And this here is a fast tracked request for hopelessdirectioner9! Enjoy!
"Lou... Just open your eyes for one minute and then you can go back to sleep if you want baby... Come on..."
Amelia giggled and whacked Louis' chest gently, "open them big sparkly eyes sleepy!"
Louis grumbled but a giveaway smirk was spreading across his features. However his eyes remained firmly closed.
"Too tired..." He slurred, his hands reaching out to grab Amelia. She ducked away from his grip, knowing that once he got hold of her it would be impossible to get away again.
"Fine, lazy bum" Amelia rolled her eyes, "I just wanted to let you know that I was leaving for work, and remind you that you're here with Tyler."
"Wai- wha?" Louis yawned.
Amelia raised an eyebrow, "your son?"
Louis opened one eye to slit just to glare at his wife, "I know that much, thanks Lia."
"That's about all you know apparently, he's sick remember?"
Louis grunted as the memory came back, "ahhhhh...right..."
"Dummy" Amelia teased. She pecked him on the lips lightly and straightened up, brushing the fluff off her work uniform.
"Bye babe, have a good day..." Louis rolled over, snuggling back into his pillows.
Amelia sighed to herself as she left the room. She knew Louis would be up and about soon, no matter how sleepy he was acting. He would never leave his sick eight year old son to fend for himself.
The poked her head into the twins bedroom to make sure everything was still okay with Tyler. The poor kid was sound asleep, snoring uncharacteristically. He'd been sick for most of the day before and it had tired him out completely. Amelia hoped Louis wouldn't have too much of a hard time with him. She quietly tiptoed inside and kissed his forehead before leaving, grabbing her bag and her shoes on the way out the front door. She'd swap her slippers for her shoes only just before she went into work, just like always.
Back in the bedroom Louis was wondering how long it would be before he could whip up the courage to get out of bed. Little voices in his head were cheering him on enthusiastically, reminding him of the day he was going to spend with his son and the nice warm weather. However Louis was still struggling to find the motivation to even move a muscle.
In the end he just cleared his mind and did it, swung his legs over the side of the mattress and vaulted onto his feet. He grumbled and swore about the headache he'd woken up with as he trekked down stairs to make himself some toast for breakfast. He put his own to pieces in and then upon noticing the other two empty slots decided to go wake Tyler and see if he was up too food. He'd been up once in the night to empty his stomach so Louis had no doubt he was hungry.
He went all the way back up the stairs and then crept into Tyler's bedroom.
"Hey buddy..." Louis whispered as he gently moved Tyler's dark fringe out of his face.
Tyler opened his eyes wearily and blinked a few times until he could make out his Dad standing by his bedside.
"How're you feeling this morning?"
Tyler honestly couldn't remember a time where he'd felt worse in his life. He'd never been sick like this before, his Mum told him it was the stomach flu but he didn't know anything about that except that it made his belly come up his throat, which hurt a lot.
He felt sweaty under his duvet so he kicked it off and instead got out of bed to cuddle into his Dad before responding sadly, "still sick."
Louis rubbed his back comfortingly, "that's okay Ty, you're staying at home with me today so we can just rest until you feel better."
Tyler nodded and rubbed his tummy where it had been hurting since he'd opened his eyes. Louis took his hand and lead him slowly out of the room. At the stairs he decided he'd just carry his son, just to be careful. Tyler was kind of tall for his age which made the whole thing a bit awkward but thankfully they got to the bottom of the stairs without any dropped children. Louis sighed in relief when they reached the bottom step, Amelia would have killed him if he had actually dropped Tyler.
"Would you like some toast Ty?" He asked as he took Tyler into the kitchen and helped him up onto a stool.
Tyler rubbed his tummy under his shirt doubtfully. He didn't want to throw up any more, but he was getting really hungry.
"Just one piece please Dad" he replied in a raspy voice.
Louis smiled with and nod and added another piece into the toaster. He was about to start his search for the thermometer when he noticed it on the bench top along with a little note from Amelia, 'take him to the doctor if it goes over 38.5 Lou!'
He fixed the end of it, the piece that goes in your ear, and sidled up beside Tyler. "This okay with you Buddy?"
Tyler shrugged carelessly. He didn't really like things in his ears but it was just a few seconds.
Louis took his temperature which lucky for him wasn't over 38.5. It was still early and he wasn't dressed, he didn't want to have to drive all the way to the doctors.
The toast popped and Louis lightly buttered it. He slid Tyler's plate over to him when he finished, rubbing at his temple in irritation. He searched through the cupboards until he found some Tylenol and bit back one of those, hoping it would get rid of the headache for good.
He tipped the rest of his glass of water and buttered up his own two slices of toast, watching as Tyler picked at his unsurely.
