#both in the sleepy sense and the sinus sense

[gottagobuycheese]

was doing SO GREAT for the last few days and now all of a sudden it’s like all the accumulated sleep debt of my entire life piled into a gigantic frying pan and smashed me in the face. incredible. 0/10. would not recommend.

[dreadsuitsamus]

Comfort | Itachi Uchiha x Reader |

author's note: i'm sleepy and have itachi on the brain, don't expect too much from this. i apologize for any mistakes or things that don't make sense, i just wanted to write a short, sweet little story. the love in my heart for that man is something else

pairing: itachi uchiha x fem!reader

warnings: none, it's just fluff

It's quiet inside the small cabin. Itachi has been bedridden with some sort of influenza, so you've been caring for him. You met him some time ago in these woods, maybe two or so years ago, looking exhausted and wearing a dark robe with red clouds that looked far too warm for the humid weather of that day. His eyes were red and he looked ready to strike, but you had raised your hands innocently and introduced yourself, and once he'd given his name to you, you'd taken him to the old family cabin to give him a place to get some rest safely.

You wring out a rag and replace the one that's dried out on his forehead, a few cool water droplets running down his temples. His eyes are closed and he's breathing steadily, but you know he's not asleep. He's just too tired to do anything but lay there.

"Figures my first time seeing you in months would be spent taking care of you." You murmur and stand, wiping your damp hands on your apron. "Good thing I decided to come out to the cabin; you look awful."

There's a soft huff of breath from his nose. "Apologies for my appearance, miss. I'll resume attractiveness shortly."

You crack a smile and head to the kitchenette. "Do work on that, would you? Perhaps you could start by getting some sleep."

His reply is a noncommittal hum. He's gotten a few hours of sleep as you've stayed at the cabin with him, none of them consecutive. In fairness, his cough has been hefty, though as you've tended to him for the last week, it's gotten much better to where he theoretically should be able to rest.

You remove the tea leaves from the cup you left to steep, adding a little bit of sugar and stirring it. Itachi, you'd learned a while ago, had a sweet tooth. You'd had a small bowl of candy on the table when you left the cabin one morning, leaving for the majority of the day to meditate, and when you came back it was nearly empty, the only culprit being the man reading a book on the windowsill with a candy-shaped bulge in his cheek.

"Got you some tea." You say softly and carefully bring it to Itachi.

He uses quite a bit of his strength to sit up, the blanket falling down his bare torso. He removes the damp towel from his forehead and sets it aside, carefully taking the cup from your hands and holding it around his chest, the warmth spreading in his body. He closes his eyes again, the steam helping to ease his sinus pressure.

"Thank you." He opens his dark eyes, glancing at you with a little sparkle in his eyes. He raises the teacup to his lips and takes a small sip, the heat of the tea close to scalding him. He likes it though, so he takes another sip and allows the heat to settle on his tongue for a moment.

You pick up the towel and settle it in the crook of his neck, pressing the back of your hand to his cheek for just a moment, ignoring the flutter of your heart. "Seems the fever is finally staying down. I'd say you're on the mend." You smile softly. "Imagine how much better you'd feel if you'd been getting proper rest."

Itachi breaks eye contact and finishes his tea. He politely puts the cup on the table beside the bed and looks to you with his oh so tired eyes. "You're right. I just don't want to sleep while you're here."

"Ah- Hwhat?"

Itachi takes your hand, cradling it between both of his. He's warm and smooth to the touch, just as you imagined he would be. "I do not like to sleep while you're with me here."

"But… Why?" You squeeze his hand.

"With my… Line of work." His lips settle into a firm line. You don't really know what he's up to when you're not patching him up in some way in this cabin. Hell, you don't even know why his eyes were red as rubies the day you met him. "It could turn out that the next time we go our separate ways could be the last. I… Just want to savor what I can, just in case."

"Itachi…"

He gazes directly into your eyes. "I am sorry to hold up the healing process."

You brush his hair from his face, holding your hand at his cheek. "You don't have to apologize. You're… The only person I have to take care of. You make me feel needed. And I wish I could see you more often."

He turns his head and kisses your palm, nuzzling his nose gently against you with closed eyes. Content is settling in, it seems. You lean in and kiss his temple. "Rest now, Itachi."

"Only if you lay with me. Please."

"Well how could I ever say no to that face?" You say softly, pulling off the apron and climbing into bed with him. He's on his side and facing you, pulling you close to his warm body as he buries his face in your hair.

You smile to yourself and cozy up to him, leading him into a comfortable slumber. Right before you pass out, you swear you hear a whisper from him.

"Thank you for loving me."

[some-kindofgnome]

sick day

Hawks comes home after a few days away. You’ve come down with a nasty cold in his absence. 

characters: takami keigo (hawks) x f!reader

wc: 2.2k

warnings: smut (18+ please!), reader with a head cold (lil snot action here and there), soft soft SOFT hawks who goes down on u in the morning >:) 

requests: from 2 anons!: I have a request ! I love me some hawks taking care of his sick s/o and when they are better ! He pounces for sex ! Huzzah

&

I’m in desperate need of a hawks taking care of his sick s/o , also because I love your work and also because I’m sick and want to take care of me.

notes: i. adore. writing soft hawks. i just want him to take care of me oh-kay? let this man love. please! 💖 

Masterlist

You’re so sick when Hawks get in, you’ve almost forgotten how long he was away.

