Emily woke up that morning to a burning sensation radiating throughout her neck. Like it was on fire. Or being torn apart from the inside. It was horrendous. Something she hadn't quite felt before aside from in a body long gone when it was torched by holy fire.
'Wh- what's happening?!? What's wrong with me!?'
She tried to swallow. Maybe that was it. Her throat was just so dreadfully dry and coarse it hurt.
It didn't help. In fact, if anything, it made it worse. She was suddenly wracked as a full-body shivering ran through her, forcing her to curl in on herself and do nothing but shudder for a good bit of time.
'I... I feel like I'm dying... what is this?? I don't want to go again, please!'
Vaggie was aroused from her pleasant slumber -one, novel as it was to her, lacking in any form of uncomfortable or horrendous dreams triggered by dome insecurity or horrid trauma- by the sounds of whimpering beside her. The angel grumbled as she adjusted in bed to prop up on her elbows and look over to the shuddering seraph to her right.
"Emily?" She mumbled, voice still thick with sleep. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
Emily pivoted her head slightly to look over her shoulder at Vaggie, but stopped, flopping back into her original position as the ever so slight movement forced her to curl back in on herself once more as she was racked again. She released another tiny whimper as she tried to speak, the hoarseness of her voice only allowing a thin rasp lest she feel the rawness of her torn-up throat.
"Emily?" Vaggie spoke, her face growing more worried now, bordering on fearful. "O-okay, hun, now you're scaring me. Please say something. What's going on?"
"... Hurr... Hurt..." She rasped. "E- ev... All of me..." She whined at how painful the statement was to produce. Her head felt like it was on fire, throbbing with pain and fogginess, making even stringing together thoughts agonizing. "I... Wan'it'to stop..." She wheezed. "H- help..."
"Sh- shit..." Vaggie murmured, pushing the covers off herself to siddle up beside Emily. She touched her hand to the angel's forehead to feel how wet and clammy it was. She was burning up. "Oh, my... sweetie, I think you've come down with something..."
"Mmmm..." Emily whined, "How... stop?"
"Time... But we can make it more bearable," Vaggie tried to reassure, wiping a sweat-drenched strand of hair away from Emily's forehead. "You'll be fine, hun..."
"Mmf... Waz'goin'on?" Charlie slurred as she blearily awoke.
"Emily's sick..." Vaggie responded. Worry immediately took the princess's face.
"With what? Does she have a temperature?" The woman spoke, immediately sitting up in bed, blinking to clear her sleep-ridden vision to get a blurry picture of the sick angel. Her heart ached as she saw her grimacing there, lying on her side and whimpering everything a chill racked her body. Anywhere visible on her body that could produce sweat was glistening with it.
"I think it's Hell flu," Vaggie answered, "Symptoms line up." Charlie placed a hand to the seraph's head.
"I think you're right," she answered. "We've got to get her home. I have some medication in my first-aid stuff that can break the fever. And we can get her some water, and hopefully, my dad can use some of his magic to speed up the recovery process..." Charlie was already fumbling around on the nightstand, grasping at her phone and pulling up her father's contact, immediately hitting call. She stood up and began anxiously pacing as a worried Vaggie tenderly pat the sweaty, suffering seraph's hair, checking the temperatures of different parts of her face on repeat like she hoped it'd magically change.
Charlie growled and her phone went to voicemail, immediately trying again. Same result.
"Christ, Dad, you've been doing so good recently, don't fuck it up now..." she hissed as she dialed the number a third time. Vaggie would have pointed out that her words weren't exactly fair six when she was trying to call someone who may not even be awake yet... but she was getting pissed as well. On the third time, Lucifer finally answered, clearly heavy with extreme exhaustion, like he had been struggling with sleep.
"Charlie? Wh- what is it it's not even-" He started before being cut off.
"Dad, I need you to come here and portal us home now. We're in room 703 at the Petty Stay hotel in Envy," she spoke swiftly, "Emily is sick."
"I- Oh, shit! Okay, on my way!" The man stumbled. Charlie was about to thank him when the phone hung up.
In their bedroom, a golden portal opened, and out stumbled the King of Hell, hair still tousled from bed and garbed in nothing more than a pair of ducky-covered boxers and socks. "The King of Hell has arrived! Let's get that angel home!
Charlie blushed in embarrassment at the sight before her she never wanted to see but pushed past it for Emily's sake. "Yes," she chuckled uncomfortably, "Let's..."
Vaggie had pulled herself fully out of bed at this point and was beside the bed speaking to a wincing Emily.