"I know it probably doesn't taste very good to you right now Tyler, but you'll probably feel better if you eat something" he explained with an encouraging smile. Tyler looked up at him with sad eyes, "I thought I was hungry, but I don't think I can eat it."
Louis sighed, "okay, that's okay Bud. You do need to drink something though."
He grabbed a new bottle from the fridge and unscrewed the cap for his son, "here, just take it slow."
Tyler nodded and tipped some water into his mouth. It felt a lot nicer on his raw throat than the dry toast. He sipped at his water while his Dad ate some of his toast before chucking the rest out.
For whatever reason, Louis wasn't that hungry. He figured it had something to do with his headache.
He made sure Tyler was okay on his own for a few minutes and then went all the way back up the stairs to grab the bucket from the twins room and also the pack of cards from his travel bag. Tyler had a thing for last card, it was a sure way to perk him up a little and Louis wanted to see him smile at least.
When he got back he could've sworn Tyler had gotten paler but the eight year old assured him that he didn't feel any different, his eyes traced keenly on the cards in his dad's hand.
Louis gave him some medicine before setting up at the kitchen table, the bucket right beside Tyler for if he needed it. From the knowledge he'd gained yesterday, any substance put into the boy's body was a risk. There was a fifty fifty chance it'd stay down, or just come straight back up.
Louis dealt out the cards and stared at his hand for a solid five minutes, not even realising it was his turn until Tyler spoke up.
"Oh, right, sorry." Louis shook his head and put a card down on the top of the pile.
"Dad, you can't do that, it's hearts" Tyler said, flicking Louis' card back to him.
Louis pressed his hand against his own forehead, wondering what the hell was going on. His brain just wasn't working.
"I know, I was just, testing you" he smirked awkwardly as he replaced his card, this time getting it right.
Tyler stuck his tongue out in concentration and added to the growing pile.
The game went on for a while until Tyler grew too quiet and Louis noticed that he was beginning to fidget restlessly.
"Tyler, is your tummy feeling sick again? Do you think it may be a good idea to head to the bathroom?" Louis suggested, putting his cards down. Tyler swallowed and put his cards down too.
"I don't know, it feels all swirly Dad..." He moaned quietly, "and it hurts!"
Louis stood quickly to try get Tyler to the bathroom in time, knowing full well that he was about to be sick again. However he hardly made it a single step when Tyler lurched and his cheeks puffed out. Louis rushed to at least get him over the bucket as he started to heave.
Tyler tried his best to make sure he didn't cry as he threw up everything he had into the bucket below him. He was brave enough to be sick without crying. He held on tight to the bucket when his dad brought it up to sit on his lap and he held on even tighter when he tried to take the bucket away.
"No, Dad, st-still feel it" he whimpered as his stomach churned.
"Okay, okay, it's alright Ty" Louis soothed, letting go of the bucket, "you tell me when you're finished."
Honestly, he was beginning to regret volunteering to stay home with Tyler. Yesterday he'd been perfectly fine with the vomit but today it was making him feel kind of queasy and the gagging sounds were beginning to make his head throb too. He sighed deeply at the realisation that maybe he was coming down with whatever Tyler had.
Tyler coughed and threw up once more before weakly pushing the bucket intoLouis' chest, "'m done..."
"You did good bud, it's all over for now" Louis promised in a tone just as weak as his son's.
"My tummy hurts Dad..." Tyler whined, curling into himself on his chair. Louis tried to ignore the foul smell coming from the bucket as he emptied it into the kitchen sink before rinsing it out, "I'll warm the heat pack up for you in just a sec, just, hang on real qu-quick-"
Louis gulped and paused over the sink. His stomach hadn't even felt upset until now, surely he wasn't about to be sick.
Thankfully the feeling passed and he carried on, putting the heat pack into the microwave to spin around for a couple of minutes.
Tyler didn't want to stand up but the chair he was on wasn't as half as comfy as the couch so he let his dad help him up despite how badly his stomach was cramping. It was so empty, he wasn't sure how he was possibly going to throw up any more.
He held his stomach as he laid down on the couch and his Dad tucked a blanket around his lower half, putting the bucket down by his head. The microwave beeped and his dad shot him a smile before scurrying off the retrieve it.
Louis walked slowly back to the lounge with the heat pack. He felt like if he walked too fast he'd slosh up his insides. He needed to call Amelia before this got out of hand. He hated to think what would happen if he was stuck trying to look after Tyler with his own head in the toilet.
Tyler was curled up in a tight little ball when Louis finally got back. Louis had to force his knees down a little in order to sick the heat pack on his little tummy which earned him an annoyed grunt in response.
"Do you want the TV on?" Louis asked as he patted down his son's hair.
Tyler nodded and closed his eyes, butting slightly into his Dad's hand. As weird as Louis felt, he couldn't help but laugh. He was like a cat.
