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He groaned in frustration as the words started blurring together on the page again and he set the book down to rub at his tired eyes.
He needed to finish reading so he would be prepared for the upcoming exams.
Finals were only a few months away and he could not afford to slack off now!
But he had been at it for hours and he was getting so tired.
And sore.
He was just picking the heavy volume back up when the phone started ringing.
He scrambled off the couch and stumbled to the kitchen with a shouted, "I got it!" in case Jimmy was awake to hear.
He snatched the phone off its cradle and answered with a breathless, "Chris?"
"Hi, Martin!"
Instantly, the weary ache in his bones abated as a grin lit up his haggard face. "Hey, baby brother! What"s going on?"
He carefully grabbed the phone cradle and pulled it over to the living room, unwinding the cord as far as it would stretch so he could sit on the couch, listening with a smile to his sibling telling him all about his day and everything interesting that had happened lately.
"That"s nuts! And the wildlife experts have no clue how they ended up all the way over here?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Nope. No idea. It"s so weird! New Jersey is WAY outside their usual migration pattern, although there might"ve been a storm or something out at sea that got them turned around."
"Sounds like a good theory to me. Either that or someone smuggled them over."
"Oh, brother - I hope not! We"re in enough trouble with all the invasive species that keep getting dropped into our ecosystem! There are hardly any indigenous ladybugs left in North America!"
Martin was about to reply, but a sneeze interrupted him followed by a bout of coughing.
"Whoa, Martin! You okay, bro?"
The elder Kratt took a moment to recover himself, wheezing an apology into the receiver.
"Martin . . . are you sick?" Chris"s voice sounded worried and slightly panicky.
"I"m fine!" Martin assured quickly, "Just some dust in my lungs from all these old books."
He tried to laugh it off, but the younger Kratt was not about to let it go at that. "How do you feel? Is your temperature normal? Have you been feeling dizzy or achy at all?"
The blond brother sighed, "I"m telling you, I"m okay! Really! Don"t worry about me. What were you saying before about Mom redecorating the kitchen?"
"She"s switching from apple-themed stuff to strawberries - and don"t try to change the subject. You are sick, aren"t you."
It was not a question and Martin knew that, but he answered anyway, "First of all, I wasn"t trying to change the subject! Second, I am not sick! You worry too much, buddy. One little cough and sneeze doesn"t mean I"ve contracted influenza."
There was an uneasy silence then Chris"s voice came again, softer than before, "Are you in pain, Martin? Does your head hurt?"
Martin felt a flash of irritation at the question - mostly because he DID have a headache and did not appreciate being reminded of it as he had been steadfastly ignoring it for the past hour so he could finish studying.
"I said I"m fine, Chris!" he snapped, "Why can"t you just trust me on that?! I"m a grown man, I can take care of myself!"
Before it could register in his foggy, pounding head what exactly he had just said, his little brother"s quiet voice carried over the radio waves without any anger or accusation - and Martin felt his heart sink.
"Because you never yell at me unless you feel terrible."
The blond Kratt fell silent, his insides churning with a mixture of shame and actual queasiness.
"Chris . . ." he finally stammered, voice sounding weak and stricken. "Oh, kiddo, I"m sorry . . ."
"It"s okay, Martin!" Chris was quick to reassure his big brother, "I get it! You"re under pressure and you don"t feel well and it"s making you a little crabby. It"s not your fault."
Martin sighed, shaking his head and wincing when it worsened the throbbing in his sinuses. "No, Chris, it is. I shouldn"t have yelled at you and it"s pretty hypocritical to tell you to stop worrying when I do it all the time. And I do actually have a headache."
The younger Kratt wasted no time in running down a list of symptoms and Martin ticked off the ones he was experiencing without anymore fuss, lacking the will or the energy to continue pretending he was fine.
The truth was he felt awful - and not just because he was sick either. He hated himself for raising his voice at his younger sibling like that. It was totally uncalled for, as if he was punishing Chris for caring.
The least he could do was cooperate and allow his little brother to offer him advice on how to treat his symptoms.
The younger must have picked up on the gloom in his tone of voice because he interrupted himself to ask, "Bro, you"re not still beating yourself up, are you?"
Martin blinked. "Uh, nooo . . .? Not sure what you mean?"
Chris sighed in exasperation.
Busted. He knows me too well.
"Martin . . . I forgive you, okay? Quit being so hard on yourself. It"s tough to act friendly when you feel like crap."
Martin clutched the phone.
"I love you." he said in a small voice.
Chris snorted, chuckling in exasperated endearment.
"Yeah, yeah. Love you too, big brother. Do me a favor - shelve those books for the night and put yourself to bed. You probably won"t retain anything you read when you"re feeling like this anyway."
Martin rubbed at his tired eyes.
"You"re probably right. Okay, I"ll do that."
"Good. Talk to you tomorrow?"
Martin nodded even though his sibling was unable to see it. "Sure thing. G"night, Chris."
"Night, Martin! Take care of yourself for me, okay? I can"t be there to make sure you actually do it, so . . ." the concern in the younger Kratt"s voice was palpable as he trailed off, "I love you. A lot."
Martin smiled. "I know. Love you too, buddy."
Reluctantly, Martin hung up the phone and just left it sitting on the arm of the couch while he sat there in the stuffy silence, staring at nothing while his clouded mind drifted.
Eventually his attention returned to the open books surrounding him and thoughts of his final exams crept up once more, prompting him to scoop up the volume he had dropped when the phone started ringing.
Maybe just one more page . . . he thought to himself, adjusting the lampshade behind him to give himself more light by which to read as he resumed from the place he had left off.
