“So what are your plans?” Rover asks once all was calm again, or just Clicks quietly mumbling and rubbing the bite and where the needle was injected.

“Monitor him, say that he’s exhausted himself and needs rest under my supervision. It’s not too far from the trust because it seems he’s suffering from insomnia or just forces himself to stay awake.”

“Too much candy I’ll bet,” Rover said.

“You leave my candy alone!”

“I’ll take your candy by force if the Doctor says that its a problem.”

“He already took it!”

“I did, he doesn’t have it as often as we see. He keeps it in moderation,” Dr. Needle took Clicks’ vitals once more. “How are you feeling?”

“It’s itchy, both the bite and my arm.”

“The incubation period is about a day at most, so its a good thing you got back quickly and came to see me.”

“Had to run for a bit, the earlier symptoms were fatigue, but that might have just been me. I wasn’t slow, out of breath or weak.”

“It’s still a slow virus even with your exercise, it needs time to root itself and with you constantly running it won’t have time to settle unless you’ve settled down for a few hours.”

“So those symptoms will still show,” Clicks asked. Dr. Needle nodded and they waited for an hour before Rover left.

“Let me check the bite,” Clicks pulled up the pant leg and showed the bite, “no swelling, it’s not red or white, nothing is coming out. Let me clean it again, maybe it has a film that we can’t see yet. Ah, yes. A clear film and a slight odor. Let’s wrapped it up now with some of this, it will stop it from itching.”

“It’s getting difficult to stay sitting,” Clicks mentioned as Rover walked in with two plates. “Thanks Rover.”

“My little brother hates eating so much when he’s sick, so I hope you won’t mind if I treat you like him for a bit.”

“I don’t mind, not often that others take care of me now,” he picked up a cherry tomato and ate it. Oddly enough he couldn’t help but wonder if he and Rover’s little brother were so similar. He felt a little calmer now that he had something quick to eat, he started to mindless eat as he waited for Dr. Needle to finish with the bite and his recent findings.

“All done, Sport? Let’s get you to bed,” Rover picked him up and brought him to one of the hospital beds and tucked him in. Clicks started to drift in and out of sleep, waking up to his older brother checking his temperature or giving him water and going back to sleep with Dr. Murphy checking him.

“Clicks’ heart rate shot up, help me stabilize him!”

“Hang in there Kid!”

“I’m getting him his next shot, hold him down!”

“Just a simple needle, nothing to be afraid of.”

“Strap him down, the worst is coming. Once he turns we need to get him in the tube. Only if it’s irreverable!”

“Dammit!” Rover kicked the wall knocking over Clicks’ weapons.

“It’s not going to happen again, I won’t have this happen to your little brother.”

“He’s not-”

“He is, now! Whether you want him to or not, he became your little brother the moment you let him in.” Rover took a moment to breathe and ground himself, Clicks started kicking and growling.

“It’s ok, Kid!” Rover’s hands shook as he tried to keep Clicks from thrashing his head about. “It’s ok, we’re here.”

“This would have been a whole lot simpler if that bastard just let me- aragh!” Dr. Michele took a breath then set to work on his next move. “Who ever the fuck is up there better slug Clicks with a miracle or else!”

After many attempts with the cure the two were exhausted and Clicks had finally calmed down. Although tired they watched the boy carefully over the next few days. Rover looked terrible sitting beside the bed on the floor just waiting for his little brother to show signs of getting better. Dr. Michele checked his vitals again to make sure that he doesn’t take a turn for the worse.

“Please, just this once. Please just make him better,” Dr. Michele mumbled.

“How is Clicks doing? He’s been under the quack doctors supervision for quite sometime now.”

“Clicks doesn’t like taking medicine intravenously or by mouth. So we’ve been fighting for quite sometime just so that he could rest.” Rover reported after coming up to get something to eat for him and the doctor.

“I see, he’s gotten worse,” Curtz said then went back to overlooking the troops.

“Easy Clicks,” coughing could be heard and Rover rushed to the door as quickly as he could and unlocked it as fast as possible. “One breath at a time.”

