(This one-shot, takes place right after Miraculous Team: Halloween Madness)
Nathalie's Sick Day
It was fifteen minutes past five in the afternoon, and Adrien was practicing the piano. It was raining cats and dogs outside, and one did not even have to look outside the window to know it. The rain was coming down so hard, that when it hit the ground, one could hear it. Not even the music produced by the piano was strong enough to block the sound of rain, on that November afternoon. All that rain had spoiled, what could have been a glorious Saturday afternoon, where Adrien had made plans with Nino and Kim, to go check a couple of music and videogame stores. Instead, because of the rain, he was forced to stay home, practicing the piano, by his father's insistence, who like it happened so often, was out of the country, on a business trip.
Adrien could have just ignored his father's wishes and do something else. But even if he wanted to do it, two things prevented him from doing it. The first was his conscience, which told him that his father had every right to feel that he had been in danger that night, and that if he did not have his miraculous, he would have gotten himself into a lot of trouble. After what happened on Halloween, Gabriel had insisted that Adrien be accompanied by his bodyguard everywhere he went, except school. And he had also warned Adrien that he was not to go out, unless he had asked him permission to do so, which he would most certainly deny. And the second one was Nathalie. She herself was making sure that Adrien did not stray from the path, by knowing his every move. In sum, he was confined to a strict routine for the following weeks, which would be the time that Nathalie herself, would take to convince Gabriel that there was no need for him to be overprotected, believing the odds of another Akuma like Spectrum to show up and do what it did to the city, were very slim. On top of it all, she did not like to see Adrien caged like a bird, when she knew that make him feel sad and depressed.
So, for a little while, Adrien was going to obey his father's instructions and hope for the best, believing that sooner or later, all those restrictions would be lifted, or at the very least eased. And that meant not going outside as Chat Noir. Or at least, not without a very good reason.
"Let's do something fun!" -Plagg told Adrien, as he was of hearing him play the piano.
"In about fifteen minutes, Plagg." -Adrien said, as he continued to play.
"Come on, Adrien, don't do this to me." -Plagg begged. –"You know what I think about standing here, doing nothing? It's boring!"
"I thought you loved not doing anything." -Adrien commented, with an amused voice.
"And I do! But that's when I don't feel like doing a thing! Right now, I feel like doing something!" -Plagg pointed out. –"And you, sitting there, playing the piano, instead of paying attention to me, isn't helping!" -he exclaimed.
"Sorry, but you know I've got to continue practicing. Why don't you eat another piece of Camembert, and wait for me to finish? I won't be long now." -Adrien suggested.
"I already ate all of the Camembert you brought me, when we came here!" -Plagg whined about it.
"Then, why don't you go to my bedroom and play some videogames, and wait for me there?" -Adrien asked his kwami. –"Like I said, I won't be long." -he told Plagg.
"I'm not in the mood to play videogames alone!" -Plagg whined once more. –"Come on, you've been playing for hours now!" -the black cat kwami said. –"There's no way, you aren't tired of playing that piano, by now."
"And you're right, I am tired." -Adrien said. –"But I can't stop playing it. I promised my dad that I would practice it, so when he comes back from this trip, I show him my progress. And above all, I promised him that I wouldn't get into trouble. Nathalie will tell him, if I disobey his orders." -he said.
"She will not!" -Plagg exclaimed. –"That woman will never rat on you, She cares too much for your well-being to do that." -he told him, as she landed on one of the piano keys. –"Trust me, you can do anything you want. You won't get into trouble, with her at the helm."
"Not if I disobey one of my dad's orders." -Adrien told him. –"Nathalie allows me to bend the rules, not break them, Plagg." -he reminded his kwami.
"Then bend the rules a little bit, and stop playing the piano! You can play more tomorrow, when I'm doing my usual Sunday afternoon nap." -Plagg declared.
Adrien chuckled, when he heard his kwami saying that, thinking that Plagg was one kwami who had a pretty busy schedule, with all the naps and leisure activities planned in advance. And then he thought about what Plagg had also said; he had been playing the piano for hours now, and deserved a little break. It was still too early to be thinking about dinner, but checking the grandfather clock to his right, it was more than time for a snack. Smiling at Plagg, he stopped playing and stretched his arms.