.
.
Martin woke with a violent start, ears ringing, head pounding, barely able to pry open his crusty eyes. His head felt like it was underwater, like it was heavier than the rest of his body and he could barely lift it for some reason.
Something was stuck to his forehead and he pulled it off with a tiny wince, letting it flutter from his uncoordinated fingers.
It took entirely too long for him to realize that the ringing was not in his head.
It was the telephone lying next to his head.
Still incredibly groggy, the blond man clumsily swatted the receiver before getting his fingers around it and lifting the phone to his ear.
"Mghm?" he answered in a marvelously-eloquent manner.
"Martin?!?" came the frantic reply and the world snapped back into focus as the elder Kratt sat up in concern, ignoring the way the living room was spinning.
"Chris?! What"s wrong?"
"What-! What"s wrong?! Dude! I"ve been trying to get in touch with you ALL DAY! Where have you been??? "
Martin paled, glancing at the VCR clock and saw that it was four o" clock in the evening.
"Oh-oh man- Chris, buddy, I am so sorry!" he said in a voice that was contrite, albeit deep with congestion, "Guess I must"ve slept in . . ."
There was a pause on the other end of the line and he could hear Chris muttering to himself then the younger Kratt"s voice was heard again and there was an unmistakable note of accusation in his voice,
"Martin . . .you didn"t go to bed last night like I told you to, did you? "
Martin chewed his lip a moment before reluctantly replying in the negative.
The response was a muted scream of frustration on the other end of the line that almost made him laugh, except that his lungs protested breathing and he doubted they would manage laughter much better, so he just smirked in amusement.
"Martin William Kratt! " the brown-haired teen shouted into the phone, making his blond-haired brother wince and hold the receiver away from his ear.
"Easy, Chris! Calm down, dude."
"Calm down?! You slept the whole day away and you sound horrible - don"t you DARE tell me you"re fine and not to worry because it"s way too late for that, buddy boy!"
The elder Kratt sighed. "It"s really not as bad as it sounds. I stayed up later than I should"ve, that"s the only reason I slept in."
Chris was muttering something again and Martin rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. His baby brother was such a worrywart when he thought something could be wrong.
"Relax, Chris. I"m okay."
"Are you still sick? Have any of your symptoms gotten worse?"
Martin took a cautious breath, listening to the rattle in his lungs with a furrowed brow. "Lungs are no better and the head still hurts, but beyond that pretty sure I"m no worse off."
There was a moment of silence then the brother in green spoke again, no anger in his tone as he softly asked, "Bro, do you need me to drive up there? I wouldn"t mind - I"m already on break, so it"s not like I"d be missing out on anything important."
Martin arched a brow. "Except getting to spend Christmas with the family." he replied pointedly, shaking his head. "Don"t worry about it, kiddo. Jimmy"s here if I need help with anything and it"s really not that bad."
He could practically feel his sibling"s hesitation in the quiet that followed.
"Are you sure? I really wouldn"t mind making the trip."
Martin smiled affectionately.
"I know. But you don"t have to. Besides, I wouldn"t want you out on those slippery roads - especially not for seven hours! I"d be worried sick! " he said the last part jokingly and Chris groaned and laughed wryly.
"Okay. If you"re sure. Make sure you really do ask Jimmy if you need anything, okay? Promise me."
Martin smiled crookedly. "Okay, I promise. Try not to worry so much, okay? And don"t do anything crazy on my account. I"ll see you when I get in tomorrow."
"Right. Call me before you head out, alright? If you"re not up to driving all that way, I don"t want you anywhere near those icy bridges - and you know Mom and Dad will agree with me!"
Martin wheezed a laugh. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Talk to you soon, little brother. Love you."
"Love you too, bro. Take care. I"m serious. If you need me - for any reason - call me. I"ll be there, come hell or high water."
Martin"s heart warmed and he smiled in spite of his physical discomfort. "I know. Thanks, bro. See you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay. Feel better, big brother! Bye."
"Bye, Chris . . ."
He set the phone back on its cradle, sighing and cringing at the tightness in his chest. Since when was breathing so uncomfortable?
He groaned as he sat up (which took a lot more effort than it normally did), scratching his head and blinking his bleary eyes as he scanned the apartment.
He noticed a piece of paper with some tape on it lying on the couch beside him and recognized it as the thing that was stuck to his face when he woke up. He picked it up, scrubbing his eyes until the letters were not so blurry so he could actually read the scrawling text.
The note ran like this: "Martin - Got a lift from Craig. Sorry I didn"t wake you up. It sounded like you needed the sleep. Try not to burn yourself out eh? Tell your bro I said hi! Merry Christmas dude! JZ"
Martin felt like slapping himself for forgetting that he was supposed to get up early and drive Jimmy to the airport!
"Aw, great! Some friend I am . . ." he mumbled, dropping his face into his hands before sliding his fingers up to agitatedly scratch at his scalp.
Not only did he feel bad, physically, but now he felt guilty for failing to keep his promise to his roommate. He would have to remember to call him later and apologize for dropping the ball like that.
He glanced at the clock again, frowning when he saw another half-hour had passed him by. Time felt like it was slipping through his fingers and it unnerved him how he seemed to have lost all sense of the day and night cycle. He had only just woken up, yet he still felt like going back to sleep.
He decided to be responsible and at least take some medicine before lying back down. As he stood, he felt the blanket slip off of him and felt another guilty pang when he realized his redheaded friend must have draped it over him before he left.
