#avenergs sickfic

[goldenempyrean]

hi can I request a fic where Nat works as a teacher and catchs a bad cold/flu which is going round. Nat tries to teach as usual but her constant sniffling and sneezing is too much, then R gets a call from the Nurses office asking for her to come and pick Nat up. maybe using the prompts “Do you actually think I’ve had time to go out and get a flu-shot?”  “It’s chaos here. I can’t just stop working because I have the sniffles.” and “Baby, I think this is more than just the sniffles.”

Nurse’s Office 

〚 Notes – This was such a cute request that I had to do it literally as soon as possible. My brain was just full of ideas for this. I’ve gotten so many reqs too, I'm genuinely almost at 40 so I may have to close my inbox soon just so I don’t get overwhelmed with them all! Slightly desperate to feedback on this too! I think it’s the longest fic I’ve done :) 〛 

〚 Summary - Nat loves her job as a teacher, she gives it her all but it seems she has a lesson to learn when it comes to taking care of herself. 〛 

〚 Wordcount - 4310 〛 

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Nat was sure she felt fine earlier that morning but as she sat hunched over her desk, she couldn’t help but squint as the overhead light shone down directly into her eyes. Looking over her lesson plan for the day, she sighed. First period was the youngest class of students that she taught and it was safe to say they were a handful. Glancing over to the main clock on the wall, Natasha realised she didn’t have long before her students were due to arrive. At least she didn’t have a lot to set out, she’d stayed late the previous night to photocopy some worksheets and papers.  

Walking round the room, Nat made sure every student had the correct worksheet on their desk, she was just placing the final paper down when she felt a sudden prickle in her sinuses. Twitching her nose only amplified the annoying itch and Nat knew she was going to- 

“Hi’kkshiew!” 

Natasha buried her face into her elbow as she sneezed, sniffling slightly afterwards. As she sniffled Nat felt the familiar feeling of congestion begin to settle in her sinuses and quickly came back to her desk to grab a tissue. The sound of a loud bell rung as Nat swiped a few from the box and she’d just finished blowing her nose when students began to fill the room. 

She took a moment to gaze around the classroom and was greeted by twenty-seven rowdy children. It wasn't the first time she'd felt anxious, when standing infront of class. Nat wouldn’t call herself an experienced teacher just yet, she’d been working at this school since graduating almost 4 years ago but even so, she still had her moments of doubt. 

She opened her mouth to say a cheery ‘good morning’ only the words got caught in her throat, leading her to cough to a little. She thought nothing of it though, simply clearing her throat a few times before continuing her greeting, trying hard to ignore the growing pain at the back of her throat. 

“...so today we’ll be looking at genetics. Does anyone know what DNA is?” She looked around among the raised hands before calling on a student, “yes?” 

The student gave a pretty good answer and Nat nodded in agreement. 

“Ah, well done, that’s correct. The only thing  I need to add is that DNA is made up – Hh- of a double hel-Hh'tshiew! Oh, excuse me!” Nat had to fight to stop herself from blushing red with embarrassment as she sneezed down against her wrist. 

Natasha rubs her eyes and her sinuses in unison, wiping at the wetness that trails from her nose. A sudden pain throbs deep within her throat, behind her sternum. And hacking, wheezing cough sent left her leaning against her desk as she tried to compose herself. 

The students chuckle to themselves as they shift in their seats. One boy turns to whisper something to his friend, and they both giggle at Natasha. The boy behind him—the one who had answered the question—looks her in the eye and laughs. Natasha's skin stings, but she refuses to let it bother her. "What?" she asks. "What is so funny?" 

  She sends them a glare, instantly silencing them before continuing on with her lesson, 

Only throughout the hour, that pain at the back of her throat only grows worse and she’s beginning to sniffle repetitively. The room feels heavier—hotter—and her vision is dimming slightly. 

But still Nat pushes through, and by the time the bell rings to dismiss the class, she’s exhausted. Her voice is failing fast and her throat is quickly being shredded with her increasing sneezes. In the small 5-minute window between lessons Nat had already gone through 8 tissues and that number only increased from there. 

Second period soon came. The school bell chimed again and soon enough, her second class of the day came flooding in, their loud chatter striking a painful throb through her temples. 

Natasha didn’t even bother to try and talk instead; she scrolled through her computer’s files to find a relevant video to play on the projector. The video barely got 5 minutes into in before Nat had to quickly scramble to grab a tissue before sneezing loudly. 

