Work Text:
Caleb wakes up on his back, staring up at the sky, with an anxious Nott looming over him. His head pounds, the light hurting his eyes, and he screws them shut again. But not before Nott realizes he has woken.
"Caleb, are you feeling okay?" she asks him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I... think so," he says, as though he didn't feel dreadful all day, waking with a headache and chills that only worsened as the day went on. "What happened?"
"You fainted," Nott explains. "You just went all quiet and pale and then you... collapsed."
A rush of footsteps startles both Caleb and Nott, two of their friends hurrying over to see him.
"Caleb, you're awake!" Jester says, her voice far too loud. Caleb grimaces, his sore head unable to cope with the noise (although, even without the headache, her loud tone tends to hurt his sensitive ears).
Caduceus notices the way Caleb grimaces, placing a hand on Jester's shoulder. "Try to keep your voice down," he whispers. Turning to Caleb, he says, "Are you sick?"
"Possibly..." Caleb admits, sighing.
Nott sighs too. "So why didn't you tell us? We could've stopped for a break."
"I... I guess... I didn't want to bother you," Caleb mumbles. He hates the idea of being a burden.
Nott sighs, brushing her fingers across his forehead. "For the last time, Caleb," she says gently, "you'll never be a bother. We're a team, and we're here for you. Isn't that right?"
"That's right!" Jester says, whilst Caduceus nods.
Caleb tries to smile despite feeling absolutely fucking dreadful. And although he still doesn't know how to deal with people having his back (for the first time in over a decade), he takes the words to heart.