His legs were slightly wobbly as the brother in blue made his way to the bathroom and rummaged through the cabinet until he found the cough syrup, unscrewing the cap and measuring out a dose into the plastic cup, chugging it down and shuddering at the foul taste.
"One of these days they"d better make medicine that doesn"t taste like rotten grapefruit." he muttered, plodding back into the living room and resuming his place on the couch.
He scowled at the textbooks that were still scattered about, some left open while others were closed with hastily-scribbled notes stuck between the pages.
The last thing he wanted to do was get back to studying with the way his head was pounding. The very thought was enough to sap what little energy he had and the elder Kratt brother swept the books aside to settle himself more comfortably on the couch, pulling the blanket back around his cold shoulders.
Normally he stayed pretty warm. It was a bit odd for him to feel cold, but he was too groggy to take much notice of the fact.
He yawned and let his eyes close, thinking he should rest up while he could since he would need to make the seven-hour drive back to New Jersey tomorrow.
The prospect of the drive itself did not enthuse him, but the thought of seeing his family comforted his weary mind and within seconds he had nodded off.
.
.
Sleep proved far from restful for the blond brother and he woke periodically throughout the rest of the day and night, chest and back sore from all the coughing he did, even while unconscious. The cough syrup, it seemed, was no match for whatever virus had infected the elder Kratt.
He woke some time later to the muffled sound of a phone ringing off the hook.
He frowned, wondering why it sounded so quiet as he lifted it to his ear.
"Hello . . .?"
"Martin!" despite how muffled it sounded, the elder Kratt clearly heard the half-hysterical relief in his little brother"s voice. "Thank God - I thought something happened! Where are you?!"
Martin blinked and blearily turned to look at the clock, mouth dropping open when he saw that it was already half-past noon.
"C-Chris . . .oh man, I really screwed up. I"m sorry . . ." He closed his eyes, feeling like the worst brother ever as he forced himself to utter the words he knew he had no choice but to say, "Chris . . .I-I don"t think I can make it this year. Tell the girls and Mom and Dad for me. And-and also tell them I"m sorry. "Cause I am, kiddo. I"m really, really sorry I let you guys down . . ."
"Martin . . ." he heard his brother swallow audibly, "Martin, is Jimmy there? I need to talk to him."
Martin was quiet a moment before he released a breath and murmured tiredly, "He"s . . .in Canada, visiting his folks for the holidays."
"W-WHAT?!?" Chris screeched, making the elder Kratt wince and mumble a quiet platitude.
"Are you telling me you"re there all by yourself?!" he demanded incredulously.
The blond brother felt a wave of exhaustion hit him and let his heavy eyelids fall closed, "Mm-hmm."
There was a lengthy pause on the other end before Martin heard his little brother"s voice, sounding suspiciously crackly, like he was trying not to cry, "M-Martin, you still there?"
The eldest Kratt sibling hummed an affirmative.
"I"ll tell them you can"t make it. Don"t worry, bro. Everything"s gonna be okay. Just-just rest. Don"t try to go anywhere, alright? Stay where you are and get better. I"ll see you soon."
When the elder offered no reply, Chris"s voice took on a slightly frantic note, "I love you, okay? I love you so much. Stay inside and-and make sure you drink water."
A stab of guilt left the brother in blue feeling thoroughly disgusted with himself.
He coughed before rasping out, "Will do, baby brother. I love you too, Chris. Sorry I can"t be there."
"It"s okay! You"re in no condition to drive - I wouldn"t let you come even if you wanted to! I"ll-I"ll see you. Bye, Martin."
Martin swallowed against the lump in his throat. "Bye, Chris . . ."
He waited until he heard the gentle click of his brother setting the phone down before hanging up himself.
He stared at the wall for a moment as it slowly sunk in what all he would have to miss out on and he buried his face in his arms, sniffling and coughing.
He was sick and miserable and totally alone and he would not be able to spend his birthday, Christmas or New Year"s Eve with his family like he had planned.
There was nobody else to turn to - most of his friends and the faculty were off visiting their own families and would not be back until after New Year"s.
Pulling the throw blanket over his head, Martin curled up into a ball of despairing self-recrimination.
He had let everyone down - Jimmy, his sisters, his parents, Chris . . .
His poor brother had sounded so upset over the phone.
The thought of the younger Kratt"s disappointment - being sad and lonely during what was supposed to be the happiest time of the year - broke the elder Kratt"s heart.
He cried into his arms until he was too exhausted to shed anymore tears and fell into a troubled sleep.
.
.
His head is buzzing as he comes to, shooting up as his brain informs him that today is the big day - the day he takes his final exam!
And a panicked glance at the clock confirms what he is already dreading - he is running LATE!
He jumps up and rushes around, dressing as quickly as he can and rushing out the door without so much as a bite of toast or a sip of orange juice to keep him going.
He runs all the way to the classroom and slips inside as quietly as he can, flinching under the disapproving glare of the professor.
He knows he deserves it.
He is extremely late.
"So glad you finally decided to join us, Mr. Kratt." the professor grumbles, arching an imperious brow.
The younger man shrinks under the disapproving look, tuning out the giggles of his fellow students as he offers a sheepish smile. "Um, yeah. Sorry, sir."
He meekly accepts the papers that are held out for him and quietly takes a seat, setting the papers down on the desk in front of him.
His mind instantly blanks when he reads the first question and the sense of confidence he had had yesterday is nowhere to be found now as his face drains of color, mentally casting about in desperation for any of the information he spent so many hours cramming into his head.
It is all gone!
His mind is blank!
. . . .
But he needs to pass this test! He MUST!
There is so much at stake!
