Title: Grape Medicine & Stuffed Goats
Summary: Nicky is sick and bratty. Red is compassionate, loving and slightly annoyed.
Disclaimer: I do not own OITNB or any of its characters. They belong to Jenji Kohen, I do however own my writing, please don't steal- Johanna002©
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A/N: Well, as Halloween is over, I feel I would treat you all to something that induces even more cavities. I swear, I've been working on this for like a month (feels like years) because AliceSloane13 wouldn't stop harassing me to 'add more'. She's terrible. Like a toddler. Oddly enough, I had to channel her troublesome behavior to create this bratty Nicky.
"Nicky!" Red hollered arms full with groceries as she struggled to make it through the door. Her call went unanswered and she grumbled under her breath, kicking the door closed behind her with her heel. She made her way into the kitchen, depositing the bags onto the table. She yelled over her shoulder once more. "Nicky!"
Again no answer. With a furrowed brow, she unpacked the groceries. She glanced up occasionally, hoping to see Nicky appear any moment.
Still, no sign of her.
Racking her brain, she thought back, Nicky hadn't mentioned leaving. In fact when she had left that morning the girl had still been in bed. It wasn't so much fear, but rather annoyance that caused Red to sigh aloud. Nicky was a grown woman. She could come and go as she pleased.
But was it too much to ask that she touch base before she just took off?
She ran a hand through her hair as she made her way across the apartment. Walking into her bedroom, her features softened instantly at the large bundle she spotted huddled under the blankets. "Nicky?" Red called softly, leaning against the door frame. She couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips as the shape fidget in response to her calling.
Receiving a small groan in answer she ventured further into the room. Rounding the bed, her hand traced the length of Nicky's leg as she walked. Reaching her head, she tugged gently on the blanket, and couldn't help but chuckle at the vision that was presented to her.
Nicky's eyes were closed tightly, her forehead scrunched up painfully as she reacted to the light. Red couldn't resist the urge to trace her finger along the angry vein that protruded dramatically from her forehead. She was dressed in sweatpants and a long t-shirt, and she was lying on her stomach, arms tucked underneath her and one leg drawn up. She flinched in her sleep and mumbled incoherently, head turning to further nestle into the pillow.
Trailing her hand over her forehead, Red gently stroked the hair out of Nicky's face. Her smile faltered at the heat she encountered as her hand brushed across the girl's forehead. "You're burning up," she whispered. Leaning on the bed, she kept her left hand on Nicky's forehead and her right hand fell to the back of Nicky's neck and she sighed softly.
Most definitely a fever she thought.
"Cold," Nicky mumbled sleepily, a shiver running up her spine.
"You awake sleepy head?"
Shaking her head, Nicky turned further away from her. "No." her voice was barely above a whisper. She felt the bed dip and couldn't help but sigh in appreciation at the gentle pressure she felt begin to knead against the tension in her back.
Working her hands gently into Nicky's muscles, Red tried not to laugh at the way she seemed to melt into her touch. "You hungry?" she continued her light massage, the heel of her hand focused on a particularly tough spot.
"Sleepy." Nicky answered. She whined in protest when she felt Red's hands still against her. "Ma," she whimpered, lazily jerking her body, willing Red to continue. She couldn't remember the last time her body had ached this badly. "Five more minutes?" she whined.
"Eat first." Red kissed her temple sloppily and extracted herself from the bed.
~RN~RN~RN~
Nicky stalked unhappily into the kitchen, sheet wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was frizzy and tangled and a look of disgust was painted on her face on her face. She narrowed her eyes at the back of Red's head and stomped her feet as she went.
Why did she always let herself be easily talked into things she didn't want to do? Like for example: eating.
As she sat down at the table, Nicky immediately began coughing. It was persistent and painful hacking sounds that caused Red to look over her shoulder and frown in discomfort. She shook her head in defeat and walked a few steps over to the furthest cabinet.
"You need medicine," She stated. Her tone left no room for argument as she skimmed over the few options before her.
