The next day, you woke up around 2PM to your phone buzzing on the side table. The tv was still on when you opened your eyes, lifting your heavy, tired arm to grab the device before it stopped ringing.

        "Hello?" Your voice was strained as you lay down, letting gravity keep the phone against your ear. "H-Hey, (Y/N), Ri-Rick wanted m-me to see how you we-were feeling." 

       "I'm feeling less-than-royal, Morty." You groaned, raising a hand to rub your forehead. You heard Morty tell Rick exactly what you said, including the 'less-than-royal' bit. "S-So you're no-not feeling any- any better, th-then?" 

       "Yea, nope. My body hates me." Your voice was very soft, quiet. "I'd say I'm worse than I was last night."

        You heard Morty telling somebody everything you had said and assumed he was still telling Rick. "Um," he was back to talking to you, "Mom says t-to ask if you want me to-to bring s-some soup ov-over."

       "No, it's fine. I don't want you out and walking right now. It's getting colder, I don't need you freezing because I got sick, bud." You rubbed your eyes, sighing lightly.

       "I-I don't mind. Pl-Plus I-I could always get Ri-Rick to portal over there o-or something." You heard a voice in the background complaining. You chuckled, "Nah. Doesn't sound like something he'd wanna do."

       "Hold o-on, I'm gon-gonna put you on-on speaker. I gotta dry di-dishes." You heard a button press, the sound interrupting the call momentarily, before Morty spoke again, "A-Alright. R-Really, though, I-I don't mi-mind, i-if you want me to br-bring something over."

       You laughed airily, "Nah, really. I'm fine. I'm just gonna watch cartoons for a bit and snuggle a pillow or something, I dunno. Kinda wish I had a cat or something right now." You laughed, "Something to keep me warmer 'cause hot damn am I cold." You coughed slightly, reaching down to grab the water bottle and taking a large drink.

        "Really though, I think I'm good. I can kinda walk around, I got this." You heard plates clinking together, the sound making your ears ring. "I-I really do-don't mind. O-Or mom can co-come over an-and help, or ma-make Rick go over. She ki-kinda thinks y-you got sick because o-of one of his adv-adventures." 

       "Nah, I'm all sick and gross, I don't need anybody to get sick, too." You stood slowly, feeling light-headed from the sudden movement. "I can play games all day or something. Just like high school. It's great." You stumbled around, still feeling weak, and wandered into the kitchen. "W-We really do-don't mind it, honest. Y-You're like family t-to us."

        "He's right, (Y/N)." Beth spoke. "You're like family to us, dear, and we really don't mind."

        You chuckled, moving towards the cup cupboard and prying the door open. "Thanks, really." You knocked a cup down, too slow to catch it as you watched it shatter. "Shit," you muttered. "Are you alright, (Y/N)?"

       "Y-Yea, I just dropped a cup is all. My grip must've slipped." You turned your own phone onto speaker mode and moved to pick up the pieces, crouching down slowly. You lost your balance and fell forward, crying out as you caught your hand on a piece of glass.  

       You spoke before Beth could freak out, "Just... cut my hand, don't worry." You picked up the pieces, walking around and pressing a paper towel to your palm. "(Y/N), dear, I know you're sick. Just let us help, alright?"

       "But I'm f-" Beth cut you off, "Nope. I'm playing the mother card. I'll send someone over shortly, after I make you some soup." You groaned, "Alright."

       "Bye, (Y/N), hope you feel better." You could practically hear Beth's smile. "Bye." You pressed end and gripped your phone in your good hand, stepping around the glass you left on the floor. You moved to the couch and sank down into it with a heavy sigh, wrapping the blanket around yourself. You wrapped yourself in it, your head poking out as you sat up and watched cartoons, eyeing the bucket warily as your stomach churned slightly.

       It only took about a half hour before you heard knocks on your apartment door, standing as you held the blanket around yourself and opened the door. You were tired as you took in the fact that Rick was standing in front of you with Morty, one holding a bowl while the other held a small decorative box. Morty moved and put the bowl on the kitchen counter while Rick moved into the room. You shut the door and went to sit on the couch, deciding to lay down instead. "I told her, I said I was fine. I'm just gonna sit here and do whatever."

       "Yea, well eugh we aren't allowed to go home. Apparently, we're eugh being forced to stay the night with you. I don't mind, not saying it eugh it's a bad thing, but I had plans." Rick stated matter-of-factly. You sighed and sat up, pulling the blanket away from you. "I told her I didn't need y'all to come over. I'm like a dead animal right now. I can't do anything but sit and complain about how icky I feel."

       You stretched your arms, the muscles feeling uncomfortable and sore, "I'm surprised you didn't just bring something over, say 'take this and gtfo', and leave." You chuckled lightly. "You seem like the kinda dude to cure this shit." You brought both hands up and ran them down your face, rubbing your eyes slightly, "Jesus."

       Rick moved closer to you, setting the small box on the end table near your phone and keys. He leaned over and put his hand on your forehead before sighing, "You are worse than eugh  than last night. What happened to sleeping it off, kid?"

