Harry's eyes were sore when he woke in the morning. They were dry and itchy while watering at the same time and when he stood he was greeted roughly by an angry headache lurking at the back of his skull.
He groaned knowingly as he slipped a shirt over his head. He was coming down with his yearly case of the flu, and it just had to be the day before he was set to fly to LA. He rubbed his eyes, hoping that it'd be an easy duel with it this time round. Sometimes he got lucky and it wasn't really big a deal but other years it was absolutely dreadful and he was bed-ridden for days. Shivering slightly as he headed out to the kitchen he wished with all he had that it was the first option. It was so warm and gorgeous over in LA, he didn't want to ruin his time there.
Out in the kitchen he dosed up on flu medicine and pain killers for his headache. With a heavy head and slumped figure he stood over the stove for a few minutes to make himself some scrambled eggs for breakfast. He'd slept in later than he usually did, and as he served up his plate he realised that it was really more of a lunch. It was raining and dark outside so it felt a lot earlier.
He texted the friends he was planning on meeting later on in the day to let them know he wouldn't be there. If there was anyway to escape this flu before it got started it was to sleep all day, so that's exactly what he did. He finished his eggs and went straight back to bed, dragging along his medicines with him in case he woke in time for the next dose and didn't feel like moving.
Harry slept the entire day away and when he did wake it wasn't just overcast outside, it was pitch black. The rain was still heavily pouring down, slamming down against the roof and making Harry's head hurt more than it already was. He'd been sweating and it had all gone stone cold, making him shake and shiver beneath the blanket. Waking this time was even worse than waking that morning, his nose was stuffy and his throat was sore, just to add to the growing list of problems Harry had with his stupid body.
Maybe a shower would help?
After hoisting himself out of bed he made his way to the bathroom and turned the shower on. He didn't care how late it was, or early, he'd slept for ages anyway.
Steam quickly filled the room and Harry blew his runny nose, chucking the paper down the toilet. His stomach stirred uncomfortably as he stripped down, making him want to bang his head against the wall. So far, it wasn't looking good. He felt shit, even after sleeping for so long. The medicine hadn't helped much at all and he was increasingly feeler sicker and sicker as the hours passed.
In the shower he sat down on the ground, too tired to stand. The water was pretty hot and almost lulling him to sleep before he snapped himself out of it and hurriedly shut off the water. He couldn't sleep in the shower, that was just ridiculous.
His head swum slightly while he changed into a set of fresh clothes because his others were damp with sweat. Holding onto the vanity he yanked his sweats up the rest of the way before sitting down on the closed toilet lid and waiting for the bleariness to fade away. He hated feeling light-headed, to him it was one of the worst feelings in the world.
The shower had made him hot and clammy and the tiles on the bathroom floor were so cool and nice that he couldn't resist lowering himself down onto the ground. Letting out a moan of pleasure as the cold leaked under his skin he closed his eyes and shifted to get comfortable.
Before he knew it he was sound asleep, snoring quietly due to the stuffiness in his nose.
***
Really, he was lucky to have fallen asleep so close to the toilet. If he hadn't there would most likely be a mess for him to clean up and he didn't think he had the energy.
Panting miserably over the toilet, hot, light-headed, and shaking he came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to be able to fly to LA today, not in this condition. With an unhappy grunt and a swipe at the sweat building on his forehead he sagged away from the loo, hands holding his dodgy middle. He'd woken without hardly any time to even register just how nauseous he was and practically gagged right on opening his eyes. With flailing arms he'd managed to open the toilet lid and get into position before everything came up in an unpleasant process that Harry wasn't fond of at all.
He supposed no one was.
He needed another shower but he couldn't be bothered so he pulled himself onto his feet and back over to his bed, slumping over the mattress and feeling like he was about to die.
Whimpering quietly he rolled onto his back to stare at the blank ceiling.
He wasn't sure how long he laid there but his phone ringing drew him out of the self-pitying trance he'd fallen into.
He coughed and sniffled before reaching over to detach his phone from the charger. He saw his Mum's number on the screen and hurriedly answered. When he was sick there was nothing better than his Mum.
"Good morning Harry!" she greeted in a chipper voice. Harry gave a watery smile at the sound of her voice. They called a few times a week but he hadn't seen her for at least a month now and he would be lying if he said he didn't think about his family a lot. He missed them, and it was only his fault that he didn't see them, the drive was only three hours from where he was now. A lot of the time he was just too busy and it frustrated him.