The younger woman shook her head. "I already took some," she lied.
"You already took some? When?" Red asked. Not bothering to wait for a reply, she pulled down a bottle and poured a small dose into the dispensing cap. Nicky was basically a child when she got sick and no child that Red had ever known willingly took medicine.
Turning, Red placed the small cup filled with purple liquid down in front of Nicky. She watched her, arms crossed over her chest. When Nicky made no move to take it, she put her hands on the table and leaned towards her. "I'm not Mary fucking Poppins sweetheart. I won't be singing you any songs. Take the damn medicine." Her voice was low and dangerous, but the only reaction she seemed to get was Nicky flicking her eyes back and forth between hers and the medicine. She raised an eyebrow daring her to be disobedient.
Sighing heavily, Nicky picked the cup up. As it got closer to her face, she inhaled the scent of grape. She pulled it away from her and shook her head, setting it back down.
"What are you doing? Take it," Red demanded.
"No," Nicky shook her head. "It's grape,"
"And?" the older woman asked. It was medicine. Who cared what it was flavored?
"I can't take that," Nicky said, crossing her arms petulantly.
"Because it's grape?" Red asked in disbelief.
"No one likes grape. Why'd you buy it?"
"Well, unless this magical medicine you took, that wasn't flavored grape is hiding somewhere, grape is what you get. Serves you right for lying,"
"Ma," Nicky whined, aggressively running her hands over her face. "I don't feel good."
Red nodded and rubbed a thumb against her cheek. "I know, but you're not going to feel any better until you take something," she finished, with a firm pat on Nicky's cheek.
Glaring at her, Nicky huffed in frustration. "Can I at least have some water?"
With a roll of her eyes, Red retrieved the water. "Here you are, your highness," She opened the bottle, and with a sarcastic bow set it down in front of her.
Nicky looked up at Red with a pitiful look before looking back down at the table. She berated herself for not running when the woman's back was to her. Still, while the idea of bolting from the room was appealing, she decided against it- Red would win.
She grabbed the bottle of water in one hand and the medicine cup in the other. She took a deep breath and huffed it back out before tossing the medicine back as though it were a shot. She instantly moved the water to her mouth and her shoulders shook in response to the tainted flavor.
"All of it," Red growled, pointing to the cup.
Groaning, Nicky looked at the medicine. It was thick like syrup and still a third of the way full. She squeezed her eyes shut and let the remained of the medicine slowly slide down into her mouth. The water bottle process was repeated. She looked up at Red, eyes watery. "Better?" she asked, shoulders shivering again.
"See you didn't die," Red said, taking the medicine cup to the sink and washing it out.
"Give it time," Nicky groaned, laying her head back down on the table. Her eyes closed at the feel of the cool wood against her skin. It was a challenge just to keep her eyes open. "I feel like shit." she grumbled angrily.
Red smiled sympathetically at her. Nicky had never been a good patient. Their history, however, was not going to deter her from nursing her back to health. Placing a bowl of soup in front of her Red couldn't help but chuckle at the way Nicky glared at her.
"Just eat a little?" She baited. "You'll feel better."
"Or I'll feel worse," Nicky mumbled, pushing the bowl away. "I'm not hungry." The smell alone made her feel nauseous.
Eyebrow raised in challenge, Red crossed her arms. "To some degree you must be hungry. I bet you haven't eaten since dinner last night. "
"I'm not" She argued.
Red sat next to her and reached for the bowl. "Oh?" She held up the spoon and smiled sweetly at Nicky. "Well, if you're not hungry then why did you follow me in here?" She brought the spoon to her mouth, and swallowed.
Shrugging her shoulders in response, Nicky watched uninterested as Red ate the soup.
"That's not answering my question."
"I dun-" Nicky began, her eyes suddenly going wide at the intrusion she felt in her mouth. She swallowed painfully, and her brows furrowed at the warm liquid she felt glide down her throat. Her lips still closed around the foreign object, she realized it to be the spoon. As Red gently tugged at the utensil out of her mouth, Nicky couldn't help but ask, "Did you just feed me?" Never before had she sounded so pathetic and betrayed.
