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“I’m dying,” Alex croaked as he wrapped the blanket around himself tighter.
A rough round of wet coughs escaped him and the others flinched at the sound. Luke sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the loft as he hid as far from Alex as he could while Ray, Julie, and Reggie were standing in front of him, staring at him like Alex was an animal in a zoo. The drummer lay on the studio pull-out sofa, buried under blankets and propped up with pillows while Willie sat beside him.
“You’re not dying, mijo,” Ray assured him.
While Ray knew Carlos’ cold signaled the start of cold and flu season in the Molina’s house, he expected to only have to worry about two kids getting sick. When Alex started coughing at breakfast, he thought for sure it was a fluke- after all the boys were only recently able to eat, maybe his body was adjusting. Then the cough got worse throughout the day until Julie finally came and got him, Willie reluctantly trailing behind her, to tell him Alex was so tired he hadn’t been able to get out of bed and he had a terrible headache along with the cough.
“I think I would know what dying feels like!” Alex whined hoarsely. “I died!”
“I think you caught Carlos’ cold,” Julie sighed, “I’m not exactly sure how you caught Carlos’ cold, but you’re going to be okay.”
He was a ghost and had somehow caught his first cold in twenty-five years...Alex couldn't think of a single way this could possibly be okay. He was also trying to not consider how very sick he used to get even over minor colds. With how bad asthma got for him when he was sick, there was no such thing as "just a cold".
“Am I?!”
“Yes, Hotdog,” Willie declared. “You’re going to be okay. We just have to spend a few days laying around, wrapped up in blankets, watching movies…”
“Coughing your lungs out, sneezing,” Reggie chimed in. They all glared. “What, I thought we were naming all the things you do when you’re sick?”
“I’m gonna cough my lungs out all over you,” Alex muttered. He stopped short as a violent sneeze wrecked him, and Alex's eyes went wide: "How did I just sneeze?! How?!"
His entire body felt like it hurt after that sneeze. These were not great signs. Waving his arms, Ray stepped between the couple on the sofa and the rest of the group.
“Willie is right,” he announced, “all you need is a couple days of rest and you’ll be…well…”
Ray stopped short, hesitating.
“You wanted to say good as new, didn’t you?” Alex complained, glaring at them all. “Except I won’t be, cause I’m still dead!”
“Technically…” Reggie spoke up carefully, “every day we’re becoming a little more human and a lot less ghost so you’re really more like undead. You’re more zombie than ghost!”
Hands on her hips, Julie’s mouth fell open as she stared at Reggie incredulously, wondering how he thought he was helping.
“Does that mean I get to eat your brain?” Alex shot to Reggie.
Reggie yelped, poofing up to hide in the loft with Luke.
“Hijos,” Ray sighed, knowing he had to get this back under control. “Let’s let Alex rest. We can go make him and Carlos some sopa de pollo con fideos."
“In the meantime, I think you guys need to actually start washing your hands now,” Julie pointed out, earning groans of protest from the guys. “Guys, germs are a thing! Why do I even have to explain this?!”
Alex buried himself against Willie’s chest, looking more uncertain and worried than ever about this whole coming back from the dead thing.
“Bro, you can't get me sick!” Luke pleaded to Alex. “You know how I always get those sinus and ear infections every time I get colds. They hurt! Can’t believe I have to worry about this again.”
“You’re worried about your ear?” Alex snapped. “I have asthma! I could die from a cold!”
“That’s a little dramatic…”
“It’s really not, remember Cold and Flu season ’93?!” Reggie pointed out.
Alex went a bit pale as he remembered Reggie desperately trying to help him with an asthma attack. They even had to call 911, he had to go to the hospital for a breathing treatment and they even had to given him oxygen. He was pretty sure you couldn't give oxygen to a ghost! There was no way this was a real cold, no way...
“Oh yeah…I forgot," Luke muttered.
“You almost forgot that I almost died?!”
“In my defense, you are dead…”
“We did have a lot of close calls,” Reggie offered.
“Like when you tried to fix your amp in the rain?!” Alex cried out, letting out a round of sneezes after.
“Exactly!”
