Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, they were awesome. Loved the sick-Hiro idea, so here it is! Hope you like it :)

Tadashi Says Hi

Five days.

That was how long Hiro had been in bed, sick. Pneumonia, Baymax had diagnosed the first day. But it wasn't leaving, no matter what they tried to do to cure it.

Aunt Cass was losing her mind, frantically rushing from one medicine to the next, refusing to give up. Baymax did what he was programmed to do, which was comfort the patient in any way possible. And Hiro slipped between dream and wakefulness, growing worse as the days dragged on. By now, he almost longed for the end of this, for the day when he could forget the pain and maybe see Tadashi again.

But there did come a day when Hiro saw everything he would be leaving. And he chose to stay.

-o-o-o-

Voices pierced the darkness of Hiro's sleep, familiar voices he recognized. "HIRO ARE YOU SLEEPING?"

"Shut up, Fred, of course he's sleeping!"

"ANSWER ME SO THAT I KNOW YOU'RE NOT DEAD, HIRO!"

"Fred, I swear to God—"

"DON'T GO INTO THE LIGHT!"

"FRED!"

Hiro heard the muffled "ow" that Fred made when the other person, GoGo, he guessed from her voice, smacked him. Of course, this triggered the rasping sound of Baymax inflating to see who was in pain. Hiro lifted a hand to his forehead, wishing for more sleep. He reluctantly pried open his eyes.

Fred, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and GoGo were all clustered around his bed. Honey Lemon was gazing at him through wide, concerned eyes, Wasabi looked as though he might be praying, and GoGo was glaring at Fred. Her eyes flicked to Hiro for a second. "Oh great job, genius," she muttered to Fred. "You woke him up!"

Fred looked at Hiro and broke into a big grin. "Hey, Hiro!" he greeted. "What's up? Just dropped by to make sure you're not dying on us. Right, guys?"

"Death is not something to joke about!" Wasabi snapped fearfully, dark eyes flitting to Hiro as though he was afraid the fourteen-year-old would stop breathing right then.

"I wasn't joking," Fred replied in puzzlement. GoGo slapped herself on the forehead in exasperation.

By this point, Baymax had managed to shuffle his way around the group to Fred's side. Now, he took a moment to scan Fred before launching into his little speech. "I heard a sound of distress. What is the problem?"

"There is no problem," GoGo answered flatly.

Fred pointed at her accusingly. "She hit me."

"On a scale of one to ten, how bad is your pain?" Baymax asked politely.

"ZERO," GoGo growled.

"Ten," Fred grinned.

"Violence is never the answer to arguments between friends," Baymax informed them. He raised a finger importantly. "I suggest you embrace and make up, as humans would say."

"I take it back, my pain's at, like, negative five!" Fred yelped hurriedly.

Hiro took one look at this whole scene and couldn't stop a weak smile from surfacing on his face. He was now immensely glad his friends were here. This wild, crazy group of people were everything to him and he couldn't imagine what he'd do without their silly antics and support. And of course, there was Baymax, who had always been a special friend to him since Tadashi's death.

"You guys crack me up," Hiro remarked aloud. Every gaze swung back to him. The alarm in their eyes frightened him; they had heard the raspy croak that his voice now was and it scared them.

"Dude, your voice sounds like a strangled cat," Fred commented unhelpfully.

Hiro shrank away from them. "Sorry," he whispered. "I'm just a little...messed up right now." His throat tickled uncomfortably.

"We totally understand," Honey Lemon replied, nodding enthusiastically. "Don't worry about it, Hiro."

"Yeah, Hiro, you're gonna be fine," Wasabi added. He smiled encouragingly.

Hiro wanted to agree with them, but he couldn't. He knew that he was in bad shape. He wasn't stupid. But no one ever told him the truth; they only pitied him and hid the real reason they were all so terrified. "Thanks," he managed. His throat tickled again, but he refused to cough. Coughing hurt like a million knives carving into his chest and throat.

"You gotta get better, Hiro," GoGo said, surprising him with her gentleness. "Who's gonna help us beat up bad guys if you're not there?"

Fred pointed at Baymax with his thumb. "We always got Baymax as backup," he reminded her.

"I am not a 'backup,'" Baymax said in confusion. "I am a robot."

GoGo rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. Great backup you got there, Fred."

