Picture Prompt Fic Meme

[Likesn]

"Hea Hea Haaayi Ishoo!" sneezed Phoebe. It was now the beginning of the third day of her cold, and she felt awful. Her whole body ached, especially her throat, she felt like she was freezing, even though she was in bed, covered in blankets and wearing warm clothes, and her nose felt swollen with all the mucus inside it.

"Ei Shoo!" Oh, and it tickled too, her nose. This cold had her sneezing more than any other cold she could remember, and that was quite an achievement, since Phoebe caught colds pretty often. She gave her nose a wet blow, and leaned back into her pillows with a tired sigh.

Later that day, Phoebe had a pleasant surprise- her friend Laura came to visit.

"I heard you're sick, so I brought you some soup. I picked it up from your favorite place" said Laura.

"Oh thadk you so buch, Laura! You're a real lifesaver Ai Ishoo!" sneezed Phoebe.

"God bless you" said Laura. "Looks like you really have quite a cold".

"Ugh, this cold is a dightbare" said Phoebe. "I've beed fightig it for the past three days, but it really kdocked be out".

"Here- eat your soup, you'll feel better" said Laura.

 

Two days later, Phoebe was finally starting to feel better. She still had a runny nose, and was sneezing quite a lot, but at least she wasn't aching anymore. Sitting up in bed, Phoebe grabbed her phone and called Laura.

"Ha Ha Ha Tshoo!" sneezed Laura. She was sitting by the table in her kitchen, next to a box of tissues, which she was going through fast.

It was not really surprising that she caught Phoebe's cold, but her symptoms were slightly different- she didn't suffer from an aching body, but her nose was pretty much blocked solid, and the congestion in her sinuses got her developing a headache. The second day of Laura's cold brought a massive increase in the frequency of her sneezes. She usually wasn't super- sneezy when she had a cold, but now the tickle in her stuffy nose just wouldn't give her a rest.

"He.... Ha...." the tickle returned to Laura's nose. Just then- her phone rang.

"He... Hello?" said Laura, fighting the impending sneeze.

"Hey Laura. How are you feelig?" asked Phoebe, the congestion still audible in her voice.

"He Ha He Tshoo! Owwww!" Laura groaned. "Oh hi Phoebe. I feel terrible" she said before giving her nose a gurgling blow.

"Poor thig. I'b sorry you caught by Iiii Ishoo! cold" said Phoebe.

"By dose feels like it's od fire. I dod't rebebber ever havig to sdeeze so... Ha.... badly He He Tshoo!" sneezed Laura.

"Bless you" said Phobe. "Hadg id there- I'b fidally startig to beat this cold, add I'b sure you will as well".

"I cad't wait for that to happed. I'b gettig really tired frob just dot beig able to stop sdee....... Ha Ha Tshoo! sdeezig" said Laura.

***

@normandy I see your two pictures, and raise it with three:

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-woman-catch-cold-167292893.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=21CE0D60-1782-497E-BA0D-959D4FDBAEF0&p=383975&n=607&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D3%26qt%3Dsneezing%20woman%20sick%26qt_raw%3Dsneezing%20woman%20sick%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D0%26resultview%3DsortbyRelevant%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-girl-with-cold-blowing-nose-27501600.html

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-high-angle-view-of-a-mid-adult-woman-sitting-on-the-bed-and-sneezing-16166105.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=8A60C21C-D3B7-4CF0-B4DE-46F09A37789E&p=51501&n=1078&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D3%26qt%3Dsneezing%20woman%20sick%26qt_raw%3Dsneezing%20woman%20sick%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D0%26resultview%3DsortbyRelevant%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D

[normandy]

Oh man, what have I started? xD

-------------------------------------------

Rachel collapsed onto her bed, feeling drained. She dropped her coat on the floor but elected to keep her scarf on for the comfort. She moved the box of tissues from its normal place on the nightstand, and placed it next to her on the bed. Feeling a sneeze coming on, she fished out a tissue and held it to her face with her eyes fluttering and mouth agape.