Despite the crippling uncertainty, he takes up the pencil in a trembling hand and puts the lead to the paper, stumbling and sweating his way through the exam, wondering how anyone could know the answers some of the questions.
It is several hours later.
He is the last one still in the classroom.
All the other students have already turned in their tests.
He hands in his own, nervousness pouring off of him in waves as he stands still and awaits his verdict.
The professor takes the filled-out papers carefully in his hands and looks them over with a critical eye, flipping through them in a meticulous manner.
Then he shakes his head and sighs, removing his glasses and looking Martin right in the eye, "Mr. Kratt did you study at all for this examination?"
The firstborn son of the Kratt family looks stricken, feeling his stomach drop. "Well-I . . .y-yes, sir! Of course I did!"
The professor shakes his head sadly.
"Son, this is one of the most slapdash reports I"ve ever had handed in to me."
Martin cringes, flushing all the way up to the roots of his hair. "S-sir . . .I"m sorry. Can I- I mean, may I retake it, sir? Please? I know I can do better, if I just had more time."
The middle-aged man sighs tiredly.
"Mr. Kratt, I"m sorry to have to have to be the one to break this to you, but I feel someone should have done so long ago. From what I"ve seen of you and your performance in this class, I"m convinced you do not have the focus required for this particular field of work."
The blond-haired young man feels his world starting to tilt.
"B-but, sir, that can"t be! I know I"m cut out for it! I"ve spent most of my life practically obsessed with the animal kingdom! I-I was just having an off day! Please give me another chance! I know I can do better!"
The professor looks at him sadly.
"I wish I could, my boy. I really do. But . . .we must face the facts. This just isn"t your calling. I"m sure if you try your hand at other fields of study, you will eventually find where you fit in, but I"m afraid your place is not here."
Martin stumbles back from the professor"s desk like the man punched him, shaking his head, chest heaving as his heart shatters and his vision blurs out of focus.
The professor"s voice is muffled and echoes ominously through the red haze, "Perhaps you will have better luck finding where you"re gifts lie in another institution. Good day, Mr. Kratt. Best of luck to you."
Luck?!?
Oh, he is going to need a lot more than luck!
How in the world is he supposed to tell his parents that he failed them? They are going to be so disappointed in him!
And Chris!
Oh, Chris . . .
He has failed him most of all.
His entire future depended on this.
How will Martin ever fulfill his promise now?
What other field of work would allow him to go to Madagascar and be up close and personal with actual lemurs?
He will not be surprised if he gets disowned over this. It would be no less than he deserves.
He has let them all down - big time.
Martin is blinded by the tears as he flees the classroom, his failed paper clenched in his fist as he runs away, ignoring everyone, even those who call his name in concern as they see the distraught young man sprinting down the hall.
He swipes at his face, somewhere between rage and heartbreak.
The stairs come up before he has time to slow down enough to take them and his blue eyes go wide when he finds himself airborne, nothing under his feet for all of one second before his head meets the concrete sidewalk.
.
.
Martin"s head was pounding as he sluggishly opened his eyes.
It was dark.
He could feel tears on his face and there was someone touching him, a hand running gently along his brow and down the side of his face, wiping the perspiration from his skin.
Panic seized him as his mind began to scream at him that he was supposed to be the only one home!
Knocking the hand away, he tried to get to his feet, fully prepared to fight off the intruder, but he was alarmingly weak and in spite of the adrenaline rush, he was barely able to raise his torso up before falling back down.
The hand returned, catching his sweaty head and drawing it to a warm chest, a voice near his ear shushing him tenderly, "Shh. Easy, Martin! You"re okay. It"s me."
Chris.
Martin instantly relaxed, closing his eyes and leaning into the hand which was now stroking his matted blond hair. "Sorry." he croaked.
He heard the sound of something damp being squeezed and water dripping then felt a cool cloth running lightly over his forehead.
"It"s alright. Sorry I scared you. I would"ve told you I was here, but . . ."
He felt his brother"s lungs fill and deflate unevenly in a shuddery sigh. "You . . .wouldn"t wake up. Kiiinda freaked me out a little. Please don"t ever do that to me again, kay?"
"Kay . . ." Martin mumbled, blinking his bleary eyes as tears ran down his face, "I"m sorry."
The cloth was removed and he felt lips press to his fevered brow in a gesture of compassion he did not feel he deserved.
"It"s fine. Not your fault."
"No . . .the exam . . .Chris, I . . .didn"t pass. Let you down . . ."
"Huh?! No, Martin! No, you didn"t!"
"I d-did . . . Took the final exam . . .professor flunked me . . .said-" he shuddered with a sob, heartbroken over the death of his dreams, ""M not cut out for this line of work . . . Sorry, Chris . . ."
The brunet was silent then a faint, disbelieving giggle made his chest quiver beneath Martin"s head, bewildering the blond-haired man.
"And he says I worry too much . . ." Chris grumbled fondly under his breath.
Martin felt a face nuzzle into his hair and a voice - warm with affection and soft with empathy - murmured into his ear, "You didn"t fail me, brother of mine. Sounds to me like your fever just overheated your brain and boiled up some of the stuff you"ve been worrying about lately. Your final exam isn"t due "til spring. You still have plenty of time to study for it. And when you do take that test, there"s no doubt you"re gonna ace it because nobody knows more about animals than you do, Martin. Nobody cares more about this subject than you."
Martin"s anxious brow unfurrowed. "R-really . . .?"
Chris nodded against him.
"Really. This is reality. What you saw was just a messed up fever dream. Sorry I couldn"t snap you out of it, bro."
