#Best Medicine for flu virus

[l8tof1]

looking at the schedule for this weekend, i will only watch practice and sprint quali live i think 🙃 and race 1 and 3 of f1 academy

[tlou-reid]

Security ✿ Aaron Hotchner

from the river to the sea, palestine will be free 🇵🇸 READ: this account stands with palestine, and so— i require everyone who interacts to educate themselves, and support/donate. READ THESE; 1 and 2, HELP HERE, BOYCOTT. silence is complicity, do not scroll past this.

♡ SUMMARY: reader calls aaron just as he arrives home from a case, needing a savior in her own home. aka baked goodies part 4

♡ WARNINGS: reader has the flu, criminal minds-esque violence, mentions of haley and her death, reader takes medicine for the flu and eats a frozen croissant and i do not wish to offend the French, not edited but when is my stuff ever?

𖤣 Part one here! 𖥧 Part two here! 𖡼 Part three here! ⚘

𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘

The flu. Of course, just as winter was finally wrapping up, your sniffles start and your throat starts to burn. The cold was no longer nipping at your nose, but you were still shivering at night. The fever you’d started a day ago didn’t feel like it was going away any time soon, so you’d decided to head to the urgent care a few minutes away.

The doctor had been surprised when your flu test came back positive, considering it was late march. “You’re probably the last positive we’ll get until thanksgiving time,” he had remarked as he signed the prescription for you. With a sigh, you made your way to the check out counter, got your prescription and headed to your car. You barely got your key in the ignition when your phone stayed to ring.

“Hi honey,” Aaron’s whisper filled your car as your phone connected via bluetooth. “Hi baby,” you mustered up all of the energy you had to coo at him, wanting to match his energy. He knew you weren’t feeling the best, so any energy you could give him was enough.

You swore he could feel the things you felt sometimes. You knew there was science backing the idea that your heartbeats could sync up, but this was a whole different level. Aaron knew you in ways no one else did, and no one else ever would. You’d been together for almost six months now, and you could very easily picture a lifetime with him. It was almost as if your souls were tied together, creating the most beautiful knot you’d ever seen. One that could only be named love.

“Feeling any better?” His voice was gentle, but you could tell he was keeping quiet. He was probably still in the Chicago Precinct, finishing up a very gruesome case. “I am now that I’m talking to you,” you flirted before breaking into a coughing fit. Your cover was blown. “Are you driving?” Aaron asks, ignoring your flirtation. “I have to get home, Aaron.” You were too tired for his overprotectiveness.

Once again changing the subject, he asks the million dollar question, “What did the doctor say?”

You winced at some dickhead behind you beeping at the car next to you as you answered, “The flu, he gave me some medicine.” You heard Aaron let out a sigh on the other side, “It’s spring time,” he declared, just as puzzled as you were. “I know, that’s what I said.”

“I’m sorry, honey.” You knew that would be his response. There’s nothing he can do but wish you well from about 11 hours away. He wished he could hop on the jet and come home to cuddle the virus out of you. But he couldn’t. He was here, in Chicago, catching evil criminals, and you were back home. You didn’t answer his sentiment, instead opting to sit in comfortable silence on the phone with you. He was alone in the conference room, mapping out similarities from the victims, so he put his phone on speaker and got back to work.

This was a comforting action for Aaron. It gave him some sort of peace he was always seeking when he was away on cases. The hairs on the back of his neck lowered and the pit in his stomach closed. Just a little bit, but the pit closed some.

A few minutes later, you were pulling into your driveway. You couldn’t help but peek out of your rear view mirror. It was as dramatic as a romance movie, the way you longingly looked at Aaron’s home, as if your gaze could spawn him in his front yard.

“Hey Aar,” You said, unable to hide how tired you were, “I’m home.” You couldn’t see but Aaron nodded, knowing that meant you were about to hang up. “Get some rest, please. And don’t forget your medicine.”

“I’m going to bed as soon as I get in the door. You don’t have to worry about me, I promise.” You switched your phone to speaker, disconnecting it from the car and turning the car off. “I’m still going to worry,” Aaron guaranteed. “I know, but try to not.”With a sigh, he agreed“I can do that, I love you.”

Saying “I love you” was something that came had come unexpectedly easy to Aaron. He’d thought after all of the loss he’d faced of people he loved, there would be a hesitancy, a fear that he’d buried somewhere dark and deep. But it wasn’t. It came easy and truthfully, just as being in love with you did.

It was surprising to you how often, how delicately, and how meaningfully Aaron said it. It carried so much weight when he said it, it was a promise every single time. A promise to be there to say it again and again, a promise to fight through whatever awful things are thrown at him to be the best version of himself for you, a promise to be there for you, a promise to be the man you deserve.

Aaron Hotchner was a serious man, always had been and always will be. But he’s especially serious about the people he loves, you and Jack the most.

“I love you too, goodnight.” You joked as you stepped into your home. “Goodnight, get some rest.” Aaron was smiling as he hung up.

You’re not sure how long you slept. It had to have been a few hours, considering it was dark when you woke up. Your head was pounding and and your stomach was rumbling.

You slowly dragged yourself out of bed, fighting through the deep ache in your bones. You couldn’t understand why you were both hot and cold at the same time, or why the ringing in your ears wouldn’t go away. You, despite all of the rest you’d gotten, were feeling about a thousand times worse than you were yesterday.

You stopped at your sock drawer, pulling out the thickest, fuzziest pair you could find, before hobbling down to the kitchen. You’d just gone grocery shopping, so you were sure there was something you could throw into the microwave.

As you rummaged through your fridge like an injured raccoon, your phone buzzed from its spot on the couch, where you’d tossed it after you came in. A text of Aaron lit up the screen, ‘Just got back to the precinct. We just have to fill out some paperwork and then we’ll be on the jet home. See you soon.’ it read.

After taking a few, small bites of the frozen croissant you’d found in the back of your freezer, you responded to Aaron’s text with a simple ‘be safe, love u’, energy level matching what you were currently feeling.

Then you headed back up to bed. There was some kind of uneasiness flowing through your veins, so you pulled up some mindless video to help you relax. You were sure it was just the medicine making you a little queasy, so you did your best to relax so you could sleep away the pounding in your head.

It took a while, about two and a half youtube video essays, but you did slowly drift off into an uncomfortable slumber.

Once again, you were unsure of how long you’d been asleep. You felt groggy, as if you could use a few more hours to truly feel good, even with the flu. You weren’t sure what woke you up, however.

It was dark out, so you reached for your phone to see if Aaron had made it home. ‘2:36’, the screen that was entirely too bright read. You signed, swiping down on your screen to show your notifications. A text from Aaron 35 minutes ago read, “Just got in the door. I bet you’re asleep, give me a call when you wake up. I’ll be up for a while.”

Every muscle in your body hurt, you pushed through for just 13 of them to form a smile at his care of you.

Just as your hand hovered over the call button on his contact, you heard your front door swing open with a bang.

Your head immediately perked up. You inched your way back toward headboard, trying to put yourself in a position as far away from the sound as possible.

Your breathing stopped as you listened. “Hurry the fuck up, we got two more to go to tonight.” You heard an unfamiliar voice call out. It was obvious they were trying to be quiet, albeit unsuccessfully.

Without hesitation, your finger hit the call button. It rang twice before Aaron’s groggy voice was coming through the receiver, “Hey honey, how are you-”

You cut him off with a desperate whisper of his name, “Aaron,” He was stricken with worry immediately. You were sick, so sick. You’d been running almost a 103 degree forever. Despite your medicine, there was no way you’d be able to speak with such conviction in your voice already.

“Aaron,” you repeated with as you squeezed your eyes shut, “Someone’s here.”

Aaron’s heart stopped in his chest. The last time someone entered the house of a person he loved, they never came back out of it. Haley’s last moments alive were spent with someone who was in her house when he shouldn’t have been. And now that was happening to you.

“Where?” Aaron asked as he shuffled around, moving to his gun safe. He quickly input the code, checked the safety and began to make his way to your house. He could hear Jackson barking in the background, doing his best to protect you.

You heard a crash somewhere downstairs, and decided you couldn’t sit anymore. Faster than someone with the flu should be able to, you stood up to move to the bathroom attached to bedroom.

“They’re downstairs, please hurry.” He could hear the fear in your voice, the way you were choking back tears. Jackson’s bark was getting progressively louder had Aaron’s heart speeding up.

Aaron didn’t answer as he approached the door. His end of the call went silent, before you heard your door crash open again. “FBI,” his loud voice boomed through the house. Even Jackson paused at that, standing with his fur perked up and his eyes focused on the door.

Aaron then yelled and you could tell it was directed towards you, “Call the police!”

You did as you were told, hanging up the phone call to dial 911. You quickly explained the situation and gave your address to the dispatcher. You told her that Aaron was here, he was an FBI agent, he was seemingly making sure the intruders weren’t leaving, and to please, please, please, not let him get hurt.

Her calming voice assured her that she wouldn’t.

You sat on the bathroom floor, shaking, running your hands through Jackson’s fur as you waited for the police to arrive. You wished Aaron could handle it. That he had the power to arrest them and it could all be over. But he didn’t, so you were stuck here, waiting, shaking.

It felt like an eternity, but was probably twenty minutes, but you heard the sirens as they pulled up. Once the cops were in the door, Aaron informed them of what was going on, and then made a beeline to your room. The door was still shut from when you went to bed, but not locked. Aaron decided to lecture you later.

His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room as Jackson creeped out. Aaron gave him a few pats before following where he’d came from.

“Aaron,” he heard your tired voice call out. You were definitely crying, even if you hadn’t noticed it yet. “It’s me, honey,” he answered, finally finding you in the dark. He sat down next to you on the cold tile. He pulled you into his chest, completely enveloping you in nothing but Aaron.

You pressed your ear against his chest, searching for his heartbeat. You could hear how fast it was beating. The sound started to calm you down. As the adrenaline stopping running through you, the illness started to re-emerge.

Aaron didn’t speak as he held you. He held you until you stopped crying. He held you until your breathing evened out. He held you until you stopped shaking. He held you as Jackson curled up at your feet, also trying to protect you.

Ten minutes, then twenty minutes passed, then Aaron lost track of time. Still, he held you close with one arm, and gently combed his fingers through your hair with the other.

“You awake?” He whispered. “Mhm,” you replied. “Let’s go walk around the house.” Your eyebrows furrowed at his request. That was the last thing you wanted to do right now. Your bones hurt and you were scared of what could be lurking in the dark of your house.

“You won’t feel safe unless you know it’s clear.” You shook your head against him. “I won’t feel safe if you leave.” You promised him. Every word was true. “I’m not going anywhere.”

You knew every word of that was true, too.

“Can we go to your house tonight?” Somehow, you were even quieter. “Of course.”

Aaron moved to get up. He stepped over to flick on the lights and then help you up. You tried to ignore how lightheaded the shift in position made you feel, but stumbled as you got up. Aaron reached out, once again protecting you.

“Jackson’s not going to like being alone,” You sighed, with sad eyes. You didn’t want to leave him, but you weren’t going to feel safe. Against every part of his body wanting to tell you he’s just a dog and that’d he be okay, Aaron found himself saying, “He can come, too.”

“You don’t want dogs in your house.” You recalled the countless times Aaron complained about the dog hair. “I’ll make an exception tonight, you’re sick.” He justified. He could feel your body relax in his arms. With Aaron and Jackson by yourself, you knew you’d feel safe and secure. “Thank you, honey.” Aaron smiled at you using his favorite nickname for you.

“Well, let’s walk around and then we’ll head over.” You nod, following his lead. Aaron holds your hand as he guides you through the house, checking every nook and cranny he could think of. Jackson stayed right by your side.

As you made it to the bottom floor of the house, you could see two police cars still sitting, and two cops standing out front talking. You knew you’d have to give a statement or something eventually, but you were hoping Aaron could pull some strings due to how exhausted your body was.

“All clear,” You remark as you finish looking over the house. You’d have to replace your door handle on your front door, and your living room was in complete disarray, but you knew it’d be much worse if Aaron hadn’t come when he did. He was your savior tonight.

Aaron pulls you close again, relishing in your skin being against his. He was coming down from his own adrenaline high and all he wanted to do was hold you, so he could know that you were safe and alive, and opportunity that he didn’t have with Haley.

Something deep inside of him was gratified tonight. He knew that he could never replace Haley, that the love and the fear and the heartbreak he felt for her would always linger and would never, ever go away. But he also knew that he was a different man. He was a better man. A better father, a better lover. He knew that wherever Haley was, he was proud of the man Aaron had become. The man you helped him become.

Aaron pressed a kiss to your forehead, squeezed your shoulder, and then said, “Let’s go home.” You didn’t have to remind him about Jackson, as he moved to the closet that you kept his leash in. As if he could feel the heaviness in the air, Jackson didn’t put up an excited fight to put his leash on.

Aaron held your hand in his right, and Jackson’s leash in his left as he guided the two of you outside. You three took a few paces into the yard, before he was handing you the leash, mumbling an “I’ll be right back,” before walking to where the police were lingering.

You couldn’t hear what was going on, but you saw Aaron shake their hand after talking to them, and then he returned to your side. “They said you can go to the station in the morning to talk to them since I gave a statement. I told them you have the flu, so maybe we can get it pushed back more.” You nodded at his words, and slipped your hand back in his. Aaron ran his thumb along the soft skin of your hand as you walked across the street to his house.

Once you got inside, Aaron let you shower as he found a bowl that Jackson could drink from. The hot water helped your muscles relax, and unstuffed your nose. It felt good to be breathe for a couple minutes.

Aaron was already in bed when you made in to the room. Jackson was curled up on the floor at the end of the bed, softly snoring until you opened the door. “Come here,” Aaron gestured to the empty side of the bed. You complied and he pulled you tight against his side.

Even with the ache in your bones and burn in your throat returning, this was best you’d felt all week.

You tried your best to sleep. When that didn’t work, you tried your best to at least lay still so Aaron could sleep. When that also didn’t work, you sat up in the bed, frustrated. All you’d wanted to do all day was sleep, and now your body was still reeling from your house being broken into, so you could.

“You alright?” Aaron asked, hand moving to run along your thigh. “I can’t sleep,” You mumbled. You felt Aaron nod, before his hands slid up your body, guiding you by your torso to lay back down next to him. He pressed a kiss against your shoulder once he could reach it. “Let’s just lay here, then.”

You nodded, wiggling closer to him. His hand kept moving along your thigh, and you used it to slow your breathing down, matching it to the movement.

You weren’t sure how long you laid like that before Aaron broke the silence, “What would you think about moving in with me?” It was quiet, almost a whisper. It was easily the most timid you’d ever heard him be.

“Can Jackson come?” Aaron laughed at your response, a little less nervous than he’d previously been. “Of course,” he responded. It was quiet for a little bit as you pondered the question, before you replied, “If you talk to Jack and he’s okay with it, then I will consider it.”

Aaron nodded, know that was the best answer he could’ve received given your illness and how late it was. “Okay,” he replied, pressing one more kiss to your shoulder before laying back down next to you.

[vanteguccir]

── ୨୧ !　𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗜𝗘

　　　　　　　　𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 x reader

SUMMARY: When Nick and Matt test positive for covid and Chris has to go into lockdown to prevent catching the virus, who will look after them?

WARNING: Covid-19, sickness.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

　　　༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

Y/N sighed as she turned off her car, preparing herself for the long days ahead, not that it was a burden for her to take care of her boyfriend and best friends, almost brothers.

Matt and Nick tested positive for Covid-19 two days ago, and the first thing Chris did upon receiving their test results was send a quick text to Y/N saying that they both had the virus and that he and his brothers would have to be in lockdown for at least five days.

He sent many texts asking her to not worry, as his brothers' symptoms weren't much more than the flu, and that he was fine and would stay in his room so he wouldn't run the risk of catching the virus too, but who said she listened?

Y/N knew that Chris wouldn't have the patience to make healthy food at least three times a day for him and his brothers, and she knew how afraid he was of getting sick too. Y/N didn't have that worry, being a medical student and a resident at LA's main private hospital, she knew very well how to deal with all of this and wouldn't spare any energy when taking care of her family.

The girl was grateful that her boss had empathy and gave her a few days off work.