"Ha ASHOOOO!"

Sick with a miserable cold, she was forced to leave the comforts of home earlier as she needed to make a deposit at the bank. Of course, the line for a teller was moving extremely slow that day, so Rachel spent her time trying her hardest not to spray anyone with a sneeze. But with how itchy her nose was in day two of a head cold, she had her work cut out for her. Rachel winced thinking of the unfortunate situation she found herself in after a particularly potent sneeze earlier that morning.

Rachel was holding firm in line, the row of tellers finally in sight, when a rush of cold air from an open door set her nose off.

"Hih....hih..."

Rachel scrambled through her cluttered purse, looking for the go-pack of tissues she had stashed for this exact situation. But her nose had other plans.

"HiTCHOOO!"

With one hand on her purse strap and the other searching for tissues, she had no way to cover the sneeze. So, she sneezed straight ahead....right onto the blonde-haired woman standing directly in front of her. If looks could kill, the glare Rachel received then would have vaporized her right then and there.

The next day...

"ETCHIEWWW! TCHIEW! Huh...ehTCHIEEW!"

After holding a tissue close to her face to catch the stuck sneezes, Rose let off a triple into the waiting cloth. She was beyond annoyed. After her local bank branch was closed yesterday, she had to drive a half hour only to wait in a massive line...and get sneezed on from behind. The woman behind her looked so guilty, but Rose was not looking forward to a fresh head cold. She had a lot of work to get done this week, and didn't need a pounding head and stuffy nose holding her back. And now, her nose is fixed on sneezing every two seconds. Great.

"Huh...huh...HURESHOOO"

Rose caught the sneeze in another tissue, and blew her nose once she was sure there weren't more to follow. At this rate, she'd empty the box on her lap in no time. Rose weighed her options. She could lay around all day and fall behind on work, or truck through the sniffles and head into the office.

Rose threw her coat on, grabbed the box of tissues and hopped into her car.

Two hours later....

"HuhESHOOO!"

Stacy heard yet another sneeze echo from a few cubicles over. For as long as she's been typing up her latest report, she was treated to a chorus of eshoo's. After finishing the last line of her document, she got up to find the source of the constant sneezes.

"Eh-ESHOOOO!"

Rose from the accounting department sneezed into a tissue, and let off a loud nose blow to boot. There was a box of tissues next to her computer, and the trash can below her desk was filled to the brim with previously used tissues. She obviously had a major cold.

Stacy knocked on a side of the cubicle to signal her presence. Rose shot up, looking startled when she saw Stacy standing behind her.

"Stacy! Sorry I didn't hear you cobig, I'mb a little stduffed up," Rose said through some serious congestion.

Stacy raised an eyebrow.

"A little?"

"Very funny. Hard enough workig width dis code," Rose whined behind a tissue.

"How about I get us some hot chocolate?"

"Danks Stace! Sounds wonderful."

Rose, surprisingly, managed not to sneeze while Stacy went to get the cocoa from the break room. But as she returned and handed her a steaming mug, Rose felt a familiar tickle in her nose.

"Eh...ehh..."

Stacy looked puzzled by the odd pre-sneeze expression on her face. Rose thought back to the girl at the bank, and learned a serious lesson about empathy.

"EhCHOOOO!"

While gripping the mug, Rose uncorked a sneeze right onto Stacy. Immediately, Rose was mortified.

"Stacy I'mb so sorry! I had no timbe to get a tissue..."

Stacy shrugged.

"You couldn't help it. Besides, I can't remember the last time I caught a cold."

Two days later...

"HahCHOOO! AhCHOOO! Ah...haCHOOO!"

Stacy sneezed a powerful triple into her now-battered tissue. She fell back in bed, pulling her tissue box closer.

That's what she gets for being nice.

