#toddler vomiting no fever acting fine

[the-kr8tor]

COMPLETELY FORGOT TO CHECK UP ON YOUR WELL-BEING I'M ASHAMED OF MYSELF

How are you Katy?

I have another twins request (surprise surprise)

The twins being sick (my poor babies 🥺)

And Reader being so tired after trying to look after them because they're so clingy for Mummy and they won't stop sniffling (nooooo my poor children)

And Hobie coming back from patrol as early as possible after sensing his girls' discomfort and taking care of the babies (my eyes are filling with tears)

Awwwww, they're already my kids in my head, that sounds so sad but I love them 😭🥺

Hello, ml! I'm fine, thank you for asking ❤️ I hope you like this one!

Pairing: Hobie Brown x fem! Reader/ Spider-Punk x fem! Reader

Word count: 1.4k

Tags: No use of Y/N, no specific physical description of the reader, description of illness, brief mention of vomit, Billie and Ramona AU, twin AU, Dad AU, Dad! Hobie, Mum! Reader. Fluff.

Dad AU Masterlist

ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ

Your shirt is covered in a combination of toddler snot and a hint of throw up. You would've changed by now but with the twins clinging onto you like you're their lifeline has you practically glued on their sides. Billie refuses to let you go with her tiny hands balled around the collar of your (Hobie's) old band shirt. She sniffs relentlessly, lashes wet with unshed tears. Meanwhile, her sister, Ramona has finally fallen asleep on your shared bed. She holds onto her baby blanket with the little guitars embroidered on it like it's the last cookie in the cookie jar. Still, even in her sleep she still refuses to let you go with her other fist enclosed around the hem of your shirt.

Sighing, your eyelids grow heavy and your stomach grumbles from hunger. You've only had sips of their chicken noodle soup you made a few hours ago. They wouldn't even have a little sip if you don't try it before them like a taste tester for a couple of princesses afraid of getting ‘poisoned.’ You have to start telling them the usual fairytales instead of actual history. You guess it was your fault when you accidentally left the telly open on the history channel instead of teletubbies like you were supposed to do. You kind of blame Hobie and his relentless kisses whenever he gets home, effectively distracting you from changing the channel to a more toddler appropriate one.

But thanks to the cooling weather, not even history lessons could calm them down from their fever and sniffles. This is the first time they've gotten this sick since you've brought them home from the hospital when they were just newborns. Everyone was right when they told you that when one kid gets sick, the other will surely follow. You can handle it, but with your growing hunger and fatigue, you really need Hobie to get home now.

You can't blame him for leaving while they're sick, the city needs him when he heard from his radio that goblin’s wreaking havoc downtown and the team couldn't handle it all on their own. He promised he'll be back quickly with meds and hot soup to quell their illness. It's been a few hours since then, now you're starting to worry. Add that with the girls' sickness acting up, your nerves are through the roof.

Mona gurgles in her sleep, her tiny fists unfurling around your shirt for only a brief second before clamping back down. Patting her back, you feel how clammy she is under her pastel pink pajamas.

“Mummy?” Billie lifts her curly head up from the crook of your neck, lips pouting, and snot dripping from her nostrils. She pats your cheek with her sweaty hand, an indication that her fever's going down so as her sister's, thank goodness.

“Yes, baby?” You whisper to her sweetly.

“‘m hungry.” Her frown deepens, eyes similar to Hobie's are staring back at you through wet lashes. “I want biscuits.”

You remember when she could barely keep the noodles down, moreso if it's cookies instead. But if cookies are what she wants, then cookies she shall get. Maybe it'll magically cure her. “Okay, but you have to let mummy go so I can get it for you—”

“No!” She immediately shoves her face back in the crook of your neck, then the sniffles follow. “Stay!”

You rub her back up and down to placate her. “Mac, your sister's sleeping.”

Billie kicks her tiny socked feet about, hands tugging relentlessly at your shirt. “Mummy, stay!” Cue the tears.

“Okay, okay, mummy will stay.” You coo at her, wincing when Ramona stirs from her slumber.

“I want biscuits.” She once again lifts her head up, sobs quieting down to a soft sniffle. “...Sorry.”

Your heart softens at her adorable apology, she definitely reminds you of her father. “It's alright, promise you'll be quiet for Mon-mon?” Billie nods, arms enveloping around your neck as you begin to sit up. Now for the daunting part, you have to escape from Mona's hold without waking her up.

Hand holding onto Billie, while the other gently unfurls Mona's fingers around your shirt, you take your time lest you have another grumpy and sick kid in your hands. With her pinky finally letting go after you tug at it, you smile victoriously while fixing your hold on Billie.

The bed squeaks as you stand up, wincing at the sound, you look back at the still sleeping Ramona curled around her baby blanket. Sighing, you stare at Billie, who has her index on her lips in a shushing motion. You tamp down a chuckle at her antics.

With one step at a time, you tiptoe around the messy room. The twins' clothes and towels are littered around the floors, same with tissues that have managed to miss the bin when you threw it haphazardly.

“Mummy, quiet?” Billie whispers or tries to when she still hasn't figured out how to actually whisper.

“Yes, baby, we need to be quiet.” As you get to to the door, the cold doorknob is stinging against your palm, the bedroom window squeaks open and before you could whirl around towards the sound— Hobie's heavy boots are already thumping loudly against the hardwood. “Hobie—”

“I got the meds and the soup—” Mona's sudden wailing stops him in his tracks. Tears roll down her chubby cheeks as she kicks her feet under the blankets, her rough coughs hurting your chest. “Ah shi—” you give Hobie a look. “— sorry.” He winces just as when Billie joins the cacophony of crying.

—

The sheets have been changed, the girls are showered and fed. Their temperatures are completely normal now, and their coughing and sniffing is down to a minimum. You're also fed thanks to Hobie's famous sandwich he made specially for you. And thanks to the shared effort and teamwork, both girls are sleeping and you've finally cleaned yourself up.

As you get out of the shower, you catch Hobie pressing gentle kisses atop Billie and Mona's heads. He pecks them both equally, adding one to Billie and Mona simultaneously before repeating it when he thinks that the kisses aren't equal to one another. Billie's cheek is squished on Hobie's side while Mona curls around his other side sweetly.

“They won't grumble if you don't give them the equal number of kisses.” You whisper to him, wet hair still clinging to your cheek as you put on a clean shirt. Fully dressed, you see him tilt his head with a playful smile tugging at his pierced lips. You smile back, admiring him in his soft clothes with your socks on his feet. You cross the small distance towards him whilst he tries to reach out towards you with his arms full of sleeping toddlers. “But I will.”

He makes grabby hands at you. “Kiss?”

Sitting down next to him, he scooches as much as he can while the girls are clinging to him in their sleep. “How could I say no?” With your soft lips on him, you kiss him back gently until he's satisfied that you got an even number of kisses. His eyes are still closed when you pull away. “You sure you're okay?” You reach over Billie to fix his windblown eyebrow, index laying it down carefully.

Hobie leans tiredly against your hand, and in turn you cradle his cheek, thumb running along his jaw. “‘m fine, nothin’ I couldn't handle. Are you?”

“Well, I don't smell like sick anymore.” You shrug, beaming down at him. He chuckles softly, neck craning to kiss the pads of your fingers. “And you're home safe and sound, I'm okay.”

He sighs, eyes completely soft for you. “I'll stay with you this time, and the next, I promise. ‘m sorry I left you alone.” The warm light of the lamp shines on his apologetic face.

You lean closer, careful not to wake either of the girls nestled in each of his arms. “I know, but you can't promise that. I knew what I was getting into when we had them. And I'm perfectly fine with that as long as you come home to us…” Your nose nudges his own, he hums slowly, like a cat purring in content. “...Preferably in one piece.”

Hobie chuckles, heart eyes blinking slowly at you, and pursed lips reaching towards the tip of your nose. “Thank you, love.”

Your palm rests on his warm chest, feeling his heartbeat through his (your) shirt. “Part of the job, Hobie.” With a smile, you feel him tug at your collar, pulling you down towards him further to meet with his lips. “Careful, we might wake them up—” A sneeze rises up your throat, suddenly releasing it on Hobie's shocked face. The girls barely stir. “Shi– sorry.” You sniff, throat feeling like it's full of spikes.

“Ah shit.”

[selflife-hacks-blog]

How to Stop Vomiting in Toddlers and Babies

Children can undergo various health issues and out of them vomiting is the common symptoms. The vomiting in children is caused by gastroenteritis,(an infection of the digestive tract and often called as the "stomach flu,"). This is usually is caused by common viruses that we come into contact with every day. The other symptoms of the gastroenteritis can be nausea, belly pain, and diarrhea. The parent has to look for these other signs if they coincide along with vomiting. Usually Gastroenteritis infections don't last long. in most cases it can be more disruptive than dangerous. But kids (especially infants) who cannot take in enough fluids and also have diarrhea could become dehydrated (lose nutrients and water), leading to further illness. yes, vomiting is quite frightening for both parent and child but Reassuring your child and preventing dehydration are key for a quick recovery. Vomiting can cause the effected kids to lose fluids, salts, and minerals, so it's important to make sure these are replaced immediately as possible.

Vomiting Scale

Mild: 1 - 2 times/day Moderate: 3 - 7 times/day Severe: Vomits everything, nearly everything or 8 or more times per day Severity relates even more to how long the vomiting goes on for. At the start of the illness, it's common to vomit everything. This can last for 3 or 4 hours. Children then often become stable and change to mild vomiting. The main risk of vomiting is dehydration. Dehydration means the body has lost too much fluid. Watery stools with vomiting in baby with fever carry the greatest risk for causing dehydration. The younger the child, the greater the risk for dehydration.

Causes of vomiting in children:

There are a number of possible causes that can lead vomiting in children, which are described below.

Gastroenteritis

is an infection of the gut or digestive tract. It's one of the common cause of vomiting in children and usually lasts a few days.

Food allergy

Few Food allergies can also cause vomiting in children, and they also show various other symptoms, such as  the raised, red, itchy skin rash (urticaria) and swelling of the face, around the eyes, lips, tongue or the roof of the mouth. This can be one cause of vomiting in toddlers without fever.

Other infections

apart from gastroenteritis , there are other infections that can cause vomiting such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), middle ear infections, pneumonia or meningitis.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is a painful swelling of the appendix, a finger-like pouch connected to the large intestine. It causes severe tummy pain that gets worse over time. child would experience tummy pain that's gradually getting worse. In most cases of appendicitis, the appendix will need to be surgically removed as soon as possible.

Poison

This is not some thin uncommon especially to kids. Accidentally swallowing something poisonous can cause your child to vomit.

  Causes of vomiting in babies

These include:

Gastroenteritis

This is mostly due to a food allergy or milk intolerance. This can be cause of vomiting in babies after breast feeding.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux

where stomach contents escape back up the mouth through the food pipe. Too big a hole in the bottle teat, which causes your baby to swallow too much milk Click here to know more about acid reflex.

