Sick Day

"Bobby? Are you awake…?" Loan asked as she softly rapped on her brothers' slightly ajar door, receiving a faint grunt of acknowledgement from within. She nudged the door open with her elbow so she could hold onto her tray with both hands before carefully stepping inside. The room was dimly-lit, save for the rocket-ship nightlight near her youngest brother's bed; still, Loan was more than accustomed to dark rooms and it took no effort to spot the little boy bundled up under the covers. "Hey, Bobby…" She greeted with a gentle smile. "Um… h-how are you feeling…?"

"...Nod gud…" Bobby replied in a weak, stuffy voice. Loan frowned and carefully shuffled over, tray in hand.

"Well, I brought you some soup…" She said as she set the tray down the nightstand. Sitting upon it was a big, steaming bowl of chicken soup, along with a glass of water, a thermometer and a small bottle. "And your medicine."

"Oh… thag… than…" The boy began, only for his face to scrunch up awkwardly. Loan snatched a tissue from the nearby box and held it to his nose..

"Here... blow," The young woman said, and Bobby quickly obliged; he let out a loud, mucus-laden sneeze, and Loan couldn't help but grimace at the wet sound. He sniffled again, looking up at the woman with red, teary eyes and a feeble smile.

"...Th-thank you…" Bobby muttered as his sister dropped the tissue into the small wastebasket beside the nightstand, his voice scratchy and hoarse. However, Loan's smile faded as she rested the back of her hand on the boy's forehead. The poor little boy was burning up.

"Okay, um… do you mind if I turn on the light?" She asked, and Bobby gave a small nod. However, upon switching on the nearby lamp her brother squeezed his eyes shut, recoiling with a small whine. "S-sorry…!" Loan gasped.

"It's okay…" The boy mumbled, rubbing his eyes again before blinking a few times to adjust his vision. Once he could see, he looked up at Loan and forced a reassuring smirk. "...Hi, Loan."

"Hi, Bobby…" Loan replied; she couldn't help but give a soft giggle despite the situation. "Okay, let's see…" She picked up the bottle of medicine, turning it over and carefully re-reading the directions on the back. She didn't want to risk giving him the wrong dosage, after all… sure, it was intended for children and unlikely to cause any harm, but she couldn't live with herself if she made the boy even sicker than he already was. Once she was sure, she opened the bottle and poured the syrupy, sickly-sweet-smelling medicine into the cap, filling it to the line. "Here you go… drink up." She passed the cap to Bobby, who seemed more than a little reluctant. "Go on, it'll help you get better… a-and it's cherry flavored!"

"...More like medicine-flavored…" Bobby grumbled. Nonetheless, he sighed and quickly gulped it down. The boy's face scrunched up in a grimace and handed the cap back to her. "...Ugh… um… thank you."

"You're welcome," Loan said with a slight chuckle. Setting the medicine aside, she took out her phone. Normally, when one of them was sick it would fall on their father to care for them during the day… unlike Ronnie, he worked from home after all. However, he had other pressing matters to deal with that day and, though Liena had offered to stay home and play mom for the day, Loan had assured them that she could take care of her little brother until they returned. It was the least she could do, she wouldn't feel right just sitting in her room and gaming all day when her little brother was in such a miserable state. Despite their reservations, they agreed and Ronnie had left her a list of instructions for looking after the little guy. "Now, what was… oh. U-um…" As she read the instructions, Loan's cheeks turned a light pink. Bobby tilted his head in confusion.

"Loan…?"

"Um… w-well, I'm…" Loan stammered, awkwardly glancing away from the boy and clearing her throat. "I'm, uh… supposed to… t-take your temperature," She said. Loan picked up the thermometer with a shaky hand. "Sssooo… um… roll over, I guess…?" Bobby blinked, momentarily confused by his sister's instructions, only to turn a deep red as her words sank in.

"Er… i-it's not that kind of thermometer, Loan…" He said. "It goes in my mouth. Not… y-y'know..." His words only seemed to further embarrass the young woman and she bowed her head apologetically.

