Yeah, I have a weakness for sick-fics, so instead of working on Chapter 5 of Shadows and Pumpkin Spice, I wrote this out in time for Christmas! I hope it brightens up your day!
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Staring at the unrolled scroll in front of him, Jack's elegant black feather quill scratched against the dry parchment. The handsomely dressed skeleton had promised himself, 'just a little bit more, than I'll spend the whole evening with Sally.' Reservations were already made at the finest restaurant in town, a surprise for his dearest friend. A nice, romantic dinner out. Perhaps a walk through the moonlit cemetery after? Talk about a perfect evening.
Jack glanced up from his work, repeatedly blinking his empty eye sockets in an effort to focus his vision. Everything in his tower study seemed fuzzy and blurry. Upon resting his skull in his bony hand, he couldn't help but feel the rather intense heat radiating from the smooth, white bone. Come to think of it, the Pumpkin King's spine tingled and prickled, but not in that pleasant way, like when he was about to give someone the worst fright of their life. No, these chills were... most unwelcome.
"It's nothing." Jack muttered to himself, standing up from his desk to open a window.
It suddenly felt very stuffy in there, almost suffocating. The skeleton's lanky, gangly body barely managed to stagger back to his coffin-shaped chair as exhaustion overtook every bone in his body, seeping all the way down to the marrow.
"Come on, Jack. Focus!"
What was he even working on again? Something to do with incorporating crows into his scarecrow showman act? Then there was the petition to sharpen the guillotine's blade, as it was beginning to dull. But Jack found himself stuck reading the same paragraph three times, not comprehending any of it.
From the doggie bed near the unlit hearth, Zero perked up from where he had been napping peacefully. The ghostly hound stretched his ethereal body, drifting towards his master with an anxious whine.
Jack fought to keep his eyes open and steady his hand on the feather quill. But the harder he battled against the unpleasant feeling weighing him down like a lead weight, all the more tired he became.
"Mmrrughhhh... Zero... I don't-d-don't feel so... so..."
His thoughts became more hazy and less coherent by the minute. Even the pinstripes on his elegant suit were making his head spin. With an exhausted, rattling groan, everything in the skeleton's vision went dark while his memory seemed to fade.
Zero nosed and pawed at Jack's limp bones, growing more and more worried the longer Jack remained unresponsive.
By the time Sally returned home from a long day of house call tailoring appointments, she was quite tired. The blue ragdoll's basket was filled with notes, charts, and rolled up scrolls: all designs that she'd need to get started as soon as possible. Demand for her services was booming!
Of course, what made the day even better for Sally was finding the bouquet of black thistles on the coffin-shaped coffee table in the parlor along with a note written in Jack's elegant calligraphy.
'My dearest Sally, may I cordially request the displeasure of your company this evening?'
It was signed 'Jack, The Pumpkin King', intricately incorporating a Jack-o'-lantern in the signature.
Giddy with excitement, Sally clutched the note close to where her heart would have been, barely containing her excited squeal as she spun around on her dainty tiptoes. The ragdoll looked down at the patchwork dress she'd been wearing; this would not do for a night out with her king! She would need to slip into something more elegant. More frightening. But first, she wanted to see Jack and thank him for such a wonderful surprise.
"Jack!" Sally called out, climbing the stairs up into her boyfriend's study, "oh Jaaaack, I got your -"
The ragdoll found herself interrupted by a panicked barking from further up the stairs. Whimpering and panting, Zero floated down, ears perking at the sight of his master's girlfriend.
"Awww, what is it, Zero?" questioned Sally, gently cupping her small hands under the canine's chin.
Zero continued to whine, gesturing towards the top of the stairs. Quickening her pace, Sally followed after the ghostly pup: this wasn't just Zero being disappointed about Jack pushing back a game of fetch. Something was wrong!
Upon reaching the top of the spiral staircase, Sally called out again, "Jack, where are you? Zero's acting -"
She cut herself off, coming across a sight that was all too familiar; the Pumpkin King, slumped over on his desk. Books, papers, and writing utensils scattered everywhere among the carefully organized chaos. Oh, and a cup of poison berry tea, long gone cold for good measure.
