~*~

It was bound to happen.

Despite any other laws the residents of HSU regularly and conspicuously broke, the laws of physics remained true.

Every action results in an equal and opposite reaction.

~*~

AAAACHOOOO!!!

DebLei fell out of her chair at the desk-rattling sneeze. Must be the General's allergies kicking in again. Scrambling back into her chair as the door between his office and her area opened, DebLei's eyes widened.

AAAACCCCCHOOOOOO!!!

There was a lot the padawan Ho would do for her General. A hell of a lot.

Getting drenched in a sneeze did not number among those.

Oh... Red-nose, watery-eyed, Kenobi peered at the grrl. I'b sorry, DebLei.... *sniff!* The once cultured, smoothly dulcet tones were now clogged and marred by heavy breathing.

Not the kind of heavy breathing the Ho's delighted in.

This was the grab-the-Lysol-and-put-on-a-white-mask-type heavy breathing. One might even be forgiven for grabbing for Latex gloves.

General... DebLei winced. He looked awful. Worse than awful. He looked....

Well, he looked like he had undergone one of those rituals of Dorothea's!

Dark crescents accentuated the watery reddish tone of his once bright eyes. His hair hung limp and dull on his head. His nose was reminiscent of Old Saint Nick and an angry bump on the bottom of his lip looked to be the beginnings of a nasty cold sore.

Y-you.... The Ho wasn't sure what to say.

Diebin had never told her what to do in the case of the General looking...horrendous.

Hot coffee? Tea? Definitely not me...

WHAAAAAAACHOOO!!!

She wasn't going to offer to cuddle the man. Not as long as he was deafening her with every sneeze.

You should go to bed, get plenty of liquids and rest, Sir.

Bud I gob da publicidy...ACHOOO! Wid Ebby.

DebLei smiled painfully, thinking of the Diva's reaction. I doubt she'll want to go with you looking like...I mean I don't think she'll want you to go when you obviously don't feel well, General.

Kenobi gave her a doubtful look, pulling a kleenex out to abuse his already tenderized nose. *HONK!* Emmy did indeed lust after him most faithfully, but he knew better than to look to her for coddling.

The Diva didn't do coddling.

Only cuddling, and then only under the right circumstances.

Divas had standards after all.

I tink I will go lay dowd. Sniffling and wheezing, the General shuffled off. I don't understand....I start taking care ob myselb and eating right and exercising and....ACCCCCHOOOO!!! I gob a cold. Feeling slightly petulant and put out at a world that would abuse him so, General Kenobi headed for his bed.

It never even occurred to him to go the Nurse. It seemed the Clinic was never opened and besides... He pouted slightly. The Nurse just didn't seem interested in him any more.

Now feeling truly out of sorts with the world, General Kenobi, Jedi Knight and hero of the Clone Wars, shuffled off to seek solace in the cool sheets of his bed.

~*~

No! Sere crossed her arms and glared at her sister. It's too mean!

Fagh.... Julia flapped a hand at her, marching around and onwards toward the General's room. All is fair in love and war and there is no such thing as too mean! Stopping, she whirled so fast, Sere ran into her. AND...he's been waking us up at freakin' 5:30 a.m. to chase him around a track and giving us NOTHING for catching him!! The offended Ho scowled. THAT is mean.

Sere pondered that for a moment and chased after her sister. You're right!

Oooh... Julia pulled out a tape recorder and jammed it up to Sere's face. Repeat that?

No. Sere smirked. You're getting slow...

I'm probably catching his damn cold! C'mon. The two Ho's marched up to the General's suite and found the door unlocked. Perfect, Julia whispered as they snuck in.

No one in sight.

He must be in either the bedroom or the shower.

Ready?

Sere nodded.

BWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWOOOWOOWOOOWOOOWOOWOOOOWAHWHAWAHWAHAHEEEEEEEEBUZZBUZZBUZZ!!!!!!!!

A yelp was heard from the vicinity of the bedroom proceeded directly by a thud.

Julia turned the car alarm off abruptly and gave a horrified look.

If that was Emmy who just fell off the bed... They were goners. Dead. Might as well turn into blue ghosties right now.

Crap, Sere said, summing it up nicely.

Whad... A rumpled, red-nosed, blurry-eyed, dark circles under his eyes, smelling like Vicks General came out to lean against the door post. Whad is de meading of dis?

Meading? Julia bit her lip to keep from chuckling. That accent, slurred, nasal and congested, was not sexy.

It was hilariously like PeeWee Herman.

Or at least some character off Cartoon Network.

Sere looked at her watch. Late for our morning chase, aren't we? Evil humour glinted in her eyes.

I'b sick. The General unleashed one of his most powerful, rarely used weapons from his Padawan days.

The Pout.

They were ready for The Stance. They were used to The Look.

The Pout threw them completely out of whack, sending both scrambling for the door.

The General gaped at the two Ho's who all but ran from his room. I toughd you mighd ...

Oookay. So...his Ho's were definitely not the type to fuss over him and tuck him back into bed. Odds were they expected him to be like they were when they got sick. Irritable, grouchy and best left alone until better.

With a honking sigh, the General returned to his bedroom, wrapping up in the comforter.

Oh well.

At least he knew he had two of them looking forward to the morning run.

~*~

We can't just leave him like that! Julia paced around the darkroom.

What do we do then? Go back and coddle him? Sere made a face. Neither of us is the type.

No...but...

An eardrum bursting shriek startled Sere right off the counter she was sitting on. Landing, she grabbed a drying rack and brandished it like a weapon, looking around wildly. WHAT? WHO? WHERE? LET ME AT HIM!

Damn it too - Julia reached under her desk and pulled at something which chuckled wickedly at the rough handling.

Xan! Sere took a step forward, shaking the rack at him. What were you doing hiding under there?

What are YOU doing back? Julia pulled the Greysider to his feet and scowled at him.

Ooooh... Xan waggled his eyebrows at Sere. Can we play Bad Jedi, Good Ho?

That's it. Julia pointed to the door. OUT! Go to Dorotea or Darry.

Xan leaned against the counter and sighed dramatically. Alas, I cannot. They don't love me any longer... He brushed some cobwebs off his shirt. And the Princess threw me into some lovely corridor that leads all over.... He smiled slowly. Until I found myself here.

Who else will take him? Sere set the rack down and sighed.

Julia looked from Xan to her sister. Who says it's our responsibility just because he shows up here? We aren't security. She grabbed a bottle and shoved it in his hands. Here. You stay, you'll work.

What are we doing? Xan examined the bottle.

Processing pictures. Sere switched the lights to the red and locked the door.

Oooh...sexy.... Xan purred and leveled a blistering leer on the two Hos. Can we play first?

This... Julia sighed and pulled the film out of her camera. Is going to turn out to be a very bad idea....

~*~