October 27, 2025 • 17 mins
Listen Ad-free with PREMIUM
Visit lolstorytime.com for merch and other... stuff.
In this silly story, Cori has never been sick a day in her life until a humungous sneeze changes everything! When she discovers that being sick makes her faster, stronger, and sharper, she’ll stop at nothing to catch another cold… even if it means licking a doorknob.
Warning: this goofy story for kids may result in smiles, snorts, and possibly some LOLs. Listen at your own discretion.
To see if the shout-out list is open, visit: lolstorytime.com/shoutouts
Visit lolstorytime.com for merch and other... stuff.
In this silly story, Cori has never been sick a day in her life until a humungous sneeze changes everything! When she discovers that being sick makes her faster, stronger, and sharper, she’ll stop at nothing to catch another cold… even if it means licking a doorknob.
Warning: this goofy story for kids may result in smiles, snorts, and possibly some LOLs. Listen at your own discretion.
To see if the shout-out list is open, visit: lolstorytime.com/shoutouts
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Helloll story Time really not a glory time. Rabbis, stand
and you'll be fine. Follow the whole storyline, Hellol story Time,
might you love at least one time? Welcome back to
the show. This is Lool Storytime, and today I'll be
telling you a story called make Me Sick. This one
is all about a kid who has never been sick before,
(00:23):
not even a running nose or a sore throat. Wouldn't
that be nice? Two characters in the story have been
named after listeners, Corey and Sophie. I've also got some
other awesome people to shout out, like Benjamin from Atherton, California,
Aaron Amaya and their dog Sadie from Toronto, Roscoe from Kentucky,
Rosie from Chippenham, England, Franny Asa and Maple from Maine
(00:46):
listening with their dogs, Vow and Gus. Lola from Auckland,
New Zealand listening with her sister Freya Elston and Rowan
from Toronto, Oliver the Great and Daddy mcdadison from Kowloon,
Hong Kong, and Billy from Adelaide, Australia. And Chloe Mills
from South Africa. I'll have more for you next time.
But for now, let's get into the story. This is
(01:16):
the story of a kid who had never been sick,
like ever, not even a runny nose. I don't have
time to be sick, Corey would always say, have you
seen my schedule? It's jam packed. And even though her
best friend Sophie tried to explain that getting sick wasn't
a choice, Corey had it in her mind that if
she didn't want to get sick, she didn't have to. Sophie. Sophie, Sophie,
(01:40):
I've seen what you're like when you're sick, and I
want nothing to do with that. All that coughing and
sneezing and talking like this it's kind of gross. Plus
think about all the extra time you have to spend
in bed. Bed is so boring. Many people believed it
just wasn't possible. Everyone gets sick of menu right. Even
(02:02):
her doctor seemed doubtful. How could you have made it
this far in life without ever getting sick? Did you
somehow skip kindergarten or something. Everybody gets sick in kindergarten.
Those classrooms are the biggest germ factories in the universe.
The few people who did believe Corey were always asking
to know her secret, Corey, what can I do to
(02:24):
make it so my kids don't get sick so often?
My youngest always puts his fingers in his mouth after
touching everything in town. Corey's advice was usually plain and simple.
Maybe just don't let your kids put their hands in
their mouths if they haven't washed them first, like hello.
But she also offered some pretty amazing suggestions too, like
(02:45):
whacking germs with a baseball bat or simply telling them
to get lost. She didn't believe you had to be
nice to germs. She recommended calling them names like Jeremy mcgermface,
and saw no harm in a little trash talk. You
germs couldn't make someone say if they licked you off
of a door knob. Even if her methas were a
little unorthodox, it was hard to argue with someone who
(03:07):
had such an impressive track record. She had never missed school,
nor had she missed a single day of gymnastics or dance.
Other kids typically missed a few practices every season, including
her best friend Sophie. Where is Sophie? Why is she
not a practice? Please don't tell me she's sick again.
Corey and Sophie did nearly everything together, dance, gymnastics, even homework.
