Danger, Will Robinson {Lost in Space 2018 One-Shots}

Red Noses and Running Circles

Penny insists she's fine. Don knows she not.

Requested by @yoyoyoyoyoyoyy123123

A/N: I have no excuses lmao. it's been ... a month?? my school year is basically cancelled. the entire world has gone to shit. I've been stuck in the same house w/ my parents for months now. life's great.

I got ao3 btw. mostly just posting Doctor Who and Mandalorian but I'm planning on moving some of my better oneshots from here over >>> https://archiveofourown.org/users/RJam9/profile

idk when the fuck this takes place. enjoy I guess

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"Penny, sit down."

"I'm fine."

"Oh, for the love —" Don grumbled as the girl struggled to get out of the cocoon of blankets she was wrapped in.

Of course, it had to be today, when he was off and all the other Robinsons had duties they needed to attend to around the Resolute, that Penny woke up with a cold. Not that he didn't mind spending time with her, Penny was nice and all, but it was his day off. He had been hoping to relax, not watching as Penny tried (and failed) to regain her dignity after nearly tumbling off her bed.

Taking care of Debbie would have been easier.

"You're clearly sick." He said when she had settled. He grabbed the small bottle cap full of grape-flavoured medicine from the side table. "Just take the medicine."

Penny scrunched her nose up at him. "It tastes disgusting. And I told you, I'm fine."

He sighed. They were clearly going to be running in circles all day. "Say that to me when you don't sound like you have a cat stuck in your throat."

She grumbled something unintelligible under her breath, and he shook his head before placing the cap on the table again. "Fine. Take the medicine or don't, but know we're both stuck together all day, and it will help you feel better and make it a little more enjoyable for me."

He stood up from where he sat on Pennys desk chair. The room was small, and he didn't want to sit on her bed and push her feet out of the way. "I'm going to go heat up the soup your mom put out. Back in a minute."

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him as he walked out.

***

When Don came back to her room, the medicine was sitting untouched on the bedside table. He sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day when Penny just glared at him, arms crossing over her chest and red nose stuck up in the air. Any intimation was lost, however, when she started coughing violently.

"Woah, Pen', you okay?" He asked, setting the soup down on the table.

"I said I'm fine!" She snapped at him when the fit had receded. He only frowned at her.

"Alright, I guess." He replied. "Got your soup. It's chicken noodle."

She didn't answer him, only glaring at the wall and pointedly not looking at him.

If Maureen or John were there, they would probably tell their daughter to quit lying to them, drink her medicine and eat her soup. Or maybe Judy, she was a doctor, Penny would listen to her. Even Will would have better luck convincing the girl to take care of herself then Don could.

He could try, though.

"Penny, why won't you just accept the fact your sick?" He asked after a moment.

"I'm not sick." She replied.

"And Debbies my mother." He retorted back. "Come on."

Pennys face twisted into an even deeper frown. "I should be out on the Resolute helping with everything, not stuck in here being useless."

It took a minute to process what she was saying. Surprisingly, his lips twitched up into a smile at the girls thought process. "Penny, do see where I am right now?"

She glanced at him. "Standing in the middle of my bedroom, why?"

"I'm not 'out on the Resolute' right now, and I'm not useless just because I'm here instead." He grinned at her. "In fact, I think I'm the opposite of useless. This place would fall apart without me."

"There's other mechanics."

"Not as good as me."

Despite trying to hide it, Penny smiled at his egoistical joke. With a sigh, she leaned back against her pillow and burrowed deeper into the blankets. She continued to glare at the wall as if it had caused her personal offence. "I guess I'm sick."

"That's the spirit!" He exclaimed, glad to finally be on the same page. "Now take your medicine, then you should eat."

"I said I'm sick, not that I'm going to drink that disgusting garbage." She gestured to the cap on the table. "That tastes like the tears of children and liquefied trash."

"It's grape flavoured." He replied.

"Well, whoever designed has obviously never tasted grape." She snapped back.

Penny Robinson was stubborn. One door opens, another one closed. It would probably take another twenty minutes to convince her to take the medicine, another twenty to actually drink it, and then at least an hour for her to eat the soup.

Despite his day off basically being a write-off, he laughed. Around and around in circles they go.

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A/N: anyway don't expect consistent updates bc my brains stupid