Ah..haa...aackth-pfftht!

[Inu]

Inu lies alone in bed, an unwelcome change that has him irked. Sorr is in the kitchen, watching the cubs and cooking. The Jackel lies beneath the heavy blankets with his shirt and pants off, dressed only in his boxer shorts. He's hot beneath the blankets, and his forehead is blazingly hot to the touch. He can't stop sneezing or coughing, and he can hardly breathe for the congestion in his nose. His head feels like a pounding drum, and he can hardly sit up without feeling dizzy and needing to lie down once more. Inu-Aku, the mighty Berserk Jackel, has been felled...by a simple cold.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr sets the cubs in their pen before checking on the soup once more. He had said chicken soup helped, but really Sorr had never seen a cold before, it was uncommon back home. She poured some of the soup into a bowl and went to check on her husband. She sets the soup on the nightstand and hugs him before she speaks.

"jI brrrought some of that soup you asked forrr..."

[Inu]

"Thuh...huh...hapth-thttpfh! Thahngs..."

His stuffy nose slurs his speech, further irritating him. He tries unsucessfully to blow his nose, but after a few minutes gives up and throws the clean tissue into the garbage bin that has been moved up next to the bed.

"Thith suhgs."

He sits up gingerly, shutting his eyes against the headache that's been rocking his brain since last night, and takes the bowl of soup, shuddering and staring lethargically at it. He needs to eat, but can't find it in him to lift the spoon to his lips and do it.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr tries her best not to giggle as she wonders if she'll have to help him. Why did this cold thing strike so hard? His warmth had worried her too until he told it wasn't lethal, just a cold, not that that had explained it but she didn't know anything about it.

"Need anythjing else hun?"

[Inu]

"Juh...juh..jahckth-pfftht! Just a...huh...hupt-tthpft! A glath ub owande juice..."

He finally manages to get some of the soup in him, feeling the warmth of it as he swallows it. It makes him feel better, though at the moment it's more of an aesthetic comfort than actual healing.

"And a peanud budder and jelly thamwich would be good..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr bites her lip to keep from laughing and kisses him on the cheek before getting up.

"Be rrrjight back."

As she leaves the bedroom, she checks on the cubs next. The cubs have fallen asleep, Kalia curled up with her blanket and teddy while Hiroaki feels around for a blanket in his sleep. Sorr puts one over him and smiles softly. Hiroaki yawns, flutters his ears then snores softly like his father does. She pours some orange juice and gets a plate and the stuff for a sandwich, humming softly to herself. Soon, she's back in the room, sets the food and drink down for him and sits on the bed. She puts her hand to his forehead briefly and flutters her ears.

"jI don't ljike thjis cold thjing, jit worrrrjies me."

[Inu]

"Ah'll live...ah'll be miserble tho..."

The sandwich helps to counter the liquid texture of the soup. He's finding it easier to eat now.

"You'ff neber had a code b'fore, Sorr?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr shakes her head.

"Nope, neverrr seen jit tjill now..."

She sneezes softly, not knowing that could be the start of getting it herself.

[Inu]

Inu frowns at her sneeze. She may well catch it from him.

"Go and watch the cubth...ah..ah..ackp-thpbbb! Ah dun want you ta geddit too..."

He takes a drink from his glass, then takes a measly spoonful of soup.

"We dun both need ta get sigg...Ged lost," he says with a light smile.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr flutters her ears, why does he think she's sick, she wonders.

"Mew? Why should jI leave?"

She sneezes again, too late apparentally.

[Inu]

Inu sighs heavily.

"Ah thing you'ff cot my code...you keep sneezing...I juth hope the cubth do...do--dahack-pthbb!--don't catch it too...they'll be eben more misable than us..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr sneezes several times right after another. She flutters her ears a bit before resting her head on his shoulder.

"So thjis jis a cold?"

[Inu]

"Yeah...the sneezing is the least of it...sometimes there's headaches and febers...I got one ub each at the mohment..."

Inu finishes off his sandwich and drains his glass, then resumes his staring match with the bowl of soup.

"You can sweat the feber out if you get one...just go to sleep unner some warm blankuts. If you wake ub and you'we drenched with sweat, it worged..."

