HAT: Over 40,000 words of pure story... I'm still not close to done... *hangs head* Darn it... These chapters just keep getting longer and longer... Well, enjoy anyway!
(Edited)
Disclaimer: If I owned Gravity Falls Grunkle Stan would take his fez off more often... no real reason- just because. The only thing I own is the plot and OCs.
"Pacifica, wake up."
"Nooo..."
"Pacifica," the stern voice repeats.
"Whaaat?"
"We gotta check your temperature to see if you're sick... c'mon, siddup." Pacifica does as told and suddenly there's a thermometer under her tongue. After a minute it is taken from her mouth and she lies back down on the recliner. "101.3... looks like you three are staying in."
The blond browns at a churning of her stomach and rolls over to bury her head in the cushion. Five days- this time including the two days after the last day of school. Five days into Christmas break and she's sick. Just her luck.
"Do you feel like you're gonna throw up?"
At first she shakes her head, but then nods it when she feels bile rise in her throat. Immediately there's an empty trashcan with a plastic bag inside placed in front of her and a hand on her back to help guide her body to sit up. She throws up the contents in her stomach and even when there's nothing to throw up she dry heaves for a few moments.
Her mouth is wiped and she's guided back so that her head is resting on the too warm pillow. She feels hot and cold all at the same time, her throat burns, her head is pounding, her mouth is dry, and her stomach is churning similarly to the ocean during a tsunami. Her emotions aren't helping her state either. She's frustrated and doesn't want to be sick anymore and she doesn't know what to do with herself.
"Papa," she groans, unable to say anymore in her miserable state, hot tears of frustration building in her eyes.
The way she says it would be enough to tug at anyone's heart strings- much like Mabel and Dipper were doing to Stanford currently. It was filled with pure misery and a longing for the person called on to make everything better again. There's something about being sick that brings out the child in everyone- as could be seen when Pacifica calls out to her guardian for help when she doesn't usually want help from anyone.
Unfortunately neither Stan could resist the call from either girl. Even Stanford seemed ready to do anything to take away their pain and sickness.
"Oh, kids, I wish I had the cure for the common cold, but that won't be read for another six months at least," Stanford murmurs while moving the hair out of his nephew's face.
The children are too sick to comprehend that and question his progress with the cure of the common cold. If they were even the tiniest bit better than they are now then they would tell him to hurry up, but since they weren't they just groan.
"Hey, Mr. Pines, are we opening shop?" Soos asks as he walks into the living room.
Stanley sighs. "No, Soos. We're just gonna take care of these three."
"Aw, poor dudes. Is there anything I can do?"
"Water," the sick children groan in unison.
"Three glasses of water, comin' right up," the handyman says and goes into the kitchen.
Pacifica feels a hot hand brush her bangs out of her face. "I'm sorry, Pep... I'll get you some medicine and it'll help make you all better."
As soon as Stanley walks out Wendy walks in.
"Hey, are we- oh," she stops and then walks over to Pacifica who was left alone. "Guess yesterday got you sick- huh? How ya feeling?"
"Uuuuugh," the blond groans, turning so that she can cuddle into the redhead.
Sickness makes people vulnerable and the three of them are vulnerable.
"Here ya go, dudes," Soos says, handing a glass to Stanford and Wendy and then helping Dipper drink his water.
"C'mon, Pep, sit up," Wendy murmurs, helping the thirteen year old to sit up. "There ya go. Now drink up."
Water was pure relief, but after several seconds she can't drink anymore because breathing through half her nose isn't working for her. She ends up coughing and having her back rubbed until the coughing subsides and even after she's done her breath is raggedy and the inside of her chest feels scratchy.
"Grunkle 'Ford," Mabel groans and buries her face in his chest.
He awkwardly rubs her back. "It's okay, sweetie."
"Oh, poor babies," Wendy murmurs.
"I got the medicine," Stanley announces while walking into the living room only to receive three groans. "C'mon, you guys wan a get better don't you?"
