24-Hour Cold - (24 Parts)

[W.I.N.]

Part VI

11:00-12:00

“Ngkshh!” Jack pinched his nostrils shut as tightly as he could, bending forward in his seat, his face turning red.

“Stop that. You’re killing millions of brain cells, and Lord knows you can’t afford to lose that many more,” Chloe muttered, clutching the armrests of her own seat. She hated flying. At least Jack had agreed to let her have the aisle seat so she wouldn’t have to cope with watching the world get smaller and smaller beneath them.

“I’m trying not to attract attention,” he growled at her.

“Fine. Whatever.” She rolled her eyes as the plane took off. “Are those decongestants working, at least?”

“Yeah. Tha— that’s the pro—problem... sniff!” his head tilted back, eyelids flickering. “Huh... gonna sn— sneeze ag... heeh!”

“Don’t stifle,” she admonished, but she didn’t have to: the sneezes were too fast and too powerful for him.

“Heh... HETCHOO! HEH-ISHOO! HAH-ITCHOO! Sniff... HITCHOO! HAH-ESH! HAH-ESH! ISH! ISHOO! ISHOO! Oh God... ISHOO!” His sneezes, already loud, seemed to fill the entire plane cabin, echoing off the thin metal siding.

“So much for not attracting attention,” Chloe found herself shrinking into her seat as people turned around to stare at them. She grabbd a tissue from one of the packets in her purse and handed it to him.

He took it gratefully and blew his nose, once again turning aside with a delicacy that seemed at odds with what she knew of him. He stuffed the used tissue into a rapidly-filling plastic bag, then reached for the packet and pulled out another one, sniffling wetly.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” she said shortly.

“Sniff... huh... huuh! HUH-ASHOO! ETCHOO! Sniff... heeeh... HESHOO!” He sneezed violently into the new tissue.

A woman sitting across the aisle from Chloe made a disgusted sound and directed a glare at them. Chloe glared back.

“What are you looking at?”

The woman sniffed disdainfully. “You shouldn’t go on airplanes when you’re sick. You could infect everyone on the plane! Besides, your boyfriend there is disturbing people.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Yeah, he’s totally doing it on purpose specifically to bother you. Mind your own damned business, and in another hour or so we’ll be at our destination. In the meantime, if you say anything else I’ll make it my pleasure to throw used tissues at you until you do get sick. It would serve you right for being a bitch.”

“Hmph.” The woman crossed her arms, glared at Chloe again for good measure, then made a big show of reading the plane’s safety pamphlet.

Jack’s chortle turned into a coughing fit. “It’s good to work with you again,” he said when he could speak again, too quietly for anyone to overhear. “I’ve missed that, maybe more than anything else.”

She allowed herself a smile. “Yeah. It’s been too long.”

[Aprilcot]

Nice one!!!

I LOVE this!!!

I love both characters and your writing is just amazing!!!

Can't wait for more torture!!!

[krazykat]

YAY! Chloe snark and sneezy, sexy Jack!

Now if you could only put a sneezing Jack into Kevlar then you would be feeding my other little quirk... men in bullet proof vests...

[Tarkus]

Jack...airplane...sneezing!

Love to the Jack/Chloe moment there at the end!

Luvin' your story as always!

[SneezyCreed]

Awesome job as always keep it up!!!

[The Rescue]

Niceee story! (:

[W.I.N.]

Wow, home after a long and tedious evening shift, and I have LOTS of lovely comments!

Aprilcot: Chloe is hands-down my favourite character. I'm glad you're still enjoying it!

krazykat: I enjoy the Chloe snark almost as much as torturing Jack. Sadly, I don't think my story leaves any wriggle room for kevlar (I've got it all planned out even though it's not all written yet). I'll just have to think of a new story for you in which I manage to put Jack in a bulletproof vest.

catmuffinz: Yay! I reduced someone to incoherency! I live for Jack/Chloe moments.

SneezyCreed: Thanks! And thanks for sticking around!

Kairi: Thank you. I'm very gratified to see that people are enjoying this.

Apparently I abuse emoticons when I'm overtired. Anyway, stay tuned for Part VII!

~W.I.N.

[W.I.N.]

Part VII

12:00-13:00

Jack fell asleep for the rest of the flight, his head leaning against the side of the plane. Chloe reached over, trying not to jostle him, and closed the shutter so that the light wouldn’t bother him, then spent the remainder of her time nervously sipping at as many diet Cokes as the hostess would bring her. It was a good thing the flight wasn’t going to last long —she hated using airplane toilets almost as much as she hated flying.

