Pumpkin Pie 3, Poached Pear 21: Cough Syrup
Title: Cough Syrup
Main Story: In The Heart -- The Caramel Project
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Pumpkin pie 3 (potion), poached pear 21 (chew and swallow), cherry (urban fantasy), chopped nuts (that one magic AU), caramel (for the caramel project, even), fresh blueberries (The only thing I can recommend at this stage is a sense of humor, an ability to see things in their ridiculous and absurd dimensions, to laugh at others and at ourselves, a sense of irony regarding everything that calls out for parody in this world.).
Word Count: 432
Rating: G.
Summary: Magic versus science versus ungrateful children, or, Thomas has a cold and Zack is the voice of reason for once.
Notes: Thomas strikes again.
Thomas eyed the violently pink syrup, and announced, "I’m not drinking that," before breaking into another fit of coughing.
His parents, arrayed around his bed, exchanged looks and, in Zack's case, a well-hidden eyeroll. "It will ease the coughing," Summer told him, when he subsided.
He gave the pink another sidelong look, and pulled the covers up to his chest. "How?"
"Well." She settled onto the bed beside him, looking rather pleased, and balanced the little plastic container on her palm. "It depends on whether the syrup has codeine in it or not. This is over the counter, so I doubt that it does, but if it did have codeine in it, the codeine would reduce your breathing rate and redirect any urge to cough back to the brain." She held the syrup up to the light. "But since this is an over-the-counter syrup, it will likely form a coating on the throat to keep that little tickle from causing a cough. Of course, it might have dextromethorphan in it, and that operates much the same way as..."
Thomas's eyes were glazing over.
Felipe rolled his own eyes-- ask a doctor, get a doctor's answer-- took the cough syrup away from Summer, and handed it to his son, saying, "It's a magic potion. It will make you stop coughing. Now drink it before I pinch your nose shut and pour it down your throat."
Thomas gave him an aggrivated look, and said, "You don't have to be mean," but he downed the syrup.
"Felipe," Summer said, and gave her husband an identical aggrivated look. He hid a grin-- no guesses where the kid had gotten that expression. "It is not a magic potion. It's science. They are very different."
"It could be a magic potion," Felipe said. "Magic and science are very hard to tell apart at certain levels, you know. That's why forensics uses both."
"I prefer science," Summer said, her voice level. "I know how it works. I bought the one that's chemically formulated."
"I know how magic works too," Felipe said. "Will and intensity. You've got enough of both, I don't know why you..."
"Children," Zack said,. "It's just cough syrup."
"Yeah," Thomas said, loftily, as if he hadn't just refused to have anything to do with it. "It's only medicine."
Zack grinned down at him, and ruffled his hair. "Mommy and Papi are very silly, aren't they?"
Thomas nodded wisely. "They are. Can I have a popsicle?"
"No," Summer said.
"No popsicles for ungrateful children," Felipe added.
"Tyrants," Zack said.
Thomas stuck his tongue out at them all.
Main Story: In The Heart -- The Caramel Project
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Pumpkin pie 3 (potion), poached pear 21 (chew and swallow), cherry (urban fantasy), chopped nuts (that one magic AU), caramel (for the caramel project, even), fresh blueberries (The only thing I can recommend at this stage is a sense of humor, an ability to see things in their ridiculous and absurd dimensions, to laugh at others and at ourselves, a sense of irony regarding everything that calls out for parody in this world.).
Word Count: 432
Rating: G.
Summary: Magic versus science versus ungrateful children, or, Thomas has a cold and Zack is the voice of reason for once.
Notes: Thomas strikes again.
Thomas eyed the violently pink syrup, and announced, "I’m not drinking that," before breaking into another fit of coughing.
His parents, arrayed around his bed, exchanged looks and, in Zack's case, a well-hidden eyeroll. "It will ease the coughing," Summer told him, when he subsided.
He gave the pink another sidelong look, and pulled the covers up to his chest. "How?"
"Well." She settled onto the bed beside him, looking rather pleased, and balanced the little plastic container on her palm. "It depends on whether the syrup has codeine in it or not. This is over the counter, so I doubt that it does, but if it did have codeine in it, the codeine would reduce your breathing rate and redirect any urge to cough back to the brain." She held the syrup up to the light. "But since this is an over-the-counter syrup, it will likely form a coating on the throat to keep that little tickle from causing a cough. Of course, it might have dextromethorphan in it, and that operates much the same way as..."
Thomas's eyes were glazing over.
Felipe rolled his own eyes-- ask a doctor, get a doctor's answer-- took the cough syrup away from Summer, and handed it to his son, saying, "It's a magic potion. It will make you stop coughing. Now drink it before I pinch your nose shut and pour it down your throat."
Thomas gave him an aggrivated look, and said, "You don't have to be mean," but he downed the syrup.
"Felipe," Summer said, and gave her husband an identical aggrivated look. He hid a grin-- no guesses where the kid had gotten that expression. "It is not a magic potion. It's science. They are very different."
"It could be a magic potion," Felipe said. "Magic and science are very hard to tell apart at certain levels, you know. That's why forensics uses both."
"I prefer science," Summer said, her voice level. "I know how it works. I bought the one that's chemically formulated."
"I know how magic works too," Felipe said. "Will and intensity. You've got enough of both, I don't know why you..."
"Children," Zack said,. "It's just cough syrup."
"Yeah," Thomas said, loftily, as if he hadn't just refused to have anything to do with it. "It's only medicine."
Zack grinned down at him, and ruffled his hair. "Mommy and Papi are very silly, aren't they?"
Thomas nodded wisely. "They are. Can I have a popsicle?"
"No," Summer said.
"No popsicles for ungrateful children," Felipe added.
"Tyrants," Zack said.
Thomas stuck his tongue out at them all.
