Note to self: Should have at least a surplus of 2 chapters per story in preparation of unexpected L.I.F.E. event (Living Is Fucking Extreme). Lesson Learned!

Well, I'm not gonna grumble for long. It's just nice to get back into my writing and hope that some of you guys will enjoy it too. And without further ado, Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Queries and Queasiness

It wasn't long before the mug was empty of the blessedly warm beverage. Usually, I would take my time to savor the milky delicacy that I've loved for my entire life. But my parched throat thought otherwise and demanded that I get something to soothe my throat as quick as possible.

I ended up downing it all in under a minute with only a slightly singed tongue, a chocolaty breath, and a slightly less parched throat. Before I could even think to ask for more, Rapunzel spouts out from her seat on my bed.

"Sorry, princess. There's only water left for you."

Damn... But one more cup shouldn't be too much to ask.

Truth is that Rapunzel kind of spoils me. When I was young, she'll rarely ever refused me anything. Especially, when I pouted. This hasn't changed even as the two of us grew older, so I was confident. But before I could begin to arrange my face into my playfully convincing stare, Rapunzel cuts me off again.

"And don't even try." This time, her voice carries an edge. At least, I didn't notice it being there in the first place. Nevertheless, the sting in her voice wakes me up a bit more. And despite the calm that the drink gave me, my continued awakening keeps enforcing the fact that something is wrong. Silently, I tilt my heavy head and watch my cousin.

She's not looking at me. Instead, she's half-turned away and looking down towards her lap as Olaf wiggles and nibbles on her fingers. With the sides of her mouth tilted into a smile that's not really there and the darkened rings around the eyes, I recognize an old habit of hers. Usually, being in each other's company brings us a sense of peace. We are each other's closest friend, family, and guardian for our entire lives. She is my Punz, and I'm her princess. It's beyond natural that we're so comfortable with each other.

Rapunzel's tense shoulders are anything but comfortable, yet, she's trying to hide it.

Not hiding it well as the muscles stand out in such sharp detail that I blink in surprise. I'm not usually this oblivious to things, especially to my Punz. I want to blame the mix of sickness, exhaustion, and overall sleepiness for dismissing the signs for so long. If someone else could feel how I am right now, they would agree to it being a valid excuse. But, I will not do that to her.

"Punz? What happened?"

I only call her by this name whenever I really need to get her attention. It worked when I, as a child, had first created it. And it hasn't failed me yet. Rapunzel turns to me for a brief moment, thus showing me the now mask-like quality of her face and speaks with a voice of forceful neutrality as she answers me.

"You're on your sixth day into your vacation."

Wait? Vacation?

I may as well have said the words out loud, since she continues to explain.

"Mr. Oaken talked to the administration office at the university and got you some more days off. It's unpaid, but that's natural. He's even helping out as the substitute teacher for your classes. He's keeping the students up to date with their material 'cause he understands how you teach them."

It took a while for the dump of information to sink in before I could process it, which left me dumbstruck.

Don't get me wrong: I'm more than thankful that I'm not losing my teaching position in the university by missing too many days. Yet, I couldn't really grasp it in my head. As much as I wanted to feel thankful to the man, I was getting more confused. Firstly, I didn't remember those extra days passing. It was worrying, to say the least. Secondly, no-one just waltzes into their own boss's door, demand days off for someone else, and gets them right off the bat. Right?

"A doctor came over and you got his note." Before I could make my fuzzy mind think any deeper on the subject, Rapunzel adds that in. My confusion really must be noticeable as she goes on explaining, "Dehydration and a slight concussion are enough that they added more time onto your sick days."

What? Oh, God.

I close my eyes at the realization. Now, I knew why Rapunzel was like this and I wished I could deny it. Sadly, it's very hard to deny something to someone who grew up right next to you.