"O-oh…! I-I'm sorry, I didn't… um… okay… sorry…" She sputtered, letting out a nervous laugh. "Um, o-open your mouth, then."

"O-okay." Bobby said as he shook off the awkward moment. "Um, just hold down the button until it shows a... a…" His face scrunched up again and he quickly grabbed a tissue, sneezing into it. "...a zewo…" The boy sniffled as his sinuses once again clogged up with mucus. Loan frowned and gave a small nod, resetting the thermometer before placing it into her brother's mouth. As she waited, she gently wiped the sweat from Bobby's forehead. It hurt seeing him like this; she could only imagine how uncomfortable he was feeling, especially with how small and vulnerable he was as is. Once the thermometer beeped, the results did little to ease her mind: 103°F. She was no expert, but she was pretty sure that was on the high side. The young woman sighed and texted the results to Ronnie before setting the thermometer back on the tray.

"Well, hopefully some soup will help you feel better."

"I'm nod vewy hungwy…"

"Just try, okay…? You need to eat something," She said, and Bobby gave a small nod. Loan dragged over the chair from the boys' desk and sat down, carefully picking up the bowl of soup and stirring it a few times, mixing up the chunks of chicken, celery, onions and other assorted veggies. It looked good… unsurprising, considering that Ronnie had made it. She scooped up a hearty spoonful, being sure to get a nice piece of chicken, and blew on it before offering it to Bobby. "Here… try it." The boy obediently slurped it up, barely even needing to chew the tender chicken meat before swallowing. Loan smiled as he seemed to perk up slightly. "Good?"

"Mmhm." Loan giggled and scooped up some more, which Bobby didn't hesitate to gulp down. Then another, and another… for someone who had just said they weren't hungry, that certainly didn't seem to be the case. Of course, the chubby boy had always had a pretty big appetite… and flu or not, who could possibly turn down Ronnie's cooking? Soon enough the boy had polished off the entire bowl, leaving not even a single scrap of chicken behind. Bobby let out a satisfied sigh and leaned back against his pillows. "...Thank you," He said, his voice noticeably clearer than it had been before. The hot soup must have helped clear his sinuses a bit, at least for the time being.

"You're welcome," Loan said with a gentle smirk. "D-do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you…" Bobby muttered, stifling a yawn. "I'm feeling pretty sleepy, so…"

"I'll let you rest, then." Loan got to her feet, putting the chair back where it belonged before returning to Bobby's side. "Here… let's tuck you in," She said, pulling up the boy's blanket to the top of his chest. He squirmed around a bit to get comfortable. "Um… i-if you need anything, you can just give me a call, okay…?"

"Okay…" Her brother mumbled. "And um… Loan…?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks again," Bobby said, a weak smile crossing his face.. "I-I'm glad you're here..." Loan smiled brightly, feeling a warmth in her chest at the boy's words.

"Y-you don't need to thank me… I'm sure you'd do the same for me, right?" Bobby gave a small nod and giggled as Loan gently patted the top of his head. "You rest up, now. I'll come check up on you later, okay?"

"'Kay." Bobby shifted onto his side and pulled the covers tighter around himself. "G'night…" And with that, Loan switched off the light and picked up the tray, being sure to leave the door open just a crack as she stepped out into the hall. She let out a deep breath, feeling her nerves calm down a bit. Despite her offer to help take care of Bobby, she'd admittedly been a bit uncertain of her ability to do so… but all things considered, she felt she'd handled it pretty well.

Good for you, you can read simple fucking instructions.

Loan huffed and shook her doubts aside as she carefully made her way down to the kitchen. Just as she'd set the empty bowl in the sink she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She fumbled and nearly dropped it in her haste to answer, not even bothering to check the caller ID before accepting the call.

"Bobby?! I-is everything oka-"

'Easy, girl. It's me.' Loan breathed a sigh of relief; it was just Ronnie.

"O-oh… um… hi, Ronnie…" Loan stammered, clearly embarrassed by her overreaction. "S-sorry, I-"

'All good. Nothing wrong with being attentive,' The older woman chuckled. 'I got your text… temperature's still high, but at least it hasn't gotten any worse since this morning. Other than that, how's everything going?'

