Jack leapt out of his seat as Mark emerged from the back of the hospital. "So?"
Mark shrugged. "He said I have the flu."
Jack frowned. "Did you tell him-"
"That I have a bunch of seriously ill clones? No. Didn't come up." Mark groaned, rubbing his head. "I want to lay down."
"Yeah." Jack nodded. "We'll get you home." He lead Mark to sit down in the waiting room chairs again as he messaged for an Uber. "Do you think it's really the flu?"
"I don't know." Mark sighed. "I want it to be the flu."
Jack stared at his phone, watching the Uber. "Maybe... they have the flu? Have yours ever been sick before?"
"Maybe?" Mark sighed. "I don't know if they would have told me." He coughed a bit, slumping back in the chair. "I feel like I'm dying." When he noticed the panic on Jack's face, he sighed. "Not actually. I'm fine, Sean."
Jack hesitantly nodded, getting Mark up and moved him to the car when it arrived. He helped the man back to his bedroom, and hovered beside the bed as Mark got in. "Can I get you anything?"
"Uh..." Mark wrapped himself in blankets before he melted into the bed, closing his eyes. "Soup? Maybe? But..." He coughed a bit. "Don't... come in here too much. If you're not sick... I don't want you getting sick."
"I'm not quarantining you. What if you get worse? If this isn't the flu... we're going back to that hospital and making them pay attention." Jack grumbled, then sighed. "I'll get you soup."
Mark half opened his eyes and shook his head slightly as he watched Jack leave the room. He closed his eyes again until he felt the bed shift, and then weight on his chest. His eyes shot open just in time to see Chica before she began licking his face. "Beaka no!" Mark whined, pushing her face with his hands. "I might be contagious!"
Henry let out a whine, sitting on the floor beside the bed, wagging his tail. Mark looked down at him as Chica scooted off his chest and curled up next to him in the bed. "You're good dogs." He sighed.
Meanwhile, Dr. Iplier had woken up and was reminiscing with Dark about good times, when flickering caught their attention. Dark slowly crossed the room. "Anti?" He asked, stopping in front of Robbie's cot. He frowned slightly as he watched the zombie's form flicker, glitch and light up with static.
Dr. Iplier got up, slowly making his way over. "He... hasn't done that before."
"Not ever." Dr. Schneeplestein muttered, watching from his seat on the couch.
As they watched the unconscious zombie's form destabilizing and re-stabilizing, Anti walked in, grinning as he stretched. Dr. Schneeplestein huffed. "Speak of ze devil."
"I feel fantastic!" Anti smirked.
Dr. Schneeplestein tilted his head. "Vhat did you do to Robbie?"
"What?" Anti hissed.
Dark cleared his throat, pointing to the zombie. "What did you do?"
Anti stared for a moment before slowly making his way closer. "Whoa... he's... glitching." Anti giggled, his own form twitching between realities. "How long's he been doing that?"
"How long have you been feeling better?" Dr. Iplier asked, eyeing Anti closely.
Anti shrugged. "Couple min-" He looked at Dr. Iplier, then Dark, and then back to Robbie. "Oh no." He growled. "You are NOT pinning this weirdness on me. I didn't do ANYTHING." He hissed.
"You start feeling better, just as Robbie starts glitching? You think that's a coincidence?" Dr. Iplier asked. "No one's been recovering, then suddenly you are?"
"I'm stronger than them! That's all!" Anti hissed, backing up.
Dr. Schneeplestein shook his head. "Maybe you are some kind of ze... energy vampire."
Anti shook his head. "I'm not a fucking-"
"If you did not do this on purpose Anti, perhaps it was by accident." Dark offered.
Anti glared at him. "Shut your fucking face. I didn't do anything! This isn't my fault!"
Dr. Iplier shifted. "Robbie isn't? Or... this whole illness?"
Anti's eyes widened. "This is stupid!" He screeched. "Everyone's getting sicker, and you're gonna waste time blaming me?"
"Everyone is getting sicker... but you. Apparently you're feeling better." Dr. Iplier pointed out.
"So I'm not tired anymore. What's the big deal?" Anti hissed. "Fuck this. I'm leaving."
"No." Dark huffed, his aura flaring out again as he shoved Anti against the wall. "You're not going anywhere."
Anti bared his teeth. "I know you're weak right now. Don't make me hurt you." He leaned back giggling. "We've had such a nice truce going."
The screaming had echoed through the house, and Wilford had made his way into the sick ward, followed by the Jims who were filming the whole way. Just as they made their way in, Dark shook his head. "You did cause this! What did you do?!" He shouted.
Shaking his head, Anti shoved Dark hard, sending him flying against the far wall and ran forward after him, as Wilford seamlessly pulled out his gun and fired several rounds at Anti. Luckily for the glitch, the tired mad man missed all but one of his shots, a round that clipped Anti's back. It was just enough to catch him off guard and he fell to the ground.