He sneezes, almost as an afterthought.

"We godda make sure the cubz don't ged this..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She sneezes some more and mews softly.

"jI guess jI can call Obasan overrr when they wake up."

She sneezed a bit more and curled up next to him, feeling cold all of a sudden.

[Inu]

"I fergot aboud chills..."

He puts his bowl and glass aside and throws back the blankets, curling her body into a ball and putting her beneath them, then reaching for the phone.

"Hey wench...yeah, is Inu. We both got sigg wid codes...a code. Sneezing and feber and...oh, shud ub...just come ged the cubs. We dun need 'em sigg too. Thang you. They're asleep...just led yousef in and go...bye..."

He hangs it up and holds her to him, trying to suppress her shivering.

"Ride it out...id'll be ok..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She mewled softly and curled up close, resting her head against his chest. She still felt cold and now hot at the same time but it felt better to be curled up with him.

"How long do-*sneeze* does thjis *sneeze* last?"

She mewled again, she hated this cold already. She sneezed a few more times before putting her ears back to her head, yes she definately didn't like this.....

[Inu]

"As long as it takes. Thewe's no cure for id, but id fades wif time. Be patient with it."

The front door opens, and they can hear the village elder shuffle in to collect the children. Inu lies back with his head on the pillow, hugging Sorr to him. She's hot as fire, but goosebumps stand out on her flesh. He takes his shirt from the floor and wraps her in it.

"Now get some sleep. If you wake ub and my shirt reegs of swead, you'll be rid of that feber."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr mewls softly and shook her head.

"Too cold and hot to sleep.."

She shifted her weight uncomfortably, this reminded of her of being pregnant with the cubs but without the morning sickness but this felt a lot worse.

"Stupid cold."

She muttered before hiding her face against his chest.

[Inu]

"Jusd be sdill."

Inu's nose twitches in warning, and he has just enough time to snatch a tissue before his nose clears by way of a dynamic sneeze. He discards it and speaks clearly for the first time in hours.

"Lie still and relax. You'll get to sleep whether you like it or not. Is anything wrong other than the sneezing and fever?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr grimaces, trying not to sneeze again so she can answer.

"Feel all achy..."

She leaned up and bit his ear lightly before nibbling playfully.

"Just had to gjive me thjis, thanks hun, rrreal fun..."

She yawned and mewled as she settled her head down back against his chest, then promptly sneezed several times.

"Stupjid cold...."

[Inu]

"Ok...that's all I needed to know. Get some sleep for now. You ate lunch already, so I can't expect you to eat another bowl of soup right now. After we get a nap, a hot shower will do us both good."

He holds her to him.

"No more talk. At least pretend to sleep."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She yawned and purred softly, curling up closer to him. She didn't feel like sleeping nor did she think she could with how bad she felt with her fever. So she looked up a him for a bit with her blue-green eyes and just stayed quiet, sleep would come in time.

[Inu]

He pushes her hair back out of her face with one hand and kisses her forehead, pausing for a moment before backing off. Her fever isn't bad, and even a short nap should help to relieve it. He receives a brief flash of memory, of himself as a child on the pediatician's padded table, shuddering lightly and looking with tired eyes at the fat doctor and his mother. The doctor readies his thermometer with a smile, turning to offer his usual light-hearted challenge to his mother.

"Kiss and tell, Mom."

"One hundred and twelve," he says aloud. He can remember her last fever prediction clearly...

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She purred softly, closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Her ears flick forward when she heard him speak and noticed the far-away look in his eyes.

"What hun?"

She looks up at him curiously, wondering what memory he's thinking of now. Her tail swished lightly back and forth before she sneezed yet again and mewled annoyedly.

[Inu]

"You have a fever of one hundred and twelve degrees..." Inu says absently. "Now rest. If I have to tell you again I'll make sure you have this cold for a while yet."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She fluttered her ears a bit, pondering what he meant but in the end, without the story, she wouldn't understand. She stretched a bit then mewled again, shouldn't have tried that, it hurt! She then reached up and rubbed one of his ears.

"Don't thjink jI want thjis cold awhjile..."

