I do not own American Horror Story: Freak Show.

And I fear winter will never end.

A Winter in Wisconsin

Rock-a-Bye, Baby

"Come on now, Jimmy. Ethel said you had to take it every three hours."

"I dob wab too, Subie!"

"Come on, it'll make your sore throat feel better," she coaxed, trying for the umpteenth time to show patience for her sick friend.

"Nob, ib taeb like shib!"

Legless Suzi perched on a chair next to Jimmy's bunk. And held out the cup of warm, now slowly cooling, liquid to the pitiful wad of sick boy burrowed under the mountain of blankets in his bunk.

Yes, it did have a kick, she couldn't deny. Sage mixed with alum in warm water would make anybody recoil. When she'd first forced him to gargle with it, he'd nearly spewed it all over her pinched and worried face.

Jimmy inhaled a gasp of breath, held it for a moment, and then sneezed an incredible amount of thick greenish snot all over his flushed face.

"Doh, ma gob!" he groaned, clapping his shaking hands over his eyes and nose to keep them from exploding and killing him.

Sweet concerned Suzi bubbled up with a groan of compassion for his miserable condition as well as a giggle of inappropriate mirth at the revoltingly humorous sight before her.

The giggle escaped first. She tried to choke it back as quickly she could.

Jimmy glared at her as he attempted to mop up his face with an already heavily soiled handkerchief.

"Ib nob fudde, Subie!"

She collected herself with a flash of guilt, resuming her loyal concern.

"I know, honey. I know. I'm sorry."

She waited until he had cleaned his face as best as he could. Then offered him the cup once again.

"Now take this so you can get better, sweetie."

Jimmy started to shake his matted head, then stopped as the sinus pressure punished him for his efforts.

"Nob! Jub leb be sleeb so I caeb dieb!"

Quiet little Suzi was all out of patience and kindness. She reached way down into her arsenal for her last remaining weapon in the fight against the sick baby Jimmy.

Leaning forward and dropping her voice, she whispered menacingly.

"Ethel has been up taking care of Salty all night and she's very tired. She won't be happy to be woken up to take care of you because you've got more brains than he has."

She glared at him.

"Unless you've sneezed them out already."

Jimmy watched her with red, oozing eyes. He seemed to be refusing to speak on the bleary headed notion of punishing her.

"Jimm-y?" The usually timid Suzi pushed. "Do you want me to get your mother?"

Twenty year old Jimmy Darling pushed out his bottom lip in a sullen pout and glared at her for a long moment. She held his stare without blinking, lips pressed into a thin, determined line.

Finally, he wilted under her resolve. When he spoke, it was a grumble.

"Nob."

Suzi nodded, satisfied. She held out the cup. Jimmy took it and drank.

"Ob, Subi, thib ib abfulb!"

And she had to go before she launched into another fit of laughter at the poor big baby.

Jimmy Darling didn't want to cough. It hurt to cough. It hurt to breathe.

But especially cough.

So he didn't.

He just sat on it. Waited. Refused.

And got sicker.

And sicker.

"Jimmy, it's gonna set up in your lungs! Cough it up, son!"

And he stubbornly refused, even his ma.

"Nob! It hurb!"

Ethel Darling huffed, turned and muttered something Jimmy couldn't hear to Suzi, now balanced on Jimmy's table.

Then she left, returning momentarily with a closed hand and a stern bearded face.

And approached her son's bedside.

"Jimmy Darling, let it go and cough it up."

He shook his head stubbornly and she slapped his face with her open hand.

As Jimmy gasped with the sudden blow, with great precision and deftness, Ethel threw red dust into his face with her other hand.

His gasp inhaled it into his mouth, his throat, his lungs.

And it stung.

And burned.

Jimmy Darling scrambled into a sitting position, clutching at his chest.

And coughed.

And coughed and coughed and coughed.

He coughed until his face turned red and he wheezed and gasped for breath.

Ma stayed close, her face set and expressionless as she watched him. Suzi's face, further back, alarmed and fearful.

Jimmy coughed until he saw spots swimming before his eyes and felt the darkness of unconsciousness pressing in on him.

Ma's killed me. With red, burning dust poison. Why, Ma, why?

He coughed until he felt salvia thick with moist bits working their way up from deep within him, up his throat, and into his mouth. And he had to spit them out into his much used and abused handkerchief.

Finally, little by little, his coughing tapered off.

"Jeez, Ethel, what the hell did you give him?"

Ethel kept her blue eyes trained on her suffering son.

"Chili powder."

Suzi seemed astounded.

But no more than Jimmy himself.

Damn, Ma.

He leaned back against the wall, weak and trembling.

And breathing easier.

Then Ma opened up his cupboard and put down a cup.

And made her son a hot toddy. Hot water, honey.

And whiskey.

As she offered it to him, he reflexively shied away.

"Ma," he wheezed weakly. "You said 'never'."

She shrugged, shaking her head.

"No, son, this ain't drink. It's medicine. Help you rest and sleep after coughing all that stuff up."

He frowned at the steaming cup.

Ethel Darling smiled at him, her kind eyes crinkling.

"Trust your ma now, Jimmy."

And so he did.

Jimmy Darling sat outside, his scrawny frame bundled up in freshly cleaned off chair.

Face turned up to the winter sun.

Breathing deeply.

"You're going to freeze if you stay out here," a heavily accented voice declared, not quite unkindly. "And then where will I find another good-looking, smart-mouthed, lobster boy for Fraulein Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities?"

Jimmy opened a squinting eye to find Elsa Mars standing a few feet away, thick fur coat and hat protecting her from the constant Wisconsin winter chill.

He shrugged.

"Well, you won't, Elsa. Ain't none like me but me. You'll just have to do without."

He was weak and tired but still well enough to cast a dimpled smirk her way.

Because it just felt so damn good to be able to breathe.

Elsa did not return his smile.

But her eyes did.

"I hear your mama gave you the chili powder treatment," she commented airily.

Jimmy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, nearly killed me too."

She shrugged off his self-assigned pity.

"Got the sick out of your stubborn self, though, didn't it?"

He acquiesced with a nod.

And Elsa Mars finally smiled.

"Always do what your mama says, boy. That's what they're there for."

And then she left him to soak up the winter sun.

And breathe.

Hello, all! Got a four day weekend here (hello, snow days!) and thought to myself, hey, didn't I used to write words and stuff? ;)

So here it is. Hope it made you smile and hug your mama.

See you tomorrow for the final chapter of this story. I think the snow just might melt. For them anyway.

Thanks to brigid1318, the1upguy, Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape, and Gracious Guest (I sure hope you are feeling better, sweetie) for your ongoing reviews.