(03:31):
Sometimes they spent so much time together that they were
always leaving things at each other's houses, and that's what
had become part of the problem. On this particular occasion, Ah, man,
she is sick. Wasn't she just sick like two months ago? Seriously,
why did she have to go and get sick again?
We have a dance competition this weekend, and more importantly,
(03:52):
she has my dancing shoes. Corey's dance teacher wasn't much
help either. See this is why I tell you kids,
always keep your shoes with you and to always have
a backup. Here, Corey, you can borrow an old pair
of mine. Corey held out the large pair of shoes
as far from her nose as possible. Thanks, but maybe
(04:12):
if they weren't twice my size and didn't smell like
they were used for dancing in a swamp. She had
no choice but to hustle over to Sophie's house, a
move that sounded more risky than she would have liked. Sure,
she said she wasn't afraid of germs, but that didn't
mean she wanted to go picking a fight with them. Oh, hi, Corey,
(04:35):
it's so nice to see you. But unfortunately Sophie can't
come out today. She's not feeling too well, I'm afraid.
Corey explained that she was just there to get her
shoes and to wish her friend well. Of course, Sophie's
mother told Corey to wait outside, so she did. She
stood there on the front porch, waiting and waiting and
(04:55):
waiting and waiting. What was taking so long? Dance class
would be over before she even got her shoes back.
She rang the doorbell again. Sorry, dear, I've been looking
for your shoes this whole time. But have you seen
my daughter's room? That plays is a jungle. I'm surprised
(05:17):
Sophie doesn't lose Sophie in there. Maybe you should go
and have a look. You might have better luck finding
them than I did. This was the last thing Corey
wanted to do, but she had come prepared for this
just in case. Sure, thinks Sophie's mom. I'll come take
a quick look, but first I just need to put
on a few things. Corey unzipped a large duffel bag
(05:38):
and began loading up on protective gear. When she was finished,
she looked like someone who couldn't decide if they were
about to perform brain surgery or play baseball. Sophie was
half asleep when Corey burst into her room. Cory, what
are you doing here? Didn't you hear that I'm sick?
Corey nodded her head impatiently while rummaging through piles of mess. Yeah,
(06:03):
I heard again. Not sure why you did that to yourself.
You know, we have a dance competition coming up, right,
Sophie coughed a few times. I wasn't trying to get sick.
Some of us still get sick, even when we're careful,
you know. She then noticed the baseball bat in Corey's hand. Corey,
what's up with the baseball helmet and bat? As if
(06:25):
right on cue, Cory swung the bat through the air
like she was trying to hit something. The bat is
for protection, you know, in case any germs try to
come at me, and I think I just got one.
Sophie couldn't believe this was the kid who had never
been sick. Terms are too small to see, Corey. You
can't keep them away by swinging a baseball bat at them.
(06:46):
Cory smirked, tried telling them that to the little germ
who just got blasted out of the ballpark. Once Sophie
realized what Corey was looking for, she explained that the
shoes weren't even in her room. They'd been sitting on
the shoe rack by the front door all along. Corey
ran over and knelt down beside Sophie's bed, removing her
helmet in seven different face masks. Think you think you,
(07:07):
thank you, You're the best. I have to get going now,
but if you want, I'll let you borrow my baseball bat,
Sophie accidentally answered with a big sneeze right in Corey's face.
Oh Cory, I'm so sorry. That sneeze came out of nowhere.
Corey's first response was to panic, but then she remembered
who she was. She was the girl who had never
(07:27):
been sick. These germs were no match for her. Two
days later, she woke up and realized maybe those germs
were a match for her. Uh, why does my throat
feel like this? And why is my nose running? And
is that what it feels like to cough? It was
terrible timing. The dance competition was just days away. If
(07:50):
only she'd swung that bat a few more times. But
despite the signs Corey hopped out of bed like she
just had the best sleep of her life. This running
nose is kind of an knowing, but I actually feel
pretty great. Her mother suggested she stay in bed, but
that sounded like the most boring idea ever. At school,
kids were amazed to see Corey was sick. Sophie didn't
(08:13):
mean to seem happy about it, but she was secretly
glad her friend could finally see what everyone else had
to put up with. Corey. You're gonna want to take
it slow today, okay, said Sophie. Here's a full box
of tissues. Don't be surprised if you need more, and
don't be afraid to ask to go home early. You're
gonna find it really hard to concentrate on your schoolwork today.
