Lovable Insanity.

*SAD DRABBLE THINGY*

"What? For how long?"

Sage sighed tiredly, "Maybe a few days, mademoiselle. He has not been normal for a while…"

The large Purugly sighed loudly, and adjusted her lying position on the red velvet cushion she rested on.  Sage's eyes traveled around the small room - Boss' chamber –and looked over the gold, silver, and various other items hanging on hooks and loose nails. Sparkling amulet chains were draped around the Purugly's bedding, padded by embroidered, expensive-looking carpets. Complex-looking glass candle holders and bronze vases lined the room, and every shiny item set off a radiant shine from the lit candles which sent a strong, thick scent into the air that was meant to smell pleasant. To the trio of girls in the room, it made it hard to breathe properly around the strong scent.

"What do you mean, not normal?" Boss growled in her deep, rough voice. Her curled tail flicked from side to side as the words escaped, "Elaborate, if you please girls."

Bo leapt forward before Sage could speak again, "We mean, he's not well enough to be going on missions for a while," the energetic Mawile explained with rapid speech, "He's been laying in bed most of the day, and he hasn't been eating much, and he keeps staring into the distance and it's just worrying!"

"He's been calling off days lately as well. I'd say it was one of these damned winter viruses," Boss growled, picking at the fringe of one of her carpets, "Well, it won't do nobody no good for him to be jumping around with whatever he's got. Can't risk him spreading it around either. He can have a week off work."

"A week!" Sage murmured in surprise, "I had expected less time. That eez most generous of you, mademoiselle." She said gratefully.

"Hey," the giant cat huffed, "I happen to like Sirius. He's a good kid, a hard worker. I reckon he was due for some off-time anyway. Now why don't you go see to him?"

Bo nodded hastily, "Thank you Boss!" and bolted from the room, followed wearily by Sage and Pip.

…

"I'm not sick, Bo. I'm just…stressed out." Sirius told her in a listless voice as her hand reached for his head. When she had returned, he looked lifeless on the bed, the covers tangled around his limbs as if he had recently fought a dreamscape struggle. His whiskers were drooping, his forelock matted to his forehead and his fur dull and ashen and ungroomed. His headband had been cast off tiredly and was lying near his pillow, partially folded but mostly crumpled. His gaze had unfocused again as his frayed mind returned to whatever places it had been these days, and Bo took the chance to gently lay her hand across her idol's forehead. The fur was considerably heated from the skin underneath, burning against her bare hand, and she drew away. His eyes were fixed on her now, looking misty and blank.

Bo stared at him, "You're on fire, Sirius…" she said quietly, feeling icy fingers of dread reach up her backbone. At the news, Sirius merely sighed, shutting his eyes briefly before replying,

"It'll be okay, it's probably just some bug flying around." Sirius said quietly, but his tone didn't sound convincing; not to himself or Bo. His expression became faintly strained as a headache crept its way into his skull.

Bo watched him solemnly, the worry causing her heart to speed up. She had been the first person Sirius had met since the first day he had arrived. Back then, he didn't look or seem like much. He was startled by everything, usually too nervous to speak to anyone. No, he didn't look like the best addition to the Guild…yet. Through time and training, he was not just quiet due to his shyness; he was much more thoughtful. His nerve steeled, he grew up stronger, and Bo had begun to really take an interest in him then. She began following him around to learn from his quick skills, his strength, his prowess and utter coolness. She knew that he often found her irritating when she followed him, talked his ears off, and often kept tagging along on his thieving missions, but she rather found it funny whenever he got cross with her. She didn't like how he'd gone from being so…kiddish to being nearly dismal all the time, and she felt like her annoying endeavors would eventually lighten up his mood, even a little.

It almost hurt bitterly to see him, stripped of his powerful air and energy. Seeing him lay among his blankets, defeated, weak, fallen…Bo winced in sympathy for him.

Sage and Pip appeared behind her, looking down at Sirius' lethargic form with quiet grimness. Sage looked at Bo with concern shining in her eyes, "He eez okay?" she asked softly.

Bo looked from Sirius back to Sage, and shook her head slowly, "He's burning up…he looks really wiped out too…"

Pip looked up at her, "Is it really that bad?" the five-year-old asked. Sage took the young child's paw reassuringly,

"He will be fine, we shall look after him." She said determinedly. Bo gave a small hop,

"That's right! We'll make sure he's as comfortable as possible during his week off. We'll do everything he wants!" she announced, and Sage and Pip agreed with less passion but equal determination.

