CXB week day 3: ''Flu Season''

It was a rare chance that the fifth Brainiac ever fell ill. He was used to being the one healing the ill or the injured. He was the team’s mechanic as much as he was their medic. He had seen it all, from classic childhood illnesses that hit new to Earth Legionnaires who never got their shots. Saturn Girl, dealing with a migraine that went on for two months straight. Surgery on nearly all of them at one point at different times. (And he was so grateful when THAT strange trend ended finally)

But now he found himself with the rarest thing for a Coluan…

He was sick, sick enough that he was actually moping.

Brainy refused to admit it though.

“Brainy?” Saturn Girl asked softly as she went over to his hover chair concern in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

The sick genius muttered something.

She reached over and brushed his bangs aside pressing her hand to his head. He leaned into her hand a little. “Brainy!” She gasped a moment later pulling her hand away. “Your burning up!”

“I’m fine…” He whined.

Everyone looked at him in surprise.

Brainy never whined.

Complained about the various things they managed to break on a seemingly daily basis? Oh yes, so much so they just got used to it.

But whining… Actually whining like a child?

THAT never happened.

“... Alright that’s it, barricading myself in my room!” Bouncing Boy inflated himself and quickly bounced off. “I just got over what Phantom Girl gave me from that creepy planet, I don’t want what he’s got!”

“It’s-*cough* Highly unlikely you’ll catch this!” Brainy yelled back rolling his eyes and yelping in protest when Lightning Lad picked him up. “LIGHTNING LAD!” He screamed thrashing a bit. “PUT ME DOWN!”

Lightning Lad shook his head and carried Brainy to his private quarters, Saturn Girl following. “No, our daughter needs her rest.”

“I AM EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD! I AM NOT A CHILD AND I AM NOT A WOMAN!”

“He’s screaming, he’s really out of it.” Lightning Lad commented practically throwing the sick genius onto his bed as he let out an “Ooph” as he collided with the mattress.

“... Did you really have to throw him?”

“He was probably gonna bite me.”

Brainy glared and pointed to the door. “Out.”

“What?” Lightning Lad pretended to not hear him. “Where’s his bag of tricks anyways?”

“Out.”

“I’m not sure…”

“C’mon Imra, it’s around here somewhere.”

“OUT!”

After a few minutes of this they finally left Brainy to his own devices, as he tried to get some rest sleeping on top of the covers.

It was a day or so before Brainy was officially banned to his room, by the others. He was coughing, wheezing now and then and his fever kept going up every time it seemed to go down. He was miserable, he was hot one minute freezing cold the next.

There was a knock in the evening. Brainy groaned. “Come in…”

Clark floated in, keeping quiet as the door shut behind him. “Hey… Heard you weren’t feeling so hot…”

“I feel completely and utterly frozen right now…” The blond muttered looking out of his pile of blankets at him. Clark blinked realizing he wasn’t in his usual uniform. Brainy had found it too hard to keep warm in it and had traded it for a set of dark purple pajama’s. He also had his hair uncombed and messier than usual.

...Awwww…..

“Anything I could do to help?” The hero asked sitting on the edge of his bed, Brainy shook his head quickly.

“Probably not… And you do not want to catch this… Though I doubt germs could even get past you…”

Clark busted up laughing. “Oh you wouldn’t believe how sick I actually could get when I was younger. I almost wound up in the hospital once.”

“Really?” Brainy couldn’t recall any history files stating that. Clark was SUPERMAN, the Man of Steel...Or rather now the boy of Steel.

“Yep. Really.”

“Huh…”

“Though right now… Let me try something….” He got up and headed for the door.

“Clark-” Brainy sat up trying to stop him.

Too late. He was gone.

The green skinned boy groaned flopping back on his bed but smiled a bit.

He’s sweet….

It was about twenty minutes later when Clark came back in with a tray, setting it on Brainy’s lap.

Brainy tilted his head looking into a bowl of steaming broth that had small thin noodles floating in it. “What is it?”

“It’s called Mrs. Grass soup… I can’t believe they actually have it here still, but it’s really great for when you're not feeling good. It hits the spot but doesn’t bother your stomach too much.” Clark replied leaning back in Brainy’s desk chair a little after he brought it over to his bedside. “And orange juice since you need some vitamin C.”

Brainy smiled. “Thanks Clark.” He started eating surprised at how good it tasted, it took a bit before he finished, also finishing off the glass of orange juice relatively quickly. He was mostly machine but getting a chance to enjoy something like this was nice. Especially as he hadn’t eaten that day.

Clark nodded taking the tray away before handing him a remote. “Turn on Encore.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Just trust me.”

Clark used his super speed to whisk off the tray before speeding back, surprising Brainy with how fast he could also change out of his super suit and into a set of blue pajama’s, sitting with him on the bed.

They watched a marathon of Star Wars for most of the night until they fell asleep, Brainy winding up curled up in Clark’s arms, using his chest for a pillow.

Brainy was feeling much better the day after…

But Clark woke up beside the genius coughing.

“Well… Guess it’s my turn.” Brainy whispered kissing the kryptonian’s cheek. “To take care of you.”

“Heh… Just don’t burn the soup.” Clark brought an arm around Brainy keeping him close.

Brainy closed his eyes relaxing into him.

Soup could wait.