Written by Sara K.

(A/N) After the rollercoaster of Venom I needed more Eddie Brock in my life so I wanted to start a short series about him and Dan (let's be honest, the true hero of the movie) this is intended to be a 3 to 4 part series. This first chapter is kinda a short test. If you guys are interested in seeing the rest of this series let me know in the comments so I know to keep writing!

Thanks for reading!

Knock knock knock

Nothing.

Knock knock knock

Still nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Eddie shifted closer to the doorway. He put all his weight on his hand that pressed up against the wall.

He cocked his free wrist to the side, raising his arm higher.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

A light went on inside and the door whipped open.

"Thank god..." He huffed.

"Eddie?"

Dan stood in the hall, a robe around his shoulders and nightwear. He rubbed his eyes and gave Eddie a once over.

"It's like three in the morning, what are you doing here?"

Dan never really was a guy to get angry. Usually he'd keep calm with a slight annoyance or confused tinge on his voice. He was a doctor, his whole life revolved around answering people's questions, so blowing up in anger wasn't something he did; even if it was his girlfriend's ex fiancé in the dead of night.

But one look at Eddie changed his confusion into concern.

"Eddie are you alright?"

He was leaned up against the doorway. His hair was flat against his head and sweat covered his face. Eddie wore a hoodie with a leather jacket over it, but even with all those layers he was shivering. It couldn't have been colder than seventy degrees outside and his teeth were chattering. His hand he had used to knock was now wrapped around his side.

"Sorry Dan...I uh...I tried to wait till morning." Eddie's eyes stayed focused on a spot on the floor.

Dan stepped closer. "Eddie you don't look so good,"

"I...I lied."

"You lied?"

He nodded silently. Eyes still on the floor.

"What's going on?"

The night air stayed still.

Dan kept his eyes on Eddie, waiting for a response that didn't come; the only movement his mouth made was to bite his lip.

Leaning forwards, Dan crossed his arms. "Hey, you can talk to me. What's wrong man?"

Eddie let out another breath. He then dropped his shoulders and reluctantly lifted his head up, shifting his gaze upwards.

"God..." Dan's eyes widened. "Eddie, you look terrible."

Black bags hung under his eyes and his skin had drained of color.

He looked like a walking corpse.

Eddie bit his lip again before shaking his head and focusing on Dan. "Venom, he uh, he didn't exactly die during the Life Foundation stuff."

Dan took a moment. "He- he's still in you?"

"Yeah. Well, um kinda, that's why I'm here. That and also I feel like I'm dying." Eddie tried a halfhearted smile that only made Dan's concern grow.

Ready to ask a thousand questions, Dan couldn't figure out which one to ask first before he stopped; the way that Eddie was swaying back and forth was worrisome. He looked like he was about to fall down at any given moment.

"Come on," Dan held open the door wider. "Let's get you inside ok?"

Eddie nodded. "Thank you." He said under his breath before stumbling inside.

Dan locked up the door once he was through the entrance.

"Here, we can go in the living room."

Sticking at his side, Dan led Eddie carefully down the hall and to the couch.

"Here sit," He moved a couple of throw pillows out of the way.

"Thank you Dan." Eddie said softly before collapsing into the couch cushions. He wrapped his arms around himself and held his body tightly. His teeth still chattering.

Dan looked him over again before sitting in the arm chair adjacent to the couch.

"I was worried Ann was gonna answer the door," Eddie laughed awkwardly. "Guess I got lucky. Didn't plan that far ahead."

"Yeah, she's out of town for the weekend. Visiting her mom."

"Oh that's good." Eddie rocked back in place.

They sat in the dark a moment as Dan ran though his list of questions. The quiet small talk settling before Dan continued.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't know till later." Eddie nodded. "And after I found out it just...it didn't seem that important."

"Important?"

"Yeah."

"The alien parasite inhabiting your body."

Eddie scrunched his face together, glancing down at his feet. "I don't know...I was worried you guys would make me get rid of him."

"Eddie. He's a parasite."

"He'll die without me."

"You'll die with him!"

"No, it's not like that anymore-"

"Anymore?"

"It's not!" Eddie nodded, looking back up at Dan. "He's not. It's complicated. But he wouldn't hurt me. I'm pretty sure."

"You look really sick Eddie. I don't think that's a good sign about all of this."

"No this isn't him -or-or if it is, it's not his fault."

Dan narrowed his eyes. "Why do you say that?"

"He stopped talking to me." Eddie shrugged. "He never stops talking to me. I have to tell him to shut up all the time but now he doesn't talk. It started yesterday and I don't know why." He took a breath, shivering. "Then afterwards I started feeling like shit. And it just got worse."

Dan gave him another look over. "How do you know he's still...inside you."

"I know he is." Eddie pulled tighter on himself. "I can feel him. He's sick too."

"You can feel that?"

He pressed his lips together, giving another silent nod.

