Sunset Gets the Flu and Nothing Happens
"What are you, some kinda bread man?"
"Bread? No. I'm Toast."
The dramatic dialogue was followed by an explosion, both coming through the TV speakers. Sunset Shimmer's left boot lightly bounced against her right as she lounged in a recliner nearby, a colorful magazine gripped in her hands. Every few seconds, she'd turn a page, her eyes scanning the images and words printed on each one. She paused her reading for a moment, glancing over the magazine toward the sofa. Flash was still sitting there, eyes locked on his TV as some weird movie about toast-based superheroes played on it. She was pretty sure it was the fifth time she'd seen him watching it, and she simply did her best to ignore the noise.
Her eyes moved back to the paper as she flatly inquired, "Is this what you do every night that your parents are away?"
It took Flash a few seconds to tear his gaze from the TV and answer, "Pretty much, yeah. Not a lot to do in this part of town."
"That's true, yeah." Sunset turned a page. "There's nothing around here at all, is there?"
"There's a convenience store a few blocks away, but that's it. They have a crane game machine thing there."
Sunset shuddered once, shook her head briefly, and then said, "Wow, that's so exciting."
"Exactly, yeah." Flash turned to the TV again, leaning back against the couch. "Them gone pretty much just means I can play my music as loud as I want and watch whatever I want on TV."
"I'm sure you take great advantage of that second one. Why don't you just buy your own TV, though?" She shifted a bit, moving her right foot atop her left.
"I'm totally broke, actually. Spent the last of my money fixing my guitar." His hands slid in behind his head, fingers interlocking, and he looked back over at Sunset. "What're you reading, anyway?"
"A magazine," Sunset deadpanned, another shudder running through her.
Flash leaned sideways toward her, his left elbow almost reaching the couch cushion. "'Horse Beautiful'?" he read aloud. "I didn't know you liked horses."
The left side of Sunset's mouth repeatedly twitched upward as she replied, "I come from a pony family. Back when I lived with my parents, ponies were everywhere."
"Hmm." Flash got up, making his way around the sofa and into the kitchen. "I've never liked horses much."
Her mouth was finally allowed to twist into a smirk. "Is that so?"
The sound of the refrigerator door closing accompanied Flash's response. "Yeah. I always thought they looked weird and kinda ugly."
Sunset's smirk disappeared, replaced by a scowl.
Flash continued, "They've got those creepy snouts and those stumpy hooves. Ears are kinda cute, though. Tails aren't bad, either." He walked back into the living room, only to stop and raise an eyebrow as he caught sight of Sunset again. She was vibrating in her chair, the pages of her periodical fluttering a bit. "Wow, those horses must be really exciting."
Sunset blinked a few times, lowering the magazine and reaching a hand up to her shoulder. She exhaled slowly, her breath shuddering along with her body.
"You cold?" Flash asked.
Sunset nodded and said, "Maybe. Did you turn the thermostat down?"
Flash shook his head. "Nah, I haven't touched it. You okay? You're starting to look kinda pale."
It was Sunset's turn to shake her head, pushing down the recliner's extended foot and getting to her feet. "I think maybe I should go home."
"Oh." Flash's eyes flitted to the right a little. "Did you, uh... yeah, okay. Lemme get my keys."
Flash disappeared down a hallway, and Sunset headed for the exit. She stopped a few feet away from the front door, arms crossing as the sound of Flash rummaging through all the junk in his room drifted in from the hallway, along with the sounds of his cursing and asking nobody in particular where his keys had gone. Meanwhile, she continued to shiver, despite the thermostat claiming it was above room temperature and the fact she was still wearing her leather jacket. Her hands slid up and onto her shoulders as she waited.
Finally, he returned with a ring of keys gripped in his right hand. "Man, they're always in the last place you look."
"Yeah, that's because you stop looking when you find them," Sunset remarked, pushing the door open and stepping out onto the porch. The sky was dark, and though it was cool, there was no breeze to speak of. Regardless, Sunset zipped up her jacket as she headed for Flash's car. He joined her a moment later, unlocking her door with the press of a button. Wordlessly, she slid onto one of the heated seats, buckled in, and let her eyes fall shut.
After only a few city blocks of travel, Sunset felt the car coming to a stop. She took a deep breath and opened up the door.
"You gonna be okay?" Flash said, watching Sunset climb out of his car.
"I think I'll be fine, yeah." Sunset only took three steps along the sidewalk before coming to a stop and muttering, "No." She turned, her breaths heavy, eyes looking up and down the street. Her gaze settled on a spot on the curb a few feet away where the pavement gave way to a storm drain. She tried to walk, but her left knee buckled beneath her. She stumbled and fell to her knees just above the drainage hole.
