Chapter Text
Anyone getting a ride with Andrew for morning practice knew that he wasn't going to wait past 5:30 AM.
Granted, if either Kevin or Neil were missing he'd drag them out of the dorms and shove them into the car. But so far the exy obsessed players had always been on time.
So when Aaron didn't arrive with the rest of the monsters for Wednesday morning practice, Wymack assumed he'd missed Andrews deadline and would come later on foot.
"Where's Aaron?" Wymack asked gruffly.
Andrew pulled a shocked look, and glanced around, pretending to have just noticed his missing twin. "Laps, Minyard."
Just as the team was finishing up the first set of drills, Wymacks’ phone buzzed. After a quick glance at the caller ID, he pressed the phone to his ear.
"Morning Minyard, practice boring you?" Wymack asked bluntly. When no reply came, he focused his attention on the phone, ears barely picking up the breathing on the other side.
"Aaron? Are you there?" He asked sternly.
"Coach, I won't make it to practice, thought you should know." Aaron said hoarsely, pulling in strained breaths between his words.
"You've already missed it Minyard, mind giving me an excuse?" Wymack inquired.
"I-, don't feel well." He croaked through the phone.
"What's wrong? Give me details Aaron, fever, or stab wound?" Wymack demanded, you could never be sure with his Foxes. He'd been staring out at the court absent mindedly, when he noticed Andrew's eyes on him.
"Aaron." He repeated sternly when shaky breaths answered.
"I just- feel sick, I don't know, 'm tired", Aaron mumbled, sounding half asleep.
"Enlightening. Abby's gonna drop by in a few and you're going to let her check you over," Wymack said, talking over Aarons protests, "It’s not a request Minyard, it’s a fact, she'll be over soon."
Aaron only huffed and disconnected the call.
As Wymack turned to Abby, he noticed Andrew’s shadow over his shoulder. Choosing to deal with him after Aaron, he waved Abby over from the stands.
"Aaron’s sick," Wymack explained, behind them Andrew scoffed, and made to turn back out to the game, "I wouldn't ask you to visit him at the dorm, but he was barely stringing words together on the phone. If you don't have work after practice I could drive you over?"
Andrew had paused at the plexiglass.
"I can drive." he said, making his way to the locker room without another word. Wymack moved to yell at him to wait for Abby's response, but she intercepted him.
"It works out perfectly David, this way I won’t miss the clinic afterwards, and Aaron gets checked out earlier." she said wisely.
Wymack sighed in defeat and nodded, bidding her goodbye, and asking for an update when she saw Aaron.
Abby walked out to the parking lot, where Andrew was waiting by his car. The drive was short and silent. When they arrived at the Foxes tower, Abby got her first aid kit out and moved to follow Andrew up to his dorm.
Andrew didn't bother knocking at the door, using his keys to enter, heading straight for Aaron's room. When he got to the closed door, Abby quickly knocked before he could throw it open, Andrew paid her no mind but stopped before he opened the door anyway.
"Aaron? It’s Abby and Andrew, can we come in?" Abby called in a gentle voice.
No response came, and when a second call went unanswered, she didn't stop Andrew from twisting the knob.
The room was dark, Aaron had pushed his bed under the window pane and the little light streaming through the blinds didn't fall on him at all. Moving her gaze over the textbooks scattered on the desk and bedside table, wayward stationary, and color coded notes, she finally focused her attention on her patient.
Aaron was laying in the center of his bed, the sheets twisted uncomfortably around him. His head was buried under the pillow, trembling hands hugged close to his chest.
Andrew had already made his way to his twin’s bed, looking down at him blankly. After a moment's pause he reached down to move the pillow off of Aaron’s face.
Aaron scrunched his eyebrows together at the disturbance but didn't budge otherwise. Abby moved to sit at his bedside.
"Aaron, honey it's Abby, could you wake up for me please?"
When the boy in question barely twitched, she hovered a hand over Aaron's shoulder, waiting for Andrew's nod.
"Is Aaron usually a heavy sleeper?" she asked, gently shaking the boy's shoulder, noting the fever warm shirt under her hand.
"No."
Abby hummed, turning her attention back to Aaron when his face scrunched up and he blearily opened his eyes to look up at her.
