Siblings

Genre: Family

Pairings: Greg and Molly, background

Main characters: Greer, Scott, Johnnie, Greg and Molly cameo

"But..!" Greer protested, as Johnnie tucked her in. "I'm NOT TIRED. John William Lestrade STOP that!" she grumbled, as he fluffed her pillow. "Oh bollocks you're SO bloody annoying!"

The twin brothers chose to ignore their spirited sister's rather more spirited phrasing, in light of her recent chest infection. That taken into account, and how awful they knew she'd been feeling, they could forgive it easily enough. Between Uncle John's prescription of antibiotics, and the care of Daddy and Mummy, but truly – if everyone were to be honest about it - mostly two devoted and very, VERY patient big brothers who could withstand her protests and convince her to take her medicine like a big girl, even if it was out of pure spite on her part... Greer had managed to recover quite satisfactorily, in their professional opinions, of course.

"Greer, you've been terribly sick, and you're nearly well, but you're not quite there yet… we can't risk you backsliding is all," Scott said, as he made sure her water glass was freshly filled. "Besides, you've two full days left of the medication Uncle John gave you, and he made it quite clear you were to take ALL of them. What did he call it?"

"I think he said it was a "full course" or something… anyway he said that meant she wasn't to stop taking them just because she felt better," Johnnie said, as he eyed up the bottle of caplets, checking the slip of paper where he and Scott had been keeping track of her dosages, carefully following Uncle John's instructions. Pondering this, and knowing when they'd given her the last one, he decided her next was due right about now.

"But I'm not sick anymore, Scott," she whimpered, as she felt her head grow light. Scott looked at Johnnie, sharing a subtle eyeroll.

"Your sister is IMPOSSIBLE, Johnnie," Scott said, with a playful huff. Greer scowled at him, a look fit to kill. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her brown eyes turned an ominous shade of flashing grey.

"MY sister, you say? Well MY sister is a sweet, caring young lassie who never disagrees and never makes trouble, and she's always doing things for others just because she loves them so. This must be YOUR sister, Scott…" Johnnie said lightly. He maneuvered out of reach as Greer pulled her arm out from under the covers to take a swing at her young caregiver.

"There's NOTHING wrong with your sister, you bloody dolt. Your BROTHER, on the other hand," she said angrily, before the tickle in her throat got the better of her, sending her off into a coughing fit.

"Aw no, Greer," Scott said, concerned, "we don't MEAN to tease you so badly. It's just that we're your big brothers and it's kind of our job to egg you on a bit… Truth is, we're grateful you've let us look after you while you've been so ill. You're our sister, we wouldn't want to be ANYWHERE else, we promise. Now, Uncle John is a DOCTOR, so he knows what he's talking about. Just TWO more days, Greer, that's all…" Scott crawled up onto her covers, propping her up with his arm wrapped behind her and leaning her against him to help her coughing subside more easily. Johnnie smiled at this, reaching for her glass of water.

"Here, have a sip, it might help," he offered soothingly, as her coughing fit subsided, before crawling up to take a place on her other side. Sneakily, Johnnie brought his hand up, touching her cheek, then her forehead. Scott watched as he frowned slightly. "Seems a bit warm, I reckon," he said. "Nothing serious I'm sure, maybe just a bit flushed from coughing... But Greer you are DEFINITELY not better yet. But at least if you were going to get sick you did it during the school holiday. Here," he said, as he held a dosage of the antibiotic up to her mouth, "this is the last of the night. Uncle John's instructions…"

Greer said nothing, only heaving a tired, deep sigh, as she took the pill with the offered glass of water. "I'm so tired still," she said softly, after she'd swallowed it. "I'm sorry if I've been cranky, and a lousy patient. It's just SO hard to be cheerful when you feel so bloody dreadful," she said sadly. She shifted her head to look up to first Scott, then to Johnnie, smiling gratefully, "but I'm SO glad you've both been here with me. You've made me not so… bored. And you really have helped me to feel better."

"She must be fading fast, she sounds awfully docile and polite," Scott giggled, before regaining his composure. "I'm rather tired myself, actually," he said, as he settled Greer back. The young girl yawned as she snuggled against her big brother's arm, still wrapped protectively around her.

"Here," Johnnie said, reaching for a blanket on the chair next to the bed. "We might just as well stay here until she's sleeping soundly. Anyway, I'm rather comfortable," he said, yawning widely. Scott only nodded sleepily as he grabbed the end of the blanket, stretching it across the bed. Johnnie settled in, draping an arm across his sister.

From the doorway, Molly gazed in at her children – one last check before bedtime - then looked up to Greg, standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. Greg said nothing, merely grinning back, before averting his attention back to the three siblings, now sound asleep and dreaming peacefully.

"I think we ought to leave them well enough alone, yeah?" Greg whispered into her ear. "The boys seem to have the situation in hand."

"Indeed they do," Molly said, with a yawn. "May their slumber be peaceful and their dreams be sweet…" she murmured softly.