A/N: All this week I've had a cold. The kind where you cough so hard people ask if you're dying or hacking up a lung. It has been terrible. Lucky for you all it resulted in this fun story. If the idea of Sheldon dealing with two sick eight year olds isn't even a little funny I don't know what is.
Disclaimer: Lorre, Prady, me and all of those who own these meds.
The Carbonated Lemon-Lime Solution
As Amy poured herself her morning cup of tea her phone rang, alerting her it was Penny. "Morning bestie. Ready for girls only spa day?"
"I'd love too," started Penny, "but- Leonard grab the bucket! He's gunna spew!" She sighed. "Henry's got a cold. The cough-until-I-puke-all-my-internal-organs-out kind. I won't be able to make it today. Tell the girls I'm sorry. Leonard and I are having to tag team this one."
"Nonsense, we'll reschedule. It's not girl's day without all the girls," argued Amy.
"Don't-can you hold for a moment?" Penny stopped talking and Amy could hear her phone being placed on the counter. "Sweetie, why don't you lie down? I don't think you were made for puke cleaning." Amy heard a strong, barky cough followed by a heave and the notorious sound of food explosively leaving the body. "There, there Henry Bear. It's okay." There was the sound of footsteps coming closer to the phone. "Amy, I'm going to have to call you back."
"Completely understandable," reassured Amy. She hung up and Amy stared down at her tea. If Henry was sick there was chance her kids were sick too. Her phone buzzed twice and Amy looked to see it was texts from Bernadette and Emily both saying their kids where sick. There's still a chance they might not be sick, thought Amy. She heard a cough, then something much more unpleasant, followed by the unmistakable call of, "Mommy!"
Amy looked at the oven clock and sighed. It was five minutes until six, meaning she had five minutes to concoct a plan to calm Sheldon down when he woke up. Heaven knows he only made it through the flu epidemic of 2022 because of rubber gloves, a surgical mask, and a strong lecture from Mary about never abandoning your wife when the kids are sick.
Amy gently opened up James's door and saw the poor dear sitting in his bed, vomit on the covers, and thousands of tissues in between. "I tried to clean it up Mommy, but I ran out of Kleenex."
She sighed and stroked his hair. "It'll be alright James. Is it only on your covers or did you get any on your jams?"
"Just the covers," he whispered before he coughed again.
Amy bundled up the comforter and blankets and walked towards the door. "I need to go put these in the laundry. Stay there, but if you feel like you're going to puke again try and make it to the bathroom. Daddy will be here if you need anything."
"Alright," said James.
Amy rushed down five flights of stairs and arrived to the laundry room, shoving the offending blankets into a machine quickly before rushing back up the stairs. She reentered the apartment and heard puking once again, only coming from the bathroom. "James are you-"
"There, there Melody. I've got you," whispered Sheldon as Melody continued to cough into the toilet bowl. He held her hair back as she heaved forward. He looked toward Amy with sleepless eyes. "She started around 4:30. Did I hear correctly that James is down for the count too?"
"Yeah. I thought you were in bed this morning?"
"I was. I tried to get some sleep, but it was pretty useless," explained Sheldon.
"How's James?"
"I checked in on him after you left, but I think he's fine for now."
"Daddy, there's nothing left in my tummy," moaned Melody.
Sheldon flushed the toilet and used a warm washcloth to wipe Melody's face off. "I know my little bird. Let's get some Vicks on you and see if that will loosen up the gunk in your chest so you won't puke until you cough anymore."
She struggled away from him. "That stuff smells icky. I don't want it!"
Amy grabbed the tube and knelt down to her daughter's level. "Melody, do you want to get better?"
She nodded her head.
"And can you really smell anyway with your nose stuffed up like that," asked Sheldon.
She shook her head.
Amy handed the tube to Sheldon and stood up. "I need to check on your brother. Can you be a good girl and let Daddy put Vicks VapoRub on your chest?"
She nodded again.
Amy left and walked down the hall to James's room. Upon opening the door she saw him reading. "How's my Jamie doing?"
"Bine," he replied stuffed up. "But I'b hungry".
"Do you think you can handle some toast?"
He nodded his head.
Amy went to the kitchen and put a slice of bread into the toaster. She grabbed her tea mug and took a sip before recoiling at the freezing temperature. With a sigh she poured it down the drain as the toast popped out of the toaster. She lightly buttered it as James refused to eat it any other way and cut it into four small triangles. She also poured water into a juice glass before taking to his room. "Here James. See if you can eat this. As long as you don't have a coughing fit you should be fine."