[Inu]

Inu politely but firmly grasps her hands and guides them around his waist, clasping them around himself before pinning her arms to her sides.

"Then calm down and try to rest."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She looked up at him and made a mix between an angry look and a pout, she didn't like being too vunerable but then relaxed and rested her head on him, she always felt comfortable with him.

"Can't sleep.."

Even as she said it she yawned and her eyes closed a bit, sleep was beginning to overcome her but she didn't want to let it.

[Inu]

He presses his lips to her cheek, feeling the warmth of her face and breathing in her scent before kissing her pouting lips. She looks so timid and vulnerably, shivering and huddling against him. Unknowingly he holds her tighter to his body, willing her to health with all his heart. He feels like she needs his protection now, just as much as when she was kidnapped those many times before.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She purred and nuzzled the side of his face. She felt safe in his arms, she only wished he could always stay with her and not have other Krath things to do, he was so far away then. But here, she was protected by his strong embrace, here she didn't have a care in the word, he mattered the most to her. And this was what made her fight sleep, she wanted to stay awake like this, not that he would leave her alone sick, but past memory knew he often left when she was asleep so habit nagged at her.
She just wanted to be there with him, comfortable in his arms.

[Inu]

Inu's eyelids droop and his head nods. Sleep is beckoning him as well. He sees her brow furrow and feels the shake of her head as she resists.

"I won't leave you alone with sickness. I'll stay as long as it takes to heal you."

He checks her temperature one more time, idly reaching beneath the cloth of his shirt to touch her own. It's somewhat damp. Good. That's his last thought before finally succumbing to sleep's call. If she awakes with wet clothes, she'll be good to go almost...

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She looked up when he spoke before shutting her eyes once more. She sighed, it felt too hot to sleep right now even though she could feel she was tired. Her tail swished lightly about before looping lightly around Inu's wrist, it was a Tano habit so she didn't really even notice she did it. Sorr yawned widely, showing all of her small but sharp teeth before settling down again. Finally she allowed herself to drift off, comfortable in his embrace.

[Inu]

Hours later Inu awakes to the sound of locusts chirping outside the window. It's almost six...his stomach gurgles, agreeing with the late hour of the clock and reminding him that it's time for dinner. He brushes Sorr's hair back out of her face and kisses her forehead again. The fever is down.

"Get up, honey. It's time for that hot shower I promised you..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr purred softly before twitching her ears, she didn't want to move now. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Mew? What?"

She hadn't really heard him due to being half asleep.

[Inu]

"Bathtime. A warm shower will do you good."

He shudders involuntarily, cold from the dampness of his clothes.

"It'll do me good as well. Come on."

He rolls out of bed, putting a hand to his head as it reminds him of his headache, and trudges toward the bathroom.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr stretched then shivered as well at her damp clothing though she rolled out of bed a bit slower and shifted his shirt around her. She fluttered her ears a bit, she hated feeling this weak.

"So how does thjis help?"

She asked as she made it to the bathroom and leaned against the sink, tired from the effort.

[Inu]

"I don't know. It just does. Maybe it's just me or something, but I remember my mother advising it when I was sick."

He gets two washcloths and two towels, then begins to prepare the shower.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Hmm, seems ljike a smarrrt woman.."

She smiled before yawning, stupid cold was draining on her energy. She wasn't sure how this helped but anything that might help her feel better was welcomed.

[Inu]

At last the water is ready, but Sorr doesn't look fully awake yet.

"Come on, Sorr. Before we had that nap you didn't want to sleep. Now you don't want to wake up."

He embraces his wife, slowly working backward toward the shower with her.

"You get to go first, unless you'd rather we just both go at once."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She smirked and kissed him softly.

"Hmm, jI bet you can guess my chojice..."

She licked the side of his face to further make her choice known.

[Inu]

Inu takes the sweaty clothes from her body slowly, giving himself ample time to convert the shower into a proper bath using the Force. The bath is large enough to comfortably accomodate both of them, so when it's finally ready, he simply takes her in with him. The warm water is quick to fix the cold they feel in their bodies and helps their aches and pains to fade. Inu pulls her close to him, taking a washcloth and gently massaging her back with it.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She purred softly as her chin rested on his shoulder. She had to admit, the warm water did make her feel better as she relaxed and leaned against him. Her ears were folded back while she wondered how much actual bathing they were going to get done.