But Corey didn't take it slow. She was the fastest
(08:35):
kid in gym class, aced her math test, and got
an eight plus plus on her science report. She was
still sick on the weekend for the dance competition, but
she didn't miss out. In fact, she helped her team
win gold. Sophie was baffled. I don't get it. You
blew through half a box of tissues, before giving the
best dance performance of your life. Then you stood there
(08:56):
coughing for five minutes straight. I thought your lungs were
gonna pop. Corey just shrugged. Well, if I had known
that this is what it's like to be sick, i'd
never have started carrying a baseball bat around. I think
I owe those germs in an apology. I love being sick.
Sophie was having a hard time not exploding. She was
even more annoyed on Monday when Corey complained about not
(09:19):
feeling sick anymore. She was back to being the fifth
fastest kid in class and only received a B minus
on her next science report. Sophie, I need you to
sneeze on me, she begged. Sophie shook her head. I'm
not going to purposely sneeze on you. Are you kidding me?
I'm not even sick anymore. This was disappointing for Corey,
but she wasn't giving up. Someone at school had to
(09:41):
be sick. She began sniffing out sick people like a
canine detective. Eventually she found one Andy corn Jam, a
kid who everyone was refusing to sit next to at lunch.
This dude had been coughing and sneezing all over the place.
Cover your mouth, people kept yelling, but Corey didn't mind.
She sat so close she could smell what he'd eaten
(10:02):
for breakfast that morning, and it worked. Two days later,
Corey woke up with a scratchy throat and the stuff
he knows. All right, she cheered, This is going to
be a fantastic day, and oddly enough it was, as
were the next few days. But eventually her cold symptoms
began to fade, as did her higher than usual levels
(10:24):
of energy and focus. Sophie, don't you sometimes wish colds
lasted a little longer? Sophie wondered if her friend was
trying to make her mad. No, of course I don't.
No one has ever wished for that, Corey shrugged. Well,
maybe not no one. Somehow, Sophie's best friend had gone
(10:44):
from being the kid who never got sick to the
kid who only wanted to be sick. It hadn't made
sense before, and it made even less sense now. To Sophie,
it felt like the universe had been flipped upside down.
That week, she watched as Corey did some pretty raund
things like diving headfirst into the path of some other
person sneeze, and also looked like Corey had given up
(11:06):
on washing her hands entirely. One day, she accidentally did
wash them, then immediately dried them off with a dirty
tissue to make up for it. Every time Corey showed
up to school looking sick, she'd hop up on a
table and start doing the happy dance. But after several
weeks of getting one cold after another, she eventually stopped
getting sick. Sophie, something's wrong with me. I've been trying everything,
(11:29):
but nothing's working. I think I need to see a doctor.
Sophie knew that a doctor was the last person Corey
needed to see, but she couldn't resist tagging along for
the entertainment. Cory, nice to see you. I almost never
get to see you. You're my healthiest patient, the doctor
said warmly. Corey looks stressed. Talk That's why I'm here.
(11:51):
I need your help. I can't stop being healthy. The
doctor blinked. Hold on, so you've come to see me
because you're not sick. It seemed perfectly reasonable to Corey. Sophie, however,
was in the corner. Try not to burst out laughing. Listen, doc,
you work with lots of germs, right, I just need
your help catching a cold. Nothing's working anymore. I even
(12:14):
tried licking a doorknob after standing out in the rain
without a jacket. The doctor was used to giving shots
to prevent illness, not to cause it. Well, Corey did
get a needlepoke that day, but not for the reason
she hoped. The doctor drew a blood sample to send
to a lab. We'll if someone look under a microscope,
but the little germ fighters inside your blood. We'll call
(12:35):
you in a day or two with the results. In
the meantime, please don't lick any more doorknobs. Sophie's stomach
was hurting from laughing so much. Who knew a doctor's
appointment could be this entertaining. Corey, however, was taking it seriously.
