Second Chances (Hawaii 5-O fanfic)

sick days

•Steve McGarrett's House•
Steve was woken up by a little foot in his face. That foot belonged to his adorable little sister, Leah. In the middle of the night she must have moved around and got to the foot of Steve's bed with her face at the end of the bed. Steve smiles, and grabs the little foot and tickles it for a few seconds, the recipient of the foot, starts kicking wildly and giggling like crazy. “Stop it Stevie!” Leah's usually sweet and adorable little voice was hoarse. Steve stops and calls for Leah to come see him, so she does. “Yes, Stevie?” Her little voice is hoarse and rough. “Are you sick too?” Steve asks the little girl. “I don't know but I was coughing all night long!” Leah's voice was raspy. “Does anything else hurt or?” Steve questions. “My throat is scratchy and hurts, Stevie” Leah whines, croakly. Steve carefully gets out of bed doing his best to not wake Luke especially when he's not feeling well, once out of bed he makes his way to the kids' bathroom and retrieves the thermometer, this time for Leah. Crawling back into his comfy, and warm bed, Steve calls for Leah again and this time she climbs into his lap. Just like last night with Luke, Steve moves and holds Leah's hair from her face and with the other hand gently presses the thermometer to Leah's forehead and waits for the beeps. 'Beep beep beep' signaling that the thermometer has gotten a reading of Leah's temperature. “102.3” Steve says, reading the numbers of the tiny screen. “I have a fever, Stevie?” Leah still curious as ever even when sick, asks. “Yes, my lemon drop, you do.” Steve answers her with a small chuckle. “Lemme see if Lukey has one still,” and with that Steve carefully reaches over and holds Luke's hair out of his face, and presses the thermometer to his forehead gently and waits again for a 3rd time for the beeping. 'Beep beep beep' Steve checks the thermometer and it reads, '101.3' “Does bubbah have a fever too?” Leah inquires, curiously. “Yes, it's lowering down some but still a fever and I don't like it. Both of my siblings have fevers at the same time?” Steve answers Leah and mainly talks to himself towards the end. “Okay, lemon drop I'mma give you the two options I gave your brother yesterday, ok?” Steve tells Leah in a soft tone. Leah nods, “You remember what they were or do I need to remind you?” Steve asks, gently. “I remember, Stevie, I'm super smart!” Leah proud of herself and as she should be, states. “Oh I know you're super duper smart, my lemon drop!” Steve says, proudly. And kisses her head, she feels super warm too. “Okay, what are your options?” Steve asks, patiently waiting for her answer. “Take my medicine like a big girl or like a toddler, and I choose big girl!” Leah says, showing her best brave face. “That's my girl, high five!” Steve holds his hand up for her hand. The hands collide together with a solid smack, and they both laugh and Steve wraps his big hand around her little hand. “Here you are, milady.” Steve hands her the little medicine cup full of pink liquid, pre-dozed for her age and weight of course. Leah makes it more fun by taking the medicine like a shot of tequila! While Steve quietly cheers her on, as Luke is still sleeping next to them. “Proud of you my lemon drop!” Steve takes the empty medicine cup and trades her a water bottle. Leah smiles proudly, not only at the comment her big bro made but the fact she took her medicine like a big girl! Now to wake Luke up and fight him to take his medicine. Wish Steve luck! He'll need it! Gently shaking Luke awake, he opens his brown eyes and looks at Steve, groggily. “Hey, Lukey, I know you're still tired and not feeling well, but you still have a fever, so I need you to take some medicine for me and then you can go right back to sleep as soon as it's over, ok?” Steve says, stifling a laugh at Luke's mean mug right now. It's quite an adorable sight. “C'mon, bud, it'll be quick.” Steve encourages Luke when he simply rolls his eyes and growls at Steve like a bear for daring to disrupt his peaceful slumber. Steve pours out the proper dosage for a boy of Luke's age and weight and hands it to the still sleepy boy. “No!” Luke refuses to even take the small medicine cup from Steve. “Lukey, you know I'm not afraid to hold you down again and force you to take this, right? You know I usually don't force you or Leah to do things against your will but when it's something as serious as taking medicine that'll help you feel better, you know I'll win this battle.” Steve calmly explains to Luke, trying his best to maintain his patience even though he's tired himself. But Luke still refuses to even take the cup from Steve, and instead turns over with his back towards Steve and buries his face into the pillows. Steve feeling a bit frustrated with the situation, not at Luke though, but with the situation, sits the medicine cup down on his nightstand and climbs on top of Luke and sits on him but doesn't brace himself on Luke as Steve is a grown adult and could possibly hurt Luke by accident if he were to brace himself on Luke. Straddling Luke, he grabs the medicine cup and