Teenagers, Part 3

Human bodies are too frail sometimes. Not as frail as, say, the salt people of Canis Minor (they dissolve instantly in water), but still frail enough to become unwilling host to any number of microorganisms. In this case, it was apparently a common cold, but the conventional nature of this virus did not prepare me for the endless coughing and mucus coming out of my nose.

I still blame Douglas. To be fair, I should take it easy on him, as Madison keeps reminding me. It may not entirely be his fault, but schools are the perfect breeding ground for these viruses, and teenagers, with their propensity to mingle socially, are the perfect incubators. Madison was sick as well last week, but she got over it much quicker than I. She got it from Douglas, Douglas got it from his friend Raphael, and Raphael got it from someone in gym class because apparently something is going around. I questioned why none of these children were quarantined for such a highly contagious virus, but my sister assured me that the common cold is not enough to warrant a student to be forced to stay home from school. That did not keep her from trying, of course.

Still, I cannot hold it against Douglas. He was quite helpful in suggesting remedies to cure my ailment. Chicken soup was one of the more interesting ones. My initial mission training on humans included several vitamin needs as well as pharmacological remedies, but chicken soup was considered to be a mere placebo. It worked quite effectively, though. I must run further tests. Douglas has actually been quite helpful, so I must add him as an interview subject.

It should be noted, that Douglas and my sister Madison are not, to use the common parlance, dating. They are only, as my sister keeps reminding me, “just friends.” However, my sister did have a date last night with some mystery boy. She was not out past her agreed upon curfew, but I do not like it. A date on a Saturday night can only be trouble.

I must discover who this date she had was. I do not like him.