The Shepherd and the Salesman

Rekindling

Ili opened the door to his apartment. "Hey dude, I'm back with the-" He stopped in the doorway, his gaze affixed to Spamton, who was curled up in the corner of he room with his hand in his mouth, drenched in sweat, shaking, and sobbing. "Woah- a-are you okay??" Ili put the grocery bag on the ground and came over to Spamton.

Spamton didn't respond and was just incoherently muttering to himself through broken sobs. "Buddy? Spamton?" Ili said, reaching both hands forward and cupping Spamton's face. "Spammy?" He said softly, a sympathetic, sweet expression upon his face.

Spamton just hugged Ili tightly and started sobbing loudly again. Ili paused, processing what had just happened before gently hugging Spamton back. "What happened, Spammy?" Ili asked, gently petting Spamton's back in a comforting way.

Spamton shakily raised his pointer finger toward the phone, still quietly sobbing. Ili looked confused, "The... phone? What about it?" Ili asked, looking back down at Spamton.
"H-HE"S TRYING TO...."
"HE"S GONNA..."
"HE W0N"T STOP....."
"....[[mike]]...." he quietly said, his voice clear for once.

"...Mike?" Ili repeated back, Spamton held a finger up to Ili's lips swiftly."DON"T [[say it]]!!!" He said with urgency. "Uh... okay? I won't...." Ili said awkwardly.
"...I got the fever medication for ya, uh... are you okay? Do you need to talk about it?" Ili offered, Spamton shook his head no and clung to Ili tightly. "[[please don't leave me again]]" He said desperately, his voice breaking.

Ili paused, realizing something. "...Did he panic because I left?" He thought to himself, feeling guilty again. "...I... I won't, I promise." Ili said quietly, resting his chin on Spamton's shoulder, having to hunch over just to properly cuddle the stout puppet.

The two sat within eachothers embrace in silence for a long while for what felt like hours before one of them spoke.
"... Do you feel okay lil dude?" Ili asked.

Spamton hesitated before nodding. "...I FEEL A [[little]] B3TTER..." He said quietly, sniffling. Ili attempted to pull away from the hug, but Spamton tightened his grip. "NO." He said defiantly.

"...Alright then." Ili said, scooping one arm under Spamton and hoisting him onto his shoulder. Which, surprisingly, he fit upon. Spamton looked completely and utterly confused but slowly realized what had happened and blushed, wiping his tears with his fist.

"J-JEEZ YOU"RE [[strong]]-!" He said with a quiet laugh, his grin a little shaky and awkward. "Nah, you feel like a couple of grapes." Ili said confidently, going over to the grocery bag he dropped, Spamton still on his shoulder, and picked it up.

Spamton hugged around Ili's neck slightly, which Ili didn't mind, and nuzzled into his cheek fur. Ili just went over to the kitchen, sat the fever medication on the counter. He opened the plastic neck of the bottle with his switchblade. He paused, estimating Spamton's weight while holding him, about 61 lbs.

He measured the dose of cough syrup for that and gently nudged Spamton, handing him the little plastic cup of medicine. "Take that, it'll taste bad, but it'll help you feel less horrible." Ili said, going to the sink and getting a cup of water.

Spamton looked at the syrupy medicine within the cup with curiosity. It was purple and viscous. It didn't LOOK like it tasted bad, and it smelled a little like grape.

He downed the cough syrup like a shot, and the taste hit him like a fucking BUS. He gagged and scrunched his nose, coughing and sputtering, but he had already swallowed the medicine.

Ili handed him the water, which he promptly guzzled down in one solid gulp. "WHY THE [#%@%] WOULD YOU G1VE ME THAT!?" Spamton said through a mouthful of water.
"I told ya it would taste bad." Ili said with a shrug.

Spamton dramatically threw himself back, forgetting he was on Ili's shoulder. Ili grabbed him so he didn't fall "Woah hey! Careful, dude. I know it's bad, but it isn't that bad!!" Ili chuckled

"I"VE BEEN [[poisoned]]!!" Spamton said with a laugh. "Don't be a baby, it's fiiine." Ili lightly slapped his back as the two giggled at their own idiocy.

But just then...

it was interrupted by the phone ringing...

Spamton's smile dropped, and he looked over at the living room, beginning to get nervous. His grip on Ili tightened. "...I'll go handle that, okay? You stay here." Ili said, putting Spamton down gently. Spamton nodded and sat down on the ground.

Ili went into the living room and picked up the phone, grumbling angrily to himself before talking.

"Hello, this is Ili Shepard speaking. How can I help you?"

"You have something I want."