Although, it was a little early in the day to find Jack in this state. After all, the pumpkin sun had only just set. Still, Sally playfully rolled her eyes with a mellow dramatic sigh, "Oh Jaaack..."
Usually, this was the part where the tall, well dressed skeleton would snap to attention at the sound of her musical voice and try to reclaim whatever grace remained. An awkward smile followed by a thousand apologies. Yet... this time, Jack remained unmoving.
Zero gave another sorrowful bark as he nuzzled against the skeleton's arm before giving Sally a pleading look. Worry filled the ragdoll's soft features as she hurried to the king's side.
"Jack? Jack!? Are you alright, my love?"
Upon placing her hand on Jack's arm, Sally could feel his bones trembling. In fact, his whole body shook and rattled within the confines of his suit. Small grunts and mutters slipped from the skeleton's teeth and his face was scrunched in intense discomfort. A worried gasp left Sally's throat as she reached out to feel her king's forehead. She just about yelped and pulled away; it was like sticking her hand in a fire! He was burning up!
"Oh no, no, no, Jack! You poor sweet thing, h-how long h-have you been like this?" Sally questioned, gently trying to stir him from his uncomfortable sleep.
"Mmmmrrrhhhh... S-Sally...?" Jack practically croaked, weakly cracking open one eye socket.
His usually melodic voice was dry and strained and his bones felt so weak he could barely lift his head off of the desk. While Jack could tell that his beloved was speaking to him, he couldn't make out exactly what as the ringing in his ears rattled in his tired skull. Before he just slipped back into unconsciousness, Jack remembered!
Sally! Surprise date night! Surely she would have seen his note downstairs. Oh no! He had to pull himself together and fast!
"T-that's... r-right... S-Sally, I-I just n-need a... a... whoaaa..."
Jack was slurring his speech while struggling to stand, his arms shaking when attempting to push himself up onto his feet. Zero yapped softly, eyes filled with worry as he tried to help his master catch his balance.
Unable to simply watch her love struggle anymore, Sally caught the gangly, lanky skeleton before he collapsed onto the floor. Unluckily for her, the stitches on her arms held fast; seeing as Jack was all bone and no flesh, he was lighter than his tall, normally intimidating figure would suggest.
"Come along, Jack," Sally cooed, softly, "let's get you somewhere safe and comfortable."
Somewhere safe and comfortable? Well that sounded splendid! Although, wasn't he supposed to be treating her to a night out? Something wasn't right, but finding the right words to articulate as such was becoming more and more of a challenge.
Gently and slowly, Sally led Jack to the spiral staircase, letting him lean against her for support. He could hardly move on his own, which made the precarious steps even trickier in his state.
"W-where... are... w-we going, Sally?" Jack questioned resting his uncomfortably warm forehead against her reddish-brown hair.
The first major obstacle, those uneven, narrow stairs were only the beginning. Next came guiding the delirious skeleton into the master bedroom whilst making sure that he didn't trip over his own feet. Or her feet. Or a still worried Zero for that matter. At first, Jack tried to pull away, wanting to lead the way down to the parlor... and front door. They were going to be late for their reservation, after all.
"No, no, Jack. This way," Sally insisted, gently tugging her beloved back on track.
Confusion etched all over Jack's face, eye ridges rising in worry as he gestured towards the next flight of stairs. However, the undead king was too physically drained at the moment to do much other than follow Sally's firm but gentle guidance.
Well, their shared bedroom was always nice, wasn't it? Bed neatly made, a roaring fire in the hearth, and the spiderwebs in the darkest nooks and crannies meant that there were always some little friends nearby. Jack continued to mumble about "being late" and that they both "needed to get ready," as Sally had him sit on the edge of the bed.
Having a rather difficult time keeping his foggy thoughts straight, Jack couldn't recall why or when he'd been dressed in his nightshirt. Or why Sally was guiding him to lay down before tucking him under the covers.
"That's better, isn't it, my dearest?" The ragdoll whispered, offering a sympathetic smile on her stitched lips.
"Y-yes... better..."
It was very comfortable. Like resting on a misty gray cloud, especially when compared to the desk and all of those uneven, hard books! Thankfully, Jack's bones were trembling less as he settled, but there was still one more thing that was needed.