Louis turned the TV on and left the room to go find his phone. Hand on his stomach he traveled up the stairs, cringing as each footfall made his skull smack against his skull. He groaned as he dragged himself up the last step and then made his way down the hall to his bedroom where he phone was still on the charger.
He plopped down onto his bed heavily and yanked the phone off the charger. He took a breath to compose himself before he pressed call at his wife's number.
"Is Tyler okay?!"
Louis chuckled quietly, "yes Lia, he's alive."
"Oh thank god, are you just calling to say hey then?"
"Uh, not exactly..." Louis awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe this was a bad idea. Amelia was working, and maybe she wouldn't want to come anyway.
"What is it Lou? What's wrong?" Lia questioned and Louis felt bad at the worry he was causing her. He blurted just to put an end to the suspense, "I'm sick, I think."
Amelia sighed, "oh baby, I thought you were just tired this morning..."
"Can you come home?" Louis whimpered, clutching his stomach as the whirling suddenly grew even more nauseating.
Amelia paused and Louis knew right away that the answer wasn't going to be the one he wanted.
"You know how badly I want to Lou, we're really short-staffed today. Everyone's coming down with this bug. Are you okay? I can send someone-"
"No," Louis gulped, "I'm okay. I can manage until you get home. What time?"
"Five. But seriously, I feel awful knowing you're all on your own" Amelia replied.
"I've got Tyler, we'll be alright. Arin will be home before five. See you later Lia, love ya" Louis said quickly. He was beginning to feel hot, like the pre-puke sweat. He didn't want it to happen while he was on the phone.
"I love you too Louis, take care okay?"
"Bye Babe."
Louis hung up and threw the phone on the bed before standing and taking a few breaths as he made his way to the bathroom. Halfway there his walk turned into a mad rush as he felt his stomach lurch up. With a hand clasped over his mouth he rushed into the bathroom and sagged over the toilet, his shoulders hunched and shaking as he repetitively heaved and vomited.
When he was done he cleaned himself up as best as he could. He didn't want to frighten Tyler and he figured maybe if he looked fresher he'd feel fresher. Throwing up had made the nausea dull down a lot which was incredibly handy and although he still felt sick he though he could probably last another few hours at least without needed to hide away from Tyler to throw up again. That is, as long as he didn't try to eat anything.
Louis took a couple more pills for his headache, seeing as he'd just thrown the last dose up, and then went back downstairs. He felt a lot weaker than he had before and the thumping in his head was a lot more prominent in his vision, making the colours around him seem to flash almost.
Tyler was watching TV blankly when he saw movement in the corner of his eye and his Dad was coming into the room. He'd started shivering a few minutes ago and he'd said to himself that he'd ask his dad to get him another blanket. He didn't want to go get it himself, the movement might make him throw up again and that was the last thing he wanted.
Just as Louis was about to sit down he got the question from Tyler, can I please have another blanket Dad? It's cold."
Louis swallowed and stood back up straight. He cleared his throat, "course Bud."
His legs felt like jelly but he made it to the cupboard to get a blanket and then he collected the thermometer on his way past. If Tyler was getting cold his fever may have been rising, or breaking. Louis just hoped it wasn't over 38.5. He didn't think he was up to driving and hd didn't want to let Amelia down.
When he got back to Tyler the boy was shaking visually. Louis quickly bundled him up in the blankets, forgetting about his own symptoms for a few moments.
He took his temperature again and stared at number uncertainly. It read 38.5. If he remembered right, the note says take him to the doctors if it got higher than 38.5. It wasn't actually over 38.5, he realised with a guilty feeling. He'd found a bit of a loophole but he felt bad for taking advantage of it.
He dosed Tyler up on some children's fever reducers before collapsing onto the free couch and closing his eyes. When he opened them again just a few minutes later Tyler was asleep and Louis decided to take his own temperature.
Coincidentally, he was exactly the same as Tyler. He grumbled to himself and put the little device back on the table. He snuggled up beside Tyler, careful not to wake him. Then he closed his eyes again and this time managed to fall asleep.
Tyler's eye flickered open and darted around the room, trying to get a sense of how much time had passed. The curtains were closed, so he couldn't see outside, and his hands were trapped in his blanket cocoon so he couldn't use the remote.
He was sweating a fair amount under the all the blankets now, which he would admit was better than be freezing, but it spas still annoying. With his dad sound asleep beside him it was a struggle to dig himself out of all the blankets and he ended up delivering a swift kick to his Dad's stomach, retracting his leg quickly with an apologetic squeak as Louis' eyes shot open.
"I'm sorry Dad!" He exclaimed guiltily as his Dad clambered up out of the couch.
"Just an accident, I'll be back in a sec" Louis waved a hand as he quickly left the room. Tyler watched after him in confusion.
