feversigns

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The quiet misery of a slowly rising fever. Before the full onslaught of symptoms where subtle chills creep up on them, at first easy enough to blame on the weather or a draft in the room - until it settles under their skin where none of the extra layers can reach.

At work or an event the hours drag on through a growing haze. Longing to wrap themselves up, not sure why they suddenly feel so heavy or why everything - lights, the brush of fabric on their skin - seems sharp and jarring. And its cold. They clench their jaw to keep their teeth from chattering with the unexpected shiver. Strange, they think, the last time they felt this bad was when... Oh.

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a character with a cold mumbling “i’m up, i’m up” when their alarm goes off, to be met with “are you sure you should be?” from their partner.

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thanksgiving contagion

someone going to the store for last minute items, not realizing that the most popular thanksgiving items had been sneezed on by the terribly sick employee who restocked the shelf. the person turning down an aisle and hearing a horribly wet sneeze and looking to see the obviously sick employee there with mess dripping from their nose sneeze uncovered again, launching spray and snot all over. they leave the aisle before any sneeze mist could float their way. even though they avoided the sickly sneezes, they didnt avoid rubbing their nose after handling everything they didnt know was already contaminated by the contagious nose that couldnt get its shift covered.

getting on a plane for a thanksgiving trip and finding out theyre in a middle seat between 2 people both sick with monster colds. between the coughing and sneezing on both sides theyre surrounded by germs, breathing in nothing but contagious air the whole flight. they see a few sneezes in the air and can feel some spray hit their skin because theyre too close to not be hit when such a sick nose uncontrollably sneezes out its germs.

someone whos far too sick to be going to a thanskgiving party shows up with a red nose and pocket full of already wet tissues. they give out hugs promising they only caught the sniffles but as the day goes on everyone can tell theyre closer to the flu than the sniffles. they sneeze and cough constantly. the air around them is thick with germs from all the sneezing they dont cover and the coughs they let out as if they arent contagious. they chat with everyone, sniffling abd sneezing, and coughing when they laugh too hard. at the dinner table they cant get tissues out of their pocket and have to fill the host’s cloth napkin with messy sneezes. most of the time theyre too busy with the fork and knife and cant cover well. their plate and the table around thrm is littered with visible droplets. anyone who sat near them would catch that cold.

or even better. a host whos far too sick to have people over. everyone shows up and sees the host’s dripping red nose and fever flushed cheeks, greeted with congested hellos. the host cleaned up the house today so it looks wonderful, but its been sneezed liberally all over as they went from room to room. the whole place is contagious, especially since the host djdnt take any measures to cover up their soaking wet sneezes when theyre alone. it was like every breath taken in that house would be littered with germs. the meal looks and tastes amazing and everyone enjoys the food, not knowing the host was blowing and wiping their nose and coughing the whole time they cooked. and even worse that the pepper they used to season so many dishes made their cold filled nose sneeze so suddenly that the food was also seasoned by a dense shower of a germy sneeze cloud.

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someone with both a bad cold and strep throat at the same time and they're just laid up in bed in the dark, their voice is really low and raspy because of how swollen their tonsils are and how stuffed and full their head is, they cant breathe through their nose but breathing through their mouth irritates their throbbing sore throat and makes the back of their sinuses tickle, which makes them sneeze, and sneezing makes their whole head pound and their body ache under the covers.... their only relief is putting the humidifier on their nightstand on high to keep everything marginally moist and a little less like gargling a mix of wet cement and broken glass. every so often they shuffle slowly out of their dark bedroom in their fluffy slippers, their whole head throbbing and blankets pulled around their pajamas to fend off the chills from the fever, sneezing uncovered, and lean miserable against the kitchen counter while their tea brews so they can take their antibiotics and some more cold medicine, neither of which seem to be making them feel better. the doctor said they could go back to work three days after starting antibiotics, but they feel horrible and are still tethered to the humidifier to get any relief at all— at one point they open the door in an attempt to go outside, and the cold, dry winter air hits their poor, sensitive red nose and struggling-to-recover swollen throat like a truck, and they have to go lay back down in their dark bedroom while violently sneezing, their nose and throat snorting and whistling around all the swelling, throbbing, and snot, and setting off a disgusting wheezy cough that they up until then had managed to keep under control. ordering more distilled water for the humidifier to their door instead, it was…. Maybe they should go back to the doctor, they think. it feels more like strep throat and the flu…