"Hey-" Harry cut off to clear his throat. He reached up to massage it as he tried again, "hey Mum."
"You sound funny, is everything okay?" Anne questioned curiously.
Not wanting her to worry Harry lied, "yeah, I just woke up."
"Oh, well, I just thought I'd check in with you baby. What's on the schedule today?"
Harry didn't know what to tell her. She was a proper mother hen whenever he or Gemma were sick and he really didn't want to make her worry about him. If he mentioned the flight he was postponing she would go into full Mum mode, even over the phone. He was torn, because he wanted to see her and he wanted her to care for him but he also didn't want her to feel like she had to still. He was an adult, shouldn't he be able to take care of himself now?
"Uh, nothing Mum, not for the next few days actually," he finally replied, picking his words carefully. His brain was more than a little foggy so it wasn't the easiest task.
"Oh that's great honey, you definitely deserve some down time," she replied happily.
Harry chewed down on his lip thoughtfully. He had some time to himself. Some time to spend at home.
"Are you busy at all? Would it be okay if I came over for a night or two?" He asked, sitting up to hang his legs over the side of his bed. It was an amazing idea and just the thought of being back home had energised him a little.
"Of course Haz! I'd love that! Gemma's home at the moment too, oh, this is so cool! When are you going to get here?!" Anne laughed excitably, making Harry grin to himself. He rubbed the back of his warm neck, "I'll pack a bag and then leave Mum, I'll be there in time for dinner."
"Okay Baby, I'll make sure to make enough for you. See you then!"
Harry croaked out a quick goodbye and hung up before he ended up coughing into the phone and giving away the act he'd put on. His throat was just so dry, the acid from throwing up had made it even more sore.
After downing a glass of water and some pills he shakily stood, holding on to the bedside cabinet. He wasn't sure if this was going to work or not. He felt sick, like his body was preparing to just shut down, and he was doubtful he'd be able to keep it from his Mum. And Gemma was home. She had always been scarily good at reading him. He swallowed and nodded his pounding head stubbornly, he'd just have to do better.
He did end up showering again, and then taking fever meds so that he wouldn't sweat through the fresh clothes. Jeans felt uncomfortable and tight on his sore muscles but if he turned up in sweatpants he'd be straight on the couch with a thermometer between his lips.
He threw some crap into a bag, knowing that there was probably enough stuff back at the house for him anyway.
The car ride wasn't great. He hadn't thought about how well he'd actually be able to drive before and as it turned out it wasn't that great. He didn't feel like he was about to cause and accident but three hours had never felt longer. He stopped to grab an energy drink to keep his eyes open, and then stopped again twenty minutes later to throw the lot of it up.
By the time he pulled into his driveway in Cheshire his head was hurting a great deal, as the rest of him, and much to his displeasure he felt light-headed and faint too. He really needed to lay down if he was being honest with himself but he also really needed to just see his family.
With a heavy hand he knocked on the door, resisting the urge to just lean against the wood and pass out.
The door swung open and a flurry of hair pounced on him, making him stagger backwards in shock. He was already unbalanced and unsteady to begin with, he was surprised he managed to stay on his feet.
"Harry!" Gemma yelled, grinning like a kid. Harry smiled back, and it was genuine. It didn't matter how shitty he felt, he was still overjoyed to see his sister.
"Hey," he chuckled raspily, prying her off him. No point getting her ill too.
Gemma stepped back ever so slightly. She continued to smile but Harry swore he saw her eyes narrow slightly. He ducked his head, "let's go see Mum."
Gemma hooked her arms through his with an agreeable nod and they went inside together. Anne was in the kitchen serving up three plates of macaroni and cheese. The smell was so familiar and almost calming to Harry until he got to close and it just made his empty stomach whirl. His mum looked up and then she leapt into Harry's arms in a similar way Gemma had. This time he managed to grab onto the counter top to stay upright. He wrapped his other arms around her tightly.
"Hey Mum..."
"I'm so glad you're here Baby," she murmured into his ear, "I made mac and cheese."
Harry chuckled, "I see that, smells good."
He blinked away the white spots clouding his vision and sighed, dropping his bag onto the ground. "Well, I need the bathroom. Long drive all the way here."
He needed to make sure his stomach wasn't going to revolt and give him away when he tried to eat. He couldn't just avoid it, his Mum would get upset and worried.