"Good…" Loan muttered as she sat down at the kitchen table. "Or... I-I think so anyway. He took his medicine and finished his soup, so…"

'The whole thing? That's definitely a good sign… though he is a bit of a porker, that one,' Ronnie said with a small laugh. 'Are you with him right now?'

"Oh, no, he went back to sleep… I-I could go see if-"

'Nah, it's fine. Better let the little guy get his rest,' Her stepmother assured her. 'Besides, sounds like you've got everything under control.' Loan perked up, feeling a swelling in her chest… pride, perhaps.

First time for everything, I guess.

"Shut it."

'Excuse me?'

"Ah! S-sorry, I was j-just talking to myself…!" Loan sputtered. "Um… i-is there anything else I should be doing?"

'Nah, not yet. Just check in on him in an hour or so… huh? Yes, one second! Sorry, Loan… gotta get back to work,' Ronnie said with a sigh.

"Oh… s-sorry, I didn't mean to-"

'Chill. I called you, remember?'

"R-right…" Loan let out a self-depreciating chuckle.

'Anyway, don't hesitate to call if you have any problems,' The latina said. 'And feel free to help yourself to some soup. I made more than enough, trust me.'

"Th-thank you… I'll do that." Loan had to admit, she'd wanted to try it for herself. "Um… well… I guess I'll see you later, then."

'That you will. Thanks again, Loan,' The woman said in a sincere tone. 'I mean it. You're the best.'

"Oh, I-I'm not-" But before she could finish, Ronnie had already hung up. Loan set down her phone and groaned; even now, she couldn't carry on a simple conversation without being awkward. Thankfully, the growling of her stomach snapped her out of her self-pity. A bowl of chicken soup sounded awfully good right about now.

Once she'd reheated another bowl of soup Loan sat down again, blowing on a spoonful of broth before giving it a taste. It was good, as expected, if a tad under-seasoned; Loan could only assume Ronnie had done so intentionally for Bobby's sake. A few shakes of salt later and it was perfect. Well… a few shakes of salt plus five minutes to cool down. Most would have dug right in, but Loan being Loan, her methods were unconventional to say the least. Setting aside the spoon for the time being, she picked up the bowl to directly slurp down the flavorful broth, leaving the other ingredients until she'd finished. Then, she used her spoon to separate them into four small piles… chicken, celery, carrots, and onions.

Jesus Christ, learn to eat like a normal fucking human being.

Loan rolled her eyes and picked at the chicken and veggies. Even on their own, they'd taken on a lot of the broth's flavor and were quite delicious. Before long she'd finished, and after rinsing out hers and Bobby's bowls she headed down the basement stairs to her room.

'Player 2 Wins!' Loan grumbled under her breath as she lost yet another match, her opponent's victory pose only serving to further mock her for her defeat. She'd been playing Super Mega Brawlers Turbo Fighter XIII HD Re:Mix Act X Ultra No Mercy Rebirth Komplete Edition: Back to the Revengenation for over an hour now and hadn't won a single match. Granted, she was far from the best player, but she'd been practicing with her father for quite some time… not to mention that over half the players she'd lost against were a lower rank than her. Clearly, her heart just wasn't in it today. With a sigh of defeat, she declined a rematch and set her controller aside before flopping back onto her bed.

Loan frowned, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling in thought. She'd hoped that some gaming would take her mind off of things, but she just couldn't help but worry about Bobby. Though she hated to play favorites, she adored the little guy… he was sweet, gentle, and made her feel welcome for a change. Like she belonged. He was always there for her, and the least she could do was be there for him when he needed her. Of course, it wasn't just Bobby she was worried about; with so many people living in one house, sickness could spread like a wildfire if they weren't careful. And, while Lemy and Lyle would be bunking with their older sisters for the night, Bobby had already been complaining of a scratchy throat since the previous night. For all they knew, they could have already caught the bug.

Although… perhaps Lemy wouldn't be too upset about that. Both he and Reina had tried to convince Ronnie that they too were sick and had to stay home, though their efforts had been less than successful.