Over the years Red had become accustomed to Nicky's dramatics. She simply stated, "You need to eat," and proceed to hold another spoonful to Nicky's mouth.
Skillfully, Nicky avoided the spoon. Her lip curled and she narrowed her eyes at Red. "This isn't normal. You can't just treat me like I'm a baby."
"I wouldn't call you a 'baby'," Red thought a loud. "A stubborn toddler, maybe."
Rolling her eyes, Nicky couldn't help but ask, "What's the differ-" Once more she was cut off and out of reflex, she swallowed. The soup made its way forcefully down her throat and she began to cough violently in response.
"Damn it, Ma!" She sputtered. With her hand over her mouth, she continued to cough. She felt her face turn red, and she rubbed at her chest in an attempt to alleviate the pressure. It hurt so much. "Knock that shit off! First the disgusting grape poison and now this- I think you're trying to kill me." Her voice was raw and raspy.
"I'm not trying to kill you, I'm trying to help you." Red studied her a moment. Reaching her hand forward, she hit her palm against Nicky's back, encouraging her to cough up the phlegm that rattled in her lungs. "If you'd quit smoking, you wouldn't feel this bad."
As her breathing returned to normal, Nicky was left with only a sore throat. She refused to comment on Red's smart remark about the cigarettes. Maybe it was true, they certainly weren't helping, but that was an argument for another day. She brought her hand up to rub against her temples and she groaned miserably in response.
This was not how she imagined spending her weekend. She sighed in frustration as Red once more held the spoon up for her. "Stop, okay. I don't feel good." She pulled at the sheet around her shoulders, and turned her head away.
All too well Red recognized the slump in her posture and she couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to cry?"
Sometimes Nicky forgot how tactless Red could be. She shook her head softly. "No." She kept her head turned and inhaled a deep breath. Despite her efforts a tear slid slowly from the corner of her eye.
Seriously! She chastised herself. If she were in her right state of mind she'd laugh at how pathetic she was being.
Red's tone was gentler now, "You are crying."
"I don't feel good," Nicky sobbed pathetically, her voice cracked and Red smiled at how big and watery her eyes suddenly were. She was aware Red watching her and stomped her foot in exaggeration.
Red couldn't help but chuckle as she pulled Nicky against her. "Awe, my baby," She cooed. Her hand gently smoothed over her golden locks, and she placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "What can I do to make you feel better?"
Nicky was a lot of things, but oblivious wasn't one of them. She was well aware that Red was patronizing her, but the idea of being babied and taken care of seemed to come as a sweet relief. "Will you lay down with me?" She asked. Her body was already growing extremely heavy, making her long for the warmth of Red's bed. "And will you rub my back?"
Red hugged her tightly and nodded. "Take a hot shower. It'll break up the mucus." She played with the ends of her hair. "When you get out I'll lay down with you."
Huffing in frustration, Nicky leaned heavily against her. "I just want to lay down."
"I know, but I promise you'll feel better."
~RN~RN~RN~
Walking back into her bedroom, Red couldn't help but wonder what had made Nicky seek out her room to begin with. While she didn't mind the implication of the gesture, she took a moment to appreciate it. The strong, maternal bond that she shared with Nicky has always fascinated her.
She never thought she would be able to love someone as much as she did her sons, but somehow Nicky had managed to completely captivate her. She knew she gave her a hard time, but what kind of mother would she be if she didn't?
Stopping at the foot of the bed she pursed her lips together in amusement. The blankets and pillows were rumpled. Looking at the sight before her she realized that whatever sleep Nicky had managed to get earlier, must have not been a peaceful one.
Pulling the large quilt off the bed she tossed it carelessly to the floor. Grabbing the edges of the sheet, she began to smooth it out. If Nicky had been in the room she would have made a smartass remark, verbally articulating how stupid it was to make a bed you would be messing up again in just a few minutes.