With that, Y/N prepared herself the day before, going to the nearest pharmacy to buy some boxes of covid tests and a new box of disposable masks, since the one she had at home was running low, and then went to Target, buying several healthy snacks, fruits, vegetables and chicken to make several soups and light food dishes, not intending to make anything heavy or fatty with fear of making the boys' situation worse.

Today, before leaving the house, Y/N prepared a backpack with a few extra changes of clothes, without overfilling it due to having more than enough of it at the triplets' house. Furthermore, she took a purse and put everything she would need: masks, tests, food and some medicines that are allowed during covid to alleviate some symptoms.

Before getting out of the driver's seat, Y/N grabbed the mask she had ready next to her, putting it on her face and finally getting out of the car. Y/N closed the door and opened the back seat, grabbing her backpack and purse, quickly locking the car and walking to the front door. The girl searched the pocket of her Fresh Love sweatpants, soon finding the spare key to her boyfriend's house.

After unlocking the door, she opened it carefully, not wanting to make too much noise, already knowing that one of the boys had a headache, if not all of them.

The girl walked to the kitchen and placed her things on the counter, before going back to the door to close and lock it.

Before Y/N started her first task, she walked to Chris's room, seeing the door closed. She knocked twice lightly, opening it slowly and seeing Chris under the covers staring at the ceiling, in the dark, with only the light from his TV illuminating the space, the girl held back a laugh knowing that her boyfriend was probably losing his mind for staying locked in his room alone for days.

Chris quickly raised his head with the sound, taking a few seconds to realize that Y/N was there, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Babe, what are you doing here?" He asked, getting up quickly and walking towards her, asking with his eyes if he could get closer and the girl rolled her eyes, nodding.

"I came to take care of you three idiots." She mumbled against the mask, closing her eyes momentarily as she felt Chris's arms around her, never wanting to let go.

"I told you not to worry, I had everything under control." Chris murmured, pulling away to look her in the eyes.

"Of course, so much so that you were lying there staring at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world." She let out a laugh when she heard Chris snort. "I'm sure you must be starving, when was the last time you ate some real food?" Y/N questioned, seeing Chris shrug.

"You talk as if I didn't show up at the hospital almost everyday with lunch for you." Chris snapped like a child, crossing his arms.

"Lunch that Nick made." She argued, laughing loudly when Chris huffed, frowning. "I'm kidding, baby, I love it when you show up at the hospital with lunch for me." Y/N said, approaching and planting a kiss on Chris's shoulder behind the mask.

"By the way, weren't you on duty today?" Chris asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he took his phone out of his hoodie pocket and double-clicked the screen, checking the date.

"I did, but I asked my boss for a few days off so I could take care of you and she gave it to me." Y/N said smiling big, and Chris couldn't help but smile back as he saw his girlfriend's eyes shrink from her happy expression, without being able to see her smile directly.

"Well, since you're already here, I think I'm a little hungry." Chris joked, running his hand over his belly and giving her a mischievous smile.

"Alright little kid, I'm going to cook you something and you're going to stay here in your room and look pretty." The girl said, pushing Chris lightly, blowing a kiss and closing the door behind her.

Y/N walked to the kitchen again, not containing her goofy smile.

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Y/N lifted the lid of the pan, taking the wooden spoon and quickly tasting the chicken soup (here in Brazil we call it canja, and it works miracles when you're sick, and it's delicious), letting out a sound of pleasure for the flavor. She turned off the heat, taking three plates from the cupboard and the spoon, distributing the soup on each of the plates, sprinkling some leek on top before taking three spoons and placing them inside the plates.

The girl took three glasses and added fresh orange juice, which she made minutes before, and took two pills of the only headache medicine allowed during the virus.

Y/N opened one of the cabinets and took three trays, placing them side by side on the counter and arranging on top of each one the plate of soup, the glass of juice and the medicine pill.

She quickly grabbed the first tray and walked carefully to Matt's bedroom door, bending down and placing the tray on the floor before knocking on the door three times.

"Matt?"

"Y/N? What are you doing here?" Y/N heard Matt's voice, feeling in his voice the pain the boy was feeling.

"I came to take care of you three, I made some soup and juice, they're in here." She replied, hearing the boy move around inside the room before walking away and returning to the kitchen, hearing the sound of the door opening and closing a few minutes later.

Y/N took the second tray and walked to Nick's room, hearing his voice behind the door, assuming he was on a call with someone or recording a video. The girl bent down and placed the tray on the floor again, knocking firmly on the door to make sure Nick heard.

"What are you doing outside your room, Chris?" Nick shouted from inside the room, making the girl laugh. "Y/N?!" He asked in surprise before quickly opening the door and Y/N applauded herself for wearing the mask. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?" Nick asked, holding the camera in one of his hands, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I took a few days off to take care of you three. And I made real food!" Y/N repeated the same sentence for the thousandth time, pointing to the tray, smiling when she saw the taller's eyes light up.

The boy bent down, picking up the tray with one of his hands and straightening up, raising the camera again and smiling wide at the lens.

"Guys, Y/N brought food for us, the hungry ones. Everyone say "thank you Y/N"." Nick spoke into the lens, smiling widely at the girl before closing the door after seeing her turn to go back to the kitchen.

Finally, the girl took the last tray and walked to the last room, her boyfriend's, where she would stay for the rest of the days, knowing that the boy was free of the virus.

"Honey? Open here for me, please." Y/N asked from behind the door, entering the room after Chris quickly opened it with a smile on his face, staring at the soup on the tray.

The girl let out a laugh, placing the tray on the boy's computer desk and sitting on his bed, pointing at the food.

"Bon appétit, my love."

"What would I do without you?" Chris asked, approaching the computer desk and sitting in the chair.

"Starve and die." She replied, laughing loudly behind her mask as she saw Chris shove a spoonful of soup into his mouth as he nodded quickly, without actually hearing her.

[gguk-n]

Chapter 1- The Arrangement

Arranged For Love (Carlos Sainz Jr x Reader)

Series Masterlist

Summary- Everything seemed to be going well for Y/N until it doesn't. Will this life altering event bring her closer to her family. Will this life altering event introduce her to Carlos?

The reader is Y/N, other than that everyone has a name

Y/N was majoring in Business; just like her grandma, Anika Baker had wanted. "You're smart, you're rational and the best of all you're kind" she would tell her grand daughter growing up. That's why she was currently studying to maybe take over her family business when she grew up.

She grew up in a matriarchy, where after the untimely death of her grandfather; her grandmother took the lead and brought the company to where it is now. Eventually, she did step back and let her son, Ivan and daughter-in-law, Rose Aguirre handle it. That was when Y/N was born. The first born of their family, she was so pampered; she got whatever she wanted. She had her dad wrapped around her little pudgy finger.

So, when her parents were away, their grandmother raised her and her siblings. She fed them, helped them with their homework and best of all, told them stories of kings and dragons. Y/N would sit intently while her grandmother would massage her feet after a tiring day at school or give her a head massage when it ached. Y/N would always love spending time with her, one way or another.

Y/N was off too college as soon as she turned 18. She finally got to be back home after 2 years for longer than a few weeks; the reason wasn't something to be happy about since a virus had spread across the world and was killing people at an alarming rate. Which meant school, colleges, offices had all shut down and were working from home. When she hugged her grandma for the first time in 6 months; "You've gotten thinner since the last time I saw you" she squinted her eyes at her grandma. "You know how it is with age, I don't have the appetite anymore" her grandmother reasoned. "Well, you should still eat. I'm gonna make sure you gain weight before I leave" Y/N said determined. "Sure, sweetheart" she laughed. "Let's have food. It's nice to have everyone back home, together for once" she emphasised. Y/N held her grandmother's hand as they walked to the dining table for lunch.

A month or so after she was back, her grandmother had started feeling ill. She wouldn't be able to hold down any food and she had been complaining of a stomach ache. With COVID restrictions, getting an appointment was extremely difficult. After a week or so, thankfully, her dad was now at the doctor's office with his mother. The kids were at home, dotting it down to the regular stomach flu which was taking longer than usual to clear.

What came as a surprise to the family, after a couple tests was that, the matriarch of the house was suffering from stomach cancer. Couple more tests later, and it said that it had advanced quite a bit having spread all over the body. The doctors weren't sure what they could do other than ease her pain. Everyone was crying in their rooms while trying to hold a tough facade in front of Anika, so as to not worry her.

At breakfast, a few days after the diagnosis. "You lot are all cry babies. It's just cancer. I'll get the treatment and be well" Anika smiled. Everyone hoped what she was saying was true. But as the treatments started; things started to get worse for her. The medicines were taking a toll on her. Their once active grandmother was reduced to bathroom runs and staying put in her bed. She barely had the energy to eat on her own.

The matriarch's children were sad and couldn't help but cry since they couldn't do much for their mother other than watch. The grandkids would think of ways to make food exciting for their grandmother. The whole family had come together. They were all living together to care for their ailing mother. "I like this very much" Anika told Y/N. "What do you like, grandma?" she asked. "Having all my children here, fretting over me" she said looking at her 2 children fondly. Y/N smiled, "They always fret over you, for as long as I can remember" she replied. "Hmm...but this feel different...it feels nice" she hummed.

They had a scare a few months later; Anika's health had deteriorated suddenly and needed hospitalisation. When she was admitted in the hospital; everyone went to visit her in turns. "I wish I got to see at least one of my grandkids get married" she said barely above a whisper. She beckoned Y/N forward, "Darling, you're the oldest. You're the smartest. You always listen to your grandma don't you" she cooed. "Grandma, I don't like where this is going." she mumbled. "I know it is too much to ask for but why don't you get married. I'll find you a nice man" she reasoned. "Grandma, no. I'm only 20. I'm not getting married, not yet anyways." she whined. "ugh! I love you grandma, I really do but I don't have any plans of getting married, yet" she said pulling away from her grandma. "I'm going home. I hope you get well soon" she stormed off.

Y/N was fuming, she got that her grandma was sick and wanted to see major milestones in her grandkids lives and she wanted to share her happiness with her too but that doesn't mean she will throw her own granddaughter under the bus. She hated the fact that it was always her who would have to do as the elders told her to. Why couldn't it be her siblings or her cousins for once? Why did she have to get a married now? She has so much she wants to achieve, she can't be tied down just yet. People her age barely even remembered the name of the person they last slept with and she should get married; her grandma had gone crazy, she thought.

While Y/N was losing her mind because her grandma wanted her married; Carlos Sainz Junior was losing his mind since he got a contract with Ferrari next year.

In the world of Formula One, there was a change in tide. Sebastian Vettel would no longer be driving for Ferrari in the upcoming season; instead he was being replaced with an up and coming driving Carlos Sainz who was currently driving for McLaren. COVID had put a damper on things; but nothing could contain Carlos's excitement. He would be driving in red next year, something almost every driver had dreamt of when they dreamt of Formula One.

Carlos was your typical Formula One driver, he asked his father for guidance since he was a Rally Champion and looked up to some great drivers as inspiration. He had big plans; plan of winning his first race, plans of winning a championship title, plans of racing until he was 60 but none of those plans involved getting married any time soon. He couldn't imagine himself settling down, just yet even though his sister was planning on getting married herself. He had a long way to go; the biggest obstacle, he wasn't dating anyone as of yet so obviously marriage was off the table for the foreseeable future.

Now, there's a saying, sickness brings the lost together. That's exactly what had happened. Carlos senior had grown up with a family, albeit only for a few years of his childhood but those were formative years and he had spent a lot of his time with the Kastner family. They were his neighbours and even after they had moved away, they had still stayed in touch. He wouldn't forget their kindness and hospitality. For the few years that they were around he was incharge of making sure the oldest of the Kastner family, Ivan got to and back from school safely.

When Carlos senior found out about the ailing health of Mrs Kastner who would make him delicious food and baby sat them when necessary, he flew in as soon as he could with his family in tow. COVID didn't make it easy to visit the sick but Carlos senior would be damned if he didn't meet or introduce his kids to the woman he talked about. Carlos senior greeted Ivan, "You've aged" he laughed patting his back. "As if you haven't" he clapped back. The two happy to see each other after a very long time apart. "I heard Aunt Anika is sick" Carlos senior spoke. "News travels fast" Ivan chuckled. "Not fast enough since she's been sick for a while and I only found out after she was admitted" Carlos senior pointed out. "Yes, yes, she'll be discharged soon. She's been doing so much better for the past few days" Ivan explained. "That's good to know" Carlos senior sighed. "Can we meet her?" he asked hopeful. "I think she'll be over the moon when she find out you've come. She kept up with all your races" Ivan added. "I'm glad she did. I think it was the combined prayers of my mother and yours that I'm still alive after being this reckless" Carlos senior laughed. "That I will not disagree with" Ivan smiled opening the door to the hospital room where Anika was reading the day's paper. She placed the paper down to see who it was and a smile broke out on her face; "Carlos, darling, how've been? I've missed you" she spoke trying to get up but Carlos senior was already by her side, "Don't get up. I'm right here" he leaned down and hugged her. "I've missed you too." he whispered. She patted his back, "I see you've done well for yourself" she said scanning the faces of the 4 people behind him. He pulled away and introduced his wife and 3 kids to her. "Did he get into rallying just like his father?" she asked shaking Carlos junior's hand. "Worse, he's in Formula One" Carlos senior smiled. "Darling, stay safe. I might have to start praying for one more now" she shook her head. "This is the woman who was best friend's with your grandmother and they love each other too much" Carlos senior announced to his kids. "What team does he race for?" Anika asked Carlos senior drawing his attention. "I'm racing for McLaren now, but I'll be racing for Ferrari next year" Carlos junior replied. "congratulations dear. And Carlos, a bit narcissistic I think to name your kid after you" she laughed.

The atmosphere was lively and bright, everyone was busy catching up with each other and trying to let each other know what was going on with the other.

In all of this, the gears in Anika's head were spinning. If Carlos's son, Carlos was single he would be the right fit for her grand daughter. She had always adored and dotted on Carlos senior growing up, so it would only make sense that she would want a good family to take care of her grand daughter. If there's anything to go by how Carlos senior turned out, Carlos junior would fit right in with their family. She felt giddy thinking about the possibility of merging their two families. She knew if everything went well, they could easily be getting married at the end of the year or the beginning of the next. She just wanted what was good for her grand daughter, having something nice come out of it like a handsome and rich husband was a bonus.

The Sainz would be staying in town for a few days before they would be leaving. Anika had invited them over for dinner once she would be discharged since she couldn't send them away without feeding them herself. It was a day before her discharge and she was sat with both Ivan and Carlos. "Since the two of you are here, there's a proposition I would like to make" she said. The two men sat up straight waiting for Anika to continue. "I might not live long" she began but was cut off by mutual 'nos and you'll live a long life' before she shushed them. "Let's listen to the doctors and I know they are trying their best but we have to be realistic too. If I do live long, I'll get to watch the happiness unfold if don't then I'll at least be a part of some of it." she explained. The two men were very confused with where she was trying to go. "I want to make a proposition like I said, I think it would be great if Carlos's son, Carlos married Ivan's daughter, Y/N. I've always wanted to watch my grand kids get married, this way I can die happy" she finished. Their mouths opened and closed a few times before Carlos spoke, "Aren't they still too young?" he asked. "It's just a suggestion, it's up to you two and them to decided if they'll go through with it. Would I be happy if they got married? Obviously but at the end of the day it'll all up to the kids. I just want what's best for them" Anika said. The two men were thinking. They were stuck. "You two can think about it, maybe we can introduce them to each other at the dinner tomorrow" Anika said hopeful. This was going to be difficult conversation to have for both Carlos and Ivan, they thought.

Taglist- @herexpertcollector @redrevvedup @chaostudee @larastark3107 @jovialpainterunknown @vip-access @sugarvibez @champomiel @inarabee @virazeeee @seonghwaexile @champ15ns @ajthefujoshi @musicheaux @npcmia @marvel-ous-miss-maisie @mochipatch @gleeblegnarp @formula1-motogpfan @taliya8346282844eliviahdgdajs

[angelwings-crossbowstrings]

Look for the Soul and the Meaning

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Setting: Early Alexandria

Warnings: Depictions of illness

Summary: You’re sick. Daryl makes sure you’re not alone.

