Note: This story is a work of fiction. The archive's depictions do not reflect the personalities or opinions of their creators.
***
It's Thanksgiving Day. The fanfic archives want to celebrate when they hear bad news.
"I've just spoken to Ao3." Ad Astra said while turning off his cell phone. "He got sick."
"Oh no! We wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving together." Say Comic Fanfiction Authors Archive.
"I have an idea," says SquidgeWorld, "let's celebrate at his place."
"Yeah!" Comic Fanfiction Authors Archive replies cheerfully.
"But don't we risk catching what he's got?" Ad Astra asks.
"Don't worry." SquidgeWorld reassures him. "All we have to do is wear masks."
"Okay, that's a good idea, but how can we eat?"
"Duh! All we have to do is take off our masks." Says Comic Fanfiction Authors Archive. "And let Ao3 eat alone, on his own."
Thus the archives get ready and they go to Archive Of Our Own's house. Since he doesn't answer the door, his friends don't hesitate. They enter the house.
When Ao3 sees them enter his room, with surgical masks covering their lower faces, he starts laughing, then has a coughing fit.
"Ao3, are you all right?" SquidgeWorld asks, concerned.
"Yes... I'll be fine... What are you doing here?"
"We've come to celebrate Thanksgiving with you." Ad Astra explains.
"But... this is insane! I don't have... a simple flu..."
He starts coughing again.
"I have COVID."
"What, COVID?" Comic Fanfiction Authors Archive asks. "Ad Astra, did you know about this?"
"No. He just told me he got sick."
"It's my fault, friends. I should have..."
He starts coughing again.
"It's best if... if you leave. I don't... want to infect you."
The other archives seem to agree but quickly change their minds.
"We're already here so we might as well celebrate Thanksgiving." Squidgeworld explains. "If we catch COVID, well... besides, how did you know it was COVID, Ao3? You've only been sick for 24 hours, right?"
"Yes, but... I have... a new experimental test... it detects the virus... right away."
That explained everything. Thus the fanwoks archive celebrates Thanksgiving at Ao3. A turkey dinner with triple chocolate dessert.
Ao3 had to eat in his room, to minimize the risk of transmission, but then he joined the others in the living room. They finished eating.
They spend the rest of the evening chatting. Ad Astra talks about his great passion for Star Trek. Comic Fanfiction Authors Archive talks about comic book superheroes and moments he finds cult. SquidgeWorld talks about the work that awaits him when he gets home. This discourages his friends. He immediately apologizes and talks about animals, especially cats and dogs.
What does Ao3 do? He listens to his friends while resting on a rocking chair. As the cough doesn't let up, he doesn't talk much, but he's happy. Archive Of Our Own is not alone. His friends, the archives, are always there to help him.
When Comic Fanfiction Authors Archive, Ad Astra and SquidgeWorld say goodbye to Ao3, because it's time to go home, he waves goodbye with his hand and then goes back to bed. Ao3 falls fast asleep.
Days go by. Ao3 finally recovers. No one caught COVID.