After a growing mission took him away from the city for a few days, he gets back early in the afternoon with the sun streaming into the kitchen windows. And with you, hunched over your laptop at the counter with tissues littering the counter and floor around you.

“Hey, bluebird,” he calls as his keys jingle in the door. “God, it’s only getting colder out there by the minute now. How’s you- oh, no.”

When he spots the mess you’ve become, his little mission bag slips to the tiled floor, pulling you out of your fever-induced trance. You tear burning eyes away from your document, and the smile that crosses your face is sleepy and swollen.

“Hey babe,” you sniffle. It’s evident in your voice, your body language, everything. Keigo’s only been gone a couple of days, but it was long enough for you to come down with a nasty little bug.

“How was your trip?”

He cringes at the congested sound of your voice. Sucks in a deep little breath through his teeth.

“What are you doing?” He asks. “Are you working?”

You glance guiltily over your shoulder at your laptop. “Well, yeah, I-I was feeling alright this morning, so I-“

“No way,” he interrupts firmly. He’s already shrugging out of his hero clothes. They’re streaked with soot and mud, but he’s going to worry about himself later.

He comes up behind you jacketless, belt already unbuckled and jingling loose around his thighs. He sets one hand on your shoulder and the other on the back of the chair next to you.

“Email your boss,” he rumbles. “Tell her you’re taking the afternoon off. Tell her you’re sick, for the love of god.”

“Babe, I can work,” you plead. “It’s a cold. I’m not dying.”

“You need to rest,” he argues. He brings both hands to your shoulders, digging his thumbs gently against your aching muscles. You try your best to hide how sensitive they are, but you can’t help the little spasms that make you twitch and sigh.

“C’mon,” he hums, dipping close. He pushes a kiss against the sensitive spot behind your ear, and you catch the soft, musky scent of the sweat that clings to his hairline. He smells earthy and cold, like he’s been outside a while.

Maybe he flew all the way back here.

“We both need showers,” he offers. And when he rumbles it all low and tempting in your ear, there’s no way you can put up much of a fight.

“Okay,” you groan. Keigo turns away with a triumphant pump of his fist. You try to keep the idiotic grin off your face as you open a new email. To no avail.

You and your boss have a close enough relationship that it’s easy for you to type out a casual little email explaining everything to her. She gets back to you right away, and even though you’re too busy being dragged to the bathroom, you can tell by the first few lines of the email that it’s all fine by her.

You kind of regret not telling her before about the fever you’re running. But none of that matters now. You’ve got the last few hours of the afternoon off, and you intend on spending at least some of that time in the shower with Keigo.

He’s already naked and warming up the water for you. You want to ache for him- he’s been away all weekend, after all- but you’re both too exhausted to do anything but climb under the water together. You pause for a moment with rivulets running over both your bodies, and he cups your cheeks, biting his lower lip hard as conflict floods his features.

“I wanna kiss you so bad right now,” he groans.

“I missed you, too,” you giggle back, reaching up to push your wet fingers through his soaking hair. “But I wouldn’t wish this shit on my worst enemy.”

He knows you’re right, settling for a soft little kiss to your shoulder instead. He turns you around and lets warm water spray down your back as he rubs your shoulders, your neck, working all the tension from your muscles. The pain in your head whittles away the longer you stand there, and before long it’s nothing more than a dull throb while he’s reaching for the shampoo.

There’s no feeling you love more than Keigo washing your hair for you. His fingers are attentive and devoted, scratching itches you never realized were bothering you. He scrunches his fingers through the ends of your hair before reaching for the removable shower head, smoothing one rinsed palm over your forehead to tilt your head back.

“Eyes closed,” he coos. You’re still smiling like a goddamned idiot.

The suds sluice down your back as he passes the shower wand over your hair. The bubbles send wafts of fragrance through your senses. There’s nothing like coconut-scented shampoo when winter closes in on the city. It’s like a little trip to the beach, every time you get in the shower.

It was Keigo’s idea.  

He combs loving fingers coated with slippery conditioner through your hair. He lathers up your favourite body wash and trails his slick fingers over your tired skin. You can feel him getting excited behind you, but you’re both too tired to do anything about it. All he does is pull you lovingly back against his chest, letting his half-hard cock rest against the curve of your ass. He lays another soft kiss to the crook of your shoulder and you let out a deep, drippy sigh.

“C’mon,” he rumbles into your ear, tender like a dove. “Let’s get out before your nose starts to run, yeah?”

He dries himself off quickly, leaving you the bathroom for a few minutes. Wrapping your fluffy towel around your shoulders, you pad across the heated tile to pluck a tissue from the box by the mirror.

You blow. Hard. The steam lingering in the room helps to dislodge some of your congestion, and you emerge from the bathroom with the newfound ability to breathe through your left nostril.

Progress.

When you get into the bedroom, there are clothes laid out for you. Your favourite pair of clean sweatpants and one of Hawks’ t-shirts. You slip into the pants and give the t-shirt a little cuddle, burying your nose into the fabric and smiling when you catch the barest whiff of his spicy scent through your dulled senses.

