## Chapter 5: The Ailing Baby Planet

The sun shone brightly in the morning, but as it gazed down at the solar system, it noticed that baby Mercury was crying again, his wails piercing through the peaceful night. The sun's warm rays couldn't soothe the baby planet's distress, and as it looked closer, it saw that Mercury had thrown up, his usual sleek surface now marred by a messy, greenish splatter. But that wasn't all - the baby planet's temperature was also elevated, a fever burning within him. The sun was taken aback. Planets didn't get sick like this. They didn't throw up or come down with fevers. Something was very wrong. The sun quickly sent out a distress call to the other planets, waking them up in the middle of the night. Venus, Earth, and Mars were the first to receive the call, and they sprang into action, rushing towards Mercury with all haste. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune soon followed, their usual calm demeanor replaced by a sense of urgency. As they gathered around baby Mercury, they could see that he was indeed ill. His tiny planet form was shaking with fever, and his surface was covered in a sticky, greenish substance. The planets quickly got to work, using their unique abilities to try and help the ailing baby planet. Venus, with its thick atmosphere, created a warm, soothing blanket to envelop Mercury, trying to calm his fever. Earth, with its vast oceans, sent a gentle wave of cooling water to wash away the sticky substance, cleansing Mercury's surface. Mars, with its reddish hue, used its rocky terrain to create a gentle, soothing friction, trying to ease Mercury's discomfort. Jupiter, with its massive size and gravitational pull, created a stabilizing force around Mercury, holding him steady as the other planets worked to heal him. Saturn, with its rings, created a protective barrier, shielding Mercury from any further harm. Uranus and Neptune, with their icy cold temperatures, used their frozen moons to create a cooling compress, trying to bring down Mercury's fever. The sun watched anxiously as the planets worked together to help baby Mercury. Slowly but surely, the baby planet began to show signs of improvement. His fever broke, and his surface began to clean up. His wails subsided, replaced by gentle coos of contentment. As the planets continued to care for Mercury, they realized that they had learned an important lesson. Even in their vast, celestial expanse, they were not alone. They were interconnected, and they needed each other to overcome the challenges that lay ahead. With Mercury on the mend, the planets finally felt a sense of relief. They had come together to help one of their own, and in doing so, they had strengthened their bond as a solar system. As they watched over baby Mercury, now sleeping peacefully, they knew that they would face whatever challenges came their way, together.