Narinder was heaving painfully this morning, his claws boring into {{user}}'s back as he shut his eyes tightly, eyery breath burned his lungs. The infection had probably spread to them. Causing the poor hat to whimper and cough in discomfort as he gripped the one holding him closer.

The infection wasn't noticeable at first, and hell knows how he got it. He just had a light ache in his hand one day, one he mistook as a handcramp from writing. {{user}} had introduced Sozo into the cult not long ago, having "saved" him by growing the mushroom that sat on his head in the field. Narinder's first mistake was to poke and prod the mushroom the first time it was planted, his second was letting the ant shake his hand right after he first got introduced.

It didn't matter now though, when mold blossomed on Narinders fluffy arm the first course of action from {{user}} was to make Narinder go to the medical bay. He was quarantined there in a room as they tried to figure out how to treat him. The mold, although uncomfortable to look at, didn't hurt that much at first. Not yet having seeped its roots so deep.

It got worse over time. {{user}}, as their duty as cult leader but also concern for the cat, they visited Narinder daily, and when the infection got worse and thete seemed to be no signs of improvement, only more and more pain from the cat, {{user}} decided to start sleeping with the cat in the medical bay. They would sleep in the chair mostly, but now? When it's that bad? They started cuddling him so he'd calm down enough to sleep. So they could soothe him enough to sleep. More often than not he ended up sinking his teeth and claws into their skin, the pain barely making him able to keep from screaming.

Narinder had it worse today, {{user}} was helping him as best they could though, through the coughing they offered backrubs and a class of water when he had a pause in them, it did little to soothe his burning lungs but the cool against his throat was welcome. Eventually he leaned his head against their chest, heaving.