"Okay, let's take a break." -Adrien said, as he finished stretching. –"You already said that you're hungry, and I could go for a little snack as well." -he said. –"How about we go downstairs and see what the chef can offer us?"
"Are you sure, you're not afraid to get caught by the almighty Nathalie?" -Plagg joked, teasing him.
"If she happens to show up, I'll tell her that I'll come back here and play for another hour, before lunch, but that right now, I need to stretch my legs." -Adrien said. –"Now, come on, into the pocket. We wouldn't want anyone to see you." -he said, as he opened his jacket.
Exiting his father's studio, Adrien walked down the corridor, on his way to the kitchen, thinking of what he was going to have for a snack. He knew Plagg was going for a large of chunk of Camembert. But he himself, was in the mood for something sweeter. And then, he remembered the chef had baked a French almond cake earlier that day for breakfast, and that he did not try it because he was not hungry. Thinking about it, he decided that he was going to have a slice, or even two, with a large glass of lemonade. But as he was about to turn the corner, he heard someone coughing. He recognized the voice as Nathalie's, and as he turned the corner, he was shocked to see her leaning against the wall.
"Nathalie?!" -Adrien exclaimed. –"Nathalie, are you okay?" -he asked her.
But before he could have an answer, Nathalie's legs started shaking and she fell backwards, dropping her cell phone, as well as some papers she was holding in her hands. She would have hit the ground, if not for Adrien's fast thinking and even faster reflexes, who caught her in mid-air.
"Nathalie, talk to me, please!" -Adrien exclaimed.
Nathalie looked white as a sheet, and her eyes were closed. But these remained closed just for a couple of seconds, when she opened them. Looking her in the eyes, Adrien saw that these did not look like they always did. They looked like the eyes of someone who was confused.
"Nathalie, are you okay?" -Adrien asked her.
"I-I am okay, Adrien. I just need…" -Nathalie said, as she felt her head woozy. –"Oh, my…" -she said.
"I think you need to sit down." -Adrien said, worried, as he looked around, looking for a chair or something for Nathalie to sit on. Luckily, that corridor had numerous decorative chairs adorning it, and one of them was just a couple of meters from where they were. –"Come on, let's get you to that chair, over there." -he said, as he helped her walking towards it.
Leaning against Adrien, Nathalie continued to feel her head woozy, as he guided her towards the chair. She had been feeling like that since that morning, but over the past hour, she started to feel worse. She tried her best to pretend she was okay, but even if she was the best actress in the world, she could come up with a convincing excuse to convince Adrien that what had happened was nothing.
"There we go." -Adrien said, as he kneeled in front of her. –"How are you feeling, Nathalie?" -he asked her.
"I feel… I feel fine." -Nathalie lied to him.
"Nathalie. For someone who's always telling me that I shouldn't lie, you're not setting a good example for me." -Adrien said. –"She looks so white. She's definitely sick. I noticed she looked a little strange this morning, but I didn't think she would be sick." -he thought to himself.
"I… I admit that I'm a feeling little woozy." -Nathalie confessed, before starting to cough. –"But give me a couple of minutes here, and I'll be fine. My blood pressure must be a little low today." -she said, before coughing hard.
"Low blood pressure? As far as I know, low blood pressure doesn't make a person cough like that… Hold on. I'm going to take you to your bedroom, so you can rest for a bit." -Adrien said, as he placed himself under Nathalie's right arm, forcing her to get up. Slowly and gently, they both got up, and she leaned in on his shoulders. –"And then, I'm calling you a doctor." -he said –"That's some really bad cough. If I didn't know that Nathalie doesn't smoke, I would say that that cough was the result of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day."
"Adrien, there's no need for that." -Nathalie said, as they started to walk in the direction of her bedroom.
"Sorry, Nathalie, but I'm going to ignore what you just told me, and I'm going forth with this plan." -Adrien told her. –"You're white as a sheet, you're , and I'm going to make sure you get better." -he said.
"But I need… there's so much to do." -Nathalie coughed. –"Your father…" -she said.