Louis knew he needed to get to the upstairs bathroom if he wanted to be sure Tyler wouldn't catch him in the act so back upstairs he went. Every time it was so much harder than the last time, especially when he was holding down sick. He only just made it in time to throw up into the sink, which was hardly a metre closer than the toilet. Louis just couldn't make that extra step.
H buckled in front of the vanity and gagged hard, nothing coming up. Not the first time anyway, it didn't take very long for the remains of his stomach to appear in the sink below him.
He got his breath back as quickly as he could and washed his mouth out. Sighing, he glanced up at the mirror. Thankfully his headache seemed to have eased quite a bit after napping for a couple of hours but it hadn't done anything to bring back any colour back into his face or make him look any less dead.
He took a breath a left the bathroom, wishing that Amelia had just come home earlier.
When he turned the corner to try go back down the stairs he was surprised to see Tyler halfway up, his eyes wide and scared. Louis held tightly into the railing as he quickly trotted down the stairs, gently taking Tyler's shaking arm to hold him up. The balance he had appeared quite unreliable and once again Louis was faced with the risk of Tyler falling down the stairs.
"What are you doing Ty? Look at you, you're shaking!" Louis exclaimed croakily, his voice broken by the acid he'd just coughed up.
"Finding you..." Tyler choked, grabbing onto his Dad, "I feel sick."
"Okay Buddy, I'm right here to look after you okay? You don't need to be scared" Louis reassured him as the colour drained from his face. It was obvious he was about to spew and Louis was glad he'd managed to empty his own systems before he was faced with someone else's puke.
Tyler coughed weakly and whimpered, wrapping his arms around his stomach.
"Just let it up Ty, I can clean it up, it's alright" Louis encouraged. He wasn't going to be able to move Tyler off the stairs, the only option was to just get it over with so they could go back down to the couch.
Tyler coughed yet again but this time the water he'd drunken came up and he almost feel up the stairs as the motion drove him forward. Louis caught his waist so that he didn't end up with carpet burn on his face and soothed him while he breathed heavily over the puddle he'd made.
After a few minutes Tyler wiped his mouth and his tears on his sleeve and dove into his Dad's arms, craving warmth.
Louis caught him, just, and stood up. He held Tyler's hand and made sure he was steady before slowly leading him down the stairs. He'd been worried that morning, now Tyler was even weaker and he was even more worried but he knew that he couldn't lift him again.
Louis sighed in relief when they made it with no incidents. Those stairs were terrifying on a bad day, he'd have to talk to Amelia about moving to a one story place, where there was less danger.
Halfway to the lounge the door opened and in stomped Laney with her big sister Arin trailing behind her. Laney sat down in the doorway and got to work taking her shoes off while Arin just stopped in her tracks as she observed the sight in front of her. How either of them were on their feet was a mystery to her.
Tyler was looking about the same as he had yesterday, pale, shaky, raccoon eyes from being way overtired. Her Dad however looked even worse.
Arin slowly placed her bag down, staring at her Dad with a raised eyebrow.
"You're sick too, aren't you?"
It wasn't all that surprising. All the little colds and such that the twins bought home from the primary school always ended up in her Dad's system.
Louis nodded and thankfully handed Tyler over to his oldest so she could take him to lay down on the couch again. He leaned back against the doorframe and closed his eyes. It had hardly been ten minutes and the headache was already coming back, he could feel it.
"Hello Daddy!" Laney greeted sweetly, making Louis grunt as a small figure collided with his stomach. He carefully pried her off him, "if you get too close you'll get sick too Lane."
She pulled a face and backed away, "like Tyler?"
Louis hummed and nodded.
Arin poked him on the forehead as she trotted past,"did you even call mum, you big idiot? She probably would've come home to help out."
"I did but she couldn't... Short staffed" Louis replied, groaning as Arin dragged him to the couch too.
"Well, I'm here now so go to sleep before you pass out, please."
"I'm your Dad, you don't get to boss me around..." Louis slurred as he shuffled down into a laying position.
"I do when you're sick" Arin shrugged.
Louis scoffed but took no action. He didn't reply, instead dropping off to sleep.
"Arin! There's something yucky on the stairs!" Laney called out, making Arin screw her face up. She had one guess about what this somethings yucky was and it was definitely something she did not want to deal with. Ugh, the things she does.
***
"Hey Lou..." Amelia sat down beside her husband when she finally got away from work. She stroked his cheek, registering that it was hotter than usual, hotter than Tyler even. She felt awful for leaving him alone, apparently he'd been asleep since Arin had gotten home he'd been so exhausted.
Louis opened his misty eyes and smiled up at his wife, "hey Lia."
Amelia laughed at how bitty his voice was, crackly and hardly recognisable.
Despite the sickness rampaging through him Louis smiled widely too.