"I know H, definitely worth it though. Dinner will be on the table when you get back sweetheart."
The wide smile on Anne's face seemed like it would just never fade away. Her cheeks were hurting as she put the plates down on the table, Gemma following with the cutlery.
"He's sick Mum," Gemma muttered, just in case Harry hadn't gotten very far. She knew her brother, and she knew when he wasn't feeling well.
"What?" Anne paused.
"Harry's sick, probably that flu he used to get every year," Gemma repeated quietly, "that's probably why he's got time off, he can't work."
Anne looked down at the meal she'd prepared, mildly disappointed she wasn't as observant as her daughter. "He's not going to feel like eating all this then is he?"
Gemma shrugged. "He might be okay, I feel like he would've said something if it was a bad one."
Anne hummed but she couldn't help but worry.
In the bathroom Harry had come to the conclusion that his stomach was pretty safe. He didn't feel overly nauseous so he was just attempting to clean himself up a bit before he went back out there. He splashed some water onto his face and cleared his sinuses as best as he could. He was still blocked up but there wasn't a lot he could do about that.
He sighed to himself as he left, maybe the warm food would be good for his throat.
Dinner went pretty well, considering. Harry managed to keep up the healthy facade, chatting and telling stories as he ate, as well as nodding along to whatever his mum and sister were saying. That made his head hurt and him feel kind of like he was about to topple out of his seat but he had to, or they would catch him out.
After eating as much as he could handle Harry offered to clean up. It was the last thing he felt like doing, but also the most polite. Thankfully Gemma didn't let him do it alone so he wasn't standing for too long.
He went and snuggled up beside his Mum on the couch when the dishes were all clean and sparkling. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, smiling down at him without his knowledge. He did feel a bit warm, but he'd eaten and he was staying awake so she figured he was just feeling a little off.
A movie came on and Gemma got up to make everyone a hot drink as it started. Harry yawned and accidentally whined at the pain in his throat he'd forgotten about. His mum rubbed his shoulder, "all good Hazza?"
Harry nodded shortly, refusing to meet her gaze. He couldn't lie straight to her face.
With a shaky cough Harry took his tea from Gemma when she returned. He mumbled an apology and this time held back the little sounds his body was trying to force out as he wasn't letting any other expression of how much his body was hurting.
Anne watched carefully as he took a sip of his drink. She could see the liquid inside the mug trembling, tilting dangerously near to the edges. She wanted to see if he had a fever but she also didn't want him to feel like she was babying him.
Soon enough Harry decided his stomach was full enough and tried to put his mug on the floor by the foot of the couch only to misjudge the distance and spill the remaining tea onto the carpet. He whined again, rubbing his forehead, "I'm so sorry..."
Once he was up from the couch he rushed into the kitchen to grab something to clean up the mess. He tiredly crouched down beside the darker spot in the carpet, yawning into the back of one hand and he began pressing the damp cloth against the patch.
"I can do it Hazza, you can sit if you want to."
Harry looked up at his mum for a brief second, "it's my mess, I've got it."
"Accidents happen Baby and you look exhausted, please just let me," she pushed gently, holding her hand out to take over. Harry sniffled and gave her the cloth, "sorry."
"I know, it wasn't your fault though," his mum smiled. She didn't miss the slight stumble in his step and how unsteady he looked, and she didn't miss the frustrated look on his pale face either.
Gemma shot her a look after throwing a blanket over her shivering brother. Maybe they'd have to say something so that he'd stop torturing himself. He'd looked about to cry when he'd dropped that cup, she knew he wasn't feeling well at all.
"How about we head to bed?" She suggested.
Relief flooded Harry's system, "I'm keen."
He took the hand his mum was holding out and let her help him onto his feet, bundling into her warm side right away. He was wondering if he should just tell her he was sick. But she was so happy to see him.
Harry was in the bathroom splashing cool water on his face when he noticed Gemma behind him in the mirrors reflection. She grinned, "night bro."
Harry forced a smile back. Honestly he felt sick again. Like he might throw up any minute.
"Night Gem, see you in the morning," he replied raspily, cursing how torn up his throat was.
Gemma padded off and Harry closed the door as quietly he could before kneeling down in front of the toilet for the next half an hour. Nothing would come up. His stomach was way nauseous but it just refused to send anything out. Harry gripped at his damp hair in frustration and sniffled uselessly. His legs ached horribly as he stood up, deciding that he was just going to go to bed. He couldn't wait any longer, he was about to fall asleep on the spot.