"Emily, sweetie? I'm gonna pick you up, okay? This probably isn't going to be very comfortable but you'll be home soon and cozy in bed, and we'll get you some medication and stuff to make this a little easier," she spoke gently. Emily opened her mouth to speak and was quickly hushed by a finger and the silver-haired woman's, 'Shhhhh.'
"You don't have to say anything. Just nod," Vaggie spoke, and Emily did what she was told.
Vaggie gently pulled back the sheets, swooping her arms under her angel and lifting her off the mattress. Emily shuddered as a series of full-body chills caused by the movement made her body seize.
The one-eyed woman was right. Not comfortable.
Vaggie carried the angel through the portal, and, before she knew it, she was shivering in their bed at home instead of in the strange Envy hotel. Vaggie gently wiped some sweat off the lying angel's head, grimacing as more was presenting than she had expected, and wiping it off on her shirt. Charlie put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"She'll be okay, Vag. Imma go and get some meds for her," she spoke before darting for the bathroom.
"M'kay," Vaggie called after her.
"Hell flu, huh?" Lucifer observed. Vaggie nodded.
"Yeah... she seems to be handling it especially poorly," Vaggie answered. She chuckled dryly, "Not as badly as I did though... I think I caught it, like... three times when I first fell and each was equally terrible." Lucifer gave a bit of a chuckle.
"I can believe that. Angels usually don't handle diseases well when they first wind up down here. I was the same... But, Emily is a seraphim, and Hell flu isn't one of the more costly illnesses. She will be fine, but, as a seraphim, she's very powerful. And, so are her immune responses. So she's likely going to have a really bad time before she gets better," Lucifer spoke. As he spotted the aching at the idea of Emily suffering even a second more, he added, "But, she'll have a heck of an immunity!" Chuckling awkwardly. He sighed. "I'm gonna go check you out of your rooms. Got a key card on you?"
"They should all be on the nightstand," Vaggie answered somewhat absently.
"Gotcha," Lucifer responded, reentering the portal he'd created to return to their room in Envy. Vaggie watched as it shut behind him. In the nick of time, Charlie returned, an armful of medications. She haphazardly spread them out on the foot of the bed and frantically looked through them all for which one she thought would be best to give the little angel first. She snatched the box of her selection.
"This'll help break her fever... Vaggie, can you get her a glass of water?" The princess asked, and Vaggie nodded resolutely as she quickly left out the room.
"Shit," Charlie grumbled, "The pill-cutter is still in Envy. I've gotta call-" she started, before being crushed by a pile of luggage. From the golden portal above her head, she heard a calling, 'You're welcome!' from her father just before it closed. Charlie clawed her way free, pill-cutter in hand.
"That works!" She wheezed.
Charlie used the cutter and prepped the medication for Emily to be able to swallow, knowing she'd likely struggle even more swallowing it than she already would even if she wasn't sick. Vaggie threw open the door and darted back into the bedroom, a glass in hand full of water.
"Here," she spoke as she handed it to Charlie, clasping her hands worriedly thereafter. Charlie gave her a tender smile before going over to the girl in bed.
"Emily?" Charlie spoke sweetly, "I know it's hard, but I'm gonna need you to sit up for me. I've got some things here that'll help you feel better." Emily nodded stiffly as she looked at her through slittled eyes. She slowly managed to sit up, shivering, clutching herself, and hunching over afterward with a whine.
"Oh, Emily..." Charlie spoke painfully, it hard to watch the woman struggle as much as she was. She smiled softly as she handed her the small pill. "Take this. I cut it in half for you, and I got you some water." Emily weakly snagged the pill and the glass throwing it back quickly and pouring water down her throat. The liquid did little to ease the burning of her throat. In fact, it somewhat just made it worse. Emily shuddered as she barely managed to get the medication down.
"That's gonna take your temperature down for you," Vaggie spoke from beside Charlie. The princess nodded with a smile.
"And," she said, "that should also mean no more chills." Emily smiled slightly at the possibility. Charlie reached for another medication on the foot of the bed: a bottle with a small measuring cap on top of it. She unscrewed it, and poured some of a viscous liquid into the cap, holding it to Emily. "This'll help your throat."
Emily took the cap, and sniffed the contents, wincing. "Yeah," Charlie chuckled, "Fair warning that it's a little bit icky tasting. So, just pound it back in one sip."
Emily nodded begrudgingly as she downed the fluid, face contorting uncomfortably afterward. But, it was true. Her throat felt a lot better. Not good, but better. As she opened her mouth to say a, 'Thank you,' she squeaked as Charlie pressed a finger over her lips.
"Ah-" She hushed, "Just 'cause you feel a little better right now, doesn't mean you are." Emily nodded, hushing herself. "Good girl. There we go, you do know how to listen," Charlie purred.
