Sherlock Preferences, Imagines & Oneshots

When They're Sick [Preferences]

Sherlock

Tries to keep working on cases, but he's really bad at faking, because his posture changes so that he's more hunched over than usual, he's congested so he tries this weird accent to hide it (he thinks it makes him sound normal, but he sounds like Dr. Strange, or Batman if his throat is also scratchy), he's more clumsy (if he runs, it's somehow not straight, and he'll bump into a doorway he 100% knew was there). The most obvious indicator is a pinkish tint in the end of his nose.

There are a few more tells you're able to catch onto, you you immediately know he's sick, and make him rest.

You call in to work, because if you're not supervising, he'll run around chasing criminals despite having a fever, yell despite having a scratchy throat, and will have to stop mid-investigation to vomit behind a bin. On top of this, he will either not take any medicine, or take so much medicine that he starts hallucinating. In short, if you are not there, it will be so much worse the next day.

Once you do convince him to let him take care of you, he becomes a baby, and all the things you told him to do (like stay in bed) become his excuses not to do things.

He'll insist the two of you sleep in different rooms because he doesn't want you getting sick (even though he would never do this when you're sick). At the same time, he is extremely cuddly.

You let him take the bed because being in the living room on the sofa was too distracting for him and there were too many methods for him to attempt an escape—meaning you're sleeping on the sofa. At one point, though, he'll get up wrapped up in his blanket and make his way to the living room. He'll rip off the covers you were using so that he can wrap you up in the blanket he's using—he lays up against your chest, wraps his legs around yours, and nuzzles his face into the place where your shoulder and neck meet. He passes out very quickly when he cuddles you like this, and since he's sick (and most likely already sleep deprived) it is near impossible to wake him up.

John

Usually when it's not that bad, he welcomes you helping you with open arms. He gives you little praises like: "you didn't have to, you're such an angel" and "I honestly don't know where I'd be without you".

He has patience with you when he's sick—mostly because you busy yourself by going around and doing things for him. But when people bother him, he gets incredibly sassy. This happens because he tries to push aside being sick—working with Sherlock and being a doctor means he's constantly busy, and he feels like he can't take a day off.

But when he has a fit of coughs, and you gently push him back onto the bed, and starting bringing stuff—he feels a little better about being sick. He appreciates that you're taking care of him. He calls in to work, and you call Sherlock—usually with the excuse that he's too sick to talk, or sleeping. 

Mycroft

Unlike his brother, Mycroft is good at pretending like he isn't sick. Of course, he has his tells, but unless you're able to tell he has a fever before he goes in to work, he'll go.

Walking into his office when he's sick, there are two tells:
1) the tissue box is on his desk—normally it is kept in the upper drawer—he buys the rectangular box so that it can fit into smaller spaces, and usually doesn't like to have it cluttering his desk unless he needs to use it more frequently.
2) the disinfectant wipes are on his desk—normally kept in the bottom drawer for when someone else has been using his things, sickness is going around the office, or other reasons. Even though he came into work sick—he still wants to keep things clean, so he's frequently disinfecting things after touching them. They're the citrus kind, so that's what the room smells like now.

If you don't catch on in the morning and don't see him while he's working—it's obvious when he comes home. He's paler than usual, and adamantly avoids your gaze hoping you won't see circles starting to form under his eyes.

He heads straight for bed and turns all the lights off.

He doesn't like being taken care of, and doesn't really have much of an appetite, so you have to convince him to eat soup before he actually falls asleep. You can usually do this by giving him some medicine for his headache and the fever—how also place your hand on his head and rub his forehead with your thumb, which he finds soothing (it also alleviates his headache a bit).

Lestrade

He tries to go to work, but after about 20 minutes of a pounding headache that makes his world feel like it's spinning, he realizes coffee isn't going to help, and gets back into bed. He stays in bed all day, and doesn't really want much to eat or drink, but he will let you take care of him. 

He'll eventually ask for soup, or tea, or ice cream of some sort. His sinuses get hit pretty hard, so there's a pile of tissues on his side of the bed.  

He'll get better within about 3 days usually—he's good at taking care of himself when he's sick, and also drinks a lot of orange juice since it has Vitamin C. He falls asleep when you curl up next to him. 

Sometimes he still gets involved with work, and will make a call or two to John to make sure Sherlock isn't getting into any trouble. Well...isn't getting into too much trouble.

Molly

She doesn't even attempt to get up and "push through it". Usually when she's sick, it means she needs to rest, and she knows this pretty well. That being said, she will be calling in sick. 

She's gotten mostly used to the scent of cadavers, but when she has a headache? She'd rather not—especially when she knows you'll be there taking care of her.

Moriarty 

The definition of a drama king. He will tell you that he is dying, and will want all of your attention. Your undivided attention. 

He also wants you at his beck-and-call. He will ask you to bring him things. If you are working, he will especially do this as an excuse to see you. Even if he just has a cold, or a little sniffle, he will want you to take his illness 100% seriously. 

Irene

She isn't really able to do her job when she's sick. She appreciates the company you offer her, but her main goal is to get better as soon as possible. Because of this, she mostly takes care of herself—already having the medicine in the cupboard, and getting plenty of rest. 

She isn't very needy or dramatic, and honesty, she could go the entire time of her being sick without feeling the need to tell you. She likes taking care of herself.