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a whumpee who’s getting sick and kicks things off with a miserable night of sleep.

And when I say miserable, I mean they. don’t. sleep.

maybe it’s because they’re aching and can’t get comfortable, or they’re chilled/shivering no matter how many layers they cover up with, or they have a terrible headache/nausea, but whatever it is, they toss and turn and see almost every minute tick by on the clock and it’s horrible.

just when they feel like they might finally drift off to sleep, their alarm goes off, and they try not to whimper because they’re so tired. but it’s too late to try and sleep anymore, and they’ve got to face the long day ahead of them before they can crawl under the covers again.

bonus points if they come downstairs with dark bruises under their eyes, blanket wrapped around their shoulders, and tell the others, “I didn’t sleep at all.”

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someone whose first sign of being sick is being exhausted. they take naps & wake up with a stuffy nose & realize oh they’re definitely getting sick. bonus points if their partner knows that about them too

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Some of My Favorite Ways to Describe a Character Who’s Sick

pressing their forehead into something cool or comfortable (this could be an array of things. the table, the floor, someones leather jacket, their water bottle, the countertop)

warm to the touch, or heat radiating from them (could be noticed if someone’s gauging their temperature with their hands, hugging them, or just generally touching them)

leaning into people’s touch, or just spontaneously leaning on them (like pressing into their hand when someone’s checking their temp, or just, like, literally walking up and laying their head on them from fatigue. bonus points if the character is usually feral and the other is scared to engage™︎)

falling asleep all over the place (at the dinner table, on their homework, in the car, in the bathroom — just being so exhausted from doing literally nothing)

being overly emotional (crying over things that don’t usually bother them, like their siblings arguing, or their homework, or literally just nothing)

stumbling/careening/staggering into things (the wall, furniture, other people. there is no coordination in feverish brains. running into chairs, hitting the door, falling over the couch, anything and everything)

slurring their words (could be from fatigue or pain. connecting words that shouldn’t be connected, murdering all of their conversations with the excessive use of ‘mm’ and ‘nn’ in place of words) (this is my favorite thing ever)

being overly touchy (basically like a sick kid — just hold them, please. do that thing where you brush their hair back out of their face, or rub circles on their back, or snuggle them. they won’t care. bonus points if this is also the feral character and they refuse to believe it afterwards)

being extremely resistant to touch (flinching away when they usually don’t so someone can’t feel the fever, not letting themselves be touched because they’re so tired they just know they’ll be putty in their hands if they do)

growing aggressive or being extremely rude (it’s a defense mechanism — they feel vulnerable and are afraid of being manipulated or deceived while they’re ill)

whimpering/whining/groaning (this was in my “characters in pain” post but it’s so good that i’m putting it here too. this shite is gold, especially if it’s just an involuntary reaction to their symptoms)

having nightmares caused by a fever and/or delirium (crying and murmuring in their sleep, or being awake but completely out of it and convinced they’re somewhere else)

making themselves as small as possible (curling up into a ball everywhere they lay, hunching over slightly when standing, wrapping their arms around themselves)

TW for vomiting below cut !!

