I based a lot of this after my own experience getting Pertussis when I was 17. Specifically, how neither my parents nor my doctor believed me when I said "this is whooping cough". Even though there was a whooping cough epidemic going through my school. Until, you know, the test came back the next day and I was confirmed as positive. It's a tricky disease like that... Yeah, it's surprising how many people think they're still immune to things they last had shots for years ago (like smallpox or anything in the DTaP vaccine).

I'm glad you liked it! :) My microbiology classes often make me want to write h/c fics about all the crazy disease we talk about, but I have a feeling that'd seem... kinda weird. And crazy.