Roadtrip Sickfics ♡

Rack- The Power Of Reading

Jack's POV:
Whenever Rye is poorly, it shows. He becomes more clingy, he has no energy and he just feels sorry for himself. However there is one thing that always makes him feel better, cuddling in bed or on the sofa with a stack of story books. When he is sick he doesn't care much for watching movies, it makes him a bit to excited and sometimes stressed because he feels like he needs to stay awake for the duration. But he doesn't have the same strain when I read to him, it calms him and it helps him feel better.

I was sat in bed, looking through social media for a bit before I wake up Rye. Sonny, Brooklyn's little, wakes up an hour before Rye normally so I heard the familiar pat of footsteps along the landing towards the baby room. I still had an hour before it was time for my baby to wake up. I was replying to a couple texts from some friends when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

"Come in." I said, the door opened and Brooklyn came in.

"Hey Bro, what's up?" I asked looking up from my phone.

"Rye's crying, he's asking for you." He told me, I immediately got up from my bed and went to the baby room with Brooklyn. I saw Rye on his side turned towards the wall, he was in a ball shivering and crying. I knelt down bedside his crib and pulled the barrier down.

"Aww Baby boy, come here."I cooed softly, he crawled into my lap and cuddled into my chest. I wrapped my arms around his back and gently rocked him back and forth.

"Sh-sh-ssshhh, what's wrong Bumblebee?" I asked him, leaning him back against my arms so I could see his face. He looked pale, yet his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were red from crying.

"I-icky." He sobbed, I felt his forehead with the back of my hand. He was burning up.

"Poor baby, what feels icky Rye pie?" I asked brushing his hair back with my hand.

"H-hwead and t-throat." He said, out of breath from crying so hard.

"Oh no, how about we go to the bathroom and get you some medicine for your ickies?"I suggested, he whimpered but nodded. He really didn't like medicine but he had to take it to feel better. I carried him into the bathroom and sat him down on the toilet lid, firstly I found the thermometer. I slipped it under his tongue and held it in his mouth for him because he seemed to weak to hold it up himself. Once it beeped I took it out and looked at the reading.

"Aww baby, you're at 102.4." I said sadly looking at the reading, it was higher than I thought it was going to be.

"A-am I sickie?" Rye asked, I nodded as I grabbed the nurofen from the medicine cabinet.

"You are Bumblebee, but Daddy's going to make you all better. Can you take some of this for me?" I asked as I poured the strawberry liquid onto a spoon, granted it was no ones favourite but it was the best we could do. He opened his mouth which allowed me to feed it to him, he quickly swallowed before sticking out his tongue.

"Ewwwwie!" He moaned.

"I know baby, I know. How about we get you some milky into that little tummy of yours and then we can get all snuggly in Daddy's bed and read some stories?" I suggested, that seemed to cheer him up a little bit. I carried him downstairs to the kitchen, Brooklyn was sat down on the sofa feeding Sonny his milk.

"Alright Jack, how is Rye doing?" Brooklyn asked.

"He's really not feeling well, I gave him some nurofen to help bring his temperature down but apart from that he is not a very happy bunny, are you Bumblebee?" I said, Rye whimpered and snuggled in further.

"Awww, I went ahead and made Rye a bottle. I didn't know whether or not he'd feel like anything." Brook said, I hadn't even noticed the full bottle on the counter.

"Thanks Brooklyn, I think somebody's hungry?" I said rubbing Rye's back. He was making sucking lips, he normally does when he wants some milk. I grabbed the bottle and sat down on the sofa, the milk was nice and warm, not too hot for him, Rye instantly started feeding. Rye was sucking and swallowing really really fast.

"Slow down Baby boy, you don't want to get a tummy ache." I told him, I didn't want him feeling worse or for him to throw up his milk, it does happen quite often because he drinks too fast and ends up upsetting his stomach, I rubbed his belly gently. The movement helps him pace his drinking.

"There you go, nice and slowly." I cooed softly as he finished up his bottle of milk. I put it on the side of the sink for it to get washed later. I took Rye upstairs again, making a stop at the baby room.

"Can you pick out a couple of books for us Bumblebee?" I asked, he went over to the bookshelf and grabbed a medium sized stack of books for us to read. I grabbed his blankie, a couple stuffies and a night light to take into my room, it adds to the whole atmosphere that helps Rye relax. I got Rye under the covers with his stuffies and blankie, I had the books stacked up on the floor next to the bed and I plugged in his night light. I turned off the main bedroom light and closed the curtains so it was the perfect amount of light. I got in bed with Rye and grabbed the book on top of the pile, it was The Cat In The Hat.

"Come here little one." I coeed as I  pulled Rye into my side and laid his head on my chest.

"Bwinkie pwease Daddy." Rye asked, his voice muffled from his mouth being on my chest. I reached over to the bedside table and grabbed his clean Binkie and slipped it into his mouth. He happily started sucking on it before relaxing into me.

"Are you ready Baby boy?" I asked him, he nodded slowly. I proceeded to open the book and started reading.

An hour had passed, we had read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Gruffalo and The Tiger Who Came To Tea. A collection of Rye's favourites. By the end Rye had fallen asleep with his head now nuzzled into my lower stomach. I put the book down and laid Rye down properly against the pillows. I laid down on my side next to him and ran my hand through his soft hair, I let my hand rest on his forehead for a minute. He wasn't as hot as he was earlier which is a good sign, I hope that he will feel a little better after his nap. It was probably the medicine that is making him feel better but I like to think that it is due to reading with him, if he was watching cartoons or something then he would be sat there for a week waiting for this illness to go away, but just sit him down with a book and he is right as rain it a couple days. Rye stirred in his sleep, his eyes opened slowly, his big brown eyes starring up at me.

"Hi Bumblebee, have a nice nap?" I asked him, he nodded slowly as he yawned.

"Feel better?" I asked him.

"A wittle." He said, it was still progress.

"Should we read another story Bubs?" I suggested, he nodded.

"Can we wead the Hobbit Dwaddy?" He asked, this is literally my worst nightmare as that book is way too long for me.

"I'm not sure baby boy." I told him.

"But it will make me fweel bwetter." He said flopping onto my lap with his puppy dog eyes looking up at me.

"Alright fine, if that's what you want." I admit I gave in to his pressure but he was being so adorable that I just had to and it may have taken all weekend to read it but Rye felt a whole lot better by the end.