Dark clouds loomed overhead, blocking out the warm rays of the sun and casting a shadow over the house. A cold gust of wind blew in from the shattered sliding door, bringing in a taste of the ocean with it. As a gem, Pearl remained unaffected and only noticed the drop in temperature because of Steven's shaking shoulders.

Dressed in nothing but a shirt that was far too large for him, Steven shifted uncomfortably on the bed and pulled the baggy shirt tighter against himself. He studied something on the floor, his eyes darting away the instant he realized Pearl was watching him. Following his gaze led Pearl to the white comforter Amethyst had carelessly discarded earlier. Wordlessly, she moved to pick it up before offering it to him.

Steven paused his excited ramblings to stare at the blanket, then at Pearl, then back at the blanket. Why was he giving her such strange looks? Had she done something wrong? Pearl frowned and turned to Garnet who was too busy adjusting her visor to offer any guidance.

"Steven?" she called after a few moments of silence.

He jumped, the sound of her voice startling him out of his thoughts. A flush crept across his already rosy cheeks as he reached for the blanket, his movements slow and hesitant as if he feared the blanket, or Pearl would lunge out and bite him.

His small fingers brushed past her much bigger ones as he gingerly accepted the blanket from her. Steven wrapped it tightly around himself until only his curly mop of black hair and doe-like eyes were visible. He let out a content sigh as he burrowed himself further into the warmth and safety of the blanket.

"...Thank you," he said, his timid voice coming out muffled.

Pearl nodded and offered him a small smile.

The two stared at each other, an awkward silence descending upon the room. She opened her mouth only to promptly close it. Should she say something? Steven's nervous glancing and constant fidgeting was troubling, especially since he had been so talkative mere moments ago. Had she offended him somehow? No, that couldn't be right. All she had done was offer him a blanket. So, then why wa—

"I like your jacket," Steven suddenly said, snapping Pearl out of her worried musings. "It's pretty."

Pearl blinked, taken aback and glanced down at herself. However, before she could respond Amethyst was already loudly announcing her return.

"I'm back!" she said. "And I found Greg."

Pearl glanced behind her, raising an eyebrow at the empty space. Thankfully, it appeared Amethyst wasn't lying as a moment later Greg appeared in the doorway with a flushed face and sweaty forehead. He leaned against the wall, collecting his breath as his eyes scanned the room.

"... Steven," he choked out in between breaths. "Where… is—"

The patter of bare feet against a wooden floor filled the room as Steven leapt off the bed and barreled straight towards Greg. Steven wrapped himself around him, clinging to him as if his life depended on it.

"Dad!"

Greg's mouth fell open, his eyes widening to an almost impossible degree as he stared down at Steven. He sputtered, looking like a fish out of water before finally finding his voice, "Steven?!" he shouted, glancing at the gems for an explanation. "Wha— I don't…"

"Dad?" Steven's voice wavered, his grip on Greg tightening.

Greg's gaze snapped back onto Steven, a million emotions flashing across his wide eyes before they eventually settled on relief. He scooped Steven into his arms and held him tight against his chest.

"You're okay!" he exclaimed. "I… What happened to you?"

Greg was looking at Steven when he asked the question, but it was Garnet who answered. She adjusted her visor as she spoke, "We're not sure," she said. "We heard Steven shout and when we went to check on him…"

"He was already a baby," Amethyst finished.

Steven puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms, "I'm not a baby!" he protested, legs flailing and body squirming as he shifted in Greg's hold. "I'm six."

"Oh boy," Greg said, face paling at the statement. He swayed, and for a moment Pearl feared he would collapse, but he managed to right himself while keeping a firm grip on Steven. "That's… wow."

Pearl said nothing, allowing him a moment to process the situation. Unfortunately, Steven was not as considerate and proceeded to climb all over a dumb-struck Greg, treating him as a makeshift jungle gym. He pulled himself up using Greg's shirt and reached for his scalp.

"Where's your hair?" he asked, rubbing Greg's bald spot with a look of wonder on his face. "Is it hiding?"

Amethyst choked back a laugh, but ultimately seemed to take pity on Greg. She reached over to take a fussy Steven away from him.

"Man, I can't believe you used to be this small," she said as she hoisted Steven on her hip. He began to play with her hair, but she didn't seem to mind.

Pearl grabbed Greg by the arm and led him over to the bed. He appeared fine now and most of the shock had gone from his face, but she didn't want to take any chances. If Greg collapsed they would be left to take care of Steven by themselves, something which would end in disaster. While she knew the basics of human biology, Pearl wasn't foolish enough to believe that she could properly care for Steven.

"How long has he been like this?" Greg asked, running a hand through what was left of his hair. "And when is he going to change back? He is going to change back, right?"

Pearl shared an uncomfortable look with Garnet who had finally stopped fiddling with her visor. Her brow was wrinkled and she wore a deep frown.

"I don't see any future in which he changes back," Garnet said. Greg's eyes bulged out of their sockets. His mouth opened and closed but words failed to come out. Pearl similarly turned to Garnet in shock and prepared to launch a barrage of questions, but Garnet held up a finger to stop her and continued, "However," she said. "I also never foresaw this future. It's entirely possible that he will return to normal in a few days or even a few hours. What's important now is making sure he's comfortable."

Greg took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right," he said. "We shoul—"

"Um… guys," Amethyst interrupted, voice rising. "I think something is seriously wrong with Steven."

Steven weakly clung to Amethyst. His cheeks were an alarming shade of red and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead. He shivered and burrowed himself closer to Amethyst, a wave of coughs racking his small frame. Unlike Pearl who stood frozen in fear, Greg wasted no time and sprang into action. He gently took Steven from Amethyst arms and pressed the back of his hand against his damp forehead.

"He's sick," Greg said, frowning. "He has a fever."

Pearl wrung her hands together. Steven didn't get sick. It was one of the many perks of his half-gem heritage, but clearly something had changed. Pearl wracked her mind for any morsel of knowledge regarding human illnesses, but she was a gem who, before Steven came into her life, never concerned herself much with the problems of humans.

Greg brought up some home remedies that had the potential to relieve some of Steven's symptoms, but Pearl knew just by looking at Steven's trembling frame that it wouldn't be enough. This wasn't some common flu that could be cured with the right amount of chicken soup—it was serious. Her eyes widened as an idea struck her. Of course! How could she have forgotten?

"Connie!" she blurted out. Three sets of confused eyes turned to look at her and she rushed to explain herself. "She once told me that her mother was a human physician."

The tension in Greg's shoulder loosened somewhat, although his face was still taut with worry.

"Can you call her?" he asked, his gaze never leaving Steven's flushed face.

Pearl said nothing and simply summoned her phone as a response. In her haste, she fumbled and dropped it onto the floor. She lunged after it, but her shaky hands made it difficult to unlock. Amethyst placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and took the phone from her.

"I got this, P," she said.

Pearl nodded, grateful. She moved closer to Greg so she could better watch Steven while Amethyst made the phone call. She stole a glance at the window. The clouds were grey and heavy with rain. A flash of lighting lit up the sky. Steven shivered and pressed himself closer to Greg as an icy gust of wind blew in from the broken sliding door.

Pearl bit her lip. Connie couldn't get here soon enough.