Should've Had A V8

We're All Mad Here

I felt like I fell down the rabbit hole.

Dr. Green, Luke and Nathan were all dead to the world, and I had to go check them for rashes and had to go and take measures against all of them itching themselves to an infection. However I was currently unable to do this.

This was because Mr. Blackbourne was snuggled up on my lap and refusing to let go. Every time I tried to gently pull away, he'd cling harder and shoot me his puppy dog eyes, pouting at me and I would effectively melt into a puddle.

I had to wait fifteen minutes until he finally succumbed to the medication and fell asleep and I dashed away to deal with the others.

They were all currently doped up on antihistamines to relieve the itching and so that they could fall asleep. I took the opportunity to get started on preventive measures for everyone.

All of them had developed rashes by now, though Kota, Gabriel, Victor, Silas, and North's rashes had now started to turn into blisters and I could understand the agony they would feel when they woke up. Soon enough, the others would join them in this stage and I'd be busier than I had ever been.

I rummaged around in Victor's closet and found a manicure kit and got to work. I cut all of the boys' nails and filed them until they wouldn't help with any itching. For safety measures I worked on their toenails as well. This all took up quite a lot of time and I was already feeling tired by the time I was done.

The boys were all stripped down to their boxers before they all fell asleep so this made the next task easier for me. I had to spread calamine lotion on them. This shouldn't be too difficult. Or so I thought.

Their bodies might have been marred by red spots and blisters but that didn't help hide just how beautifully formed their bodies were. They were all fit and gorgeous and I felt my whole body heat as I ran my hands down their bodies. I was nervous, excited, embarrassed. So many emotions running through me I couldn't name all of them. By the time I had finally finished, I had to quietly retreat to the bathroom on shaky legs and cool down my face and my neck with a few splashes from the bathroom sink.

I'd prepared more soup for them and I'd just gotten in Victor's tub when I heard Gabriel calling me. I hurriedly scrubbed myself clean, dried myself and threw on some clothes before dashing into the bedroom.

Gabriel was scratching himself in a frenzy, though it seemed that the work I'd done on his nails prevented him from doing too much damage. "Oi! Trouble! Come and scratch my back for me! Please! I'm begging you!" He pleaded with me, his eyes wild.

"Meanie! Stop scratching yourself! You could get an infection and you could get scars!" I scolded him.

"Fuck it. You know I don't have any willpower. Fuck. Shit. Please! Do something" He begged, still not stopping in his movements.

I knew how he was feeling, having gone through it myself and I felt my heart swelling with sympathy for him. I went up to him and pulled his arms away from his body and cajoled him. "Come on. Stop scratching. I'll help you Meanie. Come with me."

I went and got the baking soda Dr. Green had bought earlier and lead Gabriel into the bathroom. I fixed a cool bath for Gabriel, with the baking soda. It would help relieve the itching and he was in sore need of it.

Gabriel had been soaking in the bath for a few minutes, under my supervision so he couldn't scratch himself when I heard a few voices from the bedroom. Then I heard Victor's voice, louder than the rest. "Princess? Gabe?" I gave Gabriel a stern look and made my way to the bedroom.

Everyone was awake and searching the room. Some were scratching themselves, unable to hold back, and those that had managed to hold back were turning red with the effort. I sighed. This would be a long day.

I had Kota, Victor and Silas join Gabriel in the tub as their rashes were the worst by far. It was a tight fit, but they managed and I left with instructions for Kota to make sure none of them scratched themselves.

I changed the sheets and made the rest of them all wear layers of socks on their hands. As I was helping North, he bestowed a positively sunny smile on me, his dark eyes glazed over. I froze with shock and wonder, before Luke's coughing fit snapped me out of it and I finished up with my heart thumping in my chest and butterflies in my stomach before fetching coughing syrup for Luke.

I was just feeding Luke a spoonful of coughing syrup when I heard what sounded like bells from the direction of the bathroom. I paused, fed him the syrup, and made my way to the bathroom, leaving the bag from the pharmacy behind in my haste.

Gabriel was shaking a bell with all his might before he noticed my dumbfounded presence. "Oh. You're here. Good. The water's getting warm and that stuff you put in the water isn't helping very much anymore." He said, looking at me expectantly. The rest of the boys looked at me apologetically and Silas shrugged at me.

I sighed and told them all to get back in bed. The water had cooled down their fevers somewhat and they didn't need my assistance to get dressed or walk. I cleaned up the bath before preparing another one and went to help the rest of the boys into the bath.

Luke was acting.. Strange. I cautiously approached him and found him slumped over, clapping his hands. There were three empty bottles next to him. I picked one of them up and examined it. Good lord, he'd gotten high off of all the cough syrup!

He noticed me near him and smiled at me lopsidedly, his warm brown eyes unfocused. "Hey there sugar. I just had some delicious juice just now. My throat hurt and it felt so nice going down so I had a lot of it. And now I feel grrreeaat." He slurred.

My mouth was agape and my eyes started watering. Would he be alright? Wasn't this dangerous? And what was I supposed to do now? None of the others could help. I was hopeless. My panic was interrupted by the lazy ringing of a bell. Oh for the love of god!

I left Luke as he was and ushered the others into the bath, leaving a teary eyed Mr. Blackbourne who was clutching onto a beaming North's chest, staring at me forlornly. I didn't even have time to get flustered over the image of both of them acting so unlike themselves, in each other's arms, half naked, seeing as Gabriel was insistently jingling his stupid bell.

I was experiencing all kinds of irritation as I went to him and grabbed his bell from him. "What?" I asked. He stared at me in shock and hurt as he cradled his sock covered hands to his chest. I was starting to feel bad when he said. "Scratch my back for me."

He was already bleeding a bit from his chest, which I hadn't noticed because of my earlier irritation. The socks were not restraining him at all. I made my way to Victor's closet and grabbed what I needed and went back to Gabriel. His crystal blue eyes narrowed at me in suspicion when I smiled sweetly at him.

Five minutes later, I left him cursing colourfully, tied up on the bed with four silky ties after I'd wrestled him into submission and Kota, Silas and Victor staring at me in astonishment.

I helped Dr. Green, Nathan, North and Mr. Blackbourne back onto their futons and left them with a warning that the same fate as Gabriel awaited any of them that tried to scratch themselves. They were all looking at me in shock, North having lost his happy grin and Mr. Blackbourne whimpered at me. He was the one that was most effected by the fever.

After helping them settle down I went to tackle the mess that was Luke. He was hiccuping and absentmindedly scratching himself. I gently pulled his arms away and half-dragged half-carried him to the bathroom and helped him clean up a bit.

After helping him change out of his wet boxers - which took a great deal of patient maneuvering underneath his towel, with my eyes closed - I assisted him onto the futon, as he giggled drunkenly. I was spreading the calamine lotion onto his chest when he moaned lightly and pinned me with his heated gaze. I was confused but didn't think much of it when he moaned again until he started touching my arm lightly and moving closer and closer to me.

He was still inebriated and it took a lot of wrestling on my part before I managed to calm him down and tuck him in. It seemed like they'd all fallen asleep from the fever by now and I was tired down to my bones. And this was only the beginning. How much worse could it get?

My thoughts were interrupted by a shrill, irregular sound of metallic clanging.