"I'll be right back," said Sally, giving the skeleton a tender kiss on his cheek before heading into the en-suite bathroom and turning on the faucet.
Jack sat up a little, trying to focus his fuzzy gaze on just what his beloved was up to. However, Zero let out a soft bark before curling up in the crook of his master's arm. A crooked grin crossed the undead king's skull, despite the raging fever tearing through his tired bones.
"G-good... boy, Zero..."
At those words, the little spirit hound's tail wagged and pumpkin nose glowed. Sally returned, carrying a small wash basin to the bedside table and set it down. She wrung out a wet cloth over the basin before pressing the cold compress to Jack's forehead. At once, the skeleton let out a sigh of relief as his empty eye sockets closed shut.
"Jack, when did you start feeling ill?" Sally questioned, giving Zero a few gentle strokes along his back, "Can you tell me? When was the last time you ate anything?"
"Mmmrruuuummmm...? Ummm... w-when was this morning, again?" Jack groaned, tapping his long, bony forefinger in woolly, unfocused thought.
Wait... since this MORNING?! With a sigh, Sally shook her head and 'tisked' at Jack in a scolding manner. It was only a matter of time until something like this happened, after all. Working and stressing himself so badly while simultaneously forgetting to take care of himself. Of course he'd end up getting sick!
"You've got to start taking better care of yourself, Jack!" Scolded the ragdoll, before her expression softened.
The look on Jack's face; it was like that of a wounded puppy. Sally reached out, stroking his skull and shushing him gently. Perhaps some nourishment and rest was just what the poor bag of bones needed.
"Oh... but I can't stay mad at you," Sally cooed, tending to her king's comfort, "I'm going to warm up some soup for you, okay? Stay right here in bed until I get back."
Still in a daze, Jack reached out for his love, mumbling something unintelligible when she 'booped' his nose before leaving. What was she doing? They needed to get going. Hell, he needed to get dressed! He wasn't fit to be seen in public like this! The skeleton moaned in defeat as his ragdoll left the room, falling limp against the pillows. Zero gave a soft whine, lightly licking his master's bony hand before resting his chin against Jack's rib cage. Absentmindedly, Jack stroked his ghostly friend's head, closing his dark eye sockets once more.
Well, this certainly wasn't how Sally envisioned spending the evening. Then again, she could take solace in knowing that this wasn't Jack's original plan either. The ragdoll didn't like leaving him alone, but she calmed herself by telling herself that Zero was there to look after Jack. So he wasn't truly alone.
"How much trouble can he possibly get into in ten minutes?" Sally mused, managing a little smile on her red, stitched lips.
In all honesty, perhaps accidentally knocking over the dish filled with Spilt Salt all over the counter should have been a sign of things to come.
"Oops."
While cleaning up the mess, a viscus, green liquid bubbled gently in a cauldron over the stove. Once tidied up, Sally flipped through the small, black journal that she kept on the kitchen shelves; 'Herbs and their Medicinal Properties', was written on the cover in reflective silver ink. There had to be something of use in there.
"Ah! Garlic can help reduce a fever!"
The ragdoll set the book down as she searched through her stores in the pantry. Garlic; detested by vampires, but it was something they always had on hand, as Jack loved the flavor. Should be easy enough to get him to eat it. However, after quickly mincing a few cloves and adding the potent garlic to the soup, Sally hesitated, her hand resting on the jar labeled 'Deadly Nightshade'.
On the one hand, the ragdoll reawoke some foul memories of her past, as this was her favored "go-to" whenever she had to reclaim her freedom from Dr. Finkelstein. But on the other, Jack was rather restless and beyond delirious with his fever. Perhaps a very small dose of Deadly Nightshade would be just the thing to ease him to sleep.
"Just a little bit," Sally whispered to herself, pouring a very small amount from the jar into the soup.
A hiss echoed in the cauldron, followed by a misty skull rising from the liquid as she stirred it in. Although, it was considerably smaller and weaker than the times the ragdoll slipped it into her former captor's meals.
"That should do it,"
Once the medicated soup was finished, Sally filled a bowl and set it on a serving tray with a spoon. All she had to do now was get Jack fed, make sure he was resting well, and keep an eye on his fever. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?
