Summary: Connor and Zoe are sick
prompt from scorpius-cinnamon-roll on Archive of Our Own :)
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Sure enough, the next day, Zoe woke up complaining of a runny nose and sneezing every few minutes.
"I don't feel well," she moaned at breakfast.
"Well, you certainly don't look well at all," Cynthia said in concern. "I think you must have caught a chill last night."
"Can I eat some of my Halloween candy later?" she asked. When her mother shook her head, she tried another tactic. "I think it would help me feel better."
"Nice try, hon, but no sugary foods when you're sick, sorry."
"That's not fair, Connor gets to eat his," she whined, pointing to the two empty candy wrappers next to her brother's plate.
Connor looked up. "I'm not sick."
"But it's not fair," Zoe repeated, folding her arms and slouching in her seat. "I don't want to be sick."
"I know you don't," Cynthia said sympathetically. "But since you're not well, you have to stay away from the sweets for now."
"And the chocolates, too?" Zoe asked, her bottom lip beginning to quiver.
"And the chocolates, too. Sorry, sweetie."
Zoe hiccupped and tried to wipe a tear as it slid down her cheek, only to end up sneezing again.
Feeling sorry for her, Connor reached across the table and patted her on the arm. "Okay, Zo-Zo, if it makes you feel better, I won't eat any of my candy until you get well."
Zoe blew her nose into a tissue, before replying with a grateful smile, "Thanks, Con."
"Aww, Zo, your brother is so kind!" Cynthia praised, ruffling his hair as he blushed and tried to swat her hand away.
Zoe sneezed again.
"You better get some rest," Cynthia said, placing a hand against her forehead. "You're feeling a little feverish."
"But I just woke up!"
"But the more you rest, the sooner you'll get better, alright?" Cynthia said, shooing her from the breakfast table.
"What about me?" Connor piped up.
"I guess you'll have to play without Zoe today. Do you want to build your new Lego sets with me?"
"I already finished them yesterday," he said, not bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice. "I really can't play with her today?"
"I want her to try and sleep off the cold, but when she wakes up, I can let you play with her for a while if she's feeling better. But only if she's feeling better."
He nodded and went off to read some books. He was halfway through one of his new Hardy Boys books when he heard Zoe's bedroom click open, followed by her sleepy voice asking for some water. He stepped out into the corridor, and she caught sight of him and asked, "Con, can I have some water please? I don't know where Mummy is."
"Sure," he said, heading downstairs and into the kitchen.
Cynthia was bent over a pot that was simmering on the stove. She looked up when she heard him enter. "Do you need something, Connor?"
"I'm just getting some water for Zo-Zo," he said, picking up her cup.
"Let me get it," Cynthia offered.
"No, I want to do it," he insisted, filling it and heading back up the stairs, feeling very much like a big brother.
Zoe was waiting for him by her doorway.
"Are you feeling better, honey?" Cynthia asked as Zoe took a sip of water.
"I think so," she nodded, wiping her nose with the back of her pajama sleeve. "But I'm super bored."
"Connor can play with you for a short while," Cynthia relented, "but we're going to eat lunch soon."
The siblings flashed each other an excited grin. "Let's go," Connor exclaimed, pulling Zoe off to the playroom.
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Around an hour after lunch, Cynthia went up to the playroom to inform the children to get ready for their naptime. Not finding them there, she stuck her head into Zoe's room, a smile spreading across her face at the heartwarming sight before her.
Zoe was sprawled across her bed, Connor lying next to her, reading aloud from one of her storybooks.
"You two are so adorable," Cynthia found herself saying, and the two children looked up, slightly startled by her presence. "Zoe, you're so lucky you have a brother who takes such good care of you. I have the two best kids in the world!"
They laughed, a little embarrassed. Crossing the room, she kissed them both on the forehead, before gently taking the book out of Connor's hand. "Don't read when you're lying down," she chided, only half-scolding.
"I was reading to Zoe!"
"I know, but you don't want to damage your eyesight, right?"
He nodded meekly, taking the book back from her and returning it to its proper place on the bookshelf.
"Time for your naptime, okay?" she reminded them. "Especially you, Zoe, the more you rest, the sooner you'll get better."
Around half an hour later, Cynthia opened her bedroom door to find Connor standing there. "What's the matter, honey?"
"I don't feel too good," he complained.
A look of concern flashing across her face, she placed a hand against his forehead. "You arefeeling a little feverish."
"Am I sick, too?" he whimpered.
"I think so… Did you catch a cold last night?" She asked. He shook his head. She stepped over to Zoe's room, opening the door to find her lying on her bed, trying to hum a song under her breath, but sounding all weird because her nose was stuffed up.
"Zoe, when you went to Eliza's birthday party on Thursday, do you remember if there was anyone who might be sick?"
"I dunno," she shrugged.
"Can you try to remember?" Cynthia pressed.
Zoe thought for a minute before hesitantly replying, "I don't know… I think that maybe Claire had a cold?"
Cynthia groaned.
"What's wrong, Mummy?" Connor asked.
Cynthia sighed, replying, "I thought Zoe only caught a chill last night. If I'd known she'd caught a cold from someone else, I wouldn't have let you play with her."
"Is Con sick, too?" Zoe asked in dismay. Connor glumly nodded back. "Sorry for making you sick, Con."
"It's not your fault," he murmured, and then turned back to his mom. "Can I go back to my room and sleep?"
"Yes, of course, call me if you need anything, alright?" Cynthia said, rather worried that her usually energetic son was willingly asking to go to bed, not to mention right after a nap.
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Shortly before dinnertime, Larry came home to the sight of his two children sitting across each other at the coffee table, alternating between giggling and blowing their noses while playing a game of checkers. The smell of soup drifted in from the kitchen.
"I heard you two were sick, so I came home early," Larry said, setting his briefcase down and bending over their game. "Feeling any better?"
Connor wiped his nose, throwing the tissue into the trashcan they'd moved next to the table, and nodded.
"Yeah, I think so," Zoe replied. "But Connor is beating me at the game."
"Why don't you—" Larry began, as he reached over to move one of Zoe's pieces.
Connor quickly pushed his hand away. "No! You can't, it's my turn!" He turned his attention back to the checkerboard, strategically moving one of his pieces. "Okay, I win!"
"You always win!" Zoe pouted. "I'm no good at checkers. Can we play something else?"
"But I wanted to play checkers again!"
"But then I'll just lose again, and that's no fun!" Zoe argued.
"Okay, okay," Larry stepped in, hoping to defuse the situation. "How about we take a break from the board games and watch a movie?"
They both lit up. "Yes!"
"Can we watch Star Wars?"
"Sure!" Larry replied. "Which episode?"
"Five!" "Six!" Connor and Zoe yelled at the same time.
"We're only watching one episode."
"Five!" "Six!" They repeated, before glaring at each other.
"Okay, how about we go with Zoe's choice this time? Since Connor, you already won the game of checkers?"
"Yay! I like Ewoks!" Zoe grinned, running over to the sofa and bouncing on it.
Connor ran up to his room to fetch his favorite blanket, before returning and taking his place next to Larry on the couch.
Fifteen minutes later, when Cynthia entered the room carrying four bowls of steaming chicken noodle soup, the movie was still playing at a low volume, but the two children were fast asleep, Connor wrapped up in the blanket and leaning against Larry's shoulder, and Zoe had her head in Larry's lap.
Larry looked over at Cynthia, smiling and placing a finger on his lips.
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