Ray blinked, staring at them in awe, wondering where in the universe Rose managed to find these ghosts. He was going to need to meet up with Trevor asap for some insider tips in mediating between them. Alex suddenly poofed over to stand behind Luke, acting like he was going to cough in his face; Luke squealed and poofed away. Ray and Julie both hung their heads in their hands as the phantoms chase each other around the studio.
“Have I mentioned you’re the best dad ever lately?” Julie asked him.
Gritting his teeth, he managed a grateful smile, knowing she had really been trying with the guys since they had, in fact, become essentially undead. Not that he wasn’t happy for the guys and Julie that they were becoming stronger and more human, the boys absolutely deserved the world and a second chance, it had just been a lot.
“Ray!” Luke cried desperately from the ceiling, where he was hanging off of one of Rose’s chairs. Alex was trying to figure out how to float up to him while Reggie was trying to make the drummer sit down.
“Six kids,” Ray mumbled to himself.
Suddenly Alex let out even worser sounding coughs, so powerful it actually made him stop chasing Luke and Willie poofed over quickly to help him.
“Bed!” Willie insisted, waving toward the sofa.
Alex climbed back under the blankets, breathing harder than before, Ray noticed. From what he understood, before the phantoms didn’t need to breathe but it could help psychologically, but lately they found themselves breathing for real.
“Reggie, Luke, could you get Alex some water and the Vaporú from the upstairs bathroom?”
“No!” Alex groaned. “No medicine. It won’t help me cause I’m dead.”
“Iron pills started to help Reggie’s anemia again,” Julie pointed out. Reggie pointed at her in agreement.
“This makes no sense,” Alex sighed.
“When has being a ghost ever made sense?” Luke grumbled. Reggie pointed at him in agreement too.
He slumped down against the back of the sofa, and Ray felt even worse seeing how defeated Alex was. He knew this was scary and frustrating to them; the key was somehow going to be to keep all of the kids calm. Worsening Alex’s anxiety was only going to make him feel worse.
“Guys!” Julie called, waving her arms desperately at Luke and Reggie. “Can you please go get the stuff from the house?”
The two of them threw Alex a final sympathetic look before poofing to the house. Ray looked to Willie, who was biting back a bemused smile, and he was grateful for how calm the phantom was managing to be for Alex’s behalf.
“Willie?” He called, nodding toward outside.
He and Willie still didn’t know each other very well, but Willie was incredibly observant and knew how to get through to Alex better than anyone. Though he was slowly earning the boys’ trust (except Reggie, who apparently trusted him with his afterlife since before Ray was even aware of his existence), he wasn’t sure Alex would feel comfortable coming to him if he started to really, really feel sick.
“I know we don’t exactly know how ghost colds work,” Ray began, “but in case Alex’s cold really does start to make his asthma flare up, I want you to keep an eye for signs of an attack.”
Drawing in a deep, nervous breath, Willie nodded.
“Okay…like what?”
“Like shortness of breath,” Ray pointed out, “or his chest feeling tighter, wheezing, having more trouble speaking.”
“Woah,” Willie breathed, his eyes flashing back into the studio where Alex was trying to get comfortable on the sofa. “That sounds terrifying.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” he assured him, “but I had a lot of trouble with asthma when I was younger and Julie and Carlos have too. I know that sometimes it can come out of nowhere when you’re sick, it’s better to have another pair of eyes looking out for symptoms. Please come get me if you need anything. Otherwise I’m sure Alex just needs some rest.”
He fished a rescue inhaler out of his pocket and handed it to Willie.
“It’s a spare,” Ray explained, feeling very grateful his insurance let him get 90-day prescriptions. “Who knows if it would help but…just in case.”
Though Willie looked terrified as they stared at the inhaler, they nodded.
“Thanks, Mr. M.”
“Ray is fine,” he smiled. He started to walk away, but he stopped, knowing that while he had Willie he might as well ask. “You know more about the ghost world than any of us. Have you ever heard anything like what you boys are going through happening before?”
Willie shrugged.
“I’ve heard stories of ghosts getting stronger, but nothing like this,” they admitted. “You must be pretty overwhelmed.”
Ray tried his best to hide the fact that yes, he was, in fact, insanely overwhelmed and very freaked out that the boys all actually seemed to be coming back to life. It wasn’t just the physical changes that the phantoms were going through, along with the fact that they could eat actual food and his grocery budget was suddenly triple what it was before. There was so much they would all need if the phantoms really were coming back to life: clothes, education, health care, insurance, space. Most importantly, he had to somehow figure out how to get these kids reinstated as, well, living kids. It wasn’t exactly something that Google could simply tell you how to do (trust him, he had searched).
