Sicktember 2024
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“Seresin?”
Jake weakly lifted his head, squinting into the bright sunlight to try and make out the fuzzy figure moving towards him.
“Jake?”
“Oh—s’roo—-” he realized, sitting back shakily on the sand. “Hiya Roo—”
“Hiya, Jake,” Rooster frowned, crouching in front of the blond. “What’s going on, huh? Why are you on the ground?”
Series
- Part 1 of Sicktember 2024
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Nothing could have prepared him for waking up at 0100 with his chest feeling like it was on fire.
Pete didn’t understand—was he sick? He was starting to feel a bit nauseous but the biggest, most overwhelming sensation was just pain. His chest hurt and it was sharp and burning and seemed to take over all of his awareness. All he knew was fire as it built in his chest, burning the base of his throat it felt so potent. He could hear his breaths coming in shorter and shorter gasps but he couldn’t inhale any deeper.
Fear suddenly bubbled up inside of him as he clung to the bedspread.
Series
- Part 2 of Sicktember 2024
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This was awful—
He couldn’t swim because of his stuffy nose, he couldn’t run because of his burning lungs, he couldn’t seem to do anything without some horrible symptom making itself known. How was he supposed to get ready for next week’s exercises when he felt like this? How was he supposed to keep working?
Kazansky men are made of iron—they don’t bend to colds, Thomas—
Series
- Part 3 of Sicktember 2024
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The next thing Bradley realized was that he felt awful. If there wasn’t sunlight coming in through his window he would think he was too tired to have even slept. He was so tired—he didn’t think his muscles could even work.
His throat was burning, his head was spinning, and with his eyes closed he felt like he was falling.
He whimpered, trying to curl himself into a tighter ball. He wanted Mama—he wanted Mav—
Series
- Part 4 of Sicktember 2024
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Phoenix was as tough as they come---she was a pilot, a decorated Naval aviator. She didn't back down from any challenge! Even when said challenge turns out to be an unbearable stomachache.
No, she toughs it out---pushes through---
Until she can't.
Series
- Part 5 of Sicktember 2024
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“Ron? Ro—-what the hell happened? Are you okay?”
To be honest, Slider wasn’t sure. He distantly felt his pilot’s hands on his shoulders as Tom sat him up to lean against the bed.
“Ron? Talk to me, man, c’mon—”
“I—-” Ron shut his eyes against a sudden wave of dizziness. Maybe that’s what happened. “M dizzy, Tommy—”
Series
- Part 6 of Sicktember 2024
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Bob groaned as he rolled over in bed. He knew the pressure he’d felt descending yesterday had been too much to ignore.
“Noooooo,” he borderline whined, tucking himself further under his covers.
If he went back to medical with another earache he knew what the doctors would say. They’d been warning him about his candidacy for the procedure for over a year now. Can’t fly if you don’t have functioning ears. That was common knowledge, especially in the armed forces. He’d been trying to delay the inevitable for months now, doing every home remedy and allergy preventative he could think of. But here he was and if the throbbing that was building in the back of his head and ears was any indication, he’d be feeling like hell by the end of the day. And then his only option would be to go crawling back to medical and find himself grounded until he agreed to have his tubes repaired.
Series
- Part 7 of Sicktember 2024
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“What do we do?”
“I don’t—I don’t know,” the RIO bit out a bit harshly. “We—we have to try and warm him back up but slowly.”
“Here,” Ice join them, holding out dry clothes for them to dress Maverick in. “Let’s get him in these—”
“We’re not—he needs a doctor,” Wolf argued.
“Nearest one’s hours from here,” Slider shot back, pulling the sweatpants up Pete’s legs before kneeling to pull thick socks onto his too cold feet. “And it’s dark and raining and we’re in the middle of nowhere. Just as likely to drive off of the road—”
“So what do we do?”
Series
- Part 8 of Sicktember 2024
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Jake rolled over and did his best to smother his coughs into the pillow, trying not to wake up the man sleeping soundly next to him. Especially since he couldn’t remember the last time Bradley had slept soundly. Certainly hadn’t been anytime recently, not with the hell that was the mission hanging over their subconscious. Feeling his lungs burn as he tried valiantly to hold off another round of coughs, Jake shoved his face further into the pillow.
That clearly wasn’t working as well as he’d like, as Bradley grumbled and rolled in his sleep.
Nope, if he was going to keep coughing, he needed to leave Bradley to try and rest while he handled his congestion on his own. So Jake pushed himself off of the bed as quietly as he could, snagging a hoodie Bradley had tossed on a chair earlier that evening. It was colder than he expected, staying at his soon to be father in laws’ beach house.
Series
- Part 9 of Sicktember 2024
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“I don’t suppose telling you I’m fine would make a difference?”