sleeping in the bathroom floor because they keep getting sick over and over (bonus if someone finds them all weak and pitiful. bonus bonus if they find them there in the morning only to learn they’ve been there all night)

using their hands/other body parts to clamp over their mouth so nothing can come out (like pulling their knees up to their chest and using that, or like, their arm, y’know) (~maccreadysbaby who has emetophobia suddenly gets very awkward about this post~) (~yes i have a phobia of puke and still write this happening to my characters, shut up~) (~it’s about the hurt/comfort okay~)

sympathy pukers (people who aren’t the sick ones but get nauseous/vomit when they see someone else throw up) (~aka me~) (~okay I’m done now~)

dry heaving (it’s gross, but good for making your characters absolutely freaking miserable)

rolling/churning/spinning/cramping/ lurching and all those awesome words that describe what stomachs do when sick (i hate these words with a deep, fiery passion. but they’re good for writing or whatever)

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Not snz but just general whump

The idea of someone literally “waking up with a fever” is so sweet to me. Just imagine whumpee at their partners house, having a slight headache and a weird feeling in their throat, but thinking nothing of it, taking a nap with partner and blaming it on being tired. In a few hours, whumpee wakes up to partner placing a cold flannel to their forehead and whispering their name into their ear.

“Hey, you gotta wake up baby, you’re burning up. Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling good?” In a hushed voice.

Whumpee lets their eyes close as partner feels their cheeks and embrace them again. They feel terrible, but maybe waking up sick was the perfect catalyst for the love and care they so desperately desired.

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Thinking about blankets and their many uses

A blanket draped around whumpees shoulders by an increasingly worried caretaker, both sitting by thr raging fire as whumpee shivered, eyes glazed over with fever

A blanket fully encasing whumpee as they lay in bed with an awful cold, because if they breathe in the cold, dry air in their room, they’ll undoubtedly sneeze, which hurts their head and floods their nostrils

Blankets piled up on a feverish, shakey whumpee by the caretaker. They try to mutter a word of thanks, but their voice is too shot to enunciate more than a mere “th’nk y-hou”

The corner of a blanket being used as a tissue by cold-ridden, sneezy, sniffly whumpee. They muffle harsh,wet sneezes and coughs into the plush fabric and wallow in their misery, knowing that they have something soft to take their pain.

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physical touch in sickfics is everything

checking for fever with forehead touches, back of the hand to the cheek, palm to the base of the neck, pressing foreheads together, maybe even a temperature-gauging forehead kiss etc.

sickie nuzzling into their caretaker's cool hand

temple massages, belly rubs, tracing comforting patterns onto the sickie's arms

hair stroking

all of this while the thermometer is sitting in their mouth, waiting to beep

steadying touches when the ill character sways or becomes deliriously distracted

sickie cradled close and patted firmly through coughing fits

sickie deliriously nuzzling into the caretaker's neck

caretaker faints into their caretaker's/friend's/lover's/found family's arms, and lifted carefully

tender sponge baths/wipe-downs

caretaker hugging close a shivering sickie, running their hands down the ill character's arms to warm them up

please add more if you think of any!

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Ultimate sickfic care guide

Ever notice how everyone has a different approach to treating stomach bugs?

What do you drink? Water Apple juice Sprite Ginger ail Gatoraid Etc.

What do you eat? Nothing Toast -dry -lightly topped/spread -normal topping/spread Saltines Everything except dairy Anything

What do you do? Lay down -in bed -on the couch -on the rug -on the bathroom floor Watch tv Take a shower or tub Take meds Sleep Play games Get light work done Read Chill -in the dark -with the lights on Get fresh air Use lots of blankets Use no blankets or light sheets Cuddle Don’t cuddle Change clothes Never change clothes

How to lower a fever? Shower or tub -tepid or chilly (COLD IS DANGEROUS) Cool cloth -forehead -neck -chest Meds -pills -liquid And some do… Nothing? (Dangerous!)

