Nochelle - Our Stories

S I C K 1

~Season 6~ (Amy yes, Davis no)

"Wow, you look awful."

"Thanks, Noah, that's really sweet."

Noah ignores this. "I thought you agreed you'd stay home today if you felt any worse."

"I feel fine."

"Really? Because you sound like death, and you were late for dance."

Richelle finishes unpacking her bag and sits heavily on the bench next to her cubby. "Ugh, I know. Do you think Emily noticed?"

Noah glances over at the office. "Nah, she's been on the phone all morning, but that's not the point. Richelle, you're sick, you shouldn't be here."

Richelle scoffs, which makes her cough, and Noah raises his eyebrows victoriously above a look of real concern. She clears her throat and takes a drink from her water bottle, which does nothing to ease her hoarseness or the congestion apparent in her voice. "You think I'd stay home for this? This is nothing."

"You were late."

"By two and a half minutes!"

"—Your ponytail's crooked."

She hastens to fix it while eyeing him in turn.

"—You wore that same shirt yesterday."

"It's not dirty."

"—You're mouth breathing."

Richelle shuts her mouth defiantly, and Noah waits pointedly until she runs out of air and is forced to open it again to breathe. She rolls her eyes, but she's cut off by a sneeze, and then another. "Shut up," she says stuffily, rifling around in her cubby for a packet of tissues. "Let's just get to rehearsal."

~~~

In Studio A, the rest of the team are already warming up, most of them gathered around waiting for the morning announcements. Richelle takes her usual place at the barre, but Jacquie, who was positioned beside her, takes one look before recoiling and leaping out of the way.

"Uh-uh. No. No way."

"Hey," Richelle says, voice cracking, surprised and slightly hurt. "What'd I do?"

"Be a biochemical hazard!"

"What?"

"You're sick!" Jacquie moves to stretch beside Summer and pulls her jacket collar up over her face.

"Oh, come on." Richelle says, but she's glad there's at least a reason for Jacquie's reaction.

"She's right, Richelle, you look like hell." Summer chimes in.

"Who asked you?" Richelle tries to sound authorative but immediately breaks into a fit of harsh coughs.

It sounds painful, and Henry lets out a "Damn, Richelle!" as she struggles to regain control before Emily arrives. Richelle winces as she takes a drink of water and it burns at her sore throat.

She's managed to gather herself reasonably well by the time Emily enters and starts her announcements for the day.

"Right guys, I've just received a letter from Absolute—Oh my God, Richelle, what happened to you?"

"Em?!" Her voice cracks horribly.

"You look like a corpse!"

Richelle shifts in embarrassment, avoiding the gaze of the other dancers. "I'm sorry, I have a bit of a cold." She says through gritted teeth.