Satisfied with the flat, even presentation of the sheets, she reached for the quilt, biting her lip at the way her back muscles strained. As she had done with the sheet, she smoothed the quilt out over the mattress. Moving to the head of the bead to straighten out the pillows, she paused in her motions at the sight of what appeared to be a stuffed toy, sticking out just slightly from its position under a pillow.
Reaching for the toy she couldn't help but throw her head back in laughter. She wasn't sure where it had come from, but she was positive that it was Nicky's. Upon further observation she couldn't help but notice how worn and beat up it looked. She traced her fingers fondly over its profile, imagining Nicky cuddling with it in her sleep.
The sound of sneezing caused her to look up at the doorway just in time to see Nicky walking through dressed back in her sweats and her hair wrapped up in a towel.
"I never should have listened to you." Nicky said in between sneezes. "I think that shower made me worse."
The stuffed toy still in her hand she gestured to the bed. "Lay down, sweetheart." She smiled at the slight burst of energy that surged through Nicky as she climbed onto the mattress. Watching, she waited until Nicky was under the blanket before handing her the toy.
Nicky avoided her gaze and blushed hotly in response. She shifted further under the blankets and tried her best to sound serious, as she gripped desperately to the toy. She patted the spot next to her, aware of the amused look on Red's face. "Lay down with me and Dax."
"Dax?" Red questioned in amusement as she moved to situate herself next to Nicky.
"Cute, huh?" Nicky asked proudly, the earlier embarrassment slipping off of her features as quickly as it had arrived. "Lorna suggested it."
Sometimes motherhood meant indulging in things you didn't understand. "How long has Dax been living with us?" she asked playfully.
Rolling her eyes, Nicky cuddled closer to her. "A while," She relished in the heat of Red's body as her arms wrapped around her. She was still absolutely freezing. Her back to Red's chest, her hands found Red's and she laced their fingers together. She just wanted to be close. Red's body shook with laughter and Nicky smacked her lips in annoyance. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing is funny." Shaking her head gently, Red pulled her closer. "I think it's cute. You and your toy."
"You're laughing at me."
Red chuckled, pulling her closer. "Maybe a little," She would have to tread carefully, she didn't want to bruise her girls feelings or make her feel self-conscious, but with their usually busy schedules, they often times weren't afforded moments where they could just have this type of interaction.
She loved the dynamic of their relationship. It was something unexplainable. To have someone love you so purely, when they didn't have to- it was everything.
With her boys, the cuddling had stopped long before her time Litchfield, but with Nicky it could quite easily be considered the girl's favorite pastime. At first, she had been unaccustomed to how much Nicky favored her company, but when she thought back on it, she had been the same way with her own mother before she had passed away.
Girls were just different. She thanked heaven that Nicky was so affectionate towards her. Often times she wasn't sure who craved the connection more. Silently, she admitted to herself that this quiet time with Nicky was very easily her favorite pass time too.
"But a goat?" Red finally asked, propping herself up on her elbow, glancing down at Nicky lovingly.
"What do they sleep with in Russia, bears?" Nicky asked sarcastically, her voice laced with exhaustion.
"Wolves, depending what part of Russia you're from," she said seriously, a chuckle passing her lips at the way Nicky's curled up into smile. She couldn't help but playfully add, "Real ones."
"You, raised by wolves?" Nicky mused over the idea a moment before gently nodding in acceptance. "That would explain a lot." She giggled and hummed gently in response.
She felt Red recline back into the mattress and felt her hand rub her back gently, and she sighed in contentment as the sensation lulled her to the cusp of sleep.
~RN~RN~RN~
Half an hour later, her hand still tracing lazy shapes across Nicky's back, Red exhaled in frustration. She looked over to the clock on her night stand and sighed.
2:30pm
She was growing more and more restless as the seconds ticked by. Simply put, she wasn't tired and she itched to do something more productive with her time. Red didn't believe in just 'taking a day off' she always found some way to occupy her time.