The only thing that can piece through the haze of their minds is the bitter taste of medicine sliding down their throats. Each person holding a child is given a small cup with medicine and Dipper and Mabel- though they fight- end up with the foul cherry colored liquid being forced down their throats by the hands of Soos and Stanford, but Pacifica manages to knock it out of Wendy's hand and get out of her grasp so that she won't have to drink it. Needless to say she hates the taste of liquid medicine
"Mr. Pines, I don't think this is working."
"Noooo," Pacifica groans.
"C'mon, Pep, you gotta take the medicine or you won't get better," Wendy tries to reason.
"Give'er'ere," Stanley grunts. "I'll hold 'er and you make her take the medicine."
"Kay."
Stanley sits in his recliner and holds Pacifica securely despite her weak struggles. Wendy then pinches her nose shut with an apology so that Pacifica has no choice but to open her mouth. After her first breath is fully taken in and she exhales the medicine is forced into her mouth and her nose is released while her mouth is covered with a hand the size of her face so she has no choice, but to swallow the bitter medicine. She's given water to wash out the taste left in her mouth and then she cuddles into her guardian's warmth.
"Being sick sucks," Mabel manages and gets a humorless chuckle out of her brother.
"Got that right."
"Oh, gosh, you stink," Stanford grunts.
They hadn't taken a shower after their adventure the previous day and they weren't up to it now.
"Let them rest for today and then we'll have then wash up tomorrow," Stanley says while beginning to rock in his chair. "Soos, Wendy could you two..."
But Pacifica's already drifted off...
...
"Sit up, I gotta take your temperature," Soos insists.
Pacifica cuddles back into the recliner after her temperature is taken and vaguely hears him murmur "99.4" before he has her sit up and drink water.
"She's doing better than these two," Wendy says. "They're 100.984 and 100.894."
"What type of thermometer do you have?" Soos demands with a confused look to his face.
"A very accurate one- Mr. Pines 2 made it since they've been sick," she replies.
"Where's Stan?" Pacifica asks.
"Which one?" Soos asks.
"Both."
"Mr. Pines 1's at the store and Mr. Pines 2's making some food for you guys," Wendy answers. "I think he's making dinner for the rest of us, too."
If the sick children weren't awake they were now because all three sit up with wide eyes and staring directly at the redhead in disbelief. "He's doing what?!"
Now if there was anything that these three knew about their relative Stanford Pines is that he can only make the basics about making food in the kitchen- the rest is food made over an open fire and that food is caught by himself- but an entire dinner or anything outside of that and the house is good as burned down. That's why Stanley is the only one out of the Stan twins to be in the kitchen. Even Fiddleford Hadron McGucket is allowed in the kitchen before before Stanford.
Despite feeling like crap Pacifica throws her legs over the edge of the recliner and puts her arms through the arms of the jacket of her guardian and half runs, half stumbles to the kitchen entrance and she leans heavily against the doorway.
"S-stop! D-on't burn... the house down," she begs while feeling her knees wobble and her stomach churn more than before.
"Pep! Go lay back down," Stanford scolds.
"Then step away from the stove," she orders, eyeing him warily.
"It's just soup, I can handle that," Stanford assures, blush dusting his cheeks at the insinuation.
After taking a moment to make sure she can't see any smoke- because her nose was useless at this point- she nods and stumbles back to the recliner and then curls back onto the furniture with Stanley's coat wrapped around her tightly to keep the cold away from her.
The door opens and closes. "Alright, wake the kids up."
"They're awake- they found out Mr. Pines 2 was making food," Soos explains.
"Oh, yeah... Well, it's either he makes food or takes care of you guys, which one do you three want?" Stanley asks.
Hesitation reveals a lot about what people think of others. Now Stanford is a fantastic person to help with homework and taking people places, but he was more statistics than feelings and that left for some awkward moments and doing things by the book- but then again he's been out of the dimension for thirty years so he hasn't honed all of these skills in a while so Stanley's the better cook and overall better caretaker.
"Soos and Wendy?" Mabel suggests.
"They've gotta go home soon," Stanley answers and then takes out the medicine. "And I don't think Wendy's quite able to make you take your medicine."
Pacifica groans and rolls over to hide her face. "I don' wanna..."
"Wendy, hold this."
"Sure."
Suddenly she's picked up and she knows that the medicine is coming. "No!"