“How is he?” Rover locked the door and rushed to them, Clicks was still strapped down but awake. “How are you?”

“He can’t speak at the moment but I’m checking him as we speak.”

“Hey, you gave us quite a scare. Are you... you?” He stared at him for a bit before nodding.

“He’s... a Bone Rotter, but we managed to slow it down. If... maybe another shot would help?” Dr. Michele went to get his latest one and injected it into Clicks.

“Is this what you mean when you said that they still have memories?” Rover asked. A low growl was heard and Rover only tightened his grip on the bed rail, he breathed out a shuddering sigh. “There’s no way... you can’t be...”

“Please, please,” Dr. Michele pleaded to someone who would listen. The minutes ticked by Rover resorted to touching his finger tips to Clicks. Just to let him know that he’s there but tired. Clicks started tapping his fingers.

“Clicks I fucking swear!”

“Haha, if you get better I’ll give him tongue,” Dr. Michele laughed.

“• — — •     • — •     — — —     — —     • •     • • •     • ”

“Fine, I give up. But only once, and that’s if you get better!”

“— • •     •     • —     • — • •” The days pass by now and the cure was slowly working, Dr. Michele tweaking it with each dose. Rover not wanting to sleep but to tired to keep sitting pushed another bed close to Clicks and laid down.

“Curtz is wondering when you’ll get better, I told him you were suffering from insomnia and wouldn’t take any kind of medicine unless it was forced. Because you weren’t properly sleeping you got sick so were bed ridden until further notice.”

“Ah,” Clicks grumbled listening to Rover talk, he still wasn’t able to move freely but still looked around keeping his mobility up.

“Alright time for another dose, hopefully this will work better,” Dr. Michele gave a shot and Clicks flinched. “I’m glad you still have some feeling.”

The room grew quiet once more and Clicks looked around to find the doctor sleeping in his chair and Rover sleeping beside him. Clicks relaxed and went to sleep as well, the hours of staying awake but never feeling tired enough to sleep was horrifying. He was so glad to have gone to the doctor and give him help with his cure.

“For a moment, we met. Thank you for giving me this chance to live again.”

A few days later Clicks sat in bed freely with Rover and Dr. Michele overlooking the physical test of the boy. He was given weights to lift and counted, he still wasn’t able to form words but his physical workload was returning with each passing day. The Dark Red was not fully gone but it was managed with upgraded cures that Dr. Michele worked on.

He stood up and did some stretched, slowly moving so as to not tear anything from over use. He was brought to the Dead Walkers in the lab and he communicated with them. He signed that they were glad that the cure was working, but sad that it was used on him. He shouldn’t have been able to hear them or speak to them.

While Rover and the doctor were busy with their own things Clicks often talked with the Dead Walkers. Swapping stories, he looked over to the doctor and seen that he was still busy so he talked with the Dead Walker.

“The cure works but only for a short moment, or it feels like a moment. I can’t really tell time anymore.”

“That’s understandable, it will take time. Nothing’s fallen off has it?”

“No, it still feels like skin but I don’t want to pull too hard. I still have a heartbeat and blood pressure. I’ve also talked but I don’t really trust my vocal cords yet to actually try it again.”

“Good, I’m glad. Since you can understand us more clearly now, do you remember what you said to the ones you tried to talk to?”

“Oh god, yeah. Thanks for reminding me that I called everyone a rhino with toothpicks.”

“Haha! You thought it was a greeting, well it was a close attempt. We’re smart enough to know your human, a human that doesn’t want to harm us. It’s rare to find a kind soul like yours, one that will stop and listen. Thank you.”

“Thank you. You helped get rid of this here boredom.”

“Thank you, you brought life back to us.”

“Thank you for talking to us and listening.”

“I’m going to take a nap, I’ll talk to all of you later. And, I will gladly listen to your stories again.”

“Good night, Jay.”

“Night Jay.”

He left them and sat on the bed, he laid down and went to sleep. His only thought was wanting to get better to go out again, he hoped that the cure works on the next dose and hopes that Dark Red would be gone. But he also wondered if he would live with it but still look human, it wasn’t a bad thought. He can at least still eat food like everyone else.