swooningdelirium - Tumblr blog

[swooningdelirium]

102 fever yeehaw

[swooningdelirium]

update i fell asleep on my roommates’ shoulder and mumbled something half coherent about how nice and warm they felt. they put their palm to my forehead and said “no, it’s you that’s warm. you have a fever.” so i stumbled to my room and fell asleep for a little while longer. gonna take my temp now so stay tuned

my throat’s a little sore. my temp is still normal but i’m feeling Much Too Warm and a little shivery. i can feel the fever brewing behind my eyes. my head hurts. i really can’t afford to miss any classes this week so im just desperately praying i can fight this off.

oh, the irony…

[swooningdelirium]

PLATONIC CARETAKING APPRECIATION POST

• cuddling up to a sick friend they’re not typically affectionate with (nothing has been able to warm them up, and caretaker is getting worried.)

• a lil forehead kiss to check if their fever is going down

•comforting the other person with terms of endearment they don’t normally use (ex. “shh, it was just a bad dream. go back to sleep, honey.”)

• calling other friends/their partner in a panic because they don’t know what to do

•carrying them to bed

• “once you’re better, you’re never gonna live this down.”

[swooningdelirium]

my throat’s a little sore. my temp is still normal but i’m feeling Much Too Warm and a little shivery. i can feel the fever brewing behind my eyes. my head hurts. i really can’t afford to miss any classes this week so im just desperately praying i can fight this off.

oh, the irony…

[swooningdelirium]

this post has been made One Billion times but i never get sick of it so here are more terms of endearment in caretaking:

“bless you, honey.”

“103? no wonder you’re not feeling well, sweetheart.”

“baby, you should’ve told me it was this bad!”

“i don’t like the sound of that cough, love”

“i know, angel. i’m sorry it hurts.”

“take a deep breath for me, honey.”

“let me feel your forehead, babe.”

“you’re definitely running a fever, my love”

ESPECIALLY IF THE CARETAKER ISN’T TYPICALLY ONE FOR PET NAMES UGH

[swooningdelirium]

the infected wound trope my beloved:

“let me see it. …please?”

“i know you’re cold, but i’ve gotta clean it. i’ll be quick, i promise.”

“shit. you’re burning up.”

“are those meds kicking in yet?”

“i know it hurts. hopefully you’ll be able to sleep once your fever comes down a bit.”

“shhh. it was just a dream. you’re safe.”

“how does it feel today?”

“i’ll get you something for the pain. … and for that fever.”

“let’s change those bandages and then you can go back to sleep, alright?”

[swooningdelirium]

in bed. straight up "watching it." and by "it," haha, well. let's justr say. it (2017)

[swooningdelirium]

15 feminine (and gender neutral) dialogues between caretakers

all love to those who primarily write masculine scenarios but i feel like it’s all we ever see and i know im not the only lesbian in this community! so here are some feminine whumpees for your dash!

1. “does she feel warm to you?”

2. “oh…she’s burning up.”

3. “i know she’s going to fight us, but i really think we need to bring her into urgent care…”

4. “how long have they had that cough?”

5. “they’re really dehydrated. we gotta wake them up and try to get them to drink something.”

6. “i don’t like the sound of her cough.”

7. “should we call their wife to pick them up?”

‘if my partner were this sick, i’d want to know.’

8. “what are her other symptoms?”

9. “where’d you put the thermometer? i’m worried their fever is climbing.”

10. “she really needs to stay awake long enough to take the medicine.”

11. “what was their temp the last time you checked? …oof. poor thing.”

12. “a hundred and four? no wonder she wasn’t making any sense.”

13. “just a low-grade fever. she’ll be fine.”

14. “ope. i hear sneezing. she’s awake.”

15. “how is she?”

[swooningdelirium]

whump tropes that make my brain go brrrrrr

-caretaker is on the phone with whumpee and can tell how sick they are just from their voice and their futile attempts to cover their coughs/sneezes

-stress fractures (repeated stress is put on a bone, slowly breaking it until it just d i e s )

-“Damn, is the A/C off in here or what…?” *faints*

-whumpee’s feeble twitching as they lay on the brink of death

-coughing until gasping for breath/nearly suffocating

-a sore throat so bad that whumpee can barely whisper

-ribs broken during an explosion that leaves whumpee coughing from soot and smoke, despite how painful it is

-“My god, [whumpee], you’re burning up! *checks whumpee’s temperature* “A hundred and four?!”