Where to throw up: Toilet Sink Tub Trash can Bucket (yes. Sometimes literally mean a bucket) Large bowls (metal or plastic) Kidney dish (hospitals) Trash bags (often in cars) Airplane bags

How to treat a cough: Rub on back Hits on back Sit up Lay down (no.) Lean forward Vic’s on the chest Vic’s under the nose Vic’s on the feet then put on socks overtop and sleep (I HATED this as a child and it doesn’t work) Cough/cold meds Inhaler Hot shower (steam) Humidifier Cough drops Honey

Sore throat: Meds “Rest your voice” Just shutting up because ow Hot drinks Cold drinks Ice/Icy drinks/ice cream Non-solid food (pudding, soup, etc.) Cough drops Mucus: Sniffling Blowing nose Clearing throat “Hacking a loogie” Spitting it out Swallowing it Taking meds Picking nose (usually kids) Those things that look like balls with tubes attached that suck out baby snot (usually used for babies and occasionally toddlers)

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Headache/Migraine Whump Prompts

from a Certified Migraine SuffererTM.

TW: VOMITING

picking up on a migraine aura* and trying to rush through their work so they can finish before it hits

conversely, not picking up on the aura and having the migraine bloom on them unaware and in the middle of something they have to finish

having to work around a screen or in a room with bright lights while their vision wavers or starts to white out, knowing that it's hurting them but not being able to leave until this task is done

snapping at someone abruptly and not quite understanding why they're so irritable all of a sudden, just that they are; it's when they stand up to apologize that their head throbs and it all clicks

trying to block out the light as much as possible and get a few moments' rest, but it's that specific time of day where the sun comes right through their windows and these coverings don't do shit

ducking into the bathroom during a night out to pop a few muscle relaxers hoping for some relief; the relief works a little too well and they're half-asleep on their friend's arm by the hour

deep breathing to keep themself from crying because of the pain, because crying will just make it worse (and failing)

getting dressed up for an event they know will have bright lights and loud sounds, and just before they're ready to leave the migraine hits them and keeps them from going

or, they go anyway, and all the excess lights and sounds exacerbate their migraine and make them incredibly sick, to the point where a concerned person offers to take them home

needing to present something to their superiors but an aura's in full force and the migraine is inevitable; the best they can do is stumble awkwardly through the presentation and hurry to lie down

someone assuming the whumpee is drunk at first — they're swaying, their speech is slurred, they're squinting against the light... until they suddenly clutch their head and double over in pain (or even fall over).

couch surfing except it's where they have to stumble from chair to chair because every time they stand for too long, their vision blacks out — and of course, one chair is a little too far away for them to make it without slumping to the floor

the agonizing cycle of having a migraine make them nauseous -> throwing up making their head throb worse -> the increased pain making them nauseous again

*an aura is a term for sensory and emotional changes that can occur about 30 minutes to an hour before a migraine comes on proper. aura symptoms can be visual (flashes of light, white outs, blind spots, blurred vision or vision loss, shimmers or stars), sensory (numbness or tingling in the hands/face, mild hallucinations), emotional (sudden depression or irritability), or speech-related (slurring words, trouble speaking or finding the right words). You can have migraines without auras but most commonly they come with them.

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😶 Possible non-verbal indicators of a character who isn't feeling well:

Drinking tea when they usually don't

Taking over-the-counter medicine

Shivering under a blanket

Having a slow processing time

Swallowing hard

Rubbing their temples

Picking at their food

Stepping outside for fresh air

Holding their stomach

Eyes brimming with tears

Sucking on peppermint

Falling asleep in weird places

Frequent trips to the bathroom

Changing into sweatpants/comfy clothes

Neglecting chores they're usually compulsive about

Not bothering to comb/stye hair

Getting winded easily

Splashing water on their face

Leaning forward with head bowed

Eyeing the nearest trashcan frequently -----------------------------------------

Fanning themselves excessively

Leaning on tables/chairs/walls for stabilization

Rolling down the window in the car

Having clammy hands

Breathing in through their nose and out through their mouth

Getting a ride when they'd normally walk

Showing up late to an obligation

Pulling at a tight collar

Shifting uneasily in their seat

Covering their mouth

Having their hoodie up

Resting their head on a table/desk

Getting caught looking at WebMD

Legs shaking underneath their weight

Dark circles under their eyes

Being covered in goosebumps

Forgetting things that are usually second nature

Wearing sunglasses indoors

Unsteady hands

Zoning out -----------------------------------------

Blinking dazedly

Seeking out physical contact

Going pale

Increased clumsiness

Decreased strength

Flushed cheeks

Yawning excessively

Stomach gurgling sickly

Tension in their shoulders

Pinching the bridge of their nose

Tripping over their own feet

Being quiet when they're usually talkative

Squinting at bright lights

Sweating profusely

Glossy/Bleary eyes

Holding their chest

Poor posture/Hunching into themselves

Clenched teeth

Stifling burps

Having a sickly smell about them/change of odor -----------------------------------------

Rolling their shoulders back

Rubbing their stomach

Running their hands through their hair

Shuddering breaths

Resting their head against a friend's shoulder

Finding a bucket and keeping it close

Coughing harshly/frequently

Wheezing breaths

Sniffing wetly

Resting their forehead against cold places/things

Arms hanging limply

Having red nose/eyes

Legs pulled up to chest/Hugging themselves

Wobbly knees

Tissues stuffed into their palms/pockets

Washing hands excessively

Sitting on the bathroom floor

Sighing heavily

Neglecting working out

Avoiding meals -----------------------------------------

Hands on knees

Drooping eyelids

Spitting out excess saliva

Quick, panting breaths

Having bad breath

Wringing their hands

Being heavy-footed

Head lolling to the side

Rubbing arms to try to warm up

Pressing palms to eyes

Having a grimacing expression

Mouth in a thin line

Puffy/Swollen face

White/Pale lips

Keeping to themselves

Holding head in hands

Unfocused eyes

Curling arms around their middle

Hiccuping on stale air

Restlessness during sleep

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Just feeling absolutely tender tonight and having intense thoughts about A laid up with some monster of a virus going around, and B coming back from work to find A in much worse shape than they were before B left for work. 

A’s fever had been mild earlier in the day, and B had left them doped up on cold medicine and left with another dose and a glass of water on their nightstand. But the medicine and water are both untouched when B gets back. Now B is cupping A’s cheek as they shiver under a heavy cover and wondering how it’s possible for a person to radiate this much heat. A’s knocked out and doesn’t give any indication that they feel B’s hand on their face.

B grabs the contactless thermometer and smoothes back A’s damp bangs, not concerned about waking them (because they’ll need to regardless to get some more medicine in A), but gently nonetheless. It flashes red, gives a reading of 103° (39.4°), and now B is kneeling beside the bed and gently patting A’s arm through the blanket. 

“A? A, wake up for me for a second? Hey, there you go. Hey, honey. Just need you up for a second, okay?” 

B speaks calmly and slowly, as to not worry A as they groan themself awake, eyes barely peeling open as they’re being spoken to. B brushes a thumb over A’s cheekbone and smiles, hoping to provide at least a sliver of comfort. Waking up like this must be disorienting, never mind their fever. 

“Not feeling very good, huh? S’okay, you’re fine, honey. You’ll be okay. Just need you to take some medicine.” They don’t mention the fever, or the way A looks like death warmed over–no, they just look like death itself. B sits on the edge of the bed and pulls back the covers just enough to hook an arm under A’s shoulders. 

A mumbles something incomprehensible, then lets out a stream of feeble groans that leave them coughing. Even their coughs sound miserable, lacking the strength they need to clear the tickle enough to stop. B sighs through their nose, pulling their arm back and taking a moment to assess the situation. 

“Bear with me for a sec, I’ll get you comfy again really fast here, okay? You’re gonna be okay, A. Promise.” B stands again and pulls A up just enough so B can slide into bed behind them, legs now on either side of A, and B’s chest acting as a makeshift pillow, leaving A propped up enough for B to finally help A take the medicine they desperately need. 