The gymnastics championships were coming up soon. How could she
not lick more doorknobs. Meanwhile, Sophie was doing everything in
(12:56):
her power to avoid getting sick. She even started carrying
a base ball bat. Hey, I thought you said it
was silly to fight germs with a baseball bat, Corey
pointed out. Sophie just shrugged, randomly swinging her bat through
the air. I can't get sick right before the championships.
I'll try anything. I've been eating vegetable soup for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner, except as really just a bowl of orange
(13:18):
juice with a few peas and carrots thrown in. When
Corey heard back from the doctor a few days later,
the news was worse than she feared. The scientists had
found that her body's germ fighters were really good, maybe
too good. These antibodies were the strongest ones they'd ever seen,
like tiny germ fighting superheroes. That's why she had gone
so long without getting sick, And when she finally did,
(13:41):
they began working so hard to make her feel better
that they actually made her feel better than ever. Only
now they had seen enough of these cold germs to
know how to shut them down at the front door,
even cold germs that tried to get in through a
licked door handle. But I still want you to be careful,
Corey warned the doctor. You've been working your germ fighters
off hard. Even superheroes need rest. Sometimes the common cold
(14:04):
is just one of many viruses. You'd be better off
staying healthy. To Corey, this was just more bad advice
from another guy with just regular germ fighters. What did
he know? Wasn't this the same guy who had once
said you can't fight germs with a baseball bat. Well,
if her germ fighters had become too good at fighting colds,
maybe she'd just have to throw something new at them.
(14:26):
Like the doctor said, there were plenty of other viruses
out there. The next day, at school, the perfect opportunity
presented itself. A boy in Corey's class raised his hand
to lunch teacher. I don't feel so good. Corey was
out his side before the teacher could blink. So what's
going on my guy? Sore throat, running nose, any coughing
(14:49):
or sneezing yet, the boy clutched his stomach. It's my tummy.
It hurts. I think I'm getting sick. The last thing
he needed was an enthusiastic pat on the back from
someone who thought this was great. Yeah, way to go, Bud,
fantastic job. I don't think I've had one of those
viruses yet. Mind if I finish your half eaten sandwich.
(15:12):
Sophie wanted to stop her, but she didn't dare get
too close to someone with a stomach bug. Corey, the
stomach bug is not like the others. It's kind of
the worst one, Corey ignored. Her friend Sophie used to
warn her that having a cold would feel lousy, and
now colds were like her new favorite thing at bedtime.
Corey was quite excited. There was a good chance she
(15:34):
might actually wake up feeling sick again, and what perfect timing.
The gymnastics competition was just days away. While brushing her teeth,
she felt a tickle in her nose. She tried to
hold it back, but ended up sneezing toothpaste all over
the mirror. Before cleaning it up, she noticed that the
splatter had formed words gone fishing. That seemed weird. It
(15:57):
looked exactly like the sign her grandpa used to hang
on his shop wind though, and he needed a break.
Germ fighters, That wasn't you guys? Was it? Cuz like
kind of not the best time? Could you wait until
after the gymnastics Championships. The next morning, Corey discovered they
most definitely had not waited. She also discovered that stomach
bugs were no joke. For the first time ever, she
(16:19):
had to stay home from school. Germ Fighters come back.
Even though the worst of it was over in a day,
Corey wasn't taking any more chances before the competition, even
if her germ fighters were back from vacation. No trophy
in the world was worth feeling like that again. But
even without her little power boost, the girls still showed up.
(16:42):
Corey and Sophie gave it their best and had a
really fun time, and most importantly, neither of them got sick.