"C'mon, kid, you're almost better. A few more days and you won't have to take this anymore," Stanley tries to reassure.
Not reassuring.
Pacifica tries her best to squirm out of his grip and manages to free an arm and nearly succeeds in elbowing him in the face, but he grabbed her arm and pinned it to her side. He holds her tightly with one arm and uses his free hand to pinch the sides of her face specifically near the back of the jaw to force her to open her mouth. Before she knows it she's hearing Wendy apologize and forcing her to drink the medicine unwillingly.
"You've done this before," Stanford notes as he leans against the doorway.
"Why aren't you watching the food, poindexter?!" Stanley demands as he hands his adoptive daughter a glass of water.
"Oh, yeah!" And then Stanfor runs back into the kitchen.
So bitter, Pacifica thinks as she gulps down the water.
"P'cifica, yer gonna get sick if ya keep drinkin' like that," a new voice says when she's drunk half the glass.
"McGucket!" Pacifica calls happily, squirming in her adoptive father's grip. "Lemme go."
"You've got one more to take," Stanley informs.
She pales. "I thought I was done!"
"You're thirteen, you've gotta take a bigger dose than Dipper and Mabel."
"I just turned thirteen! Don't make me drink it," Pacifica whines.
"So now you wanna be talkative?" Stanford asks.
McGucket chuckles and ruffles the blond's bangs. "Yer actin' a bit bratty, P'cifica. Take the med'cine fer me? It'll put mah mind at ease."
She grimaces. "But McGuckeeet-"
"Pep, don' ya wanna come down ta tha 'yard? Ya gotta get better b'fore ya do that which means ya gotta drink yer med'cine."
Her nose wrinkles and she snatches the small cup of medicine from Stanley. "Fine, I'll do it."
"Thank ya much, darlin', i's much 'preciated."
Reluctantly she puts the cup's rim to her lips and then tosses her head back in hopes of it missing her tongue completely and going straight down her esophagus, but it hits the back of her tongue and it manages to make her gag after she's finished it. She drinks the water and vaguely hears her guardian's grumbling about how she listens to McGucket more than him. She could argue that McGucket's special to her and that he's the first true father figure that she's ever had in her life that stayed, but that would be opening a bag that she vowed to never open again.
"What brings you here?" Pacifica asks after she gets the "cherry" flavor out of her mouth (cherry her ass; no cherry tastes that foul).
"I heard you were sick so ah came down here ta see fer mahself and and maybe help ya out... wait... who's in the kitchen if yer here, 'Lee?"
"StanFord," Pacifica and Stanford deadpan simultaneously.
"Sweet molasses! Why didn't ya tell me you were shorthanded? Ah'd've scrabdoodled down here faster than you could say gobblewonker!"
"We're just shorthanded at night, during the day, we're fine," Stanley assures.
"An' how much money aren't you makin'?"
Stanley bites his bottom lip. "I guess you can stay and help take care of the kids..." He pauses and sniffs the air. "Is something burning?"
Stanford pokes his head out of the kitchen where a light amount of smoke comes out. "Um, 'Lee? Where's the fire extinguisher?"
"Ah, hell, 'Ford! It was just some soup!" Stanley yells, setting Pacifica back down at the recliner and grabbing the necessary item before running into the kitchen.
McGucket grimaces. "Ah'll make ya some possum stew, caught a few on the way here."
Pacifica grins. "Thanks, McGucket."
"What've they bin feedin' ya?"
"Crackers."
He grimaces. "Ah'll have yer dinner ready soon."
"Thank you," she replies.
I missed possum soup, she thinks as he walks out of the room.
It was something that he made most when she lived with him- at first she was hesitant, but after eating it she got used to it and grew to love it after the first few times. Most of the time they had to steal food, but when he made food, it was mostly possum suit and she has to admit that he can cook. Basically McGucket and Stanley are the only ones that can cook in their family because Dipper can only make ramen noodles on the stove and Mabel can do the basics and Pacifica can only make ramen and breakfast, otherwise don't ask her to make anything else unless the kitchen needs to be burned down.
"Is possum soup good?" Mabel asks quietly.