"Bless you!" a boy piped up in response, he's wearing a bright orange sweatshirt. His legs swinging back and forth under the desk. "Are you okay Mrs Romanoff? Do you have that bug that’s going round?”  

Natasha coughs into her elbow, the sound making several students visibly recoil, “I'm fine thank you.” She tries to muster up her best reassuring smile but it seems nobody is convinced. 

The students exchange uneasy glances amongst themselves as their teacher held her head in her hands. Nat grimaced, she could feel her skin breaking out into a sweat beneath her blouse and her vision is beginning to fade in and out as the room grows hotter and hotter. Even the noise from the ongoing video seems somewhat distorted as she tries desperately to not disturb anyone any further but the urge to sleep was almost overbearing and Nat could feel her eyes slowly drifting closed… 

“Mrs Romanoff?” A recognisable voice pulled Natasha from her slumber as she blinked groggily giving a little groan at the pressure which had settled behind her eyes. She tried to sniffle but was met with a snuffly noise of congestion, “Mrs Romanoff?” 

Nat blinked up, as she tried to shield her eyes from the lights overhead, had they somehow gotten even brighter? Looking up Nat saw the worried face of her colleague, Miss Leslie. Miss Leslie was older than Nat but they’d both been hired around the same time and the two of them had developed a fairly close relationship – it helped that they both shared an office space too - so it wasn’t unusual for either of them to quickly stop by in each other's classes but this time was different. 

The loud background chatter of Nat’s students was almost too much for her to handle, “Quiet!” Natasha tried to sound authoritative but her voice came out in a weary rasp, barely audible to anyone other than her close by colleague. 

“Natasha?” Miss Leslie spoke in a hushed voice, “One of your students just came into my class and said that I had to come back with him immediately. Natasha, I’m not surprised he did. You look awful honey. Are you feeling okay?” 

“I’m fine.” Nat mumbled, “Just a little tired. I just need to get through the rest of this lesson then I’ll drink some coffee or something.” She sniffled, feeling her nose begin to run again. 

Miss Leslie’s concerned eyes looked over Nat again then to her students, “Forget coffee, you sound like you need to be in bed. You caught whatever gross bug thats  been sweeping its way round this place?” 

“I’m fine, absolutely per-Hh- Hhet’tshoo! Hush’tshoo!” 

“No Natasha, you’re not. Seriously, go back to our office, I’m taking over for you.” Miss Leslie’s voice was firm in her words as she urged the redhead to stand, not missing the way she swayed in place, “Go sit down, I’ll be there soon.” 

Miss Leslie’s hand came to grip Natasha’s shoulder as she helped her up out of the seat, her careful eyes watching over the redhead as she wordlessly shuffled out of the room and towards her office. 

Nat wasn’t even sure how much time had passed when the door to her office swung open, letting in a cold breeze with it. She didn’t bother to look over, she didn’t bother to look anywhere, hell, even just opening her eyes hurt. Everything was a blur. 

There was a voice somewhere in the room though she couldn’t quite make out any words. Everything felt muffled. Nat barely even registered the fact that her colleague had come to squat down beside her until she felt the touch of a hand clasp her forehead lightly. 

“Oh honey, this isn’t good.” The concerned voice of Miss Leslie sighed, only then did Nat find the strength to look up at the worried face of her colleague, “You’re way too hot.” 

“Leslie? What are you doing?” Nat mumbled as she forced herself to sit upright, the room spinning as she did so, “What about the class?” 

“They're on break. Its 11pm, didn’t you hear the bell?”  

Nat shrugged, no, she definitely did not hear any bell. She was about to get up when she felt that familiar prickle in her sinuses forcing her to quickly swivel around in her chair to avoid sneezing all over her colleague. 

“Hh’iishoo! hHeh’ktshhiiew!” 

“Bless you.” The older woman replied as she squeezed the redhead’s shoulder, “You aren’t seriously thinking about going back to class still?” She asked in shock as the younger teacher went to pick up her files. 

“I have too, I have my upper-years next and we’re already behind schedule, theres so-“ Nat broke off from her teary rambles with a loud barking cough, it felt as if her chest was constricting with every breath. 

“Natasha you can’t go on like this, we’ve both seen how many bugs and germs are spreading round this place. Hell, we’re basically working in a petri-dish and I know we’re meant to push through when we’re not feeling too well for the sake of the kids but Nat, you really shouldn’t be here.”  The older woman sighed deeply as she lectured the younger teacher. 

