Colds on Tour

“I’m sorry I got you sick” said Jack.
“I’m fine” Alex protested, his voice cracking. Jack sighed, he knew how stubborn Alex got when he’s ill but he just snuggled closer to his warm friend and tried not to sneeze and failed.
“Atchoo, Atchoo, Atchoo, Atchoo”
“How ya feeling Jacko?” Alex asked, handing him a pack of tissues.
“Crappy” Jack sniffed.
“Drugs?”
“Yes please” Ale gets up and finds Jack medicine, pours out the right amount and watches as Jack drinks the foul smelling stuff.
“Yuck”
“Haha, you go back to sleep I’m going to shower. I feel gross from not washing all day” Jack nodded and curled up the couch, burying his face in the blanket. Alex grabbed come clean clothes and headed for the shower, walking straight into Rian on his way.
“Oh sorry Ri”
“No problem, are you alright Alex? You look a bit flushed”
“Fine, just going for a shower” he said.
“Okay, how’s Jack?”
“Better, fever gone down but he’s still...Atchoo coughing and shit”
“You sure you’re okay Alex?” Rian asked again.
“Fine, I’m fine” Rian rolls his eyes as Alex heads for the shower and goes to see Jack. Rian finds Jack curled up in the back lounge watching cartoons, coughing loudly into his arm.
“Okay man?” Rian asked, sitting down beside him rubbing his back.
“Yeah, yeah I’m okay” said Jack when he finally finished.
“Glad you’re feeling better, is Alex alright though?” Rian asked.
“I think so”
“If he gets ill he’s your problem”
“What?”
“If you’re the one to get him ill you can be the one to make him take the medicine” Jack groaned.
“Just take your medicine and go back to sleep, we don’t need more than one sick band member at a time” Jack nodded weakly and curled back up and closed his tired eyes.

That’s how it started for the rest of the day, Jack asleep on the couch and Alex with the rest of the band and crew trying to stifle his coughs and sneezes.
“Drink Alex?” Zack asked.
“Tea please”
“Tea? At this time?” Zack was surprised, Alex was normally the first one to open a bottle of wine but he’d stayed oddly far away from the stuff tonight.
“I’m feeling in the mood for tea” Alex put his sleeve over his mouth in a tempted to hide his coughing.
“Well okay...”
“Hey I am English after all” said Alex putting on a very bad and very obviously fake British accent.
“For someone born in England your accent is terrible” laughed Zack handing him his tea.
Alex knew he was getting sick but making sure Jack was okay was more important that the sniffles so he sucked it up and carried on. It had gotten to about 2am and everyone was thinking about sleeping, Alex decided to wake Jack for one more bit of medicine before turning in himself.
“Jack, wake up buddy”
“Is it morning already?” he moaned.
“No just after 2am. I thought you might more drugs and to you know actually get in your bunk”
“Hmm maybe” he said, pushing himself up into a sitting position and downing the small cup of medicine Alex had given him. With a hand from his band mate Jack got shakily to his feet, wrapping the blanket around him like a cape.
“You’re such a child” laughed Alex leading him back to his bunk. Jack claimed into his bunk and held his arms open to Alex, inviting him to come lay beside him. Alex looked down at his best friend and over at his own bunk, he knew he wouldn’t sleep as well pressed up against Jack in his small bunk than in his own but Jack wanted him and if it made him feel better than a little less sleep wouldn’t kill him.
“Sure” he claimed in next to his best friend and let Jack cuddle up close to him.
“Thanks Alex” he mumbled sleepily.
“No problem Jacky” It wasn’t long before Jack was sleeping again, the medicine making him drowsy and soon he was dribbling on Alex’s shoulder again. Alex smiled at his best friend, glad to see him sleeping instead of staying up coughing and blowing his nose.
The next morning it was Jack who was awoken to a strange noise, he blinked his eyes open and looked at Alex sat beside him coughing.
“Alex? You okay?” his voice groggy from just waking up and he’s still stuffy nose.
“Yeah fine” came Alex’s rough replay.
“You don’t sound fine”
“It’s nothing I’m fine, really” Jack doubted his friend but he didn’t say anymore, he claimed out of his bunk slightly wobbly but okay and made his way towards the kitchenette.