You don’t even notice that the blankets are gone from the bed until you realize where they’ve been moved. As you emerge from your shared bedroom, you immediately spot the fluffy duvet and pillows spread out on the couch.

Hawks is in the kitchen, tapping away on his phone. When he spots you, he smiles so tender and soft it makes your sick little heart swell. He gives a little nod toward the couch as his wings bristle gently, encouraging.

“Go on,” he quips. “Get comfy.”

He comes around the side of the counter as you curl into the nest of pillows and gets down on his knees beside you.

“Here we go,” he hums. “A warm little nest for my cozy little bluebird.” He tugs the edges of the blanket back over and around you, wrapping you up in the fluffy comforter like a sick little sushi roll. Once you’re well tucked in, he smooths the hair back from your forehead. His chin juts forward- he wants to kiss you- but he restrains himself.

“I ordered you some food, okay?”

You snuggle deeper into your cozy retreat, until only your eyes and nose poke over the top of the blankets. The soft, soapy scent of the laundry detergent you use sends sweet washes of comfort through your tired brain.

“What kind of food?”

“Noodle soup,” he hums. You can tell he’s restraining the urge to grin as he looks you over. God, you’ve missed him. “From that place down the road.”

“Yum,” you gasp. You fiddle with the edges of your blanket to shove one hand out the side, grabbing his fingers and giving them a loving little squeeze. He chuckles, taking your hand between both of his and stroking the back of your palm over with both thumbs.

“Here,” he adds. He twists over one shoulder, grabbing the remote for the TV. “Put on anything you want. The food’ll be here soon, and then you can eat and go to bed, yeah?”

He glanced toward the armchair, not far from the couch. You try to hide the way your heart sinks.

He’s still got work to do.

“Sounds good,” you mumble, taking the cool plastic remote from his hand. You think about putting something on for the two of you, but he’s given you express instructions to indulge. So you find the show that brings you the most comfort and let its familiar sounds bring you down from the edge of a demanding work day.

When the food arrives, you sit up and slurp your noodles diligently. He keeps refilling your water, giving you a little dose of cold medication once you’ve got something in your stomach.

He’s ordered a bowl of soup for himself, too, but it stays largely untouched as he taps away on his laptop, finishing the report for the mission he’d raced back from, no doubt.

You don’t remember falling asleep, but you half-wake to the sleepy sensation of being lifted. In a drowsy stupor you don’t even open your eyes, simply letting your head rock forward against Keigo’s familiar chest as he carries you to bed.

The next morning, you feel like a changed person.

The first thing you realize when you open your eyes is that you can breathe through your nose. Both sides. The passages of your sinus are so clear they nearly hurt, but you take deep, greedy breaths, revelling in your ability to clear your sleepy head with fresh, cool oxygen.

The second thing you notice is the very mischievous bird in the sheets beside you.

“G’morning, bluebird.”

He snuggles close to you, dropping a sordid kiss to your shoulder. He trails kisses into the crook of your neck and his hot breath tickles your tender skin in a way that you’ve dearly missed.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Better,” you conclude with a drowsy little smile. Your limbs have a pleasant, sleepy weight to them, but he’s quickly wearing the ache of rest from your tired eyes.

“Like… I’m probably not contagious anymore.”

You don’t have to tell him twice.

“God,” he sighs, rolling on top of you. He dips his mouth to yours, soft at first, then insistent. “I missed ya, kid.”

He kisses all the way down the side of your neck again, drawing tight little shivers from the length of your spine. He’s impatient, though, pushing your t-shirt up and curling his fingers into the loose hem of your sweatpants to rid you of them quickly.

He pushes your thighs apart, settling onto his belly between them. His wings dip and fold gracefully behind his back. You reach out and stroke the apex of one of them, making it flutter. He shoots you a sly grin and you watch the way his hips dip into the mattress.

Fuck, it feels good to be horny again.

Keigo kisses and nips a long path up the inside of one sensitive thigh, leaving tiny little welts where he sooths his tongue over your flesh. By the time he gets to the joint of your pelvis, you’re squirming for him, achy and needing.

“Fuck,” he sighs, nozing at the apex of one thigh. He takes a deep inhale and kisses there. “I missed this.”

He licks, gentle and loving. You keen and sigh. The sensation is beautifully familiar- even more so as he finds the swell of your clit, pushing a scruffy kiss to it and then starting to suck.

Keigo always eats you out sloppy. But it drives you crazy, the way he slides his arms under your thighs to leverage your hips against his face. The way he licks and slurps at you shamelessly, unafraid to overwhelm your sensitive form. His fingers dig gently into the meat of your thighs when he finds the tenderest angle from which to attack your clit, and you ride a wave of pleasure so smooth that it clears the last vestiges of your cloudy headache from the edges of your temples.

He makes you cum hard, letting you dive your fingers into his hair and pull while he feasts on your pussy. When he pulls back from between your thighs, his scruff is slick with spit and you and he’s licking his lips like they’re coated in honey.