[Inu]

Plenty, actually. Inu gets some soap and begins to scrub her back and arms, working slowly, fighting the disorientation his headache brought him with movement. He moves from her back to her shoulders, then down her arms, quelling the goosebumps on her skin.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She nuzzled the side of his face briefly, rubbing his shoulders lightly, seemingly forgetting the washcloth. She leaned up and bit his ear, muttering a few words she had taught him in Tano before nibbling lightly.

[Inu]

Inu half-smirks, half-smiles at her words, giving a reply that makes her smile. He guides the cloth down her back to her legs, kissing her deeply, not caring about the possibility of worsening their shared illness.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She kisses him deeply back, the time for bathing now over it seems. Her tail pulls the curtain around the bath, mindful of the cold and unexpected vistors such as Obasan checking up on them, the view of them shielded by the curtain as the sound of her loud purrs is all that's heard for now.....

[Inu]

Inu drains the water from the tub an hour or so later, and finds his headache is not as bad as before. Warm water does wonders for ill health. He takes a towel and dries Sorr's back before handing it to her for her to finish up. He stretches and dries off, sniffling a bit at the itch in his nose.

"Time for more soup."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr dries off and stretches, feeling a bit tired but it's a good kind of tired. She wraps the towel around herself before hugging her husband.

"Hmm, well jI put the rrrest away beforrre jI brrrought jit to you but can be heated up jin a few mjinutes."

[Inu]

"Then we'll have to do that."

He rubs at the itching in his nose, checking Sorr for fever with the other hand.

"Worked like a charm..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She puts a hand to his forehead as well, definately much cooler.

"Bath worrrks well...among otherrr thjings...."

She smiled coyly before nuzzling her nose with his, wondering why he kept rubbing at it.

[Inu]

Inu quickly turns his face away and sneezes violently.

"Nose itches..."

Another sneeze shakes him as he shuffles into the kitchen, washing his hands before getting two bowls and spoons.

"Did you want a sandwich, Sorr?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She nods before sneezing herself, seemed they might have let the water get too cold. She leaned back against the countertop a bit, tail swishing a bit before sneezing again.

"Stupjid cold."

[Inu]

"It will pass. Get the soup out so we can start to heat it."

He takes the towel off of her and wraps his shirt around her. It's so big that he can drape it over her and tie the sleeves in sort of a makeshift dress.

"That will keep you warmer."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She purred softly before heading to the fridge and getting it out. Finding the pan was another story, she rummaged a bit through the cupboard for it.

"Knew jI shouldn't have put that away..."

She growled softly.

[Inu]

Inu gets the peanut butter and the grape jam, fixing the sandwiches with a slight tilt of his head toward another cupboard.

"You put it in that one, Sorr."

He knows this because of the Force.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She looks, finds it, puts the food in then lets it start to heat up.

"Guess jI forrrgot wherrre exactly sjince jI was worrrrrjied earrrljierrr."

[Inu]

He leans back against the counter, holding her to him with a sigh and a light cough, feeling a tingle at the back of his throat. Great, now he's coughing.

"You shouldn't have to worry. I want you to be happy. You deserve happiness more than anyone else in all the world..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr leaned her head against his chest, purring softly and with her ears folded back.

"jI worrry because jI love you...doesn't mean jI'm unhappy..."

[Inu]

"Yes...but I don't want you to worry about me," he replies, running a hand through her hair with a sigh. "You're too good to me..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Goes wjith love, jInu....jI wjill always worrrrrry when jit comes to you."

She kissed him lightly before pulling back a little to look into his eyes.

[Inu]

He smiles, making a mental check on the soup. It's nearly ready.

"You're too good to me...I'm lucky to have you as a wife. Any man in the world would kill to have such a loving and lovely woman by his side."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr blushes and hides her face under in his hair, purring softly.

"jI'm not that grrreat dearrr..."