“Hey morning Jack, feeling better?” asked Matt. Jack nodded taking some pop tarts for breakfast, the first solid food he had in a few days as finally he could swallow without a horrible pain in his throat.
“Good, do you feel like doing anything today?” Jack shook his head.
“Was going to play video games, maybe sleep more. Want to be good for the show”
“There’s a good boy” Matt patted him on the shoulder. “We were going to head out, do a bit of sightseeing you’ll be alright here. I’m sure Alex will stay with you anyway”
“Yeah” he said, taking a bite of his pop tart.
“And maybe have a shower too” Matt suggested, Jack flipped him off and went back to his breakfast.
Alex was now lying alone in Jack’s bunk, to say he felt crappy was an understatement. He was going to kill Jack for giving him this damn cold but that could wait, first he needed to make sure the younger was okay before he killed him.
“Feeling okay buddy?” Alex asked, sitting down opposite Jack at the table, a mug of tea in his hand.
“Yeah not as bad as before, what about you?” he asked.
“I’m fine” Alex tried to reassure him. “Hey where is everyone?”
“Sightseeing Matt said”
“And they didn’t invite me?” Said Alex, faking hurt.
“Thought you’d rather stay here... Was going to play Fifa or somethin’” Though Jack didn’t say it he figured Alex didn’t exactly feel like going out, as much as he said he was fine Jack could see how pale the singer looked.
“Yeah sure sounds good” Alex replied, taking a sip of is tea. Why Jack finished his breakfast Alex went to change, grabbing a pair of jeans, his favourite flying pig t shirt and GK hoodie as he felt cold, and he headed for the little bathroom. Seeing himself in the mirror he realised how sick he did indeed look, he skin was pale, there were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was a mess. Groaning at his sick like appearance he quickly changed and threw on his favourite beanie as he couldn’t be bothered to sort out his hair. Going back out to the back lounge with Jack he was glad it was only the two of them. Once Jack had showered and was ready for a game of Fifa Alex was beginning to think Jack looked healthier than he did.
“Ready?” Jack asked, controller in hand. Alex nodded and the game began. As Alex played the game he was feeling worse and worse, he head was pounding, his nose was running , he was sure he was running some kind of fever and he was trying not to cough up his lungs. He still didn’t say anything to Jack, he didn’t want to worry him as he was finally getting better and his coughs less and less frequent even if there was a pile of tissues next to him.
“Atchoo, GOD DAMMIT” Jack shouted as he sneezed and Ale scored a goal.
“Haha goallll!” Alex cheered, ignoring the painful stab in his throat.
“That’s not fair, I sneezed!”
“And that’s why it’s 4-2 to me” Alex gloated. Alex stifled two sneezes into his sleeve Jack looked up and frowned at him but didn’t anything he knew Alex would just get all defensive and about Jack pointing out the fact he was ill.
“I think I’m gonna make some tea” Alex got up but straight away felt light headed and dizzy, he pressed his hand to his head but everything was swaying and everything went black. Jack watched as he best friend collapsed quickly and without realising he was doing it Jack moved to catch him before Alex’s head hit the floor. He picked him and placed him on the couch, Jack pushed Alex’s hair from his face to feel his burning forehead.
“Alex you’re an idiot” he muttered, finding a thermometer and putting it in Alex’s mouth. Once it beeped Jack frowned at the reading a found a cold cloth to place on his band mates forehead, it took a few minutes but Alex slowly started to stir. Coughing as he woke up he groaned loudly.
“Alex, you’re an idiot you know that”
“Shut up, I feel awful” mumbled Alex, burying his face in his hands.
“You’re running a fever of 103 no wonder you passed out!” Jack exclaimed. Alex groaned again.
“Sorry, just don’t scare me like that” Jack said, shuffling closer to his friend and letting Alex snuggle up close to him. Feeling the heat pouring of him Jack frowned again.
“If I’m not allowed to play till I’ve stopped coughing up my lungs, you’re not allowed to play till you’ve stopped boiling your brains” Alex nodded his head against Jack’s chest.
“Now you take care of me” he mumbled.
“Only if you don’t get me sick again”
“Can’t promise anything” said Alex, sleepily.
“Go back to sleep Alex” Jack kissed the top of Alex’s messy hair as Alex closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.