“I- I just feel like everything’s going wrong today.” The redhead finally admitted as she wiped at her teary eyes, “I felt fine this morning and now-“ She sniffled thickly, unable to breathe properly through her stuffy nose. 

“I know, I know.” The older woman sympathised as the younger teacher went to grab some tissues from the box on her desk, “Maybe we should let the nurse take a look at you.” 

Nat sent her a look, “I don’t really think that’s necessary. It’ll just waste her time.”  She sighed wearily as she rubbed at her temples again. That congestion really wasn’t helping her headache at all. 

“Honey, I mean no offence by this at all but you’re a mess. I’ve never seen you like this and quite frankly it’s a little worrying, so please? Let me put my mind at rest, go and see the nurse Natasha.” 

Natasha took another tissue as another set of raspy coughs choked up through her throat. God I really am a mess. Nat admitted to herself. Her throat feels like a lump of coal and she swore she could almost feel the fluid in her sinuses sloshing about like stagnant sludge. Just to avoid her co-worker's concerned stare, she reached to the desk beside her and grabs a pen, feebly scribbling onto a sticky note. 

To Substitute,  

Textbooks are in the back cupboard. Get the upper-years to read page 18 and answer the questions using correct exam technique. Put an educational film on for the younger ones. Email me if needed. 

- Mrs Romanoff 

Miss Leslie gave Nat a nod as she read over the sticky note which had been pressed into her hand – though she did discreetly scribble out the final sentence when Nat’s back was turned, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly. Now come on, let me give you a hand getting to the nurse's office. I doubt you’ll make it on your own...” 

"Thanks..." Nat mutters as Leslie props her up, helping her hobble down the hallway. She grips onto the older lady's arm, feeling as though she'd collapse any second. Her lungs burn and her brain is hazy. She tries to focus, to listen to what Leslie's saying... but everything feels so far away. It's as though it's happening through the lenses of a camera. Every time she blinks, the hallway spins a little faster. Her legs are like lead weights, her arms limp noodles, and she doesn't stop shivering. All around her are the confused stares of students, not used to seeing their usually so resilient teacher being helped down the hallway but Nat doesn’t notice, she hears only a dull, thudding heartbeat as her skin tingles with fever. 

〘✧〙 

You day had been pretty boring. You’d finished all your work so you had just been sitting at your desk, scribbling away on Microsoft Paint on the computer infront of you, you were halfway through drawing a little picture of a flower when the screen of your phone lit up as it began to vibrate from across the table. Snatching your attention, you picked up the device and looked at the number displayed on the incoming call, unknown. Strange. You tried to think back to see if you could remember anyone that had been meaning to call you recently but you came up with nothing so with a shrug, you pressed on the little green button and accepted the call. 

“Hello? Is this Y/N speaking?” A friendly voice came through the phone, an older woman by the sound of it. 

“Hi, yes, it is. Can I help you?” You replied, trying to see if you could recognise the voice. 

  “This is the nurse speaking, from Natasha’s school. Natasha’s actually here with me right now, she’s not feeling very well at all. Is it possible for you to come and collect her?” 

“Nat’s sick?” Your mouth dropped open in surprise, she had seemed fine that morning, “okay, I’ll be there as soon as possible.” 

The call ended and you quickly gathered up your things before rushing over to your boss's office to explain the situation. He didn’t have an issue with you leaving, especially since you’d already gotten the day's work done, infact he even told you to take the rest of the day off – he knew you’d only be worried sick if you came back. You said a very grateful thankyou before jogging out of your office towards the company car park, quickly starting the ignition and driving off in the direction of Nat’s school. 

You made sure to park close to the entrance as you entered the school grounds. With a swift click of your keys, you locked your car and headed towards the entrance. The school Nat taught at was nice, that’s one of the reasons Nat loved teaching so much, the campus was great. Entering the reception, a young-looking brunette smiled at you over from the desk, her nametag reading ‘Miss Sharp’. 

“Hi, I got a call from the nurse to come pick up Mrs Romanoff.” You explained politely and a knowing look flashed across the receptionist's face. 

“Oh, you’re Natasha’s wife! It’s lovely to meet you finally, I’ve heard great things about you,” The receptionist smiled as you blushed slightly, “Why on earth she decided to come in today is a mystery to me, I'm not surprised that you’re here to take her home. Anyway, the nurse's office is just through the main doors, take a right and then keep going down the hall. It’s a white door, you can't miss it.”  

