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A whine close to Scooter’s ear made her open both eyes sleepily and yawn.
“What’s wrong, Barker? Hungry?”
Barker whined again as a loud cough came from the other end of the room.
“Obie?”
Scooter threw the covers off and hurried over to the door that separated her room from Obie’s, her friend who had normally lived on the streets and previously in a small shack in The Big Moist.
As Scooter’s room was too big for just one person, she’d been over the moon when Charles said he could put a new wall in.
Obie was embarrassed that everyone had put in work to fix him up a new room, but he had easily settled into it after a while.
“You okay?” Scooter asked, knocking a couple times.
“Don’t come in, kid,” Obie coughed. “I caught somethin’.”
“Do you think it’s because of what that S.I.T. lady injected you with?” Scooter asked worriedly, hand on the doorknob. “I can go get her.”
“Nah,” Obie wheezed. “Would’ve shown signs of somethin’ wrong way before now. It’ll pass.”
“How about I bring you something from Bert’s?” Scooter asked. “He’s got tea now.”
“That sounds great,” Obie said. “Thank ya kindly.”
“I’ll get some extra rolls, too, and some medicine from Jessica,” Scooter said. “Won’t be long!”
“Ah, take yer time, kiddo. Don’t rush on my account.”
“Could you stay with him, Barker?” Scooter asked.
Barker wagged his short little tail.
“Thanks, bud.”
Scooter opened the door and glanced in.
“Barker’ll keep an eye on you,” she said. “If that’s ok.”
“Sure.”
Barker trotted in and curled up beside Obie’s bed.
Scooter shut the door quietly, then quickly dressed, grabbing her coat and thermos on the way to the front of the antique store.
“Obie’s sick,” she said. “We have any cold medicine?”
Jessica glanced up and nodded.
“Just got some from Ye Olde Chemicker. I’ll give him a dose.”
“Thanks!” Scooter said. “Gonna head to the bakery. Want anything?”
“Mm…the usual, please,” Jessica said.
“Charles?”
“I’ll come too,” Charles said, getting his coat. “See if they have those muffins.”
“Be back soon!” Scooter said with a wave.
“Still cloudy, huh,” Charles said when they were outside. “Was supposed to be a bit sunny today.”
”Glad we grabbed our coats,” Scooter said. “Maybe tomorrow it’ll be nicer.”
Charles nodded and moved to hold the bakery door for Scooter, but she beat him to it with a grin.
”Awww, you got me!” Charles laughed. “Thanks. But next time I open it.”
”Only if you’re fast enough,” Scooter chuckled.
”Morning, Charles, Scooter!” Bert greeted them. “I just made some fresh cheese rolls and cinnamon buns.”
”Morning!” Charles said with a wave, then pulled out his wallet. “Jess wants her usual…maybe six cheese rolls. The cinnamon buns smell great too.”
“We should get some,” Scooter said. “How about six?”
Bert nodded as he put the baked goods into two small boxes.
”Anything else?”
”Some lemon and honey tea, please?” Scooter asked, handing Charles some Meat. “Obie’s come down with something.”
”Poor guy,” Bert said.
Scooter held out her thermos.
”Not surprised,” Bert continued after taking it. “Something’s going around. Think Molly’s sick too, or busy. She hasn’t been by today.”
“I’ll check The Jewel,” Scooter said with a worried frown. “Hopefully she’s just busy.”
Charles pulled out some Meat and put it on the counter with Scooter’s payment while Bert returned with the thermos.
”There you go,” Bert said. “Thanks for dropping by. Hope Obie feels better soon. Tell him I say hello.”
”I will!” Scooter said, taking one box while Charles took the other. “Have a good day!”
”You too!”
Charles shouldered the door open and held it for Scooter.
”Thanks, Charles!” she said, glancing up briefly as they walked to see it was still cloudy. “Go ahead and eat if you like. I’ll take Obie his tea and some rolls.”
”Alright,” Charles said, awkwardly reaching out to hold the shop’s door open, but Jessica hurried over and opened it instead.
”Welcome back,” she said. “Might rain later. No artifact today anyway.”
”Mm…guess it’s alright to have a break once in a while,” Charles said, getting some plates and putting cheese rolls and some cinnamon rolls on them. “Hope Obie can get these down. I never feel like eating when I’m sick.”
Scooter took a plate for Obie and headed to her room.
”Thanks, Char! I’ll be right back.”
Holding the thermos under her arm, she knocked lightly on Obie’s door.
“Yup?” Obie answered. “Come in.”
”Hey, Obie! Charles and I got you breakfast!”
Scooter set the thermos down on his bedside table and held out the plate as he sat up.
“Did you get some medicine from Jessica?” she asked worriedly.
”Yup, though it tasted foul, alright,” Obie said with a grimace. “Thank you kindly. You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”
”It’s no trouble, Obie, don’t worry about it,” Scooter said, taking the lid off the thermos and pouring some tea into it. “We were happy to.”
Scooter scratched Barker under the chin, or as close to it as she could guess, laughing when his back leg started kicking.
”Good boy, Barker,” she cooed.
Obie carefully took the tea and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply.
”Ah…that’s my favorite kind. Thank you. It’s helping already.”
Obie took a few sips, then a bite of cheese roll.
”You need anything else, Obie?” Scooter asked.
Obie took a sip of tea and looked down.
”Would you tell me if you did?” Scooter pressed. “I just want you to feel better.”
”Mm…I know, kid,” Obie sighed, still not looking at her. “Well…think all I need after this is some rest.” He chuckled and finally looked up. “Maybe I’ll even sleep through the next dose of medicine Jessica said she’d bring me. Or pretend to be asleep.”
”If you need more tea let me know!” Scooter said with a smile. “It’ll help with the cold and the medicine’s taste.”
Obie grinned a bit, finishing his cheese roll and picking up the cinnamon bun.
”Gonna enjoy this while I still got taste,” he said, leaning back against the headboard and sighing. “Mmm…been a good long while since I’ve had a cinnamon bun.”
”We’ve got more,” Scooter said. “Or I could just run back over to the bakery.”
”Nah, this is just fine for now,” Obie said, waving a hand. “You go and get one before they’re all gone!”
”Okay, I will!” Scooter said. “I’ll come check on you later, but I’ll try to be quiet in case you’re asleep.”
Obie finished off the bun and drank some more tea.
”Don’t worry about me,” he said, yawning and settling back under the covers. “Never took me long to drop off, and I’m a pretty heavy sleeper.”
”Feel better soon,” Scooter said, patting Barker on his bulb-head. “Want Barker to stay?”
”I would, but I think he’s getting antsy,” Obie said, glancing up at the window as thunder rumbled. “And it sounds like it’s not a good day for walkin’ just yet.”
”Come on, boy,” Scooter said, patting her leg. “We’ll be able to W-A-L-K later.”
Barker trotted beside her to the door, his short tail wagging.
”Have a good rest,” Scooter said, turning off the light.
”I sure will,” Obie yawned, closing his eyes. “Talk to ya later…”
Scooter waited a moment, listening anxiously to Obie’s slightly raspy breathing.
Barker whined quietly and put a paw on her shoe.
”Yeah…I know he’ll be okay,” she said quietly, shutting the door gently. “You hungry?”
Barker’s tail began wagging.
”Thought so. Come on, bud.”