Maybe because they both showed up carrying their baseball bats,
you know, Sophie said Corey, maybe we ought to sign
up for baseball next season. Those players must be the
healthiest people around the end. That's the story, and hopefully
(17:09):
you didn't catch any germs from it. Question of the week,
what do you do to avoid getting sick? Vegetable soup
with a broth made out of orange juice. Anyway, that's
it for this one. Thanks for listening, and I'll catch
you on the next one.
Helloll story Time really not a glory time. Rabbis, stand
and you'll be fine. Follow the whole storyline, Hellol story Time,
might you love at least one time? Welcome back to
the show. This is Lool Storytime, and today I'll be
telling you a story called make Me Sick. This one
is all about a kid who has never been sick before,
(00:23):
not even a running nose or a sore throat. Wouldn't
that be nice? Two characters in the story have been
named after listeners, Corey and Sophie. I've also got some
other awesome people to shout out, like Benjamin from Atherton, California,
Aaron Amaya and their dog Sadie from Toronto, Roscoe from Kentucky,
Rosie from Chippenham, England, Franny Asa and Maple from Maine
(00:46):
listening with their dogs, Vow and Gus. Lola from Auckland,
New Zealand listening with her sister Freya Elston and Rowan
from Toronto, Oliver the Great and Daddy mcdadison from Kowloon,
Hong Kong, and Billy from Adelaide, Australia. And Chloe Mills
from South Africa. I'll have more for you next time.
But for now, let's get into the story. This is
(01:16):
the story of a kid who had never been sick,
like ever, not even a runny nose. I don't have
time to be sick, Corey would always say, have you
seen my schedule? It's jam packed. And even though her
best friend Sophie tried to explain that getting sick wasn't
a choice, Corey had it in her mind that if
she didn't want to get sick, she didn't have to. Sophie. Sophie, Sophie,
(01:40):
I've seen what you're like when you're sick, and I
want nothing to do with that. All that coughing and
sneezing and talking like this it's kind of gross. Plus
think about all the extra time you have to spend
in bed. Bed is so boring. Many people believed it
just wasn't possible. Everyone gets sick of menu right. Even
(02:02):
her doctor seemed doubtful. How could you have made it
this far in life without ever getting sick? Did you
somehow skip kindergarten or something. Everybody gets sick in kindergarten.
Those classrooms are the biggest germ factories in the universe.
The few people who did believe Corey were always asking
to know her secret, Corey, what can I do to
(02:24):
make it so my kids don't get sick so often?
My youngest always puts his fingers in his mouth after
touching everything in town. Corey's advice was usually plain and simple.
Maybe just don't let your kids put their hands in
their mouths if they haven't washed them first, like hello.
But she also offered some pretty amazing suggestions too, like
(02:45):
whacking germs with a baseball bat or simply telling them
to get lost. She didn't believe you had to be
nice to germs. She recommended calling them names like Jeremy mcgermface,
and saw no harm in a little trash talk. You
germs couldn't make someone say if they licked you off
of a door knob. Even if her methas were a
little unorthodox, it was hard to argue with someone who
(03:07):
had such an impressive track record. She had never missed school,
nor had she missed a single day of gymnastics or dance.
Other kids typically missed a few practices every season, including
her best friend Sophie. Where is Sophie? Why is she
not a practice? Please don't tell me she's sick again.
Corey and Sophie did nearly everything together, dance, gymnastics, even homework.
(03:31):
Sometimes they spent so much time together that they were
always leaving things at each other's houses, and that's what
had become part of the problem. On this particular occasion, Ah, man,
she is sick. Wasn't she just sick like two months ago? Seriously,
why did she have to go and get sick again?
