Like always, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters.

Please, enjoy!

Colds, Headaches, and Ugh

Alister closed his gray orbs at the continuing, muffled, vomiting sounds gripped hold of the bathroom. It seemed as decades had passed since a certain spiky haired brunette had suddenly clasped a hand over his mouth and dashed down the hall only to end up in the bathroom.

How long ago was it that Valon had declared himself to have a healthy, fine, invincible immunity system?

Seconds ticked by as a low flushing of the toilet sounded followed by the faucet turning on and off and after another few seconds the door final clicked opened.

Gray eyes opened and turned to stare at a pale – with a hint of greenish tint to it – face.

"That's some 'invincible' immunity system you have there."

He was sure that if Valon didn't feel as drained as he was that he would have rolled his eyes at that remark.

Instead the Australian simply groaned and placed a hand over his stomach.

"Al… Alistar, I… don't feel so… so…"

The sentence never got to be finished as the boy disappeared back into the bathroom and more gagging sounds were made.

"Valon, it's probably something you ate." The redhead stated when the young teen had reappeared from around the corner.

"… I think I 'ave what… R... Raph 'as."

An expression of disbelief flashed across the other's face.

"He hasn't felt any nausea, Valon." Alister informed while beginning to wonder if Valon should really be standing here talking to him or leaning back over the toilet, seeing as he seemed to turn paler then he had before. And as soon as he opened his mouth to say something, the taller man started, "If he was feeling the slightest bit of nausea, wouldn't he have already, and still be, vomiting?"

Valon closed his mouth, his jaw tightening in the process to what Alister wasn't able to figure if it was simply he was upset from him interrupting him or the fear of losing more of his late lunch, the redhead wasn't certain.

It was yesterday when the blond, burly man had woken up to a horrid pain in his throat, along with a nasty cough and a scorching fever. Yet that was all. No stomach problems. Nothing that involved the stomach, or so Alister and Valon had concluded since their older friend had made no mention of any other cruel feeling.

It was simply just an average cold.

Headache included now and again.

A soft beeping sound from the kitchen caught their attention (mostly Alister's since Valon was again covering his mouth with his other hand) telling them it was time for Raphael to have more Dayquil.

"Alistar… could you…?"

A nod was given by the said man as he began heading down the hall and entered the kitchen, pouring a glass of water and getting a pack that contained two pills before exiting once more and heading up the stairs (also noticing that Valon was no longer standing – sickly – in the spot he had been before).

Knocking – lightly – on the smooth wooden door, Alister then placed his lean, long fingers on top of the golden knob, sliding them over the cold and metallic surface before gripping it tightly and twisting it causing a small 'click' to sound and pushing forward. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dim lightening of the room, spotting as Raphael was pushing himself to lean back against the headboard for support and giving a nod which was returned.

Silently he strode over to the large bed, setting down the glass on the nightstand and reaching in his pocket to pull out the small packet before handing it to Raphael.

It wasn't until Raphael had finished peeling off the thick paper that was secured to the plastic that contained the pills that he spoke, "I heard a strange sound downstairs." His sapphire eyes glanced briefly into gray ones before back down at the two orange pills that now lay in the palm of his hands.

"You didn't kill Valon, did you?"

"No."

"… so what was that noise?"

"His stomach is disagreeing with him."

Concern came over his features quickly. "Is it from food poisoning?"

"Perhaps, he did have a ham sandwich half an hour ago or so." Alister stopped Raphael from trying to struggle out of bed. "Relax, all he needs is some Pepto-Bismol with some sleep and he should be back to normal."

An agreement was given and, after asking how he was feeling (the reply being the same, if not better, from yesterday), the redhead departed from the room and headed back downstairs. His eyes flickered over towards the couch to discover that Valon wasn't there playing his videogames or watch those annoy shows he enjoyed so much.

But he didn't hear any sounds coming from the bathroom he had continually dashed into.

More likely he's feeling better and back in the kitchen.

Puzzlement and confusion was held back from appearing on his face when he saw that Valon wasn't there either. Turning back he quickly walked down the hall and checked the bathroom – just to be on the safe side.

And that's where Valon was.

Only he was sitting in front of the toilet, hunching over it with his hands placed on the tub that was on one side of him and the other gripped at the sink counter. His form gave a tiny shake every two or three seconds, almost as if he was lost in a freezing, icy snowstorm. His spiky hair, it seemed, was sagging from its original positions to his shoulders like they were losing life.

