A/N: This is loosely based on a scene in The Cosby Show episode "A Shirt Story" and inspired by the prompt 'Hate.' Hope you enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Hate

Michael hated being sick.

He hated the way it made him feel and he hated having to take it easy which only made him feel useless and bored. And he hated that as well.

So when he woke up feeling feverish he knew it was going to be a bad day. Fortunately it turned out to be a fairly light day at work which meant that he was able to come home early.

However by the time he got home he felt so ill that it was all he could do to sidestep the children (and the dog) and make his way upstairs. Once he reached the relative safety of the bedroom he flopped, face down, on the bed.

Jackie found him a couple of hours later, still in the same position on the bed. "Are you all right, Michael?" she asked, coming over to the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine," came the muffled reply.

Jackie raised an eyebrow, "Are you sick?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No," he said firmly, rolling over onto his back, "I'm just resting."

"Mm-hm," she said, unconvinced. "Why do you always pretend not be sick?" she asked, moving to feel his forehead.

He gently swatted her hand away, "I'm not sick, I'm just resting."

"You're grumpy..." she began.

"I'm not grumpy," he protested, "I'm just lying down."

"You're always grumpy when you're sick," Jackie countered.

"I'm not sick!"

Jackie gave him a pointed look, "Then what are you?"

"I'm lying down!"

Jackie tried to suppress her smile, she was about to comment further when Nerys came into the room. She paused when she caught sight of Michael, "Daddy, you're lying down."

"Right!" Michael agreed. Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Are you sick?" she asked, this time making Jackie laugh, Michael hit her playfully with one of the pillows.

"What's the matter?" Jackie asked, after giving Michael a playful shove in return.

"I was just wondering whether Daddy would like to come and play monopoly with us, Jimmy wants to be banker but I think Daddy should be because Jimmy cheats," Nerys replied.

"I do not!" Jimmy protested, walking into the room and catching the tail end of her comment. He caught sight of Michael, "Hey Dad are you-?"

"-lying down," Michael finished for him.

Jimmy glanced at Jackie who turned to Michael looking amused, "Well? Are you going to join them?" she asked after a brief pause.

Michael gave her a pathetic look and Jackie laughed, "Your father's resting," she informed them, mouthing 'sick,' they nodded, "so you'll either have to play on your own or wait until later."

Both children nodded again and left, "I saw that," Michael said as Jackie stood up to follow them.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You told them I was sick," he said pouting.

Jackie smiled, "But you are sick, darling, you just won't admit it," she told him sweetly before leaving the room.

Michael pulled a face behind her back.

He added how she always knew when he was sick to the list of things he hated about being sick; even though he knew he didn't really and, in fact, secretly enjoyed the extra attention he received from her when he was sick. He just wasn't ready to admit she was right.

Not yet.

At some point he must have dozed off because he found himself taken completely unawares by Jackie as she returned a little while later with a bowl of chicken soup on a tray. "Chicken soup for the invalid," she announced, walking in with a smile.

Michael blinked painfully in the light and sat up stiffly, he looked at her with bleary eyes as she came level with the bed. "Jackie...I'm sick," he admitted.

Jackie smothered a grin as she put the tray down on the bedside table, "I know."

"Will you take care of me?" he asked pitifully, she smiled as she sat down next to him with her back resting against the cushions.

"Yes," she told him, putting a comforting arm around his shoulders.

He let his head drop to her shoulder, "Will you tuck me in?"

She suppressed a giggle as she kissed him on the forehead, "Yes," she repeated.

"Will you stay with me for a little bit?" he asked, still sounding pitiful.

"Yes," she agreed again, smoothing back his hair and dropping another kiss on his forehead.

"And will you...turn off that light?"

This time Jackie couldn't help the giggle that escaped as she slid out of his embrace, "Of course," she said, "once I've gotten you settled," she added, moving to slip his shoes off.

Once she'd removed his shoes and helped him change into something more comfortable than his suit, she made sure he took some of the medicine she had brought up before tucking him expertly under the covers. Moving back to her side of the bed she turned the bedside lamp on, turning it so that the light shone towards the wall before turning off the main light.

"Now you try and get some rest, Michael, I'll come check on you later," she promised, coming around once more to his side of the bed to plant a kiss on the top of his head.

"I hate being sick, Jackie," he told her sulkily as she straightened.

She smiled sympathetically, "I know you do Michael."

"But I love having you to take care of me," he added, starting to sound a little groggy from the medicine.

"Get some sleep Michael," she told him gently, double checking that the blankets were tucked in properly.

"Yes ma'am," he teased sleepily as his eyes slid shut, Jackie watched him for a few moments before leaving the room.

She smiled to herself as she shut the door quietly behind her. Sometimes Michael could be worse than the children, but she did secretly enjoyed being able to take care of him for a change. Besides he was rather endearing in his drugged up state.

She was broken from her reverie by the children arguing over the monopoly game, shaking her head she made her way downstairs.