Damn woman. Using the seraph's own horny to her advantage. Curses.
Charlie pulled up a small back of little, candy-like drugs. "I also got some cough drops Em. You remember how to take them?"
Emily nodded as she was tenderly handed the bag.
"Now," Charlie spoke tenderly, "When your throat gets bad again, take one of those. You can have one every two hours. Okay?" Another nod.
"That's my girl," she spoke sweetly as she lightly ran the backs of her knuckles along the flushed seraph's cheek, "I'm prolly gonna hop in the shower once my Dad gets back, and check on how the hotel has been doing while we were away. But I'll be right back, and Vaggie will take care of you in the meantime." She turned expectantly to the aforementioned woman. "Isn't that right, Vaggie?"
Vaggie chuckled. "Of course. I'll be right here, hun. It's not like I have anywhere to be." She turned to Charlie, rubbing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll wash up once you get back."
"Sounds good," Charlie replied.
"Back!" Lucifer called as he came back into the room via portal. "You're all checked out," he beamed, "Oh! Also, you forgot these." He handed a stack of three smartphones to Charlie, left behind by the three on the nightstand.
"Oh! Shit!" She peeped. "Thanks, Dad."
"Of course!" The man chirped. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way. Gotta loooot to do today."
"Oh! Dad, wait!" Charlie stopped him as he was already on the verge of snapping his fingers and whisking away. "Before you go, could you... cast a little recovery spell on Emily? I don't want her to be dealing with this for the next two weeks and-"
Emily shuddered. 'Two... Weeks. Prunes...'
Lucifer hushed his daughter. "Duckie, calm down. Of course, I can do that! As far as I'm concerned, you're all of my kids," he spoke simply as he moved over to the bed. Charlie chuckled slightly in embarrassment. But, Emily thought it was sweet. At least, when he wasn't talking about their, 'future wedding.'
The man sat himself on the edge of the bed and puffed some air on his hand to warm it up. "Okay, Emily, this should only take a second." Emily nodded. The man placed his palm on her still very warm forehead and it became surrounded with a golden hue. Emily didn't feel much better now that she'd received the magic. But, if that little touch was all that was needed to prevent her from being half-dead for two weeks, she could live with it.
"Thanks, Dad," Charlie spoke to the man tenderly.
"Of course," he answered with a chuckle. "Okay, now I'll be on my way."
"Sounds good... See you soon," Charlie spoke, tenderly adding on, "Hopefully." Lucifer smiled.
"Definitely."
And he was gone.
As soon as her father had left, The Princess of Hell still tousled from bed, sighed, and went to the closet to shuffle around for a suit. Once claiming one she fancied, she spoke to Vaggie as she left for the shower, "I'll help you unpack everything when I'm out of the shower!"
"Sounds good, love!" Vaggie called after her, plopping herself on the edge of the bed.
As soon as the bathroom door shut behind the princess, Vaggie and Emily sat there in silence for a bit. Awkwardly. It's not like they could talk to each other. Not with the condition Emily was in. So they sat and sat, and Vaggie was finally distracted from the awkward silence as her phone Charlie had tossed to her just before making her leave buzzed with a notification.
1 new message: Emily
Vaggie smirked as she quirked a brow and looked behind her to see self-satisfied seraphim grinning back. She pointed at her own phone as if pushing Vaggie to check hers. So she did.
Emily: This sucks. :3
Like, super sucks. Like, really, REALLY sucks.
Vaggie chuckled as she spoke aloud, "I get it, darling. It sucked the first time I caught Hell Flu too, I can't imagine what it must be like when you've probably never been sick before in your existence, period."
Emily typed back.
Yeah... It's not fun.
This is what we do to mortals on Earth!?! Why!?!?!? Population control!?! They just end up down here or in Heaven anyway!!
"I agree," Vaggie answered. Still smiling at thr girl over her shoulder.
Why are you so far away?
The seraph pouted at her, and Vaggie gave a light laugh.
"I dunno. I guess I could join you, I'm vaccinated. But I kinda thought you might be melting under there."
Emily shook her head.
No, I stopped boiling to death a little bit ago. Now I'm just gross and cold and sweaty and ouch...
Maybe you do have the right idea being over there, I am kinda grimy.:(
Vaggie chuckled as she stood from where she was on the bed, and crawled under the covers to be right up against the seraph, keeping her phone in hand the whole time.
"Maybe," Vaggie spoke softly, "But I think it's worth it."
Emily gave a humored huff from her nose, only to regret it a second later as the air scorched her sinuses, making her whimper as she trailed her fingers gently around the bridge of her nose.
"Sinuses?" Vaggie asked.