Loan checked her phone to make sure she hadn't missed a call or text from Bobby, and sure enough, she hadn't. Perhaps that should have put her at ease, but instead she only grew more antsy. What if he did need something, but was too ill to call her? What if, while she'd been lazing about and playing games, Bobby was suffering and needed her to be by his side?

What if you're stressing over fucking nothing?

Loan glanced at the time. It had been nearly an hour and a half since the boy had gone back to sleep. Surely there would be no harm in checking on him now. She got up with a grunt and stretched, then made her way up the basement stairs. It was strange how quiet the house was; usually there was at least someone home making noise. But now, the silence was deafening… almost as if the house itself were asleep. Loan headed through the kitchen and dining room, then out into the living room and up the staircase. She climbed with slow, delicate steps, lest the creaky stairs wake Bobby. She shuffled down the hall and, upon reaching her brothers' bedroom, she lightly knocked on the door.

"Bobby?" She whispered; no answer. Loan made to open the door only to let out a small yelp of surprise as the doorknob gave her a static shock. Loan clamped her hands over her mouth and froze in place.

Well done. If I could clap, I would.

Loan waited a moment, breathing a sigh of relief as no further sound came from within the room. Carefully she pushed open the ajar door and stepped inside. As before, she was able to make out the bundled-up shape of Bobby lying in his bed, fast asleep. A small smile crossed her face, only to fade as she approached the boy's bed. He was asleep, yes, but it seemed to be far from restful; she could make out faint, shuddering whimpers coming from beneath the blankets.

"B-Bobby…?" Loan carefully pulled the blanket down enough to expose her brother's face, her heart sinking at the sight. Bobby was clutching the sheets tightly against himself, his body shivering and teeth chattering as if he were cold. Loan frowned and felt the boy's forehead. He was still hot, and covered with sweat… she could only assume that the poor little guy was experiencing chills. She furrowed her brow and chewed her lip anxiously… what should she do? Call Ronnie? No, even Loan knew that chills were a normal symptom of fevers, and she'd hate to bother her stepmother over something so minor. Should she wake Bobby? No, the boy needed his rest, and it wasn't like waking up would do anything to alleviate the situation.

Just leave him be. Anything you'd do would just fuck things up.

Loan narrowed her eyes. She couldn't just sit idly by, not when her little brother looked so uncomfortable. She thought back to when she'd been sick in the past… how her mother would stay by her side, providing comfort when she'd needed it most. Despite their complicated relationship, it was the pleasant memories like those that stood out above all else. Perhaps, if nothing else, she could provide a modicum of comfort to her ailing brother.

She lifted the corner of the blanket and carefully slid in beside him, scooting over and hugging the trembling little boy from behind. To her surprise, Bobby awkwardly rolled over to face her, clinging tightly to her sweater as he buried himself in his sister's warm embrace. Though she could hear his sniffles and shuddering breaths muffled by her chest, she couldn't help but smile; she simply held the boy close, ignoring the fact that her sweater would likely be left a snotty mess after this. Slowly his shivering faded to little more than an occasional spasm, and his shaky whimpers gave way to muffled, stuffy snoring. Nonetheless Loan stayed by his side, holding him and stroking his hair softly. Between Bobby's small stature and somewhat pudgy body, hugging him was akin to a living, breathing teddy bear… or Loan thought so, at least. If nothing else, he certainly did more to ease her nerves than any stuffed animal ever had, and she could only hope that she was providing even half as much comfort as he did for her.

As she lay there with her little brother, the minutes ticked away to hours, and soon Loan felt herself growing drowsy as well. She looked down at the sleeping boy in her arms with a gentle smile. She planted a soft kiss atop Bobby's head and shut her eyes, finally allowing sleep to take her.

"AaaaCHOO!" Loan sneezed loudly into her tissue, the thin paper doing little to stem the onslaught of mucus from her nostrils. "Ugh…" Loan groaned, grimacing as she looked at the mess coating her hand. She dropped it into the wastebasket and snatched up another tissue, blowing her still-dripping nose again… and again. It just kept coming, like a stubbornly leaking faucet. She had no idea where the heck she was even keeping it all, considering how much she'd discharged already.