Alister departed as soon as Valon began to start up and returned with a bottle of Pepto-Bismol, placing it down on the sink counter. "I told you not to eat the ham." He kept his eyes on the bottle, not daring to look at him while he continued to vomit.

"Y-You… just don't… l… like… 'am… 'at's… 'at…." That sentence was never finished either.

"I don't like ham, or anything, that seems to have mold beginning to grow on it."

His reply was a groan and something along the lines of, "Oh shut up".

After Valon had finished and took the amount of the pink substance he was supposed to have, he washed his hands, dried them, and sat on the edge of the tub, close to the toilet.

"Thanks mate."

"Do you think you're done for now?"

"… I guess…"

A red eyebrow rose. "'You guess'?"

"… yeah, I 'ink I'm done… for now…"

Nodding, Alister told him to go upstairs and get some sleep.

This baffled Valon a great deal…

… or not.

Alister watched with a disgruntled face as Valon leaned back over the toilet and started once more.

"Once finished, go upstairs and lie down. I'll bring up more Pepto-Bismol and I believe we have some Dr. Pepper in the garage." He received quick thumbs up from Valon.

He wasn't much for being a morning person, really…

… especially if it was at two thirty-one in the morning.

He leaned against the doorway, eyes closed and fending off the sleep that wanted to re-grasp his mind and body, waiting for a certain someone to stop and take the cup of ginger ale that he was holding. They apparently finished the last cans of Dr. Pepper that was tucked away in its box and hadn't thrown it out. Or to be exact, Valon had forgotten to throw it out once he took the last can. So the only soda that would be kind on one's upset stomach was Ginger Ale.

The weight of the can was taken from his hand and he reopened his eyes to find Valon taking slow, cautious sips.

Once Valon had gone to bed, Alister took over making the soup and delivering it to Raphael before heading back downstairs and preparing a bowl for himself. When the redhead finally had finished washing his dish and Raphael's, he sat down on the sofa and started to read. Every now and again he glanced at the clock, wondering if Valon would get up yet and come bouncing down the stairs, announcing how much better he was feeling.

He hadn't.

Before he went to bed himself, Alister had lightly knocked on the Australian's bedroom door and waited to see if he was, at least, up.

He wasn't.

That's when Alister finally went to bed as well.

Only to awaken to a constant poking in his back with muffled sentences being said in a low whisper.

Instantly sitting up and glaring, Alister finally heard what Valon was saying.

'Alistar… I… I 'ink… I'm… go… g-goin' ta… p… p…'

He never finished that sentence as he (unfortunately) threw up what little ginger ale was left in his stomach and onto the redhead's floor. That had instantly brought Alister to being fully awake. Getting up (on the other side of the bed) he quietly snapped at the teen to go to the bathroom and that he would bring him more of the pink substance that would help his stomach, along with a cup of ginger ale.

"Thanks again, Alistar." Valon gave a lopsided grin (although it seemed weak) before it fell to a small frown. "Sorry 'bout your carpet,"

"Feeling better?"

Valon shook his head lightly.

"Want more ginger ale?"

"… nah."

Alister watched, eyebrow raised, as Valon brought a hand up to the center of his chest and started to rub it gentle with the pads of his fingers. A look of discomfort swept over his features quickly before vanishing from sight.

"What's the matter now?"

"I dunno Alistar," a sharp intake of breath was sucked in through his teeth, "but all of a sudden me chest is hurtin'."

"It's probably your imagination, Valon."

"I don't think so, mate." Valon winced and Alister suspected it was because he had pushed too hard against the spot where he said was hurting. "I 'ink 'is is serious, Alistar."

"Valon, it could be because—"

"You're not goin' ta tell me it 'as somethin' ta do with me stomach…"

"Actually I was."

"…"

"Shall I finish?"

"No, 'at's alright. G'night Alistar," Valon quickly walked past the taller biker and went back to his room, shutting the door as quietly as he could so it wouldn't disturb the other sick patient in the household.

Alister waited for a moment or two before turning the bathroom light off and made his way downstairs.

He had to get the supplies needed to clean up the 'present' Valon had left in his room after all.

