Work Text:
Dose of Reality (Kamen Rider W)
By Haruka (haruka@ymail.com)
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Shotaro first discovered that Philippe was sick when he arrived back at headquarters to find him out cold on the ground. Philippe always lost consciousness when the two of them transformed into Kamen Rider W, but the de-transformation should have meant he'd wake up right away. Shotaro thought maybe the boy was playing around, but when he bent down to roll him over he saw the slick sheen of sweat on his face. Touching Philippe's forehead, he frowned.
Philippe awoke later to find himself in bed with a cool cloth on his head and a thermometer sticking out of his mouth. "Mmm …."
"Ssh," Shotaro quieted him as he appeared at the bedside. "You're sick, you idiot. You should have told me before I began the transformation. You were in no condition to fight." He reached over and pulled out the thermometer, frowning at the readout.
"We won, didn't we?" Philippe retorted, his voice distorted from his enflamed throat. He rubbed it and winced, then began to cough.
"You have a good fever going, and your throat sounds like you've gargled with gravel." Shotaro tucked the blankets in around him. "Stay quiet and rest; I'm going to get something that'll help you feel better."
He was only gone ten minutes, but when he got back, the bed was empty.
"Philippe?" he called out worriedly. He searched around with no luck. If he wasn't in their living area, he either had gone out or was downstairs. Quickly, Shotaro ran down the stairs to where he saw Philippe scribbling on the whiteboards. He relaxed for a moment in relief, then strode over to him. "I told you to stay in bed."
"I ran a search in the World Library on my symptoms and it seems that I have something commonly referred to as 'the flu.'" Philippe croaked through the pain in his throat as he wrote more characters on the board. "A pretty mild strain, but enough to make me uncomfortable for several days. It's highly contagious, however, so you should be careful --"
"Someone has to take care of you," Shotaro said firmly. "And speaking of which, you're going back to bed. Now." He took the boy's arm and began pulling him along back up the stairs, ignoring how Philippe frantically tried to write on the walls as the two of walked.
"Now then," Shotaro said, pushing Philippe back onto his bed, "sit there and don't move! I've got something for you." He moved over to the kitchen counter and uncapped a bottle, pouring some of the contents into a spoon. He brought it back to Philippe. "Take this -- you'll feel better."
The teenager obediently swallowed the liquid in the spoon, then grimaced. "YUCK! That was HORRIBLE! The worst thing I've ever tasted!"
"I know," Shotaro said, and held up the bottle. "They call it Buckley's, and it's made in Canada. I got it from a specialty store. It's famous for its revolting taste."
"This is because I write on the walls, isn't it?" Philippe grumbled flatly, still making a face.
"No, it's just an added bonus. And it really WILL help you." Shotaro pushed him down on his back and pulled the covers over him, but Philippe started to get up again.
"I have to research that stuff," he insisted. "I need to find out what gives it such a disgusting taste!"
Shotaro raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps a second dose would aid you in your research?"
Their eyes remained locked for a moment. "On second thought," Philippe said slowly, "my research can wait until I feel better." He pulled the covers back up to his nose like a barrier between his mouth and the bottle.
"That's what I thought you said," Shotaro said smugly, tucking him in.
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Theme: Friday free-for-all
Prompt: Kamen Rider W, Philippe/Shotaro, Philippe is sick.
(2009)
Kamen Rider W belongs to Toei.
This fic is not to be re-posted.