We have a dance competition this weekend, and more importantly,
(03:52):
she has my dancing shoes. Corey's dance teacher wasn't much
help either. See this is why I tell you kids,
always keep your shoes with you and to always have
a backup. Here, Corey, you can borrow an old pair
of mine. Corey held out the large pair of shoes
as far from her nose as possible. Thanks, but maybe
(04:12):
if they weren't twice my size and didn't smell like
they were used for dancing in a swamp. She had
no choice but to hustle over to Sophie's house, a
move that sounded more risky than she would have liked. Sure,
she said she wasn't afraid of germs, but that didn't
mean she wanted to go picking a fight with them. Oh, hi, Corey,
(04:35):
it's so nice to see you. But unfortunately Sophie can't
come out today. She's not feeling too well, I'm afraid.
Corey explained that she was just there to get her
shoes and to wish her friend well. Of course, Sophie's
mother told Corey to wait outside, so she did. She
stood there on the front porch, waiting and waiting and
(04:55):
waiting and waiting. What was taking so long? Dance class
would be over before she even got her shoes back.
She rang the doorbell again. Sorry, dear, I've been looking
for your shoes this whole time. But have you seen
my daughter's room? That plays is a jungle. I'm surprised
(05:17):
Sophie doesn't lose Sophie in there. Maybe you should go
and have a look. You might have better luck finding
them than I did. This was the last thing Corey
wanted to do, but she had come prepared for this
just in case. Sure, thinks Sophie's mom. I'll come take
a quick look, but first I just need to put
on a few things. Corey unzipped a large duffel bag
(05:38):
and began loading up on protective gear. When she was finished,
she looked like someone who couldn't decide if they were
about to perform brain surgery or play baseball. Sophie was
half asleep when Corey burst into her room. Cory, what
are you doing here? Didn't you hear that I'm sick?
Corey nodded her head impatiently while rummaging through piles of mess. Yeah,
(06:03):
I heard again. Not sure why you did that to yourself.
You know, we have a dance competition coming up, right,
Sophie coughed a few times. I wasn't trying to get sick.
Some of us still get sick, even when we're careful,
you know. She then noticed the baseball bat in Corey's hand. Corey,
what's up with the baseball helmet and bat? As if
(06:25):
right on cue, Cory swung the bat through the air
like she was trying to hit something. The bat is
for protection, you know, in case any germs try to
come at me, and I think I just got one.
Sophie couldn't believe this was the kid who had never
been sick. Terms are too small to see, Corey. You
can't keep them away by swinging a baseball bat at them.
(06:46):
Cory smirked, tried telling them that to the little germ
who just got blasted out of the ballpark. Once Sophie
realized what Corey was looking for, she explained that the
shoes weren't even in her room. They'd been sitting on
the shoe rack by the front door all along. Corey
ran over and knelt down beside Sophie's bed, removing her
helmet in seven different face masks. Think you think you,
(07:07):
thank you, You're the best. I have to get going now,
but if you want, I'll let you borrow my baseball bat,
Sophie accidentally answered with a big sneeze right in Corey's face.
Oh Cory, I'm so sorry. That sneeze came out of nowhere.
Corey's first response was to panic, but then she remembered
who she was. She was the girl who had never
(07:27):
been sick. These germs were no match for her. Two
days later, she woke up and realized maybe those germs
were a match for her. Uh, why does my throat
feel like this? And why is my nose running? And
is that what it feels like to cough? It was
terrible timing. The dance competition was just days away. If
(07:50):
only she'd swung that bat a few more times. But
despite the signs Corey hopped out of bed like she
just had the best sleep of her life. This running
nose is kind of an knowing, but I actually feel
pretty great. Her mother suggested she stay in bed, but
that sounded like the most boring idea ever. At school,
kids were amazed to see Corey was sick. Sophie didn't
(08:13):
mean to seem happy about it, but she was secretly
glad her friend could finally see what everyone else had
to put up with. Corey. You're gonna want to take
it slow today, okay, said Sophie. Here's a full box
of tissues. Don't be surprised if you need more, and
don't be afraid to ask to go home early. You're
gonna find it really hard to concentrate on your schoolwork today.