Raphael blinked as the words his companion had spoken processed in his brain. It was five minutes passed ten since he had been given more Dayquil by his friend and had asked how their young friend was. That was when Alister had informed him that he was still feeling the same queasiness and also told him the previous events that had occurred in the early morning. Again clear sapphire eyes blinked as everything finally clicked into his brain.

"Wait, a pain?"

The redhead nodded.

"And that pain was beginning in the middle of his chest?" His eyebrow quirked up in puzzlement as Alister gave another nod. "Is he still feeling that pain?"

"He hasn't woken up yet."

"Hmm," Raphael brought one large hand up and coughed into it, wheezing afterward to regain the breath that had been lost. His sky blue eyes reopened (he had shut them tightly while he was coughing) and seemed to be hazy from the drowsiness that he was feeling from the hold of the cold that held him. "It's probably his esophagus. Must be red and raw from all of the vomiting he's been doing."

That's what I was trying to tell him.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the man in bed started coughing again. After being forced to promise Raphael that if Valon continued to feel the way he did and that he would wake him up, Alister exited the room to allow the man his needed rest. Turning his head to his right, he saw that Valon's bedroom door was still shut tightly into the frame.

Heading downstairs and glancing at the clock that hung above the television, Alister saw that he had enough time to continue reading from where he had left off last night. Taking a seat and picking up his book that had been placed on the surface of the coffee table, he started to read from where he had left off.

An hour passed by…

… and then another…

…… along with another passing……

It's about time he got up.

Alister lifted his gaze at the sound of a door upstairs opening and closing soon followed by the soft padding of one's feet. Turning back to his book the biker started to continue to read from where he had left off.

Halting on the fifth sentence he was on as the sound of one vomiting came from somewhere (he prayed it was in the bathroom) floated downstairs and into his ears. After bookmarking his spot and placing his book back down, he stood and went to the kitchen to get more Pepto-Bismol, hurrying upstairs and following the direction in which the sounds were coming from.

To discover that Valon was leaning over the toilet, but instead of actually throwing up what was possibly in his stomach, he was dry heaving. And not just that, either.

One hand was placed over that same spot where he had said it was hurting.

Entering the small room, Alister set the bottle down atop of the shelf that they had installed to keep what extra items they needed for the spare bathroom. "Valon," he paused as the spiky haired brunette's heaving grew a little louder. "Do you need more—"

He shook his head once and Alister figured it was more then likely to be because the teen was feeling lightheaded.

"Want some—"

Again, a shake of the head stopped him from continuing.

He waited until he finished, observing every movement he made as he leaned back, took a few deep breaths, and slowly stood back up on his two feet.

While his hand stayed on that same spot.

He noticed that Valon was still wearing his pajama pants and an extra large white t-shirt.

"Alistar, I 'ink its worse then before…" it came out as a groan and a wince.

"If ten is the highest, which number do you think the pain is at?"

"It'd be at ninety-nine."

"… you mean a 'nine', Valon."

"No, I mean a ninety-nine."

"I'll see if I can make an appointment for tomorrow." Alister watched as Valon's fingers twitched. Without further ado, he turned and started out the door only ending up stopping as Valon gave a more painful groan.

"Valon, I'm sure your esophagus is simply raw and agitated from all the vomiting you've been doing."

"Alistar… I really 'ink… we should go… ta… the," another groan, "emergency room."

"Wake Raphael and tell him, I'll get the car."

"Wait… why wake up Raph? He needs his rest, you know. Can't 'ave 'im gettin' worse," Valon followed after the taller one, trying to have him reconsider in having to wake up the older man simply to worry and, perhaps, even get worse. "C'mon Alistar, can't we just leave a note?"

"If we decided to go to the emergency room leaving you to wake to find a note stating where we were, would you be pleased?"

Valon's eyebrows furrowed and a frown met his lips. "Of course I wouldn't be pleased! I would be mad at you and Raph for weeks for deciding on leaving me behind! We're friends after—" He stopped as Alister turned around with a face that seemed to say, 'You see'.

He silently nodded and headed back upstairs.

"Describe the pain that you've been feeling for the past two days." Doctor Regal asked staring down at Valon with his small, beady eyes. The top of his head was balding and wrinkles lined underneath his worn face. He was medium height and seemed to be sickly thin. His skin screamed to be out under the sun for more then it was getting, or it seemed to the two (only one person was allowed to go back with Valon and Raphael had volunteered to stay out in the lobby, needing to sit and rest).