The others laughed, lifting Hiro's spirits, if only for a short time.

-o-o-o-

That night, Hiro struggled to sleep while Baymax stood over him watchfully. Suddenly, his bed was much too uncomfortable. His bones ached, his mouth was dry, and it hurt to breathe. He shifted for who knew how long before finally deciding to give up. He laid limply on the sheets, staring up at the ceiling and counting each labored breath. Everything was in pain. He wanted it to go away. He wanted this to be over.

Next to him, Baymax continued to scan him, making calculations and running tests within his robotic system. What the tests and constant scanning were for, Hiro didn't know. The robot had never been this much of a guardian before, watching Hiro while he slept. Baymax never left his side all that day and was strangely quiet. It was unnerving. It was almost as though the robot was waiting for something, but Hiro couldn't figure out what it was.

Hiro sighed, his breath rattling in his lungs. "Baymax," he croaked. He turned his head slightly. Sweat slicked strands of dark hair to his forehead.

Baymax looked down at him, waiting patiently.

"It hurts," Hiro whispered. He swallowed hard, then winced at the pain.

"On a scale of one to ten, how bad is your pain?"

"I... Nine."

Baymax nodded, as if to himself. "Your temperature is dangerously elevated," he explained. Hiro stiffened, but Baymax was still talking. "There is a collection of fluid in your lungs, which are inflamed, and this is hindering your breathing. All are characteristic symptoms of pneumonia."

Hiro nodded slowly. "I know. You told me that—whoa!" He broke off with a painful exclamation as Baymax abruptly bent and shoved his hands underneath Hiro's back and knees. Straightening up, he scooped Hiro into his plushy arms, cradling him against himself. Hiro stared up at Baymax in shock as he was carried carefully to a different room. He glanced around in confusion and his heart sank when he recognized the room. It was his brother's. Tadashi. Baymax was silent as he sidled up beside the still-made bed. Moving gently, he laid Hiro down on top of the covers.

"Why'd you bring me here?" Hiro asked in a choked murmur.

"Tadashi was your loved one before he passed," Baymax replied. "It is important to be around loved ones during this time."

Tears burned Hiro's eyes. He sniffed and single droplet raced down his cheek, leaving a hot trail behind it. "Baymax?"

Baymax looked at him.

"Am I dying?"

Baymax was once again silent. But then he blinked. His head turned toward the doorway and then back to his patient. "I will now contact your family and friends," he droned. "They will be here shortly."

Hiro didn't want that. He forced himself to swallow and spoke again. "Baymax, am I dying?"

"...yes." Hiro choked on a sob. But Baymax was raising his hands. His palms were glowing a pale, fiery blue. Electricity hummed in the air. Through his tears, Hiro stared. Baymax watched carefully. "Your heart will stop beating shortly," he told Hiro in his usual, gentle robotic voice. "But I will bring you back." He indicated the pulsing bluish light from his palms.

Hiro remembered how he'd once jokingly said he'd had a heart attack, and how Baymax had nearly shocked him. He wanted to wipe away his tears, but found that he just couldn't lift his arm. "I'm scared," he whimpered.

"Do not be afraid," Baymax soothed, as the distant sound of shouts and footsteps pounded through the house; the others had arrived and were dashing for Hiro's room. Baymax gazed at Hiro unflinchingly. "It is a simple procedure. You will feel no pain."

Hiro wanted to cry again, but his ravaged body wouldn't let him. He inhaled another crackling breath, the fluid sitting like hard rocks in his lungs. He heard the thudding of feet on the stairs and Aunt Cass's terrified shout. Desperate, he met Baymax's gaze. "Tell them I love them," he whispered. "Just in case."

"I will." Baymax dipped his head in agreement.

"And you. I love you too, Baymax," Hiro gasped, struggling to get the words out in time.

Baymax cocked his head. Then he simply said, "we are family, now, Hiro."

It was the last thing Hiro heard.

-o-o-o-

Aunt Cass collapsed at his bedside.

Wasabi's face was a mask of tears and pain.

Fred hugged a sobbing GoGo to him.

Honey Lemon was frozen in her agony.

Baymax bowed his head.

And, in the midst of all this,

Hiro

opened

his

eyes.

The first thing he said in the following, astonished, hopeful silence was this: "Tadashi says 'hi.'"