A/N: I have been uber sick this week and just needed some self indulgent comfort. Idec if he’s ooc this time.

*gif is not mine

Groaning, you rolled your head from side to side, even the soft cradle of the pillow intensifying the ache in your skull. Your throat was a tunnel of razor blades, your lungs trying their best to eject themselves over your tongue. Your body ached and protested, skin sensitive from fever. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think.

“I feel gross.” You whimpered. You raised a hand toward your face but found it to be too much work, letting it drop to the mattress beside you.

“Know ya do.” His raspy whisper acted as a balm to your pain.

A blessedly cool cloth touched your forehead, remaining there for a moment before it was pressed against each cheek and then your neck. Your sigh came unbidden, shameless and sudden.

“That’s nice.” You croaked before being seized by a coughing fit. It was dry and unproductive, the mucus coating the inside of your lungs like slime, unmoving. It hurt. “Daryl.” You whimpered.

The flu hit Alexandria during your first autumn within the walls. Though some fell victim, just as they had at the prison, the community had medicines readily available. IV fluids, oxygen tanks, and fever reducers. This virus was different, thank god; a less intense influenza. That, however, was not a comfort when it came to feeling the symptoms.

“M’right here, Sunshine.”

The coolness left your skin to burn, but once his fingers began carding through your hair, his lips touching your forehead, you could no longer feel the heat. And for one moment, coherency filtered through.

“Daryl—Daryl, your bandana.” You wheezed, reaching for the fabric he had pulled down to hang around his neck. Looking at him, even your eyes felt like they would singe out of your skull. “You’re gonna get sick too.”

“M’gonna be fine.” He caught your hand easily—your movements too sluggish—and kissed the inside of your wrist. “Means ya gotta get better so ya can take care’a me.”

You chuckled weakly, triggering another cough. It jostled your sore body, earning a whine and a few tears. Your eyes had screwed shut to ride out the ordeal, but opened when something touched your lips. The bottle felt odd, warm and scratchy.

“Gotta drink for me.” Blue eyes flickered up to the bag of fluids hanging from the bedpost but didn’t linger. “Help them fluids do their job.” You reluctantly obliged, fearing the feel of the water against your already irritated throat.

Turned out, it was heavenly.

You drank greedily, not even thirsty but lost in the relief the cool liquid was providing. When it was suddenly taken away, you chased it with desperation.

“Gimme.” You pouted.

“In a bit. Ya gonna make yourself sick.” The cool cloth was back and the water was forgotten. With weak uncoordinated movements, you pulled the blankets up further, your entire form trembling with chills.

“Tell me a story, Daryl.”

The cloth ceased its travels. “A story?”

“Mhm. Don’t care what it is.” Sleep was standing in the corner, pulling at you incessantly, your eyelids growing heavier and heavier despite the heat and pain. “Tell me about your chupacabra.”

It was Daryl’s turn to laugh, a sharp exhale through his nose. “Nah, that ain’t no sickbed story.”

“Tell me—something.” You yawned, wincing when you could feel the pull on your inflamed throat. It was quiet in the room, your eyes closed and chest wheezing. But then:

“Once upon a time—”

You mimicked his earlier laugh, your eyes remaining closed. “So cliché.”

The man at your bedside scoffed. “Ya want a story or not?”

“Mhm. Sorry.” You whispered, already fading, the cloth pulling away to be replaced by his fingertips in your hair, ghosting over your face.

Daryl cleared his throat, the deep breath he sucked in was unsteady. “Once upon a time, there was a woman. She was a smartass. Pigheaded as all get out.” The corner of his mouth lifted when you began to snore, your stuffy nose making it impossible to breathe properly. “She met a redneck drifter, a real asshole.” Leaning down, he pressed his lips to your overly warm forehead, letting them linger there. Pulling back, he stayed close, just watching you sleep, stroking the hair on the crown of your head. “An’ somehow, she changed him.”

Sitting back, he grabbed the cloth and dipped it in the bowl of water, back to battling the flames beneath your skin.

“S’far from the end, Sunshine.”

[writingseaslugs]

Diasomnia: When They're Sick

Ahhhhhh finally! This dorm actually took the longest because I kept getting side tracked with other things. Took me two days to write it. I blame my friend, Em. We had write night and we couldn’t stop talking long enough for me to write these. I got midway through Lilia before giving up.

Disclaimer: All characters in this series are aged up. For more information about my version of this world and the type of reader you can expect, please click the “Au Information” below!

Request Information | Masterlist | Au Information

Diasomnia: When They’re Sick

Fae sickness was something that was vastly different from the kind that humans experience. It’s normally stronger and makes the person infected feel like a zombie. Thankfully the virus doesn’t circulate too often, but when it does it comes through like a hurricane. All it takes is for one person to visit Briar Valley when it’s going around and then come back to the dorm and everyone who can get it is sick. Sadly this happened and to say that everyone was in the dorm was suffering was an understatement. Even the humans were getting sick from flu season…overall not the best time to be visiting Diasomnia.

Malleus Draconia

Malleus hadn’t been sick in a hot minute…how long we’ll never know. It just never really happened to the Dragon Fae. So when he did come down with a surprise flu that was exclusive to Fae, it caused a bit of an uproar in Diasomnia. Most students were told to keep quiet about the situation, but it didn’t stop rumors from spreading as Malleus began missing some classes. Sebek was tense while going to school and Lilia, for the most part, also wasn’t attending classes so he could care of the prince.

Lilia is the one who actually shows up to your dorm room to inform you about Malleus’s condition. He isn’t very subtle about it either, in fact he was a bit over dramatic as to how bad off Malleus was. Now at this point, the worst of his illness is gone. Lilia wasn’t about to drag you in for that shit show that was the first few days of the fae flu, but he is dragging you in on the last few days in order to help Malleus feel better emotionally. Poor dragon boy has been stuck inside his room not being able to do much, and it caused him to be restless. The moment he sees you appear in his room his entire day has already brightened up.

Malleus has no issues taking medicine, though what he takes is certainly not something you’d be used to. The glowing liquid in the vial looks almost alien as you hand it over to him. There were several lined up, all labeled according to when he had to take them. It was odd seeing him chug the glowing liquid since it was still glowing in his neck as he took it, only to fade out when it got past the neck. Apparently it was special medicine made in Briar Valley that was specially made to help combat the flu.

Please do him a favor and make something for him to eat…please. Lilia has been in charge of bringing him his meals, so some of them have been unique. Granted, Lilia did try following the recipes this time around to make sure Malleus didn’t get worse from his cooking, but they can only help so much. Lilia can’t help but think “Maybe if I add this it’ll help him feel better faster.” which ended up in a vile concoction. So please bring him something good to eat so he can have a palate cleanser. He’ll probably be asking if you can stay until he’s better just so he doesn’t have to eat another of Lilia's specialty meals.

You’re going to be receiving random gifts at your home as soon as he’s better, along with several letters. Chivalry isn’t dead when it comes to the dragon fae, and he’s making it known that he appreciates what you’ve done. You’re never going to find out about the earlier stages of him being sick though, so don’t worry. That’s something that you probably will never see in your lifetime if he has anything to say about it.

Lilia Vanrouge

Lilia is also someone who doesn’t get sick very often; the last time he did was before Malleus was even born. So to say he was shocked when he began feeling sickly was an understatement. He knew exactly what was going on too, he had the fae flu a few times in the past, and it’s a feeling you never forget. So he’s already getting medicine prepared and telling everyone that he’s going to be taking time away from classes for maybe a week or two.

Lilia originally wasn’t going to be dragging you into this, but when you found out from Malleus that Lilia was acting strange and isolating himself in his room, you were curious. Lilia was in his room, covered in tissues with a red nose and watery eyes, staring at the ceiling. He didn’t even notice you had come in, which says something. Of course he’s going to accept help even if it does pain him to let you see him like this, but he isn’t exactly able to do much himself at the moment.

Once he has you taking care of him, he’s going to be so happy and be far more of a big baby than he was earlier. He now has you to give him medicine and attention, and he’s living for it. He’s never actually had anyone taking care of him while he was sick, so this is new and pleasant for him. He’s going to be over the moon but also extra needy as he begs for an extra dose of medicine even though he had some like five minutes ago. You’re going to have to remind him to let it kick in, but he can’t help the whining. It’s so fun watching your facial expressions and despite being sick, he still needs to mess with you somehow.

This is the only time he might complain; and it’s not even for the reasons you think. He’ll take one bite of your food and comment he can’t taste anything, before asking for you to take him to the kitchen so he can add flavor. Don’t. Let. Him. Absolutely don’t let him even leave the room, he’s contagious and he’s aware, but he also really wants something with a strong taste so it’s a mix of emotions. Just let him know you’ll see what you can do and maybe grab something that’s…different to put into his meal next. It doesn't have to be good, it just has to be unique.

Once he’s better he is so hyped to be able to hang out with you again. He’s going to be jumping off the walls and thanking you for being such a good caretaker for the poor, old Bat. Silver, Malleus, and Sebek will also be thankful to you for helping Lilia, since he refused to let any of them see him while he was sick. He apparently didn’t even let Silver into the room, despite knowing he wouldn’t be able to catch whatever he had. Lilia didn’t want anyone to see him so weak and frail, but you guess since you came in unannounced he didn’t have much of a choice.

Silver

Silver clearly can’t get a disease that targets fae, but that doesn't mean he can’t still get a cold. Falling asleep in random places can really ruin someone’s health, and Silver is no exception. He fell asleep outside and it got a bit too late, a little bit too cold. The next thing he knew he had a horrible cold and a raging headache that wouldn’t go away. So he did what was best and went to his room and tried to sleep it off without a second thought.

Silver in the past was always able to get over colds very fast, so Lilia never was too worried when he found out Silver was under the weather. You, on the other hand, were very concerned. If Silver just slept it off, then he might get better, but it was best to treat the cold as best you could. After all, colds could turn to pneumonia in the blink of an eye, and that can literally kill a human. Somehow this passed by Lilia’s knowledge so he never cared too much, but after you express this concern he goes full dad mode. He doesn't know much about treating humans though, so you’re the one leading the way. Thankfully Silver is too out of it to protest.

Silver will take whatever you give him judging by how he’s half asleep when you’re there. Whenever he’s sick he’s extra tired and literally can barely keep himself awake. It’s extremely concerning but Lilia swears it’s how he’s always been. Silver might be able to thank you while he’s half asleep, but that’s about it. Thankfully the taste doesn’t get to him while he’s in this state, so no worries about him spitting out the medicine or fighting due to the flavor.

This is the most challenging part about him being sick. Again…he can barely keep himself conscious. Just getting him to sit upright to have a meal is a struggle. You’re basically spoon feeding him as he begins dozing off every couple of seconds. You need to make sure he doesn’t drown in his soup. At one point, smelling salts actually do sound like a rather good idea to use on him. It’s going to take a solid hour for him to finish whatever meal you bring to him, but at least he’s eaten something. Normally when it’s just Lilia, he won’t eat until he’s all better. Small improvements are still improvements!

Silver hardly remembers being sick, but he does recall glimpses of you between his fever dreams. Once he’s back, he’ll be thanking you and asking if you’d like to go on a walk. It’s just his way of saying thanks. The walk is mainly so all the forest animals will run up and greet you guys, since they were all concerned once Silver was gone. The animals and Silver are very grateful for the efforts you put forward to assisting him in getting better. While he can’t promise he’ll be able to give the same care for you, he can at least say he’ll do his best if you ever fall ill.

Sebek Zigvolt

Sebek, out of everyone, is the worst when it comes to denying he’s sick. He could literally pass out from exhaustion from his illness, and he’d get back up and apologize for his displays in front of Malleus. Lilia is the one telling Sebek he needs to rest, and the only way Sebek will is if Lilia reminds him that his illness is contagious and could make Malleus ill. So of course this leads Sebek to going to another extreme and barricading himself in his dorm room so that no germs can get out. This makes it hard for anyone but Lilia to get in to check on him.

He refuses to let a human help him; you have no idea what a fae illness is. How could you possibly help? Wait…Malleus personally asked you to come help nurse him back to help since you can’t catch whatever it is he has? Why of course, Lord Malleus is so generous and he needs his guard back as soon as possible, so it makes sense he’d send a servant to help him. Just remind him you aren’t a servant and you’re here because you care for him. He will get flustered but will do his best after he is finally open to you helping him out.

Medicine is something that he’s not super stoked on taking, but if Lilia bought it, then he’ll take it. He will give you the side eye if you stare at him while taking it and ask what’s so interesting about it. When he grimaces it’s a bit funny with how his face scrunches up and he quickly tries to conceal it. You caught it though, it was so obvious that he disliked the taste and it was oh so adorable.

He’s not super picky when it comes to the stuff he eats while sick, as long as Lilia hasn’t touched it. He might even comment that it tastes good for something a human managed to cook up. That’s him secretly saying that it tastes amazing and he loves it, he’s just not going to say all of that out loud. He does prefer it if the meals will help him get better faster though, so keep that in mind. He also wants a lot of protein to be in it so he doesn’t lose bulk, because he might still be trying to work out while sick. Smack him over the head and tell him to take a chill pill and relax. If need be, get Lilia to do it for you. He needs rest and it’s not something he’s good at.

Once he’s better he’ll thank you out of obligation, because Lilia literally won’t let him go without saying it. He might even be blushing but he’s going to have to add something to make it into a subtle insult. “You played a good nurse…well for a human at least.” at least it’s something. Just inform him that it wasn’t for free and the next time you’re sick, he’s the one giving you medicine and home cooked meals. He can’t even say he won’t. He can’t be indebted to a human, after all.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive (Daily updates!)

mRNA vaccines and infection miss the mark with your long-lived plasma cells (Aka the library of the immune system). That means you need to 1. keep up to date on your mRNA shots for best protection 2. switch to a protein-based shot (such as novavax) if you can. The protein delivery method seems to not have this same issue with long immune memory.

By Jon Cohen

Neither vaccinations nor immunity from infections seem to thwart SARS-CoV-2 for long. The frequency of new infections within a few months of a previous bout or a shot is one of COVID-19’s most vexing puzzles. Now, scientists have learned that a little-known type of immune cell in the bone marrow may play a major role in this failure.

The study, which appeared last month in Nature Medicine, found that people who received repeated doses of vaccine, and in some cases also became infected with SARS-CoV-2, largely failed to make special antibody-producing cells called long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs). “That’s really, really interesting,” says Mark Slifka, an immunologist at the Oregon Health & Science University who was not involved with the work. The study authors say their finding may indicate a way to make better COVID-19 vaccines: by altering how they present the spike surface protein of SARS-CoV-2 to a person’s immune cells.

Durability is an age-old bugaboo of vaccine designers. Some vaccines, particularly ones made from weakened versions of viruses, can protect people for decades, even life. Yet others lose effectiveness within months. “We really haven’t overcome this challenge,” says Akiko Iwasaki, a Yale University immunologist who is developing a nasal COVID-19 vaccine she hopes can be given often enough to get around the durability problem.

Just how long a shot can protect against SARS-CoV-2 is hard to assess because variants of the virus, able to evade existing immunity, frequently emerge. And new infections muddle attempts to assess vaccine durability because they provide a “boost” that keeps immunity from waning. Multiple immune actors also provide protection, including antibodies, T cells, and natural killer cells.

To get a clearer picture, the new study examined LLPCs, which are responsible for durable immunity to some other viruses. These cells, the offspring of B cells, primarily reside in the bone marrow. For some viruses, vaccination or infection generate LLPCs that can survive for decades, steadily producing “neutralizing antibodies” that can thwart new infections.

But not so with SARS-CoV-2, the new work indicates. Emory University immunologists Frances Eun-Hyung Lee, Doan Nguyen, and their colleagues enrolled 19 people who agreed to have their marrow aspirated, a procedure that carries little risk but can be painful because it means piercing bone. All had received between two to five doses of messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines—which code for SARS-CoV-2’s spike—during the preceding 3 years. Five reported having had COVID-19, as well. The study subjects had also been vaccinated recently against influenza and had booster shots for tetanus, a bacterial disease.

