Chicken Soup
Title Chicken Soup
Prompt: sick!Kris, caretaker!Adam, drama and angst with a happy ending. H/C Bingo: Old-school medical treatment.
Medium Fic
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the real people mentioned. Situations are either totally fabricated or a fictionalized version of real events. Not written for profit.
Author(s): ficdirectory
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: Written for _sapphiredreams request to the drabble meme & hc_bingo.
Kris was asleep. He had been asleep ever since Adam had arrived that morning when Katy had called. She had the boys and was determined to keep them busy so that they wouldn't get the nasty summer flu that Kris had.
She did what any good wife and mother would do. Slept on the couch and kept Kris quarantined in their bedroom. They had an adjoining bathroom, thank goodness. She called Adam that morning to ask if he was in town.
"Could you maybe call Kris today? Make sure he's still alive?" Katy asked.
"Yeah. Why, what's wrong with him?" Adam asked, blinking bleary eyes to try and read his alarm clock. It was too early for calls like these, especially on his day off.
"He's got the flu," Katy passed along.
"The Swine Flu!" Jesse interjected importantly, and loudly enough for Adam to hear.
"No," Katy said firmly. "He doesn't. Typical flu. Upset stomach, and I think a cold or something, too. Hold on, Kaleb wants to say something."
"Hi, Adam! You comin' over?" Kaleb asked sweetly.
Adam hesitated. He knew enough about Kris and Katy's boys not to tell them that he planned on coming over. Because then they would want to stay and play, and that wouldn't go over well with Katy, when she was trying to keep them healthy.
"Nope, sorry, buddy. Maybe another time."
"'Kay..." Kaleb said sadly.
Katy took the phone back and Adam agreed to call and check up on him. Little did she know, he planned on doing a lot more than that.
--
"Kris," Adam whispered, stepping into the darkened bedroom. He thought of the time during Idol when Kris cought the nasty hacking cough that had been going around. Adam had worn a surgical mask then, but this time, he had something better than that. A flu shot.
Under the mounds of blankets, Kris barely moved.
"Kris. Get up. I didn't slave over a hot stove all day making you damn chicken noodle soup so you could ignore me." Carefully, Adam set the bowl down on the nightstand, along with a glass of orange juice.
"If you don't get that out of here, I'm gonna hurl on you," Kris croaked. "I feel like death."
"You need to eat. Besides, my grandma swore by this. Chicken soup and plenty of orange juice for Vitamin C can cure anything. Seriously, you'll feel better if you eat," Adam encouraged, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"No. You'll feel better if I eat," Kris grumbled weakly. "Where's Katy?"
"She took the boys out so they wouldn't get what you've got. Jesse thinks it's Swine flu."
"Jesse thinks everything is Swine flu."
"Seriously. Eat. Don't make me feed you. I'll do it, too." Adam promised, but sympathy shone in his eyes. He laid a hand on Kris's forehead and grimaced. "You're really hot."
"So I've heard," Kris laughed, but ended up coughing. It sounded deep and congested.
Adam held a glass of water to Kris's lips. "You better drink this. Because the next thing that's gonna happen? You're gonna end up in the tub to get this fever down."
Kris just groaned. "I'm so tired, Adam. And I can't right now. Just let me sleep. I'll be better then."
But Adam kept trying, until Kris managed a couple swallows. A few minutes later, when nothing had happened, Adam held the bowl and encouraged Kris to eat a spoonful.
"You know this doesn't actually cure anything..." Kris complained.
"My grandma says it does, and my grandma's always right," Adam insisted gently. "Now stop stalling."
Kris got no more than a couple bites down before he felt hot and cold as nausea gripped him.
Adam thought fast and grabbed the trash can beside the bed, and whispered soothing words into his ear. He took care of everything, and then found the thermometer and stuck it in Kris's ear.
"104 is bad news," Adam said, sounding more and more concerned.