[swooningdelirium]

thinking a lot about two sickies trying to care for each other:

A fussing over B, muttering “you’re really pale,” only for B to reply “…so are you.”

“maybe we should take your temperature too”

“see? your fever’s even higher than mine!”

not worried about sharing germs + being extra clingy to each other as both fevers spike at the same time

cuddling/using the other person’s fever to ease their own chills

“don’t worry about me. just lay down.”

B making tea as both of their coughs start to get worse

“does your throat hurt? yeah, mine too.”

A tries to feel B’s forehead, but realizes their own fever makes it hard to tell how warm their partner actually is

“drink some more water.” “fine. you too.”

[swooningdelirium]

as someone with chronic joint pain, let me tell you even a low grade fever has me feeling like somebody took a baseball bat to my entire body. worsening body aches are usually the first indication i have a temperature and i’ll often assume it’s just a flare up and go about my day until i’m much sicker.

…do with this information what you will

[swooningdelirium]

anyone else prefer whump without a whumper?? just me??

i mean like. there’s a whumpee and a caretaker + the rest of the team (if there is one). but no whumper

like. instead of the whump coming from a whumper, it comes from natural causes instead. so like sickness, weather (think whump involving hypothermia, heat exhaustion, getting sick from the rain, etc), events (like getting injured from let’s say a building collapse or breaking a bone or something like that)

THAT’S the kind of whump that really gets me going. no torture tropes, nothing like that. idk i just feel very much alone on this one, so i think it’d be neat if there were others out there who feel this way too

[swooningdelirium]

more fever dialogue cause the worms in my brain demand it:

“let me take your temperature. …oh, honey.”

“103.8? that’s impressive.”

“i can feel your heart pounding. does something hurt?”

feeling lymph nodes for swelling and picking up the febrile heat at the same time

“your fever is breaking. that’s a good thing.”

“drink some more water. i think you’re dehydrated.”

“you had a fever this high and didn’t tell anyone?”

[swooningdelirium]

“see? your fever’s even higher than mine.”

“come lay down with me. you need to rest too you know”

or maybe A’s brow furrows in concern, muttering “you’re really pale,” to which B replies “…so are you.”

There's just something SOO juicy about someone trying to take care of someone who's sick when they themselves are sick too (preferably more so).

Something about them pushing themselves through, hiding how they're feeling, using their last bit of energy to care for the other person.

...Like...

"Are you okay? You look more tired than I feel."

"Hey, you're sneezing more than I am."

"Maybe we should take your temperature too."

More of this please and thank you!!

[swooningdelirium]

little caretaker phrases that fold me instantly:

“what hurts?”

“it’s okay. i’m here.”

“oh… you’re burning up”

“love, why didn’t you tell me?”

“i think we need to get you to a doctor”

“how do you feel?”

“can you open your eyes for me?”

“oh honey. your fever’s gone up”

“shhhh. just rest, okay?”

[swooningdelirium]

reddie? in 2024? embarrassing tbh but here’s a fluffy little sickfic i wrote last year

He awoke to a shiver that ravaged him from the inside out and rendered every last hair on his body standing on end. With sweat matting his hair to his temples, Eddie rolled over to check the digital clock on his bedside. His eyes burned, but he willed them to focus. When he could finally make out the numbers, he saw that is was just past 4AM. Eddie shuddered. Even through the veil of delirium that blurred the room around him, he could feel a cumbersome panic rise in his chest. As he placed a sweaty palm to his forehead, the placebo pills and waiting rooms of his childhood burst forth at nauseating speed. His stomach lurched. He shook his mother’s nagging voice from the recesses of his mind and assured himself that whatever was wrong wasn’t fatal. He was fine. It was all okay.

Richie still lay beside him, snoring softly. His body radiated a heat too alluring for a chilled Eddie to ignore. Eddie snuggled up closer to him, assuming the big spoon position for once, and whimpered:

“Richie, I don’t feel good.” He winced at how childish he sounded, but couldn’t help it.