Emily cocked her head like an ill little puppy before rapidly typing.
I don't know what that means. What's a... sinuses?
Vaggie chuckled. "... Really?"
'I guess it's not too surprising,' she thought, 'I suppose the bedrooms not the only place her self-anatomy knowledge is lacking, sweet girl...'
"Your sinuses," Vaggie explained, "And don't quote me on this 'cause I'm not an expert, are these little air pockets in your skull. When they get inflamed from being sick, they swell up, and you're nose'll get sore and stuffy."
Emily frowned as she messaged.
Ooo, neat! I get the full body treatment, huh? This isn't nearly as fun as the spa...
Vaggie chuckled. "It most definitely is not... But you'll feel better soon, hun." Vaggie looked to the pile on the foot of the bed, scooting enough to be able to lean over and snatch a box, ahuffling through the unnesecarily complicated packaging to draw a tiny pill for Emily. "Take this," she said, "It's for sinus relief."
Emily took the tiny med, so small it didn't even need be cut in half for her, and popped it in her mouth, taking a swig of water to wash it down. She typed gently on her phone.
You're so sweet, Vaggie. ‹3
Vaggie chuckled at her phone.
"Awe, thanks. You're sweet too, hun," she said as she grinned at the litte angel. Emily gave her gentle smile, before shifting back to a baggy eyed, ill faced expression as she typed again on her phone.
I'm so tired...
"Then maybe you should get some rest," Vaggie spoke to the seraph, gently placing a hand on hers with a tender smile. Emily frowned. But nodded.
You're probably right...
I feel warm again, too.
:(
"Yeah," Vaggie winced sympathetically, "You're probably gonna be on and off for a while, love."
The tossled seraphim reluctantly cuddled down into the bed, gently laying her head on the pillow in the hopes doing so slowly would help prevent another racking of chills or shock of body pain. She closed her eyes.
"Vaggie? I love you..." She rasped, the Gs in Vaggie's name not quite present as the gutteral consonants were especially agonizing for her to form.
Vaggie smiled at the poor girl. "I love you too, aweetie, but don't strain that pretty voice of yours. Get some rest for me," she spoke. Emily gave a pleased little grin as she cuddled up into her pillow, her face falling into something more neutral. Vaggie scrolled on her phone for a couple brief minutes, and before long, the steady breaths of the woman beside her indicated she'd fallen to sleep. Her normal light breathing was replaced with a light snore as sore and clogged airways made it harder for her to inhale clearly.
Vaggie gave the girl a soft expression, reaching the tips of her fingers to her lips and pressing a kiss on them before placing the kissed hand on the angel's head, a gesture she'd picked up from her mortal life one could do to gift a kiss to someone ill. And, for safety's sake, a spurt of hand sanitizer was not an unwise measure. Something, fortuitously, part of the pile of supplies Charlie had brought for the little seraph's care.
In the knick of time, Charlie finally came out of the bathroom, gussied and suited up.
"Hey, Vag-!" She started, before being promptly bushed by the angel she was addressing. Vaggie pointed a thumb at the sleeping angel next to her, and Charlie Oh-ed in understanding.
"Gotcha," she spoke hushly. She smiled at the sleeping woman. "... I know I was going to help you with unpacking, but... I really don't want to disturb her." Vaggie nodded in agreement.
"Me niether," she answered softly.
"... Imma go check up on everyone here... When I'm back, wanna look into ordering something for breakfast? Niffty wasn't expecting us so early, so, I doubt there's anything ready," the princess asked softly.
"Sounds good," Vaggie nodded.
"Good," Charlie smiled softly. The princess moved to Emily's side of the bed, treading lightly as to make sure her heels didn't click too much on the floor. Once at the girls side, she pressed a kiss to her fingers, and layed it on the sleeping seraph's cheek. Vaggie had done it to her a handful of times before when she was afflicted with illness. Learning of the gesture. and finding it sweet, she had begun to do it to her as well. And now, Emily.
Charlie slowly moved away and took a couple pumps of sanitizer before smiling at Vaggie.
"You wanna come with me?"
"... Honestly... I'd like to stay with her. If that's okay," Vaggie spoke tenderly. She had always had a habit to follow Charlie around not that much unlike a sad puppy. But, now she had someone else to worry about, too.
The blonde smiled gently. "Okay. I'll be back soon." She grinned. "You can start looking I to breakfast options in the meantime," she cheered as she headed out the door with a final soft look.
Vaggie huffed a light chuckle as she looked to her resting partner, white hair whispy and tossled, a restful look on her goldended face, flushed from illness as she continued to snroe lightly. She smiled.
"Sweet dreams, darling..."