Martin wheezed as he sucked in a steadying breath, still disoriented, but incredibly relieved - trusting his brother"s word over his own fuzzy memory.
The younger Kratt"s cool hand brushed the tears from his sibling"s cheek.
"I know you don"t exactly feel great right now," he muttered with sympathy, "but do you think you could sit up for a sec and take some medicine for me?"
The elder Kratt grumbled in complaint, but still lifted his heavy frame from the comfy lap he had been lying on with a strained grimace.
"Attaboy!" He could hear the smile in his brother"s voice, even though his vision was still too blurry to make out Chris"s face.
He felt his sibling"s hand rubbing at his stiff shoulder blade before he heard the clickety-clack of a plastic cap being unscrewed and cringed at the thought of having to choke down more cough syrup, but obligingly took the offered cup when it was held out for him and swallowed it down regardless.
He was pleasantly surprised to find it was mint rather than that nasty artificial cherry flavor.
He handed the empty cup back to his brother, trading it for a cup of water which he also chugged down, enjoying the feel of cold liquid running down his sore, dry throat, lowering his internal temperature and making his head a bit clearer as he gratefully laid himself back across the younger man"s legs, burrowing his achy head into the soft, green sweater.
"Thanks." he breathed.
Chris"s hand found its way back to his hair and combed the damp strands away from his face. "Anytime, brother."
Though he was still hurting all over and his chest felt like he had been kicked by a giraffe, Martin took as deep a breath as his constricted lungs would allow and wheezed out a contented sigh, smiling into the blurry darkness.
"Love you." he mumbled sleepily.
He felt his sibling"s hand still.
Then the younger Kratt was curling himself around the elder and a kiss was planted on Martin"s too-warm temple, a cool face (suspiciously wet) pressing against the side of his neck. "I love you too, Martin."
The smile of the brother in blue softened and he wrapped an arm around his baby brother, drawing him closer.
The sensation of Chris"s breaths ghosting over his skin and his fingers gently threading through Martin"s hair soothed the older brother and cooled his feverish head, lulling him back into a more restful slumber.
.
.
Martin"s head was stuffy when he woke up, his blocked sinuses attempting to drag him back toward sleep, but he resisted, sensing heat around him and curious as to the source.
He could scarcely recall anything that happened the day before, memories lost in a restless, fevered haze of unsettling visions and half-formed dreams.
At one point he had even imagined his brother was with him.
With a bit of effort he managed to pry open his scratchy eyes and lay blinking sluggishly as he tried to clear away the film obscuring his vision.
The first thing he saw was vivid green, which confused him greatly before he realized his face was buried against whatever it was. It felt warm and fleecy against his skin.
Then he noticed the light snoring sound above him and concluded that he had not been hallucinating after all - Chris really was there!
He could feel his sibling"s breath tickling through his hair and smiled to himself, equal parts endeared and amused.
They were sharing the couch, which was really too small to accommodate both brothers, but Martin did not mind being slightly crowded.
His face was pressed into Chris"s chest and he could feel his little brother"s limbs wrapped snugly around his head, one leg thrown across his middle.
The elder Kratt shifted slightly in Chris"s hold, using the arm that was still around the younger to rub the sweater-covered back as he tried to access the memories of what had happened yesterday.
He could recall the conversation he had with Chris over the phone, his sibling"s voice sounding so distraught even as he assured Martin that everything would be okay.
Recollection was foggy regarding anything that came after that though.
He could not be certain of which memories were real and which ones were merely warped scenarios conjured up by his overheating brain.
He could feel his clingy pillow beginning to stir and heard a faint groan.
"Hey, brother!" he called in a gravelly voice that made him wince.
The younger Kratt hummed in question before he seemed to realize where he was and scrambled to right himself, pulling back as far as he could manage with the backrest right behind his head.
When he was suddenly presented with the sight of his little brother"s anxious face hovering over him, Martin grinned into the big brown eyes.
"Hi." he greeted softly, voice thankfully clearer.
Chris did not return the smile, swallowing before he tried to speak.
"Martin, how do you feel?"
The elder Kratt"s face scrunched up as he took stock of himself.
He was definitely more lucid than he had been last night (which was a relief), but he still ached all over and could not take a full breath without triggering a cough.
"Eh. Not too bad." he answered with a slight wave of his hand.
The brunet did not seem satisfied with that response as he made a face, arching a brow, getting a chuckle out of his older sibling.
"Seriously, Chris. I"m okay. Mostly confused. Aren"t you supposed to be back home - or am I still dreaming?"
The younger Kratt huffed as if the implication was offensive, carefully untangling himself from his big brother before vaulting over the back of the couch.
"Trust me, you"re awake. And I"m right where I"m supposed to be." he stated firmly, coming around the side of the couch to pick up a bowl of water with a rag floating in it that was sitting on the end table, carrying it over to the kitchen sink.
Martin listened to the water running, still feeling disconnected from his body.
He was reluctant to wake up fully, knowing the misery that awaited him.
Then he came to a delayed realization and raised his heavy head with an alarmed expression aimed at his sibling"s back.
"Please don"t tell me you drove all the way up here alone."
He saw Chris"s shoulders tense and watched him slowly turn away from the sink to give his older brother a small, guilty smile.
The blond Kratt"s face darkened.
"Christopher!" he scolded heatedly, "You know how dangerous the roads are! Even experienced drivers shouldn"t be driving that far alone in cold weather! You could"ve gotten into a major wreck!"
The younger Kratt had the grace to wince in remorse before his nose wrinkled and he glared stubbornly at his brother.