He smiled at her and picked up a toast triangle. "Tanks Bobby."
"Let me get you some Kleenex. You need to blow your nose."
"Okay."
Amy left and grabbed a box from the hall closet and brought it back to James's room. "I'm going to see how your Daddy and sister are getting along. Just holler if you need anything."
"Okay."
Amy peeked into the bathroom and saw they were gone. She checked Melody's room and saw the small girl curled up in her bed clutching her Beaker plushie. Amy walked into the kitchen and saw Sheldon grabbing cereal from the high fiber end. "How are you holding up?"
"Better than last time," he said as he poured cereal into a bowl. "I put the kettle back on so you could have a hot cup of tea."
She pecked his cheek as she grabbed a mug. "Thanks, sweet baboo."
"Amy, you and I both may be carriers of their illness. Can you hold back on the affection until this passes?"
She grabbed a ginger tea bag and poured the hot water into her mug. "I hate to tell you, but we are most likely already infected. Might as well just sit back and let nature run its course."
He frowned. "You know I hate doing that."
"Sheldon the whole apartment complex knows that," she took a sip of her tea and let out a sigh of relief. "I'll need to go to the store latter to pick up some things. Will you be alright while I'm gone?"
"Amy, you can trust me."
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"I promise it won't be a repeat of the Great Flu Epidemic of 2022."
"Okay," she looked at the clock, "I should probably get going. I want to make sure we have everything to last us through this. Don't forget to get James's blankets out of the laundry."
-o-O-o-
The grocery store was a mad house that Saturday, but Amy was a woman on a mission. She made her first stop down the medicine isle for more Vicks, Children's Delysm (in grape, the kids refused any other flavor) and cough drops. Next was a run for Sprite, tomato soup, chicken noodle soup and saltines. Finally Amy picked up six boxes of Kleenex and a few coloring books including one with trains for James and one with kolas for Melody. A quick run through checkout and Amy was headed back home.
-o-O-o-
She dropped the grocery sacks onto the kitchen counter and walked back to Melody's room to check on her. She was awake and playing solitaire on her daisy printed comforter. Her hair was braided and held back with sparkly clips. "How are you doing?"
She coughed. "Better." She coughed again and continued to, so Amy patted her on the back gently until she stopped. Amy pulled out the coloring book and a cough drop. "Here. One cough drop for now and I'll get you your medicine after I check on James, okay."
"Okay," she said as she sucked on the cherry flavored cough drop.
Amy left Melody's room and went into James's to see Sheldon finishing tucking James into bed, humming the melody to Soft Kitty under his breath. "Here Jamie I got you a coloring book."
He took the bright colored book and grinned. "Trains!"
"You got him a train coloring book," said Sheldon with a pout.
"Sheldon, you'd rather I'd get you a new conductor's hat than a coloring book. Don't lie to me."
He sighed. "You are right."
"I'll be right back. I need to go get the medicine," said Amy.
She went back to the kitchen and poured the dark purple syrup in two small medicine cups. She carried one to Melody's room. The girl drank it quickly and gave it back to her mother. "Thanks."
Amy kissed Melody's forehead. "You're welcome. Get to feeling better."
She carried the full cup to James, who drank it without complaint. Sheldon followed her out to the couch where they collapsed. "I was hoping they wouldn't get sick. Or that only one of them would get sick, but they both got sick."
Sheldon patted Amy's leg. "We'll get through it." He grabbed a bottle of Germ-X from the coffee table. "Want some?"
"Might as well."
A child's cough could be heard from down the hall followed by the patter of feet running towards the bathroom. Amy just caught a glimpse of James's Green Lantern pajama pants as he ran inside and proceeded to vomit.
"Mommy! Daddy!"
Sheldon and Amy groaned.
-o-O-o-
"Borning Aby."
Amy rolled over to see a red nosed Sheldon holding a tissue.
"They," she coughed, "got you?" She coughed again and again until there were tears in her eyes and she couldn't catch her breath. She managed to eventually slow her breathing and she looked over at Sheldon. "I can't wait until they're teenagers and can take care of themselves."
Sheldon reached out and stroked Amy's hair. "Well, at least you aren't puking."
"Amen to that."