[Inu]

"You are. You've helped me to retain my sanity, helped to keep my berserker's nature in check, and have brought four wonderful cubs into my life. I couldn't ask for more..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr blushes a bit more and folds her ears back, she doesn't anything to retort back with. So she hugs him instead, with him she was living a much better life than her blood would normally have dealt her. She couldn't see a life without him nor would she want it, she loved him with everything she had.

[Inu]

A light tap between her shoulderblades catches Sorr's attention. She looks back to see her spoon tapping her lightly before settling itself in her bowl of soup.

"Eat as much as you can stand. It's good."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She pulled a bit reluctantly away from him and started to eat.

"jI made jit, of courrrse jit's good."

She chuckled softly, in truth Obasan had taught her but she learned quickly.

[Inu]

Inu takes his own bowl and boosts himself up to sit on the countertop, leaning back on the cabinets and eating slowly, suppressing a rising cough as he swallows his soup.

"In matters concerning you, nothing can ever be bad."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr blushes, looking at herself in her soup and noticing she's very red again.

"You'rrre makjing me blush a lot today..."

[Inu]

"You shouldn't be so concerned over blushing."

He gets off the counter and walks over, kissing both her rosy cheeks.

"It's very cute of you."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

That of course makes her blush a bit more but she doesn't hide her face this time and instead nuzzles him.

'jI know jI but just do..."

[Inu]

He backs up quickly, coughing several times, hoping she doesn't catch that from him too. Inu sets his bowl down and gets some glasses and juice, as well as the sandwiches he made.

"Have as much as you like. There's no such thing as too much."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She flutters her ears, beginning to wonder about the coughing. Must be part of the cold She took one of the sandwiches and ate a bit before feeling his forehead again.

"Perrrhaps we should get bundled up agajin soon, jI don't ljike the sound of that cough..."

She looked briefly to the couch, might do them good to have a change of scenery for a bit.

[Inu]

"It can wait until dinner is done. I'll be alright for another five minutes."

The last of the sandwich disappears into his mouth along with a few spoonfuls of soup, followed by the entire glass of juice.

"Just relax...it helps recovery if you're not stressed."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"K.."

She says simply and finishes her sandwich then her soup. She yawns then sneezes before mewling annoyedly, she was really beginning to hate sneezing.

[Inu]

Inu sets his bowl aside and moves to the couch, flopping out on it lethargically with a sneeze and a sigh.

"Ok...time to be horizontal again," he coughs, feeling the beginning of a new headache. "I don't think I could do a whole lot of anything at the moment."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She yawned and curled up beside him, purring softly.

"Fjine wjith me, stjill tjirrred anyway."

Her ears flitted at small sounds, she wasn't used to it being this quiet, hadn't been quiet for several months since the cubs were born.

[Inu]

Inu holds her tightly, shifting her over so her back was against the couch. He didn't want her to fall onto the floor by accident if he were to move and knock her off. The silence isn't bothering Inu at all. The chirping of the locusts in the forest brush and the fading songs of the birds are soothing to him, as is the sound of rushing leaves. In the distance, he can hear the familiar giggles of his children playing, carried to them on the breeze. Such a peaceful evening...except for their sickness, it's perfect.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Her ears continued to flit as she yawned, she wasn't used to hearing so many small sounds in the past few months activity. Flit, cricket, flit, bird taking flight, flit, Inu's breathing beside her. She folds her ears back and nuzzles him briefly as she starts to purr ever so softly.

[Inu]

"Too quiet?"

He can hear the idle shifting of her ears as they displace her hair, and can guess with fair accuracy as to what's bothering her. But she needs to lie still if she's to get any sleep.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"A bjit.."

Her left ear flits occationally now, flit, she can hear the cubs and misses them. Like any mother, she misses seeing her cubs and wonders what they're doing. She yawned softly and looked up at Inu, still she was happy to just lie here as well. She sighed before kissing him and biting his lower lip lightly as she pulled away. Yawning once more, she then closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, warm and comfortable his arms.

[Inu]

He doesn't return the kiss. By the time she's pulled away from him, Inu is fast asleep, holding her protectively.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr smiles and yawns, her ears flitting as she tries to quiet down for sleep but her mind is fighting her again. She shifts then listens to the rhythmic sound of Inu's breathing, her tail swishes slower and slower then stops as she falls asleep.