Flu Season
Mary Margaret walked up to the door. She hesitated slightly, and then getting over her nerves, worked up the courage to knock.
"Hmm?" came a scratchy voice from inside.
"Em, can I come in?" asked a cautious May Margaret.
"Alright, but no blaming me if I get you sick."
Mary Margret twisted the handle on the door, and opened the door slowly. Emma flinched at the light shining in through the crack. She put her hands up to shade her eyes as they adjusted. When her eyes finally began to work again, she saw that Mary Margret had brought two cups of hot chocolate with her.
"Do you mind if I turn the lights on?" asked Mary Margret.
"Nah, long as there's cinnamon on those," she said motioning to the hot chocolates.
Mary Margret flipped the lights on, and took a seat next to Emma on the bed. Emma sat up, and picked up her hot chocolate. She tried to smell the hot chocolate, but her sense of smell was no longer functioning. She hoped her taste buds hadn't fallen off. Emma cautiously took a sip, but she found herself coughing up the hot drink.
"Careful, it's hot," warned Mary Margret, feeling the guilt of not warning her daughter earlier.
"Yeah, I noti-" Emma tried to be snarky, but was interrupted by a coughing fit.
"Here, I brought you some Halls for you throat. They were out of the citrus flavour you like, so I got cherry instead." Mary Margret offered her the throat lozenges.
Emma tried to hide the fact that she hated the cherry flavour, and gave her mother a smile. She took the package and unwrapped one. She was about to throw it in her mouth when she realized that she would have to wait until after she finished her hot chocolate.
"Guess I should probably finish this first," she said.
"Yeah, I've heard cherries don't taste very well with hot chocolate," remarked Mary Margret.
The two sat in silence, drinking their hot chocolates. The silence was occasionally broken by Emma's coughing and Mary Margret's fidgeting.
"You know you don't have to stay," said Emma. "I'm sure David and Henry could use your help, you know, making something edible. I think you really need to teach David how to make toast without setting the house on fire."
"He was just adjusting to the new toaster."
"By setting off the smoke alarm? Even I can make toast," Emma retorted.
"Speaking of toast, do you want anything to eat? I mean I know you might just puke it up, but it might be good to get some food into your system."
"Yeah sure, I'll have some toast," Emma said, finishing off the last of her hot chocolate. "And maybe some water while you're at it."
"You'll need something to help you with the taste of that Nyquil."
"That stuff is godawful! Do not make me take any more of it!" Emma pleaded.
"I'll be back with your toast, your water, and your Nyquil," Mary Margret said as she left the room.
Emma tried to bargain with her as she left, but it was useless.