Just as B’s hand settles around the glass of water, A’s breath starts hitching, gearing up for a sneeze. A had been sneezing through their entire morning, and B knows it’s about to get messy. With the tissues just out of reach–why hadn’t B put them closer, they think, but hindsight is 20/20–B grabs a fistful of the covers and lifts them to A’s face. The duvet cover is due for a wash anyway, and B thinks A’s going to need a lighter blanket with this fever anyway. 

“Hh’IDSTZZCHuhh! Ihh-IHH’GTSZCHUuh! Hhh-… Huhh’DDTSZCHUH!” The sneezes pitch A forward, and A nuzzles their nose into the covers, letting out a slew of stuffy coughs as they shiver whole bodied. 

“God, bless you, sweet thing. You’re okay, go’head and blow your nose if you need to, ‘kay? It’ll be okay, m’gonna wash this thing in a bit.” B helps gently pinch off the mess they’re sure is left between A’s nose and the covers, then offers up a clean spot just to the side to blow into. A leans back against B’s chest and snuffles back the leftover congestion instead. 

B works quickly. They help A take the medicine, holding the glass of water for them as they drink greedily–messily, too, due to their stuffy nose. When A turns slightly on their side, curling up with their fever hot cheek on B’s chest, B thinks they can spare a moment. The soiled blanket can wait. 

B cups A’s cheek again, letting the silence weigh heavily on their chest, save for the soft but continuous sniffles coming from A. A’s skin is worryingly warm, and B has half a mind to check A’s temperature again just to make sure the first reading was accurate. B wonders how A managed through the evening like this alone, if A had slept through or felt alone and too ill to do anything about it. 

“I should’ve stayed home. M’sorry, A. I’ll stay with you tomorrow. I’ll take good care of you.”

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Some of My Favorite Ways to Describe a Character Who’s Sick

pressing their forehead into something cool or comfortable (this could be an array of things. the table, the floor, someones leather jacket, their water bottle, the countertop)

warm to the touch, or heat radiating from them (could be noticed if someone’s gauging their temperature with their hands, hugging them, or just generally touching them)

leaning into people’s touch, or just spontaneously leaning on them (like pressing into their hand when someone’s checking their temp, or just, like, literally walking up and laying their head on them from fatigue. bonus points if the character is usually feral and the other is scared to engage™︎)

falling asleep all over the place (at the dinner table, on their homework, in the car, in the bathroom — just being so exhausted from doing literally nothing)

being overly emotional (crying over things that don’t usually bother them, like their siblings arguing, or their homework, or literally just nothing)

stumbling/careening/staggering into things (the wall, furniture, other people. there is no coordination in feverish brains. running into chairs, hitting the door, falling over the couch, anything and everything)

slurring their words (could be from fatigue or pain. connecting words that shouldn’t be connected, murdering all of their conversations with the excessive use of ‘mm’ and ‘nn’ in place of words) (this is my favorite thing ever)

being overly touchy (basically like a sick kid — just hold them, please. do that thing where you brush their hair back out of their face, or rub circles on their back, or snuggle them. they won’t care. bonus points if this is also the feral character and they refuse to believe it afterwards)

being extremely resistant to touch (flinching away when they usually don’t so someone can’t feel the fever, not letting themselves be touched because they’re so tired they just know they’ll be putty in their hands if they do)

growing aggressive or being extremely rude (it’s a defense mechanism — they feel vulnerable and are afraid of being manipulated or deceived while they’re ill)

whimpering/whining/groaning (this was in my “characters in pain” post but it’s so good that i’m putting it here too. this shite is gold, especially if it’s just an involuntary reaction to their symptoms)

having nightmares caused by a fever and/or delirium (crying and murmuring in their sleep, or being awake but completely out of it and convinced they’re somewhere else)

making themselves as small as possible (curling up into a ball everywhere they lay, hunching over slightly when standing, wrapping their arms around themselves)

