A/N: I've been working on this project for awhile. Sometimes, I have sickfic ideas, but don't want to turn them into full-length stories. This space will allow me to write them and post them and not have to come up with complicated plots and drama.

I may also include "extra" scenes from my other stories, which will be noted.

I'm posting this today since this first ficlet is set during Thanksgiving. I hope it's a great one for all of my American readers who celebrate. :) I am thankful for all of my readers today and every day. Enjoy.

I do not own The Fosters.

Callie - H1N1

Chapter 1

Thursday - 2:11 PM

"Everything smells delicious," Dana remarked as Lena opened the oven to check on the turkey.

"I hope it all tastes good, too. I just wish Callie could join us."

"How is she?" Sharon wondered.

Stef sighed. "She's feeling pretty bad. Severe fatigue, aches, chills. Her headache's less menacing."

"What did the doctor say?" Dana asked this time.

"Callie tested positive for flu and based on how quickly she got sick, it's more than likely H1N1. Lena and I are on preventative antiviral drugs and the kids are not allowed contact with her. She's hopefully asleep; NyQuil's barely helping. I'm gonna go check on her."

"I'll come with you."

Dana followed Stef upstairs, who quietly opened Callie's and Mariana's bedroom door. "Callie? You awake?"

"Mhm." She was rolled over facing them, bunched up under blankets, eyes closed. Her skin was completely void of color.

"You've got a visitor."

Stef and Dana walked closer as Callie opened her eyes. "Hey, Gram. Happy Thanksgiving," she wished her wryly with a weak chuckle.

"Hey, baby. So sorry you're sick. On a holiday break, no less." She felt Callie's forehead. "Stef, this child is burning up."

The blonde nodded. "103."

"Poor thing."

Callie coughed, managing to pull the blankets up to cover them. They were deep and painful. She moaned a little.

"You okay, Cal?"

"Yeah," she rasped. "I'm okay."

Stef brought a glass and straw to her daughter's lips. "Drink all of this."

Callie begrudgingly moved to do so, finishing all of the water and letting her head rest heavily on her pillows.

"Good girl. Do you need anything?"

"No."

"Okay. Just rest."

Dana kissed Callie's hair and they left her alone.

Later, everyone was eating dinner together at the dining room table, feasting upon turkey and all the trimmings.

Callie had managed to get a bit of sleep in between waves of chills and fever. However, she had a more pressing matter at that moment: she needed to use the bathroom. She did not have the strength to yell, so she blindly reached for her phone and called Stef.

"What do you need, Cal?"

"Bathroom."

"Okay, I'll be right up."

Callie hung up and waited for her mom to come in. Doing this was a process. Callie was extremely weak; moving to sit on the edge of her bed left her lightheaded.

Stef helped her stand; she took her time but still saw spots as she rose to her feet.

At that, Callie exhaled, closing her eyes. She swayed slightly, but Stef kept a firm hold on her.

"You okay, babe?"

"I think I should stay in bed. This is too much."

"I've got you. We'll go at your pace. No rush."

The two of them shuffled slowly to the bathroom. Callie finished and leaned heavily on the sink to pull herself up. "Mom...I'm done," she called out, breathing hard at having to keep herself upright on her own.

Stef entered and it hurt her heart to see her daughter so weak and sick; she was a shell of herself. "Give me one second, Cal."

Stef left to pull back the covers on Callie's bed and returned to the girl. "Callie, I'm gonna pick you up and carry you to bed."

"No, Mom. I can make it," she tried to protest, failing miserably, knowing how tired she sounded.

"I know, but you're clearly drained. You need to save your strength, love, so you can get better. Let me do this?"

"Fine," Callie sighed.

Stef stepped up behind her. "Ready?" She wrapped an arm around her back and the other under her knees. Callie let her head fall against her mom's shoulder as they went back to the bedroom. Stef lay Callie down and covered her up.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Thanks," Callie breathed as a hard shiver rippled through her body.

"Oh, baby," Stef murmured sympathetically, smoothing Callie's hair and adjusting her blankets.

"Go eat. I'm okay, Mom. Gonna sleep..."

"Alright. I'll be downstairs."

[][][][][][]

Friday - 3:42 AM

Callie woke up with a start. She moaned in pain; her aches were out in full force. No amount of layers could stave off the chills that shook her to her core.

Her moans were enough to wake Stef up as well. She'd set up camp next to Callie's bed, just as she had the previous night. "Callie?" she mumbled, sitting up. "What is it?"

A pair of glassy, brown eyes stared back. "My bones...are on fire...hurts." She sounded near tears.

"Okay. I'm right here." She brushed hair out of Callie's face and put her hand to clammy, fevered skin, finding it to be worse than earlier. They had been warned of this possibility. "My love, you are hot."

"I don't feel hot," Callie chattered, shaking, as if she needed to further prove it.

"I'm gonna turn the lamp on." Stef did and grabbed the thermometer, placing the tip in Callie's ear. "Oh, boy. 104.2. I'll be right back."

Stef returned with water and washcloths, deciding that ice packs or a tepid bath would be too big of a shock to her system. Despite the high temperature, she wasn't too alarmed as Callie wasn't acting strange or out of character. "I'm gonna wipe you down, okay? You'll feel better, I promise." She had Callie swallow some Tylenol first.

Stef started with Callie's face, then moving to her chest, armpits, and groin. The girl shivered, but she didn't put up any fight.

Eventually, Callie's body adjusted to the change in temperature. After a half-hour, her fever was 103.7.

"Does that feel better?"

"A little."

"Good."

Callie coughed, the strong spasms erupting from such a weak body. When the extended fit ended, Stef picked up an object from the bedside table.

She could hear Callie wheezing as the girl tried to regulate her breathing. The virus had invoked an inflammatory response in her lungs, which Dr. Inez assured them wasn't uncommon with this particular strain of flu. "You need to use your inhaler, baby."

"Don't wanna." She thought the albuterol tasted awful.

"I know, but it'll help and I do not like the sound of that, young lady." Stef shook it. "C'mon. Sit up just a bit."

Callie did so and wrapped her lips around the mouthpiece.

"Ready?"

Callie nodded and Stef pressed down on the canister, which released the medicine. Callie breathed it in and readied herself for the second spray, taking another deep breath and having some water.

"Better?"

Callie nodded, her eyes closed.

"Try to sleep. Love you."

Stef watched her daughter's breaths even out until she was sure the girl would stay asleep. Then, she lay back down to get some rest of her own.

A/N: This was originally a one-shot, but my muse decided I wasn't done yet. Chapter 2 will be up soon. :) Let me know what you think.

I am currently planning three different full-length stories and these will be posted to hopefully hold you guys over until they are written.