Congenital pyloric stenosis

This condition present at birth where the passage from the stomach to the bowel has narrowed, so food is unable to pass through easily; and this causes projectile vomiting

Strangulated hernia

your baby will vomit frequently and cry as if they are in a lot of pain; this should be treated as a medical emergency

Insusceptible

(where the bowel telescopes in on itself) as well as vomiting, your baby may look pale, floppy and have symptoms of dehydration (source) The first goal is to determine whether children are dehydrated and whether the vomiting is caused by a life-threatening disorder.

Warning signs

The following symptoms and characteristics are cause for concern:

Abdominal pain, swelling, or both

Lethargy and listlessness

Persistent vomiting in infants who have not been growing or developing as expected Bloody stools

In older children, a severe headache, stiff neck that makes lowering the chin to the chest difficult, sensitivity to light, and fever

In infants, incontestability or irritability and bulging of the soft spots (fontanels) between the skull bones

Giving kids the right fluids at the right time (called "oral re-hydration") is the best way to help prevent dehydration or treat mild fluid loss

 When Should I Call the Doctor?

If your child refuses fluids or if the vomiting continues and started to intensify after you try the suggested re-hydration tips, then contact doctor if you find any of the signs of dehydration below.

In babies:

Fussy behavior

Dry lips

Fewer than four wet diapers per day in a baby (more than 4–6 hours without a wet diaper in babies under 6 months of age)

Soft spot on an infant's head that looks flatter than usual or somewhat sunken

Appears weak or limp

Not waking up for feedings

Few or no tears when crying

In kids and teens:

No peeing for 6–8 hours

Dry mouth (might look "sticky" inside), cracked lips

Sunken eyes

Fast or weakened pulse

Dry, wrinkled, or doughy skin (especially on the belly and upper arms and legs)

Inactivity or decreased alertness

Excessive sleepiness or disorientation

Deep, rapid breathing

A sign of an illness more severe than gastroenteritis:

If your infant is under 2 months old and vomiting (not just spitting up) projectile or forceful vomiting in an infant, particularly a baby who's younger than 3 months old

Vomiting after your baby has taken an oral electrolyte solution for close to 24 hours pain with peeing, blood in the pee, or back pain headache or stiff neck

Vomiting accompanied by fever (100.4°F/38°C rectally in an infant younger than 6 months old or more than 101–102°F/38.3–38.9°C in an older child)

Vomiting of bright green or yellow-green fluid, blood, or brownish vomit resembling coffee grounds (which can be a sign of blood mixing with stomach acid) your child's belly feels hard, bloated, and painful between vomiting episodes

Vomiting that starts again as soon as you try to resume your child's normal diet

Vomiting that starts after a head injury

Very bad stomach pain

Swelling, redness, or pain in a boy's scrotum (source)

What Is Oral Re-hydration?

When body fluids are lost through vomiting or diarrhea, it's important to replace them as soon as possible. Replenishing fluids can be done by drinking small amounts of liquid often to replace water and nutrients that have been lost. The best liquids for this are oral re-hydration solutions — often called oral electrolyte solutions or oral electrolyte maintenance solutions. They have the right balance of fluids and minerals to replace those lost to vomiting and help kids stay hydrated. The ORHS can be available at supermarkets or drugstores. If you think your child is at risk for dehydration, call your doctor immediately. He or she might have specific oral re-hydration instructions and can advise you on which solution is best for your child.

Re-hydration Tips: Babies (Birth to 12 Months)

Do not give any plain water to an infant unless your doctor tells you to and specifies an amount. Plain water by itself can disrupt the balance of nutrients in your baby's blood. If your baby is younger than 2 months old and vomits all , call your doctor right away.

For Breastfed Babies

If your infant is exclusively breastfeeding and vomits more than once, breastfeed for shorter periods of time (about 5 to 10 minutes at a time) every 2 hours. Increase the amount of time your baby feeds as he or she is able to tolerate it If your baby is still vomiting on this schedule, call your doctor. After about 8 hours without vomiting, you can go back to your normal breastfeeding schedule.

For Formula-fed Babies

Offer small but frequent amounts — about 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) — of an unflavored oral electrolyte solution every 15–20 minutes with a spoon or an oral syringe. Check with your doctor about which type of solution is best. A baby over 6 months old may not like the taste of a plain oral electrolyte solution. You can buy flavored solutions, or (only for babies over 6 months) you can add ½ teaspoon (about 3 milliliters) of juice to each feeding of unflavored oral electrolyte solution. Sometimes very thirsty babies will try to drink a lot of liquid quickly but can't tolerate it. Do not give more solution than your baby would normally drink in a sitting — this will overfill an already irritated tummy and likely cause more vomiting. After your baby goes for more than about 8 hours without vomiting, restart formula slowly. Start with small, frequent feedings of half an ounce to 1 ounce, or about 20–30 milliliters. Slowly work up to the normal feeding routine. If your infant already eats solids, it's OK to start solid feedings in small amounts again. If your baby doesn't vomit for 24 hours, you can return to your normal feeding routine.

Re-hydration Tips: Kids & Teens (Ages 1+)

Give clear liquids (avoid milk and milk products) in small amounts every 15 minutes. The amount you give at one time can range from 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) to 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters or 1 ounce), depending on the age of your child and how much your child can take without vomiting.

There are many good choices for clear liquids, including:

Ice chips or sips of water

Flavored oral electrolyte solutions, or add ½ teaspoon (about 3 milliliters) of fruit juice (like orange, apple, pear, or grape juice) to unflavored oral electrolyte solution

Frozen oral electrolyte solution Popsicle

Broth

Gelatin desserts If your child vomits, start over with a smaller amount of fluid (2 teaspoons, or about 10 milliliters) and continue as above.

Make sure to avoid straight juices and sodas, both of which could make things worse. Kids may ask for commercial sports drinks, but be careful with these — they have a lot of sugar and could make things worse. After no vomiting for about 8 hours, introduce solid foods slowly. But do not force any foods. Your child will tell you when he or she is hungry. Your child might want bland foods — saltine crackers, toast, mashed potatoes, mild soups — to start out with. If there's no vomiting for 24 hours, slowly return to your child's regular diet The BRAT diet stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. This is recommended for children with an upset stomach. This diet will help your stomach to give rest and reduce the amount of stool production. Click here to know more about BRAT diet and its benefits!Apart from the BRAT DIET, few other bland foods include: weak tea apple juice or flat soda broth boiled potatoes crackers cooked cereals, like oatmeal or cream of wheat

 Things to remember

Mild vomiting is normal in most babies and improves over time.

Changing feeding and sleeping positions may help

Medicine should not be given unless prescribed by your doctor.

If your child seems unwell or shows any worrying symptoms, see a doctor. Most babies need only simple treatment, or none at all. Give a child who is unsettled after vomiting a drink or a little food. Click here to know more about how much water one has to drink

CONCLUSION:

Educate parents to stay calm. Vomiting can be frightening for children and parents but immediate precautions can prevent consequences. Children will become exhausted due to fluid loss from the body so give rest along with replacing the fluids lost is extremely important. Reassure parents that their child will most likely feel better within 24 hours. Educate parents to wash their hands frequently with soap and water to avoid contracting the infection from their children. It can be challenging for parents to care for their children when they are sick themselves. Prevent dehydration through oral re-hydration therapy (ORT). Sports drinks, sodas, and juices should be avoided in children since they contain inadequate sodium and too large a quantity of carbohydrates. After the child vomits, parents should wait about 30 minutes for the stomach to settle before initiating ORT. Recommend an ORT solution such as Pediatric, which is available over-the-counter. The estimated electrolyte requirements are based on weight Keep children off of solid foods for 24 hours after vomiting. Solid foods should be avoided for about 24 hours. The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) is an effective way to reintroduce food after vomiting. (source) For more related articles: How cell phone affects environmental and child health? Overweight kids have a doubled risk of high blood pressure (VIDEO) Foods that can make your child sleep ! How Can Brushing Teeth Twice Can Delay Memory Loss? BRAT DIET- Does it really work? How to treat acid reflex! How can you tell that you are suffering from acid reflex disease? .  

Get More Health Tips:

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[alyswritings]

Stomach Ache

Request: hey! could i request a fic where the reader is JJ daughter. John B sneaks his niece a bunch of candy without JJ knowing. but then JJ finds out because the reader ends up getting a stomach ache from all the candy?

JJ Maybank x daughter!reader

Summary: John B gives his niece too much candy.

Warnings: mentions of vomit

a/n: thank you for the request! hope you all enjoy!!m

(gif not mine)

JJ got called into work, leaving John B as Y/N's babysitter for the day. He followed her around as she requested to swing and then to lay in the hammock and then play tag and then hide and seek.

They've finally retreated back inside, John B exhausted from having to keep up with the little girl all morning, not understanding how JJ does this every day.

Y/N finishes chugging her glass of chocolate milk that John B gave her when she told him she was thirsty.

"Now what?" Y/N asks.

"Well... are you hungry?" John B asks and Y/N nods. "How about some candy?"

"Daddy says I need better food before I ate candy." Y/N says.

"Yes, but with Uncle JB, you don't need anything but candy. It'll be fine. I promise." John B assures her.

"Will daddy get mad?" Y/N asks.

"Nah. No, your dad will be fine." John B tells her. "Eat as much as you want."

Y/N grabs a piece of candy, somewhat reluctant, knowing she's breaking her father's rules. Though after the first piece, the guilt disappears, the girl practically devouring the large pile of candy.

"Okay, but... we can't tell your dad how much we ate." John B tells her.

"Why not?" Y/N asks.

"Cause it was a lot of candy. Look, I'll say I ate all of it, you'll be in the clear." John B says and Y/N nods.

- - -

A few hours later, JJ finally returns, walking into the chateau exhausted.

"What's up, man?" JJ greets John B who sits on the couch lazily, scrolling through his phone.

"Sup, man? How was work?" John B asks.

"Long." JJ mutters, dropping his stuff onto the coffee table. "Everything good here?"

"Yeah. Perfect." John B nods. "We played outside, played inside a bit, she ate a pretty good lunch."

"Good." JJ quietly says, rubbing his sore neck. "Where's Y/N?"

"Oh, uh, she was taking a nap. Should still be." John B informs.

Before JJ can move to go check on her, Y/N walks out of the bedroom and stands in the living room, a sour look on her face.

"Baby girl?" JJ calls, getting her to look at him. "You okay? You're looking a little green."

"My tummy hurts." Y/N whines, holding her hands over her stomach.

"Did you eat something bad?" JJ asks, walking over to her. John B's eyes widen, making a "cut it out" gesture to the girl who doesn't get it.

"I don't know. It tasted fine." Y/N says as JJ feels her face for a fever.

"What tasted fine?" JJ asks.

"The candy." Y/N answers.

JJ freezes before turning to look at his best friend who has his nose buried in his phone.

"John B?" JJ calls.

"Hmm?" John B reluctantly looks up, but acts nonchalant.

"What did she eat for lunch, exactly?" JJ asks.

"Oh, uh, you know, just some, um... food." John B says.

"Okay... what food? Like, specifically?" JJ asks.

"We ate all the candy." Y/N informs making John B sigh and face palm. "It was a lot. He said you wouldn't get mad... and that he'd tell you he ate all of it."

JJ gives John B a stern look.

"Really, dude? Come on." JJ says, exasperated.

"What? What, I'm not allowed to spoil my niece?" John B asks.

