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Rooster knew something was wrong when Mav didn't turn up to work. His worry only increased when Simpson said he'd phoned in sick for the day. Maverick never phoned in sick.
Ever.
They did training as per usual that day, but due to the lack of qualified teacher, they finished early. Instead of going to the rec room, Rooster headed over to Mav's instead. Or tried to, at least. "Where're you going chicken boy?" Rooster frowned in Hangman's direction. "Roosters aren't chickens, Jake." Pheonix snickered from the side. Rooster shook his head. "I was heading over to Mav's. He's never sick, and I figured I could go see,"
He didn't expect to have the team, Tash, Jake and Bob, pile into his car. "Do you know what he's off with? Maybe it's a 24-hour bug thing?" Bob offered. Rooster wrinkled his nose. "Nah, he's been in with worse than a 24-hour bug. It's gotta be something quite bad."
They drove to the small housing area Mav lived in, complete with pharmaceutical remedies procured by Hangman. "My sisters a doctor," He provided as reason. Rooster sighed heavily as he unlocked his godfather's house. "Mav? Are you here?" He called. "Just put the stuff on the counter." He said to Jake over his shoulder. "Mav?" He called again, this time heading up the stairs. "Mav?"
A retch answered his statement. Rooster recoiled. "Go away, I'm fine," Rooster repressed a retch of his own. He did not do vomit or sick people. "Tash! You're better at this than I am," He called down the stairs, rushing down. "Why, because I'm a girl?" She snapped. Rooster rolled his eyes. "No, because you're not emetophobic," She rolled her eyes but made her way up to their sick teacher-turned-friend.
~
"Um... Roost? We might have a problem," Rooster sat bolt upright. "Why, is he ok?" Natasha exchanged a look with Jake. "I think he might have appendicitis," He said. Rooster let out a breath. "How do you know?"
"I don't, but he has all the signs. Do you know if he has his appendix? If he does, then we're good and can sort it," Rooster shrugged. "No idea. Probably. I haven't been told otherwise,"
"I'm fine," Mav rasped, shivering under a blanket draped over his shoulders. Rooster stood up and guided him over to the couch, where he groaned loudly. "It's just a shit bug," He winced, caging his right side.
Rooster glared. "Nah, there's something wrong," He nodded to Hangman. "Maybe you're right... maybe it is." The groan that came from the sofa was loud and frustrated. "It's not my appendix! I'm fine!" Rooster ignored him. He began talking through it with Jake and Tasha when Bob exclaimed loudly. "Shit, Rooster! He's passed out."
Rooster rushed to his side. "How? When?"
"I don't know! I bumped his leg by accident and he just lolled!" Rooster reached for his phone. "Fuck this, I'm calling 911."
~
Many hours later, Rooster glared at his godfather, Pheonix, Bob and Hangman holding similar expressions behind. Maverick slumped against the pillows, doped up on morphine. "How was I supposed to know it was my appendix?" Rooster rolled his eyes. "Maybe when you passed out? Or when we said it was!?"
Maverick rolled his head the other way, sighing loudly. "Well... at least it's not gonna bother me anymore," He mumbled. Bob choked on his drink. "Anymore!?" Rooster pinched his nose. "Well yeah. I don't take sick days until I have to."
"That's what you were bitching about on Monday... your goddamn appendix," Rooster sighed. "I just thought it was food poisoning," Maverick mumbled, his eyes shutting. "Jesus Christ, he's gonna fucking kill me," Rooster mumbled.