"I did what I had to! You weren"t taking my calls! You were sick (still are - don"t think you can fool me with that brave face, you big faker) and there was no one here to help you! I followed the rules of the road. I drove defensively - like YOU taught me to and I got here okay!"
He looked away from Martin"s piercing gaze, reaching up to scrub a hand over his face (a familiar tell, one he had picked up from Martin himself).
"And when I got here, you were . . .in pretty bad shape. I swear, I was THIS close to calling 911. You"re breathing sounded really bad and you were burning up. You kept coughing and thrashing around. Looked like you were in a lot of pain."
The elder half of the brothers Kratt softened when he saw how disturbed Chris was by whatever he had seen. Going by his body language alone, it had to have been nightmarish.
"I tried to wake you up, but-but nothing I did worked. I even slapped you, and- nothing! No matter what I did or what I said you just wouldn"t wake up . . ."
Martin stared at the boy who was now biting his lip and gripping his own triceps in a self-hug.
He looked so tired - no doubt still suffering from the effects of driving for seven hours straight. (He had never driven that far before.) He was obviously rattled after the terror of what he had experienced the night before, judging from the way his slight frame trembled.
Martin realized he had given his brother a fright, whether he meant to or not and now he felt like a jerk for telling Chris off when his brother was still recovering.
Guilt settled heavily over the elder Kratt and he sat up slowly, extending his hand and beckoning to his sibling, a gentle, solemn look on his face.
"C"mere, Chris."
The younger half of the brothers Kratt hesitated a moment, eyes narrowed in obstinacy before he gave in and crossed the room, settling himself on the couch. He did not resist when Martin"s strong arm wrapped around him and drew him close.
"I"m sorry, little brother." the blond-haired man murmured guiltily, "Sorry I scared you like that. It wasn"t fair to you. You shouldn"t have had to deal with any of this."
He received a derisive (if slightly wet) snort in reply, chestnut eyes shooting him a glare.
"What was I supposed to do; leave you to suffer alone? You needed me, so I came. You would"ve done the same thing." his tone was defensive, mistaking his blue-clad sibling"s self-recrimination for a reprimand.
Martin hushed his little brother, giving him a squeeze and nuzzling into the brown hair.
"Easy, kiddo. I didn"t mean it like that." he soothed, "I"m really glad you"re here! Even if I"m not too thrilled about you risking your life over something like this."
Chris was not mollified, pulling away slightly to give his sibling a severe look.
"You were in trouble! If your fever had risen much higher, you could"ve-" he faltered, unable to finish the horrible thought, "And if I can"t risk my life for yours then- what . . ." he trailed off, grappling for words before giving up with a frustrated snarl.
He wrapped his arms around his big brother, hugging him hard and scowling stubbornly as he muttered, "It"s my life, and there"s nobody else I"d rather risk it for."
The sentiment behind the vehement assertion resonated in the ensuing silence.
Martin cracked a resigned smile, reaching up to ruffle the brown hair where it brushed the underside of his chin.
"Ditto, Chris."
The quiet acknowledgement was all the younger needed to hear.
With a small smile he relaxed into their embrace as the tension between the brothers dissipated as if it had never been. They both knew that when there was trouble neither brother would willingly leave the other to face it alone.
Martin"s irritated lungs chose that moment to flare up. He started coughing and once he had started it was nearly impossible for him to stop.
Chris released him quickly, disturbed by the feeling of the elder Kratt"s chest expanding and contracting so violently, regarding his sibling with big, worried eyes as the man doubled over his own lap, hacking and struggling to keep air in his spasming body.
Not knowing what else to do, the younger could only cringe in sympathy with every racking cough, holding the elder around the shoulders until the fit passed - leaving Martin winded and drained.
The blond-haired man"s face was flushed as he leaned his weary head on his sibling"s shoulder, taking slow, cautious breaths to prevent another bout of hacking.
Chris frowned worriedly, rubbing Martin"s broad back with a shaky hand.
"Maybe you should get some more rest?" he suggested quietly, stroking the messy blond locks out of his brother"s face, feeling his forehead, "You"re still pretty sick, bro . . ."
Martin focused on keeping his breathing even, waiting until the contents of his lungs had settled before trying to answer his little brother while said little brother waited out the silence, rubbing comforting circles into his older sibling"s back, silently loathing how powerless he felt.
"Should probably take another dose of cough medicine first." replied the elder Kratt at length, voice raspy.
The green-clad brother nodded and reached over to the end table, grabbing a black bottle and a plastic dosage cup, filling it to the twenty milliliter line before handing it over to Martin.
The elder mumbled a quiet thanks before tossing the bluish liquid back into his throat, grimacing at the bitter mint taste that lingered on his tongue before handing the cup back to his sibling.
Chris settled back onto the couch with him after he finished rinsing out the cup and Martin tipped sideways until his throbbing head landed on his brother"s lap, startling a laugh out of the brunet.
"Urgh . . .my head feels like a bowling ball." the elder Kratt grumbled.
The younger Kratt smiled sympathetically, rubbing his older sibling"s head, mussing the dirty blond locks. "Guess that"s one way your body tries to force you to stop and rest; uses your head like an anchor so you can"t go anywhere."
Martin merely hummed an acknowledgment, curling up and letting his heavy eyelids fall shut, relaxing beneath the comforting motion of his little brother"s fingers as they combed through his hair, easing some of the pressure inside his head.
.
.
When he came back around, he saw Chris was leafing through one of his textbooks, brown eyes focusing intently on the page.
Martin grinned and gave a nice, long stretch, alerting his sibling to the fact that he was awake.
"Hey, bro!" Chris greeted, setting the book down on the arm of the couch.