Carefully, Sally carried the tray up the stairs. However, just as she reached the top step, a thumping crash coming from the master bedroom followed by an audible "Owwww!" just about caused her to drop the whole ensemble! At once, her non-existent blood turned to ice as she swallowed thickly, terrified about what exactly she was going to find when she stepped through that door.
The sight that greeted Sally defied description. First of all, the ragdoll didn't know if she should scream, cry, or maybe even laugh! There was her beloved Jack, his lower half still on the bed and upper half laying on his back on the floor. His dark eye sockets held a look of sheer embarrassment at the predicament he'd managed to tangle himself into.
Somehow, while the skeleton was attempting to get out of bed, he'd managed to wrap his long arms up in the sheets, like he was wearing an ill-fitting straight jacket. Jack gulped shamefully, still looking up at his overly patient caretaker from the upside down prison of his own making. Zero levitated by Jack's skull, occasionally nudging and licking his master with a soft whine.
Finally, the delirious Pumpkin King rasped out, "Sally... I-I think... I-I'm s-sick..."
"O-oh my-my... JACK!" cried Sally, followed by an alarmed gasp, "I-I was gone for... for ten minutes!"
Hastily, she set the tray down on the nearest flat surface and rushed to her king's aid. Her beloved barely had the strength to wriggle his way out of the linens and silks binding him.
"Jack, my sweetheart, what happened?"
"Late... r-reservation... I-I... taking... y-you... mmmmmmmurgh... d-dinner... my d-darling,"
Poor Jack just looked absolutely humiliated, unable to meet her gaze as she knelt down to his level. It just about shattered the ragdoll's phantom heart to see her beloved like this.
"Shhhhhhh, I'm afraid not tonight, Jack. You're in no shape to go anywhere except back to bed."
With some effort, Sally lifted Jack back onto the mattress and made sure he was comfortable. Next, she helped untangle the blankets and sheets, freeing her trapped skeleton. Thankfully, Jack suffered no serious injuries, save for his severely bruised pride. The ragdoll offered a sympathetic smile once she reapplied the cold compress and tucked her beloved safely back where he belonged. Then she fetched the soup she'd prepared for him, taking a seat at his bedside. Zero barked a few times, wagging his tail happily before cuddling up with his master once more.
"Here Jack, it's Worm's Wort Soup. This should help you feel better," Sally said, her voice ever gentle, "there's garlic. That will reduce the fever. And just a hint of Deadly Nightshade to help you sleep."
She offered a spoonful to Jack, to which he gave an ashamed and bewildered gaze in his dark eye sockets before letting out a moan and turning his head away. He couldn't even bring himself to look at her, fearing the disappointment that he was sure to see. Right about now, finding a decent tombstone to bury himself under was preferable to this!
So this is what it came down to? Too exhausted to even stand up on his own or feed himself? Oh by the Gods of Heaven and Hell alike, this was embarrassing! Disgraceful. Indignant. Humiliating. Absolutely humiliating! His slender fingers gripped the bed sheets tightly as he forcefully swallowed a hard, painful lump down his throat while squeezing his empty eye sockets shut. This was NOT how things were meant to be! He was supposed to be treating the love of his death to a luxurious and romantic evening! She wasn't supposed to spend her night as his personal nurse and caretaker. It wasn't fair to her!
"I-I'm... sorry, Sally. T-this wasn't-" Jack began, silencing once Sally placed a dainty finger to his mouth.
"Shhhhhhh. Jack... Jack, my dearest, look at me. Please? I-I'm not angry," Sally said, stroking his cheek tenderly, "j-just frightened. For you."
Now it was Jack's turn to feel his own non-existent heart shatter. She was... frightened? For him?! Swallowing thickly, the skeleton finally mustered the courage to meet his lover's gaze. For such a tall, regal, and imposing figure, he felt so small and vulnerable in this moment.
"I know you never planned for any of this, Jack. But, I do know that you requested the displeasure of my company this evening."
Sally paused for a minute, taking the beautiful note that Jack had written out of her pocket.
"My dearest friend... please, let me help you get better."