As if you have any right to complain. You brought this upon yourself.

Loan sighed and slumped back against her pillows. She felt awful… she couldn't recall the last time she'd had so much as the sniffles, let alone a full-blown flu. It wasn't like she got out much after all, and her less-than-hygienic lifestyle gave her a stronger immune system than most anyway. But two days after caring for Bobby she'd started feeling a bit off, and the morning after that she'd woken up feeling like death warmed over. Loan supposed she should have known better than to tempt fate by snuggling up to a sick child, but what was done was done. Not that she regretted it; she'd made Bobby happy after all, and Ronnie had assured her that she did a fine job taking care of him. If nothing else, that fact made her feel slightly better about her current situation.

Now, Loan lay in her bed, head propped up with pillows as she idly watched anime. Dubbed, no less… subtitles were just too much strain for her eyes right now, not that she was paying very close attention anyway. More than anything she just needed some background noise, though in retrospect perhaps aggressive screaming wasn't the most relaxing choice. Thankfully, a knock at her door snapped her from her thoughts.

"Cobe…" She began, only to be interrupted by yet another sneeze. "Nnngh…" She sniffled. "Come in…" The door creaked open and, to her surprise, none other than Bobby waddled in, carrying a tray far too big for such a small boy.

"H-hey, Loan…" Bobby said with a small, concerned smile. "How're you feeling?"

"Bobby…? Whad…" Loan's face scrunched up and she grabbed a tissue, blowing her nose before continuing. "W-what're you doing down here?"

"I brought you some soup," Bobby said, raising the tray a bit to show her. "I thought you might be hungry, so…"

"O-oh…" Loan frowned and furrowed her brow. "But… y-you're still sick too, right? You should be getting some rest…"

"It's okay." Bobby slowly made his way over, the tray jostling slightly in his shaky hands and splashing a little bit of broth out of the soup bowl. He set it down on her nightstand. "I… phew… I'm feeling a lot better, and I was really getting tired of being cooped up in that room. Besides, I… ah…" The boy's nose started to twitch and Loan offered him a tissue, which he didn't hesitate to accept. "Thag yew," He said once he'd blown his nose, sniffing before dropping the tissue in the trash. "A-anyway… I wanted to see how you're doing. It's, y'know… i-it's my fault you're sick, so…"

"Oh, Bobby… it's not your fault," Loan assured him. "I'm the one that got too close-"

"To make me feel better," The boy finished. He climbed up onto his sister's mattress, looking at her with concern in his eyes. "So… I want to help take care of you too. A-as much as I can, anyway…" A small, shaky smile crossed Loan's face; for such a small boy, there was no denying that Bobby had one heck of a big heart.

"...You're so sweet, Bobby." She lightly ruffled her brother's hair, earning her a small giggle from the boy. "Well, thank you for the soup… it looks delicious," Loan said.

"W-well, Liena heated it up, I just brought it down…"

"Still… thank you." Loan picked up the bowl with two hands, taking a deep breath; she could already feel the steam helping to clear her sinuses, and upon taking a sip she could practically feel the mucus melting away. She let out a satisfied sigh. "That's really good… um, w-what about you, though…?"

"I already had some," Bobby assured her. As Loan took another sip, he glanced back at the TV. "What're you watching…?"

"Oh, um… it's an old anime called Escaflowne," She replied. "Would… would you like to watch with me…?" Bobby's face lit up and he gave a small nod. "Come lie down, then," She said with a grin, patting the space beside her. The younger boy gladly obliged, awkwardly crawling over her to lie by her side. As he pulled up the blanket, his head propped up by his sister's many pillows, the two siblings exchanged a smile and turned their attention to the TV. "Um… a-are you sure, though? You don't have to stay if you don't want…"

"I'm sure," Bobby said, settling back with a relaxed sigh. "If we're gonna be sick, it's better to be sick together… right?" Loan blinked, then giggled into her hand.

"Yeah… I-I guess it is."