“Not a chance,” Maverick quipped, taking his husband by the elbow and leading him to a nearby chair. “You are going to sit here and let me look after you for a change.”
Series
- Part 10 of Sicktember 2024
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“Stay with me, kid,” Slider said a bit sharply, watching the other man grow paler. “I need you to focus, right? We’ve gotta help Bradley.”
“Bradley—-” Maverick borderline whined, forcing himself to smile tightly and look back up at his godson’s face. At his terrified godson’s face. “It’s—it’s gonna be okay, sweetheart, okay?”
“H-h-h-urts,” Bradley sobbed, tears streaming down his face as he clung to Slider’s shirt with his uninjured hand.
“I know—I know it does,” Mav nodded, mind racing as he saw scarlet soaking through the tshirt.
Series
- Part 11 of Sicktember 2024
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“Maverick—-look at him over there. Didn’t you see him during Viper’s lecture? Kid could barely sit up straight and kept lookin’ like he was dozin’ off. Now look at him! He’s practically trippin’ over himself—how do you drink so much to still be drunk at 1300 the next day?”
“He’s what?” Rick turned to look in the direction his backseater was pointing, frowning when he spotted the smaller pilot stumble to lean up against a wall, burying his head in his hands. “Hey—Mav?”
“Hmm?” Maverick cleared his throat, frowning when he felt his chest tighten again.
“Mav, you with me?” Rick reiterated, moving to stand in front of the kid.
Series
- Part 12 of Sicktember 2024
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Ron fell to his knees next to Nick, reaching out to feel the kid’s forehead.
“He—-I think he’s just asleep,” the mustached man tried to reassure. “Found him slumped over here. Got a fever and looks like hell—“
And he did. The teen was already on the skinny side normally, but he looked like he’d damn near lost 15lbs since they’d last seen him, and his face was almost sunken in. He was grey beneath his flushed cheeks too.
“C’mon, Tommy—wake up, kid—c’mon—“ Ron reached out to shake the kid none too gently, rubbing his knuckles against his sternum when that didn’t produce a reaction.
Series
- Part 13 of Sicktember 2024
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It made it easy to take the flyboys at their word, believing wholeheartedly that someone would be waiting for him when the carrier finally docked on wet and dreary Wednesday evening. But as Maverick glanced at his watch and noted he’d been there for almost two hours, he was starting to feel that familiar pit of shame and sadness well up in him as he realized that this, too, may have been just a ploy. Some sick game that they played on the grieving Mitchell—
“No,” he muttered angrily, refusing to believe that.
Things happened—maybe they’d had car trouble or forgot about his return date or something? Maybe they got called in for last minute ops? There had to be a reason other than his new friends all simultaneously deciding to abandon him.
Series
- Part 14 of Sicktember 2024
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“And he needs cinnamon because—-?”
“Because he’s sick.”
The blond climbed into the bronco with a frown. “Since when is cinnamon sick people food?”
“It’s an excellent source of antioxidants and has antibacterial properties.”
“What?”
Series
- Part 15 of Sicktember 2024
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“Where the hell did he go?” Slider grumbled, looking over the heads of some of the other bar patrons.
“You lost your pilot already, Ronny?” Nick teased good naturedly as he sauntered up to the table, beer in hand. “We’ve only been here an hour—”
“I did not lose him—he’s over playing darts with Leo,” Slider retorted, ears reddening slightly. “I lost Maverick—”
“What?” Nick’s voice was suddenly deadly serious, all traces of humor gone as he started scanning the bar for his pilot.
Or... The Flyboys learn what happens when you lose sight of Maverick in a bar
Series
- Part 16 of Sicktember 2024
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“Penny, darling? Why the hell do you have a sad blond kid slumped over on your deck?”
“What’re you shouting about, Nick? I don’t—oh sweet Jesus, Jake?”
Hands were suddenly on him– smooth, cool hands that framed his face and tipped it upwards towards something that was too bright, too much all at once.
He let out a muffled whimper.
“Jake—Jacob I need you to open your eyes for me, okay? Look at me, sweetheart—”
Series
- Part 17 of Sicktember 2024
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This is a short and mostly sweet reconciliation fic where everything isn't automatically forgiven/forgotten post Uranium Mission.
Nevertheless, Iceman will always be Bradley's Pops!
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“Are you listening to me, Bradshaw?”
Rooster flinched reflexively as he noted the ice cold bite to the admiral’s voice. He was intimately familiar with that particular tone.
Pops—Iceman– was disappointed in him. In his lack of attention, probably, but it felt more like it was just in him.
And why wouldn’t he be?
Fifteen years.
Series
- Part 18 of Sicktember 2024