"My dad will understand if things aren't done, given your current health state. Also, Nina can help you out, if there's something that needs to be done urgently. You need to remember that you might be my dad's secretary, but you're not his only assistant anymore, and that you're still as human, like everyone else, Nathalie." -Adrien said. –"And I also know that he doesn't want you to get sicker, than you already are." -he smiled at her.
Nathalie was about to tell him he was wrong, but then she realized that he was right. On all the years she had been working for Gabriel Agreste, he had been a tough boss. Tough, but reasonable. And he was a person that cared about his employees. He believed that an employee could not do his best work, unless it was in good health. So, she knew that Gabriel would be more worried about her well-being, than her ability to complete her job, right then. On top of that, Gabriel had complete confidence on Nathalie, and Adrien knew that, as he helped her getting to her bedroom. As they walked, Adrien noticed that Nathalie's face was burning up, when her chin touched his forehead, leading him to assume she had a fever.
Though she owned an apartment on the 14th arrondissement, where she kept most of her things, Nathalie resided most of the time in the Agreste Manor. When she was given the chance to live in the manor, she took it, believing that it would be best. By doing that, she would never be late for work, and if her employer needed anything, she would not have to be worried about arriving home late. And on top of that, it would make her second job a lot easier, which was to take care of Adrien and make sure he was alright, in every possible way.
Her bedroom was located on the second floor of the east wing of the manor. It was a suite with a large bathroom, a small, yet spacious wardrobe and a beautiful balcony. Its décor reflected the manor's own décor, but it also reflected Nathalie's own taste. Because she loved the colour blue, she had bought numerous objects of that colour to add to the bedroom. Arriving at it, he helped Nathalie get to the bed, where he sat her.
"You need to rest." -Adrien said, as he helped sit on the bed. –"And we'll also need to check your temperature. From the way you look, you must have a fever; there's no denying it. So, we're going to need to see just how bad it is. But first, maybe you should change into something a little more comfortable and get in bed, while I go look for a thermometer." -he said.
"There is a thermometer in the medicine cabinet in my bathroom. I'll go get it, and change clothes." -Nathalie said, as she coughed once again. –"If you want to do something, Adrien… you could ask the chef… to make me some tea. He knows what my favourite tea is." -she suggested him.
"Okay, I'll go get it." -Adrien said. –"After I call the doctor." -he declared.
"Adrien, please…" -Nathalie coughed. –"There's no need for a doctor." -she told him. –"I just need some tea, and I'll be better."
"I'll be the judge of that. Or better yet, I'll let the doctor be the judge of it." -Adrien told her. –"But since you insist on having some tea, I'll go get it for you, first, and then I'll call the doctor. Be right back." -he said, as he left the bedroom.
Leaving Nathalie in her bedroom, Adrien quickly made his way downstairs, towards the kitchen, where he notified the chef to prepare Nathalie's favourite tea and to add some honey to it, explaining that she would be staying in bed the rest of the day. After that, and while waiting for the tea to be ready, he pulled Nathalie's cell phone, which he had grabbed from the floor when coming down, and tried to call his dad, to tell him about Nathalie's condition. If he called him from his cell phone, he might not answer him. But he knew that no matter what, he would always answer Nathalie's calls. Calling him, he waited for him to pick up, only to find it going straight to voicemail.
"Voice mail? Okay, this is a first." -Adrien thought to himself. –"Well, since he doesn't answer, I'm going to text Nina, so she can tell him about what's happening." -he thought, as he looked for Nina's number. –"Here it is… oh, this is funny. Nathalie has Nina as "Gabriel's Protégé and Assistant"."
After texting Nina, and still waiting for that tea to be ready, Adrien noticed the chef was distracted with the tea, and sneaked into the pantry to get another piece of Camembert for Plagg, who he felt getting restless inside his jacket's pocket.
"Hold on, Plagg; here, nibble on this." -Adrien whispered to his kwami, while putting the cheese inside his pocket. –"And chew quietly. We're not alone." -he warned him.
"About time I got a little snack." -Plagg whispered back at Adrien, before biting the smelly cheese. –"By the way, nice catch." -he whispered. –"You were on the right place, at the right time."