“Hmm, fuck,” he groans, rolling his hips into the mattress again before climbing to his knees. “God. You gave me so much, bluebird.” He wipes his chin on the back of his hand, examining the sheen of your juices with a wolfish grin.

If he was hard before he’s straining now, but he bats his hands away before you can even get close.

“No way,” he quips, climbing out of bed. “You need to rest more.”

“Aw, c’mon,” you fuss. But Keigo’s firm.

“Stay in bed, bluebird. I gotcha.” He moves toward the door of your bedroom, then glances over his shoulder and grins.

“How d’you feel about pancakes?”

There’s no instance that Keigo’s tried to make pancakes that hasn’t ended in sheer disaster. But you’ve missed him too much not to adore him for trying. You pull the blankets back over your spent form, beaming at him from the pillows.

“Sounds good.”

[fluffyllamas-23]

The Cruise (1/2)

Part one of two, in which Paige has a really Bad Time(tm)

(See guys, I AM capable of writing more than just Chase/Mason and Declan/Matteo lmao)

A cruise, Hannah feels, is exactly what she and Paige need.  It’s Paige’s first year as a preschool teacher, with her own class (and a co-teacher) and while she loves it, she’s been more stressed out than Hannah had ever seen her.  

Hannah has been working more than her share of overtime shifts lately, which stresses her out and more often than not, she comes home from work with a migraine.

Paige, God bless her, has been so great about it and has spent countless hours taking care of her after she already had a full day of teaching twelve, three and four year olds. She’s exhausted and worn out, and Hannah can tell she needs a break.  

“So, I did a thing,” Hannah says, coming up behind Paige and wrapping her arms around her waist.  

“Oh?” Paige says, not looking up from the salad she’s chopping, “and what might that be? Did you finally kill somebody? Do we need to bury a body?”

“No…not yet at least,” Hannah chuckles, “how do you feel about cruises?”

Paige looks up in shock, sets down the knife and then turns around to wrap her arms around Hannah’s neck, “is this a trick question? You know I love cruises, and I swear if you’re teasing me-”

Hannah grins, “-I’m mean, but I’m not that mean.  I booked us a cruise.”

“You didn’t!”

“Uh, pretty sure I did,” Hannah chuckles, “I have the tickets in my email.”

“Where are we going? When are we going? How long are we going for?”

“We’re going to around the Caribbean - Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Belize - we’re going for two weeks, and leaving in eight days, once you’re done teaching.”

“Incredible,” Paige breathes, “so...um...why are we going? Not that I’m not excited to go, because I am, but what made you decide to book a cruise?”

“We’ve both been stressed...you’ve definitely been looking run down the last couple of weeks, I figured that you could use a break.”

“You’re the best, you know that, right?” Paige says, kissing Hannah’s cheek.

“I try,” she grins, nuzzling her face into Paige’s neck, “go lie down, you look exhausted.”

“S’because I am...it’s been a long week.”

“Kids were hard?”

“Yeah and I don’t know why? I think they sense that it’s the end of the school year or something...they’re lucky they’re cute and I love them.”

*

The morning they’re to leave for the cruise, Hannah is awoken by Paige sniffling softly next to her, still asleep with her black hair sprawled everywhere.

Hannah brushes the hair out of her face, the corners of her mouth tugging down into a frown at how pale and tired she’s looking.

“Paige,” Hannah says softly, stroking her cheek, “wake up, honey.”

Paige forces her eyes open, and immediately squeezes them shut with a low groan, “what do you want? I’m sleeping.”

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Mmhmm...fine,” she mutters, “m’exhausted though.”

“You sound really stuffy...are you going to be okay for the cruise? I can try and postpone it, tell them you have the plague,” Hannah says, stroking Paige’s cheek.

“I don’t have the plague though,” she sniffles, batting Hannah’s hand away as she pushes herself into a sitting position.

“Yeah, but you’re sick.”

“Very mildly. It’s not that bad, I hardly even have a headache.”

“What about your throat?”

“That hurts...but it’s fine. You really don’t need to worry, it’s not going to get worse than this, it never does.”

“I know, but I’m allowed to fuss over you a little bit.  You’re not feeling good and I love you.”

Paige’s cheeks flush, “I barely feel bad.”

“Okay, okay.  I’ll leave you alone, but tell me if you start feeling worse.”

Paige rolls her eyes, “you know I will.  I’m not you, I don’t run myself into the ground.”

“Ouch,” Hannah mutters, trying and failing not to grin.

“I’m going to take a shower.  We still need to get everything together...I need to pack.”

“You haven’t packed yet? Paige! We have to leave in two hours!”

“I’m not an organized person, you knew this when you started dating me!”

“You’re a teacher! You have to be an organized person.”

“I’m organized when I’m teaching.  I don’t know why you’re freaking out so much, we’ve been together for four years.  We’ve taken trips together before, it’s not like you didn’t know I wait until the last minute to pack.”

“Yeah...but this...this is two weeks! I thought you’d have packed by now.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t,” Paige snaps, rubbing at her forehead.

Hannah raises a brow, “uh...yeah, I can see that.”

“I’m going to go take a shower,” she mutters.

Paige disappears in the bathroom, and as soon as Hannah hears the water start running, she changes and heads into the kitchen.  Paige is never this snappy in the morning, even when she’s as mildly sick as she’s claiming she is.  

