[Just... 5 more minutes. Is that really too hard to ask for? He just wanted to do the whole chicken soup for the time god soul and wrap an arm around him and not have to have something smack its ugly head right into it. Ryuji closes his eyes and breathes out, trying to not get livid at something he has no control over; and besides, getting angry at something right now might distort that into it looking like he was angry at Dave, which he definitely wasn't. He's pretty hard to talk down from a ledge when that happens, though, and maybe it says something that he's more tilted by that than his weird blood issues that are going on right now.

And no, no cheap shots needed. Dave's already cashed in that check for himself, giving Ryuji's wrist attention that makes hair on the back of his neck practically stand on edge, hyper aware of it for some reason.]

Huh? No way. These ain't pipes, they're veins. [He knows what Dave meant. He's being just as stubborn as he always is.] It's okay, really. It'll go away in a few days, probably. Looks like mostly everyone's sick around here, including you, so, uh. The med bay's probably packed and... y'know. Fevers are more dangerous than whatever the hell this is.