"Thanks… it's a good thing I've got feline reflexes." -Adrien whispered.
Looking outside the window, he saw that the rain had begun to drop a lot harder than before. Just looking at it, it made Adrien appreciate the fact that he was indoors, and not outside. Once the tea was ready, Adrien took it to Nathalie, hoping that would make her feel a little better. He did not know just how sick she was, but he wanted to believe that tea, along with the rest of the day off in bed, and some medicine, would make her feel better. Going up the stairs, the image of Nathalie feeling dizzy and nearly falling on her back in front of him, came back to his mind, along with the thought of what might had happen to her, if he had not been there to catch her. He wanted to believe that nothing bad would have happened to her, but there was always the chance. And he was happy he was in the right place, at the right time to help her. Arriving at her bedroom, he knocked at the door, using his left elbow, and asked if he could come in, to which Nathalie said "yes". Using his elbow once more, he pressed the handle, and opened the door. Looking at the bed, he saw that Nathalie had already changed into some navy-blue pyjamas, had gotten herself under the covers and was then cleaning her glasses with a white cloth. She still looked quite pale, but one could see the blood was beginning to flow back to her face, little by little.
"Here's your tea, and some biscuits, courtesy of the chef. He says you always like to eat them with your tea." -Adrien said, as he placed the tray in front of Nathalie. –"If you don't mind me saying, you're looking a little bit rosier, Nathalie. That's a good sign." -he smiled at her.
"Thank you, Adrien." -Nathalie smiled back at Adrien, while putting on her glasses. –"But I'm alright… my temperature is a little bit higher than usual, but it's nothing serious. I'm just a little tired, that's all." -she said, as she poured the tea into the cup.
"A little bit higher? May I see the thermometer, please?" -Adrien asked her.
"Adrien, there's…" -Nathalie said.
"Nathalie, please, I insist." -Adrien told her, demanding to see the thermometer.
Nathalie felt that Adrien was stepping a little out of line, by treating her that way. But she knew that he was just worried about her. Handing him the thermometer, he checked the last time the temperature was taken, and was slightly surprised by what the number displayed on the screen.
"A little bit higher than usual? I think 39ºC qualifies as more than just a little bit, Nathalie. You're burning up." -Adrien commented, worried about her. –"Guess you'll be stuck in bed for the rest of the day, and maybe the next couple of days too." -he told her. –"But don't worry, you have nothing to fear. I'll be here to make sure that you get better in no time. And I'm calling the doctor."
"You really don't have to do this, Adrien." -Nathalie said. –"And there's no need for a doctor." -she coughed. –"All I need is this tea and an aspirin, and I'll be fine."
"Sorry, but I think tea and an aspirin aren't going to do the work, Nathalie. You need a doctor. And you took care of me so many times, when I was sick. It's my turn to take care of you." -Adrien smiled at her, as Nathalie sipped the tea. –"Besides, I don't have anything else better to do today. So, I don't mind keeping you company and taking care of you." -he said.
Nathalie was going to tell Adrien that that was not true. That he had better things to do, like studying for the exams that were slowly approaching, or talking to his friends online. But she refrained from doing so, knowing that the boy would tell her that right then, her health and well-being was more important than anything else. Smiling to him, she could not help but to think that she had done a good job helping to raise him into the kind, caring and gentle boy he was, who would care more about others, than himself.
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Here's your cell phone. I took the liberty to use it to try and call my dad to tell him about what's going on with you, but it went straight to voice mail." -Adrien said, as he handed the cell phone back to Nathalie. –"And when that didn't work, I texted Nina and told her to warn him." -he said.
"His cell phone must be out of battery. He must've not notice it because he's probably still in a meeting." -Nathalie said, as she placed the cell phone on her nightstand. –"But don't worry. If you texted Nina, I'm sure she… will warn him." -she said, before coughing.
"That really doesn't sound good." -Adrien said. –"I'm going to call the doctor, right now, so he can give you something for that cough and for the fever." -he told her.
"There's no… need for that, Adrien." -Nathalie told him, while coughing.
