Team RED

Story 5 Part 3: The Virus

"Rise and shine everyone!" Miss Pauling loudly announced. No one answered her. "Guys?..." She huffed. She had to get them out of their beds herself. Miss Pauling honestly felt like a mother of nine kids... nine... grown men... kids...

Miss Pauling swung open Scout's room door. She walked to his bed and pulled back the covers.

"Scout! You should-......Is that a teddy bear?"

Scout bolted awake.

"What- Ah! No no! I... Wait... What are you doing here?"

"Well I'm trying to wake everyone up. Now get ready," Miss Pauling then left his room. The flustered Scout looked over at his bear, and threw his sheets over it.

Miss Pauling knocked on Soldier's door next, but there was no answer.

"Soldier?..."

"HELLO Miss Pauling!" Soldier yelled, as he stood right behind her.

"Oh my g-... Don't scare me like that, Soldier!"

"Yes ma'am." Soldier nodded, then sneezed, and walked into his room.

"What was he even doing?" Miss Pauling shook her head. At least two out of nine men were up.

Miss Pauling was hesitant when she approached Pyro's door. She gave it a gentle knock, however the door suddenly opened on its own.

Well that was creepy.

"Pyro?- aww..." She looked at the sleeping arsonist. He was cuddling a Balloonicorn, and he had a very cutely decorated room. Posters of rainbows and other lovely things hung on the wall, and his bedsheets matched the entire room decor.

She gently shook him awake.

"Pyro? It's time to get up... Can you get up please?" She asked him.

Pyro slowly sat up. He turned his head towards her.

Then he made a growling sound.

Miss Pauling swiftly made her way out of there.

"Okay maybe I shouldn't have done that... So next would be Demoman..."

She knocked, then opened Demoman's door. He was passed out on his bed, still in his regular clothes.

"Hey! Demoman! Wake up!"

The demolitionist rolled off his bed.

"I'm up! I'm up!" He muttered.

"... If you say so," Miss Pauling said, looking him up and down. His nose was a bright red from the sickness. She sighed, not convinced, and decided to move on to the next mercenary. Heavy.

Oh boy, She thought. After slowly opening Heavy's door, she tiptoed over to the large figure. At first, she tried talking to him. He snores in response. Miss Pauling tapped his shoulder... then his face... then his belly. Heavy didn't budge.

"Come on, big guy..." She mumbled to herself. She started to push him, but he still didn't move. The woman never realized how massive Heavy actually was. Just then, she saw Engineer walk by the room.

"Oh! Engineer! I need a hand!" She motioned for him to come over. The engineer adjusted his hard hat.

"You sure this is the best way to get him up?" Engineer asked, then coughed afterwards.

"You have any better ideas?" Miss Pauling raised an eyebrow, still trying to push Heavy. Engi thought for a moment.

"Wait here," he said to her. Miss Pauling gave up and sighed. She waited for Engineer to return, but instead, Medic walked into the room.

"Move aside," Medic calmly said. She obeyed, and the doctor walked up to Heavy.

"Misha..." He quietly started, "I've made something for you... I've made a sandvich..."

Heavy opened his eyes, and sat up.

"Thank you Doktor!!" Heavy stood up and brought Medic into a big bear hug.

"Y-You're crushing... me..." Medic wheezed.

"Oops."

The whole time Miss Pauling watched, mouth agape.

That's all it took? Are you serious?

Miss Pauling walked out of the room, exhausted.

They're all insane...

She looked to see who else needed to be woken up.

"Just Sniper and Spy. Oh boy," Miss Pauling sighed and opened Sniper's door. He was asleep still, with a cat on top of him. She tilted her head. Miss Pauling had no idea he had a cat. When the woman approached the bed, Sydney sprung off of Sniper, causing him to wake up.

"Huh? Whot?..." Sniper reached for his hat. "Oh... Whot are you doing here?" He sniffed and looked at Miss Pauling.

"Oh sorry I... I was trying to wake you up... Also I didn't know you had a cat-"

"Don't ask."

With that, he got up and left the room. In the distance, he could hear him calling for his cat.

"Why is this so much effort," Miss Pauling shook her head, and clasped her hands. She walked towards Spy's room.

"Spy?" She started knocking, "Are you awake?"

The door unlocked, then Spy, fully dressed, opened it.

"Oui. I don't need a wake up call, Miss Pauling." Spy began to take out a cigarette.

"Wait... You can't smoke while you're sick!" Miss Pauling panicked.

"Why? It's not doing anything terrible to me," Spy raised a brow. He may be sick with the virus, but he honestly looked fine... Or at least, he looked better than everyone else. The exhausted female kept her mouth shut. She was too tired to argue.

"Alright so I'm assuming everyone is awake now."

She made her way to the table, where the men were meeting up.

"So, uh, Miss Pauling?" Scout turned to her. "What do we do know?"

"Well, you lay low, and you stay hydrated..." Miss Pauling tapped her chin, "Oh! And you stay here until I get the medicine. Do not do anything dangerous, or eat anything weird okay? I have to get going."

"Wait you're gonna leave us again?? I thought the meds wouldn't be ready until tonight!" Scout grasped Miss Pauling's shoulders.

"Yes, Scout. It's a day trip. I won't be back until later. I better get going now. Take care!" She stood up, and got a bit dizzy. "Woah... Heh... I'm okay! Don't worry. I'll be back!"

Miss Pauling made her exit. The men sighed, not really knowing what they could do to "lay low".