"No rough play down here." Wilford muttered. "They're very sick."
Dark sighed, sinking to the floor to catch his breath, watching closely as Anti felt the ridge carved into his back by the bullet, a bit of blood leaking through the new hole in his shirt. Dr. Iplier had rushed out of the room and returned with an electrical cable and a chair from the kitchen, and with the help of Wilford and one of the Jims, they tied Anti to a chair while the other Jim filmed it.
"You have to watch chairs, they're a tricky business." Wilford mumbled as a caution, while Dr. Iplier largely ignored him.
"What did you do?" Dr. Iplier demanded, as Anti giggled nervously, squirming against the restraint.
Dr. Schneeplestein sighed. "Zhis is low. Even for you, Anti."
"I didn't do anything!" Anti squealed.
Dr. Iplier shook his head, trying to call Mark again, and then he called Jack, getting the number from Dr. Schneeplestein.
"Uh, hello?" Jack finally answered.
"Jack." Dr. Iplier sighed. "You guys should be safe. We think Anti is draining all of the egos."
"I didn't do anything!" Anti screamed in the background.
Jack was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Mark's sick."
"What?" Dr. Iplier frowned. "Fatigue? Erratic vitals?"
"I... I don't know. I mean, he's tired, yeah. He's got a fever? You guys said it might effect us differently. The doctor says it's just the flu... but he's really sick." Jack sighed.
Dr. Iplier swallowed hard. "Thank you for letting us know. Make sure to take him back to the hospital if-"
"I will." Jack promised. "I'm keeping a close eye on him. I have to go." He suddenly hung up then and Dr. Iplier slumped back onto the couch.
"Mark is sick." He turned, glaring at Anti. "Did you make him sick too?!"
"I didn't make ANYONE sick!" Anti screamed.
Robbie's form glitched more violently, his figure seeming blurry and pixelated. Dr. Schneeplestein sighed, closing his eyes. "Nozhing makes sense anymore."
Wilford slowly made his way over to where Dark was still sitting on the floor and held a hand out to him. "Come on, old boy."
Dark took his hand and stood, sighing heavily. "I am tired."
Wilford grinned, nodding. "I know."
"Jim... Jim... Jim News-" Reporter Jim yawned, walking rather normally through the room and pointing at the cots. "Reporting on... the new plague." Camera Jim lazily shifted the camera in his hands, pointing it back and forth across the room as he followed.
Dr. Iplier closed his eyes. "We need help."
"Ve need someone who is not sick." Dr. Schneeplestein groaned.
Wilford suddenly grinned. He crossed the room and stole Dr. Iplier's cell phone, sitting on the arm of the couch, dialing one of the contacts. He held the phone to his ear, smiling. "Hey, Amy?"
An hour later, Jack peered out the window as he heard knocking and then hesitantly opened the door. "Amy? What are you doing here? I thought you-"
"The doctor said it was the flu?" Amy asked.
Jack sighed. "Uh... I mean, yeah, but we don't know if-"
"I want to see him." Amy sighed. "Sean, you know how it feels when someone you care about is sick. I know he wants to protect me, but I'm a grown woman and I'll make my own choices. I want to see him. Please let me in my own home."
Jack frowned, stepping back and opened the door. Amy sighed. "Thank you." She walked into the house as Jack closed the door and made her way into the bedroom. Chica and Henry were both curled up on the bed and lifted their heads, wagging their tails.
Mark looked up, frowning. "Nooooo..." He whined.
Amy walked to the side of the bed, gently cupping his face in her hand. "You probably have the flu." She pointed out.
"We don't know that." Mark sighed.
"What are you symptoms?" Amy tilted her head.
Mark shifted. "I'm exhausted... and I have a headache, and I'm coughing-"
"Like the flu." Amy gently ran her fingers through Mark's hair. "Sean would have been sick by now too if it was something that could effect humans. You haven't been taking care of yourself, and you're really prone to getting sick when you don't."
"I know." Mark pouted.
Amy sighed. "I was worried about you." She sat beside him on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on his chest while he placed his hands over hers.
"I'm sorry." Mark sighed. "I'm an asshole."
"You were trying to protect me." Amy chuckled. "I know that, but I don't think I need to be protected. I think we're ok." She said softly. "I'll be right back. I need to talk to Sean and then I'll make you something warm to drink, alright?"
"Ok." Mark nodded, closing his eyes as he patted Chica.
Amy headed out to the living room, putting her hand on Jack's shoulder. "Do you feel sick at all?"
Jack sighed, shaking his head. "Just a bit tired."
Nodding, Amy forced a small smile. "Look, I know he looks bad, but this is how he takes the flu. I think you guys are fine... but they're not. I got a pretty panicked call from them... Wilford seemed calm, but the doctors sounded panicked. It's getting hard for them to do anything, even just care for everyone. They need help..."