“I really, really hate to ask this,” Ray went on. His eyes flashed around, mindful of any of any nosy neighbors. “Reggie suggested that you might be able to help with getting the guys some…um…I really hate to say it-“
Now Willie looked amused as they raised an eyebrow.
“Just…blurt it out,” Willie encouraged him.
“Identification,” he blurted out, wincing as he said it. “Again, I really hate to ask! But you still have more ghostly abilities than the others and know the ghost world and, frankly our world, better than anyone else, and Reggie said you have all of these connections, and eventually they are going to need health insurance. It’s…it’s really only a matter of time.”
He let out a long breath, trying to ignore that Willie was obviously biting back laughter. The phantom actually looked honored to be asked.
“And they need some kind of identification for you to be able to add them to your insurance,” Willie chimed in, “and you probably need some ghostly help in making all of that happen.”
They wiggled their fingers, and Ray made himself nod in agreement.
“I’ve got you!” Willie promised, patting his shoulder. “Question…how many laws- local, state and or federal are you willing to break?”
Ray grimaced, already regretting asking.
“Can none be an option?”
Willie shook their head solemnly.
Alex never understood why everyone always said sleep was the best cure for being sick when everyone knew it was impossible to sleep when you’re sick. Like when he was alive, Alex couldn’t lay flat because he’d get too congested, but it wasn’t comfortable sitting up either. He settled for laying with his head on Willie’s chest. At one point he did manage to fall asleep, only to wake up coughing an hour later.
“Hey, Alex?” Willie called.
If they weren’t calling him ‘Hotdog’ he must really be sick. He felt it too. His hoodie and t-shirt underneath felt drenched with sweat, yet he felt shaky and cold at the same time- even though he lay under blankets and was wrapped in Willie’s arms.
“Alex? You’re wheezing kinda bad.”
Coughing, Alex tried to sit up, needing Willie’s help. His chest was tight, now that Willie mentioned it, and his breathing sounded too noisy in the empty studio.
“Where’s…Luke and Reg?” Alex managed.
He wished Willie didn’t look so scared right now.
“They’re inside with Julie,” Willie explained. “Want me to get them?"
“No-"
A round of coughs cut him off, and Alex winced at the pain in his chest when he coughed. His coughs took too much effort, they were too deep for just a cold. And he hardly felt like he could talk.
“Willie...something’s…wrong…"
Alex didn’t even think Willie looked this scared around Caleb. Stiffly, Willie reached into the pocket of their hoodie, revealing an asthma inhaler. His own face scrunched up with confusion.
“Where?”
“Ray gave it to me. Here.”
Willie opened the inhaler, his hands trembling as he placed it between Alex’s lips and he breathed in when the inhaler was pressed.
“I can’t…no way…ghost,” Alex panted.
“I don’t care what you are,” Willie shook their head. “Again. Alex, please…”
He was searching Willie’s eyes, desperate for answers. Strangely enough it did feel like the inhaler was helping…though that realization was only making him feel more anxious. And anxiety did not help asthma. Regardless, he let Willie give him another puff of the inhaler and he let out a shaky sigh once he was done. Already he felt jittery, like he used to. Willie took one of his hands and placed their other hand on Alex’s shoulder.
“Just breathe,” Willie whispered, giving him calming breaths to follow.
Alex obeyed, closing his eyes in attempts to calm himself down as he breathed in and out, in and out. He let out a few more coughs but it hurt a little less, like his chest was a little looser. Physically he felt a little better, but mentally he was all over the place.
“Hotdog, look at me,” Willie said gently. He combed his fingers through Alex’s sweaty hair, his eyes soft and understanding. “I don’t know what’s happening to you either, but you’re going to be okay.”
“Why me?” Alex asked, his voice breaking. “So…so many people…”
Julie’s mom had died, leaving behind two kids. Why didn’t she get to come back? Why him? Of all people for Ray to get left with, why some anxious undead drummer?