"Sorry again, Nathalie. But there's nothing you can say that is going to change my mind, about this. I'm going to call a doctor, and that's final." -Adrien told her, with a serious look on his face. –"The way she's reacting, it's like she's afraid of doctors, and I know she's not. Maybe she's just being stubborn and doesn't want to bother anyone- Too bad for her, because I'm even more stubborn than she is. She's going to see a doctor, and that's final." -he thought to himself.
Nathalie tried to convince Adrien to not call the doctor, while he dialled the number. But his mind was made. He was not going to let her get worse, just because she did not want to impose on anyone. Calling the family doctor, he told him it was an emergency and if possible, he ought to come at once.
Half hour went by, before the doctor arrived, and examined Nathalie. It did not take him more than two minutes to determine she had caught a nasty case of flu, and to tell her that she would need to stay in bed for the next three days. He also recommended that no one ought to be near her during that period of time, so as to not get sick themselves. Prescribing some antibiotics to her, Adrien told Gorilla to go buy them at once, as he accompanied the doctor to the door, where he told the teen that in order for her to recover as fast as possible, it was imperative Nathalie remained in bed. Adrien told him that he was going to make sure that she would rest properly.
Knowing the only way that would happen was if his father would order her to do such a thing, Adrien tried to call him once more, hoping he would answer. But instead of calling his number, he called Nina. As luck would have, she answered him and before Adrien could talk, Nina told him that his father knew what was going on, and had ordered her to give Nathalie a message, which immediately told Adrien. After she gave him Gabriel's message, Adrien thanked her and told her to notify his father that Nathalie had come down with a flu, but that he had taken care of everything and that he was going to make sure she rested and recovered.
"Got it, Adrien. I'll tell your dad you told him that." -Nina said. –"Tell Nathalie that I wish her a speedy recovery too." -she told him.
"Don't worry, I will, Nina." -Adrien said, as he ended the call.
While Adrien finished talking to Nina, in her bedroom, Nathalie tried to get comfortable beneath the covers. She had not told Adrien, but she was feeling quite ill. And she did not tell him, because of any sort of pride or stubbornness on her part. She did not tell him, because she did not want him to worry about her. As the adult, it was she who ought to be taking care of Adrien, and not the other way around. On top of it, there was the matter of her job. As the secretary of Gabriel, she had a lot of things she needed to take care of. But now that she was stuck in bed, there was nothing she could about it, except rest. Still, if given the chance, she would go back to work, as soon as she felt a little better.
But before that could happen, she had to stay in bed. Looking at her bedside table, she saw the book that she had begun reading almost a month before. It was the latest Colleen Hoover novel, Verity, and because of her workload, she had been unable to continue reading it. Smiling, she grabbed it and told herself that she was finally going to be able to finish it.
"I really don't like that I have to stay in bed. But at least now, thanks to Adrien, I'll have to time to finish you." -Nathalie thought to herself, as she opened the book on the page she had stopped.
"Guess you'll finally get the chance to catch up on your reading." -Adrien smiled at Nathalie, as he entered her bedroom.
"Indeed." -Nathalie smiled. –"Still, there's so much that needs to be done…" -she said, before coughing.
"Forget about that, Nathalie." -Adrien told her. –"You heard what the doctor told you. You need to rest and thar's exactly what are you going to do." -he said. –"Also, I managed to call Nina, and she told me my dad already knows what's happening, while giving me this message to you: "Do not attempt to get out of bed, Nathalie. As your employer, I order you to take the time you need to get better, so that when I come back in a couple of days, you'll be ready to resume your duties, once more." … and if you think I'm making this up, Nina texted me the whole message, for you to read it."
Reading those words on Adrien's cell, Nathalie saw that he was not joking. And just like Adrien had anticipated, she realized she had no choice but to do as her employer ordered her, and stay in bed, until she had made a full recover. On one hand, she felt like disobeying Gabriel's orders and, as soon as she felt a little better, she would go back to work. But on the other, she respected him too much to do such a thing, and knew that if he was giving her that order, it was because he valued her too much, to allow her to get even sicker. So, she decided that until she made a full recover, she would remain in bed.
"Very well. If your father thinks it's best for me to stay and bed and recover, I will do that." -Nathalie declared.