"Not with a mountain of candy all in one sitting." JJ says.

"Well, then I'm not the fun uncle." John B argues.

"You can be the fun uncles in other ways, bro! Take her out on the boat, swing her, spin her around in circles." JJ lists.

"Daddy." Y/N quietly calls, the feeling in her stomach worsening.

"Four year olds can't handle that much candy." JJ says.

"Hey, man, she had a beautiful sugar rush. And an even better sugar crash. Kid was out like a light." John B says.

Their argument is cut off by the sound of retching and something hitting the floor. They both turn to the toddler, seeing her vomit on the floor.

"Oh-- oh! That-- that's disgusting." John B grimaces.

Y/N looks up at her dad, a sad look that reminds JJ of a puppy dog in her eyes, and he knows what's coming.

"Baby, baby--"

Y/N breaks down crying. JJ quietly sighs, looking at her sympathetically.

"I'm sorry." Y/N sobs as JJ walks over to her. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, hey." JJ whispers. "It's okay, baby." He promises, picking her up. "I've got ya. I got you." He assures, rubbing her back and making his way to the bathroom.

"Do you feel like you're gonna throw up again?" JJ asks and Y/N shakes her head. JJ sets her on the counter and gets a wash cloth, running it over the water to get it wet. He shuts the water off and wrings the cloth out.

JJ quietly hums as he turns to Y/N and wipes her face. He gives her her toothbrush and toothpaste, helping her brush her teeth.

"You still taste it?" JJ asks after she spits the last of the toothpaste out. Y/N shakes her head so JJ puts her toothbrush up.

"C'mon, princess." JJ picks her back up, carrying her to the bedroom.

"Is Uncle JB mad at me?" Y/N asks.

"No, no, he isn't mad at you. If anything, he deserves the vomit on the floor for making your stomach hurt." JJ says.

He helps her change into pajamas and then tucks her into bed.

"Here is a trash can, just in case your stomach changes its mind." JJ says, putting a bin next to the bed.

"Stay with me." Y/N pleads.

"I'll be back in a bit. I gotta go clean up and I'm gonna get your some water. But then I'll be with you and we can watch a movie or something, okay?" JJ tells her.

"Make Uncle JB clean up." Y/N says. JJ goes to argue, but doesn't.

"I like the way you think, munchkin." JJ says, tapping her nose, making her smile. JJ kisses her forehead before walking out. He looks at where Y/N threw up, seeing the floor clean.

"I was gonna wait for you, but the smell was disgusting. Plus, I figured you'd probably try to make me clean it up anyway." John B says.

"Thanks, man." JJ says. He grabs a water bottle out of the fridge and puts it into one of Y/N's cups, putting the lid on and sticking a straw in. He grabs the box of crackers and returns to the room, putting them on the table next to Y/N.

He quickly changes into pajamas before climbing under the covers and next to Y/N. She moves closer to him, cuddling into his side, finding warmth in him.

"You want Tangled?" JJ asks and Y/N nods. JJ puts the movie on, holding his phone, the movie starting. A little over half way through, Y/N is deep asleep, all worries of her hurting stomach gone.

Taglist: @glxwingrxse @venomsvl

[nhlandotherimagines]

Family isn’t Always Blood- Part 1 Elias Pettersson x Fem!OC

Masterlist | Part 2 | Part 3 |

Summary: Kinsey Waters, has never known family. Not a good one anyway. So when her boyfriend, Elias Pettersson, his family, and friends all start making comments about the pair starting a family of their own, she panics. Can she even be a good mother? What if she can’t? Will Elias leave her?

Author’s Notes: So here we go with Part 1! This will be a 3 part series, and it’s very self indulgent, so I hope some of you can also enjoy it! Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated! Thank You!

Word Count: approx. 4.4 k

Warnings: talks of divorce, absent parents, mentions of children/pregnancy, briefly implied sexual acts (nothing too spicy I promise), some strong language at times, self doubt and negative self-talk, some fluff too of course! Baby fever maybe? If there is anything else I should be adding here please let me know!!

———

Sometimes life isn’t fair. Maybe most of the time even. I often wonder what I did to deserve the life I’ve been given. Why I was born into a family devoid of love, why my parents would bring a child into the world to live their life yearning for their mother’s affection, and why a broken family is all I would ever see. These questions continue to plague my mind to this day, but at least now I can say I know a loving family is something that can, and does, exist. 

A real family exists in the form of the Pettersson’s. At first, I was jealous of my boyfriend’s upbringing, and if I’m honest, I still am to a certain extent. Elias cares so deeply for everyone. His teammates, his friends, his brother, his parents, and honestly just everyone he meets. Including me. Although it has been hard to accept that someone with no obligation to, actually cares about me, Elias does his best to show me every day.

I watch from the opposite side of the room as Elias FaceTimes his family, and a sad smile forms on my lips. His voice is gentle, yet excited, as he speaks animatedly to his family in Swedish. His mom, Irene, obviously gushing over her son, has tears stinging my eyes. I haven’t spoken to my mother in years, not that I want to talk to her, but watching how Elias’ eyes light up as soon as he sees her, has me wishing I had someone like that. Anyone really.

“She’s coming to visit next month.” Elias smiles, placing a gentle kiss to my hairline, pulling me from my thoughts. “She is excited to meet you in person.”

“I’m excited to meet her too! Did you tell her to bring the photo albums?” I tease with a wink, earning a chuckle from Elias.

“Don’t you worry, even if she forgets them, odds are she will try and smuggle you back to Sweden with her! She’s going to love you.” he smiles against my lips as he places a sweet kiss to them. I let the stress of meeting his mother melt away as he kisses me. Maybe it won’t be so bad.

------

“Elias cares for you a lot.” Irene speaks softly from her seat next to me. The other family and friends buzzing around during warmups, absolutely oblivious to the nerves that have been coursing through me from the moment I stepped into the rink. 

“I care for him too. He is a great man, you did a fantastic job raising him.” I smile at her, hoping she hears the sincerity in my compliment.

“He is wonderful.” She pauses, looking down to the ice watching as her son interacts with the fans. I follow her gaze, and watch as Elias interacts with a little girl. A wide grin on his face as he throws a puck over the glass to her. My heart flutters and I can’t fight the smile forming on my face. “He will make a fantastic father.” 

Her words cause a wave of nausea to rip through me, and I’m glad she is so focused on her son. Elias and I haven’t spoken about children or the future much at all yet. I’m sure he would make a great father, there is no doubt in my mind. Me on the other hand? I’m sure I would be a poor excuse for a mother. 

It’s not even that I don’t want kids. I love them, and I’d love to have a tiny little forever friend, but I can’t. You see, to become a good writer all I had to do was read the work of as many talented writers as possible, and from them I learned how to be a good writer. Therefore it would make sense that, to be a good mother, one would have to learn from a good mother. Something that I have not had the pleasure of knowing.

I don’t respond to Irene’s comment, but she doesn’t seem to notice. She also doesn’t notice how uneasy I am for the entire game, and for that I am thankful. 

Her son however, knows me much better. “What’s wrong?” He asks the moment we are alone in his bedroom that evening after the game. Of course he can tell, I’ve been off all night. I shake my head as I change into a pair of shorts and one of his hoodies. “Kins, come on. What did she say to you?” His voice is pleading now.

“Elias, it’s nothing I promise. Your mother is fantastic, I love her.” I smile over my shoulder at him as I make my way into the bathroom to wash off my makeup. Elias is hot on my heels, and he leans against the counter beside me. 

“So why are you acting so…” he pauses, frustration evident in his voice as he searches for the right word to use. “Weird?”

I let out a long sigh, and dry off my face before stepping into him. Wrapping my arms around his neck I give him a sad smile and take a deep breath. “She made a comment about how you were going to make a great father.” His hands that had fallen to my hips, give a quick reassuring squeeze.

“Okay, and did that bother you?” He asks, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“I mean I guess a little. I don’t know! She’s right, you would make a great father. It just felt like a lot of pressure I guess.” I want to say so much more. Tell him I don’t think I will be the one who makes him a father, but I’m too scared. I’m scared that me not wanting to give him children will be the end of this. 

“We are only young. She just loves babies!” He chuckles pulling me tighter to him. “We won’t be having them tomorrow or anything!” His comments do little to ease my mind, but he’s trying. I place a gentle kiss to his lips, and as I pull away a mischievous smile stares back at me.

“What?” I giggle, knowing he’s got something up his sleeve.

“We could always practice the act of baby making.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and I swat at his chest.

“Elias! Your mother is down the hall, get your head out of the gutter!” We are both laughing now, and Elias’ smile melts my heart. He always knows exactly how to make me feel better, I have no idea where I’d be without him.

“Guess we'll just have to be quiet!” Before I can even respond, Elias is lifting me into the air. My legs instinctively wrap around his waist, a squeal escaping my lips. Elias’ lips meet mine in an attempt to silence me, and before I know it he’s laying me back on his bed. “I love you Kinsey.” He is looking right at me, and the emotion behind his eyes is enough to have tears springing to my own.

“I love you too Elias.”

------

“Isn’t she beautiful?” The look on Elias’ face has my heart fluttering. Wrapped up in his arms is the newest addition to the Horvat family, Ava, a beautiful little girl. 

“She’s stunning, just like her Momma.” I smile over at Holly, trying to contain the fear wracking my body. Holly is such a great mom, and watching Elias holding the little girl so gently, has me wishing I was half the woman Holly was.

“You two next?” Bo chirps from his spot on the couch. Although meant in good nature, his words have my blood running cold. I don’t know if I can respond without vomiting, but thankfully Elias speaks so I don’t have to.

“I don’t think so.” He laughs, eyes never leaving the girl whose tiny fingers are now wrapped around his index finger. The sigh that leaves me after his response catches Holly’s attention, but she chooses to not question it.

“Excuse me.” I whisper, feeling a fresh wave of nausea, as I get up in search of the washroom. Talking about having kids, watching Elias being so perfect with Bo’s baby, the whole situation has my stomach churning. The thought of us not working out, because I don’t want to have babies with him is the last thing that crosses my mind before the contents of my stomach are finding their way back up my throat.

After I manage to pick myself up off the tiled bathroom floor, I rinse my mouth, wash my face, and take a good look in the mirror. The bags under my are the darkest they’ve been for months, and I look like shit to say the least. 

Running my fingers through my hair quickly I step out of the bathroom, only to be met by a very concerned Holly. “Are you okay?” She asked, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. 

“I’m alright Holly, just haven’t been sleeping well for the last couple weeks.” The excuse falls quickly from my lips, and honestly there is a lot of truth to it. It’s been almost two full weeks of restlessness, and it’s getting old quickly. The nights spent in Elias’ apartment, consist of him asking what was wrong, and honestly I didn’t have an answer. I still don’t.

Holly nods in understanding, and I have no doubt she understands. The woman had just been pregnant for 9 months, and she also has a toddler running around. “I hope Bo’s comment didn’t upset you, he’s just teasing.” She adds, searching my face likely for a sign that she is right about what upset me.

“It’s fine really, it just seems to be coming up a lot lately. It’s not something Elias and I have talked about very seriously yet though.” Sure, maybe that was too much information to unload on a woman I hardly knew, but I already felt a bit of the weight lifting from my shoulders.