Richie rolled over with a grumble, instinctively pulling Eddie in closer and burying his face into the pit of his shoulder. “Hm?”

“Rich…” Eddie trailed off, a lump beginning to form in his throat. “Something’s wrong.”

Richie jolted upright and switched on the bedside lamp, taking in Eddie’s pale, sweaty form for the first time. “…Oh. Yeah. You don’t look so good, baby,” Richie’s brows furrowed, his voice still thick with sleep. When he saw the anxiety flash across his love’s weary face, he quickly added, “You’re alright, though. I promise. I’m right here.”

He placed Eddie’s arm over his own shoulders and gently helped him sit up against the headboard. He leaned forward and planted a prolonged kiss onto Eddie’s forehead. He was, in fact, burning up. Shit. This would send him spiraling. He pulled Eddie’s head to his chest as hatred for his estranged mother-in-law flooded every fiber of his being. It broke him enough having to see Eds like this without thinking of all he had endured when they were kids. As if they weren’t already going through enough.

“It’s okay. Everybody gets sick,” Richie whispered into the top of Eddie’s head. “You definitely do have a fever, though. We’ll have to check on that. What else are you feeling right now, my love? What hurts?”

Before Eddie could answer, he erupted into a coughing fit that sent him barrelling toward the bathroom with Richie in tow. Just as he entered, Richie found him hunched over the toilet, retching. Tears streamed down his face. He knelt beside his partner and rubbed his back in soft, circular motions.

“I know, Eds,” he murmured. “I know. You’re okay.” Eddie gasped for air with each fleeting moment his stomach settled before inevitably starting again. Whether he was short of breath from pain or panic, Richie couldn’t tell.

When the vomiting subsided and Eddie nodded upon being asked if he was done, Richie led him back to bed and placed the lightest throw blanket on top of him. “Okay. I’m gonna go get you some medicine and some water. Anything else?” Eddie shook his head weakly. “Alright, my love. We’ll take your temperature when I come back too, okay?” He reached out to hold Eddie’s face and stroked his cheekbone with his thumb. God, he was warm. “I’ll be right back.”

Eddie opted to close his eyes for just a minute. A prolonged blink, really. It must have been longer, though. He only opened them again when the creak of floorboards indicated that Richie was back with supplies from their comically well-stocked medicine cabinet. He placed the thermometer and miscellaneous medications on the nightstand, immediately heading back toward the kitchen. Eddie heard faintly running water for a moment before the tap turned off and Richie returned with a washcloth and small bowl of water. He placed these items next to the others and reached for the thermometer.

“Okay. Let’s check that temperature now,” he said in that tone that always put Eddie at ease. The only voice that could bring him down from the panic. He leaned over his Eddie and placed the thermometer under his tongue, holding his hand while they waited for a reading.

At the tone, Richie removed the thermometer, which read 102.8. Eddie wouldn’t take that well. Inhaling sharply, he showed Eddie the number and squeezed his hand. “That’s alright. It just means your body is fighting extra hard, okay?” He felt Eddie’s already rapid breathing quicken, but he paused for a deep breath.

“Can you maybe take it again?” Eddie rasped, barely audible. His throat was still so raw from upheaving the contents of his stomach. “I just want to make sure.”

“Okay,” he murmured, kissing away a stray tear on Eddie’s cheek. “We’ll do it one more time.”

Once again, he placed the thermometer under Eddie’s tongue and waited for the tone. When he heard it, he removed it to see that it now read 103 on the dot. He gently pressed the power button and placed it back in the sleeve without showing Eddie.

“Yeah, honey. It was right the first time.”

“That’s a really high fever,” Eddie whimpered miserably.

“Oh, Eds. I know it’s scary.” Richie placed one hand on Eddie’s shoulder while he used the other to open the bottle of liquid cold and flu medicine. “You’re okay. It’s just a bug. Try not to let the number scare you too much. We’re gonna take that fever down, okay?” Richie extended the bottle cap full of medicine to Eddie’s mouth. “Drink this, baby.” Eddie obliged as Richie submerged the cloth into the bowl, wrung it out, and placed it on his forehead. He shivered against the sudden cold, but didn’t resist. “I know you’re already cold, but we have to bring this temperature down. It’ll make you better. I promise.”