"It is the best, and it's not just him, who's thinking that." -Adrien told her. –"I'm also thinking, and I know everyone else in this house is thinking the same. We want to see you back up in your feet, like always, even if that means seeing you confined to your bed, Nathalie." -he said. –"Anyways, I just came here to show you the text. I'll be back in a while, to bring you the pills the doctor prescribed you, and to check if you need anything. I'm also going to ask the chef to make you some chicken soup for dinner."
"Adrien…" -Nathalie said.
"And before you say it's not necessary, let me remind you that I'm not the one who's sick. It's you. And unless you want to get worst, you'll stay in bed and don't argue with the person who's trying to get you better. That's what you always tell me, when I'm sick, right?" -Adrien told her, with a warm smile on his face. –"So, try to rest and leave everything to me." -he said, when he realized that he had interrupted her. –"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I guess I got a little carried away."
"It's okay. I was just going to say that… I'm proud of how… you handled things." -Nathalie said, between coughs. –"That was a very… mature attitude from you, Adrien." -she smiled tenderly at him.
When he heard Nathalie say that, Adrien's heart practically melted away. It was no secret that he loved to be praised, especially by those he loved and admired. And even though the person he loved the most to be praised by was his father, Nathalie was also someone very special to him, and whom he also loved to be praised by. So, when she told him those words, he felt just like he had punched Hawk moth square in the jaw, or had vanquished an Akuma on his own. Smiling at Nathalie, it took him most of his strength and self-control to not hug her. He wanted to hug her, but refrained from doing it, so as to not catch Nathalie's flu, knowing that if he ended up sick, she would blame herself for it, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.
"Well, I had a pretty good teacher." -Adrien chuckled. –"The best, to be honest. All I did was do what you always do, when I'm sick, Nathalie." -he thought to himself. –"Anyways, I'll leave you to rest, Nathalie. See you in a bit."
"See you in a bit, Adrien… and thank you." -Nathalie said, whispering the last part, as Adrien left.
Closing the door behind him, as silently as possible, Adrien sighed, relieved to know that Nathalie would soon get better. And once Gorilla arrived with the medicine for her, it would help to speed up the recovery.
All of that had been a brand-new experience for Adrien, and though he was a little bit stressed, the relief he felt inside his chest, was enough to make any shred of tiredness caused by the stress in him, to feel meaningless. All that mattered to him was that he had helped Nathalie, and in a matter of days, she would be back in tip top shape, walking around and reminding him of what his father had told him to do.
"Guess Nathalie will be out of the picture for a couple of days." -Plagg said.
"I wouldn't be so sure. If we don't force her to stay still, she'll be out of her bed tomorrow morning." -Adrien said. –"She saw my dad's text, telling her to take her time to rest and recover, but Nathalie can be a little stubborn, and if she believes she's already well enough to go back to work, she won't stay in bed a minute more than she needs to. So, we'll have to keep an eye on her, and make sure she doesn't get out of bed, until she's fully recovered, Plagg." -he commented.
"If you say so. But that also means that you've got no one to supervise you, for the next couple of days." -Plagg said. –"I don't know about you, but I consider this like winning the lottery, Adrien. With Nathalie in bed, you become free as a bird and you don't have to worry about breaking any rules, because she'll never know, hence, your dad will never know." -he told Adrien.
"It's true. But I don't like to think that I've gained a little bit more of freedom, at the expense of Nathalie's flu. If much, I've gained a lot more responsibilities." -Adrien said, with a serious voice. –"It's not her fault that she got sick." -he said. –"I wish I could do more for her… After my mom died, she was always the one who took care of me, and when I was sick, she would do everything in her power to make sure that I got better in no time."
(Flashback)
Adrien got sick the day before. When he got home, he was coughing a little, but both his father and Nathalie thought that the cough was due to the excess of pollen in the spring air. But in the morning, when it was almost time for him to go to school, and Nathalie went to his bedroom to wake him up, she found that Adrien was sick with a fever. Immediately, she told Gabriel and they decided that Adrien would stay home that day. After notifying the school, Nathalie called the doctor, while also keeping Adrien company.