The elder Kratt smiled, taking advantage of his arms being stretched out on either side of his little brother"s waist, wrapping them around Chris and pulling him to him in an affectionate squeeze.
"Hey, kiddo! What time is it?"
"About three. You slept for an hour and a half."
"Gees . . . I feel like that"s all I do anymore - just lie around and sleep."
"You"ve been too sick to do much of anything else." the brunet pointed out.
The brother in blue heaved a wheezing sigh. "Yeah, well, doesn"t make it any less frustrating. Still feels like a waste of time."
"Sleeping off a bad cough is NOT a waste of time, Martin." chided the younger Kratt, drumming his fingers against the blond head.
Martin snorted - half-endeared, half-annoyed - tightening his grip on his sibling in mild retaliation before he pushed himself off his brother and into a sitting position, rolling his neck and getting a few pops.
He saw Chris wincing at the noise and chuckled before he noticed him wincing again as he gingerly shifted his legs. That had looked like an expression of actual pain.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
The green-clad Kratt smiled wryly, rubbing at his left calf. "I"m good. Legs just fell asleep."
Martin grimaced in shame. "Oh . . . Sorry about that, bro."
His sibling gave an unconcerned shrug. "No big deal. I don"t really mind."
As his gaze swept over the room, the blond-haired man spotted the brightly-colored blue and green gift-wrapped boxes under the cheap, little artificial dollar store Christmas tree Jimmy had picked out.
"Um, hey, bro . . .? What are those?"
The younger Kratt followed his gaze and laughed, "Presents! Duh!"
Martin rolled his eyes. "No! I mean- are you the one who put them there?"
Chris nodded, adjusting himself to be more comfortable on the couch. "Yup. Since you weren"t gonna be home for the holidays, I figured I"d bring your Christmas and birthday presents to you. Oh! Which reminds me!"
He hopped off the couch and picked up one of the blue-wrapped packages, holding it out to his brother with a big grin. "Happy twenty-second, bro!"
Martin gingerly accepted the present, favoring his sibling with a faint, bemused smile. "Wow! Thanks, Chris! But you didn"t have to get me anything."
"Oh, yes I did! Open it!" the brunet urged excitedly, plopping down beside him.
Martin frowned pensively.
"You really didn"t have to do this. You"re gonna miss out on Christmas with the family because of me."
Chris snorted at that.
"You"re my family." he stated, bumping his head against his brother"s shoulder with an impish smile.
The elder Kratt was still uncertain, brow furrowed with guilt. "You know what I mean." he scolded lightly, "It"s Christmas! Mom and Dad will miss you."
It was not fair to anyone. Just because Martin was unable to be there did not mean his little brother should also have to be away from home on Christmas.
The brunet rolled his eyes.
"Mom"s the one who told me to bring my Christmas presents too. She and Dad know why I have to be here. So do the girls - they said to tell you they love you and to get better."
Martin smiled at that, still slightly unsure.
"But did they seem upset at all? Was Mom disappointed?"
Chris shook his head.
"She said if it wasn"t for the relatives driving all the way out to see them this year, she would"ve come with me."
The elder Kratt chuckled, "Wouldn"t have surprised me. I"m honestly shocked she let you drive all the way up here alone."
The younger Kratt scratched at his head with a sheepish look.
"Well . . .she did drill me on a whole list of do"s and don"ts and emergency contact numbers before she would let me out of the house."
Martin shook his head in amusement.
"Well, I"m glad she let you come."
He smiled at his little brother, reaching over to ruffle his hair.
"It"s good to have you here, kiddo. I missed you."
The younger boy grinned, catching his brother"s wrist and pulling it away from his hair in order to clasp their hands before glancing expectantly between Martin and the box still sitting on his lap.
"You gonna open that now or wait "til Christmas?"
The blond brother laughed and unclasped their hands to lift the box to his ear, giving it a little shake.
"Huh . . .no pieces rattling. Probably not a jigsaw puzzle then. That"s a relief."
Chris groaned, smacking his forehead. "Really? You had to bring that up? Again?"
Martin gave him as apologetic a look as he could manage while laughing.
"Sorry, bro. But it WAS pretty funny!"
"It was embarrassing." the younger boy muttered with his face in his hands.
Martin was referencing the one time the brothers had been at a friend"s birthday party and Chris had picked out a jigsaw puzzle with Dalmatian puppies on it to give as a present since they were Amanda"s favorite - mistake number one.
She had loved the picture and they had decided to put it together right then and there at her kitchen table - mistake number two.
The sliding door had been left open by Amanda"s parents so her dogs could come back in when they were through running around the yard - mistake number three.
No one was paying the animals much attention when they began barking wildly. It was only when they were stampeding through the house in hot pursuit of a resident gray squirrel that everyone finally noticed, but by then it was too late.
The squirrel had run around the living room, darting between people"s legs and startling screams out of several of the children - and even Amanda"s mother - before it made a flying leap for the table and scrambled across it, disrupting the partially-completed puzzle in its haste to reach the door.
The dogs had tried to imitate the agile rodent, jumping up on the table - and sending the whole thing toppling over onto its side, launching paperboard puzzle pieces in every direction imaginable.
The place had looked like a bomb went off, everyone standing or lying where they had fallen, completely frozen with shock as the mad barking continued outside.
Speckled puzzle pieces lay scattered across the living room and kitchen. Several were tangled in kids" hair or had landed in their drinks.
Martin had placed a hand on the shoulder of the petrified Amanda and said, "Next year we"ll get you a detective kit so you can find all the pieces."