Hopefully the shower would help.

Hannah is cooking at the counter when she hears Paige come into the kitchen.

“How was your shower?”

“Fine,” Paige yawns, slumping down in one of the chairs at their table.

“Still sleepy?”

“Yeah, a little...d’we have any coffee?”

“Mmhmm, here,” she says, pouring her a cup. Hannah pours one for herself before sitting across from her.

“Thank you, you’re the best,” Paige groans, sticking her face over the steam. She sniffles lightly, trying to ignore the throbbing in her sinuses and temples.

“I know. Are you excited?”

“Yes,” Paige grins.

*

They’ve been walking the cruise ship and exploring it for the last two hours. As much as Paige hates to admit it, she’s starting to feel far too shitty for this just to be as mild of a cold as she thought.

Black spots cloud her vision and she stops and pinches the bridge of her nose.

“Paige?” Hannah frowns, “are you alright?”

“Can we go back to the room?” Paige asks quietly, the edges of her voice going raspy.

“Yeah of course, what’s wrong?”

“Jus’don’t feel that great,” She mutters.

“Oh shit,” Hannah hisses, tugging her in the direction of their room,  “yeah, of course we can go back. Do you want to go see the doctor? I think the ship has a doctor. Maybe they can give you something to help you feel better.”

“Relax. I’m fine, I’m just really tired. I think I just need to sleep, I’ll be okay tomorrow.”

“Are you sure? I’ve known you for six years and you’ve never ever said that you don’t feel well...even when you have a cold.”

“I also just finished my first year of teaching yesterday and I’ve never been this exhausted. I’ll be fine, Hannah.”

“Okay...what’s bothering you exactly?”

“Uh...head, throat...everything is aching...I don’t-I’m not used to this.”

Hannah winces, “body aches suck.  Do you think you have a fever?”

“I don’t...know? Maybe?”

“You don’t know? When’s the last time you’ve had a fever?”

“I dunno...freshman year of college? Briefly? I don’t get fevers.”

Hannah feels her cheek, a frown crossing her face, “if you do have a fever, it’s just barely one...either way you need to sleep.”

“I’m with you on that one,” Paige mutters, opening the door to their cabin.

“I’m going to try and track down some medicine,” Hannah says once Paige is under the blanket.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes I do.  You’re sick, and I know you don’t have experience with this, but normal people take medicine when they don’t feel well.”

“I’m not that sick,” Paige grumbles, cheeks flushing, “it’s fine.”

“Are you...embarrassed?” Hannah asks.

“...A little…”

“Why?”

“I don’t know…s’dumb.”

“Paige, come on...talk to me, what’s the matter?”

“I don’t know,” she groans, rolling on her stomach, “just ignore me...do whatever you want to do, I’m too tired to function.”

Hannah grins, “I’ll be right back.  You sleep, I’ll see if I can find something.”

*

When Paige opens her eyes next, she can’t breathe through her nose and she’s fairly certain that she’s done something to royally piss off the big man upstairs.  

She can safely say that this is the worst she’s felt in her entire life, and that’s even counting that awful sinus infection she caught the first month of her freshman year in college.  

“Hanndah,” she croaks, groaning as she curls into herself.  

Hannah is sitting up in bed next to her, watching something on TV, the volume so low that Paige can’t make out what anybody is saying.  Of course, that could be more because it feels like her head has been stuffed with cotton, and she can’t really hear anything.  

“Oh, hey, you’re awake,” Hannah says softly, carding her hand through Paige’s hair. Paige groans again, and presses herself closer to Hannah.

“Just...throw mbe overboard, right indto the oceand.”

“Fuck,” Hannah hisses, “oh, baby, you sound miserable.”

Paige buries her face in the blankets, sneezing once. It tears at her throat and pain explodes in her sinuses, making her choke on a sob and press her face into Hannah’s thigh.

“Mbake it stop.”

Hannah’s heart skips a beat, and she can feel herself beginning to panic, “shit, shit, shit, shit...okay, okay, stop panicking, you’re okay.”

“I’mb ndot pandicki’gg,” she rasps, rubbing at her nose.

“I know, I was talking to myself.  What do you need? What can I do? Can I get you something?”

“I dond’t...kndow?” She croaks, a shiver running down her spine.  “I’mb just...dyi’gg, I think.”

“I’m going to call the doctor.”

“What doctor? We’re ond a cruise ship.”

“They have one onboard, remember?”

“Oh,” she sniffles, “I dond’t ndeed onde...I’ll be finde.”

“You fucking do need one,” Hannah snaps, putting a hand on Paige’s forehead, “you spiked a fever.”

“...Is this what they feel like?” She asks, eyes going wide.  “Oh mby god, this is the worst thi’gg ind the world.”

“I’m calling the doctor.”

“You dond’t-”

“-Yes I do. Now shush and go to sleep.”

“You’re a ndurse...why are you freaki’gg out?”

“Am I not allowed to be worried about you? Honey, I think you might have the flu, you never get sick, I’m out of my element, here.”

“You’re ndot out of your elembendt...you see sick people all the time.”

“I’m out of my element with you, sweetheart.”

“Oh.”