Prompt (now bringing it back to one): https://www.alamy.com/picture-of-a-sick-young-lady-sitting-on-the-couch-and-blowing-her-runny-nose-image222786325.html

[ZakuConvoy]

“HEG’GEI’SHOOO”

Miranda considered her sneeze for a moment.  Full bodied.  Strong.  Forceful.  Unlike her.  Her body was aching, she could not get warm to save her life.  She couldn’t even get up the gumption to go to the kitchen to get herself some more juice. 

“Blei’EH’SHOOO!  Eh’SHOO!  EH’shoo!”

And the sneezing.  The nonstop sneezing.  She must have used by most of her tissue box by now.  She REALLY dreaded going outside to get another one.

“Sei…sei…sei’jei’KECHIEEEWW!”

There was something philosophical about this, Miranda thought.  The cold is strong when I am weak.  It makes me want to stop, but forces me to keep going.  I am so, so very tired…but can’t get to sleep because of it. 

“Heh’SQUIK! HEH’CHEEEE!”

Perhaps she was on to something.  Maybe a key part of the human experience could somehow be tied up in all this misery.  Life was misery after all, according to the philosophers.  Maybe instead of dividing a person into an Ego, Superego, and Id, there could be some other way to classify certain aspects of people instead.

“SHOOO!  SHOOO!  SHOOO! SHOOO!”

Perhaps you could simply divide people’s selves into the “healthy” and the “sick” aspects of themselves.  After all, is a cold not a reflection of who we are inside?  A different part of ourselves, which only manifests itself at certain times. 

“CHW!  Heh-heh-heh-HEH’CHIEW!”

If we consider a cold a reflection of ourselves, it all makes sense.  It gets stronger as we get weaker.   We are the fuel it uses to grow, to spread, to thrive.  And yet, humans, as the source of it’s life, are also the cause of a cold’s death.  Only to be reborn anew in someone else.  We get colds because we are out amongst people, yet the cold drives us into isolation.  While we are solid matter, the cold is liquid…ish….with little bits.  So are we…sorta…

“Ja’KSHIEEEW!”

And consider the nose.  Now red, raw, irritated, and blocked.  Deprived of it’s natural function to smell.  Is it not the center of the face?  The sun around which the mouth, the eyes, the ears rotate in their natural coil?  Okay, so, they don’t rotate, but, uh…

“Q’ick’CHIEEEW!  Q’ick’SHOOOO!”

Anyway, the nose.   It’s red.  Symbolizing…a primal, self.   A cold strips away our outer mask, that which we show the world, and shows us something else.  Something rawer, more real.  Something…something…

“Nei’Shei’CHOOO!  Shoo!  Shoo!  SHOO! *sniff*  Ugh, I really need to ged Nedflix…”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

…No, I don’t know why I did it this way either.

Anyway, my picture:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/thmb/WG5oFQc3ABRaDrPS7MPIiXMw9f4=/3865x2576/filters:no_upscale()/businesswoman-with-headset-blowing-nose-at-computer-in-work-670893141-5a4cfee713f1290037f0d4ad.jpg

[Likesn]

"Custober service. This is Liz speakig. How bay I help you"?

Man was she congested. Unfortunately, Liz needed the money, so she had to go to work, even with a bad head cold.

"Ummmm.... yes, hello. I'm having problems with my internet connection" said the man on the other side of the line.

"Just like everyone else" Liz thought. "What kidd of problebs?" she asked.

"What? Oh, what kind of problems? Well, it keeps getting disconnected" the man replied.

"Have you tried Ha Eshoo! turdig it off add od agaid?" asked Liz.

"Have I tried.... yes, of course I've tried turning it off and on again. Several times" the man said, sounding a little irritated.

"How lodg have you beed havig this problebs?" Liz was pretty sure she knew the answer, but she had to ask anyway.

"Since yesterday" the man said. Just as Liz thought.

"Thad it's probably due to the raidstorb. Have you checked your electricity cabid to see if ady water got idside"?

"I'm sorry- could you repeat that? I didn't understand what you said".

"Well- how could he?" Liz thought. She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose for a couple of moments.

"Hello? Are you still there?" the man asked, though Liz was sure that he must've heard her blowing her nose.