The “fasten seat belts” sign came on, accompanied by the standard beep, and the captain’s voice came over the intercom, telling them the weather and time in Chicago.

Jack coughed and stirred, staring blearily around as he tried to get his bearings. “Huh... HUESHOO! ISHOO!” he whipped his head around to sneeze into the crook of his elbow. “Sniff... huh... sniff... HESHOO! HAH-ESHOO!”

“We’re nearly there,” Chloe said, hoping she sounded reassuring. “Maybe you should take some more pills.”

He shook his head. “Not yet. Another couple of hours... ISHOO!” The sneeze triggered another coughing fit, and he leaned back in his seat when it was over, eyes closed. “The decongestants are still working, though. I can feel them.”

“We should stop, get you somewhere you can rest. I can get us a room.”

Another shake of the head. “No, not here. Not sa... safe,” his breathing began to hitch again. “We nee— need to take another f-flight, p-pick a... a different ci—city... huh...” his nose was twitching furiously as he tried to contain his sneeze, and he brought his hand up to pinch his nostrils. “We can stop in the next place.” With a look of relief he released his nose, bending forward with the sneezes he’d been holding back. “Huh... sniff! HUH-ETCHOO! HAH-ESHOO! ESHOO! ESHOO! Oh...” he groaned softly.

The plane touched down a few minutes later, and Chloe was out of her seat and heading down the aisle as fast as she could coax Jack to go. “If we’re taking another flight,” she hissed at him, “then I’m getting first class tickets this time. I hate flying and I hate being crammed in with all these people, and I hate being stared at! It makes me uncomfortable.”

He grinned unexpectedly. “Now there’s the Chloe I know.”

[wishiwassneezy]

So good! I love it when people yell at you when you are sick on a plane like you specifically planned to fly because you are sick

[Aprilcot]

Of course I'm still enjoying it!!

I love the characters but I agree... Chloe is the best, with Jack close behind!

I love this

Please keep posting!!

[The Sneezster]

I’ll make it my pleasure to throw used tissues at you until you do get sick.

Ooh! That would be my pleasure, too! Feel free to aim well at me!

[SneezyCreed]

Love those sneezes!!! Poor guy...

[Orionbob]

I'm enjoying this. Thank you for sharing it, I'm looking forward to the next chapter!

[Tarkus]

Poor Jack... not really. Mwa ha ha!

Your writing is excellent as usual and I can't wait for more Jack/Chloe moments. I hope Jack's cold doesn't get worse...

[W.I.N.]

Wow! Look at all the nice comments! I am a total comment whore, so you people are making my day.

wishiwassneezy: I know! People on planes are the most annoying thing ever. I don't know how so many flights manage to get to their destination without passengers going for each other's throats, sometimes.

Aprilcot: Thank you. I definitely intend to continue.

The Sneezster: Hee! I'm afraid you can't catch colds via virtual tissues, more's the pity, otherwise I'd be happy to oblige. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

SneezyCreed: Thanks! Poor Jack indeed, although that's not going to stop me...

Orionbob: Hello! I'm glad so many people are liking this, and it's my pleasure to share.

catmuffinz: There will be plenty of Jack/Chloe moments, never fear. Also, why don't I believe you when you say you hope Jack's cold doesn't get worse? For that matter, I think we all know that the chances of Jack's cold not getting worse are slim to none...

Part VIII is coming up!

~W.I.N.

[W.I.N.]

Part VIII

13:00-14:00

“There you go, sir, two first-class tickets to Miami. Your plane leaves in one hour and thirty minutes. Please take a moment to read the list of materials that are prohibited on your flight. Feel free to make use of our First Class lounge: it’s very comfortable, and it’s included in your package.”

“ESHOO!” Jack turned away to sneeze. “’Scuse me. HAH-ESH! Sniff... HISHOO!” He kept his face averted for a moment longer, making sure the sneezes were gone, at least temporarily. “Sorry. Thanks, I’ll be sure to read it.”

The girl behind the counter awarded him a brilliant smile filled with, even, Colgate-white teeth. She was pretty, in an insipid way, Chloe thought, watching from the sidelines. Not Jack’s type at all. Not that Jack had noticed her flirting: he was too busy sneezing. She eyed him carefully, not forgetting that, on top of the cold, he still had that nasty cut along his ribcage. She’d been unable to do much more than stick a new clean bandage over it before they switched flights, but so far he hadn’t bled through his new sweater at least. Once they were... wherever they were going, she was bound and determined to have a better look at it. The girl was still trying to dazzle Jack with her smile.