“Maybe it’s something you should talk about, especially if it makes you so upset to think about.” The smile she sends me is sympathetic, and I can tell she knows there is more to the story. 

Thankfully though, she doesn’t press any further and turns back towards the living room. I follow closely behind her watching my feet as we walk. Holly stops short of the living room however, and I walk into her back. “Wha-“ I start to question her, but as I lift my head she stares back at me with a finger pressed to her lips. The confusion must be evident on my face, because before I can even question the action she is nodding her head towards the two men in the living room.

“She’s a good one Petey.” Bo smiles at Elias who now has the baby cradled against his chest.

“She’s perfect Bo, my Mom loves her.” As I quickly realize that I’ve become the topic of conversation, my cheeks heat in embarrassment.

I feel the urge to run away, interrupt them, or maybe just cover my ears. Anything really, because I wasn’t meant to hear this conversation. With Bo’s next question though, I’m unable to do any of those things. Instead I stand frozen. “And what about you? Do you love her?”

Yes, Elias and I have said those three words to each other many times. However, never in front of his teammates, and a part of me wonders if he just told me what he thought I wanted to hear. “Honestly Bo,” the unsure breath that leaves Elias has my heart racing, “I didn’t know I could love someone this much.”

I hadn’t felt the tear slip down my cheek until it hit the hand that was now covering my mouth. I quickly wipe it away, and attempt to compose myself before anyone sees. Maybe it’s hormones, or maybe it’s just how intensely I feel for Elias, but I’m not normally this emotional.

As Elias lifts his gaze from the small girl on his chest, his eyes find mine. A smile breaks across my face, and the whole world seems to stop. For a moment I see it clearly, this isn’t Bo and Holly’s home anymore, it’s ours. The baby on Elias’ chest isn't a Horvat, it’s a Pettersson. It’s our baby. For a small moment I let myself live in that fantasy, allowing the desire of living that perfect life with Elias to grow. 

It’s Holly’s voice that pulls me out of it, “Well I’m sure this little one is getting hungry, and I bet you could use a break as well Petey.” Holly carefully scoops the baby out of Elias’ arms, and he stands from his seat walking towards me. His hand finds my waist as I watch Holly, Bo and the baby interact. The moment feels so personal I feel bad for watching, but I can’t look away. It’s moments like that, two parents totally in love and caring so deeply for their child, that I have always craved. Parents that put their children before all else, and want nothing more than for them to succeed? For me, that’s only ever been a dream. Something only found in movies and books. The reason I will never cut it as a mother.

———-

“Thank you so much for doing this you guys!” 

Somehow I had let Elias talk me into babysitting Ava while Bo and Holly went on a date night. Thankfully, their eldest, Gunnar, would be staying with one of his friends tonight, because one baby to look after was enough. Not to mention I’ve been sick to my stomach all day, likely just with the thought of being responsible for a baby. “It’s not a problem! You two deserve a night off, go have fun!” 

Holly smiles, handing me a bag of things as she tells me everything I’ll need to know about when Ava will need to sleep and eat. I mentally take note of all the information and usher the couple out the door. Once they’ve left, I make my way to the kitchen to prepare a bottle for Ava. 

When it’s ready, I walk into the living room to find Elias shuffling around the room with Ava in his arms. He’s pointing at pictures on the mantle, and speaking gently to her in Swedish. “I hate to interrupt, but I think it’s time for a bottle.” I smirk, shaking the bottle in the air as Elias turns toward me.

With a small smirk, Elias settles himself into the armchair, positioning Ava so he can give her the bottle. I hand it over to him and sit on the arm of the chair beside him, threading my fingers through his blonde hair. He hums in approval as Ava begins drinking the bottle. We stay like that, Ava happily drinking in his arms, Elias holding the bottle smiling fondly down at her, and me playing with Elias’ hair and watching them both. 

He’s so happy like this. So happy in fact that I can’t help but wonder if hockey is really what Elias was made for. Sure, he’s wonderful at it, one of the best there is obviously. I’m almost certain now though, Elias was made to be a father. The way he holds this baby like he’d give the world to protect her, and she’s not even his own blood, has tears forming in my eyes. 

“Kins?” Elias speaks softly, still not having removed his eyes from Ava who is struggling to stay awake. I hum in response, and he finally lifts his head. “Why don’t you want kids?”

This certainly isn’t how I expected to have this conversation. I have never told him I didn’t want kids. “How do you know I don’t want them?” I ask, my voice definitely giving away how nervous I am.

“Every time someone brings up the idea of us having children you get all in your head.” He sends me a sad smile, and although he isn’t trying to sound disappointed, it’s not hard to tell he is.

“I’m just not ready for kids.” The look Elias sends me definitely says he doesn’t believe me, and he wants me to elaborate, but I don’t. Instead I notice Ava has fallen asleep, and use that as an excuse to change the subject. “I’ll go put her to bed, why don’t you go have your shower now?”

As I carefully lift Ava from his arms, Elias watches me closely. It’s evident he wants to say something, but decides against it. 

As Elias heads off to the bathroom, I carry Ava down the hall and place her gently in the bassinet. She hardly stirs, and I take a moment to admire just how beautiful she is. She seems bigger now in the small bassinet, than she did in Elias’ arms. The thought has me crying as I lean against the wall. Elias, the man I’m sure is the love of my life, was made to be a father. I on the other hand, am the furthest thing from being capable of becoming a good mom. Once again, I’m painfully aware of just how unfair this is to Elias. He will have to leave me eventually, and now that he is obviously aware of the fact I don’t want children it’ll likely be sooner rather than later.

“Kinsey, baby, what’s wrong?” His presence startles me, and I quickly wipe the tears from my face.

“Nothing, I’m fine.” I whimper, my voice completely contradicting my statement. His arms are wrapped around me in an instant, and I push my face into his chest crying harder now. My body shakes against his, as he whispers, what I assume to be comforting words in Swedish.

“Y-you’re going to make such a great dad someday.” I’m sure I look a mess now as I lift my head from his chest to look at him. He smiles down at me, though it’s not hard to tell he is fighting off tears of his own.

“And you’ll be an amazing mother.” He’s trying to comfort me, but his statement has the exact opposite effect. 

I shake my head, a whole new batch of tears falling down my cheeks. “That’s the thing though- I won’t. I’m not made to be a parent, not like you are.” His soft expression has a wave of nausea rolling over me as I push away from him. “I’m sorry.”

Elias calls after me in a whisper yell, as to not wake the baby, but I’m too busy trying not to get sick to even acknowledge him. As soon as I make it to the bathroom, I collapse to my knees. Once again emptying the contents of my stomach, cursing myself for my weak stomach as more tears fall down my face. 

I’ve always been like this, as soon as my anxiety or fears get the better of me I get physically sick. Something my mother would scold me for constantly, saying it was for attention. Maybe there was some truth to that, but as I feel Elias brush my hair back out of my face, I want nothing more than to be all alone. I hate having anyone see me like this, so vulnerable and broken. I’m always worried it will scare them away, but Elias hands me a washcloth and pulls me against his chest as he leans against the tub.

“Do you want to talk about this?” His voice is so calm and his accent is heavy. I want nothing more than to confide in Elias, he is my person, but how can I tell him without breaking his heart?

“I don’t know how to be a mom, certainly not a good one.” I respond once I’m able to even out my breathing again.

“Answer one question for me okay?” He looks down at me, and I can feel the weight of his question before it’s even left those pretty lips of his. “Do you really not want to have children, or do you not want to have kids because you feel like you aren’t good enough? Because if you genuinely do not want to have kids you can tell me, and we can still work, but if you are scared you aren’t good enough we need to work on that.” 

“You have good parents that love each other, that love you. I’ve never had the same thing, how am I ever supposed to love a child properly?” My voice shakes, and as I watch the tears pool in Elias’ eyes, I feel awful. That’s a lot to unload on him. Yes, I’ve told him my parents divorced when I was younger, and that I wasn’t close with them now, but that one statement is more than I’ve ever shared.

“Kinsey, you show me every day how much you love me. You show your friends you care about them every chance you get. Hell, you even look after my teammates, and I know for a fact that you would go to the ends of the earth for anyone you care about. You know how to love others better than anyone I know.” Elias sighs, a tear slipping down his cheek, “I’m not saying you have to be a mom, that’s not my choice. All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t doubt yourself, and that no matter what you decide I love you.”

“You’re too good to me, you know that?” I smile at him, holding his cheek in the palm of my hand. “I’d kiss you, but I should probably brush my teeth first.” 

Elias frowns at my words, eyes filling once again with concern. “You should probably go see a doctor, you haven’t been feeling well lately.” 

“It’s just my anxiety Elias, I’m going to be okay.” I assure him, slowly getting to my feet. His hands go to my hips to steady me as I stand.

“If you’re that anxious it’s making you physically ill that’s not fine. I’m taking you to the doctor tomorrow okay?” He asks the question, but it’s evident that the only answer he is accepting is yes, so I just nod and help him to his feet.

As I brush my teeth, Elias’ arms wrap around me and he rests his chin on top of my head. He watches me closely in the mirror, a small smile playing on his lips. When I’m done, I turn in his arms and press up on my toes to kiss him gently. He holds me against him, and the kiss lasts longer than I had intended, but we quickly pull away when Ava starts crying.

“Go lay down, I’ve got her.” Elias says quickly, placing a kiss on my forehead and scurrying down the hall. 

Once again, I hear Elias cooing softly to the girl in Swedish. Maybe with Elias’ help I could be a mom. All I know right now is that, if I were to become a parent with anyone it would be him.

———

“Alright Miss Waters just a few questions for you real quick.” The doctor says, after finally entering the room Elias and I have been sitting in for what felt like an eternity. I shift uncomfortably on the bed, and the paper covering it crinkles loudly. “First, are you sexually active?”

My cheeks heat up slightly, and I look over at Elias who has a smirk on his face. “Yes.” I manage to answer, embarrassment rolling off of me.

“Okay, and is there any chance you could be pregnant?” This question has me laughing, and both the doctor and Elias look at me quizzically.

“I’m sorry-“ I manage to say, realizing no one else found the humour in the question. “No I’m not pregnant.”

“You sound pretty sure of that, how are you so certain? Are you on birth control?” The doctor's stare has my heartbeat increasing.

“N-no but I mean we always use condoms.” I manage to sputter out, and Elias reaches over and squeezes my hand.

“Right. Well I’m going to ask you to take a pregnancy test if you don’t mind, just to be 100% sure that’s not what’s causing the nausea. Although condoms are a fantastic contraceptive, they are only approximately 97% effective and that’s assuming they’re stored correctly and not expired.” 

“Oh okay. Sure yeah.” I look over at Elias, but his gaze is now on the floor. The doctor places the little cup on the table in front of me, and directs me towards the washroom.

When I’ve finished up, I make my way back into the room, and hand the cup to the doctor. He explains the process quickly and shuffles off to complete the tests leaving Elias and I alone. “You okay?” Elias asks after a moment of silence.

“I’m not pregnant. Right?” I ask, my eyes pleading with him for the answer. He sends a sad smile back and kisses my cheek gently. 

