Atem woke up the next morning on his own, not woken up by his slave, but on his own.
He sat up and sneezed several times in a row. He plopped back down on his pillow.
He didn't feel too good. His head hurt like all of the Underworld had been smashed into it and suddenly, he was too weak to move. He slowly raised his hand to his face, dreading the sight he would see.
A cluster of dots.
And what did he see?
A cluster of dots.
He sighed, shaking his head. He knew it was only a matter of time before he came down with the illness. He could only imagine Sheila's expression when she found out he had the illness and that he might die in a few days.
He sat up after resting. His head didn't hurt as much anymore and his pain sorta stopped.
He stood and slipped on his slippers, wondering where Sheila was and why she wasn't coming. Usually, she would have made it by now.
He slipped on his wrist cuffs and his cape before stopping do here coughing and wheezing come from Sheila's room. He raised an eyebrow, silencing a cough and made his way down to her room.
Sheila sat on the side of her bed, coughing and sneezing into her her hand.
Which were unwrapped and both had a cluster of red dots on each.
She looked up to see Atem and she gasped, hiding her hands behind her back.
"Atem! Go-Good morning!" She scrambled for the wrap behind her.
"Sheila? Are you okay?" Atem stepped inside and eyed her, walking slowly in her direction.
She sighed and looked down, ashamed.
"Atem, I have something to tell you." She said, "You might have already figured it out by my hands."
She brought her hands up in front of her face for Atem to see the cluster of dots on her hands and palms. Atem looked at them and continued to listen to his friend.
"I have come down with the illness..." Sheila said, looking sad and guilty, "I am so sorry."
"Sorry? Why would you be Sorry?" Atem returned, "You can't control this kind of stuff."
Sheila was stunned.
This was not the reaction she was expecting.
"But I-" She began, "I just thought..."
Atem silenced her. He finished, "What I am trying to say is that we will suffer together."
Sheila still looked the least bit confused.
Atem, in order to resolve her confusion, brought his hand up to her's and held it in his.
"Sheila, I have it too." He said.
She gasped.