But Corey didn't take it slow. She was the fastest
(08:35):
kid in gym class, aced her math test, and got
an eight plus plus on her science report. She was
still sick on the weekend for the dance competition, but
she didn't miss out. In fact, she helped her team
win gold. Sophie was baffled. I don't get it. You
blew through half a box of tissues, before giving the
best dance performance of your life. Then you stood there
(08:56):
coughing for five minutes straight. I thought your lungs were
gonna pop. Corey just shrugged. Well, if I had known
that this is what it's like to be sick, i'd
never have started carrying a baseball bat around. I think
I owe those germs in an apology. I love being sick.
Sophie was having a hard time not exploding. She was
even more annoyed on Monday when Corey complained about not
(09:19):
feeling sick anymore. She was back to being the fifth
fastest kid in class and only received a B minus
on her next science report. Sophie, I need you to
sneeze on me, she begged. Sophie shook her head. I'm
not going to purposely sneeze on you. Are you kidding me?
I'm not even sick anymore. This was disappointing for Corey,
but she wasn't giving up. Someone at school had to
(09:41):
be sick. She began sniffing out sick people like a
canine detective. Eventually she found one Andy corn Jam, a
kid who everyone was refusing to sit next to at lunch.
This dude had been coughing and sneezing all over the place.
Cover your mouth, people kept yelling, but Corey didn't mind.
She sat so close she could smell what he'd eaten
(10:02):
for breakfast that morning, and it worked. Two days later,
Corey woke up with a scratchy throat and the stuff
he knows. All right, she cheered, This is going to
be a fantastic day, and oddly enough it was, as
were the next few days. But eventually her cold symptoms
began to fade, as did her higher than usual levels
(10:24):
of energy and focus. Sophie, don't you sometimes wish colds
lasted a little longer? Sophie wondered if her friend was
trying to make her mad. No, of course I don't.
No one has ever wished for that, Corey shrugged. Well,
maybe not no one. Somehow, Sophie's best friend had gone
(10:44):
from being the kid who never got sick to the
kid who only wanted to be sick. It hadn't made
sense before, and it made even less sense now. To Sophie,
it felt like the universe had been flipped upside down.
That week, she watched as Corey did some pretty raund
things like diving headfirst into the path of some other
person sneeze, and also looked like Corey had given up
(11:06):
on washing her hands entirely. One day, she accidentally did
wash them, then immediately dried them off with a dirty
tissue to make up for it. Every time Corey showed
up to school looking sick, she'd hop up on a
table and start doing the happy dance. But after several
weeks of getting one cold after another, she eventually stopped
getting sick. Sophie, something's wrong with me. I've been trying everything,
(11:29):
but nothing's working. I think I need to see a doctor.
Sophie knew that a doctor was the last person Corey
needed to see, but she couldn't resist tagging along for
the entertainment. Cory, nice to see you. I almost never
get to see you. You're my healthiest patient, the doctor
said warmly. Corey looks stressed. Talk That's why I'm here.
(11:51):
I need your help. I can't stop being healthy. The
doctor blinked. Hold on, so you've come to see me
because you're not sick. It seemed perfectly reasonable to Corey. Sophie, however,
was in the corner. Try not to burst out laughing. Listen, doc,
you work with lots of germs, right, I just need
your help catching a cold. Nothing's working anymore. I even
(12:14):
tried licking a doorknob after standing out in the rain
without a jacket. The doctor was used to giving shots
to prevent illness, not to cause it. Well, Corey did
get a needlepoke that day, but not for the reason
she hoped. The doctor drew a blood sample to send
to a lab. We'll if someone look under a microscope,
but the little germ fighters inside your blood. We'll call
(12:35):
you in a day or two with the results. In
the meantime, please don't lick any more doorknobs. Sophie's stomach
was hurting from laughing so much. Who knew a doctor's
appointment could be this entertaining. Corey, however, was taking it seriously.
The gymnastics championships were coming up soon. How could she
not lick more doorknobs. Meanwhile, Sophie was doing everything in
(12:56):
her power to avoid getting sick. She even started carrying
a base ball bat. Hey, I thought you said it
was silly to fight germs with a baseball bat, Corey
pointed out. Sophie just shrugged, randomly swinging her bat through
the air. I can't get sick right before the championships.