While she certainly would fuss over Nicky and do anything she needed while she was sick, she reasoned with herself that logically at this time- Nicky fast asleep- she wasn't needed. Slowly she extracted herself from her the bed, careful not to disturb her sleeping beauty.
Quietly, she tiptoed out of the room, only looking over her shoulder when she had safely reached the door. She breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door quietly behind her.
Stretching her arms high above her head she groaned at the way her back popped in response. This was another reason she couldn't lay down for too long. Her body severely disagreed with it.
Making her way into the kitchen she picked up the discarded bowl from earlier. She distracted herself with the few dishes in the sink and soon moved on to making an irrelevant to-do list. Reading the list back to herself she laughed softly and tore it up.
Walking into the living room she straightened out the coffee table, and fluffed the pillows on the couch. It was a mundane task but she felt oddly better after completing it
Settling down, she peaked a glance at the still closed door. Like a new mother, she itched to check on Nicky but decided against it. The girl was fine.
Occupying her time with some T.V, she channel surfed, keeping the volume low enough that she'd be able to hear Nicky if she needed her. With a small shake of her head, she laughed at the irony of how ridiculous she was being. It was insane of her to fuss over Nicky the way she did.
~RN~RN~RN~
Tossing onto her back, Nicky mumbled sleepily under her breath. Reaching her hand out she frowned in her sleep as she encountered nothing but empty space. With much effort, she pulled herself up into a sitting position.
Her eyes scanned around the room and she flopped back down in displease. "Ma?" She called out weakly, rolling over to the other side of the mattress. "Why did you leave me?"
Standing up, she pulled the blanket with her- and Dax, she couldn't forget Dax. She headed for the door. Wrapped like a burrito, she waddled into the living room and she stomped her foot in bratty-playfulness when she saw Red asleep on the couch.
"You leave me to sleep on this?" She asked quietly. Approaching her, she calculated the best way to go about this. She could wake Red up and convince her to lay down with her once more in the bedroom, or she could take advantage of her current state.
With a coy smile she opted for the later. In this close of a proximity Red would have no choice but the cuddle her. With a mischievous smile, she slowly and gently maneuvered herself until she too was lying on the couch.
Like a perfect fit, her body molded against Red's. Breathing a sigh of relief, she gently rested her head on her chest and she smiled at the strong and steady cadence of Red's heart beat as it drummed against her ear.
If Red was awake she would have more than likely swatted at Nicky to get off of her. This position was one Nicky didn't get to indulge in often- if ever- she planned to make the most of it. There was something cathartic about hearing Red's beating heart and in some strange way that she couldn't verbally articulate, it made her feel closer to her.
It was simply instinct- need- that caused Nicky to seek Red out in this manner. She had known from her first night at Litchfield that Red was going to become a part of her life, she just hadn't realized how big of a part she would become. The woman healed wounds that she didn't even know she had. Nicky nuzzled closer to her, her eyes closing in contentment.
She was completely unaware that Red had woken up and was watching her until she felt her hands come up to play with her hair, twisting her wild curls around her finger.
"You okay, baby?" Red asked sleepily, petting down her wild child's frazzled locks.
Nodding against her Nicky relaxed against her frame completely. "You left me." She whined accusingly.
"I couldn't sleep."
At this, Nicky lifted her head up, rolling her eyes in disbelief. "Somehow I doubt that."
Red glared down at her. She wouldn't deny how incredibly endearing she found this side of Nicky. She poked her shoulder playfully, "Come on, let's go to my room."
"No" Nicky protested lamely. "You'll leave me again."
"I promise I won't, but darling you're too big to stay in this position all day."
Shaking her head reluctantly, Nicky refused to accept what she had just been told. "No I'm not." Maybe she couldn't stay there all day, but she certainly didn't have to move right now.
Author's Note: I have been getting a lot of questions over the last few weeks asking if I take story request. The simple answer to that question is YES. However, I am student, and I work and I attempt (and fail) to have a life, so it may take me a little bit of time to find inspiration for your request and to fulfill it, but I promise I will answer it. Feel free to PM me at any time, for any reason.