“We are going to find out babe, so don’t stress yourself out yet, but just so you know it doesn’t matter what that test says okay? If you aren’t pregnant and you want to be, great we will go home and get on that. If you are pregnant and you don’t want to be, then that’s okay too we can discuss our options. You are going to be okay. We are going to be okay.” He always knows what to say to make me feel better. I pull him into a hug, and he kisses my head. “I love you Kinsey.”

“I love you too Elias.”

After about 10 minutes, the doctor knocks on the door again. “The results of your tests are on this paper here.” He sets the paper on the table next to me. “I’ll give you two a chance to look at the results, and then I’ll be right back to do some blood work alright?” He doesn’t wait for a response, and quickly leaves the room again.

“You should read it first.” Elias says, picking up the paper handing it to me. I struggle taking the paper from him because my hands are shaking so much, but finally I unfold the paper.

A sigh of relief leaves my body as I fall against Elias’ chest, tears flowing down my cheeks. I can feel Elias deflate a little, but he quickly steadies himself wrapping me in his arms. He holds me close to him, and I feel safe in his arms. He’s home. He’s my family, we are a family.

“Can we get an apartment together?” My question has Elias pulling away, confusion evident on his face. We haven’t talked about moving in together yet, and maybe there was a reason for that. All I know is that after today, our relationship will never be the same.

Please let me know if you’d like to be tagged in the upcoming parts, or any of my future writings! Thank you for all of your support ❤️

@anastasiyaigorevnadobrodevskaya you automatically get a tag 😉

[actress4him]

Whumptober 2020 - Day 22

So, sickfics are not usually my thing, to read or to write. But I gave it a whirl, knowing that some people love them, so I hope someone reading this does!

Day 22 - Drugged/Withdrawal

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Warnings: referenced non-consensual drug use, nightmare mention, vomiting, needles

It should have been over as soon as he got back to the Castle. He was home. He was safe. There were no longer any druids, pumping him full of unknown substances so that they could examine his reactions or dig through his brain. There were some injuries to be healed, yes, and it would take his body and brain a while to adjust to being out of that environment, to no longer being a prisoner, an experiment, but it was over.

Except it wasn’t.

For the first day after he got out of the healing pod, he was fine. Well, at least as fine as anyone expected him to be. He ate, he drank, he fell asleep on the sofa while watching a movie with the other paladins. He woke up from a nightmare a little while later, and Shiro helped soothe him back to sleep. There were bound to be issues, but physically, he was doing well.

Until the next morning when he started to shake. At first it was just his hands, during breakfast, and he ignored it, hiding them in his lap. By the time he got back to his room, though, the tremors had taken over his entire body, and he was cold. And hot. Back and forth, freezing and sweating, changing so fast that he couldn’t keep up, with the full-body shivers persisting through both. Instead of putting on his armor for a trip to the training deck like he had planned, he ended up climbing into his bed and hugging his pillow to his chest. 

The longer he sat there, the worse he felt. His head started pounding, his stomach churning, and the ache from his head slowly spread until it encompassed nearly his whole body. It was like the last time he had gotten the flu, out at the shack, but worse. He debated whether he should go to the infirmary and see if Coran had any medicine to give him, but the thought of walking that far made him want to crumble.

Then every other thought was overtaken by the distinct feeling that his breakfast was not going to stay down much longer. Shooting his legs out straight, he pushed himself off the bed and stumbled forward until he hit the wall, then forced his body to change momentum despite the swirling in his head and propelled himself along the wall toward the bathroom.

He barely fell to his knees in front of the toilet in time. The food goo that he had eaten that morning came back up his esophagus, burning the whole way, and forced its way out of his throat with a vengeance. 

For an eternity he hung there, heaving. Once he had spit out the last of what seemed to be coming, he fell back against the wall, legs sprawled out in front of him, and shakily wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. The muscles in his stomach protested against the strain he had just put them through.

“Keith?” a voice called from inside his bedroom. “You in here?” 

A second later, Lance appeared in the bathroom doorway. “Whoa, dude. You look like death warmed over.” Walking closer, he paused at the toilet, made a face, and hit the button to flush it. “Probably feel like it, too, huh?”

Keith groaned in reply, his head lolling to the side. “Threw up.”

“Yeah, I saw that.” Lance crouched down in front of him and put a hand to his sweaty forehead. “You don’t have a fever.”

He scrunched his face up in a frown. “Feels like it.”

Before Lance could reply to that, his stomach lurched again, and he lunged forward onto his knees to retch into the toilet again. Lance’s hands found his hair, smoothing it back from his face and stroking tenderly.

“You’re okay, just let it out. That’s it. It’ll be over soon.”

Of all the people to treat him like that, he’d have never expected it to be Lance. Most of the time the Blue Paladin acted like he hated him. But it felt so nice. He felt cared for in a way that he hadn’t ever...well, no, someone else had done this for him once, now that he thought about it. A foster mom, a long time ago. And maybe his dad, too, an even longer time before that.

When there was nothing left for his stomach to give up, he returned to his place against the wall, pulling his knees up and resting his forehead on them. Lance moved away for a moment, then placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“Here you go, man. Thought you might want to clean up a little.”

Keith raised his head to see a wet cloth held out to him. He took it gratefully, wiping off his hands and the back of his neck before cleaning his face. “Thanks,” he whispered hoarsely. 

“Wonder what brought this on. Space flu? Something you caught while you were…?”

But Keith had realized something during the last few minutes, and that was that he had felt like this before. In his cell, with the druids. He had gotten sick, but it hadn’t lasted too long because someone had shown up and given him…

“I need...I need the medicine.”

“Yeah, dude, we should definitely get you some medicine. I was just messaging Coran, actually -”

“No. That’s not...I need the medicine. The stuff...the quiet medicine.”

Lance frowned, tipping his head to one side. “Quiet medicine? I have no idea what that is.” 

Groaning, Keith scrubbed at his face with both hands. His head hurt way too much for this. “It’s the...they gave it to me. Like, a shot.” He mimed pushing the plunger on a needle with his fingers. “When they wanted me to be quiet and cooperate.”

For a long moment Lance just gaped at him. “You’re...you’re talking about drugs. They drugged you, Keith.”

“I know,” he whined. “They shot all kinds of things into me. But the quiet medicine made the sick better.” He didn’t even care that he sounded like a toddler. He just wanted it to stop hurting.

“Did they give that one to you a lot?”

Keith nodded, then moaned and gripped his stomach when the nausea flared up. “A lot.”

“Then ‘the sick’ is probably actually withdrawals, I have a feeling. Come on, let me help you up and let’s get you to the infirmary.” 

Thankfully it wasn’t too far, and Keith managed not to throw up again until they got there. Coran was ready and waiting with his scanner, and confirmed Lance’s suspicions.

“So can we put him in a pod for that?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Coran twirled his moustache and gave Keith a sympathetic look. “We’ll have to wait for the drugs to run their course.”

The walk hadn’t done anything good for the way Keith felt. He was nearly writhing on the bed, sweat coating his skin, and the tremors were back. “Need...need the quiet medicine. Please, C’ran.”

“He wants the drug they gave him,” Lance explained quietly.

“Sorry, Number Four, no can do.” Coran leaned in, patting Keith on the head. “I don’t have any of that kind of drug here, for starters, and if we gave you some now it would erase all the wonderful progress you’ve already made!”

“It hurts.”

“I know, lad.” The advisor’s voice softened then. “Thankfully, I do have something I can give you to help ease you through this.”

While Coran prepped the syringe, Lance sat down next to Keith and took a hand in his own. “You’re gonna be okay, bud. We’ll take care of you.”

“Alright, lad. Just a bit of a prick.”

Keith didn’t flinch in the least at the needle going in. He had been pricked so many times as a prisoner that it was nothing to him. Whatever was in the syringe was certainly Altean science, because almost immediately, the nausea settled, the pain eased, and a pleasant, sleepy feeling came over him. 

“There you go,” Lance whispered as Keith’s eyelids fluttered shut. 

He could just barely decipher Coran’s voice through the haze brought on by relief and exhaustion. “This won’t be the last of his struggles with this. We’ll need to monitor him around the clock, and make sure he stays hydrated. But he’ll be alright. It’ll take a few quintants, maybe a movement, but he’ll be alright.”

[iwriteficsnottragediesladies]

Sick to Your Stomach

Requests: -I’m so ready for your sick fic because I’ve been dying the last couple of days and need that in my life -Sick fic pleaseee -I would love a sick fic bc I am currently sick and it sucks bc midterm week I suspect I got sick over stress and not taking care of myself -SICK FIC SICK FIC SICK FIC SICK FIC SICK FIC!!!!

A/N: I am finally delivering on my promise! There are THREE bandom references for the scavenger hunt hidden in here, so see if you can find them. Enjoy!

It was the afternoon when you really started dragging. You felt exhausted and kind of sick to your stomach. Brendon notices.

“Have you eaten today?” Brendon asks, sitting down next to you.

You shake your head.

“It’s 3 in the afternoon, babe!” He says worried, “You need to eat something.”

“I know, I’m just not hungry,” you reply, biting your cheek at the thought of food. His hand is suddenly on your forehead.

“Brendon,” you weakly giggle, moving your head out from underneath is touch.

“You feel warm to me,” he said, scrunching his cheek in concern, “Do you feel okay?”

“I feel kinda shitty,” you admit.

“Oh Y/n,” he frowned, “What’s going on?”

“I feel nauseous and tired and…” you pause, trying to find the proper word. “Hot.”

“You’re always hot, darlin,” Brendon smirks before getting back to business, “Let me check your temperature.” He scampered over to the medicine closet and returned with a thermometer. Before you could protest, he places it to your ear until it beeps, and then looks to the screen. “Hm, 100.2 degrees.”

“That’s barely even a fever Brendon,” you say unimpressed, “I’m fine!”

“You know you usually run cold,” He gazed at you, “So for you, that’s definitely a fever.”

Why did he always have to be right?

“Brendon–” You start, but he interrupts.

“Why don’t you relax here and I’ll get you some tylenol,” He says, more of a command than a suggestion, “I at least want you to drink something.”

You nod, giving in. It did feel nice to be taken care of. He disappears into the kitchen and brings back a gatorade and two tylenol. You sit up and take it gratefully. He notices you’re paler than before.

“Poor baby,” he said gently as he stroked his thumb across your cheek. You smile weakly. He pulls a blanket over you and turns on the tv, keeping the volume low. “Just rest, okay?” he said gently.

You nod.

You try to nap, but there was soreness in your stomach as its emptiness  awkwardly battled your nonexistent appetite. Penny Lane and Bogart happily cuddled against you, acting as tiny space heaters. Brendon periodically force feeds you more gatorade and takes your temperature. It didn’t change all that much. You swear the thing that helped most is when Brendon would run his fingers through your hair.

“How about some crackers?” He offered, “At least want to try?”

You agree, your empty stomach echoing. You eat a few saltines and give up.

You’re five episodes into your Law and Order marathon when you finally feel sleepy. Brendon gives you another dose of tylenol and sees how tired you are.

“Want to go to bed?” He asked gently.

“Mhm,” you murmur.

“Okay,” He holds out his hands and pulls you up off the couch. He wraps an arm around you and places a kiss to the top of your head as he leads you to bed. He helps you slip on some comfortable pjs and buries you under the covers and blankets. He grabs a small trash bin and places it on your night table.