Lee and her colleagues found that nearly all participants had LLPCs in their bone marrow that secreted antibodies against tetanus and flu. But only one-third had plasma cells generating the same defense against SARS-CoV-2. Even in those subjects, just 0.1% of the antibodies generated by their LLPCs were specific for SARS-CoV-2, an order of magnitude less than for tetanus and flu. “The paper is very informative,” Iwasaki says.

An earlier study of bone marrow from 20 people who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 but never vaccinated against it also found that they were “deficient” in LLPCs specific to SARS-CoV-2 compared with those for tetanus. The new results “were really consistent with what we found,” says Mohammad Sajadi of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, whose team reported the data in the 25 July issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. “The big question is why?”

SARS-CoV-2’s surface features may offer an answer, Lee and her co-authors say. LLPCs emerge after “naïve” B cells encounter a virus or a piece of it, such as the spike protein. As B cells mature, they make more refined antibodies that better bind to the invader. After the initial infection, memory B cells continue to patrol the blood and a subset differentiates into plasma cells. Some of those cells migrate to the bone marrow, which provides safe haven for their long-term antibody production.

B cells carry Y-shaped receptors that attach to viral surface proteins when they identify a pathogen. If both branches of the Y bind to the same pathogen proteins, they trigger a phenomenon called “cross-linking,” Which spurs B cells to transform into LLPCs. But electron microscopy of SARS-CoV-2 shows its spikes are about 25 nanometers apart, too distant for a single B cell receptor to readily bind to two at once.

Spike doesn’t just appear on the virus itself; it also protrudes from infected cells and cells stimulated by mRNA vaccines. Electron micrographs don’t show the proteins and their spacing, but immunologists suspect the SARS-CoV-2 molecules are widely spaced on these cells, as well. As a result, Lee and her co-authors suggest, B cells don’t become cross-linked, and LLPCs don’t develop.

Other kinds of vaccines might present spike more effectively. Slifka points to an approved vaccine against human papillomavirus, which consists of a “viruslike particle” (VLP) made from surface proteins of that pathogen. Those proteins self-assemble into something that resembles a soccer ball. “That’s a very rigid structure with great spacing and it induces incredibly durable antibody responses,” Slifka says.

Martin Bachmann, an immunologist at the University of Bern, has argued that VLPs for SAR-CoV-2 could space spike molecules more closely—about 5 nanometers apart—than the virus itself. “I am personally convinced that viruslike particles are the best platform,” says Bachmann, who published his proposal in a 2021 npj Vaccines paper.

Given the dominance of current shots, bringing a new one to market won’t be easy. Indeed, Medicago made a spike-based VLP vaccine for COVID-19 that regulators in Canada authorized for use in February 2022, but the company stopped making it a year later because it lacked a market and went out of business.

The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine approved in the United States and some other countries uses insect cells to produce spikes that link together and form “rosettes,” which might offer tighter spacing of the protein and therefore durability benefits, but Bachmann doubts the rosettes work as well as VLPs. “Such poorly organized structures are clearly inferior to highly organized surfaces,” he says.

Lee would like to study the bone marrow of Novavax recipients for the long-lived plasma cells, “but there weren’t a large number, and it’s very hard to get patients to donate marrow,” she says.

Other COVID-19 vaccines in development use nanoparticles that display tightly spaced portions of spike. Neil King, a University of Washington biochemist whose team has developed one such COVID-19 vaccine now in human trials, says they do not have data on LLPCs or durability. “Spacing definitely matters, but it’s very difficult to set up controlled experiments,” King says.

Structural biologist Pamela Bjorkman at the California Institute of Technology, who has a similar nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine in development, is more skeptical that spacing has a significant impact on vaccine’s durability. Influenza virus has tightly spaced surface proteins, she notes, and infection with it doesn’t lead to durable immunity.

Nguyen, however, thinks his team’s sobering findings require follow-up. “The bad news is the failure of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines themselves—with or without natural infections—to induce LLPCs in the bone marrow,” he says. “The good news is this failure itself provides a research opportunity to find a way to change the fate of short-lived vaccines.”

[pinkhoodi]

and the results are !

✎ᝰ — bat boys finding out their partner is pregnant

♡⃕ — dick grayson & jason todd x black!reader

♡⃕ — genre + warnings: fluff + mention of past sex but nothing in detail ! dick + jason are both worry warts, mention of children

꒰ DICK GRAYSON ꒱

Ꮺ the evening was quiet and chilly from the late autumn season. you were wrapped up in a blanket, watching tv, while dick was cooking dinner for the both of you. minimal sounds were heard throughout the house, besides the tv, but your groans interrupted them

Ꮺ the past few weeks haven’t been easy on both of you, dick has been busy working with bruce and you’ve been throwing up for the past few weeks. at first, you believed that you had caught the flu so you just bought some medicine and treated it how you usually would, with some herbal tea and soft food. though that didn’t cure much and you continued feeling unwell

Ꮺ as weeks passed, you’ve been throwing up more often than not. dick was growing fearful that you caught a virus and suggested that you went to the doctor, you scoffed at that idea and reassured him that you’ll be fine. but after some time of back and forth, you sided with the doctors

Ꮺ the doctor did ask the usual questions, “are you active?” “do you take any birth control pills or contraceptives?” “are you pregnant?”. however, you mind started wandering the answer to those questions, which were yes to most of them. while you and dick were active, you both didn’t do it often since you both had to work around the clock

Ꮺ the doctor suggested a pregnancy test after hearing your symptoms and answer to the questions. you did take it just to be sure and the doctor told you that she’d be in contact for the results

Ꮺ present day, the house is filled with the sizzling sounds of dick in the kitchen and dialogue heard from the tv. you were groaning and moving anxiously on the couch as you waited for the results. the level of anxiety has been filling the air since the last visit but both of you try to hide it for the sake of the other

Ꮺ dick comes over to the couch to take a quick break from cooking and kisses your forehead as he sees your worried look. he laughs a little and positions you to lay on his lap, your head laid on his thighs as he looks down at you and kisses your forehead again. your muscles slowly ease from the intimacy and you finally down as dick gives you shoulder and back rubs

Ꮺ out of the blue, your phone rings from under you, and you shift around to grab it. the number appearing on the screen is familiar and you answer immediately, your voice is shaky as you speak. the doctor introduces herself and tells you the purpose of the call, but you already knew and was anticipating this phone call

Ꮺ the doctor tells you that you have no indication of any illness but does tell you the bombing news that you have a positive pregnancy test. dick can already tell the results from how your pupils dilate and your facial expressions makes you seem brighter than before. in his head, there are only two thoughts, “I’m going to be a father!” and “I’m going to be a father?”. though the same thought, both had different emotions behind it. one was filled with excitement and joy about this new addition for you and y/n and the other was filled with worry, concern, and fear for the newborn. but dick covers the fearful thought with joy instead

Ꮺ after the phone call, dick pulls you into a deep comforting hug and celebrates that he’s going to be a father. he peppers kisses all around your face as the both of you are smiling at each other. the both of you filled with endless amounts of bliss after learning that you’re soon-to-be parents

Ꮺ dick is already throwing compliments, telling you that you’ll be the best mother to your child, you’ll look so beautiful pregnant, you’ll look so beautiful as mom, the child will be as gorgeous and graceful as their mother. he’s filling your head with peace as he continues to shower you with compliments

Ꮺ instantly, dick is already in dad mode and pulling up the target website to start shopping for his unborn child. you laugh and continue to carry on the conversation, feeling the complete opposite of how you felt earlier this evening

Ꮺ dick grayson and y/n grayson, soon-to-be parents and determined to be one of the best parents in this world <3

꒰ JASON TODD ꒱

Ꮺ in the middle of a movie night, jason looks to see you drifting asleep. the movie wasn’t boring, you were very tired from work and your body hadn’t been feeling the best. you were throwing up everywhere and your body ached more than it usually did

Ꮺ at the second you closed your eyes, the uneasy feeling of throwing up came up again. your face twisted into an uncomfortable look and you groaned while rubbing your stomach. you got up and ran to the bathroom before you threw up all over the couch, or even jason himself

Ꮺ jason asks if you’re okay and you reassure him that you are. he doesn’t believe you and tells you that he’s going to a nearby store to pick up some items for you. one of which is a pregnancy test but he kept that to himself

Ꮺ for the past few times you’ve been throwing up and complaining about your body, jason did research on what illness you could possibly have. but all that came up were life-threatening illnesses, a virus, and signs of pregnancy

Ꮺ pregnancy raised curiosity out of jason, since you both were very active and rarely used protection. he started doing the math on the last time you both had done it and the date your body started feeling unwell. let’s just say, the potential of being a father clouded his mind indefinitely

Ꮺ once jason came back from the store, he placed the items on the kitchen counter. he grabs the four pregnancy tests and hands them to you, you raise an eyebrow at him and he explains how he believes that you’re pregnant. you on the other hand don’t believe it but decide to take it anyway since you felt too weak to argue

Ꮺ you go into the bathroom and lock the door, your mind is racing with fear and anxiety as you take each test. as amazing as it would be to be a mother, you were worried for jason would be as a father and begging that the child doesn’t end up on the same path as jason. even though batman took him in and raised him somewhat well, you wanted better, you wanted more for your child

Ꮺ as time passes, you go in and out of sleep waiting for the results until jason wakes you up by knocking on the bathroom door. he’s asking you if the results have come in yet and you groan at the question, reminding you of the reason why you were even in the bathroom. you unlock the door and you step out to let him see the results first since you were too nervous

Ꮺ it was quiet for the first few minutes, you sat on the carpet of your living room while you waited. you were concerned, actually growing worry that you’ll be hit with bad news. but instead you were hit with a hug and a sniff?

Ꮺ was jason crying? why yes, yes he was. he felt joyful, happy, excited, yet overwhelmed and fearful. but mostly excited by the news!

Ꮺ he let go of you from the hug and showed all four pregnancy test showing positive. you were hit in a state of shock and immediately hugged jason back, crying into his shoulder as he cradled you. the both just were in amazement that you’re going to be parents. you’re going bring a new soul and raise a human being together

Ꮺ worry did start to grow in the both of you, and you both felt it in each other, but jason leveled it by kissing your forehead. he reassured you that both of you will be amazing parents and your child will love you more than you two love each other (quite impossible if I may add but hey)

Ꮺ for the rest of the night, you both continued the baby talk and playfully went back and forth on what the gender will be. you simply don’t care but jason is one hundred percent sure he’s gonna be a girl dad <3

♡⃕ hope you guys enjoyed my first post :) feedback is accepted !

𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐏 💗: acts 20:24

© 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟥 𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗄𝗁𝗈𝗈𝖽𝗂. 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗌 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝖾𝖽

[callsign-joyride]

For some reason the link to request won’t work on my phone :( . Can I please request a Fall Fluff for Jake for prompt 15 where the reader is the one who is sick ?

Chicken Noodle Soup | Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: Jake worries that you're having second thoughts about the relationship, only to find that the reason you haven't been responding is because you've been sick all day.

Content warnings: Fanboy being a menace, mentions of an illness/virus (NOT COVID-19), fluff

Prompt: 15. Sender lies next to the receiver (who is recovering from injuries or illness) and spoons them while staying awake to make sure their health doesn’t deteriorate overnight.

This was written for my Fluffy Fall Fantasy event. Feel free to send in requests!

Jake was stressed. You hadn’t been dating for very long, and you weren’t technically official, but it was Hard Deck night and you hadn’t responded to his text messages since last night. He was tempted to call you to check in and see if everything was okay, but he didn’t want to seem clingy and obsessive while it was totally possible that you forgot to plug your phone in the night before, or that you left it at home while you were getting ready for work.

“Honestly, man, I was thinking she’d ghost you a lot sooner than this,” Fanboy said as they were getting their things to leave. Jake didn’t even have the energy to react.

“You’re good at relationships, Rooster. Would it be weird if I drove by her house on my way home?”

“I don’t know, man. None of us have ever met her but maybe she’d be okay with it based on what you’ve said about her in passing.”

“Or maybe she doesn’t exist and he wanted to hide the fact that he’s not getting laid.”

“Dude, too far,” Payback said to Fanboy. Jake just shrugged it off and grabbed his bag before heading out to his truck and finding your address in his phone. You lived pretty close to base so it wasn’t a very bad drive at all. Right as he turned down your street, his phone started ringing and your name was on the screen.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you but I think I’ve got the flu or a common cold or something.”

“Do you want me to bring you medicine? I’m like five minutes from a CVS.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s Hard Deck night. You should be out with your friends. I can go another time. I think I’ll make some soup and go back to sleep.”

“Hard Deck night is a weekly thing and Coyote’s deployed so I kind of don’t want to go anyways. I’d have more fun staying in with you. Plus I’ve got a family recipe of chicken noodle soup and it’ll probably be the best chicken noodle soup you’ll ever have.”

After a moment, you sniffled and said that he could come over and that you’d leave your door unlocked. He walked into your house about an hour after he got off the phone with you with reusable bags on his arms. You were laying on the couch under a blanket while an 80’s movie played on the TV. 

“I brought medicine,” he said as he unloaded everything in the kitchen. You peered over the couch and smiled before taking a sip of your Gatorade that was on the coffee table. He came over to sit next to you after getting everything put away. It was almost unbelievable how sick you were, considering that you felt completely fine the day before. Your fever broke earlier in the day but you had been sleeping for most of it, living off of Gatorade and nearly stale crackers that you found in the back of your pantry. You changed the channel to something that you knew he’d like before nuzzling into the pillow that you brought from your bedroom.

“Poor thing. I’m gonna get your soup started. It should take about half an hour, okay? Let me know if you need anything.”

You nodded your head and scrolled through social media before going back to sleep for a little bit. The smell of the soup was what woke you up a little bit later, as Jake walked over and placed your bowl on the table in front of you. He made enough to last you a whole week, and he even offered to send you the recipe if you liked it. He was right, it was the best chicken noodle soup you’d ever had. Ten o’clock rolled around and even though it was considered early for you, you grabbed your pillow and blanket and started heading up the stairs. You were surprised when Jake followed you, considering that you had spent the few hours since you ate barely talking to each other. 

“I need to shower,” you said as you got your pajamas out.

“Okay. I’ll wait here.”

He had sent a few texts to the Dagger Squad group chat while you were in the shower, saying that he’d see everyone in the morning but that he had to take care of you. You took a big sip of water before crawling under the covers, Jake following suit.

“What are you doing?” You asked as he wrapped an arm around your middle.

“Staying with you, if that’s okay.”

“What if I get you sick?”

“I’ll take time off. Mav loves me so it’ll be fine. I don’t want anything to happen to you through the night.”

“Oh. Okay. Then yeah, you can stay. But don’t come crying to me if you get the man flu.”

“Trust me, I won’t. My dad taught me and my brothers better than to be dramatic so that a woman will take care of us.”

“That’s good,” you said with a chuckle.

Taglist:

@littlebadariell @cycbaby @luckyladycreator2 @idontcare-11 @blue-aconite @maverick-wingman @shawty-fenty @littlemisstopgun @rosiahills22 @katieshook02 @justanothermagicalsara @caitsymichelle13 @smoothdogsgirl @adoringsebstan @cherrycola27 @alexxavicry @mrsjaderogers @mak-32 @thefandomimagines @tallrock35 @caatheeriinee07 @bradshawseresinbabe @atarmychick007 @3sriracha @genius2050 @halstead-severide-fan @withakindheartx @Lolliepops2501

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[gallavichpreg]

🟠 O4: Can’t Keep Anything Down All Day

   Ian stood nervously outside the bathroom door, listening to Mickey's sickly coughs and groans from within. "Happening again?" He sighed, completely exasperated as he watched his husband struggle on the toilet, for what seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon. "This is ridiculous, babe. I'm telling you... something's wrong. Really wrong..."

For seven days straight, Mickey had been sick — constantly running to the porcelain bowl to hawk up his guts, and defecating nothing but liquid waste. It felt as though it'd been ages since his stomach last settled... since he'd been able to eat something without spewing acid, bile, and crap from both ends of his digestive tract shortly thereafter. He just couldn't keep anything down. Ian was already worried about him, when the severity of his illness became apparent... but, after so many days without any improvement, he was starting to get scared.