"How?"

"I dunno. I just do."

Dan rubbed his eyes and leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Ugh..." Eddie bucked over. His fingers gripping his jacket tightly.

"How does it feel?"

"It sucks." He mumbled.

Dan shook his head. "I mean, what do you feel?"

"Pain i-in my stomach." Eddie raised his head slightly. "It's like I'm super hungry but like, I also wanna throw up. Also I'm super cold." As if on cue, his teeth chattered. "But I'm all sweaty and my skin feels hot."

Dan climbed out of the chair and sat on the coffee table in front of Eddie. He gently pressed the back of his hand against his forehead.

"I-I'm also really dizzy. Not like normal dizzy. Like lightheaded. But it's kinda like a headache too. Sometimes it feels really heavy and other times it's really light."

Dan moved his hand from his forehead to the side of Eddie's face. "You definitely feel hot." He moved his hand back away and glanced over his face. "Here, I'll get you some stuff. You just stay here, I'll be right back."

"Ok." Eddie nodded before wiping his nose with his sleeve.

He watched Dan leave the room before returning with a stack of things in his arms.

First, he was handed a t-shirt and shorts. "Here, change into those and I'll wash your clothes."

Eddie frowned. "You sure?"

"Course, go on I'll get you something to drink."

Before he could question him again, Dan stood up and went into the kitchen.

"You want tea? Hot chocolate? I'd offered you coffee but I don't think that much caffeine is good right now."

Eddie shrugged off his jackets and rubbed his hands together. "Uh, hot chocolate." He nodded before slipping on the fresh shirt.

"I'm going to make it with water though ok? I don't know how dairy is gonna effect your stomach."

"That's ok."

By the time Dan came back in, Eddie had fully changed and was back sitting on the couch. His arms still fighting back the shivering his shoulders were trying to do.

Dan handed him the mug.

"Here you go."

Eddie wrapped his hands around the warm ceramic surface and held it close to his chest. The steam blowing into his face.

"Thank you Dan."

"No problem, and here:" Dan grabbed the thick blanket he had placed onto the coffee table earlier. He unfolded it and draped it over Eddie's shoulders.

Eddie quickly tightened the edges of the blanket around him. "Thank you."

"Sure thing. Now take a couple sips of that and I'm gonna take your temperature after ok?"

Eddie nodded and followed his instructions.

Once he was ready, Dan pulled out the thermometer from a small first aid kit he'd also brought in. Eddie held it under his tongue until the beep sounded.

"Yeah, definitely a fever." Dan said, reading it over.

"What about the rest of it?" Eddie sniffled.

"Have you eaten today?"

"Yeah, but I threw it up."

"What about water? Have you drank any water?"

"Uh, I did a little before I threw up."

"Ok first things first," Dan moved back towards the kitchen. "We're gonna get you some water."

Dan came back in, a glass stretched out to him.

Eddie places his mug down on the coffee table and took up the glass; chugging the water.

"Slowly." Dan advised. "You don't wanna throw up again."

Eddie glanced at him and nodded before slowing down.

Dan waited patiently until the cup had emptied. Afterwards, he took the glass from Eddie and placed it on the far end of the coffee table. Dan then sat down beside it; facing Eddie.

"Here," He said, handing him back his mug.

Eddie took a few more sips as the silence settled in the room once again.

"Have you taken anything?"

"I took some pepto after I threw up. Then I took some ibuprofen before I left my apartment."

"Good. That'll help with the fever." Dan nodded. "I don't want to give you anything more until we know exactly what we're dealing with."

Eddie tightened his grip on the blanket around him. "And...what exactly are we dealing with?"

"Hey," Dan placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's gonna be alright. We're gonna figure this out; don't worry." He gave him a shake before letting go. "For tonight you can stay here, than in the morning we can go to my work so I can run some tests ok?"

"Oh I don't wanna put you out-"

"Trust me Eddie it's fine. I'd rather you be here then alone where no one can keep an eye on you."

"Ok."

"Here," Dan handed Eddie the pillow he'd brought in. "The couch is pretty comfortable so you should be alright, but don't feel bad at yelling at me if you need anything."

Once Eddie and finished his mug, he fluffed the pillow and propped it up against the arm rest. He then curled up on his side; wrapping the blanket tightly around him, Eddie pulled it up over his nose.

Dan stood back up, collecting Eddie's clothes to toss in the washer. "Get some sleep bud."

"Hey Dan?"

"What's up?"

"Can we...not tell Ann about this?" Eddie shrugged. "I'll tell her about the whole Venom thing...just...later."

"You're my patient Eddie," Dan nodded. "Patient confidentially right?"

"Thank you Dan."

"Course."

Dan headed down the hall.

"Hey Dan?"

He peaked back around the wall.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything."

"Thank me when your better alright?"

Eddie mumbled an agreement before closing his eyes, fading off to sleep.