You flashed her a grateful smile, “Thank you so much.” 

“No problem!” 

The sound of the school bell rang as you approached the white door at the end of the corridor, getting closer you could see the distinct label of ‘Nurse’s Office’ displayed beside the door. You knocked on the door lightly and waited until you heard a faint voice call “Come in.” 

Opening the door, you were greeted by a kind, elderly face. Her nametag simply read, ‘Cindy’. 

“Mrs Romanoff’s wife? Y/N? Is that correct?” She asked. 

“Yes, that’s right.,” You replied with a nod, but the rough sound of pained coughing came from round the corner just beyond your sight, and you hoped to God that Nat wasn’t the one making it, ”You called me about Nat?”  

Cindy seemed to pick up on the worried tone slipping into your voice as you spoke, “I did. She’s been adamant on working, but I’ve kept her here for the last hour or so,” The next sound you recognised, you winced at the sound of Nat’s desperate sneezes which echoed through the office, “Poor dear... She’s been like that the whole time; I hate to think that she’s been teaching in that condition. She’s just through here.” 

As Cindy rounded the corner and motioned for you to follow, you felt your shoulders drop upon recognising Nat. Her back was resting against the wall as she sat on a bed.  The light pink blouse that she had left in earlier that morning was sitting at the end of the bed, only now the blouse was noticeably damp in certain areas and she was now dressed in a loose-fitting black t-shirt with the school's emblem embellished on the front.  

“Natasha!” You gasped, quickly scurrying to her side as you reached up to cup her feverish cheek,  "Baby, you're completely burning up." You whispered as you looked over her flushed face and wet neck.  The warmth of her skin spread to your fingers as you reached up to place your palm against her forehead, prompting you to bite your lip nervously. 

“She hasn’t let me take her temperature yet,” Cindy sighed, shaking her head in disapproval, “I was hoping you’d convince her otherwise.” 

“Nat...” You frowned as you crossed your arms, you voice taking on a serious tone. You took a firm grip on Natasha's cheek, so she’d look you in the eye and her head tilts to the side in a gesture of mild defiance. The tip of your thumb traces her cheekbone. "Nat, you're so warm, we need to know what your temp is so we can help you feel better. Please?” 

“Fine.” Natasha’s voice comes out in a throaty rasp, it’s the first time you’ve heard her speak and you definitely didn’t like how she sounded at all. If she had sounded anything like how she currently did earlier that morning, you would’ve practically forced bed rest upon her... Speaking of though, why hadn’t Nat seemed ill this morning? 

Cindy nodded appreciatively towards you as she went to retrieve the thermometer from her desk. It was the old type of one and she instructed Natasha to place it beneath her tongue as you asked the burning question, “How long have you felt sick for ‘Tasha, tell me the truth.” 

Nat thought for a moment, in all honestly, it had all her hit at once. She had felt a little sluggish this morning sure, but it was nothing compared to how she felt now. When Nat went to voice this, she interrupted by the frantic itching of her nose. Despite trying to hold back the tickle, she only had seconds to quickly snatch the device out from her mouth before sneezing down into her cupped hands. 

“Hah’hishoo! Hhih-tschiew! Hh-Hi'TshhIEW” 

“Goodness, bless you honey.”  

You expected Nat to put the thermometer back in her mouth, but she kept her hands cupped over her mouth; her eyes slightly wider than earlier as she looked towards you then down to the tissue box over on the table beside the bed. You knew instantly what she wanted, and she sent you a pitiful look as you handed her a tissue. You waited until she’d finished to pick up the nearby trashcan and you held it up so that she could throw her soggy tissue away. 

“So, how long has it been?” You repeated once Nat had settled back down. 

She shrugged a little, “I was a little tired this morning before I left, but it mainly hit after I got in, it all seemed to come at once.” 

You looked over to Cindy to see if this was even possible and she was giving an understanding nod, “That’s how the flu tends to come on I’m afraid. It usually hits pretty hard and fast. Can you finish taking your temperature for me though poppet?” The nurse kindly urged, picking up the thermometer and holding it to her mouth. Nat saw no point in arguing. It’d only end with you getting annoyed with her so reluctantly she opened and held the device beneath her tongue. 

"38.9," Cindy comments after a moment, turning the thermometer upside down to observe the final reading, "Oh, bless. You should’ve stayed home today dear." 