"Your soup is bad news..." Kris corrected weakly. "Just please leave me alone. I'm sorry I'm crabby but I really feel horrible right now."
But Adam wouldn't have it. He helped Kris to the bathroom and ran lukewarm water in the tub. Kris looked pale and thin, blinking at the brightness of the bathroom light. He shivered, though sweat beaded his forehead.
Gently, Adam coaxed Kris into the tub, plaid boxers and all, and did his best to keep Kris there.
"Adam, this is freezing!" Kris protested, teeth chattering.
"It's gonna be fine. Just until your fever comes down," Adam encouraged.
--
Hours later, Katy returned from a day of running errands, surprised to see Adam's car in the drive.
Upon further inspection there was a pot of soup on the stove and a gallon of orange juice in the fridge that hadn't been there before. She got Jesse and Kaleb settled watching a short movie and went to the bedroom to check on Kris.
She blinked, doing a double take. There was her husband, sitting up in bed, eating the soup and drinking juice. The TV was on ESPN and a kid on the Texas team hit a homerun in the Little League World Series. Adam was in the bed too. On her side. Lounging on top of the covers.
"Shit," Adam guffawed. "That kid right there? Looks just like my brother. I am not kidding. The braces the hair the ugly expression."
And just like that, Kris smiled, as his eyes met hers.
"Looks like your feeling better," she complimented.
"I am, yeah."
"Seriously, come look at this ugly kid. He looks just like Neil, I promise."
"Seriously, Adam? That's not nice," Katy admonished lightly, but came in further and glanced at the screen.
"Just like him! He's a scrawny little shit, but he plays good ball. Just like my Ugly," Adam said fondly. "Hey, I washed the sheets and stuff, so you won't be sleeping in germs tonight. I think the worst is behind him."
"Thanks, Adam. I didn't expect you to stay with him all day, but thank you," Katy nodded.
"Yeah, thanks," Kris echoed. "And hey, I guess your grandma was right."
"No problem," Adam said to Katy and then turned to Kris.
"See? I told you. Chicken soup cures anything."
Prompt: sick!Kris, caretaker!Adam, drama and angst with a happy ending. H/C Bingo: Old-school medical treatment.
Medium Fic
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the real people mentioned. Situations are either totally fabricated or a fictionalized version of real events. Not written for profit.
Author(s): ficdirectory
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: Written for _sapphiredreams request to the drabble meme & hc_bingo.
Kris was asleep. He had been asleep ever since Adam had arrived that morning when Katy had called. She had the boys and was determined to keep them busy so that they wouldn't get the nasty summer flu that Kris had.
She did what any good wife and mother would do. Slept on the couch and kept Kris quarantined in their bedroom. They had an adjoining bathroom, thank goodness. She called Adam that morning to ask if he was in town.
"Could you maybe call Kris today? Make sure he's still alive?" Katy asked.
"Yeah. Why, what's wrong with him?" Adam asked, blinking bleary eyes to try and read his alarm clock. It was too early for calls like these, especially on his day off.
"He's got the flu," Katy passed along.
"The Swine Flu!" Jesse interjected importantly, and loudly enough for Adam to hear.
"No," Katy said firmly. "He doesn't. Typical flu. Upset stomach, and I think a cold or something, too. Hold on, Kaleb wants to say something."
"Hi, Adam! You comin' over?" Kaleb asked sweetly.
Adam hesitated. He knew enough about Kris and Katy's boys not to tell them that he planned on coming over. Because then they would want to stay and play, and that wouldn't go over well with Katy, when she was trying to keep them healthy.
"Nope, sorry, buddy. Maybe another time."
"'Kay..." Kaleb said sadly.
Katy took the phone back and Adam agreed to call and check up on him. Little did she know, he planned on doing a lot more than that.
--
"Kris," Adam whispered, stepping into the darkened bedroom. He thought of the time during Idol when Kris cought the nasty hacking cough that had been going around. Adam had worn a surgical mask then, but this time, he had something better than that. A flu shot.