"Hi sweetheart, are you up now?" Abby inquired, watching as it took Aaron a good while to process her words, and even more to respond with a low hum as he went to close his eyes again.
"Hold on a second there Aaron, can you stay awake for a few more minutes while I check you over?" she said, voice firmer to get through the fog Aaron was probably feeling.
Aaron blinked and nodded up at her, gaze cloudy and eyes dulled. He looked pale and his lips were cracked as they could be. She placed her hand on Aaron’s forehead, noting the intense heat, she drew out her thermometer from her bag.
"Can you open your mouth for me?" she asked, not expecting the frown she got in return as Aaron moved his head out of the way. "Aaron, we need to take your temperature, it'll only take a moment." she wheedled. Looking to Andrew in exasperation when the sick boy refused again.
"He's nauseous." Andrew volunteered, keeping his eyes on the bed, moving closer when he noticed Aaron’s eyes dart in his direction.
"Alright honey, I hear you, I'll keep it in for the shortest amount of time possible alright?" she offered, placing the reader into his mouth when he begrudgingly opened it.
Using this time, she left the twins in the room, and moved to the kitchen where she had left her bag, rifling through it to check which medications she had on her. She returned to the room just in time to notice Aaron's frown deepen, his hand weakly trying to get rid of the thermometer in his mouth. Andrew had a gentle hand on his brother's wrist, and was using the tip of this finger to keep Aaron from spitting out the device, turning questioningly to Abby when Aaron let out a whine of discomfort.
"Alright let's take a look, shall we?" she said, pulling out the reader. Aaron clamped his mouth shut immediately, turning into the mattress and swallowed repeatedly, looking nauseated. "102.4, how long have you been feverish?" she asked.
"Last night maybe," Aaron mumbled, "sleep, now?"
"Just a few more things dear," Abby replied, speeding through the rest of the exam to have more information before her patient stopped cooperating completely. "Does anything hurt, throat, head, stomach? Is it hard to breathe?"
"Throat hurts, and a headache, it’s really cold, 'm dizzy", he replies, Abby notices the minute shivers traveling through his arms when he mentions the cold.
"Alright, thank you Aaron, have you taken anything to help?" Abby inquired finally, untangling the sheets around Aaron, who complied irritably, but settled when she pulled the covers up to his chin, "Do you want a sweater or a spare blanket, dear?"
"Yes, please"
Just as Abby turned to search for a blanket, Andrew walked back into the room holding a yellow sweatshirt and a fuzzy brown blanket. Abby gestured for him to put them on the bed while she went to get water and find something Aaron could stomach. When she returned to the room she was surprised to find Aaron in the yellow clothing, and Andrew rearranging the blankets back up to his chin.
"Thanks Drew." Aaron breathed, nuzzling into the cool pillow contentedly. Andrew's expression flickered before he gave a dismissing hum and left the room to Abby.
"Could you drink a few sips of this Aaron? We need to keep your fluids up, and it'll help with the dizziness." Abby had barely finished speaking, when Aaron shook his head in denial. "Aaron." she said more firmly.
"'s cold, 'm fine now, I'll drink it later, promise." he mumbled into the pillow.
Abby sighed, with a little more nudging she got him to drink the smallest sip, and let it go, placing the bottle on the side table.
Stroking back his hair from his forehead, she decided he didn't need the cold compress immediately. With a final reminder to call her or Wymack if he needed anything, the team nurse quietly gathered her things and moved to the door.
"Thanks Abby." floated from the bed.
Abby smiled softly, "Sleep well, sweetheart."
Finding Andrew in the living room with a bowl of ice cream, she asked, "I assume you're not coming back to practice?"
At his unimpressed stare, she continued, "If you're going to stay, make sure he drinks that entire bottle by noon. And try to get him to eat some of those crackers, monitor his temp every 2 and a half hours, and if he starts to complain about pain or there's a change in symptoms call me or Wymack. Should I write all that down?"
Andrew merely tapped his temple, "Perfect memory" he stated.
"Alright then, take care, both of you," Abby bid him farewell, knowing Aaron was in good hands, but feeling hesitant nonetheless.