       "I'll have you know," you paused to cough, "that I've been sleeping since I got home last night. And I only go- Hold that thought." You jumped from the couch, your stomach churning again. If Rick weren't right there, you'd have used the bucket. But you didn't feel like grossing him out today. You sprinted to the bathroom and leaned over the toilet, emptying your stomach yet again. You felt too hot now, the pajamas too much. Your body was burning and you felt it.

       As soon as you were once again certain that you'd finished, you sat back against the side of the tub, pulling your sweater over your head and enjoying the cool, flat surface on your back. You were breathing heavily, hating the taste of bile that you couldn't get out of your mouth as you shut your eyes and leaned your head back. 

        "Yup, definitely eugh worse." You were too busy enjoying the cooling surface of the tub to care that Rick had almost scared the shit out of you. "Come one, kid, let's get you off the ground. There are better ways to cool down." Before you could argue that your happy ass was comfy right where it was, Rick had lifted you off the ground and was carrying you back to the couch. Once he set you down, he started to pull things out of the little box he was carrying. "Beth sent some stuff over. Apparently, eugh these things help with headaches, and the others help with actually getting sick." He held up a few weird jars. "I'm supposed to do something with them. Hold on, I'll be right back."

       Rick walked out of the room and you could hear him talking to Morty for a minute before he returned with a paper towel. He opened several of the jars and placed a few drops from each onto the paper towel, setting it near your head when he'd finished. It smelled sweet, very floral. "That's actually really relaxing." You inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent. "That's like," you coughed as your throat had begun to feel a little dry, "'smell you on the subway and now I'm never leaving you' good. I'm gonna have to ask Beth where she got those. My headache's even going away." You leaned over and finished the water bottle lying near you, tossing it in the garbage bin turned barf bucket. 

        "U-Um, (Y/N), m-mom said to-to make sure you e-eat this, but I-I don't know i-if you wanna right now, or, um, o-or where you wa-wanna eat." Morty hollered from the kitchen, leaning over to poke his head in the doorway and look over at you curiously. You sighed and sat up on the couch, "I guess bring it here. Beth's such a great mother, really. She's practically replaced my own," you chuckled lightly. You began to cough again, leaning over uncomfortably to ease the unsettling feeling in your stomach as you did so. Without a word, Rick finished putting the jars away and walked off to the kitchen, returning with a glass of water.

       "Coulda," you coughed again, "gotten that myself, y'know." Rolling his eyes, Rick pressed the glass into your open palm before sitting on the couch next to you. You drank the water, thankful for the cooling effect it had, and set it on the end table. "You still look tired, you know? Ever since the last visit from those two bimbos, you've looked so... spent. What's up?"

        Rick glance over to you, arching a brow. "What are you talking about?" You rolled your eyes, absentmindedly running your fingertips along your arm, "You're just looked absolutely exhausted, whenever I see you. It's like you don't sleep properly, like you haven't slept in a month. Honestly, what's up?" 

         Rick sighed, rubbing his eyes with the base of his palms, "Just trying to figure out a way to.. to keep those two away, eugh you know? They're gonna keep coming back, and I gotta know you're gonna be alright, kid. They keep getting closer and closer to-to having you beat. So, yea, I haven't been sleeping well." 

       You frowned, sighing heavily. Instead of saying anything, due to being unsure of what you should say in this moment, you stood and walked to the kitchen momentarily. "Hey, Morty? Put that off for a little, okay? I'm gonna take a nap. You can play games or something. Help yourself to anything in the fridge. Consoles are in my closet or there's a few already out. Just keep it down, alright?" Morty nodded, setting the bowl of soup Beth'd sent over onto the counter for the time being.

        You wandered back to the front room, finding Rick completely zoned out. You cleared your throat and got his attention, motioning for him to follow you. He obeyed and you led him to your room. "You need to sleep. I'm not gonna have you worrying about me when you haven't slept properly in God knows how long. I'm here, I'm fine, now you sleep." 

       "(Y/N), I'm fine, honest." You watched as he shut his eyes momentarily, "I'm alright, eugh kid. Nothing I can't do without sleeping." You noticed his stance was wobbly, watching him rock back and forth, his shoulders slumped. "No," you led him to the edge of the bed, taking his lab coat from him and setting it on the nightstand, "you're gonna sleep. I'll be fine, you don't need to worry your cranky ass over me." You pushed him down, watching as he bounced slightly on your bed. "I ain't gon' be working for no cranky ass, tired out boss, that's one thing."

        Rick gave you a very small, very tired smile. "I'll literally be in the other room sleeping on the couch." You watched as Rick slowly kicked his shoes off, sighing as he did so.

        "Alright, kid," his voice was soft, "here's the deal. I'll sleep in here if you stay with me. I don't trust him," he pointed out the door, "to be able to keep those two off you. You stay, I'll sleep." He didn't sound like it would take much to win an argument against him, but you decided to acquiesce to his orders, anyway.

         "Ok." Rick gave another small smile before laying down, giving you room to lay near him. As soon as you did, he threw an arm over you and pressed up behind you, sighing softly. You chuckled lightly, "Weirdo." He didn't respond, his breathing evening out. You shut your eyes and let the fatigue take over, falling into a happy slumber.