I wasn't… and still am not the healthiest person in the world. There's a fancy scientific name that the doctor's use to explain it, but it doesn't really matter. I was born a sickly baby. Something about my immune system not quite working the same way that everyone else's does makes me more susceptible to diseases and infections. It's not life-threatening in any direct way. I just got to be more considerate and mindful of my own imitations.

But as I was growing up, it was a nightmare.

My parents took the news of my condition with extreme caution. I would rarely ever be allowed outside, and whenever I was, it was always within sight of the house and with the intense supervision of the eyes my parents had hired to make sure I was safe. All of my food was carefully washed or cooked to leave absolutely no chance of contaminates. I even had a specific set of clothes just to go outside. To this day, I still hate the gloves I was forced to wear nearly all the time, including the summer.

Of course, Rapunzel would be like this.

Why? Simple, she was there through it all. All the days she stayed inside to play with me. All the times she picked up the gloves and shoes I'd thrown off. All the times we've tried to 'win' at Hide-and-Seek with the over-watching eyes. All the times she comforted and entertained me as I was confined to bed. All of her visits to my hospital bed whenever a certain illness or infection got the better of me.

Rapunzel was one of the few people in the world who had seen me at my best and at my worst. And if I had to guess from what little I know of now, this was one of the bad ones. Barely moving was tiring, not remembering whole days passing by, and having a doctor come for a house call all added up to some pretty bad implications.

Placing the empty mug on my bedside cabinet, I reach towards her. As I do, my everything aches. My muscles, nerves, and bones all scream at me to stop moving. To sit back and stay still until I get better. Ignoring all of that, I manage to sit up without using the bed's headboard for stability and reach for her hand. Rapunzel's hands have always been stronger than my own since she's older than me and my condition leaves me soft. And as our fingers interweave by old practice, the strength in her grasp settles me.

"You know I always make it out fine," I say with more certainty than I feel. Although I have felt worse before, this flu truly was nothing to smile about.

"It doesn't stop me from worrying," she breathed. The words were quiet enough that I barely heard them waver. Barely, but I still did. Olaf seemed to sense it, too. The white pup tried his best to stand on his hind legs as to lick our connected hands.

His cute distraction helped to bring a real smile to the brunette's lips as she petted him once again. His intervention makes an opportunity that I'm more than happy to take.

"Hey Punz," I also take this chance to deliberately and subtly change the subject. "Help me to the bathroom."

I don't need to say anything else before I feel her steady arms wrap around me and lift.

To anyone else, I know that this excuse sounds so obvious, but it's not. This wasn't the first time that I'd asked for help to just get out of bed or had things brought to me. I certainly need the support now since my legs won't stop pretending to be wet noodles and I'm shivering the very moment I leave the comforter behind. The shuffling duo made up of me and Rapunzel become a trio as the last piece to our odd parade keeps running in-between our legs whenever he has the chance.

Either way, we do end up in my bathroom and I'm settled on the toilet lid. Thankfully, I'm able to sit up long enough to have Rapunzel help undress me. And I know what you're thinking: shouldn't I be asking more about what happened to me? I barely got any info about my time being knocked out or how I manage to get a concussion without even realizing it.

Truthfully, I'm just too tired to really ask or pay close attention to anything. Also, the need to get somewhat refreshed itches in my skin. The pajamas I'm wearing cling to me in a dirty way, my blond hair is oily to the touch, and I don't even want to think about how much sweat had been soaked into my comforter.

Eww.

Right now, I want to think about nothing more than a long bath.

A.N. Damn It! Why Does Editing A Chapter Take So Long!?

Oh, well. It's around 3 A.M. on a Monday morning, and I'm updating this because I want to. But it is 3 A.M., so there may be spelling or grammar issues. I'll look it over again when my eyes have stopped trying to close without my consent.

And as always: comments, concerns, and informed critiques are always welcomed. NicPie and vinzgirl, thanks for the support and I hope I make this series proud. It's still one of my favorites to type up.

So, until next time, Au revoir.