“Just in case,” He smiled and you return one.

It’s awfully early for him to go to bed, but he happily slides in next to you.

“Try to get some sleep, okay?” He said, brushing back your hair, “I’m right here if you need anything.”

“I love you,” You smile lazily.

“I love you too,” He replies.

You wake up a couple hours later, shocks of pain running through your side. You wince and roll over with a groan. Brendon stirs a little so you quiet down as much as you can. You’re not about to wake him up over a tummy-ache like a toddler. You swallowed down the nausea you felt and reassured yourself that you were fine. You found a semi-comfortable position to lay in and sleep hesitantly greets you.

The next thing you know, your eyes are flying open as pain deeply slices through your stomach. You can’t help but gasp as you instinctively grab at the area and curl up. You end up in a tight ball, rolling over helplessly with tears pricking your eyes. A high pitched groan escapes you. The feeling wasn’t letting up and you felt like you were going to vomit.

Something was wrong.

You cry out a little and Brendon stirs again. You start to prop yourself up but only get so far before doubling over.

“Brendon?” you called, your voice dripping with fear, “Baby, wake up.”

“Wh–” Brendon started groggily before he registered the panic in your tone, “Y/n?!” You just whimper in response and he immediately flicks on the light next to the bed before getting onto his knees next to you, holding your shoulders. He takes in the sight of you: propped up on a hand to be half sitting up, half folded over, sweating and pale, gripping yourself around your middle. “What’s wrong?!” He asked.

“My stomach–” You started and winced, “Hurts.”

“Okay, it’s alright,” He tried to soothe you, his eyes wide with anxiety. He feels the heat radiating off of you underneath his touch. “Oh Y/n, you’re burning up,” He noted with sympathy and concern.

The nausea then hits you hard. Before he could say anything else, you have to interrupt him.

“I’m gonna throw up,” you muttered. It’s clear there’s no time for any alternative location, so Brendon snatches the waste bin. You start to gag and Brendon gets the bin underneath your chin just in time.

Vomiting brought forth another level of agony. As you heave, a burning knife tears through you. You completely lose control of yourself and as your body pitched, you had no way of stopping yourself from collapsing down all together.

Luckily Brendon is there to support you and pull your weak body to himself, rather than crashing face first in the bin. Your vision completely clouded over and you can’t suppress your scream as you started to cry.

“OW,” you sob against him, clutching a handful of his soft t shirt, “FUCK.” The more you cry, the more pain you felt. The more pain you felt, the more you cry.

Brendon is terrified. He has no idea what to do. He reaches back to the night table, hastily trading the container for his cellphone.

“I’m going to get some help, baby,” He soothes you and dials 911.

“Bren,” You continued to cry and blindly readjust your grip on him.

“Shhh, it’s alright,” Brendon tries while listening to the phone ring, anxiously awaiting a response. He struggled to hold you as you writhed, still curled up in a ball against his chest. Your level of fear and pain were at odds with each other, overwhelming in every way. After a moment, the line connects.

“911, what’s your emergency?” A female voice answered.

“My wife–“ Brendon rushed, unsure of what to say, “Sh-she’s having really bad pain in her stomach.”

“Okay sir, stay calm,” the dispatcher directed Brendon, “What’s your address?”

“252 Warner Avenue,” he replied. She could hear your crying in the background.

“Okay, that’s your wife I hear? Is she responding normally?” she asked.

“Yes,” Brendon replied.

“And she’s breathing okay?” She confirmed.

Brendon looked down at you briefly to double check. Although your breathing was erratic, you weren’t having any trouble moving air.

“Yes, she’s just in a lot of pain,” he responded.

“How old is your wife?” The dispatcher inquired.

“She’s 28,” Brendon reported. He stroked your arm gently to soothe you. The cool sensation did little to detract from the knife twisting in your stomach, but it was something. The pain burns bright and your vision repeatedly becomes completely white, before gradually fading back to normal. 

“There’s an ambulance on the way, sir,” She said, “I’m going to ask you a few more questions, okay?”

“Okay,” He spat out.

“Can you ask her to point to where the pain is?” The dispatcher asked.

“Um yeah, yeah,” He sputtered before turning the question over to you. “Baby, where does it hurt?”

“Here,” You sob, indicating with your hand.

“It’s lower down,”  Brendon relayed back, “and uh, off-off to the side.”

Now your vision begins to fade further, becoming dark around the edges as the sound of Brendon’s voice dampens. You feel like he is slipping away from you and you are more scared than ever.

“Bren,” You suddenly say drowsily as your breath hitched, “I think I’m gonna pass out.”

“No no no, stay awake,” His words raced from his mouth, adjusting you in his lap. “She said she is going to pass out!” He told the dispatcher, losing any semblance of composure.

“Sir, stay calm,” She reminded him before giving him instructions. “I need you to lay her down.”

“Okay,” he responded to the dispatcher before addressing you. “Let’s lay down, sweetheart.”

You started to lay back but you were met with searing pain, causing your body to jolt. You scream, your vision whiting out again. Brendon better supported you and got you onto your side, where you curled yourself into a ball once again. You were gasping, trying to breathe through the pain.

“Bren,” you cry helplessly as he takes your hand.

“Just breathe, you’re okay,” Brendon reassured you.

“Hurts,” you whimper.

“I know, baby,” He stroked your hair, “Just keep breathing.”

The dispatcher continued to give Brendon instructions while you stayed balled up. The spells of dizzying darkness ebbed and flowed with the surges of pain you felt. Once you could hear sirens, Brendon felt a little relief–help would be here soon.

Brendon had already unlocked the door and the paramedics called out as they entered.

“In here!” Brendon yelled back.

Four people entered the room and calmly introduced themselves. Their soft energy was very soothing in such a chaotic time. One took your vital signs and attached small stickers to your chest, while another started and IV, injecting something into it. There was no way you could possibly lay flat on the stretcher, so they adjusted it to a sitting position. Before you knew it, you were being loaded into the ambulance remaining in your curled up ball. Brendon climbed in and sat next to you. He held your hand and they drove off, sirens blaring.

The paramedic clips wires to the stickers and the monitor beside him clicked on, showing your heart rhythm.

As the ambulance drove, the small bumps in the road caused your body to bounce just a bit and you wince each time. You cursed your government for not using your taxes to fill holes with more cement.

A peculiar sensation started to come over your body. It resembled drowsiness and feeling light. You try to say something to Brendon but you barely make a sound.

“What did you say baby?” He inquires sweetly, leaning over to hear you better.

“Feel funny,” you inform him.

“You feel funny?” He repeated louder so the paramedic could hear him. You nod.

“Can you tell me what you’re feeling?” The paramedic asked.

“Floaty,” you reply slowly, “‘s kinda nice.”

The paramedic nodded in understanding.

“We gave you some pain medication,” he explained, “It’s making you feel a little weird, but that’s okay,” he explained. He then addresses just Brendon quietly, “Totally normal.”

Brendon looks relieved.

Once you arrived at the hospital, the paramedics relayed all of the information to the doctor. Brendon stood by your shoulder, out of their way. The doctor then introduced herself as well as two nurses.

They started to do a full work up, drawing blood and taking more vital signs. The doctor began examine you.

“I’m going to feel around a little, okay?” the doctor said. You nod fearfully–this was going to hurt.

She started farther up and on the opposite side, working her way around. It all hurt, but not quite as much as when she pushed on the sensitive spot. Once she pressed and let go, you can’t help but squirm away and towards Brendon with a shriek. One of your hands flew down to protect the area while the other gripped on to Brendon.

“Okay, okay,” the doctor said quickly to comfort you and show that she was done.

“Shhh, breathe sweetheart,” Brendon said softly into your ear. You tried to follow his directions and gasp a little.

The doctor asked more questions about how you’ve been sick and told a nurse to pull up pain medication.

“I’m worried that you may have appendicitis,” she explained, “The location of your pain with the sickness you described is typical of appendicitis. An ultrasound will show us either way.”

One of the nurses rolled in an ultrasound machine. You pulled up your shirt and they put cold jelly on your stomach. The doctor placed the wand to your skin  and began to move it around. Even the slight pressure was painful and you hold Brendon tighter.

“Right there,” the doctor stopped and pointed to a blob on the screen, “That is your appendix and it’s about twice the normal size, so it’s definitely infected. It looks like you’ll need to get it taken out.”

You’re practically shaking and you look to Brendon. He is your rock.

“It’s okay,” he said softly.

“It’s a really simple procedure,” The doctor nodded to reassure you, “I’ll have the surgeon come in and talk to you, alright?”

“Thank you,” Brendon said and she left the room.

You were starting to get that floaty feeling again, so you knew the meds were starting to work.

It wasn’t long before the surgeon came in to talk to you and explained everything. They got you prepped and ready to roll fairly quickly.

“I love you,” You said to Brendon.

“I love you too, baby,” Brendon replied, kissing your forehead, “I’ll see you when you’re all done.”

“Okay,” you smile hesitantly, trying to be brave as you were wheeled away into the operating room.

You open your eyes and are greeted by bright, fluorescent light. Your vision adjusts, focusing on the wall in front of you.

“Hi Y/n,” a voice greeted you gently.

You look to your side and see Brendon sitting next to you with a smile.

“Hi,” your voice cracked.

“How are you feeling baby?” he asked, taking your hand.

“Okay,” you nodded.

“Everything went great,” he informed you, “You just have to wait a little while for your incisions to heal, but that’s all.”

“I love you,” You smile, completely off topic.

“I love you too,” He replied.

“This has been quite the adventure, huh?” You chuckle.

“You always go big or go home,” He agrees, “Sickness included.”

“I guess you could say…” You drew out, a smirk forming on your lips, “I had a fever…”

He knew exactly where this was going.

“Oh god, NO, Y/n!” He warned with a laugh.

“A fever you can’t sweat out,” You finish, grinning.

“Jesus Christ, Y/n,” he shook his head and giggled, “You’re so lucky you’re cute.”

A/N: I hope you liked this one. Did you find the THREE bandom references for the scavenger hunt (sorry that one is painfully obvious)? Let me know :) Like/reblog if you’re feelin’ it!

[1heartfanfics]

True Story

I basically experienced a fanfic yesterday. A ‘my boyfriend ate a little too much at Christmas Dinner and then ended up having the stomach flu’ fanfic. I feel so bad for him but it was heaven for me. So I am going to write it as a story. I’m not going to use his real name though so we’ll call him Carter.

WARNING: Mentions of vomit below

We’d spent Christmas at Carter’s parents house this year. It had been a fun day of visiting, board games, and good food. After we finished eating dinner and getting the kitchen all cleaned up, the group dispersed. The younger kids migrated downstairs to run around or play video games, the adults sat back down in the dining room to talk, while Carter’s brothers, Carter and I headed into the living room.

“Oof I ate too much,” Carter mumbled.

We all sat down on the floor, Carter leaning his head against my shoulder rather heavily.  “You okay?” I asked, frowning down at him.

“Meh I guess. My head kinda hurts,” he shrugged.

“Did you have anything to drink at dinner?” I asked, knowing how he gets dehydrated easily. He nodded, turning his head to press his face into my neck.