Taking in a deep breath, the skeleton nuzzled against the palm of Sally's hand. Tears welled in his eye sockets as he managed a small, loving smile of his own. If there was anyone he could be vulnerable around, it was her. His beloved Sally. Only ever looking out for him, whether he knew it or not! Oh, what had he done to ever deserve such a wonderful, kind, and gentle woman in his death?
"Sally, y-you said Worm's Wort?" Jack asked, feeling his cheeks flush.
With a loving look in her large doe eyes, the ragdoll brought another spoonful of soup up to his mouth. This time, Jack damned his pride and accepted her help. Sally smiled softly, though she did what she could to let the Pumpkin King retain what little of his dignity remained.
"Sally, I-I... well... what-w-what... I m-mean is..." Jack released a flustered sigh, giving his love a bashful smile before he was fed another spoonful.
"Yes, my love?" Questioned the ragdoll, knowingly with that little quirk of her eyebrow.
Secretly, she always loved it when Jack got all flustered. The great Pumpkin King, so regal and proper, reduced to nervous stutters and flushed cheeks. It was adorable!
"I-I ummmmm... t-thank y-you, Sally..."
His dark eye sockets widened a little in surprise, followed by a grunt as he was given another spoonful before he was ready. Sally tried to suppress her little giggle, then wiped up any excess on his chin with a cobweb napkin.
"Oops... sorry about that," she said, with a loving smile before softly patting his shoulder, "You're welcome, my dearest friend. Now you just get better for me, okay?"
Honestly, it was a very intimate moment between the two of them. One of trust and vulnerability. Daring to say, even precious. At the very least, Jack seemed to have quite an appetite and ended up finishing the entire bowl.
"Mmmm... l-love you, Sally..." The skeleton muttered, his voice soft.
Feeling satisfied and full, Jack ran his forked tongue across his teeth before letting out an audible yawn. Now sleepy and compliant, he didn't even turn away when Sally wiped up the corner of his mouth with the napkin before she set the tray aside. Already, Jack was feeling his eyes grow heavy and a numbing feeling tingling throughout his bones. Riiiight... Sally had said something about the nightshade.
"I love you to death, Jack," Sally whispered, followed up with a kiss before Jack's head rolled back into the pillows.
After cleaning up the dishes, Sally grabbed one of the books off the shelves then dressed herself in her own pajamas earlier than usual. Carefully, as not to accidentally rouse him, she curled up in bed with her peacefully sleeping fiance. The ragdoll placed a hand on his forehead, grateful that his previously raging fever was beginning to calm. Zero contently cuddled against Jack, not even stirring when Sally stroked his long ears.
"Terrible dreams, Jack," she whispered.
Sally opened the book she'd picked out, Hamlet. (Her beloved did enjoy Shakespeare's work, after all.) She'd been slowly making her way through the 'must-read' list that Jack had given to her. However, before Sally could even begin to read, Jack let out a soft grunt in his sleep and cuddled up closer.
"Alright then, my love."
With a clever little smile on her stitched lips, Sally began reading out loud, gauging the skeleton's reaction. She knew exactly what it was that he wanted. Her phantom heart nearly melted when she saw Jack's mouth curl upwards into a little smile. A contented sigh left him as he settled in, just listening to the sound of her voice while he slept. It was the tender moments like this, Sally wouldn't trade them for anything. Seeing just how trusting and comfortable Jack was with her. Knowing that he felt safe and secure in her presence.
With one hand gently petting the back of Jack's skull and the other supporting the book, Sally let her soft, melodic voice lull her beloved king into a deep, peaceful sleep.
* * * Notes::Okay, so I read this at least five times before posting. I really hope this one leaves you with the warm and fuzzies. Sometimes, we all just have to swallow our pride and let someone help us, and I'm also talking to myself on that one! A little tidbit, I actually googled what herbs can be used to reduce fevers, (since Halloween Town seems like the sort of place that utilities herbology over what we call modern medicine.) I had so much fun writing this and I hope you enjoy it as well. Honestly, I haven't seen many fics of this sort in the fandom and I'd love to see more. And remember, a lot can happen in ten minutes! Merry Christmas and Happy Halloween, my lovely readers!
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