A/N: Chapter Three is ready. As usual I own nothing. The OC and all characters and anything recognizable belongs to FOX.

Chapter Three: Pharmacy Run

Seth's POV

The entirely strange thing about this evening's events is the fact that until my head physically hit the pillow, I hadn't realized how much pain I was actually in. Being sick as an abstract concept is pretty sweet. You don't really have to do anything, your parents are basically at your beck and call, and no school, but the actual concept has all of that with the added bonus of physical pain.

Whereas before, it had been a slight tickle in the back of my throat that a bit of water could take care of and make passable, post choking on ziti al forno, well...now I could barely take in air without feeling like I could cough out a lung, and the result of barely being able to breath is feeling a crushing weight on your chest. Seriously, it felt like Harbor's entire water polo team had decided to tackle me at once and sit on me. This has actually happened before...minus the sitting, but this was so much worse.

"Seth…" I sat up to see my mom entering the bedroom carrying the thermometer.

Great, my throat felt like someone was sticking me with knives and now my mom wanted to force me to hold the thermometer in my mouth. "I don't think using the thermometer is practical at the-" And she stuck it in. I've been played. "Muffer." I protested.

"No talking, hold still."

I rolled my eyes as the thermometer finally beeped and she pulled it out.

"101.6." Mom looked at the reading. "You, Seth Cohen, are officially sick." She looked at me, and I could see the concern. "How long exactly has your throat been hurting?"

"Well, that's relative. I mean the definition of hurt is different for everyone. Pain scales, 1-10, it was barely a 2 for a while but I guess..." And... I sounded like I was dying, no point denying it now. "Ow."

Mom didn't even crack a smile as she adjusted the pillows behind me. "Beating around the bush is not helping your case."

I nodded deciding against trying to speak. The daggers Mom was sending my way, it was self preservation. I held up three fingers.

"Three days? Seth Ezekiel…"

"In my defense…" And then the coughing began in earnest. That hurt even worse than talking. "Didn't feel this bad three days ago. Didn't even feel sick."

"Of course not." Mom covered me with another blanket. "I am going to call your father, and have him pick up something for that cough. Don't move from this bed."

I gave an okay sign and fell backwards on the pillows.

Sandy's POV

"Well you're certainly going to be in for a fun weekend." I turned to Ryan as we pulled up into the pharmacy's parking lot.

Ryan shrugged. "Change of pace. So how much are we getting exactly? Just medicine?"

I shook my head. "The art of caring for a Cohen, especially Seth, involves much more than just medicine."

"How much more?" Ryan frowned.

I clapped him on the shoulder as we prepared to exit the car. And then my phone rang. I held it up. "Just wait. The Kirsten is calling."

I didn't miss the barely visible smile that crossed Ryan's face even as I answered the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Sandy," Kirsten's voice comes through the line. "I just checked Seth's temperature. He's almost at 102, and his cough is really dry."

I nodded and then replied. "So, Delsym, cough drops and popsicles then? Soup too?"

" Nothing with chunks. He'll just choke again. And post its. Or a legal pad. If he doesn't have some way to talk, he's going to make himself worse."

"So the pharmacy, grocery and then the office supply store. Got it."

"Sandy…"

"Kirsten, it's going to be fine. Ryan and I can handle one shopping trip."

"I love you."

"Love you too Hon. See you soon." I closed the phone and turned to Ryan.

"Office supply store?"

"I told you it'd be a fun weekend."

Ryan's POV

As far as caregiving routines went, this was definitely different than anything I ever experienced. I don't think I've ever heard, pharmacy grocery and office supply store mentioned in the same sentence when referring to someone sick. Although, there's never been any sort of shopping trip either. Whenever Trey and I got sick, it usually just involved using whatever was in the house, and whatever we could steal when our mom or her boyfriends weren't looking. Half the time, there wouldn't even be any medicine.

"I found extra strength, do you think that's okay?" I showed Sandy the box.

"Perfect." Sandy said. I threw it in the cart. Sandy looked at me. "What's on your mind Kid?"

"Just worried about Seth I guess."

The truth was, this whole thing with Seth getting sick, well it reminded me of the first time I remember Trey getting sick.

I was seven when it happened. Trey wasn't getting out of bed, and he kept moaning. Mom was passed out in the other room, but I knew she wouldn't be for long, so I had to wake him before she got mad. I pulled on my other shoe, and walked over to the bed and began shaking it.

"Trey, Trey!"

"Wha…?" He sat up. "Ryan." His voice sounded funny, and then he winced letting out a sneeze.

"Bless you." I said. "I'm gonna tell Mom. Maybe Mom and Jake will take you to the doctor."

Trey reached out for my arm, pulling me close to the bed. "Ryan, you can't."

"But-"

"I'll handle it, alright Ry? J...just go to school. Don't say anything."

I had kept my mouth shut, because the way Trey had said it, well it had scared me enough. I knew what Mom's boyfriends did when we weren't sick, so I didn't want to know what Jake would've done if he knew, but of course they eventually found out.

"Trey, get your lazy ass outta bed! Skippin' school. The nerve." I walked in the door after school to see Mom pulling Trey by the arm. "D'you know how embarrassing this is?"

Trey winced only slightly as Mom shook him. He tried to be calm, I could see it as he caught my eye, but he was clearly in pain.

"Mom!" I ran into the room. "Stop it! Stop it! He's sick! That's why he missed school."

"Covering for this piece of shit. He ain't sick! You're liars the both of you." She let go of Trey and slapped me across the face. I couldn't stop the tears that fell.

That week I had stolen some cash from Mom's purse, rode my bike to the corner store and bought a travel pack of tissues and a package of lifesavers for Trey. It wasn't much but it was the best I could do. I got a few smacks. Trey got better after about a week. The fever broke itself I guess, but it could've been so much worse.

At least Seth had his parents that actually cared. I saw the Lifesavers at the cash register and grabbed a pack putting it in the cart.

"Ryan," Sandy said. "It's going to be fine."

"I know." I shook myself out of it keeping my voice light. "So where to next?"

A/N: So Seth is under Kirsten's watchful eye, and Sandy and Ryan have to go to more than just the pharmacy. Ryan attempted a small gesture of his own for Seth as he remembers a time where he had to take care of his brother. Next up: Just because Seth is sick doesn't mean that Ryan is off the hook as he comes up with an idea of his own to help cure Seth's boredom and enlists a friend to help, and Kirsten tags Sandy in.