Despite being ill and with a fever, Adrien was quite restless. His body ached, but not enough that he did not want to jump out of bed and play. He had been playing with some toys the night before, and had left them on the table where the videogame consoles were as well, to continue the adventure he was having with them the next day when he returned from school. But Nathalie told him he could not get out of bed, and risk getting cold.
"Stay in bed, Adrien." -Nathalie ordered him.
"But I want to play!" -Adrien told her.
"Sorry, but if you're going to play, you'll have to play in bed." -Nathalie told him. –"If you want to, I can get you your toys, so you can play with them. But you're not going to get out of bed." -she smiled at him.
"Okay." -Adrien said, before coughing.
"Don't worry, the doctor will be here soon, and he'll tell us what we need to do, to get you better." -Nathalie said.
And shortly after, the doctor arrived and examined Adrien. He quickly saw that he had a cold. Prescribing Adrien a cough syrup, as well as some antibiotics, he advised Nathalie that he ought to remain in bed and drink plenty of fluids, believing that in a matter of days, he would be able to go back to school. Adrien did not mind staying home, because it meant he could watch television and play with his toys all day. The only thing he did not like was the shivers and the cough. That, and the cough syrup. Like all little kids, Adrien did not like the taste of the cough syrup. Even if it was supposed to have an orange flavour, he kept saying the syrup did not taste like orange, and that was disgusting.
"No, I don't want it!" -Adrien said.
"Come now, Adrien. If you don't take it, you won't get better." -Nathalie said, as she opened the bottle with the cough syrup.
"But it tastes bad!" -Adrien complained. –"It wastes yucky!" -he said.
"It doesn't taste that bad, Adrien. Look, I'll prove it. I'll taste it myself." -Nathalie said, as she poured a spoonful of syrup and took it. –"See? It's not that bad." -she smiled, though she was forcing it, as she found out that the cough syrup did taste horribly bad. –"Eww, this really tastes bad… anyways, I've got to have him to take it, or he'll never get better from this cough."
Using trick after trick, Nathalie finally managed to give Adrien the cough syrup, which he once again claimed it was disgusting. Nathalie did not say a thing, but she agreed with him.
"I'll come back in an hour, with your lunch." -Nathalie said, as she tucked him in bed.
"Can I have French fries, Nathalie?" -Adrien asked her.
"I'm afraid not, Adrien. You heard what the doctor said. Chicken soup and lots of water, to kill the bug inside you." -Nathalie reminded him.
"Must be a really bad bug." Adrien giggled, before coughing.
"And it is. It's making you sick. But once it's gone, you'll be able to go back to school, and also play outside." -Nathalie said, using what she liked to call her "funny" voice, which was essentially her voice, but with a clownish accent, which she knew Adrien loved. –"Now, try to sleep for a little bit. It'll help you get better a lot faster." -she told him. –"And in case you're thinking about skipping out of bed and go play on the cold floor, as soon as I leave the bedroom, remember that I can hear you move a mile away, and that I like to make unscheduled appearances."
The last sentence was spoken in a serious, yet playful tone. Nathalie wanted Adrien to understand that he was not to get out of bed, or there would be consequences, but without being too harsh on him. She had learned that children respond better to requests than threats, especially if one talks with a low and gentle voice, like she did.
"Okay, Nathalie." -Adrien said. –"How did she know I was going to do that? She must have psychic powers, and read my mind." -he thought to himself.
"Okay, what, Adrien?" -Nathalie asked him.
"Okay, I won't get out of bed to play on floor." -Adrien answered her.
"That's a good boy." -Nathalie smiled, as she hugged him.
(End of Flashback)
"Plagg, are you really sure your miraculous doesnt' have any sort of power that can cure people?" -Adrien asked him.
"Nope, sorry. The only miraculous that has any healing powers is the turtle miraculous." -Plagg answered him. –"But if you're thinking of calling Nino and ask him to come here and heal Nathalie, you can forget it. The turtle miraculous allows one to cure may kinds of ailments, most of them physical. But that doesn't include flus, colds, measles, and other kinds of diseases; and yes, cancer counts as a disease. It doesn't work that way. Don't ask me why it works on a broken leg or spine, but it doesn't work on something as a disease, because I don't know, and neither does Wayzz or any of the other kwamis. It's a mystery."