"I've been feeling a really cruel pain 'ere."

"Did you run into something? Get hit by something?" The doctor dished out all types of questions as Valon shook his head to each one.

"He's been vomiting for two days now." Alister informed, although he found it strange since the nurse had written all the symptoms down on the clipboard that Doctor Regal now held.

We got the bad doctor.

"Oh," Regal nodded, placing a hand (that was holding the pen) underneath his chin and his beady eyes went back to Valon, "it could be because the esophagus is raw from all the puking you've been doing. Plus there might be a chance that you tore a little from all the throwing up you've done."

"… does 'at mean I'll 'ave ta get surgery?"

Both Alister and the doctor raised an eyebrow.

"No, all you need is to rest. Now we can give you some nausea pills—"

Valon instantly nodded quickly.

"—but that won't stop the pain."

The nodding stopped.

"We can give you an IV to help the pain, or pain killers specifically to it, or even a liquid pain killer." He finished and waited impatiently for the Australian's response, tapping his foot and glancing towards the door every five seconds.

"… I'll 'ave a liquid one, thanks." Valon shifted on the examination table that he was told to lie down on. The warm blankets he had been given from one nurse slide down in the movement.

"Alright, I'll check back in to see how you're doing." With a nod of his head, the doctor slide out of the room and disappeared from sight.

Valon's sapphire eyes scanned the room, thoughtfully, landing finally on the jar that held lollipops within. He licked his lips and glanced at Alister – only to find a 'Don't even think about it' look. Glancing back to the jaw, Valon was trying his best to figure out a plan on how to steal one of the goodies inside the large, clean glass jar.

Obviously he's feeling better.

Alister closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, feeling uneasy waiting. The last time he had been in a hospital was when he had awoken after his body regained his soul. And that was no pleasant 'welcome back' either. The nurse, who would flush at the mention of Kaiba's name in pure delight, had continued to stomp her foot and tried to force him back into bed while yelling at him that he had some 'break down'. Once he asked how he had gotten there, she had suddenly become 'love struck' as he told him that Kaiba had sent him, along with one of the twerps, to the very hospital that he had now found himself in.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

In a heartbeat Alister's eyes snapped open to find that Valon was no longer lying on the examining table, but, in fact, standing up and reaching into the very jar he had been eyeing. His gaze swept over to the speaker, who was a nurse but looked like one of Kaiba's pink haired workers, glaring at the brunette and having her hands placed on her hips.

"Er… I was, uh…" Alister shook his head when Valon sent him a pleading look. He looked back at the nurse and held out the candy to her, smiling innocently. "Want a lollipop?"

"When was it you started to feel better, Valon?" Raphael asked, voice gruff and tired, as the three now were driving back to their house in the car that had bought not too long ago.

"When were nearly 'alf way ta the hospital."

Alister kept his eyes on the road, slowing down before turning on the corner. He didn't need to look back at the teen to know he had a sheepish grin plastered on his face.

Once the nurse had given them the bottle of nausea pills for Valon to have, they were kicked out of the room and told to leave. It didn't help any when Valonthought he saw Mai walking down the hall, dashing after her like a madman ready to kill his next victim, only to discover that it wasn't her.

Instead, it was a young woman who had arrived and was either a doctor or a nurse, ready to start working.

"And you thought best not to tell us at that time… because why?"

Silence was the only answer coming from the back seat.

"I thought so." Raphael said wearily, placing the side of his head on the window and closing his eyes.

"Hey Alistar, can I ask you somethin'?"

He didn't say anything; Valon knew he was listening though.

"Can we get somethin' ta eat? I'm starving."

All that time it was food poisoning! Poor Valon... had a little too much spoiled ham. I don't like ham, at all, so that's why I blamed the ham. Don't kill me! If you like ham, good for you! If you don't, then that's cool too!

I'm not sure how long food poisoning lasts for, but from what I'm told if you have too much of that certain food that has the 'poisoning', it can be a good few days. So yeah... Valon wasn't exactly sick, but that's OK. And for that, he should have a slight break. Poor Raphael misssed out on most the action. Well, then again he might have not wanted to witness Valon vomiting what he ate. Poor Valon's stomach, it suffered horribly.

Alister: So did my carpet. -glares at me-

Well, I hope you liked it, KoK!

Thanks for reading! Review, maybe?