“That sounds like a terrible cold. You better take care of it, now.”

“HEH-ESH!” he buried his head in the crook of his elbow. “Right, thanks.”

At least there was the First Class lounge, Chloe consoled herself. Maybe they’d have alcohol. God only knew, she deserved a drink right now.

[krazykat]

Part VIII

“Please take a moment to read the list of materials that are prohibited on your flight.”

I'm surprised that Jack hasn't actually been added to that list of prohibited items given his history with planes in the series!

[Tarkus]

Jack's sneezes are as hot as ever!

You story is still all kinds of awesome!

I love how Chloe is sizing up women interested in Jack

[W.I.N.]

krazykat: LOL I think it might be a bit too meta if Jack found his own name on a list of items prohibited on a plane.

catmuffinz: Glad you're still around! The current segments are a bit short, but there are some longer ones coming soon.

Part IX in a moment!

~W.I.N.

[W.I.N.]

Part IX

14:00-15:00

“Jack, wake up,” Chloe shook his leg gently. “The plane’s going to start boarding soon.”

If her shaking him didn’t wake him, the subsequent sneezing fit certainly did. He had barely opened his eyes when his nose seized and he bent at the waist, sneezing uncontrollably. “HEH-ESH! ESHOO! HAH-ISH! HEH-ESHOO! UH! UH-HUH-HUH-HUSHOO! ESCHAH!”

“I feel uncomfortable with this,” she muttered as she propelled him forward by one elbow. “You’re sick, and getting sicker. We should have you in a safehouse or something.”

“It’s not safe here,” he repeated, his words starting to slur a bit.

To her dismay, she found that he wasn’t as steady on his feet as before, though whether it was his cold, his injury, or simple exhaustion was anyone’s guess. Something was going to give, sooner or later. They boarded the plane, and she took the aisle seat again, waiting until he was buckled into the much more spacious first-class seat. They were right at the front of the plane, which was both a source of anxiety and relief for her. She wiped her hands on her pants, her palms clammy. Jack was sniffling miserably beside her, rummaging through his satchel for tissues, and blew his nose as quietly as he could a few times, in a futile attempt to stave off more sneezes.

Moments later, after the obligatory safety spiel by the airline hostess —during which Chloe learned for the millionth time what to do in case the cabin depressurized— they were taxiing down the runway. She clutched at her armrests, mentally revisiting the statistics in her mind about how plane travel was really the safest form of travel ever invented by man, although it didn’t actually assuage her anxiety. The plane took off with a slight wobble due to turbulence, and she felt her stomach roil. A few seconds later, a low moan from Jack immediately took her mind off her own problems.

“Jack, what’s wrong?”

He didn’t reply, but his face was contorted with pain, and he raised both hands to press them against his ears. He leaned forward, breathing hard, and she could see sweat beading on his forehead.

“Jack! What is it? Tell me!”

One of the airline hostesses sitting nearby leaned forward from where she was buckled in her seat for takeoff. “It’s the change in altitude. Does your husband have a cold or a sinus problem?”

“He’s not my husband, and yeah, he’s got a bad cold.” Chloe didn’t even look around.

“Keep him calm. The minute I can, I’ll be right there. This happens a lot: his sinuses aren’t adjusting to the change in pressure.”

The plane levelled out about two minutes later, and the hostess sprang out of her seat. She disappeared into the small kitchen area, then reappeared a few moments later with two paper cups which appeared to have steam coming from them. She leaned over Chloe and spoke directly to Jack.

“Sir, I want you to hold these over your ears. The steam is going to help.”

She held out the cups, and Chloe reached to help her. As Jack compliantly held the cups against his ears she felt him relax as the pain receded. Chloe looked at the hostess curiously, and the young woman —who looked a little younger than Chloe— smiled and shrugged.

“It’s an old trick, but it works like a charm. Soak some handtowels in boiling water, stuff them in paper cups, hold them over the ears. It unblocks the ear canal and helps the ear adjust to the change in pressure.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.”

“Your, uh, friend should take some decongestants as soon as possible,” the young woman opted for the most neutral word she could find, having taken Chloe’s disavowal of Jack to heart. “At the very least half an hour before we land, otherwise he’ll go through this all again.”

“Uh, right.” It was weird, having her talk about Jack as though he wasn’t even there, but it didn’t look like he was paying much attention anyway. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

[Turtle]

Love this!!!

[Tarkus]

Wow, I just can't get over how great this story is!