Under the mounds of blankets, Kris barely moved.
"Kris. Get up. I didn't slave over a hot stove all day making you damn chicken noodle soup so you could ignore me." Carefully, Adam set the bowl down on the nightstand, along with a glass of orange juice.
"If you don't get that out of here, I'm gonna hurl on you," Kris croaked. "I feel like death."
"You need to eat. Besides, my grandma swore by this. Chicken soup and plenty of orange juice for Vitamin C can cure anything. Seriously, you'll feel better if you eat," Adam encouraged, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"No. You'll feel better if I eat," Kris grumbled weakly. "Where's Katy?"
"She took the boys out so they wouldn't get what you've got. Jesse thinks it's Swine flu."
"Jesse thinks everything is Swine flu."
"Seriously. Eat. Don't make me feed you. I'll do it, too." Adam promised, but sympathy shone in his eyes. He laid a hand on Kris's forehead and grimaced. "You're really hot."
"So I've heard," Kris laughed, but ended up coughing. It sounded deep and congested.
Adam held a glass of water to Kris's lips. "You better drink this. Because the next thing that's gonna happen? You're gonna end up in the tub to get this fever down."
Kris just groaned. "I'm so tired, Adam. And I can't right now. Just let me sleep. I'll be better then."
But Adam kept trying, until Kris managed a couple swallows. A few minutes later, when nothing had happened, Adam held the bowl and encouraged Kris to eat a spoonful.
"You know this doesn't actually cure anything..." Kris complained.
"My grandma says it does, and my grandma's always right," Adam insisted gently. "Now stop stalling."
Kris got no more than a couple bites down before he felt hot and cold as nausea gripped him.
Adam thought fast and grabbed the trash can beside the bed, and whispered soothing words into his ear. He took care of everything, and then found the thermometer and stuck it in Kris's ear.
"104 is bad news," Adam said, sounding more and more concerned.
"Your soup is bad news..." Kris corrected weakly. "Just please leave me alone. I'm sorry I'm crabby but I really feel horrible right now."
But Adam wouldn't have it. He helped Kris to the bathroom and ran lukewarm water in the tub. Kris looked pale and thin, blinking at the brightness of the bathroom light. He shivered, though sweat beaded his forehead.
Gently, Adam coaxed Kris into the tub, plaid boxers and all, and did his best to keep Kris there.
"Adam, this is freezing!" Kris protested, teeth chattering.
"It's gonna be fine. Just until your fever comes down," Adam encouraged.
--
Hours later, Katy returned from a day of running errands, surprised to see Adam's car in the drive.
Upon further inspection there was a pot of soup on the stove and a gallon of orange juice in the fridge that hadn't been there before. She got Jesse and Kaleb settled watching a short movie and went to the bedroom to check on Kris.
She blinked, doing a double take. There was her husband, sitting up in bed, eating the soup and drinking juice. The TV was on ESPN and a kid on the Texas team hit a homerun in the Little League World Series. Adam was in the bed too. On her side. Lounging on top of the covers.
"Shit," Adam guffawed. "That kid right there? Looks just like my brother. I am not kidding. The braces the hair the ugly expression."
And just like that, Kris smiled, as his eyes met hers.
"Looks like your feeling better," she complimented.
"I am, yeah."
"Seriously, come look at this ugly kid. He looks just like Neil, I promise."
"Seriously, Adam? That's not nice," Katy admonished lightly, but came in further and glanced at the screen.
"Just like him! He's a scrawny little shit, but he plays good ball. Just like my Ugly," Adam said fondly. "Hey, I washed the sheets and stuff, so you won't be sleeping in germs tonight. I think the worst is behind him."
"Thanks, Adam. I didn't expect you to stay with him all day, but thank you," Katy nodded.
"Yeah, thanks," Kris echoed. "And hey, I guess your grandma was right."
"No problem," Adam said to Katy and then turned to Kris.
"See? I told you. Chicken soup cures anything."