Chapter Three: Sniffles Part 1; Molly
Molly groaned low in her throat, the sound moving past the rawness causing her to go into a coughing fit. She grasped the blanket that had slipped down to her elbows, pulling it up until only her forehead and the very tips of her ears could be seen.
She hated being sick, there was only one thing she hated worse, and that was being sick during her monthly. Thankfully she was spared that particular hell this time. Still, the flu was no picnic, and Molly had just about enough of it after the first three days. Now all she wanted was a hot bath to wash the sick away, a fresh set of clothes, and the ability to actually breathe without sounding like she had a couple of whistles stuffed up her nose. Unfortunately she was currently in a relationship with Sherlock, and, funnily enough, he turned out to be a bit of a mother-hen.
"Molly, Mrs Hudson just brought up your soup. I want you to at least finish a bowl this time; you barely touched your breakfast. You need to eat in order to get better." Sherlock pushed open the door with his hip, carefully edging his way into the room with his hands full of tray.
The lump in the middle of the bed groaned, Molly barely having enough energy to even roll her eyes. Sherlock had been forcing food down her since she developed her first few sniffles, claiming she wouldn't get better unless she ate everything put before her. The thing was she knew he worried for her and he was just too inept to actually articulate it to in anything other than his mollycoddling.
"I touched it, but then I also remember throwing it all back up not ten minutes later. Sherlock, I really don't think I'm able to keep anything down, not even simple broth." It wasn't that she wasn't hungry, her stomach had growled at her several times already. The problem was that she was having trouble just keeping down her medications. It had always been that way, ever since she was a child.
"You have to try; anyway, Mrs Hudson made you some tea she swears will help with your nausea. I'm not exactly sure what is in it, but at this point it is this or I take you to hospital." He set the tray down on the bedside table before setting down beside the lump of blankets otherwise known as Molly Hooper.
"If you even think about taking me out of this bed I will cut your bollocks off and turn them into earrings." So maybe she wasn't the most pleasant patient, but no one could blame her after spending two minutes with nursemaid Sherlock.
"Then eat your lunch and drink your tea." Taking the blankets in hand, Sherlock pulled down the thick mass until he could see the curled up form of his…pathologist. She had always been small compared to him, short and thin as she was, but seeing her twisted up in his sheets like she was she resembled a child.
"Fine, but if the tea doesn't work I'm getting sick all over you." Molly grumbled as she worked to sit herself up, leaning back against the headboard. She tried to sneer at Sherlock when he set the tray, complete with bowl and cup, on her lap, but all she could muster was a tired grimace.
"You would do best to direct it the other direction, unless of course you want to destroy your book. I wouldn't mind this piece of trash being put where it belongs, but I think you would beg to differ." Sherlock held up an old and battered book in his hands. It was one he had seen Molly read several times since she moved into 221B, and one he was pretty sure was her favorite.
Molly blinked at Sherlock, down to the book and back up at her boyfriend. He was holding up a battered copy of "Mr Owl and Lady Pussycat" one of her…naughtier books. Actually it was probably the one of her books that could actually rightfully be called porn. She had found the book in an old and dusty corner bookshop when she was seventeen, bought it and promptly hid it from her parents.
"Sherlock, why do you have that book?" She knew he hated her choice in pleasure reading, but everything he had read of hers thus far had been pretty tame. She couldn't begin to imagine what he would think about that book; not that he really had any room to talk, not with the entire shelving unit filled with sex manuals he had chosen.
"I thought I would wave it in front of you a few times. What do you think I'm going to do: I'm going to read it to you. Now, don't ask silly questions and eat." Sherlock settled back against the headboard and cracked open the book, his eyes skimming the first few sentences before slamming the book shut and looking down at the small woman beside him.
"What?" Molly could feel her cheeks turn a bright red at the wide-eyed look Sherlock was giving her. He just had to choose that particular book, out of the hundreds she owned he had to choose that one.
"Molly, besides the fact that I'm pretty sure what Mr Owl did is completely impossible physically; I want to know why you need a book like this." He could hardly believe Molly; his Molly read such…literary trash. What had the author been thinking, jumping right into it like that?
"Like I've told you before, it has nothing to do with our sex life. I find nothing lacking, I just enjoy a naughty story every now and then." No one would believe her if she told them that Sherlock Holmes could be insecure, but he had his moments. Oh, he was confident when it came to his work, but in his personal life he was just as unsure as every other human on the planet.
"I never said anything about finding anything lacking." Sherlock squirmed on the edge of the bed, her fingers tightening against the book still in his hand.
"No, but I just wanted to make sure you understood that." Molly placed one of her hands on Sherlock's, squeezing until he looked down at her. "So, are you going to read to me or what?"
"If you actually eat, then yes." He rolled his eyes as Molly picked up her spoon in a salute and shoved it into her mouth. With a shake of his head he opened the book back up. From now on he would make sure to skim through a book before he did anything like this again.
Reading the first two sentences to himself he thought he better receive a really good reward for this; a damn good reward.
Author's Note: So, raise your hand if you would do anything to have that voice all to yourself reading an erotica book.
Anyway, this is a two parter, the next bit will be Sick!Sherlock. Now I have a few other ideas for this series, right now at least six more, but if there is anything you would like to see in this universe please do send me a message.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.