"Yes. Sorry. I asked if you checked your electricity cabid for water idside it" said Liz. She was still congested, but sounded a little more understandable after blowing her nose.

"I'm not going out there in the middle of a rainstorm" said the man.

""Lucky you" thought Liz. Had she not been drenched by the rain while waiting for the bus to get to work, she probably wouldn't have had this cold.

"O.K., thed if you could give be your address, I'll sedd a techdiciad there as sood as possible" said Liz.

The man gave her his address, and Liz wrote it down, and promised to send a technician there once she finds an available one, for they were all busy handling similar malfunctions all over the city. It was always the same with these rainstorms.

"He He E Shoo!" Liz sprayed her microphone after she had finished talking to the man. Great. On top of everything, she now had to clean up her microphone from the sneeze- spray. This was going to be a very long day.

***

https://www.123rf.com/photo_110546118_young-woman-sneezing-into-tissue-at-home.html?term=sneezing%2Bwoman%2Bsick&vti=nur8pp0z4es6vde03j-2-19

[normandy]

"Huhshooo!"

Kelsey rubbed at her itchy nose and collapsed onto her couch. After two meetings and working her way through a massive stack of files, her workday was finally over. Her cold, however, had went from a slight tickle in her throat to pure misery. Her nose ran and set off sneezes by the minute, and her throat was sore beyond belief. She had changed from her business attire to her  more comfy flannel and t-shirt combo, and brought back a box of tissues for her poor nose.

"Hureshoo! Eshooo! Heh...HeSHOO!"

A triple tumbled out of Kelsey into the forgiving cloth. She was sure glad she sprang for the lotion-infused tissues.

As she tossed the used tissue into the trash, her phone rang.

"Kelsey? It's Craig. Did you manage to send out that memo for next week?"

The memo on the new printers! In her cold-induced haze, she totally forgot to let the office know about corporate's shipment of the highly-touted touchscreen machines. They'd probably jam just as much as the current clunkers, but who cares?

"Craig, I'mb so sorry! I haven't been feelig so hot today, and I guess it just slipbed by muh..mbind...HaCHUH!" Kelsey sneezed into another waiting tissue.

"Yeesh, no kidding. Don't sweat it, I'll draft one now. And don't worry about coming in tomorrow, I could take over for you."

Relief washed over Kelsey like a wave. Finally, some time to nurse this awful head cold.

"Thadks Craig, I appreciate that suh...so mbuch...huh..."

"Not again Kels-"

"Choooo! Chooo! Hah.....CHOOO!"

Another triple snuck up on Kelsey, so she sneezed into her now-wet elbow. Groaning in displeasure, she pulled the blanket hanging over the back of the couch onto her lap.

"Believe me Kelsey, nobody wants to end up with that cold. Feel better!"

Kelsey heard a click on the other end. She snatched a few tissues from the coffee table and blew her nose heartily.

https://depositphotos.com/58753177/stock-photo-sick-woman-sneezing-in-tissue.html

 

 

 

[Wig_Powder]

“Ah…ahh…”

 

The sneeze disappeared for the third time that hour, and April sat back, frustrated. Apparently it was going to be one of those colds, one where her nose would keep itching but only occasionally sneeze. Well, fortunately, she had a solution for that. It wasn’t the best solution, but it would do for the time being.

 

April was a person who liked to be prepared for as many situations as possible, and since she had a tendency to catch cold in winter, she always made sure to have the necessary items on hand before the weather turned chilly. There were always a dozen tissue boxes in her closet, tea and cough drops in the kitchen, and extra warm blankets placed on the couch and the edge of her bed. She even had specific clothes she’d wear for her various symptoms. If she had a fever, she’d bring out her plush flannel bathrobe. For a sore throat, she had a soft red scarf. There was a period where she hadn’t thought there was any clothing she needed to help deal with sneezing, but several “stuck sneeze” colds and a chance discovery while shopping one day had led to her finding one.