   The pale look of his skin, red circles and bags underneath his eyes, sweat-slicked hair that clung to his forehead, and the stench of his excrement heavy in the air... the scene was so ghastly. Had he not been sitting upright, and making noise, Mickey would've been no different from a corpse.

"Agh, fuck!" He groaned, choking the final chunks of his half-digested dinner up from his throat and into a plastic bag. "I'm so tired of this shit, Ian! I swear!" His abdominal muscles finally beginning to relax, and his legs completely asleep, he continued to sit there, trapped inside of his own skin. "This stomach bug is killing me."

The poor guy hadn't been so sick in years; he hardly ever got sick. Being a Milkovich, Mickey spent his entire life just toughing it out whenever he wasn't feeling his best. There were no doctors, or medicine, or any kisses from Mom and Dad to make it better. He relied on nothing but sheer willpower to get him through — "the way that people used to do things, before they started trusting the government, and got weak" — believing that his suffering would make him stronger in the end. His immune system had already been put through the ringer... so, a long-staying stomach bug was nothing to him. Even still, Ian couldn't help but to fear for the worst.

"...Which is why we need to go to the clinic, babe." Ian asserted, trying once again to convince him to seek help. "Get you something to make you feel better, and get rid of this thing. Those doctors can help you, Mick." A grave look in his eyes, he leaned against the doorframe, like some kind of bathroom guardian, desperate for Mickey to give in and comply with his wishes. There were so many ways that Ian could influence him... so many things that he could get Mickey to do... but he could never convince him to seek out any medical advice. Mickey and doctors were like oil and water... they just didn't mix.

"I don't want to go to the fuckin' clinic, Ian." He answered, his voice shrinking, in spite of his adamant refusal. "I'll be fine with some rest. I'll go to sleep, wake up tomorrow, and be fine. Shit like this don't last too long. Trust me, I know."

A brief moment of silence fell between them... Mickey's mind racing with memories from his childhood.

   That time that he caught the flu from one of the girls in his middle school class, and couldn't get out of bed for a week. He begged and begged his parents for help... to drag him down to the local doctor... but they refused, grumbling about the cost of a consultation. His body was in so much pain, he could hardly move... so he didn't eat for days, and couldn't get up to use the restroom. He lost so much weight that, by the time he finally got over the virus, he looked like a living skeleton... nothing but flesh and bone. His bedsheets were so filthy that they clung to his butt and thighs like used tissue, crusted over, and stunk as bad as an un-flushed public toilet.

   It was a nightmare to go through something like that at such a young age... but, despite the horrible trauma, he never caught the flu again.

"By Sunday, I'll be back to normal. Watch."

"Mickey, please. You've been feeling terrible for days now. The doctors at the clinic can help you get better." Ian sighed, worry bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. Feeling like a broken record, playing back the same verse again and again, he rested his forehead against the wooden doorframe, trying to think of a way to persuade his husband into getting the help that he needed. It didn't take long for an idea to strike him. "Okay, how about this?" He began, his tone softening. "If you go to the clinic with me, and let them check you out... we can stop by that little ice cream shop on the way back home, and get a few scoops of that one flavor you've been talking my head off about... the one with the chocolate chunks and caramel. How's that sound? We got a deal?"

"Deal," Mickey muttered, promptly giving in, and accepting his defeat. "But only because I'be been craving it so bad. Asshole. As soon as I get off this toilet, we're leaving. I'm getting my ice cream."

Nude Version

[pandemic-info]

Re: Ask:

Your blog is one of the reasons I came back to Tumblr. Thanks for maintaining it! Would you mind posting reliable sources that you find on H5N1 , please? Don’t want to panic yet, but now that they found human-to-human transmission, should we?

Hey, thanks!

I just post as I organically see info, or seek it out as-needed, or what I learn in the course of my work — while trying not to be more focused on this than necessary. I'm glad it's useful for others, though there may be temporal and knowledge gaps. Like this one: I don't know as much about H5N1.

The latest I've seen are the articles about this case: US confirms first case of bird flu with no known animal exposure (bbc.com)

Yale News generally has solid info: H5N1 Bird Flu: What You Need to Know > News > Yale Medicine

If you already take layered precautions, you should be OK.

One question I personally had was whether H5N1 viruses (80-120 nm in diameter) are too small to be caught by N95 masks (which have a filtration efficiency of at least 95% for NaCl particles 100–300 nm in size.) USA Today actually has a nice Fact Check article about how masks work — in regards to COVID, but more broadly applicable and interesting:

TL;DR: yes N95s are also effective against viruses smaller than 300 nm.

Excerpts + more:

The size-based argument against N95 laid out in this claim assumes mask filtering works something like water flowing through a net — particles in the water smaller than the net opening pass through, while larger items don’t. But the physics involved don’t work like that at all. The COVID-19 particle is indeed around 0.1 microns in size, but it is always bonded to something larger. “There is never a naked virus floating in the air or released by people,” said Linsey Marr, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech who specializes in airborne transmission of viruses. The virus attaches to water droplets or aerosols (i.e. really small droplets) that are generated by breathing, talking, coughing, etc. These consist of water, mucus protein and other biological material and are all larger than 1 micron. “Breathing and talking generate particles around 1 micron in size, which will be collected by N95 respirator filters with very high efficiency,” said Lisa Brosseau, a retired professor of environmental and occupational health sciences who spent her career researching respiratory protection. ... The N95 filter indeed is physically around the 0.3 micron size. But that doesn’t mean it can only stop particles larger than that. The masks are actually best for particles either larger or smaller than that 0.3 micron threshold. “N95 have the worst filtration efficiency for particles around 0.3,” Marr said. “If you’re smaller than that those are actually collected even better. It’s counterintuitive because masks do not work like sieving out larger particles. It’s not like pasta in a colander, and small ones don’t get through.” N95 masks actually have that name because they are 95% efficient at stopping particles in their least efficient particle size range — in this case those around 0.3 microns. Why do they work better for smaller ones? There are a number of factors at play, but here are two main ones noted by experts: The first is something called “Brownian motion,” the name given to a physical phenomenon in which particles smaller than 0.3 microns move in an erratic, zig-zagging kind of motion. This motion greatly increases the chance they will be snared by the mask fibers. Secondly, the N95 mask itself uses electrostatic absorption, meaning particles are drawn to the fiber and trapped, instead of just passing through.

Only one qualm about that article: it's from 2020 and at the time, based on faulty older science, it was thought that droplets were the big concern and that "there’s not a lot of evidence for aerosol spread" — we've now known for years that this is false: "SARS-CoV-2 primarily spreads through airborne transmission, which is mainly characterized by droplets and aerosols."

It's interesting that they quoted Linsey Marr in that Fact Check because: The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill | WIRED

And H5N1? I'm honestly uncertain, but found this: Aerosolized Exposure to H5N1 Influenza Virus Causes Less Severe Disease Than Infection via Combined Intrabronchial, Oral, and Nasal Inoculation in Cynomolgus Macaques - PMC (nih.gov)

[fandom-junk-drawer]

The Witcher Headcanon (Modern Au) - Breathe

Yennefer and Geralt both enjoy the benefits of being closely connected to magic. One of those benefits is not having to suffer most human diseases.

Because of their mutations, Witchers are immune to human diseases/illnesses.

Mages are mostly immune due to their magic. Yennefer does still catch the flu on occasion when she forgets to renew a spell or take a special potion

Neither one has to deal with things like seasonal allergies, colds, viruses, or infections.

They can go about their day, secure in the knowledge that they won't catch whatever the germ factory standing next to them at the mall or grocery store is spraying into the air.

But Jaskier is just a normal human. He has to deal with annoying human illnesses. It's mostly minor stuff, like a head cold, a stomach virus, the occasional flu, or seasonal allergies. Geralt and Yennefer get used to the minor illensses he catches, and inspite of their best efforts to remain vigilant, they sometimes don't notice when he catches something serious.

When Jaskier catches what Yennefer and Geralt assume is a minor case of the flu, he just takes an over-the-counter medicine to ease the symptoms and lies on the couch, being either eerily quiet or obnoxiously needy.

He walks around with his blanket, trying not to be too much of a nuisance as his symptoms get progressively worse. He takes one of Yennefer's tinctures and tries to ride it out, but he is beginning to suspect that it's something more serious than the flu.

He's started having coughing fits that leave him breathless and terrified of the rusty colored phlegm that he gags up in the bathroom sink or into his hands.

His chest is so sore from all the coughing. The fever refuses to break. His voice is a harsh, broken croak. And he's so tired. Just walking to the living room leaves him exhausted. He feels like he's out of breath just laying in bed.

Yennefer is p*ssed. She's p*ssed at herself for not noticing sooner that his flu was turning into pneumonia. She curses at herself while she goes about making the potions she's going to need to give him.

Jaskier lays in his bed, exhausted after another coughing fit. He trembles under his blankets as the chill shivers through him. He tried to ignore the pain the blankets were causing where they put pressure on his chest.

He tried to use his hand to keep the blankets off the two lumps on the left side of his chest next to his breastbone. It was an old injury that had never healed right, and all the coughing had irritated the cartilage there, making it very tender and painful. Just breathing caused pain.

Jaskier tried to sleep, to ignore the pain, but he gave up after a while, and dragged himself out of bed. He was cold anyway, and his fever fogged brain suggested that maybe a nice warm Witcher would warm him up better than some lame blankets.

Geralt can hear how hard he's struggling to breathe when he shuffles slowly out to the living room, cheeks flushed with fever. His breathing is labored and rapid, and he can hear the raspy, rattling sound in his lungs.

"Julian Alfred Pankratz, get your a** back in bed right now, you little sh*t!" Yennefer hollered from the kitchen when she caught sight of him. He had his blankie around his shoulders, and was practically huffing that one corner. She wondered how he could breathe at all with it half way up his nose.

"Geralt! You're supposed to be watching him!"

"Look at him! He's about to keel over, the poor thing!"

"Take him back to bed this instant!"

"Don't drag him by the arm like that! Gods, you look like a f***ing caveman dragging his wife away! You might as well be dragging your knuckles on the ground! "

"What do you mean how else? Carry him, you buffoon! You don't expect him to walk back, do you? He can barely f***ing stand-!"

Jaskier felt an abrupt sharp, stabbing pain in the right side of his chest. It was suddenly very hard to breathe... It felt like there was a band or pressure around his right lung. Oh, gods, he couldn't get a breath!

Geralt grabbed Jaskier as he made a wheezing sound and staggered, hand pressed on the right side of his chest. He could hear something wrong with his breathing. The rattling in his lungs, he could only hear it on one side of his chest.

"Yen, his lung's collapsed!" Geralt shouted, scooping Jaskier up and laying him on the couch, propping him up with a few of the pillows.

Yennefer was cursing every deity she could remember as she ran out of the kitchen. She checked for herself, then swore again. It was definitely collapsed.

Jaskier weakly clutched at her, his face pale and afraid. Every labored breath brought another sharp pain with it. And he was begining to feel light-headed.

His one good lung was unable to get enough air with the infection filling it with pus and fluid.

Geralt normally would have suggested that he take him to the hospital, but Jaskier's lips were starting to get pale. They didn't have time to get to the hospital. And he knew Jaskier would never agree to go.

"Yen, get his shirt off!" he barked as he ran for the front door, "I'm going to aspirate his chest!"

Without hesitation, Yennefer grabbed the neck of Jaskier's t-shirt and ripped it down the front. She didn't question why Geralt knew how to decompress a chest. Witcher training involved so many things that when thought too deeply about, were just depressing.

Geralt returned barely a minute later, dropping to his knees by the couch and tearing open the package of a rib needle.

Jaskier was struggling to breathe, but he still tried to fight when he saw the needle. He knew what Geralt was going to do.

"No! I don't want to do it! I don't want to, Yen!" he wheezed breathlessly, pushing at Yennefer's restraining hands "F**k, it hurts! I can't breathe! I can't breathe!"

"Be still, Lark, be still!" Yennefer almost begged, brushing his hair back, trying to calm him. His lips were starting to turn blue, and he looked like he was going to pass out at any moment. "It's going to be alright! Stop moving around!" She leaned down, cradling his face in her hands.

He started a coughing fit, and Yennefer had to fight to not panic. A coughing fit was the last thing he needed with only one lung that was already compromised by infection. Yennefer pressed both of her hands on his chest, poured out a little magic, and the fit ceased.

"Julek! Julek, listen to me!" Yennefer said, trying to stay calm herself, "You have to let him do it. We need to get your lung reinflated," She stroked her hand down his cheek and over his chest, rubbing soothing circles into his skin. She could feel his heart pounding against her hand.

"I don't want to!" Jaskier quavered, eyes locked on the long needle Geralt held. He tried to sit up, panting in rapid, shallow breaths. A muscle in his jaw tightened and his pupils dilated.

Yennefer saw the look in his eyes, and she saw Geralt tense out of the corner of her eye. He'd seen it too. They both knew that look.

Jaskier had to grab on to Yennefer when his head spun and dark spots danced across his vision.

He could feel that other part of himself starting to stir. The part of him that would cause an...inconvenience. "G-geralt!" he said in a hoarse, tight voice, reaching for him.

"F**k! Lie still, Julek!" Yennefer said sternly, laying him back on the pillows.

Geralt hesitated for a second, not sure how Jaskier was going to react to his suggestion, then quietly said, "I can use Axii, if you want, Songbird, but only if you want me to. You know I would never use it to force you to do something."

Jaskier swallowed, considering the suggestion. He trusted Yennefer and Geralt. His chest hurt so much, and it was so hard to breathe, he just wanted it to be over. And could feel the feral part of himself starting to try to get out. He did not want to end up hurting either of his friends.

"I'm going to numb your chest," Yennefer added, stroking her thumb over Jaskier's pale cheek. "I promise it won't hurt. You won't feel it at all."

Jaskier fidgeted with his hands, then nodded. Geralt squeezed Jaskier's hand, then made the sign. Jaskier felt all the fear bleed away. He knew he had a collapsed lung, and that he was in pain, and struggling to breathe. He knew it was serious, but he wasn't afraid.

Yennefer was whispering a spell while she pressed her fingers against the space between his second and third rib on the right side of his chest. The area tingled, then there was a senation of...nothing.

"Can you feel this?" Yennefer asked, poking and prodding at the area.

Jaskier shook his head, and Geralt moved in to clean the area and start placing the needle.

"I always knew you couldn't resist me," Jaskier said to Yennefer while Geralt worked, "The exuberance with which you ripped my shirt off! It's like you waited your whole life for that moment!"

"In your dreams!"

Oh, believe me, I'm going to be having dreams about it!"

"You need to stop!" Yennefer said with a fond smile, patting his pale cheek.

"Oh, yeah, they are going to be really spicy! They'll even involve Potoo Head Geralt!

"You better f***ing not!"

"Can you two kindly shut up? I'm trying to concentrate." Geralt grumbled. Yennefer almost laughed at the disgusted look he gave Jaskier. Geralt had never gotten comfortable with Potoo Head Geralt, the nightmare creature that had turned into a sort of dream guardian when Jaskier had been having bad nightmares about a Viper Witcher that had attacked him.

Jaskier and Yennefer talked about it like it was some sort of pet, or quirky friend. The goofy a** looking thing was just too much weird for Geralt. He didn't know what they saw in it.

Geralt checked his position and resumed inserting the needle into Jaskier's chest. He moved slowly, pushing it in a little at a time and listening for the second the air started hissing out.

Yennefer kept the mental link open so she would know if Jaskier felt even the tiniest bit of discomfort from the needle.

All Jaskier felt was the sensation of the invisible grip on his lung start to release. Within a minute, he could breathe again. Geralt removed the needle, and Yennefer was taking care of the leak in his lung that had caused the whole problem.

Geralt took Jaskier and put him back in bed while Yennefer went to finish the potions. It didn't take the bard long to fall asleep. He was able to breathe fairly well for the first time, and his body was demanding to sleep while it was relatively comfortable. Geralt stayed in the room with him, just incase his lung tried to collapse again.

Yennefer was in a little while later with the finished potions, and she was reluctant to wake him. He was sleeping well, but the rattle in his lungs was coming back.

