Maybe Eddie's fever is more?

...

So hot. Head hurt. Hard to breathe. It was so hot! Why?

"Eddie? Eddie can you hear me?"

Eddie opened his eyes blearily to the familiar voice."Dan? What... What are you doing here?" He rolled over to a coughing fit. His throat was so dry! He felt a comforting hand lay on his back. Once the cough settled, Dan handed him a glass of cool water, which he drank greedily.

"Careful, I don't want a random fit to cause you to inhale that water." Dan gave his best no-nonsense doctor voice. Eddie nodded, placing the glass on his bedside table and laying back down on his pillows. "And to answer your question, well... I received a text from what I THOUGHT was you, but it turned out you had been keeping a secret."

"Huh? " In his fevered stupor he was having a little difficulty following. Luckily he received the missing answer.

SORRY EDDIE. WE WERE WORRIED.

"V...? What?" Eddie rolled over as another coughing fit laid him out. He tried to suppress the weak whimper from his over used ab muscles.

Venom formed a small head connected at Eddie's shoulder.

YOUR BODY TEMPERATURE WAS TOO HIGH AND WE COULD NOT GET IT TO STAY DOWN.

Eddie looked up at the symbiote wondering why he decided to form two heads. "So you called Dan?"

DAN IS A DOCTOR AND YOU TRUST HIM. WE DID NOT WANT YOU TO DIE!

Dan chuckled softly as he checked Eddie's vitals. "Imagine my surprise that not only were you NOT the one who texted me about a medical emergency, but the one who did was the same alien creature who tried to kill me a few months ago."

WE APOLOGIZED FOR THAT!

Dan gave him a smirk. "Actually, YOU didn't. Eddie apologized on your behalf." He made a note on his notepad.

OH. WELL WE ARE SORRY WE TRIED TO KILL YOU. YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO EDDIE AND ANNIE. WE NO LONGER WANT YOU DEAD.

Dan shook his head, but he was smiling. "Thanks, uh..."

"Venom." Eddie mumbled.

"There's one more thing I'd like to check for Eddie. Can you sit up?"

"Sure." Eddie sat up, which exacerbated his headache. Venom gave a concerned chirping sound and brushed gently against his forehead. It felt rather soothing.

"I'd like to listen to your lungs, just to make sure there's no pneumonia." Dan placed his stethoscope on his back and started. "What the...!" Before realizing what he was hearing. "Oh, is that you?"

Venom looked over at the doctor.

YOU CAN HEAR US WITH THAT TOOL?

"Yeah. It caught me off guard. Is there any way you can, uh...not move so I can hear Eddie's lungs?" Dan felt almost awkward asking the alien that. He wondered if it was rude?

WE CAN TRY.

Venom wrapped himself around Eddie for the most part, except his upper torso. Eddie sighed in comfort, giving a soft smile thru half lidded eyes. Dan tried listening to Eddie's lungs again, nodding in satisfaction.

"Thank you. Eddie, do you think you can try giving me a deep breath?"

Eddie frowned and started to, only to get caught up in another fit. Venom frowned and gave a small confused sound.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM? HE KEEPS HAVING THIS DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING AND HIS TEMPERATURE IS WRONG!

Dan took the stethoscope out of his ears, winging them around his neck. "Well as far as I can tell, he has a bad cold.

BUT HE IS HOT! NOT COLD!

Eddie giggled at the symbiotes confusion as Dan shook his head.

"No, a cold is a human illness. There's a bug going around and it shouldn't keep him down too long. I..." He trailed off as Eddie leaned his head on his shoulder.

"Dan's the greatest!" Eddie's words were slurred. "So smart and so kind. Better than I can ever be!"

Dan gave a soft smile down at Eddie. "You're great too Eddie. Not everyone has the courage to go thru what you have in the past year."

Eddie gave a small hum, and Dan helped lay him back down, watching in curiousity as Venom oozed back into Eddie.

"You know I'm going to have to tell Anne about Venom, right Eddie?" Dan started to sit up.

Eddie whined, latching his arms around Dan's neck. "Tha's not fair."

Dan couldn't help but chuckle, reaching behind his neck to loose the arms. "Unfortunately sometimes life isn't fair. And you know Anne doesn't like secrets."

Eddie sighed. "Yeah, yeah. When you're right, your right." He let go of Dan's neck, but before dropping them, he lingered on his face; gently cupping it. He had a hard time thinking straight. "Damn you're so handsome. I love your eyes." He mumbled.

Dan blinked not sure if he had heard right. He wondered if Eddie meant to keep that thought to himself. He decided to pretend he didn't hear it, to save Eddie the potential embarrassment. Clearing his throat, he gently lay Eddie's hand on his chest. "Um, right Venom? Just make sure Eddie drinks plenty of fluids. Water and warm tea with some honey preferred. Try not to force him to eat too much."

WE NEED TO EAT, OURSELVES THO!

"Oh. Right...uh... What... What do you normally eat? Most meats wouldn't sit well on his stomach."

ARE TATER-TOTS AND CHOCOLATE OK TO EAT?

Dan thought for a moment... "It should be ok, don't eat too fast or too much. And keep me posted. This should clear up in a few days."

WE THANK YOU, DAN LEWIS. AGAIN WE ARE GLAD WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY KILL YOU!

Dan wasn't too sure about the compliment, but he let it slide for now. He gathered his things and bid the pair good night. Maybe he should just wait untill Eddie was well enough to reveal his secret himself?