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Casey woke up to the sound of someone coughing then getting up from the bed, the bedframe creaking under a sudden shift in weight. The sound of porcelain hitting tile told Casey who it was, their partner Maniquin, who was a doll like creature. Casey got up from the bed, removing the covers from his upper half, as the sound of a plate dropping near the sink sounded throughout the trailer, and a vile retching sound along with the sound of a thick liquid hitting a trash bag.
“Mani? Are- Are you okay?” Casey mumbled in a groggy tone.
“What,” Maniquin snapped their head around looking at the bin near the sink and then back at Casey, its brows furrowing, “uh. Yeah. Yeah, I’m- uh fine. Don’t, don’t worry about this.” Maniquin got up shakily, and now that they had turned to face Casey, he could see the sweat—could it sweat? They’re made of porcelain, so liquid? —beading across their forehead and the way its eyes were unfocused.
Casey felt concerned, because as far as any of them were aware, Maniquin couldn’t get sick, they were a doll made possible to act and move by magic. As Maniquin shuffled to the bed Casey only got more concerned, because the way it moved, was not normal, they were so typically full of movement. To see them shuffle and hobble to the bed was worrying.
Maniquin fought with the bedding, which was trapped under Salli, his wife and Maniquin’s other partner, until they gave up and just laid onto the ground. Casey decided then to get up and help them. So, he walked over to where their partner lay on the ground and picked them up, to place them on the bed (now bear of sheets from Casey pulling it up and doubling it over Salli) and pulling the covers back over them. Maniquin turned to stare at him with their big black eyes, which seemed like voids in the dim lighting. Using this moment Casey placed the back of his hand on Maniquin’s forehead flinching at the heat that radiated from it.
“You have a fever.” He spoke aloud the only one to hear was a now awake Salli, who must’ve woken when he placed Maniquin on the bed.
“They have a what? I, thought, that they couldn’t get sick?” Salli leaned on her arm and stared back and forth from Casey and Maniquin with her eyes, buttons the colour of deep coffee however the colour seemed lost in the light appearing only as black.
“Same here… but it seems we were wrong.” Casey pressed the stiches that made his mouth together and frowned. “I woke up to them coughing, then throwing up.” He pushed Maniquin’s bangs away from their—still strangely—damp forehead and tilting his head to the bin near the sink, his long ears swinging at the movement before stopping.
“I should call us out tomorrow, well. Me and Mani” Salli nodded once as she said this, her ears flopping back and forth from the movement.
“Good plan” Casey agreed now looking at a sleeping Maniquin.
In the morning while Casey got ready to work while Salli took care of Maniquin. When Casey was half out the door he spoke his goodbyes, He paused to stare at Maniquin, and their essentially motionless body, almost like a puppet cut from its strings. Salli noticing the staring and concern that showed on his face reassured that Maniquin would be fine, giving Casey the push he needed he left.
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Throughout the day Casey was asked multiple times if he was okay, as he kept getting distracted. Each time he brushed them off with a simple “I’m fine.” But he couldn’t help but get more and more distant, lost in his worries. He was so lost in his own world that he jumped when suddenly his ringtone, set only for Salli and Maniquin, went off in his pocket. He pulled his phone out and answered.
“Hello? What happened, what’s going on?” Casey couldn’t help but ask rapidly.
“Hello, hey, uh you need to head home.” Salli mumbled distractedly. Which only worried Casey more.
“What? What happened? Mani’s okay right? Stars above, they aren’t like. Vomiting blood, are they? Damn it I knew I shouldn’t have left,” Casey cursed, stomping his boot, and turning so sharply towards the tent exit that his coat made a whipping noise pulling a few heads in his direction with his loud exit, he still talking to Salli on the phone. “, yeah, I’m coming right now.”
“Woah. Calm down dude, Mani’s fine, ish, they still have a fever, but they aren’t, eugh, vomiting again.” Salli gagged at even thinking of vomit, her repulsion clear over the phone’s speaker.
“Okay, good, good, okay. “ Casey said comforting himself more than anything.
“Yeah just, just get over here, I need to go, something- something came up. I’ll see you tonight, love you bye!” Salli hung up.
“What? No! don’t-“ Casey sighed and continued his slight jog to the trailer, pausing at the entrance he tried to pull the doorknob—more so a lever that unlatched the door—but it would not budge, Salli must’ve forgotten to keep it unlocked. Sighing again he grabbed his keys from a hidden pocket in his coat. The sound of metal hitting each other bothered him slightly, the noise irritating his ears, as he is a rabbit, or at least a doll made to look like one. Putting the key in the lock he turned it, the door popping open.
“Hello- oh! Mani your up,” Casey stared at Maniquin from the door, stunned for a few moments, carrying on, he spoke: “Do you know where Salli is, or if she left?” he inquired. Maniquin shook its head.
“No, she uh,” They coughed and cleared their throat, “she left suddenly, well. After she got a phone call she seemed pretty, distressed? Uhm,” Another cough, “Like something bad happened. Not sure what.” Maniquin also seemed confused with Salli’s actions, but with that confusion came concern. Casey took an angry frown on his face, it almost fitting perfectly there with the way the stiches made to look like a mouth on his face were always downward.
“Well. I just wished she’d had said something, anything truly.” Casey furrowed his brows and finished kicking his left boot off. The door had been kicked shut with his, currently not wearing anything but a sock, right foot when Maniquin had been talking. Casey walked further into the room towards the chair Maniquin laid in. He walked behind them and checked over their shoulder at the book they were reading, something he gave them as a gift for their one-year anniversary, checking their temperature while he was at it. Its forehead was cooler than it had been this morning, but still warmer the normal, he relaxed at this information, almost like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
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Later when all Maniquin had been doing was lightly coughing and only had a slight warmth to them compared to the typical lack there for of, is when Salli had returned. Hours after she left Maniquin.
“Casey!” She called out glancing at Maniquin but seeing that they looked fine continued. “Casey- oh there you are!” she stopped directly in front of where he sat on the floor sorting papers, files for the new performer from what she could see.
“Salli.” He sounded cold and clipped in tone not even looking at his longest friend and wife. “Where have you been?” he only slightly turned his head towards her the buttons acting as his eyes not actually telling her where he looked but she could tell that he was checking her over for injury before staring her in her eyes.
“Uhm. Jon, Jonathan that is, you know zem, zey got into a car crash and zey needed someone to come over and bring zeir car to a mechanic so zey wouldn’t get screwed with weird extra fines, you know how that is, also zey, uhm needed me to bring zem to a hospital afterword, get checked out and what not. Sorry I’m so late, I just, uh couldn’t let zem be actually hurt and I am zeir emergency contact and whatnot and uhm,” Casey had stood while she was taking and hugged her. Stopping her from continuing.
“I’m, I’m just glad you’re okay Sal,” he pulled away resting his hands on her shoulders, “I was upset yes, but I was also worried, well, only when you were gone for longer than two hours. But I was worried, and I’m glad you’re okay, I also assume Jon is as well?” He looked at her with concern and worry, as well as hope that Salli’s friend was okay.
“Yes, zey are fine, at most zey have a bruised rib.” She nodded as if confirming her statement.
“That’s good, Mani’s doing great by the way, their fever hasn’t even gotten much higher than their normal temperature.” Casey looked over at Maniquin guiding Salli in a way to look with him. They were staring back.
“Mmm, I don’t know maybe I need to stay home one extra day” Maniquin joked.
“Aww, then you’d have to miss out on everyone getting their measurements taken for their costumes.” Casey joked back and Salli couldn’t help but laugh.