“I don’t know,” Willie sighed, pulling him close so that Alex could bury his head in his shoulder, “but you’re an incredible person, Alex, and you deserve a second chance as much as anyone.”
Kissing the top of Alex’s head, Willie pulled back to check on him. He did feel a lot better now, at least like he could breathe…not that he should need to.
“Why did I have to come back at the start of cold and flu season?” Willie let out a laugh and shrugged, and Alex challenged: “I thought you said ghosts didn’t get sick.”
Willie’s lips turned up in a smirk.
“In my defense, almost everything I know about being a ghost I learned from my evil ghost boss who owned my soul. I’m not sure I’d believe me.”
A gentle kiss was placed to his forehead; Willie’s lips felt gentle and cool against his warm skin.
“I think we should tell Ray what happened,” Willie told him. “He asked me to tell if him if you had a flare up. He…also asked for my criminal ghost expertise in getting new identification.”
He couldn’t help but to laugh at the thought of Ray, of all people, teaming up with his boyfriend to commit ghost crimes.
“Willie,” Alex said with a dramatic gasp, “you’re really going to turn sweet, innocent, single lifer dad Ray onto a life a crime?”
Willie wiggled their eyebrows.
“If it means getting you health insurance, yes.”
Alex let out another rough round of coughs, right into Willie’s shoulder. His face fell as he lifted back up and he grimaced, apologetic.
“Yeah…probably good idea to have health insurance."
His boyfriend let out a content sigh, their eyes spinning as they thought up all the ghost crime possibilities that could possibly benefit them.
“There’s so much I have to teach him," Willie went on. "Can you believe he has never even run a red light? I bet that man has never shoplifted in his life.”
The drummer blinked.
“Is that a bad thing? Please don’t get our new dad thrown in jail.”
“I could bust him out,” Willie bragged.
He glared at them.
“You know if I become fully undead Julie’s going to be able to kill me.”
“Good point…”
Alex started coughing hard again, doubling over at the pain the effort to cough gave him, and Willie patted his back as he helped him lay back down. The phantom wielded the inhaler like a weapon, ready to take action if Alex needed it again. Carefully Alex lifted up to kiss his boyfriend, melting under the touch. He clutched Willie’s hoodie as they held onto his arm, both of them only pulling apart when they noticed a familiar golden glow illuminated through both of them. Neither of them had figured out what it meant yet, except that it was a similar thing that happened after The Hug with Julie.
“Are we going to keep pretending like that’s not weird?” Alex asked.
But Willie’s eyes were wide as his hand lingered over Alex’s heart.
“You think that’s weird…”
Bringing Alex’s hand up, he held the phantom’s hand over his heart, and Alex’s eyes went wide when he found it was beating out of control.
“No way…”
“Way!” Willie cheered. “You, babe, are officially a lifer again.”
No way.
It was all he could think, his brain was reeling with questions and anxieties. Would it last? What about Willie, could he come back? Willie kissed him again, the force of the kiss shutting his brain off as his heart kept beating on. They both giggled as they broke apart, a soft spark of energy zapping between them as their hands fell together.
A few days later, after Alex was better, Willie proudly presented Ray with four fake I.D.s and all the fake paperwork needed for his undead children. They smiled brightly as Ray shifted through, admiring how freakishly real everything looked.
“Do I even want to…?”
“Nope!”
Suddenly Willie coughed, hard, then a round of nasty coughs escaped him. Both of their eyes went wide when they realized he sounded like Alex.
“Bed!” Ray insisted right away.
While he didn’t mind staying in bed to nurse Alex back to health, the last thing they wanted was to have to stay in bed all day over a cough.
“I can’t, um…Alex and I have a museum screaming date…”
“Nice try, Alex is practicing with the band,” Ray stated, and Willie realized he was caught with no excuse. “Bed, now- and let the band know practice is over for the day. I’ll get the Vaporú.”
Willie poofed back out to the studio, let out a round of coughs when he landed roughly on the sofa. The band stopped practicing as soon as he appeared, Alex rushing over to help.
“Breaking news Hotdog,” Willie announced, managing a weak smile, “I guess I’m a zombie too.”
As Willie coughed again, Alex did a terrible job at looking relieved to hear that he wasn’t the only one of the two of them who was undead.
Across the studio Luke yelped in fear, poofing up to the loft right away to hide from the germs.