Flash got out of his car. "Hey, are you—" He was cut off by the sound of Sunset's retching as she vomited onto the old steel sewer grate. "Oh crap."
Sunset was panting and coughing by the time he'd made his way around the car and to her side. Her hands were pressed to the cold, abrasive curb, holding her up above the drain. An ant crawled onto one of her fingers, but she paid it no mind as another wave of once-eaten food coursed up her throat and splattered the street with yellow and pink.
"Gross," Flash commented. Her head turned in his direction ever-so-slightly. "I mean, uh, are you alright?"
She spat a little and then squinted down at the splattered drain. "I don't see blood, so I think I'm okay." She paused to heave a little more, adding under her breath, "Unless this body has any more surprises for me."
"Should we... uh, should I take you to a hospital?" He reached down, putting a hand against her shivering back.
She shook her head, shifting on her knees a little. "No. I probably just have the flu or something."
"Well, um," he began, looking up and down the sidewalk. "You wanna just go inside, then?" Sunset nodded, and he crouched down beside her. He hooked an arm under one of hers and started to lift, but then paused. "You're done throwing up, right?"
"For now." Sunset pushed against the curb and rose up to a standing position, Flash's arm still around hers. She sidestepped, tugging herself out of his grip. "Let go of me. I'm fine."
"You sure?" he asked as she walked away. Despite her nodding head, he followed closely behind her.
Sunset's steps were unsteady, and she tripped against her own dragging feet once, but she managed to reach her front door nonetheless. A shaking hand pulled her keys from a pocket and unlocked her front door. The door swung open, and she took a step inside, stopping to lean against the door frame. Her slow, shuddering breaths came out through her nose, her mouth clamped shut. After a few more moments, she slid onto her couch and curled up, body still shaking.
Flash stood just inside the small apartment, staring down at Sunset. "Are you gonna be okay? Like, alone?" No sound came from the silently shuddering Sunset Shimmer on the sofa. Flash glanced from Sunset to the nearby kitchen, then to the opposite wall, then to the ceiling. His hands found their way up to his head, rubbing at his spiky hair. "Uhh... so... crap."
Sunset rolled slightly as the front door shut. Flash still stood there, hands gripping the front of his jacket as he sucked in a deep breath. "Alright," he began, leaning down to her. "Let's get you to bed so you can rest. It's closer to the bathroom, too, in case you need to blow chunks again." He slid both arms under Sunset and then straightened his back with a grunt, lifting her up. "Hnnnnggg—oof!" Her body fell right back onto the couch, taking Flash down with it.
She groaned, "What're you doing?"
"Trying to carry you. Sorry. You're heavier than you look, I guess."
"Remind me to kick you, later." She shoved him away weakly, rolling off the couch and getting to her feet. "Nevermind, I can do it myself." Again, she wasn't the most steady walker, but she made it into her bedroom without incident. At least one of her hands rested against a wall the whole way, though, and she flopped onto the mattress as soon as she was through the doorway. "Okay, you can go now."
Flash put a hand against the doorframe, staring at her back. "I, uh, I don't think I should. Because you're sick, you know? You might need help or something."
Sunset sighed through gritted teeth, her body still shaking. "Fine. Go sit on the sofa and I'll call if I need something. Now leave me alone." Flash gave a tiny salute, pulled the bedroom door almost closed, and tip-toed out of her sight. She rolled over, pulling the blankets up and over her head. She tried to keep her breaths steady and even, holding the covers to her chest with her eyes shut tight. At last, after some uncounted minutes, the violent shivering ceased. She unclenched her chattering teeth to let out a sigh, her warm breath bouncing off the inside of the blanket and wafting across her face.
Eventually, she left the waking world, slipping into a mad land of dreams. She'd be walking among poorly-made shanties in a desert wasteland, searching for a dog that belonged to the owner of a general store. Her mission was simple: implant an atomic bomb into the dog to destroy the town. She would wake up every few hours, only to return to the exact same scenario in her head. During her stumbling trips to the bathroom, she'd wonder why she was supposed to blow up the shantytown, yet she never questioned it in the dream, dutifully hunting down the shop owner's pet after returning to her bed and slaying her shivers with warm blankets once again.
Light came in through her bedroom window as the sun rose, slipping past the dull violet curtains. It wasn't too long after that when Flash returned, sticking his head through the doorway and whispering, "Hey, Sunset?"
Sunset merely opened her eyes and swiveled them up to look at him, not bothering to move. Half his spiky hair was flattened to his head. "What?" she said.
"You feel better, yet?"
"No."
"Can I come in?"