"Wake up, love," she whispered, pulling his worn-soft blanket away from his face. "Come on, I've got the potions ready." She patted at his fever-flushed cheek until he got his eyes open and she was sure he was fully awake. Geralt helped him sit up, propping him up on the pillows. "This one is for the fever, Starling," Yennefer said, handing Jaskier the first potion.

"Tastes like a**!" he whined after the first swallow.

"How do you know what a** tastes like." Yennefer challenged as he put the bottle back to his lips, steeling himself for another bitter mouthful.

"Maybe we should ask Potoo Head Geralt." Geralt interjected quickly, just as Jaskier was taking another sip.

Jaskier snorted the potion out of his nose.

"D*mn it, Geralt!" Yennefer snapped as she tried to clean up the mess.

Jaskier managed to laugh tiredly between coughs. "I left myself wide open on that one."

"Don't you f***ing dare!" Yennefer said quickly when she saw Geralt open his mouth. She took the empty bottle from Jaskier and poured the contents of the second one into a nebulizer. She turned it on and handed it to him so he could hold the mask over his mouth and nose.

"No talking!" she said sternly. "You need to inhale as much of that as possible. It will help dry out your lungs and bring down the inflammation."

Jaskier nodded and leaned back on the pillows. It took about 15 minutes before the steam ran out. He was ready to go back to sleep, but Yennefer made Geralt drag him to the bathroom and help him wash all the 'stink' off. He had fought nearly every step of the way. He was tired and cranky, and sore, and he didn't feel good at all. He just wanted to curl up and sleep, but Yennefer had insisted, stating that he would feel better after a bath.

He complained about the temperature of the room. Complained about the temperature of the water. Complained that the scrubby washcloth was too scratchy. Complained that the soap was too soapy. The water was too wet. The towel was to rough. He didn't want the blue t-shirt, he wanted the gray one...

Geralt felt like he was dealing with a giant toddler.

Jaskier didn't mean to be so difficult, but on top of not feeling good, he'd had to suffer the humiliation of not even being able to bathe or dress himself. And he was also very annoyed because Yennefer had been right, he did feel a little better after taking a bath. But f**k every devil in H*ll if he was going to admit it!

Yennefer had put clean sheets on the bed, and almost started a world war when she asked Jaskier if he wanted her to wash his blankie. It was absolutely filthy, in her opinion, having been coughed and sneezed on, and drooled on...

The gods only knew what diseases were being bred within its dingy fibers. It had only been washed once that she could remember, and it had been by accident. Jaskier had reacted badly to the incident, and hadn't spoken to Geralt for days.

Jaskier had barked a harsh 'No!' at her, grabbing his blanket protectively.

"Please, Nightengale?"

Jaskier had buried his face in the old blanket, but Yennefer could still hear his muffled reply of "No! F**k off!"

She had rubbed the back of his shoulder and murmured comfortingly to him, "Alright, I'm sorry. Here, lie down now."

They took care of him over the following week, glad when they started to see improvement. He no longer sounded like he was struggling for each breath, or that he was going to cough up a river. Or that he was going to stop breathing...

He was finally sleeping comfortably, breathing easier, and feeling more like himself. Geralt and Yennefer knew he was feeling much better because now he had the energy to lie on the couch and whine loudly, in a needy voice, that he was dying.

[just-here-with-my-thoughts]

Day 18: Too Weak To Move / Bundled Up In Blankets

@febuwhump prompt: Too Weak To Move @badthingshappenbingo prompt: Bundled Up In Blankets

Fandom: The Bad Batch Characters: Wrecker, Tech, Omega, Hunter, Echo, Cid Word Count: ~670 Click here to read on AO3

Synopsis: The Batch are camped out in Cid's Parlour in Ord Mantell, recuperating from the flu.

"Geez, you lot have been lyin' in here all day," grumbled Cid, her coarse voice cutting through the grunts and sniffles from the darkened room. "When am I gonna get rid of you all?"

"We're hardly in a state to commence our next job," Tech pointed out, in the slightly thickened tones of someone with a heavily blocked nose. Indeed his nose was puffy and red, as were his eyes, goggleless, which he was rubbing profusely as they watered.

"Yeah, have pity Cid!" bawled Wrecker, reaching for another tissue and trumpeting into it. "We're sick!"

Hunter merely burrowed completely under the blankets, folding them up around his head and pretending not to be there.

"I thought you clones weren't meant to get sick," the trandoshan needled them. She picked her way past the pile of bodies and blankets to the light switches, flicking them on so that the bulbs strobed to life. Tech gave a grunt of displeasure, and Wrecker howled and threw an arm in front of his eyes.

"'S too bright! Turn it off!"

A series of soft, clicking footsteps entered the room. Echo grinned without sympathy, eyeing up his brothers who had built themselves a nest of cushions and covers in the back room of Cid's parlour.

"You're right, clones don't usually get sick," he told Cid. "We've got pretty good immune systems, and usually when we're sent to a new planet we're given all the inoculations needed before we touch down."

"But these three missed their boosters," Omega announced chirpily, following on Echo's heels with a tray of drinks.

"So why aren't you sick?" asked Wrecker sulkily, glaring at Echo.

"Echo takes his multivitamins," Omega answered for him, doling out mugs of hot tea with honey. Tech took his and sipped it, wrinkling his nose against whatever else the girl had dosed the drink with to help fight their flu.

"And Omega is likely still protected by the adaptive immune system of her childhood years," he said, even in sickness unable to resist a lecture. "Children's immune responses are typically more effective at fighting off contagion than adults, unless the adult's system has been primed by exposure to deactivated virus."

"Hence the need for inoculations," Echo finished. "Clones grow up so fast that they lose their childhood immunity pretty quickly."

Cid was unmoved. "Well I think this is all a big fuss over a bad cold. You boys ought to go out and get some fresh air!"

"We can't!" lamented Wrecker, doing his best to look pitiful as Omega handed him his drink. He cradled the mug carefully as he sunk into the veritable fortress of pillows he was propped up against. "We're too weak to move."

Omega crouched down by the side of the makeshift bed and poked at the pile of blankets that was Hunter. There was a groan, and a hand emerged and batted her away. Omega rolled her eyes affectionately and cleared a space on the ground in easy reaching distance to place Hunter’s drink down.

Their grumpy employer rounded on Omega, poking a scaled finger into the girl’s chest as she straightened. “I expect you to motivate these lazy boys to get out of bed and take a walk!”

“I agree, Cid,” said Omega cheerily, drawing reproachful looks from Tech and Wrecker. “We can air the room out whilst they’re gone!”

“Omega,” Tech began, in his most reasonable-grown-up voice. “We are far too sick to go out.”

The blonde girl bounced over to Echo, taking his datapad and tapping at it. “There! I set a timer,” she beamed, showing them. “You can drink your medicine, and have a nap… then we’ll all go for a walk together.”

The blankets in Hunter’s direction groaned. Omega glanced at Echo with a grin, and the cyborg clone had to turn away to smother his laughter.

“We’ll let you get a bit more sleep,” promised Omega, going to the lighting control panel that Cid had just activated and switching it off again. “But we are definitely going out after that!”

[feverishly-kpop]

Taemin & Shinee (ft. EXO Suho) - Virus

Taemin looked down at his water bottle, then up at Minho who hadn’t stopped talking and moving around the dance studio since they started their water break, then back down at his water bottle.

The temptation to douse their resident “flaming charisma” with the rest of the water he had left was so real at the moment.

Key was sat alongside Taemin, making no effort to hide his disdain for Minho at the moment.

“Minho. If you don’t sit your ass down and shut up right now…I’m still too dizzy to handle you right now” Key said, holding his head in his hand. Fresh off a bout of the flu, Key was still not 100% but was doing his best to get himself well enough for the approaching comeback. With Onew on hiatus Shinee couldn’t afford to have another member sitting out.

They couldn’t afford to have another member sitting out, which didn’t bode well at all for Taemin who had woken up that morning with a dull headache behind his eyes and a general sense of discomfort through his whole being. That discomfort had since developed into intense body aches that were compounded by an incessant shiver running through his body.

Minho looked down at Key with a look of pity in his eyes before quietly having a seat. Key sighed in relief, a sentiment that Taemin shared.

“We can call it for the day if you’re not feeling up to it Kibum” Minho said quietly. Taemin’s ears perked up at the idea of being done for the day and going home to his bed and his cats but Key shook his head quickly in response.

“I’ve already wasted enough of our time being out sick” he replied. “Let’s just finish up the next few hours so we can be done with it.”

Well damn.

*~*~*~*~*~

By the time Taemin arrived home for the evening his suspicions that he was coming down with something were confirmed. It took all of his remaining energy to get himself up to his apartment, collapsing on the couch immediately. He’d usually call Onew when he was feeling this poorly, ever the maknae longing for his hyung’s care, but Onew didn’t need additional stress in his life right now. So instead he pulled a blanket over himself, allowing the cats to curl up next to him as he hoped for sleep.

His rest was short lived, however, when he woke up suddenly overcome with nausea, precipitating a mad dash to the washroom to be sick.

Once he was finished he sat back against the wall, struggling to catch his breath as Koong begged to be pet, completely oblivious to the absolute hell Taemin was going through.

Thank you Key. Thank you so much for this.

Taemin searched his brain, trying to remember what other symptoms Key had listed off from his time out with the flu. Nausea, headache, body ache, fever. Everything that Taemin was currently experiencing.

With that, he pulled himself to his feet, determined to get back to bed. He took a moment to rifle through his medicine cabinet hoping to find something to take for the throbbing pain that was wracking his body, but soon felt too weak to stay on his feet, opting instead to hope for the best as he collapsed into his bed for the night.

*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning provided no relief for Taemin, much to his dismay. He had hoped that he’d simply sleep it off and wake up feeling better, but that was not the case at all. In fact, he was fairly sure that he was feeling worse.

He glanced at the schedule in his phone, finding another day of dance practice. Taemin wasn’t sure if he could even stand, let alone dance. Every ounce of his being was begging to take the day off, but with the comeback approaching so rapidly and the fact that Key was out almost the entire week prior, taking a day off didn’t seem to be an option.

Once his ride came to get him Taemin had managed to get himself dressed and as ready for the day as he could be, popping a few ibuprofen followed up with half an apple and a piece of toast. He could now only hope that it would stay down.

*~*~*~*~*~

It wasn’t that Taemin wasn’t happy that Key was feeling better, but he had been hoping for one more day of lighter practice to accommodate his recovery. But instead Key arrived at the studio and announced that he was ready to make up for the time that was lost during his absence.

“It might not be a bad idea to stay a few hours late tonight just to catch up?” Minho said with a shrug, quickly getting a nod of agreement from Key. Taemin felt his stomach lurch at the thought of extra dance practice. Even the thought of getting through the five hours they had originally scheduled seemed impossible. In spite of it, however, Taemin nodded along too, doing his best to feign a smile. The comeback was approaching regardless of his current physical state.

To say that Taemin struggled to make it though the first few hours would be generous. Just the warm up had him sweating profusely, making him thankful that he had worn layers just for that reason. By the time they called for a break for lunch the medication he had taken that morning had worn off causing his muscles to throb again, and if the way he was shivering uncontrollably was any indication he was sure his temperature was right back up.

Despite being eager to take a break, the smell of then food that Minho had ordered for them was as the final straw. He quickly excused himself and set off for a washroom, purposely avoiding the nearest one out of fear that Key or Minho could easily find him there. He instead opted to use the washroom on the other side of the building, hoping that he’d have some more privacy there.

Upon his arrival he knelt down in front of the toilet, instantly losing the meager breakfast. He could feel tears forming in his eyes involuntarily as he wiped his mouth and flushed the toilet, knowing for certain that he wasn’t going to be able to get back to the dance studio let alone finish their practice.

Unsure what else to do he reached into his back pocket for his phone, ready to text his hyungs that he was sick and had to go home, only to find that he had left his phone in the dance studio when he made his hasty exit. So instead, he slid down the wall, taking a seat on the hallway floor until he felt well enough to walk back across the building to collect his things and leave.

*~*~*~*~*~

Taemin hadn’t realized that he had fallen asleep until he felt a nudge on his shoulder. He opened his eyes groggily, feeling disoriented and confused as to where he was and how long he’d been there.

“Taemin-ah, why are you on the floor?”

Taemin looked up to find Suho standing over him looking just as confused as Taemin felt.

When Taemin failed to respond Suho realized that something was the matter. Kneeling down in front of him, Suho rubbed Taemin’s shoulder while looking him over, trying to figure out what was wrong.

“Why are you here hyung?” Taemin asked, his strained voice not escaping Sunho’s notice.

“Practicing for our comeback, just like you” Suho responded with a sad smile. “But you didn’t answer my question. Why are you on the floor? What’s the matter?”

Taemin only shrugged in response. Suho clicked his tongue disapprovingly before pressing further.

“Are you not feeling well, Minnie?” He asked, reaching out a hand and resting it against Taemin’s forehead. He didn’t even have to wait for Taemin to respond to know that Taemin had come down with something.

“Did you have a plan or were you just going to sit here and let this fever cook your brain?” Suho asked rhetorically with a chuckle, trying to get any kind of response from Taemin to no avail. Letting out a sigh, he stood up, reaching both hands out to help Taemin to his feet.

“Which studio are you in? Let’s get you back to your hyungs” Suho said as Taemin took his hands leaving Suho to pull him to his feet, feeling too weak to exert even the small amount of energy needed to stand.

“Other side, can’t remember the which one” Taemin replied with a grumble.

“It’s okay, we’ll find it” Suho replied, helping Taemin wrap his arms his neck so that he could piggyback carry him back to his team.

Taemin and Suho made it back to the other side of the building before running into Key and Minho. Their faces went from frantic to relieved to concerned upon seeing their dongsaeng.

“This one isn’t feeling very well” Suho said before anybody could ask questions. “He was taking a little nap on the hallway floor when I found him.”

“He was…what?” Key asked, unsure how to respond.

“Alright, come on Tae” Minho said, stepping in to take Taemin from Suho. “Aren’t you lucky, getting carried around here like some sort of royalty” he added lightly as he got Taemin situated on his own back. Minho and Key thanked Suho profusely as they all headed back to their respective destinations.

The moment Minho set Taemin down on the nearest chair in the dance studio Key swooped in, mother hen mode fully activated.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were sick?” He asked, planting a palm to Taemin’s forehead, then his cheek, then his neck.

“The comeback…” Taemin started but Key cut him off.

“Yeah, look at you, truly in top form, ready for the comeback” Key replied while rolling his eyes.

Minho then cut in, trying to calm both Key and Taemin down.

“Taemin, you’re going home. No arguments, okay? Straight to bed. Take the rest you need so you’re fully recovered for the comeback.”

Minho’s tone left no room to negotiate even if Taemin wanted to. But frankly Taemin didn’t have the energy to do so. All he wanted was sleep, sleep, and more sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~

The ride home passed in a blur. Taemin spent it dozing on and off as Euisoo tried to get more information from him about his illness. He remembered being asked about his symptoms and when they started but he couldn’t seem to remember if he had actually answered any of the questions.

Euisoo had helped him home and into bed.

“I need to check your temperature, Taem,” Euisoo said softly, trying to get Taemin to sit up against his headboard. “It’ll just take a minute. You feel really warm.”

He slipped the thermometer under Taemin’s tongue before stepping out to get a few tablets and a glass of water. Once he returned he exchanged the medication in his hand for the thermometer, looking at it with disapproval.

“Alright, take those tablets and lie back down. I’ll make sure that your schedule is clear. Your only responsibility now is resting and getting well” Euisoo said, glancing down at his watch. “I’m sorry I have to go. Remember, resting and getting well. That’s it. Nothing else.”

Taemin nodded tiredly in response before falling back asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~

As much as Taemin wanted to rest and get well as instructed, his stomach seemed to have other ideas. Taemin woke after a couple hours of sleep feeling nauseous and much too warm. He quickly made his way to his washroom, making it just in time to be sick once again.

He hadn’t even heard the hurried footsteps that had followed him in from the living room. Taemin’s first indication that he wasn’t home alone anymore was the feeling of a cool cloth being draped over the nape of his neck.

“It’s alright Taemin, just let it out.”

He instantly recognized the voice and relaxed.

Once he was finished he flushed the toilet and closed the lid so that he could rest his head on it.