P.S- It's nice watchin' Chloe look out for Jack, since it's usually the other way around

[Aprilcot]

Good to hear!!

This is brilliant!

Jack's soo annoyingly cute and I don't even know him!!!

Anyway.... Thank you again, and I'm waiting for the next update patiently.

Or maybe not so patiently....

[W.I.N.]

Turtle: Hi! I'm very glad to hear you like it.

catmuffinz: I figured that Jack spends so much time looking out for others, that turnabout was fair play.

Aprilcot: Jack is very annoyingly cute, I agree.

Stay tuned for Part X!

~W.I.N.

[W.I.N.]

Part X

15:00-16:00

“I... sniff... I’m go-going t-to... sniff... to s-sn... snee... huuh!” Jack’s head reared back, and he barely had time to bring a tissue up to his face. “HEH-ESHAH! HAH-ESH! ESHOO! Sniff! Huh... heh... heeh... heeeh!”

The tissue was soaked through, but it was obvious he wasn’t done. He groped for more tissues, his fingers fumbling at the clasp of his satchel. Rolling her eyes at his ineffectual attempts, Chloe pulled a handful of tissues from her own purse and held them out.

“Here.”

Jack was too caught up in the impending sneezes to notice. His chest was heaving, his eyelids fluttering, his reddened nostrils flaring impossibly wide.

“Oh, for God’s sake!”

Chloe reached up with the tissues and clamped them over his nose and mouth just as the first sneeze erupted from him. “HURESHOO!” He bucked forward into her hand, the force of his sneeze bending him almost double. “ESCHAH! ESHOO! HEH-ESHOO! HEH-ITCHOO!”

“Geez,” Chloe heard a man’s voice from somewhere behind her. “He’s been going at it like that for forty-five minutes already. Is he going to do this for the entire flight?” Chloe felt her face flush crimson. Great.

“Oh, hush,” a woman’s voice answered. “It’s not his fault he’s sick.”

Chloe tried to ignore the voices, focusing on Jack instead, who was —to her dismay— still sneezing into her hand. “HAH-ISH! ISHOO! ISH! HIH-ISH! ISCHAH!” The sneezes stopped only long enough for Jack to suck in a desperate breath before starting up again. “Oh God... ESCHAH! HISHOO! HIH-ISH! HEH-ESHOO! Huh... HASHOO! ESCHOO! ESH! ESH! ESH! Oh...” he groaned again when the fit passed, leaning back against his seat. “Thank you,” he muttered, eyes still closed, then sniffled wetly. “Sniff! Huh... Damn decongestants. M-making m-my nose tickle.” He rubbed at his nose with the knuckle of his index finger irritatedly.

“They’re the only thing standing between you and blinding pain from the pressure on your eardrums when we start to land,” Chloe said tartly, shoving the now-wet tissues into the plastic bag in front of them, and wondering idly if there was any antibacterial handwash on this flight. She scrubbed at her palm with another clean tissue which she then thrust into the bag along with the others. “So don’t complain about it.”

“I-I’m n-not... huh... huuh!” Jack’s head tilted back again, and she pressed more tissues into his hand, wondering for what seemed the thousandth time that day just how she’d gotten herself into this mess. “Huh... sniff! Huh-huh.... sniff! sniff! Huh... heeh...” She watched as he fought with the impending sneeze, breath hitching convulsively. His head stayed back, the corners of his mouth tugging downward, but nothing appeared to be happening. “Sniff! Huh... huh... huuh! Sniff! Sniff! Heeh!” he frowned, looking frustrated, index finger curled just beneath his nose, his lips parted in anticipation.

“Got a sneeze stuck?” she said, not entirely unsympathetically, and he nodded, breath still hitching. “Pinch your nose just above your nostrils. That usually does it for me.”

He shot her a disbelieving look, but was clearly desperate enough to try anything at this point. A moment later, though, she was vindicated when he snapped forward with a tremendous “HURESCHAAAAH!”

“Bless you,” came a voice Chloe didn’t know from a seat further back, and she cringed.

“Ladies and gentlement, this is your Captain speaking. We are beginning our descent to Chicago O’Hare. Please regain your seats, fasten your seatbelts and make sure your seats and trays are in the full upright and locked position. We’d like to thank you for flying with...”

“Oh, thank God,” Chloe muttered under her breath, tightening her seat belt. A quick glance at Jack, who was still sneezing convulsively, interspersed with racking coughs, confirmed that he wasn’t in danger of having his eardrums explode or anything. She gripped the armrests of her seat, and waited for the flight to finally be over.