forces Luke's mouth open and pours the liquid in Luke's mouth. Steve warns sternly not to spit it out or he'll have to stand in the corner for 10 minutes and it'll delay his time getting back to sleep. Luke wisely swallows the medicine. “Get off me now, big lug!” Luke says, dramatically. “But I'm quite comfortable here, I think I'll stay, but thanks!” Steve teases the boy. Luke tries to wiggle himself free out from underneath Steve but Steve acts like a heavy rock and refuses to move. He starts laughing at his little brother's failed attempts to escape, “You're mean!” Luke cries, “I'm not mean, I'm quite nice actually, you just hurt my feelings,” Steve feign pouts. Luke giggles, “Meanie!” Steve crosses his arms around his chest in a feign protest at Luke's last comment. Steve decides to lay down on top of Luke, again not bracing himself though, he's kind of in a plank position on top of Luke and he's giggling as Steve's scruffy beard lightly scratches his face. “Something funny? Huh?” Steve teases. “Get off, you big lug!” Luke says, playfully punching Steve in his chest. “Who you calling a big lug, little boy?” Steve teases, rolling onto his side and pinching Luke's sides as Luke tries to squirm away from the pinch attacks, giggling away. Steve's phone rings, interrupting the fun, picking up his phone, Luke answers it! “Uncle Danny!” Luke says with a huge grin upon his adorable little face. Steve's teasing him, “Gimme my phone back, kid!” and laughing. Steve is laughing at his brother's attempts to maintain the upper hand and keep control of his phone when he finally breaks out the big guns, he unleashes the monster but not just any monster, the tickle monster! “Un-Uncle Da-danny! He-help! He-he's tickling me!” Luke cries out on the phone. “Oh no, well you better give him his phone before he tickles you mercilessly, Lulu!” Danny playfully warns his nephew. “Never!!” Luke squeals into the phone. With all the excitement, Luke ends up throwing up all over Steve. “S-sorry” Luke says, embarrassed. Steve without saying anything takes the phone from Luke, and has him sit up, halting any further assault on the boy. And goes into big bro mode. “Steve? Luke? What's going on? Everything okay?” Danny asks on the other end of the line. “We're good, Luke just got sick and threw up, it's ok. We're okay, right Lukey? It was just an accident.” Steve tells Luke and answers Danny's urgent questions. “So I take it that Leah is not going to school today?” Danny asks, letting out a small sigh of relief that everyone is okay. “Correct, she's running a fever and apparently was up all night coughing, poor girl is knocked out cold on my bedroom floor,” Steve says with a little chuckle to Danny. “Looks like I'm going to have my hands full today with two sick kiddos.” Steve tells Danny, “Well it's a good thing I'm here to help!” Danny says, as him and Gracie walk into Steve's room. “What're you doing here?” Steve asks, still holding the phone to his ear. “Well before we left the house today, Gracie was complaining about her belly hurting her and so I felt her forehead and low and behold she's running a fever. 101.4” Danny replies. “Gracie, girl, you're not feeling good either?” Steve asks, getting off his bed, putting his phone on the nightstand and walking over to Gracie and hugging her. “No, uncle Steve, my throat hurts too” Grace answers her uncle, returning the hug. “You give her any medicine yet?” Steve asks Danny, looking over at him as he's carefully scooping up Leah into his arms and laying her down next to Luke, her twin brother in Steve's bed. “No, I didn't, why would I give my sick daughter medicine? Of course I did, I've been a dad for almost 10 years now, stevie.” Danny answers sarcastically. “Grace, you wanna get up in my bed and watch SpongeBob SquarePants with Leah and Luke? Granted they're both asleep again.” Steve asks with a chuckle. Gracie nods, and Steve picks her up and places her in his bed next to Leah. Steve turns on his TV in his bedroom for the kids; yes I know Luke is grounded still but we went over this in the last chapter, he's sick, cut the boy some slack. He turns on SpongeBob SquarePants, kissing all the kids' heads, he covers the kiddos up and they snuggle in together. Danny kisses their heads as well and leaves the room with Steve. “Well, looks like I'm not going to work today.” Steve says, running his hands through his hair. “Me either, should we call Chin and Kono and tell them we're not making it into work today? I mean we can't leave 3 sick kids home alone nor bring them into the office.” Danny replies. Just then Steve got an idea, snapping his fingers, “You're right, we can't take the kids to headquarters but we can -” Steve is cut off, “I just said that! Pay attention, man!” Danny's sarcastic self states. Steve playfully smacks Danny upside his head, “Ow! What was that for?” Danny's pained expression says. “You know what that was for, mister” Steve sasses. “Let me finish now!” And with that, Steve continues. “We can't take the kids to headquarters so bring headquarters to us. We can work out of my house today and until the kids start feeling better.” He finishes.