“Onew-hyung. What are you doing here?” He asked, his voice raspy and exhausted.

“Euisoo texted Key and Minho after he dropped you off. He said he was worried about you. So they texted me” Onew responded softly, trying to get Taemin to sit up so he could wipe down his overly warm face with a cool cloth.

“You should be resting. No stress, remember?” Taemin replied, fighting Onew’s grip in an attempt to lie back down over the toilet lid.

“The only thing stressing me out right now is you not letting me help you” Onew responded. “Let’s get you back to bed. That way you can lay down and I can clean you up. Deal?”

Taemin nodded as Onew helped him up and tucked him into bed.

“Hyung” Taemin called out to Onew just as he exited the bedroom. Onew paused and turned back towards Taemin. “It’s not the same without you.”

Onew quickly returned to Taemin’s side, adjusting the compress he had placed on his forehead.

“I miss you too” he responded. “But from what I’ve heard you three are doing a great job. Now close your eyes and get some rest. Key will kill me if I don’t have you back on your feet with plenty of time to spare before the comeback.”

[enigmatictypos]

Unenticing Hours (Mikage Reo/Nagi Seishiro)

One where stress, overwork and a bad stomach bug leaves the Mikage heir in tatters. College AU

Sometimes Reo wondered if everything he did was even worth the actual effort he put in. Over the past few months, since the beginning of semester, he’d been getting less and less sleep, his hours extending from early morning classes and stretching into evening practice and subsequently all nighter assignments and projects. 

That said - he did enjoy football practice, and he did love the courses he was taking at university. 

Sometimes though, he found himself desperately wishing that the twenty four hours of a day were to either slow down or just extend longer than they did - something that would give him the leeway to just take some time away from the field or his study table and actually take a breather. 

Which is what he did as he rested his head against the cool top of the desk next to his notes in class. The lecture was particularly tedious and covered a topic which Reo had already gone over with his father. Ideally irrespective of that, his eyes would be ever strained on the digital board at the front of the lecture hall, fingers scribbling down notes quickly and neatly, but today, something was different. 

With the throbbing pain radiating across the inside of his skull, paying attention to his professor’s words seemed to get harder and harder with every passing minute. He finally ended up giving up around five minutes ago, his head dropping into his arms as he shielded off the glaring lights in the room as an attempt to ease the steady pounding behind his eyes. 

There was only a couple of minutes left on the clock before the end of the class, so hopefully the teacher wouldn’t mention anything crucial to the semester. Plus, even if it did, hopefully the white haired individual sitting next him would have noted down something (even if he essentially scraped through this class by leaching off Reo’s notes). 

Operations Management was the only class Reo actually shared with Nagi. With their university majors being pretty different, it was perhaps a stroke of luck that Nagi ended up choosing this among his optionals, while the class remained one of Reo’s integrals. That said, he still ended up seeing a lot of his best friend given that they were both among the only three freshmen who’d been called into the first string for the team. 

Speaking of practice, Reo almost physically let out a groan. He wasn’t entirely sure why but a deep seated ache had been gnawing across his body since he woke up this morning and the notion of having to work his muscles while already sore was never exactly appealing, no matter how much you like a sport. 

Not to mention his headache didn’t seem to be easing up any time soon either… 

Maybe he was coming down with something. The thought occurred to Reo as a particularly nasty throb had him wincing - there had been a flu virus going across campus. Only last week Chigiri, his roommate, had come down with it so it would make sense if Reo managed to catch it from him. 

The realisation though wasn’t very pleasant. 

Midterms were approaching fast and quick and there wasn’t exactly any spare room of relaxation in Reo’s current itinerary. For all his academic brilliance, keeping up with the number of classes he had was in itself a superhuman feat, something which even a few hours less would impact. So actually coming down with something was a risky ordeal for him. 

He’d just have to swallow his symptoms down with medicine and water he supposed, if it was indeed what he thought it was. 

“Ne Reo-” a small, soft voice spoke up next to him, breaking him out of his thinking spree. Raising his head from his arms, Reo realised that he’d probably completely zoned out, since he’d somehow missed the class concluding and the teacher leaving the room. Nagi, who'd already gathered up the few stuff he’d actually lugged to class, was gazing at the purple haired boy with a look Reo couldn’t exactly put a label on. 

Perhaps it was confusion. It would make sense - after all, Reo was usually the one nagging at Nagi to not fall asleep during class. His questioning looked to remain unanswered as Reo’s mind suddenly went blank, another flash of pain vibrating through his skull, triggering a new sensation of discomfort in his stomach. 

Yup, definitely something wrong with him. 

“Yeahhh,” he mumbled out, “I’m fine, just a bit off colour today, don’t worry.” He however, didn’t raise himself to his feet just yet, the cool sensation of the desk feeling far too comfortable against his unknowingly burning forehead. The silence from Nagi surprised him a little but then to be fair with their very recent patch up after a relatively big falling out, they were still playing on eggshells around each other. 

It suddenly struck him though that the next hour was an off period for him - with his Statistics Professor having been invited to an All-Japan-Analytics Meet, the class had been suspended for a week, today being the fourth of the seven days. Which meant that he’d probably have time to catch a quick thirty minute nap back in his dorm room if he rushed. 

With newfound zeal in his limbs, he stood, only to have his hands shooting out, fingers clutching against the desk as a wave of dizziness slammed into him, strong and disorienting. Unlike a headrush though it didn’t clear immediately, leaving Reo with his eyes scrunched shut, knuckles turning white with how he was holding the desk to keep himself from falling over. 

The swirling sensation of the ground beneath his feet was just more than enough to promote his former sensation of discomfort to an actual defined sense of nausea. He felt a hand on his shoulder, cool fingers wrapping around the exposing skin where his shirt looped around his neck - familiar yet hesitant in the touch. Perhaps it was even more concerning that Reo’s instincts didn’t immediately have him moving away, them still not having reached the physical affection phase after their last argument. 

Great, now of all people Nagi knew something was wrong with him. 

Drawing in a breath to steady himself, he slowly opened his eyes as the nausea and dizziness both slowly ebbed away. He cast a sheepish grin at the white hair who was now looking at him with pointed concern. Nagi didn’t voice his questions, so it was left up to Reo to analyse the obvious question in the gaze, enquiring whether Reo was alright. 

Had it been anyone other than Nagi, his pale face and near-keeling over episode would have been enough ground to establish that he wasn’t in fact alright. But despite all his genius, Nagi was far too gullible, especially in front of Reo, who basically intended to make a living out of white lies and smiles. 

“I just haven’t been sleeping well,” he said, which wasn’t far from the truth, “Just stood up a bit too quick there.” 

Reo dealt Nagi a lot of bold faced half-truths and this was yet another one of the same. Nagi’s grip on his shoulder loosened hesitantly as he removed himself from Reo’s personal space, allowing the purple haired boy to breathe a bit easier. He looked suspicious but knowing him, he wouldn’t press into a matter (just how bad had he looked that Nagi hadn’t accepted what he said at face value?) 

“If that’s what Reo says…” he mumbled out, taking a few steps forward before stopping, an obvious notion for Reo to join him. 

That reminded him that Nagi too had an off period every Thursday. With them hardly having talked in the past week, they hadn’t been able to plan anything out (which in hindsight was a good idea since Reo didn’t exactly feel upto socialising right now). Nagi’s notion, though, probably implied that he thought that they’d still be spending the hour together, probably just sitting together in silence on the roof, while Nagi clicked away at whatever new video game had interested him. 

An appealing invite if his painkillers hadn’t been in the bedside drawer all the way in his dorm room, a fair walk away from the main building, and his body screaming for well, his bed in general. 

“Ahh,” he said, once again feigning innocence as he started gathering up his stationary, “You go on ahead today, Nagi, I have to go work on something in the library.” Yet another lie, but a selling one since never in the years they’d spent together had Nagi ever joined him on his library adventures, no matter the bribe. 

Nagi nodded at that - to be fair, the argument was believable since Reo had spent quite a few free periods and even lunch hours on study work this semester, trying to keep up with his own good grades. Whether those additional hours were good or bad was something only time would say. 

“Are you sure you’re alright though?” Nagi voiced, eyes moving down towards Reo’s hands, where he himself hadn’t realised they were trembling. Fisting them and stuffling them into the pockets of his loose beige flannel shirt that he’d unconsciously dawned upon his lilac t-shirt this morning. 

Reo nodded quickly, probably far too quickly for it to be nonchalant, but then if he was hiding something from Nagi, the white haired boy knew better than to try to poke it out of the Mikage. Those attempts never worked well, and the effort was probably quite misplaced. So with a nod of his own, and a small half handed wave, Nagi turned around and left the room, leaving Reo to collapse back into his seat, thoroughly confused on how even standing up had been exhausting. 

***

Whoever had come up with the notion that sleep made you feel better was an absolute lying bastard and they would not live to see the next morning if Reo managed to find out who it was.

That said, with his current disposition he almost doubted he’d make it to the next morning. 

If he’d left bad this morning, everything seemed to have heightened over the course of his “nap”. Which he’d conveniently slept right through his alarm and missed out on every other class of the day. In hindsight though, if he’d felt even a fraction of what he was feeling now he doubted he’d have been able to spend even a second in a crowded classroom. 

His skin felt like it was on fire, sweat poured down his body in gallons to the point where his inner t-shirt was absolutely drenched. His head hurt pounding fit to burst, each throb sending waves of intense nausea through his body which had him stumbling out of the bed and barely making it to the bathroom, before he was violently heaving over the toilet. 

He didn’t bring anything up though except mouthfuls of saliva, his chest and stomach in agony from the convulsions of the dry heaving. It left him panting and breathless, tears gathering in his eyes from the effort, frustration bleeding into every inch of his existence. Exhaustion creeping in Reo leaned his head against the edge of the porcelain bowl, sanitation temporarily forgotten as his body seemed to want to wring him out in a matter of hours. 

Another wave of nausea went over him as he was once again sent over the bowl weakly gagging, a thin stream of drool dropping out of his parted lips. Right since he was a child, Reo never had an easy time throwing up. Even when he knew that losing his stomach would probably make him feel better. Sometimes he’d spend entire hours hunched over the bathroom with either Ba-ya or his mother sitting beside him rubbing circles on his back. 

He most certainly missed them as yet another violent retch sent him bending over the toilet, unproductive yet ostensibly more painful. This round seemed to be particularly rough, heave after heave seemingly ripping his body apart in pain and exhaustion. 

Leaning back against the wall once that bout was over, Reo drew in a sharp breath, hand raising itself to his face to wipe off both the perspiration and the tears. A part of Reo knew it was natural to get unwell from time to time, the other part was so irrationally upset that he just wanted to curl into a ball and sob himself to sleep. 

The nausea had begun to take a backseat, the top concerns being replaced by his concern of whether or not he was fit enough to attend practice. Once again his brain found itself torn between rational and irrational - rational knowing well enough that he'd just worsen his own condition by even walking out of his dorm room while the irrational screamed in panic over how his position on such a top tier team could very well be shaken up over him suddenly missing practice. 

Maybe that was just the fever reigning his mind as he stood up, using the sink as support as he leaned over, turning on the tap as he just stood there, letting the cold water run over his fingers. Chigiri would probably have yelled at him for wasting water if he were here but Reo couldn't really bring himself to care - not when the cold water seemed to bring a, though minimal, relief to his burning body. 

It took him a few minutes of water running along his fingers and splashing into his face to regain a semblance of clarity. Looking into the mirror, he noted that his appearance had worsened since morning. His pallor was almost ashen, other than the feverish blush on his cheeks. His usually well maintained purple hair was an absolute mess with some parts sticking up and some parts matted down with sweat. To top it all off the dark circles under his eyes were probably dense enough for him to shrug them off as some variety of eye makeup. 

He sighed to himself, running his hands through his hair, the simplistic movement itching further at his deep boned exhaustion. Opening up the cabinet beside the sink, he quickly dry swallowed a fever reducer and something to help with nausea, hoping fervently that the pills didn’t sit heavier in his stomach, while simultaneously thanking heavens that Chigiri labelled the bottles for symptom management because he was not even in a place to attempt to figure out which medicine helped what. 

In hindsight, actually trying to go to the five pm practice in this condition was ostensibly dumber than Reo could physically even begin to imagine himself as. 

They’d barely even started warmups and Reo felt his vision swimming dangerously, peripheral range zooming in and out. His nausea had returned to full swing, the stomach calmers doing absolutely nothing to help there, as the organ writhed angrily under his skin. The turf under his feet felt far too unsteady, strong chills working down his spine, despite the fact that he was sweating profusely. 

He bent over, hands on his knees, eyes closed as he finally finished one of his workouts, understandably slower than his usual pace. His breath came short and gaspy, despite him attempting to draw them calm and deep to quell the nausea in his stomach. He felt a hand on his shoulder, coaxing him to look up. 

A familiar head full of long, vibrant red hair invaded his vision, concern flooding his roommate’s red eyes. 

“Reo-kun,” he said, voice attemptedly made gentle, “You’re clearly unwell, you need to stop pushing yourself,” Chigiri spoke, fingers squeezing tighter around the purple haired boy’s shoulder. The realization that Chigiri hadn’t needed much more than a look at him to say that he wasn’t holding himself up at all, was probably testament to how bad he was feeling, given that he was usually quite the reasonable and convincing actor. 

“I’m fine,” he forced out, between gasps. Curt and short, “It's just a cold.” 

Just a cold, my ass. Reo couldn’t help thinking as he spoke the words, back straightening up again as he gazed around the field, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Chigiri. The redhead was perceptive, much more so than Nagi, who had been the only other person to enquire about his condition today, and he knew that his lies were already falling short for this one. Ostensibly the fact that his eyes were likely to glaze over wouldn’t really help his case. 

“Reo,” Chigiri continued, as the hand left the taller boy’s shoulder, “Nagi of all people noticed, and Rin’s been giving you these odd looks and the captain is obviously angry. I don’t think you even begin to realise how you’re looking.” 

Reo’s hands ran along his face, a sigh escaping him, as he pressed down on his eyes, almost in an attempt to smother his face if possible. A small blush crept onto his cheeks which wasn’t directly associated with the fever, but more so the embarrassment that almost the entire team had been seeing through his facade. As a stab of pain once again reverberated through his skull, he didn’t bother to suppress the moan. 

“... my head hurts a bit,” he admitted, revelling in the fact that that was likely to be the understatement of the year. Chigiri’s look conveyed that his thoughts probably resonated with Reo’s own. The redhead’s hand moved down from his shoulder to settle along his arm, an offer for support that they both knew Reo wouldn’t take. 

Unless he actually passed out, his pride would probably make him walk out of the turf on his own, even if he had been sporting profusely bleeding stab wounds all over. 

Chigiri didn't, however, let go as the two made their way over towards the benches where the rest of the team were trying awfully hard to pretend that they weren’t looking in their direction. The attempt though was absolutely horrible. Their captain Sae had a pointed look on his face, which wasn’t exactly angry or malicious but held an odd sense of understanding. Then again, Reo assumed that with Sae’s own levels of dedication to the sport, it was quite possible that he too had ventured onto the field in a similar condition. 

Isagi and Bachira were both talking with each other, casting very unsubtle looks at Reo and Chigiri as the two of them made their way over, Chigiri helping Reo into one of the chairs, offering him a bottle of sports drink. While Reo accepted it, he didn’t really move to drink it, knowing that putting anything in his mouth right now would probably send him into another retching and heaving fit. Something which was probably inevitable at this point, but much preferred in the solitude of his dorm bathroom instead where the entire team could see him. 

“Reo, you weren’t alright earlier.” A familiar voice filtered through the haze that was his mind, as he looked up to face Nagi. The white haired boy wore his usual neutral look, but the emotion was evident in his round orbs as he spoke. Reo’d spent years with Nagi, enough to be able to gouge exactly what Nagi was feeling right now. A part of him was disappointed that Reo had lied, while the other part… probably was nervous about whatever Reo would say next. 

It wasn't a concern, because Nagi was likely not capable of actually feeling the amount of concern which would cause him to leave behind whatever he was doing and ask around. Or that’s what Reo told himself in the moment, the sudden emotion in the latter’s eyes, hitting his own, almost making him tear up. He bit his lower lip, head pointing down at the plastic grass of the turf once again. 

