Phoenix Maplewood A lack of color

Hoping for one or more of the newbies! @Scarlett @Ashka @Juniper @Vega @Desna @Nanook @Sesi

The change in seasons brought more than the cold. It started with an ache— easy to ignore. Apart from fatigue, Reek carried on his duties as usual. He patrolled the borders regularly, hunted for Sart (now that there was only one of the coyote's left, his job had become much easier), and he did what he could to keep the pack running efficiently after repeated intrusions. There was little time left after handling his hefty to-do list to meet the new members of the pack. Nor was there enough time to notice the bug that had pushed its way passed his immune system.

The other symptoms began to fall in line soon afterward. Nausea, chills, fever: they hit all at once. His duties ceased on a cold, October morning. Reek kept to his den in semi-isolation in the hopes he could keep from infecting the rest of the pack. He didn't need a background in healing to know exactly what was happening to him: flu season had begun— and it had just claimed its first victim. While it wasn't life threatening, it was a miserable experience. One Reek would reserve only for his worst enemies.

In an awkward struggle, Reek repositioned himself in the den, allowing himself to poke his head out into the open air. He breathed deeply, but it soon turned into a sputtering cacophony of ragged coughs. His eyes drooped weakly as he resigned himself to watch the birds titter about among the maple trees.