“What’s bothering you? Head, throat, all that fun stuff?”

“Uh-huh...s’ndot fund.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

Hannah chews on the tip of her thumb anxiously as she dials the number.  

“Carnival Infirmary, how can I help you?”

“Hi, um...my girlfriend is really sick, and I was just wondering if there was anything I can do, or if someone can come check her? I think she might have the flu, and i know you can’t do anything about that, but I want to get a reading on her fever, and I don’t have a thermometer.”

“What are her symptoms?”

“Headache, sore throat, congestion, fever.”

“Any coughing? Sneezing?”

“Not yet, no.”

“What cabin are you in?”

“3205.”

“One of our doctors will be there in a couple of minutes.”

“Thank you so much,” Hannah says, hanging up the phone.  

“Hanndah, mby throat is killi’gg mbe.”

“I’m pretty sure we have some tea bags and a keurig...want me to make you some?”

“If it’s okay.”

Hannah rolls her eyes, “of course it’s okay, don’t be dumb.”

“Sorry,” Paige mutters, sniffling as she rubs at her eyes.

“Don’t apologize, baby,” Hannah frowns, “I’m sorry.”

“You’re really layi’gg the pet ndambes ond thick, arend’t you?” Paige mumbles, shooting her a tired grin.  

“I can’t help it, I’m worried.”

There’s a knock on the door just as Hannah is about to go make her the tea. She glances back at Paige, who’s curled up as tightly as possible, back to the door as she trembles.  Hannah bites her bottom lip anxiously as she opens the door.  

A kind, older woman with light blonde hair is standing outside of their door, a medical bag in her left hand, “hi, I’m Doctor Hansen. Someone called for a doctor?”

“Yeah, that was me.  I’m Hannah, uh...my girlfriend is Paige, she’s laying down.  I think she has the flu.”

“One hell of a time to catch that, huh?”

“Tell me about it,” Hannah grumbles, crossing her arms. This trip is turning out to be a disaster, and Hannah really hopes she’s not sick the entire time, because what a waste.

Paige is half asleep when she feels a hand on her forehead.  

“Wha-huh?” she mumbles, staring in confusion at the blurry figure in front of her.  

“Paige? I’m doctor Hansen.  Hannah called, she said you weren’t feeling very well.”

“Oh…ndo.”

“What’s bothering you?”

“Everythi’gg...s’that and andswer?”

She chuckles lightly, “it is, but can you be a little bit more specific?”

“Umb...head hurts...throat hurts...I’mb really cold...everythi’gg hurts. I’mb dizzy, too.”

The doctor listens to her lungs, a frown crossing her face,  “have you been coughing?”

“Ndo.”

“Does your chest feel tight at all?”

“Mbaybe a little bit?”

“You have a lot of congestion in your lungs.”

“What does that mean?” Hannah asks, crossing her arms.

“She’ll probably start coughing soon.  Keep an eye on it, if it starts to get excessive, call us again and we can check and make sure it’s not bronchitis.”

“Does she have the flu?”

“That would be my best guess,” she nods, feeling underneath her jaw, “her lymph nodes are swollen and she’s definitely feverish.”

“Can you get an exact number? And is there anyway I can get a thermometer so I can monitor it?”

“You can borrow this one when I’m finished,” she says, sticking the thermometer in her ear, “just leave it on the desk when you two leave at the end of the cruise.

“Thank you.”

“One hundred and two,” the doctor sighs when it beeps, looking at the numbers on the screen.  “Since it most likely is the flu, there’s really nothing we can do for that.  Make sure she’s resting and drinking fluids.”

“‘Flu?” Comes Paige’s groggy voice.

“Mmhmm. Does it feel like the last time you had it?”

“I...dond’t….” She trails off, going cross-eyed as she fights to stay awake.

“She’s never had the flu before,” Hannah says quietly, “she hardly ever gets sick.”

The doctor winces, “well...you’re in for a treat.”

“Is there anywhere I can buy her some medicine?”

“There’s a convenience store on the lower deck, but it’s not going to be open right now. I have some Tylenol I can give you, but that’s all we have.”

“That’s it? You’re telling me she’s going to have so suffer all night with nothing more than Tylenol to help?”

“I’m sorry…I know, I know…the box from our supplier was lost in transit, we haven’t been able to stock up.”

Hannah sighs in frustration, “okay. Fine.”

Once the doctor leaves, Hannah climbs onto the bed next to her, “alright, want to put on a movie? It’ll be a good distraction.”

“I’mb so sorry, Hanndah,” Paige croaks, tears springing to her eyes.

“You’re not seriously apologizing for getting sick, are you?” Hannah asks, putting a hand on Paige’s back.

“I amb...s’that bad?”

“Honey,” Hannah starts, exasperation flooding her tone, “you’re a preschool teacher, this comes with the territory.  You can’t help being sick, I’m just sorry it’s while we’re on vacation.”

“You planned this great cruise,” she whimpers, “I ruined it.”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” she says gently, tugging Paige down from a half-slumped over sitting position.  

She lays her head on Hannah’s chest, eyelids drooping, “ndo? You seem mbad.”