Adrien did ask Plagg about it, because he truly wanted to use magic to cure Nathalie. For all the incredible things he could do with his miraculous, healing others was one thing he could not. And knowing that neither his miraculous, nor the others could do it, made him feel powerless. He knew Nathalie was not going to die from that flu, but he still did not like to see her that way.
"I see. Well, it's a shame, because if I had the power to cure, I would use it to cure her." -Adrien said. –"In fact, anyone I knew who would get sick, I would use it and cure them in a heartbeat." -he confessed. –"I know it's a little childish to think about it that way, but if you had the power to do, wouldn't you take advantage of it?"
"Maybe… remember, I'm not human, so sometimes I can't fully understand what's going on inside your minds." -Plagg said. –"But you know, Nathalie's lucky in having you to help her, Adrien." -he told him. –"Just because you don't have the power to cure her, with a snap of your fingers, doesn't mean you aren't trying your best to find a way for her to recover faster."
"Thanks, Plagg," -Adrien told him. –"But truth be told, and I know I'm always repeating myself, I'm the one who's lucky in having her. She's the closest thing I have to my mom, and I'm glad for that. I'm glad that she's always there for me, when I need it the most." -he smiled. –"On top of it, she helps me a lot, and whenever I'm feeling down, and I don't have anyone to cheer me up, she'll stop whatever she's doing for my dad, and try to get me back in good spirits. I care about her, just like she cares about me. So, wishing for her to get better faster, it's one of those things that I really want, and if I could use magic to make that happen, I would. No questions asked."
"Yeah, well, it's like they say, Roma wasn't built in a day, you know?" -Plagg reminded him. –"She'll need your help to fully recover, and you're going to do your best to make that happen, just like you did, when you called the doctor… plus, she said she was really proud of you. I could hear and feel your pulse speeding up, when she said that. That was quite the praise, and you deserved it." -he said. –"And while we wait for Gorilla to come back with the medicine for Nathalie, why don't we go down to the kitchen and get ourselves a proper snack, like we were going to do, when Nathalie felt ill?"
"More cheese? Your stomach is like a black hole… actually, you are a living black hole that gulps down cheese, Plagg!" -Adrien exclaimed, surprised that his kwami was already hungry.
"I'm a growing kwami, you know that." -Plagg said, with a serious voice.
"Yeah… a growing kwami with more than 5000 years old, who at this rate, will become a chunky kwami." -Adrien joked.
"Very funny, Adrien, very funny." -Plagg said with a sarcastic voice, which prompted Adrien to laugh. –"At least I manage to make you laugh… you don't laugh enough, and you should do it, kid. But don't worry. As long as I'm around, I'll make you smile and laugh, because that's what you need in your life… happiness." -he silently promised Adrien.
I know that some of you wanted to know what's going to happen on the next chapter of "Miraculous Team: Cosplay Chaos", but I had to take a small break from the main story, and try to write something that did not have to do with what's happening in it... so, I decided to finish this one-shot that I've been working on for the past couple of months. The idea for it came from an unused plot that was to take place during "Miraculous Team: Valentine Lovers", and I always felt sad that I didn't get to use it. So, after tweaking with the idea, I came up with this, a full chapter dedicated to Adrien's relationship with Nathalie. In the series, I always felt that it's a bit of a shame that Nathalie is on the side of the bad guys, even though we don't really know why yet. Which is a bit of a shame, because I think she would make a great stepmom for Adrien. Needless to say that in this AU, she's practically Adrien's stepmom and she cares about him a lot. This one-shot is a bit of a cliché, I know, but I wanted to show just how Adrien values Nathalie snf hoe much he cares about her (it also gave me the opportunity to write that flashback with Adrien as a little kid).
Writing this, was a fun way to get my mind out of everything that's been bothering me, and to also give me the time to come up with how I'm going to continue to write "Miraculous Team: Cosplay Chaos".
Anyways, I hope you all liked it, and as always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions for future one-shots (which might or might not be used. But as always, I accept suggestions, and who knows, maybe you guys can come up with ideas that I might have not pondered about).