Sae came to stand in front of him, beside Nagi, voice holding the same contempt he seemed to always speak with. 

“Can you walk on your own?” He asked, a question Reo didn’t want to answer, because at this point he didn’t know if he could walk all the way back without passing out or throwing up or both of those. He didn’t voice that to the older boy though, simply giving him a sheepish nod. 

Sae wasn’t one to unnecessarily poke either so with his nod to match Reo’s he continued, “Then go get some rest before I’m convinced that you’re attempting to start the zombie apocalypse or something.” 

Getting to his feet though, proved to be another challenge as the moment he stood up, the ground shifted beneath his feet, sending waves of nausea and dizziness washing over him. His knees folded without much warning, as a whine escaped his lips. He’d probably have fallen to the ground if it weren’t for both Nagi and Sae’s reflexes as they both grabbed him by his arms, steadying him enough to keep him on his feet. 

Sae let go though, allowing the white haired boy to support most of Reo’s weight. And even in that fever-addled, upset condition, he was hyper aware of how close he was to Nagi, a form of contact that he hadn’t exactly willingly initiated. He closed his eyes, burying his face into the boy’s shoulder blade, letting himself feel that moment of weakness. He’d already lost the image he’d been attempting to uphold, why make himself suffer further? 

“He’s burning up,” he heard Nagi’s monotone speak, albeit it wasn’t exactly a monotone, when the slight spike of worry was evident in the boy’s tone. Who was he kidding? Obviously Nagi was worried about him. Maybe not to the extent Reo would be if the roles were switched, but he cared enough that Reo’s pain would make him drastically concerned. 

“You don’t need to leave practice,” Chigiri said, presumably not to him, “I’ll take him over to our suite, I need to get myself a hair tie anyways.”  

When Reo’s head finally stopped spinning, he moved himself out of Nagi’s grasp, his hand moved towards Chigiri who despite his shorter stature, quite comfortably draped his arm around his shoulder, the other arm moving to support him by the waist. There was a certain level of jostling though that seemed to set off fireworks in the young Mikage’s stomach, making him swallow down the saliva that flooded his mouth almost urgently. They’d barely reached the edge of the field when Reo realised he was fighting a losing battle.  

“Chigiri-” he managed to rasp out, before bringing his hand up to his mouth, pressing down in an attempt to coax his brain into not immediately triggering his gag reflex. 

But when did the universe really listen to him? 

With a violent retch, Reo tore himself away from the redhead, stumbling a few feet away. His fingers wrapped around the fencing of the field as he sank onto the concrete, knees being too unsteady to hold his weight as his stomach worked to expel all of its contents. 

For the moment, everything around him seemed to blur out, except the burning sensation of something thick and slimy crawling up his throat, as he helplessly gagged, a sour, rancid mixture of whatever he’d put into his stomach, pouring out of his lips in a gush. It was like a dam had been broken within him. He retched once again, the painful noise scraping his throat raw as another rush of half digested food made its way out of him, bitter and hot to the taste. 

It was probably the texture and smell which made his stomach turn worse, as it heaved and heaved, not even giving the boy the time to breathe between retches as each movement brought about small amounts of the slurry, which splattered against the concrete. Tears freely flowed down Reo’s eyes, a building panic growing in his chest, as spots danced in his vision. 

His body sagged further downward, his loose arm wrapping around his stomach in a desperate attempt to alleviate some of the agony he felt, but to no avail. The knuckles of the hand gripping the wire fence turned white as he heaved for what seemed like the umpteenth time, this time only bringing up burning stomach acid and bile, the liquid being painful enough to send him into another fit of tears. 

It was when he was finally reduced to simply dry heaving once again, stomach wrangled out and empty that he registered the two people on either side of him. Chigiri’s gloved hand was holding his matted hair out of his face as he kneeled beside him, now simply holding his head up, keeping him from face planting into a massive puddle of his own puke. 

On his other side stood Nagi, who was bent over, hand rubbing circles on Reo’s back. While the supposed massage didn’t do much to help Reo’s pain, the contact was what melted him, as he let his exhaustion get the better of him. His fingers uncurled from the fence, as he let out a pitiful sob. Turns out his position and his hand holding him up was his only source of support as his body tilted sideways. He probably would’ve hit the ground if it weren’t for a pair of arms steadying him. 

Through half closed eyes and his own panting breaths, he could hear a familiar voice speak. 

“I’ll take care of him,” it said, distant almost as though Reo was listening to someone speak through a wall of water, “He’s my…”

The rest of whatever the person was saying mellowed out as the darkness in Reo’s vision expanded. The last thing he registered was the same pair of hands lifting him off the ground, and the sense of temporary security he felt. 

***

Reo woke up feeling as though he’d been hit by a truck. 

It took him a moment to gouge his surroundings. He was… not in his room, that was for sure if the white ceiling in contrast to his own violet was anything to go by. The next thing he took in was that the room was rather dimly lit. Which was certainly a relief since his head was throbbing fit to burst. Did he end up getting a concussion during practice?

“Ah, Mikage-kun, you’re awake!” a slightly high pitched voice spoke up next to him, making him wince at the decibel as he moved his line of vision to the side, to catch sight of the dark haired boy with glasses break into a smile, “We were getting concerned that we’d have to get you to an actual hospital.” 

… Yukimiya Kenyu.

One of the only pre-med students on the football team who basically had the additive job of poking and prodding over any injuries or illnesses that the players came down with. 

“Yukimiya-kun-” he spoke, wincing as he realised how scratchy his own throat was. Bringing his hands up, he attempted to push himself up into a sitting position, only to have a rush of nauseating dizziness slam him right back into the mattress. Yukimiya invaded his direct vision again, face scrunched up in concern. 

“Hey, hey, take it easy there, Macho Man!” he called, “You’re severely dehydrated so don’t go making sudden movements, you will keel over.” He however, didn’t leave Reo the way he was, helping the purple haired boy into a sitting position, helping himself back up against the back of the bed to support himself. The exhaustion in his body was deeply embedded, but now that the memories from what had perspired began returning to him, he realised he was probably feeling a bit better. Still thoroughly and completely ill, but at least he wasn’t throwing up and passing out on people anymore. 

Speaking of people… it was then that Reo noted the mop of white hair which had its head buried in Reo’s sheets, asleep in a position that couldn’t possibly be comfortable. Especially with how tall Nagi was. He had pulled himself a chair and used the bed as a headrest - but knowing Nagi’s ability to sleep anywhere he wasn’t surprised to hear the soft snores emanate from the boy. 

Hesitantly, he reached out to run his fingers through the messy white locks, a small smile playing on his lips. 

Nagi had stayed by his side. 

Taking in the tenderness in Reo’s expression, Yukimiya chuckled, “This guy here, gave me quite the fright when he came banging at my door at two in the morning. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so worried,” the older boy recalled as his own gaze went over to the now asleep Nagi, “Apparently you weren’t able to keep anything down and you were speaking worrying things in your sleep.” 

“Ah…” was all Reo could say to that as he retracted his hand from Nagi’s hair to massage his own temple. The ever lazy Nagi had hung around to look after him when he was in such a bad condition, huh? Maybe all his doubts over the boy’s dedication towards him were moot after all. Yukimiya seemingly reading into his line of thought merely chuckled along. 

[covid-safer-hotties]

also preserved at the archive

By: Jessica Wildfire

You don't need me to tell you how bad it's getting.

I'll tell you anyway, though.

As we drown in endless waves of Covid that generate millions of infections and thousands of deaths per week, our leaders have effectively stripped away every tool we have. They prefer a society that sacrifices themselves for short-term economic and political gains and then becomes ripe clientele for the pharmaceutical industry. They collude with the media to push out a daily barrage of misinformation aimed exclusively at ensuring we continue to work, shop, and vacation, because that's what they care about. Meanwhile, they do absolutely nothing about pandemics on the way as dozens of diseases spread out of control, at levels 10 times worse than normal. As the World Health Organization sounds alarms, telling us "we have arrived in the post-antibiotic era," and that we faced a future pandemic up to 20 times worse than Covid, our leaders focus on vibes. That last part should get our attention. Yes, we are here. We have arrived in the time when superbugs aren't responding to antibiotics. If that weren't bad enough, they're preying on our weakened immune systems.

And bird flu has likely gone human to human.

But it's not hopeless.

Four years ago, we looked to plants to protect us from pathogens because vaccines and treatments weren't coming anytime soon. The minute those vaccines and antivirals came out, most people forgot all about plants. They reverted to their old assumptions that plants were for hippies.

Well, here we are again.

Our vaccines and treatments are failing, and when they work they're often in short supply, or we can't even get access to them. Moms and dads are rolling out the NyQuil in little cutesie Facebook posts, along with all the pills that treat the symptoms but leave the disease itself to roam free all over your body.

We can do better.

As we mask while demanding clean air and better medicine, it's time to revisit those plants and see what they can do.

Do they even work?

Yeah, they do.

A 2024 review of studies in Viruses identified 10 different plant compounds with broad antiviral properties and effectiveness specific to Covid (and in many cases several other viruses). As they write, "plat-derived molecules can tackle viruses by acting on different aspects of their infection process" and "inhibit coronavirus/host protein pathways" by blocking them. The authors initially identified 45 different compounds and then narrowed them to the 10 most effective.

Plants work because they contain terpenoids, flavonoids, phenols, and alkaloids that all demonstrate "high anti-viral potential against SARS-CoV-2 particles" as well as other viruses. They do this in a variety of ways that work across variants because they block virus entry while also tamping down replication and essentially "stopping its life cycle."

Sounds good to me...

Let's get into it.

First, ginkgo biloba contains two bioflavonoids called quercetin and rutin that can block Covid's 3CLPro BS PL-pro enzymes, as demonstrated in two different studies that looked at how they bind to parts of the spike protein. According to an article in Nature, 3CLPro plays a central role in virus replication, specifically for Covid. Ginkgo also contains kaempfero that inhibits Covid's envelope protein E, "consequently suppressing virus activity and proliferation." G. Biloba also brings an anti-inflammatory effect that can help with recovery as well.

Second, turmeric and curcumin "can either bind directly to the receptor binding domain of the viral S-proteins or secure ACE2 receptors of the hosted cell." Basically, they stop viral entry into your cells. As the authors write, a curcumin derivative called bi-demethoxycurcumin "displayed the best binding affinity" to spike proteins.

It also works on the original SARS virus.

Third, a common spice called artemesia annua demonstrated antiviral activity in clinical trials. The group who took an artemisia compound called artemisinin-piperaquine "took significantly less time to reach undetectable levels of SARS-CoV-2 than the controls." In fact, artemisinins "are known for their extended-spectrum antiviral activity." An artemisia derivative called artesunate has shown effectiveness against both DNA and RNA viruses including hepatitis and HIV.

Artemesia compounds work similar to ginkgo by latching on to five different parts of the spike protein "which might explain its remarkable binding affinity." In addition to flavonoids like quercetin, researchers have identified di-caffeoylquinic acid as doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. Like curcumin, these flavonoids also bind to ACE2 receptors on your cells and protect them. Medical researchers are working on refining these compounds into artenimol, a single high-potency compound for giving to patients.

Fourth, nigella sativa (black cumin seeds) have shown antiviral activity by disrupting viral RNA transcription. Carvacrol and nigellidine extracted from these seeds "can block ACE2 receptors, thus inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 entry into the host cells."

Fifth, ginger (6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol) can inhibit parts of the Covid spike protein. Specifically, it's the bioactive compounds geraniol, shogaol, zingiberene, and zingiberenol that do the blocking.

Sixth, garlic (allium sativum) shows antiviral activity. It contains compounds called allicin, ajoene, and garlicin that work against several viruses in the same ways as the other compounds, by targeting spike proteins, disrupting transcription, and protecting your cells' entry channels.

Next:

Cinnamon at 50 ug/ml operates the same way as the other compounds, by blocking host cell entry and viral replication. Rosemary (rosmarinus officinale) shows effectiveness in blocking viral activity, even in a study that compared it to the antivirals remdesivir and favipiravir.

Want an unusual suspect?

It's dandelion.

Dandelion extract has shown to be "effective against influenza virus infection" and in higher concentrations "showed efficacy against spike proteins... and its different mutants" in human lung and kidney cells, while also helping to prevent the cytokine storm that's often so deadly in the acute stage. Here in particular, studies have shown that dandelion extract works regardless of the variant.

Finally, oregano (origanum vulgare) extract demonstrates antiviral activity against many DNA and RNA viruses, including Covid and HIV. As the authors write, extracts "showed remarkable efficacy against equine influenza virus, canine coronavirus, RS, and H1N1. In fact, it can inhibit up to 74 percent of viral activity at certain sites.

Again, carvacrol does the heavy lifting.

I've looked at other supplements and extracts with antiviral properties. They include grapeseed extract, grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf extract, echinacea, St. John's-Wort, and elderberry.

A 2024 study found that oleuropein, found in olive leaf extract, demonstrates high antibacterial activity at 130 mg/ml and high antifungal activity at 65 mg/ml. Another 2022 study found that oleuropein showed significant effectiveness against Covid in hospitalized patients when they were given 250-500 mg every 12 hours for five days. (No real difference between 250 and 500 mg.) The study also reviews previous research that oleuropein has shown effectiveness against other viruses, including HIV and influenza. It works the same way as other flavonoids, lectins, secoiridoids, and polyphenols, by blocking ACE2 receptors.

A 2022 study reviews available research on elderberry (sambucus nigra), confirming antiviral activity against HIV, flu, and coronaviruses. As the researchers write, adults in clinical trials "showed a significant reduction in symptoms, averaging 50 percent." Elderberry has also shown the ability to stimulate the production of immune cells. A 2019 study confirms that elderberry works against flu via "multiple modes of therapeutic action," including the inhibition of replication and host cell entry. An extensive 2021 study looking at prior research found that high-quality elderberry extracts enriched with anthocyanin work especially well.

A 2022 study in Nature found that a mixture of St. John's Wort (hypericum perforatum) and Echinacea showed significant antiviral activity against Covid. Specifically capsules with .9 mg of St. John's "can significantly reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral load," peaking at 36 hours after the start of treatment.

St. John's Wort works just fine on its own. The authors stress the importance of maintaining its concentration if you add other compounds like echinacea.

That said, a 2022 study in Frontiers in Pharmacology found that echinacea at 4,000 mg for 10 days led to a substantial reduction in viral load and fewer hospitalizations when used to treat Covid patients.

Here's a chart docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cTJ3lXHPUW7AyrZPXQb63IjmhVbahRm_7Y5IMxKcqO8/edit?usp=sharing&ref=okdoomer.io

You can also look up most of these supplements and extracts on Mount Sinai's health library. They'll give you a good breakdown. It's a good idea to talk with a doctor if you're skeptical or not sure about interactions with other drugs, or look at the studies on your own. The studies linked in the sheet provide the most detailed dose information I can find, usually presented in a table. Duration runs around two weeks for an acute illness and 3-4 months for chronic infections like HIV.

Do I think it's sustainable to take high amounts of supplements all year long to ward off all kinds of airborne diseases, for the rest of our lives? Not really. That's why we absolutely need clean indoor air, masks, better vaccines, and better treatments. Until then, at least we have this information.

List of studies raindrop.io/JW_Lists/alternative-treatments-47681852

So there you have it.

If you've been wondering whether this stuff really works, the answer appears to be a loud yes. We need more research on dose amounts, but the studies all point in the direction of taking as much as you can while staying within the safe limits, for the duration of any time you feel at risk of getting sick.

Most of these extracts work against multiple viruses. They also help regulate your immune system and push it toward a less inflammatory response.

That's good to know.

My family has been using some of these supplements for several years, and it might explain why we've managed to steer clear of Long Covid. We still wear N95 masks everywhere. We advocate for clean air and better vaccines, along with better treatments. In the meantime, it looks like we can up our supplement game and that it's actually going to bring some benefit.

This isn't magic.

These plant compounds work the same way as many of the antivirals on the market. Medical researchers have been researching the antiviral properties of plants for decades, and cultures have used them for thousands of years. Given our current outlook, they're worth taking seriously.

Use what you can.