Cold Denial Part 2

Applejack had gone the entire morning and early afternoon without working, hoping she would feel better.  She didn't want to catch a cold, not when there was so much work to do.  She wanted to get as many apples ready for the market as she could this coming Saturday.  With only Big Mac working and a few hired hoofs, they wouldn't get optimum results.

Applejack's nose twitched as she lay on her back atop a comfy couch cushion.  She felt laying on her back resulted in the least amount of nose runoff dripping from her nostrils.  She brushed her nose, but the tickly feeling didn't give way.  Applejack closed her eyes, her chest puffed out, she hitched a few times, and let out a strong sneeze into the air above her.  “Huuuaaasshhooo!”  The mist lazily sprinkled back down over her.  She had to face the music, she was sick.

Slowly dragging her hooves, Applejack pushed her bedroom door open with her nose and closed it behind her with a swift little kick.  She bit down on a string and pulled the blinds down.  Her room was now dark except for a sliver of light shining into the room.  Small particles of dust could be seen floating around in the sunlight, and when Applejack lifted herself onto her bed, the particles exploded out into every direction.  “Haaa-kpphhhff!”  Applejack stifled. “Hmmpphhft!”  She stifled again.  She rubbed her nose as it sloshed around.  Her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes glassy.

Clank!  Thump, thump, thump.

Applejack was reaching over onto her bed stand hoping to find a box of tissues, but unlike her friends, who all had a tissue box beside their beds, Applejack did not.  She never needed them, she never got sick.  She was built like an ox, with a rock solid immune system.  Also unlike her friends, she had no known allergies.  She was pretty much in the clear for everything that every other pony had to deal with.

Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes, then turned onto her side and lifting the covers up to her shoulders.  She pushed at her nose with the end of her hoof and shut her eyes.

Granny Smith rang a small cow bell as Applebloom finished setting up the last few dishes on the table.

“Better git yer food while it's hot, dear.”  Granny Smith chirped.

Applebloom jumped to her usual seat as Big Mac slowly walked into the dining room.  Big Mac sat at the head of the table, while Granny Smith sat across from Applebloom.  There was an open chair across from Big Mac.  “Alright, Applebloom, it is your turn to say grace.”  Granny Smith said as she closed her eyes.  Big Mac's hoof touched Granny Smith's left hoof, but nothing touched her right.  She opened one eye and looked at where Applejack would usually sit.  She looked puzzled.

“Applejack coming to dinner?”  Granny Smith questioned.  Big Mac opened his eyes and looked across the table, Applebloom looked too.  “She might still be out workin' on somethin'.”  Granny Smith reasoned, “Applebloom be a dear and go get yer big sis.”

Applebloom pushed herself off her chair and trotted out of the dining room.  She walked down the hall towards the front door, but noticed Applejack's door to her room was closed.  Her door is never closed. The door creaked open and Applebloom nudged her head into the room.  She noticed a lump on Applejack's bed.

“Applejack doesn't go to bed this early...”  Applebloom whispered to herself.

It was just then that Applebloom got a brilliant, well maybe not brilliant, but it seemed like a fun idea to a filly such as herself.  She would go and jump on the bed to wake up her big sis, then she and Applejack could get a good laugh over it, and go eat dinner.  Good idea.

With a leaping bound, Applebloom landed on Applejack's bed and bounced up and down.

“Wake up!  Wake up!  Wake up!”  Applebloom sang aloud.

Applejack sprung to action almost immediately and landed head first onto the floor with her legs up in the air.  She moaned and held onto her head.

“Silly sis, dinner is ready!  Come out and eat with us!  It's my turn to say grace.”  The little filly grinned hoping for a response from her sister.  Instead she got a muffled sneeze.

“Huhh-Chooph!”  Applejack rubbed her nose and pushed herself up off the floor, mucous comically dripped from her red nose, and her bagged eyes watered.  Applejack's mane was even more unkept then after a hard days work.  In short, she looked terrible.

“Woah...... ewwwwwww.”  Applebloom said as she stepped back off the bed and backed up towards the door.  “You okay, sis?”

Applejack's eyes were half closed as she cleared her through, sucked up some mucous and said in a ragged tone, “I've been better.  I thingh I may habe pigged ub ...sniff... ah frog imb muh throat.”  Applejack was startled by how bad her own voice sound as she quickly tried to clear her throat by coughing a few times.

“Well come on out ta supper.  We're waitin' for ya.”  The filly said as she scurried out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Applejack had no appetite, and didn't really want to go to the dinner table so they would all see her like this, but out of common courtesy, she decided she would drag herself out there.