I'll try anything. I've been eating vegetable soup for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner, except as really just a bowl of orange
(13:18):
juice with a few peas and carrots thrown in. When
Corey heard back from the doctor a few days later,
the news was worse than she feared. The scientists had
found that her body's germ fighters were really good, maybe
too good. These antibodies were the strongest ones they'd ever seen,
like tiny germ fighting superheroes. That's why she had gone
so long without getting sick, And when she finally did,
(13:41):
they began working so hard to make her feel better
that they actually made her feel better than ever. Only
now they had seen enough of these cold germs to
know how to shut them down at the front door,
even cold germs that tried to get in through a
licked door handle. But I still want you to be careful,
Corey warned the doctor. You've been working your germ fighters
off hard. Even superheroes need rest. Sometimes the common cold
(14:04):
is just one of many viruses. You'd be better off
staying healthy. To Corey, this was just more bad advice
from another guy with just regular germ fighters. What did
he know? Wasn't this the same guy who had once
said you can't fight germs with a baseball bat. Well,
if her germ fighters had become too good at fighting colds,
maybe she'd just have to throw something new at them.
(14:26):
Like the doctor said, there were plenty of other viruses
out there. The next day, at school, the perfect opportunity
presented itself. A boy in Corey's class raised his hand
to lunch teacher. I don't feel so good. Corey was
out his side before the teacher could blink. So what's
going on my guy? Sore throat, running nose, any coughing
(14:49):
or sneezing yet, the boy clutched his stomach. It's my tummy.
It hurts. I think I'm getting sick. The last thing
he needed was an enthusiastic pat on the back from
someone who thought this was great. Yeah, way to go, Bud,
fantastic job. I don't think I've had one of those
viruses yet. Mind if I finish your half eaten sandwich.
(15:12):
Sophie wanted to stop her, but she didn't dare get
too close to someone with a stomach bug. Corey, the
stomach bug is not like the others. It's kind of
the worst one, Corey ignored. Her friend Sophie used to
warn her that having a cold would feel lousy, and
now colds were like her new favorite thing at bedtime.
Corey was quite excited. There was a good chance she
(15:34):
might actually wake up feeling sick again, and what perfect timing.
The gymnastics competition was just days away. While brushing her teeth,
she felt a tickle in her nose. She tried to
hold it back, but ended up sneezing toothpaste all over
the mirror. Before cleaning it up, she noticed that the
splatter had formed words gone fishing. That seemed weird. It
(15:57):
looked exactly like the sign her grandpa used to hang
on his shop wind though, and he needed a break.
Germ fighters, That wasn't you guys? Was it? Cuz like
kind of not the best time? Could you wait until
after the gymnastics Championships. The next morning, Corey discovered they
most definitely had not waited. She also discovered that stomach
bugs were no joke. For the first time ever, she
(16:19):
had to stay home from school. Germ Fighters come back.
Even though the worst of it was over in a day,
Corey wasn't taking any more chances before the competition, even
if her germ fighters were back from vacation. No trophy
in the world was worth feeling like that again. But
even without her little power boost, the girls still showed up.
(16:42):
Corey and Sophie gave it their best and had a
really fun time, and most importantly, neither of them got sick.
Maybe because they both showed up carrying their baseball bats,
you know, Sophie said Corey, maybe we ought to sign
up for baseball next season. Those players must be the
healthiest people around the end. That's the story, and hopefully
(17:09):
you didn't catch any germs from it. Question of the week,
what do you do to avoid getting sick? Vegetable soup
with a broth made out of orange juice. Anyway, that's
it for this one. Thanks for listening, and I'll catch
you on the next one.
Popular Podcasts
Spooky Podcasts from iHeartRadio
Whether you’re a scaredy-cat or a brave bat, this collection of episodes from iHeartPodcasts will put you in the Halloween spirit. Binge stories, frights, and more that may keep you up at night!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.