Pacifica sits up and sees that her adoptive cousins are definitely worse off than herself. They looked like they didn't have the energy to sit up- and she thought that she was feeling terrible. She almost wishes that they could switch places in their progress of getting better. Almost.
"It's good," Pacifica assures. "Especially when a legit redneck makes it right."
Mabel smiles. "Sounds tasty."
"Alright, before you people eat, it's bath time!" Stanley falls, a little white foam on his shoulder while his brother walks out covered in foam. Everyone remaining in the room laughs at seeing Stanford until Stanley interrupts. "Bath time! Remember that?"
Mabel groans. "I don't wanna."
Pacifica gets up and grabs the other girl. "We're getting cleaned whether you like it or not."
With as much strength as her sick body would allow she pulls the brunette with her and walks towards the bathroom.
"Welp, guess you're gettin' cleaned in the bin," Stanley says, picking up his nephew.
Pacifica ignores them and grabs a couple of towels and wash cloths and their pajamas before dragging the girl into the bathroom. Mabel complains about being to sick to take a bath, but Pacifica talks her into it. They took turns, Pacifica mainly there to make sure the girl washes her entire body without passing out. Once she's sure Mabel's dry and in her blue, rainbow covered pajamas and in her bright orange robe Pacifica takes her shower as quickly as possible and feels absolutely amazing after she's done. Soon she ends up in her basketball shorts and pink pajama shirt along with her purple robe.
"I feel so much better," Pacifica sighs as she runs her fingers through her clean blond hair. "What about you?"
"A little," Mabel shrugs. "I still can't breathe."
Pacifica grabs the nasal spray that was left on the bathroom counter and hands it to Mabel. "Use that."
Mabel follows the orders and then Pacifica wipes it off with a wet wipe and then uses it on herself while she can still halfway breathe. Pacifica leads Mabel back to the living room and McGucket's already there with a bowl of piping hot possum soup. Wendy and Soos are still there- despite how they were supposed to go home- eating on the couch, Dipper was sulking under a blanket with pink cheeks and still eating the food while he gets teased about being cleaned by Stanley like a child. Speaking of Stanley he was in his recliner glancing toward the hallway- probably looking for his brother- but eating food all the same.
"Ready fer some grub, gals?" McGucket asks.
"Yes," Pacifica replies, her stomach roaring for her to eat something other than crackers. When he gives her a stern look she sighs and rolls her eyes. "Please, McGucket?"
He hands her a bowl of possum soup. "Can't ferget yer manners, sweetheart- it'll help ya."
"Yes, sir," she says with a warm smile. "Thank you for the food."
"No problem... an' how're you?" McGucket asks when Mabel steps forward to accept her food.
"I'm fine, how're you?"
Pacifica smiles and then goes to the floor next to Stanford and does a quick prayer before digging into her food. Her stomach seems to agree with it so she continues to eat. It was perfect until she got cold again and stopped being able to breathe through her nose anymore.
"You're a stubborn kid, aren't you," Stanley grunts as he puts a blanket around her shoulders.
"Guess I picked it up," Pacifica replies with an amused smirk.
He grunts. "Bet it was from 'Ford."
"And his twin," she adds and laughs when he pushes her with his foot.
"Brat," he grumbles, but smirks in amusement all the same.
"Old man."
McGucket cackles. "Ya can't win 'genst 'er Stan."
"That's right!" Pacifica says, giving him a high five as he walks by her to sit on the couch and Mabel settles beside her Pacifica.
"I'd fire you all if I could," Stanley grunts.
This causes a round of laughter and then soon everything gets quiet as they eat and watch TV together.
HAT: I couldn't think of a way to end it so... this happened.
McGucket: Ah'm in here a lot less than ya'd think ah'd be.
HAT: I know and I'm so disappointed in me! Though in the future you're definitely showing up more.
McGucket: Does it have anything to do with the se-
HAT: When did you go through my plot papers?
McGucket: Yesterday, ya leave 'em lyin' 'round.
HAT: Well... shush, they don't know everything yet.
McGucket: Fine, then. Ah'll just say it.
HAT: Thank you, McGucket, I don't want them t know everything quite yet.
McGucket: I understand. *turns to camera* R'view, please!