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“Sylvie?” Molly peeked around the doorframe. “Boss says lunch is almost ready.”
Not getting a response, she stepped further into the room. Sylvie was curled in his chair, asleep, his nose bright red from sneezing. He hadn’t told either of them he was sick – they’d just found out when they’d come to his apartment to see why he hadn’t come over to Giovanni’s for game night and found him coughing up a storm, trying to heat up some canned soup. Giovanni had immediately taken over and Sylvie had retreated to his office, claiming he was going to work on paperwork.
Molly could see the paperwork still scattered on top of the desk, but most of it looked incomplete. She hoped that meant Sylvie had been sleeping for a while. “Sylvie? You need to eat something. Please wake up.”
Sylvie stirred, frowning and tossing his head. Molly came closer, hesitantly shaking his shoulder. “Sylvie?”
Sylvie flinched at the contact, and Molly’s hand slipped towards his chest. Immediately, Sylvie pulled away with a moan. Eyes still closed, he shouted, “Dream Big!” and with seconds, Dr Beefton had appeared around the sleeping boy.
“Sylvie...?” Molly said hesitantly, backing away from the confused-looking bull.
Even that small noise was enough to alert him to her presence, and he looked up at her, nostrils dilating. With a purely animal roar he leapt towards her, lab coat flying behind him as the ground shook under his hooves.
“Sylvie!” Molly screamed. She turned and ran, but Dr Beefton was faster. “Giovanni! Help!”
Giovanni appeared out of the kitchen, his eyes widening as he took in the situation. “Fog of Lost Souls!” he shouted, and a thick, soupy fog covered the room.
Molly felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back towards the kitchen. “What happened, Bear Trap?”
“Sylvie was sleeping, but he was tossing and turning like he was having a nightmare, and then he called out ‘Dream Big’! But I don’t think Dr Beefton recognises me.” The fog was starting to clear. Molly could just make out a huge shape on the other side of the room, moving slowly back and forth.
“Alright, my minion, we need a plan! Somehow, we need a way to wake up Sylvie before his fursona kills us both.” He paced back and forth, tapping his chin with one finger.
“We could try loud noises?” Molly suggested, and Giovanni turned to her with a beaming smile.
“Excellent idea, my clever little minion! And I know exactly how to get some!” He picked her up by her hoodie and carried her into the kitchen, depositing her in front of the utensils cupboard. He stuck his head in the cupboard, scrounging around. “There isn’t the greatest selection, but this will have to do.” He pulled out a big pot with a lid, and two smaller pans. He handed her the big pot. “Grab a wooden spoon from the drawer there, and let’s wake up Dr Yo-yo!”
Molly took the big pot and scrummaged in the drawer for a wooden spoon, finally pulling one out. She took a second to put a quiet field around her head before following Giovanni out into the clearing fog, both of them bashing their crockery as hard as they could.
Dr Beefton came rushing towards them, but she could see Sylvie floating inside him starting to awaken. The closer Dr Beefton came, the smaller he grew, until he disappeared completely, leaving a barely awake Sylvie on the floor in front of them.
“Sylvie!” Molly dropped her pot and her quiet field, reaching down to hug the boy on the floor. He didn’t seem aware enough to hug her back, just staying limply in her embrace.
Only when Giovanni joined the hug as well did Sylvie seem to realise what was going on. “What happened? Why am I on the floor?”
“You summoned Dr Beefton while you were sleeping, but he seemed kind of crazy,” Molly told him. “He didn’t recognise us at all, he just tried to kill us!” Giovanni squeezed her extra tight, and she leant into him.
“Epithets can malfunction when the wielder is sick,” Sylvie said, still sounding confused. He yawned, and Molly could feel his breath ruffle her hair. He seemed ready to fall back asleep right then and there. “Thought it’d be the sheep...”
“No sleeping yet, kiddo!” Giovanni picked Sylvie up and carried him into the kitchen, ignoring his sleepy protest that he wasn’t a kid. “First food, then you can sleep.” He plopped Sylvie into a chair, pulling it the one beside it for Molly. She happily hopped up and accepted the bowl of soup he gave her, immediately digging in to the delicious tomato bisque. It was always nice to have a meal she didn’t have to make herself.
Sylvie only managed about half his bowl before he slumped down on the table, head pillowed on his arms. Molly glanced at him concernedly. “Boss, he doesn’t look very comfortable there. Shouldn’t he sleep on a bed?”
“I can’t hear you, minion,” Giovanni said loudly, slurping up the last of his soup. “If you want something, you better speak up.”
Molly frowned with determination. “Boss, we need to take Sylvie to bed! Please?”
Giovanni stood up, smiling at her. “Of course, Bear Trap! Let’s go.” He picked Sylvie up and carried him to his room, careful not to wake the sleeping boy as he laid him on his bed. Sylvie was restless for a moment, then one of his sheep appeared in his arms and he smiled, settling down.
Molly and Giovanni tiptoed out of the room, exchanging smiles as they headed to the living room to watch cartoons, leaving Sylvie to sleep in peace.