“Is something else wrong?” I questioned, knowing that this was unlike him to be so clingy in front of his brothers.

“I don’t know, I’m pretty full,” he shrugged, squirming slightly.

I slid my arm around his shoulders, squeezing gently. I decided to just leave him alone and hope that he started feeling better. I had a feeling it was a little more severe than he was letting on but until he admits that I can’t do anything to help him. 

“You two are gross,” Carter’s brother, (we’ll call him Dylan) Dylan said, poking Carter in the side.

“Hey!” Carter yelled, reaching out to smack Dylan’s hand, who in turn punched him in the shoulder. As he brought a hand up to hit back again I grabbed his arm, pulling it towards me.

“Just relax,” I shushed him.

“He was being a meanie,” he pouted, moving to lay down in my lap.

“I know,” I frowned, concerned as to why he was acting like a toddler suddenly. That’s what he does when he’s really really tired. He went to bed at the same time as I did last night though, so he shouldn’t be this tired.

“What’s his deal?” Carters other brother, (let’s go with Noah) Noah asked.

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it,” I responded, knowing Carter wouldn’t want to be the center of attention as something was obviously going on besides his headache.

As I said this, Carter curled his knees up towards his chest, pressing himself closer to me as he shivered. I raised an eyebrow, even more worried now. He’s like a human furnace, whereas I’m always cold. Now, however, I felt perfectly fine.

“You cold babe?” I asked.

“Mmhmm,” he nodded, nuzzling against me.

“Here,” I said, draping my over-sized flannel across him like a blanket.

I brought my hand up to tousle his hair, something I often do, in order to subtly feel his forehead. I knew he would swat my hand away if I did it blatantly. I wasn’t surprised to find that he felt alarmingly warm. I knew he was acting strangely.

“Can we go play D&D?” I heard Noah ask Dylan. They’d been discussing some other game that I didn’t know how to play since we came in here.

“Yeah sure,” Dylan answered, continuing. “Carter?” 

“No,” he responded quietly, surprising both of them. Carter LOVES that game. Usually this would be the time when I would go join the adults in the kitchen while they went and played for a few hours. So I got even more worried.

“But-” Noah started, but Dylan cut him off.

“It’s fine we’ll just play,” he said, before turning to look at me. “Is he okay?” he mouthed, pointing to Carter.

I shook my head, scrunching my face up in sympathy. Dylan nodded, giving me a slight smile before heading downstairs with Noah. 

Now that we were alone, I turned my attention back to the sick boy laying in my lap. He’d put himself in kind of a bad situation here. Carter doesn’t get sick very often, so when he does, he gets it bad. So now, here he is, coming down with something on Christmas, away from home (as he hasn’t lived with his parents for 6 years), and surrounded by a slew of relatives. 

I placed a hand on his back, rubbing gently as I tangled my other hand in his hair. He squirmed in my lap, eyes drifting shut with a slight wince. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Honestly, he looked adorable. His hair was all mussed and he had that pouty, sleepy thing going on. 

“I’ll be right back,” he muttered, hauling himself to his feet with some effort and stumbling off to the bathroom. While he was gone, I climbed up onto the couch, leaning back into the corner.

When he returned, he situated himself next to me, laying his head on my chest and draping an arm across my torso. I wrapped my arm tight around him, holding him close to me. I could feel the heat radiating off of him now. He was already deteriorating.

“Are you feeling okay?” I asked, getting impatient. 

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, curling his legs up into my lap.

I sighed. How can one not know if they’re feeling okay? I will never understand why he can’t just come right out and say what’s wrong. But I accepted it for the time being, going back to playing with his hair.

“Can we go to bed?” he asked suddenly, his hand clenching around a fistful of my shirt.

“Uh, yeah. It’s pretty early, but if you’re tired we can. We should probably go say goodnight to everyone first, since some of them are leaving tonight or early tomorrow,” I agreed, as I had secretly been hoping to get him to bed soon. Once we’re really alone, in the guest room we’re staying in tonight, then he’ll tell me what’s wrong. Turns out I didn’t have to wait that long.

“My tummy’s feeling kinda bad,” he said quietly, bringing a hand up to rest on his belly.

“Oh no, babe. I’m sorry,” I frowned, rubbing his back. I mean I already knew he was sick but I didn’t know that he was stomach sick. This just got a whole lot worse. 

“I don’t feel good,’ he mumbled as he slid his hand under his shirt, rubbing slightly against his stomach.

“Are you just too full from dinner?” I asked, hoping that this was separate from the fever.

“I’m queasy,” he shook his head.

“Poor baby,” I said softly, trailing my hand down his cheek. “How about you go get ready for bed and I’ll tell everyone that you aren’t feeling well,” I suggested.

He nodded sleepily, dropping his head back down onto my shoulder while letting me haul him up to his feet as I stood. As soon as he was vertical, however, his face paled and he retracted from my grasp and stumbled down the hallway.

“Crap,” I muttered under my breath, following after him.

When I reached the bathroom he was on his knees in front of the toilet gagging. He’d been in such a hurry that he hadn’t even bothered to shut the door. After latching the door I moved to kneel next to him, placing a tentative hand on his back as he heaved again.

“Unngg I’m so full,” he whined, letting out a belch as he pressed a hand into his stomach.

“Oh honey,” I pouted, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

“I don’t wanna throw up,”  he moaned.

“I know you don’t but fighting it will only make you feel worse,” I told him as I began rubbing his back, knowing what was soon to happen.

He leaned over the toilet, burping in response. After one more gag he swallowed hard, muffling another belch in his fist. Carter scooted over to press his face into the crook of my neck. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling how overheated he was.

“Here, let’s get this off sweetie,” I said, tugging on his t-shirt. He lifted his arms obediently and let me peel the sweaty item of clothing off of him. “Does that feel better?” I asked, resting my cold hands on him. He sighed audibly in relief, biting back another gag as he did so. 

“Carter I know this freaks you out but if you’re nauseous it’s probably gonna happen one way or another,” I said bluntly, wanting to get this over for his sake.

He has a bit of emetophobia. Not to the point of panic attacks or anything, but he freaks out a little. Me on the other hand, I work in a hospital, so I see plenty of vomit on the daily. 

“Can you-?” he started hesitantly.

“Anything babe, tell me what you need,” I assured him.

Instead of responding, he reached over and grabbed my hand, pulling it to his stomach. Taking the hint, I flattened my palm out on his tummy, feeling it churning beneath my hand. I gently rubbed back and forth across his sick belly. His poor tummy felt bloated from all the food he’d eaten at dinner.

He moaned, sitting up and taking a deep breath. He sat back up on his knees, leaning over the toilet once more as he swallowed down another gag.

“There you go,” I urged, pressing slightly harder.

That must have been enough to get him going, because the next heave brought up a mouthful of puke. I stopped rubbing but left my hand on his stomach, bringing my other hand up to rub his back as he continued to throw up.

“Ah cramp,” he gritted out between waves, wrapping a protective arm under his stomach, hunching forwards. After a few more moments reprieve, he was back over the toilet to bring up the rest of the large meal he’d eaten and a few mouthfuls of bile and stomach acid.

When he was finished, I grabbed a few squares of toilet paper to wipe his face off and helped him rinse out his mouth. 

“Think you’re done for a while?” I asked, pressing my hand to his forehead to find that he felt even warmer than earlier.

“Mmhmm,” he nodded, looking exhausted.

“Alright, let’s get you into bed,” I said, running my fingers through his hair a few times before grabbing his arms and helping him slowly to his feet. He leaned heavily against me, fighting dizziness. “I’ve got you, don’t worry,” I reassured him.

I gave him a moment to steady himself before practically dragging him out of the bathroom and down the hall, one agonizing step at a time. As I helped him sit down at the edge of the bed, I felt my heart break. He looked properly miserable. It was kind of crazy how quickly he went from seeming a little off to being so ill.

“Okay. Let’s get some water in you,” I urged, grabbing the water bottle out of my travel backpack and handing it to him. “Small sips,” I added.

He took a few drinks then handed the bottle back to me, his hand shaking from the effort. I set the bottle on the desk next to the bed and dragged the room’s trash can over to the edge of the bed just in case things got worse throughout the night. 

“Alright, do you want to change or stay in your joggers?” I asked, as he usually slept in just his boxers.

“Stay,” he said quietly, eyes drooping shut.

“You can go ahead and lay down then,” I told him, walking over to flip the light switch. “I’m going to go downstairs and tell your parents that you’re sick,” I explained. 

“No don’t leave,” he mumbled, reaching out to grab my wrist in the dark.

“Honey I’m right here. It’ll just be a minute okay? I’ll come right back,” I explained, carefully pulling out of his grasp.

“Okay,” he said quietly, bringing his knees up to his chest as his arms wrapped around his achy tummy, making him look even more sick and small.

So I walked quickly down to his basement, to where everyone had eventually ventured, the adults joining the children to play a card game. As I reached the table they were intently playing at, Carter’s mom noticed me.

“Hey, good! You and Carter can join in over here,” she said, assuming that he was with me.

“Um actually, we’re heading to bed,” I said sheepishly, catching everyone’s attention.

“It’s 9:15,” one of his aunts said in disbelief.

“Well he should at least come down with you and say bye, some people will be leaving soon,” Dylan said, knowing something was going on from earlier. 

“He isn’t feeling very well,” I explained. 

“I think he could still come say goodbye,” Carter’s mom agreed.

“Okay, well that was a bit of an understatement. He’s pretty sick actually,” I amended my earlier statement. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Noah asked.

“He’s running a decent fever and he just threw up,” I told them.

“Oh dear. Is he okay? Do you guys need anything?” his Dad asked quickly, always the more nurturing one.

“He’s feeling a little better now that he got sick I think. And we’re alright for now, thank you,” I said.

“Okay, well holler if you think of something, we’ll be down here for a few more hours yet,” he smiled.

“Thanks. Goodnight everyone, sorry we could’t be more fun tonight,” I called to the rest of his family as I backed towards the stairs, not wanting to leave Carter alone for too long.

“Don’t worry about it, we’re glad you’re here to take care of him,” his mom added as I headed up the stairs.

When I got back to the bedroom, Carter was still awake, tossing and turning uncomfortably. I sat down carefully, not wanting to jostle him since he felt poorly. I laid down next to him, keeping still to see what he needed from me.

“My tummy’s upset,” he whined quietly, curling up to me.

“I know sweetie,” I said, reaching my hand over to rest on his poor belly, rubbing gently.

“Nnngg my belly,” he groaned, pressing draping his legs over mine. 

“Try to get comfortable honey, you’ll feel better after some sleep,” I urged.

He slid his hand under his cheek, laying on my chest. His other arm draped across my torso, pulling himself closer to me. I could feel his heated skin pressed up against me as I continued to slowly rub his stomach, hoping to soothe him to sleep more than anything. I wrapped my other arm around him, tousling his hair.

Eventually he did manage to fall asleep, although he woke up not too many hours later to lean over the side of the bed and get sick, as well as several other times throughout the night. At about 4 am in particular he was in agony, suffering from bad stomach cramps.

