Chapter 3, Straightening Tommy Out

Peter searched all over the apartment for Tommy, until he finally found him. He had run off to Zack's room, now crying, his head buried in the pillow he slept on in Zack's bed, lying beneath the covers. Peter sat down on the edge of the Reptar racecar bed and put a comforting hand on Tommy's back. As he began to rub his back to calm him down, the two-year-old toddler squirmed around, sitting up, tears streaked down his face, as he looked up to see Peter trying to comfort him.

"You ok Tommy?" Peter asked.

Tommy nodded, the froun never leaving his face.

"You wanna tell me what's going on here?" Peter asked, putting a comforting hand on Tommy's shoulder.

"You know very well what's going on." Said Tommy.

"Yes, I do. I know you've gotten sick a lot this year, and a bunch of other stuff has happened to you too, but what caused this sudden interest in being healthy?" Peter asked.

"I went to the doctor's yesterday, and he toldid me all of this stuff to do to make me healthy so I wouldn't get sick. After getting sick so much, I decided I'd better change my ways." Explained Tommy, as he wiped the tears away from his face with his sleeve, and scooted up next to Peter.

"Look, I understand you wanted to do all of these things to make yourself healthy, but do you also realize you cheated yourself out of a lot of great fun with your friends today? I mean come on, not watching Reptar? Not enjoying the chocolate-chip cookies I baked? And who knows what else you gave up on. It's a good idea to be healthy, I do know that, but only give up something you love to do if it's truly dangerous, and trust me, you may have gotten sick a lot this last year, but you're nowhere near as unhealthy as some. I mean take a look at Angelica. With the way that girl eats cookies, I'm surprised she can still fit through the door sometimes. Now don't tell her I said that of course, but I hope you see my point. You were doing just fine to begin with." Explained Peter.

"If I was doing just fine, then how come I gotted sick so many times this lastest year? And how come I sneezed when going through the secret cave earlier?" Tommy asked.

"May I ask where this secret cave was?" Peter asked.

"Behind Zack's couch." Tommy replied.

"Oh Tommy, you probably just breathed in some dust, it's no big deal. It happens to all of us every once in a while. And look, I'm no doctor, so can't explain, but sometimes, we all just, have a year of bad luck. I can recall back when I turned eight-years-old. Worst year of my life! Seems like every single time I turned around, I caught what was going around school, causing me to be stuck at home half the time, but the following year, it all, went away. I mean sure, I got the occasional cold, may have gotten a stomach virus here and there, but nothing like the previous year. So take it from a friend who really cares about you a lot. You're gonna be ok. So please, do us all a favor, and just, be yourself. If anything, you keep up this attitude, and you're gonna possibly become mentally sick, cuz you're deprived or missing stuff you really like to eat or do, plus, you're starting to drive Zack and Chuckie crazy. And what's with the water works when Rosie gave you her big news about coming to Washington D.C. I thought you'd be excited!" Said Peter.

"I am, I wanna see Rosie, but the lastest time I saw her, and when we first metted, I was sick both times, and you member, Rosie was sick when we had to leave Boston. I don't wanna be sick when I see her, or for my nextest birthday." Tommy said.

"Tommy, I don't think Rosie had anything to do with you getting sick. I think what happened in both instances, and I'm pretty sure about this, is it was a cooencidence." Said Peter.

"What's that?" Tommy asked.

"It's where something happens at the same time, but in this case, it happened twice. Both times you saw Rosie, you got sick. Trust me, if Rosie had the power to make people sick, I think more than you would have been sick at that rate. Now, do you think we can go and play with your friends and have some fun?" Peter asked, grinning down at his friend.

Tommy stood up and smiled, glad to know that he was going to be ok.

"Yeah, let's go." Said Tommy, as he led the way out of Zack's room into the living room, where the toddlers were playing with oversized duplo blocks, building a tower.

"Hey Tommy, I see you decided to join us." Said Zack.

"Yep, and from now on, I'm gonna go back to my old self. Besides, I like yogurt, but I like Reptar cerial and the fried chicken too." Said Tommy.

"You mean it? Cuz you scared me earlier." Said Chuckie.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry I did that." Said Tommy, as he took a seat on the floor next to Chuckie and helped him build a tower with the oversized duplo blocks.

And so, Tommy's health nut phase ended, as he went more or less, back to his old ways, and continued to have fun with Zack and his other friends. They played together the rest of the afternoon, and enjoyed a dinner of some pizza and fruit salad for dinner. And then, because Tommy finished every last bite on his plate, he had some chocolate-chip cookies for dessert, which, he enjoyed a lot. He still tried to do what was important, but didn't approach things so cautiously as he did during the day, because he'd rather have fun, than be worrying about getting sick.

"I do have to ask you Tommy, why did you run out of the room when my aunty opened the window? Were you cold?" Zack asked.

"A little, plus, one time, when I was really little, Angelica slept over and I gotted sick after she opened my window." Replied Tommy.

"Ha ha ha, sorry to laugh, but honestly Tommy, if Angelica got you sick just by doing that, she had to do something extra ordinary to make that happen, as I've had windows open plenty of times, and they've never gotten me sick." Said Peter, as he was cleaning up the table.

"No Peter, I really did get sick. It only lasted till the nextest day though, but yeah." Tommy replied.

"Well ok then, whatever you say, as I wasn't there for that particular slumber party. Trust me, had I been there, I wouldn't have let Angelica open your window if it had been up to me." Said Peter.

No sooner had he said that, when everybody's parents arrived to pick them up, Betty picking up Tommy along with Phil and Lil, since she lived next door, and Stu and Didi didn't feel much up to going back out after having a busy day of running Aarons, getting things they'd need for the upcoming trip they'd be taking in a few days. Chaz and Kira picked up Chuckie and Kimi.

"Thanks for watching the kids Peter." Said Chaz.

"No problem Chaz, it's always a pleasure to spend time with them." Peter replied with a grin.

"Bye guys." Said Zack.

"Bye." Said all of the toddlers in unison, as they ran to catch up with their parents, Peter handing Betty Tommy's overnight bag, and Tommy, now dressed, as he was starting to get hot in his pajamas, left for home.

The next day, Peter ran into Tommy at the park, where he gave Mary and Rosie a call, and Rosie was happy to finally learn, that Tommy was really excited about the trip, he was just, worried because the last two times they saw each other, he was sick.

"Well don't you worry Tommy, if you do get sick when we're together, I'll take care of you, cuz I like you a lot, sick or not." Said Rosie with a grin.

Tommy just looked at the screen of Peter's iPhone where Rosie's face was showing, and smiled. He was glad to know that she still liked him, whether he was sick or not.

And this, ends my ninety-eighth story that's been posted to my Fan Fiction profile, and the story, of The Checkup. I hope you all enjoyed it, and, there'll be plenty of more stories, coming soon!