Over the sink again taking pills and cleaning up his stomach finally lurched, causing him to throw his dinner up into the basin. Harry felt even weaker and shakier than he had before when it let up. The lightheaded feeling had gotten worse too, much to his distaste.
He paused outside his mum's room.
He wanted her.
After a few moments of hesitation he dizzily stumbled into the room, "are you awake Mum?"
"Yeah baby, what's the matter?" She replied and Harry saw her shadowy figure sit up in the bed.
"Its cold in my room," Harry stuttered lamely. He should've thought up an excuse before he went in. "Can I sleep in here?"
"Course Love, come on in," his mum patted the space on the bed. Harry nodded gratefully. He got under the warm blankets and with a low moan of relief at the comfort fell asleep as if a switch inside him had been pulled.
Later on it was still dark and Harry was staggering down the hall to the bathroom to throw up again. He was so hot and the hallway had never felt longer. In the end he wasn't even sure if he'd made it or not. He was doubled over though and vomiting harshly either way. He couldn't stop.
When a hand landed on his back he almost jumped out of his skin. He coughed and threw up again before he could see who it was. "You're shaking something awful Haz..." Gemma murmured sympathetically from behind him.
Harry blinked and tried to figure out where he was, folding back into her smaller figure.
"And you're cooking, damn it..." Gemma uttered, hugging him closer.
Harry felt funny. His head was all fuzzy and Gemma's voice felt a lifetime away, buzzing quietly as if she wasn't speaking right into his ear. He kept blinking but he could feel everything fading.
"M-mum!" he choked in fright.
"I'll go get her okay?" Gemma said, letting go of Harry. Harry's knees just gave out and Gemma grabbed back onto him as best as she could while his head lolled back and he fainted.
After she got over the shock of it she yelled out for her Mum. She knew she'd wake, she'd always been a reasonably light sleeper.
***
"What? I- w-what, Mum!" Harry croaked, puling against the restraints that had him stuck and practically immobile.
"Stop that Haz, you're okay, I'm here," her face popped into his vision and instantly Harry relaxed a little. His misty eyes were still wide and he was still tense though.
"Lay back, you've got a real bad flu Love, I know you're scared but we're at the hospital, everything's okay now," his mum whispered, a hand cupping his cheek. Harry frowned in confusion. The flu he remembered, the hospital though? No recollection whatsoever.
Nonetheless he leaned back like he was told, "hospital?" He coughed.
"You passed out, I was worried about you."
Harry couldn't remember. He shook his head wearily, realising quickly that it didn't hurt nearly as badly as it had before.
"Don't fuss about it, you're alright now. You were dehydrated, and your fever was creeping up."
Harry peered at the white walls around him and screwed up his nose at the strong smell, "I hate hospitals."
His mum chuckled and Harry could see the relief on her face. He supposed he must've scared her a great deal. He huffed to himself, he'd wanted to keep her from worrying and instead he terrified her half to death.
"I was sick before, I should've told you..." He moaned sadly.
"Gemma told me, she knew it straight away," Anne smirked slightly, "your sister knows you better than you give her credit for."
Harry breathed a laugh, "I guess so."
"Talking about me?" Gemma entered the room with a broad smile, holding a stupid balloon on a string. Harry nodded at it, "what in the world-"
"It's for you, see, it says 'get better soon!'" Gemma said excitedly, obviously quite stoked with herself. Harry grinned tiredly, his eyes nearing closing again.
"Aw, you're tired aren't you Love? We'll be quiet. Shut those eyes of yours," his mum cooed. Harry wasn't going to complain. He smiled once more at the two of them and shifted to lay on his side.
"You seriously thought you could fool me didn't you?" Gemma whispered quietly.
Harry pretended he'd already fallen asleep, hiding his fond grin.
"I knew, you big curly idiot, just like I know you're not really asleep," she laughed, ruffling his hair.
This time Harry couldn't contain his smile.
I really hope this lived up to your expectations TaylorSwift15! I'm sorry it took me a bit longer than I thought it would but here it is. Finally. Finished.
Unfortunately this is the last of the nightly updates. I don't have anything else pre written and there's no way I can keep up with this schedule otherwise. I'm sorry to let you amazing lovelies down like this, but I'll still be updating, It just won't be every day.