The way her head slumps forward in her exhaustion is heart breaking. She looks utterly miserable as she weakly excuses, “It’s chaos here. I can’t just stop working because I have the sniffles. There's already so many students off sick so I’m having to set all the catch-up work and then th-Hh-theres the overdue –Hih- inspectio-HH-Heh’iishioo! H-Heh..Heh’kshuu!” 

“Poor thing bless you, but I’m sorry baby, I think this is more than just the sniffles.” You pouted sympathetically as you sat down beside her, and in response Nat let her tired head come to rest against you, “you’re working yourself way too hard.” 

“Sniffles? Deary me, I’ve seen so many cases of flu this week Mrs Romanoff, and you’ve got one of the worst I’ve seen by far. Like I said, the flu usually comes on pretty fast, it fits your symptoms.” Cindy sighed as Nat began to cough roughly, her lungs making an awful chesty sound and you could practically hear how the congestion in her chest shifted, “I see your flu shot did nothing to help though.” 

“About that... I haven’t got one yet” Nat admitted with a wet sniffle as she brought her hand to her temple, trying to get some relief from the throbbing in her head. 

"Nat." You whispered, disappointment and pity seeping into your words as you nudged her gently with your elbow. She shifts as she sniffles against your shoulder, staring up at you with a hint of blearily defiance. You tilt her chin up, and she's looking back at you with a mix of exhaustion and guilt. "We've been over this. I told you to go and get one weeks ago. It’s important.” 

Both you and Cindy sighed as Nat sneezed again, “Do you actually think I’ve had time to go out and get a flu-shot? She only paused to accept the tissues that you’d reached forward and grabbed for her, “I’ve just been so busy lately, I guess I forgot about it.” 

"You didn't forget. You just prioritized other things." Cindy spoke up, her friendly tone being replaced by a stern motherly edge as she chided your wife.  

It seemed Nat hadn’t heard that tone being used by her before, you noticed that her lip trembled a little at the voice and how her eyes drifted towards the floor at the sharp reminder that she could have protected herself against the virus. She shifts and rests her arms at her front, folding them as she mutters a quiet, “I'm sorry." 

The way your heart squeezed at seeing her pout was indescribable, and the sight of her slightly-teary gave you no choice other than to wrap your arms around her shoulders and pull her in for a tight hug, your fingers combing through the softness of her hair as you whispered, "It's okay, moya lyubov, It's okay."  

“You should make sure she gets lots of rest and fluids, keep her hydrated.” Cindy instructed as she came to give your shoulder a much-needed comforting squeeze, you weren't exactly doing the greatest job of hiding your worry, “She’ll be okay dear, Mrs Romanoff just needs to learn when to give in and let herself rest instead of running herself ragged.” 

“It won't happened again...” The redhead mumbled apologetically as you helped her stand with a supporting hand before giving in to your urge to pick up your feverish wife, supporting her carefully in your strong arms. 

“I’ve got you baby,” You whispered, kissing her forehead when she leant it against your shoulder, hiding her face in the crook of your neck, “Thank you so much for calling me, I really appreciate you looking after her.” You gave a genuine smile to the elderly nurse as she went to hold the door open for you. 

“It’s not a problem at all. It’s my job to take care of people, be they students or stubborn teachers.” Cindy smiled as you said your final thankyous and goodbyes. 

You said another goodbye to the kind lady in the reception as she buzzed the door to let you out but not before letting her know that Nat wouldn’t be in work for the next week or so. It was a good job you’d decided to park close to the door, it meant you were quickly able to get Nat out of the windy weather and into the warmth of your car. Setting her door in the passenger seat, you reached across to buckle in her seat belt, placing another gentle kiss to her forehead, your touch bringing a sense of comfort to the fevered woman. Natasha had to turn her head away from you as she sneezed down into the collar of the fabric of the cotton t-shirt and you regretted not thinking to bring any tissues with you. 

“Bless you my love. You’ll be okay, I promise. We’ll get you home in no time, okay?” Your tone was soft as you closed the passenger door and came round to the driver's side. Sitting down in your seat, you made sure Nat was comfortable before starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot. You both wanted to get home as soon as possible. 

“Thank you for coming to get me.” Nat mumbled tiredly as she let her head come to rest on the window, the coolness of the glass providing some comfort against the heat blazing through her. 

“Don’t worry about it my love, I’m sorry you’re so sick.” You replied as you speedily drove down the empty streets, “We’ll get you feeling better soon, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

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