“I’m not, I’m just worried and I want you feeling better.  Now stop stressing, let me cuddle you, and tell me what movie you want to watch.”

“I dond’t really care...I’mb too tired to focus ond andythi’gg.”

“Okay.  Do you want to just go to sleep?”

“Ndo...put ond a mbovie...wannda cuddle,” she mumbles.  

“I can do that,” she says gently, kissing the top of her head.

[abookofseawitches]

Herbs

Ashwagandha: The name translates to “smell of horse.” This herb is hard to find fresh, but powders, pills, teas, and extracts are available. Benefits: Increases energy, boosts the immune system, antiinflammatory, reduces anxiety. Suggested use: Stir ¼-½ tsp. powder into warm milk and honey before bed. Concerns: May increase thyroid hormone levels and lower blood sugar. Black cohosh: This member of the buttercup family could be grown in a garden. Dried roots, capsules, teas, and extracts are also available. Benefits: Relieves menstrual cramps and arthritic pain. Eases symptoms of menopause. Suggested use: Drink as a tea or mix with honey as a syrup. Concerns: May cause upset stomach, so consider taking with food. Calendula: Also known as marigold, this herb could be grown in a garden, but is also available as teas, oils, and creams. Useful for dyeing and food coloring as well. Benefits: Helps heal cuts. Good for diaper rash or other skin irritations. Calms an upset stomach. Suggested use: Steep petals in just below boiling water for ten minutes, then drink as a tea. Add dried flowers to coconut, almond, or olive oil as a salve. Concerns: None known. Catnip: It’s not just for cats! Catnip is easily grown and also available as a capsule, tea, extract, and essential oil. It is also handy as an insect repellent. Benefits: Anti-inflammatory. Good for insomnia, upset stomach, menstrual cramps, headache, and treating the common cold. Suggested uses: Steep for tea, sprinkle essential oil into the bath or rub it on the temples, use in cooking (it’s a member of the mint family, so its flavor is better than some). Concerns: None known. Cranberry: Easily obtained fresh or frozen and also available in pill form, this herb is a great source of vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin E. Benefits: Most frequently used to treat and prevent urinary tract infections. Also shown to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, slow tumor progression in cancer, and help prevent gum disease. Suggested uses: Because they’re so tart, cranberries often come with a lot of sugar. Try to buy reduced-sugar dried cranberries and stay away from most cranberry juices. If you can manage it, drink the unsweetened juice to relieve a UTI, and certainly try making your own cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. Concerns: None known. Dittany: This is one of those herbs with a long history. It is also known as “burning bush.” Easily grown, it is hard to find in dried or tea form. Benefits: Antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial. Good for the skin and the intestines, and is thought to be an aphrodisiac. Suggested uses: Steep in hot water for tea, but use sparingly. Use as an antibacterial balm or poultice. Concerns: If you’ve put some on your skin, stay out of the sun, as it can increase the risk of sunburn. Elderberry: This herb has been used to battle a flu epidemic in Panama as recently as 1995. It can be grown, but is also available as a pill or an extract. For your personal garden, look specifically for Sambucus nigra, as other elderberry varieties can be toxic. Benefits: Boosts the immune system, treats sinus infections, lowers blood sugar, acts as a diuretic and a laxative, good for skin health and allergies. Suggested uses: They’re delicious! Can be made into a syrup, jams, or jellies—even wine. Concerns: Don’t pick and use wild elderberry unless you’re absolutely certain the plant is Sambucus nigra. Always cook the berries to remove any toxicity. Feverfew: This is another herb with a long history. Easily grown and available dried, it is most frequently found in capsule form. Benefits: For centuries, it was used to relieve fever, to assist with childbirth, and for fertility. Now it is most frequently used to prevent migraines. It can also help with tinnitus, nausea, dizziness, asthma, and allergies. Suggested uses: It doesn’t taste good, so not recommended even as a tea. Instead, make a tincture or purchase capsules. Concerns: If you do drink it, feverfew can cause irritation in the mouth. If taken in large quantities on a regular basis, stopping can cause withdrawal symptoms, so use only as needed. May cause the uterus to contract, so don’t take while pregnant. Horse chestnut: This is not the kind of chestnut you’d want to roast on a fire, but it is still useful. It is not recommended for personal processing, as the seed contains esculin, a poisonous substance. Purchase an extract or pill instead. Benefits: Shown to be extremely effective against varicose veins. Also good for hemorrhoids and frostbite. Suggested uses: 300 milligrams of horse chestnut seed extract twice daily. Concerns: Don’t consume raw horse chestnut seeds, bark, or leaves. Lemon Balm: This member of the mint family has a distinct lemony scent. It is also known as “melissa.” It is easily grown, but also available in tea, extract, and essential oil forms. Benefits: Calms anxiety, encourages restful sleep. Good for the skin, improves mood and mental clarity. Suggested uses: Steep fresh or dried to make tea, use in cooking, use to flavor honey or vinegar, use in a hot bath. Concerns: None known. Marshmallow: Sadly, these are not the things we put in hot chocolate. The root is available dried, as well as in powder, extract, capsule, and tea form. Benefits: Aids with dry cough, represses inflammation in the lining of the stomach, good for chilblains and sunburn. Suggested uses: Drink as a tea, add to a base oil for a salve. Concerns: May cause low blood sugar. Milk thistle: This herb is easily grown, as it’s pretty much a weed. It’s available as an extract, pill, or tea. Benefits: Milk thistle can protect your liver from toxins—say, for instance, alcohol. It can even be used to treat cirrhosis and jaundice and helps with environmental toxin damage. Suggested uses: Steep in hot water or make a tincture. Not recommended for use in cooking. Concerns: May cause diarrhea. Mullein: This is the clear quartz of herbal healing. It is easily found and grown and available both dried and in capsule form. Benefits: Known particularly for respiratory relief, including cough, bronchitis, asthma, and pneumonia, it’s also good for earache, fever, sore throat, migraine, and to heal the skin. Suggested uses: Apply a tincture to relieve ear infection, drink as a tea, use as a salve to heal wounds and bruises. Concerns: None known. Plantain leaf: Pretty hip these days, as herbal remedies go, plantain leaf is easily grown and available dried or in capsule form. Benefits: Great for the skin, particularly in relieving insect bites, poison ivy, and sunburn. Lowers cholesterol, helps clear up bladder infections, relieves constipation or diarrhea. Suggested uses: Make poultice with clay and water or make a salve with a base oil. Infuse vinegar to spray on the skin to provide pain relief. Drink as a tea. Concerns: None known. Rue: This herb is also known as “herb of grace.” Easily grown, it is also available dried, in capsule form, or as an essential oil. Benefits: Used to promote menstruation, it provides a sense of calm and well-being and is good for relieving gas, mucus, and arthritis. Suggested uses: As an oil or poultice it can relieve croup or chest congestion. Drink as a tea to ease anxiety. Concerns: This one is serious—it can cause a miscarriage. Use in small amounts, regardless of whether or not you’re pregnant. Valerian: This is an attractive addition to any garden, with a pleasing scent, but it is the root which holds the good stuff and that does not smell good. Easily grown, this herb is also available in tea, capsule, and extract forms. Benefits: Valerian is very effective against insomnia. It also calms anxiety and depression, and helps with ADHD and headache. Suggested uses: Drink a tea made from the leaves for a mild sedative, or steep the roots for something stronger. Add a tincture to a bath for a gentler, child-friendly alternative. Concerns: None known, but obviously don’t operate heavy machinery. Vervain: Usually blue vervain is used, but other types seem to work just as well. Easily grown, vervain is also available dried or as an extract. Benefits: Helps with anxiety and sleeplessness. Also provides pain relief, eases tense muscles, and promotes an overall sense of wellbeing. Suggested uses: Steep in hot water as a tea. Not recommended in cooking, though it smells nice, so add a little to a bath. Concerns: May cause nausea. Yarrow: This member of the sunflower family is easily grown—and quite lovely— and available dried or as an essential oil. Benefits: Relieves fever, as well as cold and flu symptoms. Relieves cramps, provides a sense of calm and relaxation, and aids in restful sleep. Suppresses the urge to urinate (say, during a UTI). Use topically for a rash or small cuts. Suggested uses: Drink as a tea in the evening to induce sleepiness or relieve cold and flu symptoms, or make into a salve for external use. Concerns: None known.