I got up to eat breakfast with his family, and am now writing this at his desk while he is still sleeping. Hopefully he’s feeling better today as we have to drive back home to have Christmas with my family. 

[conversationswithhank]

(The Mouthwash Meltdown Conclusion) 

Pai: We’re home. Hello?

Me: (manage a groan, laying on the sofa, ice pack pressed against the back of my feverish neck, counting down the minutes to when the full extent of Molly’s flu hits me)

Molly: Papa! (play with every single one of her toys once before abandoning it in the middle of the living room floor for the next) MANO (Brother)!!!

Hank: Hi, mana (sister)! You’re feeling better.

Molly: Play? Mano, play toys? (nodding)

Hank: Sure, but I need to talk to mama for one sec, okay.

Molly: Okay. Mama, sick. (nodding)

Hank: Oh no.

Me: It was bound to happen. Taking care of a puking toddler with a suppressed immune systemmeans it is only a matter of time before I fall ill.

Hank: I am sorry, mama.

Me: It’s okay. No matter how bad the flu is it will eventually end thanks to modern medicine.

Hank: Not about your flu, but I am also sorry about that. I am sorry about this morning.

Me: That was unfortunate. Why are you sorry?

Hank: Because you were right it wasn’t a big deal at all. I made it a huge deal and I am sorry.

Me: Did you feel better once you gave yourself permission to calm down?

Hank: Yes! And I was thinking to myself what was the point? It was just a small mistake.

Me: Raging over spilt mouthwash? Yah, there are much better uses of your time.

Hank: I was thinking that most of my classmates are ten and I will be ten soon and is this, like, puberty?

Me: Um… (really wishing I didn’t have a fever for this conversation)

Hank: Was that what you call a mood swing?

Me: Yes, you were chatty and wonderful the minute before you were screaming and crying. When you are a pre-teen or a tween your body fills with hormones and a lot of changes occur and some of those changes are emotional, but you have had issues with being far too critical of yourself and letting your big feelings over power your rational self long before now. Meaning you will need to work doubly hard to tell your irrational, lying brain to calm down and only you will be able to find the best way to do that.

Hank: This morning I kept thinking I was so stupid and it was so stupid that I was so upset and you are right I ruined my morning, not the mouthwash, me.

Me: How do you think you could have handled this morning differently?

Hank: I could have listened to you and papa.

Me: Listening to your parents when you are upset is a huge challenge for anyone. I want to know how you can help yourself. There was a part of you that knew you were out of control this morning. Did you notice that part of you?

Hank: (shocked) Yes! The whole time.

Me: And what do you think you could have done to better listen to that rational part of yourself rather than totally surrender to the irrational part of yourself.

Hank: (thinking)

Me: (so sick)

Hank: I could go into a quiet room. I could do that counting thing.

Me: Count to ten three times, that is a very helpful tool.

Hank: I could have done both and I could have asked for help with cleaning up because I was nervous about being late to school.

Me: Were you late to school today?

Hank: A bit.

Me: And was there any problems?

Hank: No.

Me: So you can scratch that fear off your list. And what about your shoes? Were they ruined?

Hank: No. They weren’t even wet.

Me: (shifting the cold pack from the back of my neck to my forehead) Now that you are almost ten and you have a tool box packed full of options to counter act a mega mood-swing-melt-down what will you do next time?

Hank: I will try and listen to the calm part of my brain.

Me:  (pinching the bridge of my nose, doing my best not to vomit) Punch that irrational, lying part of your brain that wants you to think you are a terrible mouthwash wasting person in the face and move on. You do yourself no favors when you collapse at the smallest crisis. Only a calm person can be at their best in a crisis.

Hank: Mama, go and lay down in your bed. I will take care of Molly.

Me: That is a wonderful offer and I will take you up on it, but watching your sister means playing with her and not YouTube, no phone just playing.

Hank: That’s fine. I understand. Who wants to play with a person looking at their phone? I can play with her until I have to stop and study. Amália, do you want to have a tea party?

Molly: No, doctor Amália. Sit down, mano (brother). Check eeearrs, check eeeeearrrrs. (gathering her stethoscope, and doctor’s bag) Check-up!

Me: (walking away, submitting fully to the flu now that my tribe is home)

[coldsorescured]

Should Kids Go to College or School with Cold Sores?

See Should Kids Go to College or School with Cold Sores? on The Best Place for DIY Oral Herpes Treatments or read the entire post below:

Going to school with cold sores puts other kids at risk of getting infected.

Cold sores – commonly referred to as fever blisters – are also called Herpes Simplex Virus type-1 (HSV-1). They flare up as the result of this virus, which is passed from one person to another, or from other parts of the body. For example, you may touch your face and infect your eyelids.

Proper prevention is the only way to ensure one does not spread the virus, but there is no foolproof method. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many children catch HSV-1 during childhood, often due to being kissed by 'unwitting' adult carriers.

In some cases, staying away from school is the right thing to do. In others, going to school may be the right option. Since prevention is the first step to keeping others safe, in the context of acting responsibly, let’s address when children should stay at home or to go to school.

Reasons to Avoid School with Cold Sores

Many children feel embarrassed. Younger kids can be teased or bullied, and older students in college may feel stigmatized.

Some kids stay home when the academic workload is not critical, giving themselves time to recover. Cold sores only last for a couple of weeks, and some people aren't affected more than once or twice each year.

Some outbreaks can be painful. The pain that is distracting your son or daughter may only last for a few days – often during the blistering stage – so staying away from school could be the right option.

Very young children are far more at risk of infection, so you may wish to keep kids with cold sores away from preschool or nursery. Also, other parents may be disapproving of the attendance of toddlers with cold sores.

And let’s not forget that this is a virus that is passed from one person to another. The last thing that they would want to do is to infect friends, or they'll have to deal with the same burden as you.

Reasons to Go to School with Fever Blisters

Once infected with the virus, it's with you for life. It stays in a dormant state in the ganglion nerve, moving up and down when triggered by various factors (stress, sunlight, lack of sleep, etc.). If you're unfortunate enough to get cold sores frequently, taking time off school isn't a practical long-term solution. The situation needs to be managed and preventative techniques employed.

If you stay off school with cold sores, this behavior is likely to continue throughout your adult life. Will an employer tolerate missed days of work? At some point, you're going to have to face up to embarrassing situations. Sickness is only acceptable when you're not capable of focusing properly or performing your job to a sufficient standard. You're likely to experience heightened discomfort the first time that you get cold sores, known as the primary infection. This may be a legitimate time to take time off school due to cold sores.

Most people have HSV-1 in their system. Others are also carrying the virus or dealing with the unpleasant symptoms. You're not alone.

You can conceal cold sores with invisible patches. Nobody needs to know that you have fever blisters.

Some treatments reduce the life cycle of cold sores.

Are My Cold Sores Contagious?

This part might seem evident after reading the introduction, but cannot be overstated. Cold sores are highly contagious. However, they are not contagious all the time as they are often dormant. And many people have the virus but are not prone to outbreaks.

HSV-1 is commonly spread during the critical period when an outbreak is occurring. Contact with the liquid in the blister is the fastest way to transfer the virus from one person to another, and one cannot be too careful. One option is to use a cover up, such as Compeed Invisible Cold Sore Patches. These patches are medicated, so it will treat the cold sore and make them less obvious.

While they are most commonly found on or around the lips and mouth, the truth is that they can be spread to anywhere, including the cheeks and chin. One can get HSV-1 on some very prominent areas of the body, some of which can be very dangerous, such as the brain.

Ways That Kids Get Cold Sores at School & College

Close contact is often the cause of spreading cold sores from one person to another.

This includes, but isn’t limited to:

Kissing and holding hands

Sharing utensils and beverages

Touching desks, textbooks, and door handles

Contact sports (wrestling, basketball, etc.) and playing

Relating to contact sports, it must be noted that during a cold sore outbreak many sufferers feel fatigue and muscle aches/pains, especially during the primary infection.

Often, athletes will power through and make sure they do not let their team down by missing a crucial practice or game, but if you are in the midst of a painful outbreak, it will only be made worse if you infect someone else, and you did not have to.

For this same reason, it is wise not to share drinks, food, or to be intimate with a boyfriend or girlfriend during an outbreak.

This can all be disconcerting, but there are proven ways to find relief from cold sores during these tumultuous periods. You can even reduce the healing time from 2 weeks to 3 days with the Virulite Cold Sore Machine. It's FDA approved and suitable for children to use.

Easing Cold Sore Pain & Faster Healing

When you need relief from cold sores when at school, there are two ways to approach this challenge. You can try to stave them off if they are caught early enough, or you can numb the area, so they hurt less.

Products like Abreva and Zilactin are good OTC choices when you catch an outbreak before it’s reached the surface. These non-prescription medications have been helpful for some people who wish to stop the cold sore from occurring. They are not perfect, but some people have found relief.

When it is too late to prevent, there are products like HERP-B-GONE cream can help numb the affected area so that the burning, itching, or other painful or discomforting sensations can be kept at bay. This is especially important when you must go to school because of a big test, or because you already have too many absences, and simply can’t risk having another.

Long-Term Cold Sore Treatment That Works

The best long-term treatment for cold sores is clean, healthy living. It might sound like a contradiction to some skeptics given how this virus is often overly associated with sexual conduct, but the truth is that stress increases the chances of an outbreak. The reason for this is because it compromises your immune system, and chronic stress can lead to chronic outbreaks.

There are prescription meds that are effective, as well. They are called Zovirax and Valtrex. These medications will not cure HSV-1 but can reduce the frequency and duration of flare-ups. However, they not without side effects.

There are some potential side-effects, and not all prescription medication is suitable for children who are attending school, or even college. Some people experience changes in behavior, hair loss, and confusion. There is a much longer list of side-effects people have experienced while on Zovirax. As for Valtrex, the potential dangers include skin rashes, joint pain, and vomiting.

Reducing the Number of Outbreaks

There are no fool-proof means by which to reduce having a cold sore. However, there are OTC remedies that can help if you catch them early.

Maintaining cold sores within oneself is only half the battle. Being a carrier of the virus, it is very important to ensure that others are safe, too. This means not sharing drinks at school or utensils. If you have an outbreak or the signs of one coming on, keep your distance from others.

Lastly, when it comes to whether or not to go to school, most times it is perfectly fine. While a very small number of people experience a brief stint of debilitating pain, most people are merely inconvenienced.

And while facing one’s peers with an outbreak can be tough, the truth is that with 1 out of 2 having HSV-1, you are not in a minority. Everyone either has this virus or is close to someone who does. So, knowing that, you should go forth and have no fear. You may feel self-conscious, but when you complete your schooling, you will be able to take that credential with you and carry it forward into the future

Going to school with cold sores is likely to be necessary, just as it would be at a job. This means that children need to recognize the signs and use the Virulite Cold Sore Device as soon as you experience one of the common 'triggers' or notice a tingling sensation. This will cut the healing time to about 3 days. A cold sore can also be concealed from staring glances with the medicated Compeed Invisible Cold Sore Patch.

Should I Go to School with a Cold Sore?

It's sensible to check the policy for cold sores with your child's school or nursery. The policy may be different for very young children as the virus can be spread more easily.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows that they're infected as there's up to a 6-day incubation period where there are no visible symptoms.