Eddie nodded. He looked small. Smaller than Richie had seen him in as long as he could remember. He forced out the memory of a tiny, terrified Eddie in that dingy Neilbolt basement with his arm contorted at a sickening angle. He needed to be here, now. Eds needed him in the present.

Richie checked the clock. It was nearing 5 A.M. “I’ll call us both out of work a little later.”

“Do you think I’ll need antibiotics? Or maybe some infusions? What if this is serious? I think we should go-” Eddie winced. The thought of the hospital threw his stomach into another bout of nausea.

“How about this,” Richie began, “I’ll check your temperature again in an hour or so. If it isn’t any better, I’ll take you to the doctor. For now, though, I think it’s alright if we stay here. Just you and me. How does that sound?”

Eddie nodded weakly and reached his arms toward Richie.

“Yeah?” Richie whispered, climbing back into bed. “Do you just want to be held?” Eddie nodded again, a whimper escaping his throat. “Okay, why don’t you drink a bit more water for me and then you can try going back to sleep.”

Eddie obediently took some small, cautious sips before returning the glass to its place by the bed.

“Good job, baby. Now try and get some rest.” Eddie drifted off before he was even finished closing his eyes, but his husband remained awake, holding him close as he shivered through the sunrise.

…

It was only when he felt Richie’s lips on his forehead again that his eyes fluttered open.

“Hi,” Eddie smiled though his head was pounding and his body ached.

“Hi,” Richie pulled his love back into his arms. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Mmm-hm.”

“Good. Do you think you could eat anything right now? Crackers maybe?”

Eddie stifled a gag. “Definitely not,” he confessed.

“I didn’t think so. That’s alright. We’ll try and get something on your stomach in a little bit. How about we just take your temperature for right now?” Richie swallowed as he asked the question, praying the fever had gone down. What if it had gotten higher? Eddie would freak. His poor Eddie.

Eddie seemed to be reading his mind as he took in a shuddering breath. “I guess we should check it again.”

Richie planted a quick kiss on Eddie’s cheek before taking the thermometer back out of the sleeve. “Okay, baby. You ready?”

Eddie parted his lips and raised his tongue. Richie winced as he watched the number on the screen climb past 101, then 102. He sighed in relief, however, once it stopped at 102.4 and the tone sounded.

“See?” Rich felt an immense weight lift from his shoulders. “You’re getting better already.”

Eddie heaved a sigh. “That’s still high,” he mumbled.

“It is,” Richie admitted, “but I’m going to take care of you. We’re going to get you better.”

Eddie rested his head on his husband’s chest, allowing Richie’s steady heartbeat to ease his own. “Okay,” he conceded. “Do you want to just go back to sleep for a little while?”

Rich chuckled as he wet the cloth again and gently dabbed his love’s forehead and cheeks. “I thought you’d never ask.”

He placed the washcloth back onto Eddie’s brow and held him tightly, wishing the roles were reversed. As terrified of germs as his Eddie was- as much as he had been through- it all fell by the wayside if Richie was sick. And though Eddie would make him see a doctor for so much as a head cold, he remained collected. All that mattered in the moment was that his love got better.

That’s what Richie would do for him now.

As Eddie turned to his side and his breathing evened, Richie covered the both of them with an extra blanket and held the cloth in place on his forehead so the boy he loved would sleep soundly.

[swooningdelirium]

“oh , honey, you’re burning up”

“are you sure you’re feeling okay, love?”

“hey buddy- can you open your eyes for me?”

“let me feel your forehead, sweetheart”

“i know it hurts, my love. i’m sorry”

i am just so weak for terms of endearment from a caretaker. like i know how cliché it is but oh my god it does something to me??

examples include but are not at all limited to:

“bless you, angel.”

“honey, you sound awful.”

“you’re running a fever, sweetheart.”

“love? can i get you anything?”

“i’m sorry you feel so awful, baby…”

like. it’s so. soft??? i know it’s fucking corny but i just melt over it