[entcare5-blog]

Balloon Sinuplasty in Ahmedabad, Balloon Sinuplasty in Rajkot, Balloon Sinuplasty in Surat

Chronic sinusitis is one of the most common illnesses among people, and statistics shown that there are at least 37 millions of Americans is suffering from sinus infection symptoms. Although it was a very common illness, until now there aren't any cure or solution that guarantee to get rid of them once and for all. The common therapy includes medicine, surgery and some sinus home remedies. Dr. Navin Patel for Balloon Sinuplasty in Ahmedabad, Balloon Sinuplasty in Rajkot, Balloon Sinuplasty in Surat

 If your sinus infection is caused by bacterial, a simple dose of antibiotics might be able to get rid of it in a short period, but antibiotics don't works every time. Doctors might also recommend nasal spray to relieve your suffering from the symptoms, and actually nasal spray will only relieve the symptoms but doesn't help to cure chronic sinusitis at all. Besides that, you might face certain side effects after having these medicines, like being sleepy in office, regular headache etc. Often rely on nasal spray might affect your sense of smell, as the smell of nasal spray will be too strong. Dr. Navin Patel for Balloon Sinuplasty in Ahmedabad, Balloon Sinuplasty in Rajkot, Balloon Sinuplasty in Surat

 The common surgery for chronic sinusitis includes functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) and another recently developed balloon sinuplasty. Undergo FESS will clear your sinus blockage by removing obstructive variations, both anatomical and pathological that predispose to sinusitis. The problem is, after first removal, chronic sinusitis might return and block your sinus passage again. Balloon sinuplasty will "enlarge" your sinus passages, which is similar to "unclog" your heart artilleries. Both surgeries are costly and there are lots of cases that after patients undergo such surgery, their chronic sinusitis revisits them again. Dr. Navin Patel for Balloon Sinuplasty in Ahmedabad, Balloon Sinuplasty in Rajkot, Balloon Sinuplasty in Surat

 http://www.entcare.in/Rhinology.php