Getting it Together

Cough Syrup

TW: sickness, ice bath, medicine mentions, fever, forced undressing

Virgil coughed. Patton had had him on bed rest ever since he had started to get sick. According to him, his fever hadn't gone down. Even Amelia had looked a little worried when she'd taken his temperature.

Virgil was now effectively in a quarantine. Except for Patton, he came whenever he could, apparently. Damien couldn't even come in the room. Which seemed to really worry him.

Sela couldn't come in either, which meant that Virgil could see bits of her whenever Patton came in with medicine. She scratched at the door a lot.

Now was one of the times she was scratching at the door while Patton sat at the end of his bed, folding up Some of the blankets that were on Damien's bed.

Patton looked over at Virgil and sighed. His son was so sick, and he couldn't do anything to help. There was nothing he could do to bring down his... well. "I'll be back in just a minute Virgie. I have to go do something."

"Ok," Virgil nodded, fiddling with a stray string on his blanket.

Patton came back about twenty minutes later and started to pull Virgil out of bed before deciding to carry him to wherever they were going.

Which was the bathroom. Virgil was half asleep, so he almost didn't fight when Patton started to pull off his shirt.

At least, until he saw the bathtub... Which was filled to almost the top with ice and water. Virgil let out a quiet yell when Patton started to pull off his shirt. He tried to hold it down, but he was still extremely sick and weak.

"No, no, dad, please. Please, please, don't, don't, don't! Please don't, I'll-I'll drink it! I'll drink ice water! Or I'll sleep without blankets, please! Don't! I don't wanna! Please!" Patton finally worked Virgil's shirt off him and reached for his pants.

"Shhh, it's ok Virgie, I promise. We need to get your fever down. You'll thank me when you feel better, I promise." Virgil lets out a sob as the pants came off and Patton picked him up again.

"Please! Please! Please, dad, please. I'll do anything! Please don't put me in there! I'll take medicine! I'll-" Virgil cut himself off with an almost ear-shattering scream when he was put in the freezing water.

Which did not at all go unnoticed by anyone else. Sela started scratching at the door when Virgil screamed, leaving a million scratches on the door as she howled in alarm. Damien ran upstairs and started knocking on Remus's door as loud as he could, trying to get someone's attention.

Remus started pounding on his own door, worried for everyone on the other side. Patton had let him keep Thomas with him now while Virgil was sick, not wanting to risk having Thomas get sick.

Of course, it didn't do any good as Virgil continued to scream.

"Shh, I know Virgey. You'll be fine in a minute." Patton says in a soothing tone, forcing Virgil's head under the water. "This will bring down your fever..."

Logan had raced upstairs with Roman, both trying to force the door open.

"Patton, he has chemical pneumonia, you can't give him an ice bath!" Logan protests.

"Bunny, I know what's best for my family, okay?" Patton says simply. "Ice is cold, and it brings down fevers.

"Patton, please! It's like throwing him in a lake during winter, he could get even sicker and die!" Roman pleads.

Patton looks to the door, and then at his shivering, sobbing son. "I don't want Virgey to die..."

"It's okay Patton," Logan says calmly, pressing his hand against the wood of the door. "He won't. Can you take him out of there, please? For me? We can wrap him up and give him more medicine, and watch a movie..."

Patton opens the door.

///632 Words