To this day, he could not figure out what had become of the missing twenty-eight pieces - out of the two hundred and seventy-two they had managed to find.
A mystery (and a puzzle) that was never solved - even after Amanda had gotten that junior detective kit for her following birthday.
Chris shot his chortling sibling an unamused look before smirking and playfully shoving his shoulder. "Just open your present already, you big goof."
Martin obliged, eyes lighting up as he unwrapped the gift and discovered a brand new sketchbook with holographic blue paw print stickers on the cover. "Whoa - sweet! Thanks, bro!"
The green-clad brother beamed. "I know you"ve almost used up your old one. Do you really like it?"
Martin flipped the book open, rubbing his thumb over the rough paper and smiling.
"Great texture - this"ll make drawing charcoal sketches a whole lot easier!"
He reached over to pull his little brother into a one-armed hug. "Thanks a lot, Chris. This is awesome!"
Chris snickered against his shoulder. "You"ve got more coming, bro! I brought Mom and Dad"s gift, and the twins" too!"
They spent the next little while opening Martin"s birthday presents, discussing and laughing over the contents of each parcel before they inevitably started playing with them, breaking out their alligator hand puppets - Crocker and Dill.
Chris arranged the fluffy faux fox tail keychain from Christine on his gator"s head so that it resembled hair.
"Hey, Crocker!"
"Sup Dill?"
"How do you like my new hairpiece?"
He swung his head, making the fox tail swish.
Crocker (Martin), without a beat of hesitation, swiftly chomped the fake fur right off his friend"s head, gobbling it down before he replied, "Hmm, I would"ve liked it better if it had more salt."
"Hey!"
The brothers laughed, enjoying the company and the chance to just clown around together again.
After they were done playing, Chris fixed them some soup and they ate while curled up together on the couch, watching Christmas specials they had already seen dozens of times over the years - a holiday tradition in their house.
It was nice.
Cozy.
Familiar.
Eventually Martin noticed the increased weight on his shoulder and looked over to find his sibling had nodded off.
He smiled fondly, turning the blaring TV volume down to a low murmur and gently shifting position so they were both lying on the couch.
Chris snuggled his head against his chest, snuffling quietly.
The elder Kratt tangled his fingers in the brown tresses, idly noting that they would need to be trimmed soon, but it could wait.
As winter creatures could attest, longer hair was better to have during the colder months anyway.
His eyes returned to the television screen, but he was not really paying much attention to the classic film being broadcasted, mind wandering in the peaceful ambience.
All things considered, it had been a pretty great birthday, even in the absence of cake or music or a houseful of guests.
It was quiet and small - just him and his brother - but it was still his favorite birthday so far!
They had had plenty of fun - laughing and playing with the presents, sharing the joy of existing together.
And was that not all a birthday was supposed to be at the end of the day; a celebration of a person"s life, appreciating their continued existence on earth?
Martin could honestly say that, despite the looming threat of approaching deadlines and his body still being weighted down by the illness it was fighting and the fact that all his holiday plans had been cancelled due to him getting sick, he was grateful to be alive.
He closed his eyes and listened to the drone of the television speakers and the soft cadence of breath coming from the head on his chest.
It was nice to just drift for a while, to not worry about wasting time or having to deal with the pressure of knowing there was somewhere he needed to go or some task that needed to be completed.
He felt a small movement and his eyes opened, finding his younger sibling"s sleeping face, partially obscured by his bangs and the hand that was now fisted in Martin"s shirt, covering his mouth.
The elder Kratt could not help marveling at how Chris always looked the same when he slept.
The face was the same one he had watched seventeen years ago as he sat in Dad"s armchair, baby blue eyes soft with wonder and happiness, gazing down on the precious infant that would grow up to be his best friend.
Beside him, his faithful evergreen - willful, strong, steadfast, planted firmly at his side, roots inextricably tangled with his own - slept on, oblivious to the loving eyes resting upon him.
It had not been a traditional birthday and it would not be a traditional Christmas or New Year"s either, but that did not bother Martin.
While he enjoyed parties and family gatherings with big dinners, and games, and lots of noise and laughter, he was still perfectly content to savor the quiet companionship of his youngest sibling.
Martin would be forever grateful for being blessed with a brother like Chris.
Witnessing his younger sibling"s fierce devotion - the lengths to which he would go on Martin"s behalf, always amazed and humbled the blond-haired man.
The younger Kratt had traveled a long way just to make sure his older brother was okay, that he was not suffering alone while plagued with illness.
Martin did not feel worthy of the sheer intensity of his brother"s admiration sometimes.
He was nothing special, really, but Chris . . .
Chris treated him like he was some kind of superhero.
Martin chuckled faintly at the notion, careful not to shake too hard, lest he disturb his baby brother"s rest.
I"m no hero. I"m just Chris"s big brother.
And that suited him just fine.
As the minutes ticked by, the elder Kratt could feel his eyelids growing heavy, his ailing body demanding more sleep.
Shutting off the TV, he settled himself into a more comfortable position on the couch without jostling his sibling and managed to slip the fleece throw blanket out from under his legs, draping the warm material over his little brother.
Martin smiled down at the slight form of his best friend as he wrapped him in a gentle hug.
"Thanks for looking out for me, Chris." he whispered, nosing lightly into the unruly brown hair and planting a kiss there.
"Merry Christmas, baby bro. I love you."
With his eyes shut, the older boy could not see the tiny smile that curved his sibling"s lips, but he felt the smaller body snuggle closer to his before settling with a long sigh.
The apartment fell silent, save for the low hum of the furnace and quiet snores as the Kratt brothers drifted into peaceful slumber.