Sunset pulled one arm from the covers and draped it over her eyes. "Fine," was her reply, and Flash slid in past the door. He sat down on the mattress beside her, watching her for a few seconds.
"Are you hungry?" Flash asked. Sunset just shook her head under her arm. "Thirsty?" Sunset nodded. "What do you want to drink?" An awkward shrug was all the response she gave. "I'll see what you have in the fridge."
She felt the extra weight leave the bed, but it wasn't long before Flash returned, a tall glass of orange liquid in his hand.
Sunset sniffed once and groaned. "By Celestia, I hate this," she whispered, arm still covering her eyes.
"Being sick?"
"Needing help," she said a little louder. After another congested sniffle, she shifted up into a sitting position, keeping the covers clutched to her chest. She reached out and took Flash's offered beverage. As she sipped on the pulp-free orange juice, her other hand moved up to rub at the back of her head. Her neck felt stiff and sore, and she assumed it had something to do with sleeping in her jacket. Then again, her neck was only slightly more achey than the rest of her, so maybe it was a coincidence.
"So," Flash began, breaking their little moment of quiet, "you think it's the flu?" Sunset silently nodded in between sips of her drink. "I could go get you some medicine. How about that?" Flash only received another slight nod toward the opposite wall, and stood up. He took a step toward the open doorway, only to stop dead after a second. "Oh, wait, I'm broke, right."
Sunset mumbled into her glass, "There's money in my wallet."
Flash only took a couple seconds to find the wallet resting on her nightstand, and slipped a few bills from it before heading for the exit. He said over his shoulder, "I'll be back soon," and disappeared into the hallway.
"Bring a receipt!" Sunset called out after him, only to groan and bring a hand to her sore throat. She sucked down the last of the orange juice and dove back beneath the covers.
* * * *
Sunset was still under the covers by the time Flash returned. With him came a little plastic bag. He sat down on her bed again, pulling a red bottle from the sack and handing it off to Sunset. "What is it?" she said.
"Cough syrup."
Sunset twisted the cap off and brought the bottle to her lips. The smooth jelly ran down her throat with a taste like rotten cherries mixed with cheap vodka. Sunset gagged, throwing herself forward and coughing. "Sweet Celestia, that's disgusting! How can anybody drink this garbage?!" She glared down at the plastic bottle clenched in her fist.
"You've... never had cough medicine before?"
"They don't have it where I'm from." She stuck her tongue out briefly as she brought the bottle back to her lips. Sunset's eyes squinched shut as she forced herself to suck down more of the sickening goo.
"Where are you from, anyway? I don't think you ever said."
Sunset froze for a moment, bottle still held to her mouth and eyes shooting open. She flung the bottle sideways against Flash's chest and quickly got to her feet, bolting for the nearby bathroom. The sound of bare palms smacking against tiled floor was followed by the unmistakable sounds of Sunset discharging her stomach contents into the toilet. She returned to the bedroom a few seconds later, the toilet flushing behind her. "Forget it, I'll just cough." The girl crawled back onto the bed, adding, "If you call me a wuss, I'll strangle you. What else you got?"
Another rummage through the plastic sack brought forth a little cardboard box. "Sore throat lozenge thingies." Sunset took them, her shaking fingers digging around either end of the box to get it open. Flash continued looking through the bag, pulling out a bottle of painkillers. He sat them on her nightstand.
Sunset watched him place the items down as her tongue slid the strawberry-flavored lozenge around her mouth, the sound of its hard surface tapping against her teeth resonating in her head. She tucked it against on cheek to say, "Why are you so bent on taking care of me?"
"Because I'm your boyfriend?" he said slowly.
"Hmph. Well, I'll be fine. It takes more to kill me than an annoying viral infection. So you can go and watch Toast Man or whatever."
"Sir Toast," Flash corrected. "And are you sure?"
"I said I'll be fine, now. I've dealt with worse. Go on home."
"Well, um... okay, I guess." Flash got back onto his feet. "One more thing though, okay?"
Sunset groaned a little, and had begun to shiver again. She shimmied back down under the bedclothes until they covered her head. "What?" she said through the blanket.
Flash reached into the bag, produced a final item, and set it down next to her pillow. Sunset remained still for a moment, then her head poked back out from the covers, glancing toward her pillow. "Claw machine," was all Flash said before he walked out the door with a smile and a parting wave of his hand.
Sunset watched the doorway until she heard her front door close. Then her gaze drifted back to the final object he'd brought back from the store. Next to her pillow sat a little pink horse plushie, an off-brand tag hanging from one ear. It was smiling at her, it's poorly-attached eyes pointing in different directions. Sunset just let out a tiny "hmph", rolled her eyes, grabbed the plush toy, and pulled it in under the blankets with a tiny smile.
