HOME REMEDIES
It started with a case of the sniffles. Nothing more than an annoying slightly stuffy nose. Blair took an extra 500 mg of vitamin C and some Echinacea
He left his hat home while running to the Farmer's market for organic tomatoes. It was Spring for Pete's sake! No need to get bundled up. So, he got a little damp. The sniffles began to drip and a tickled sensation at the back of the throat made itself known.
Blair took an extra 500 mg of vitamin C and some Echinacea and three zinc tablets.
Ten students came to his office hours, all of them with lengthy, convoluted reasons why they couldn't do the assignment. Six of them claimed they had the flu and coughed on Blair to prove it. Blair coughed back at his class the next day.
Blair took an extra 500 mg of vitamin C and some Echinacea and three zinc tablets. The anthropology department secretary had given him a packet of tar-flavoured tablets guaranteed to kill germs in Scandinavians.
Blair was sure by now that he didn't have a drop of Scandinavian blood in him. Jim made a few pithy remarks about taking care of himself and gave him a small tin of Tiger Balm that he swore saved his life through many a cold.
Blair took an extra 500 mg of vitamin C and some Echinacea and three zinc tablets. The Tiger Balm on his upper lip seemed to negate the vile flavor of the two tar tablets he sucked on before going to bed.
Blair was touched by the solicitousness of the men and women of the Major Crimes unit. He was presented with three different kinds of teas during the day. Megan gave him ginger and green tea with a daub of wild honey that soothed the ragged throat. Rafe had brought him some obscure South African bark tea that tasted bitter but amazingly cleared his clogged sinuses for a miraculous and comforting two minutes. Joel's 'tea' was mostly warmed cognac which didn't cure anything, but gave him a warm fuzzy feeling. Rhonda brought in some chicken soup which he ate even though he didn't feel that hungry. The Tiger Balm on his upper lip messed with the smell and flavor. Simon gave him some good advice and loaned him a vaporizer and a jar of Vapo rub. It worked through all of Daryl's colds as a kid, it would work for Blair.
Just before going to bed, Blair took an extra 500 mg of vitamin C and some Echinacea and three zinc tablets. He rubbed Tiger Balm on his upper lip even though he'd lost some feeling in that part of his face earlier. The vaporizer was burbling happily in his room spreading mentholated mist around the flat. Luckily, Jim didn't seem to find it irritating. He popped the last, thank God, of the tar tablets in his mouth and crawled into bed.
The vaporizers burbling was echoed by a faint rumble in Blair's stomach. He coughed slightly and a very nasty taste came to the back of his throat. He gave a hard suck on the last sliver of the tar tablet trying to negate that taste. His stomach burbled louder. Blair held his breath trying to keep the cough at bay. The tickle in the back of his throat and the now groaning noises from his digestive tract was becoming acute.
Blair coughed and burped, and gagged and coughed, and burped louder and ran for the bathroom.
He threw it all up, the teas, the soup, the vitamins, the tar tablets, the supper Jim had made, the Echinacea. He washed his face, scrubbing away any trace of the Tiger Balm from his upper lip. He wasn't surprised to find that the spot was raw looking and chafed. He also wasn't surprised to find Jim standing behind him.
"You okay, Chief? You need anything?"
"Um yeah, I'm okay." Blair snagged a piece of toilet paper and blew his nose loudly. "Could you unplug that vaporizer thing? I don't really need it." Blair needed to distract the Sentinel for a few moments.
Jim brightened. "Sure thing buddy." The sound and smell of the fiendish machine had been about to drive him crazy. He would put it on the balcony.
Blair rinsed the most awful taste from his mouth. He heard Jim unplug the vaporizer and open the balcony door. He opened the medicine chest and took out a bottle of Ibuprofen, shook out two tablets and swallowed them quickly with a handful of water. His stomach gave a gurgle and he burped, but it was only a tasteless Ibuprofen burp.
"Feeling okay?" Jim was hovering at the bathroom door.
"Better." Blair sighed tiredly and gave his Blessed Protector a wan smile. "All it takes is the right home remedy," He gave his friend a light punch on the arm, "and friends who care."