With thanks to gumnut for the read-through.
'Yarrr! Avast there me hearty!'
Lucy pulled up short. Before her stood her fourth-born child, waving a wooden sword at her.
'Oh no! It is the dread pirate Captain Hook himself!' She held one hand to her head and closed her eyes.
The six-year-old leaned in and patted her arm and she opened one eye. 'It's alright, Mommy, it's me, Gordon.' She tried not to laugh.
'What do you want from me, Captain?'
Gordon prodded his Mom gently with the sword until she opened both eyes. 'I am thirsty, wench!'
Lucy took a step back, making a mental note to talk to John about appropriate language. And then took another step back as her sick little boy let rip a loud and very snotty sneeze. She had to lean in quickly to stop him wiping his nose on the sleeve of his costume.
'I have just the thing, Captain.'
She held out her hand and Gordon happily took it, forgetting that he was a pirate that had her as a captive. Lucy sat him on the counter while she got him to blow his nose, then set about grabbing a glass and a carton from the fridge.
Pouring a generous amount of orange juice and handing it to her son, she hoped he would drink it. The vitamin C would help his cold no end. But Gordon was fussy and didn't really like pure fruit juice of any kind.
Sure enough, her son sniffed it and pulled a face, holding it out to her.
'What is this? Are you trying to poison me? Where's me rum?'
So, he's back in character again, Lucy mused, and I really must talk to John about what language and words he teaches his brother.
'No, Captain, it's an antidote! Pirates are prone to scurvy, and oranges are perfect to stop that happening. A pirate with scurvy can't sail the seas!'
Gordon contemplated her words. He'd heard John talk about the 'dreaded scurvy' and he didn't want that. So he picked the juice back up and drank it. He held the glass out.
'More please!'
Lucy poured a little more in, not wishing him to drink too much in one go, and watched him drink it all. She helped him down and he pulled her to the living room. Knowing exactly what he wanted, she put The Little Mermaid on for him, and before the film had even started Gordon was asleep on the couch, worn out from his illness.
She smiled fondly at him. And wiped his nose.