"They said they thought Anti was involved..." Jack frowned.
"I don't know what's going on, honestly." Amy shrugged. "I just know that they need help, and you guys know them the best... but Mark is sick."
"I should go." Jack nodded, understanding what she was saying, and Amy slowly nodded in agreement.
"I'm sorry." She cringed.
Jack shook his head. "No, you're right... they need me over there. And if Mark is sick with what they have... I'll catch it here if not there anyway, so I might as well go."
Amy sighed. "Just, be safe, ok?"
"I will." Jack smiled, pulling out his phone to order yet another Uber.
When he walked into the ego hospital, it was eerily quiet. He made his way into the sick ward and hesitated, taking it all in. The doctors were sitting on the couch, both asleep. Dark was sitting against a wall with Wilford sitting beside him, and the Jims were standing at the end of Robbie's cot, silently filming him as his form turned to static. Anti was the only one to look up when he came in, still tied to his chair, now with a sock stuffed in his mouth.
Jack took a second look at Robbie before crossing the room to Anti's chair. "Is this your fault?" He grunted. Anti quickly shook his head, whining through the sock as his form glitched slightly. "It better fucking not be Anti, I swear..." Jack growled, grabbing the sock and after a moment of struggle, pulled it out of Anti's mouth.
Anti coughed, spitting onto the floor several times before he glared at Dark. "Did it have to be Jim's sock?!"
Dark just smirked, and Reporter Jim shrugged his shoulders without even looking over. "A Jim sock was happy to help in the good doings." Jim mumbled.
"Start explaining, Anti." Jack sighed.
Anti shrugged. "I don't fuckin' know! These monkey testicles started blaming me for shit randomly! Just because I'm feelin' better and Robbie's a bit..." Anti glanced over at the zombie before looking back to Jack. "Glitchy, suddenly it's all my fault! I didn't do it! I didn't do anythin'!" His voice pitched high, getting a little whinny. "Please Jack... someone has to believe me. I didn't do this..."
Jack sighed. "I believe you."
Dark rolled his eyes. "Of course he does."
Jack turned watching Dark. "He was getting sick too. We should be looking into what made him better rather than blaming him."
"Oh... Jack." Dr. Schneeplestein mumbled, watching him sleepily. "Ze... ze upper vards... zhey need ze vater, maybe ze foods."
Jack slowly nodded. "Yeah. Ok, I can do that. Does that mean they got fed in here?"
"They haven't really been eating." Dr. Iplier mumbled, eyes still closed.
"I'll make something for lunch. Maybe you guys will feel a bit better after you've eaten... and we can talk about this whole Anti thing." Jack explained.
"Untie me!" Anti demanded.
"Not yet." Jack frowned. "Just sit tight." He left the room, listening to Anti growl. He made some boiled chicken and bland mashed potatoes, leaving some with the doctors and all of the ward one escapees, before he headed to ward two. As he opened the door, Jameson was arching his back on his air mattress, clutching his chest. "Jameson..." Jack sighed, setting the plates down and crouched down beside him, patting his arm. "You ok?"
Jameson's eyes opened, and he grabbed at Jack's arm, shaking violently. "It's alright." Jack tried to comfort, patting his arm.
As Jameson's eyes rolled back and he collapsed back onto his mattress, Google Red let out a whirring sound. "Fourth time this morning."
Jack frowned. "Oh... Jameson." He stayed put until the mute started to look around again and leaned down, hugging him gently. "We're working on it. Are you ok?"
Jameson smiled, hugging Jack back and gave him a weak thumbs up. "I brought you some lunch." Jack scooted back to the plates and brought one to Jameson, quickly realizing the man was pretty weak. He helped him sit up, and propped him up with pillows, a little relieved to see the man start feeding himself. He woke up Chase, and got him set up with food as well, before heading to ward three, where he realized he was actually going to have to feed them, most of them too weak to properly hold a spoon or fork.
When the upper wards were cared for, Jack brought the dishes downstairs, then helped give the patients of the sick ward drinks of water and juice as directed by Dr. Iplier. When he was finished, he hovered by Anti's chair the glitch silently watching him. "I don't think Anti did this." Jack explained quietly. "He can be a dick... but this is... this is too much. Even for him."
Dr. Schneeplestein sighed. "It has to be. Ve don't know vhat else it could be..."
Jack hesitantly untied Anti who rubbed at his wrists a moment and then went to stand. Jack placed a hand on his shoulder and to everyone, including Jack's surprise, Anti sat down again.
"Amy is taking care of Mark... I'm gonna stay here tonight. We're gonna figure this out... somehow." Jack swallowed hard, looking around at the unconscious bodies in the cots, and the other ones that were exhausted, spread out around the room. He had no idea what he was going to do, he just knew that he had to do something.