They couldn't be more unaware of the mental battle their charge suffered in his half-conscious state. None of them could possibly guess the hardships he was facing, his slow but steady descent into madness.

…

The next day when Sirius had woken up, Bo explained his time off, and insisted for him to stay in his bed. He agreed, his voice dropped to a whisper as if his strength was too sapped to do much else. Bo, Pip, and Sage continually took turns watching over him, getting him what he wanted, making casual conversation as best they could, even though Sage and Bo felt completely nerve-wracked over the state of their beloved Sirius. He looked to be getting worse as well, his body severely weakened, his breathing growing shallower and noisier, his fever heightening…they could tell he was often tormented by stunning headaches and nightmares. Sage suggested they start talking to him to keep him out of delirium.  

"Bonjour Sirius…are you feeling better at all today? Nod for yes." Sage tapped his shoulder gently, trying to make out any last remnant of alertness in the ill Dewott's eyes.

Sirius looked at her, blinking slowly, and twitched his shoulder very slightly in a weak shrug. He took in a grating breath, and the rough, labored sound tugged on Sage's heart.

Bo seemed rather crushed at the critical state of her idol, and began to keep her distance for long stretches of time, as if it pained her too much to see him down like this. She sat back, watching Sage and Pip attempt to make conversation with the sick otter. She stood herself up after a few minutes of watching, coming up behind Sage, "I'm so sorry Sirius," she told him, "I wish I could have done better…"

Sage turned around to console her, "You did your best Bo," she said softly, "We all did."

If I had done my best, Bo thought with an uncharacteristic bitterness, Sirius could be a little better by now…

All she did was sigh, "Well, next time this happens, I'll do better. I will!" she swore. She knelt down next to Sirius, brushing strands of his sweat-sticky forelock out of his face and feeling the heat of his intense fever.

"I just cannot stand to see him like zis…" Sage whispered, "He looks so…vulnerable…"

"I know right?" Bo said sadly, nervously playing with one of her pigtails as she watched the thirteen-year-old Dewott's chest rise and fall with laborious effort.

…

He nearly stopped breathing shortly after midnight that night.

Bo had gotten up to check on Sirius. As she arrived at his side, she heard his breath hitch suddenly, and his expression became distressed. He started tossing in his sleep, and tears began to roll down his face. Her cry of shock woke Sage and Pip, who joined her immediately. Bo and Sage held his paws reassuringly, attempting to calm him down, although the both of them were on the edge of panic themselves. They were only eight and nine year-olds anyway; unsure of whether or not their friend was dying in front of them then and there…

The episode ended after what felt like an eternity, leaving the trio of girls trembling in genuine fear for their beloved Dewott. Bo suddenly broke down in tears, and Pip kept a tense, miserable silence. Sage draped an arm across Bo's shoulders, "Shh, eez okay mon ami…" she kept repeating in her soft, lilting voice as Bo continued to sob quietly into her friend's shoulder. It hurt to see Bo like this; she was always so upbeat and positive to the point that it was annoying. To see her cry was nearly unbelievable.

She had been really scared.

…

The week had passed, and Sirius still showed only small signs of recovery. However, he wasn't assigned to any missions, as if the Boss knew of his deathly condition. He refused to eat anything for nearly three days, and only on the fourth day were the girls able to get him to eat a little. Slowly, he regained his energy to talk, to sit up. The headaches came less and less vicious, until they went away entirely. Sirius even seemed to recover his sense of power faster than his health, and he almost seemed relieved of something besides of being over his unusually long sickness.

Bo decided not to care about the little details, but to rejoice over Sirius' recovery. Even long after his getting better, Bo seemed clingier than ever, and even fulfilled her promise to be a "better" caretaker later on during a notable fangirl cookie-related incident, in which she almost never left Sirius alone instead of letting him in peace. She knew she came off as annoying and intrusive, but she had only really viewed it as making sure the problem she'd caused wouldn't escalate as it did with this incident.

Bo was a crazy oddball no doubt, but *most* of the time her insanity was backed with good intentions.

Mostly…