TW for vomiting below cut !!

sleeping in the bathroom floor because they keep getting sick over and over (bonus if someone finds them all weak and pitiful. bonus bonus if they find them there in the morning only to learn they’ve been there all night)

using their hands/other body parts to clamp over their mouth so nothing can come out (like pulling their knees up to their chest and using that, or like, their arm, y’know) (~maccreadysbaby who has emetophobia suddenly gets very awkward about this post~) (~yes i have a phobia of puke and still write this happening to my characters, shut up~) (~it’s about the hurt/comfort okay~)

sympathy pukers (people who aren’t the sick ones but get nauseous/vomit when they see someone else throw up) (~aka me~) (~okay I’m done now~)

dry heaving (it’s gross, but good for making your characters absolutely freaking miserable)

rolling/churning/spinning/cramping/ lurching and all those awesome words that describe what stomachs do when sick (i hate these words with a deep, fiery passion. but they’re good for writing or whatever)

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FEVERS. WHUMPEE BEING TOO OUT OF IT, THE UNCONTROLLABLE SHIVERING, HALLUCINATIONS, SWEATING, PALE SKIN, THE FEVER DREAMS, SKIN BEIN TOO SENSITIVE, WET CLOTHING/TOWEL(?) ON FOREHEAD.

JUST FEVERS.

FEVERS.

F E V E R S.

anon you're in for a doozy of a response because I LOVE this trope so much.

first of all--denial. "i'm fine". wearing too many layers in obliviousness or too little in an attempt to lower the temperature. dizzy spells leaving them with an elbow on the nearest support, shaking off the fatigue.

pair that with the forced acceptance--they stay zoned out for a minute too long, saying things that don't make sense, a paleness or flushed look just on the cheekbones and finally someone presses their forearm to the back of their neck and whispers, "you're burning up."

when they try to wait it out. leaning against doorframes, eyes closed, an unsteady breath. pacing to keep moving because if they stop for even a second they won't be able to stay standing. that hitch in the breath as it slowly gets worse until they're forced to go home and rest--or, better yet, collapse into the arms of a caretaker, mumbled apologies into their shoulder as they finally give in.

and finally the intensity of the caretaking--there's not much you can do with a low fever. body aches and constant shivering, muscle spasms and hot or cold flashes, lighter symptoms that develop into that weak moaning, heavy sheens of sweat, inability to get comfortable, so disoriented they can't open their eyes past the spinning of the room. when they're calling out for a loved one. when they shudder out that breathy "...sorry" to the caretaker. when they're forced into an ice bath and the sudden rush of pain leaving them crying out, even as the fever begins to recede.

FEVERS. anon you are so correct.

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They've managed to hide being sick for quite a while now and it's objectively impressive. They've avoided anyone getting too close to touching their skin that would give away their fever. They've put in 1000% effort into holding back their sneezing fits and sniffling until they're safe in the bathroom. Timed their coughing fits to seem like they just swallowed wrong. Fought for their life to avoid the food that's been offered to them for the excuse of having already eaten. Forced themselves to be their upbeat usual selves and steer the conversation on other people to avoid the spotlight.

They think they've gotten away with it. No one suspects that they're even slightly under the weather. They anticipate going to whatever event they have/want to be at. Or maybe they have a prickly pride and can't stand to have anyone concerned over them at all. They won't be the center of attention and they succeeded. They're not sick!

Until that one thing gives them away. Maybe it's an extra messy sneezing fit that leaves them congested and scrambling to find a tissue in a way that a healthy person wouldn't. Their coughing gets too deep to be from a sip of water gone down the wrong way. Someone accidentally brushes up against them and notices that they're burning up. Or worse comes to worse, they start throwing up. Whatever it is, their body betrays them at the last possible second in the worst possible way.

So much for trying to hide it.