 

April dragged herself up from the couch and moved to her closet, where she took down a fuzzy, faux-fur hat with earflaps. Jamming it as far down onto her head as she could, she returned to the couch, threw the blanket back over her legs, picked up the discarded tissue and tissue box, and waited.

 

Sure enough, thirty seconds later the itch in her nose spiked again, but this time, it followed through. “Ah…ahhh…Ah-tchh! Hetchh! Eshh!”

 

April sighed and wiped her nose, dropping the used tissue into the garbage can she’d placed beside the couch and grabbing another one. While she did appreciate the hat’s fur being tickly enough to coax out stuck sneezes, keeping it on meant that she’d sneeze more than usual. But she’d take more sneezing over endless itching and waiting, so she’d just make do. Even if it did mean she’d probably go through a quarter of her tissue boxes.

***

I've got a three-fer this time. There's no actual sneezing or implied sneezing in the pictures, but I think you can guess where my mind goes when I see them...

 

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-seductive-woman-posing-sitting-on-113347591?src=oLLKFjR6Zrlgt_MHchxzyg-12-95, https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-seductive-woman-posing-sitting-on-113347765?src=oLLKFjR6Zrlgt_MHchxzyg-9-18, and https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-woman-dressed-sexy-maid-skimpy-113347819?src=oLLKFjR6Zrlgt_MHchxzyg-2-10.

 

[normandy]

Eve looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. An application and interview process for a domestic cleaning company...only to have to wear this ridiculous cliché outfit? No matter. A paycheck is a paycheck. She started up her car and headed to her first client's house.

Her first task was simple: cleaning out the downstairs study. She whipped out her company-issued feather duster, and went to work on the bookshelf. Suddenly, a plume of dust sprang up from the shelf with the first strokes of her duster. Eve mistakenly inhaled the stuff, and her eyes began to water and her nose began to tickle.

"Ahh...ahhh..."

The last thing she needed was a sneeze attack on her first job. She continued to dust, one hand on the duster and the backside of her other palm placed under her twitching nose. Her nose felt like it was on fire! She knew she'd have to let off some sneezes soon, but she didn't want her client to think she was gross enough to sneeze all over their furniture.

"How's it going down there?" Her client hollered from above the staircase.

Eve turned to face the stairs, still with a hand under her itchy nose.

"Just fuh...fine, th-thanks."

Eve turned to face the shelf. She was nearly done! With some more strokes of her duster along with a lot of sneeze buildup from more dust, she finished dusting the shelf.

Ah...ahhh...here it guh...goes..."

Placing her duster down, Eve snatched a tissue from the nearby desk and sneezed away.

"Ahchooo! Hasheeew! Atiiiisch! Ha-tch! Hah.... HA CHOOO!"

Realizing mid-fit that she didn't want her client to hear her sneeze, Eve tried to stifle her sneezes, which only held off a larger, final sneeze.

Light-headed, Eve collapsed into a chair. She might need another career change.

 

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/working-when-sick-picture-id182033836

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/young-woman-having-a-flu-picture-id185104493

 

[ZakuConvoy]

“H’chiew!  Hu’chiew!  Hu’CHIEW!”

Nikki gave a thunderous blow into her tissue, crumpled it up, and added it to the growing pile on her desk.  This cold had her beaten.  It won.  If the cold really wanted her head so bad, it could have it.  She didn’t care anymore.  She didn’t even have the energy to lob her tissues into her already overflowing wastebasket anymore.  Let the janitor sort it out.

All she needed to do was wrap up her report and hit send.  That’s it and she’d be free to wallow in her own misery with Netflix.  But first, she needed to wallow in her misery HERE a little bit longer.  She took out another tissue from her box, and just held it against her nose.  She would need it sooner or later.

“Led’s see here.  ‘So, in conglusion, in quarder four, I regommend invesding heabily in Zeridrofd, Inc., due do ingreasded ma….mi…mi…MI’KIW! Ugh.  Marget influence and posidioning.’”

Nikki blew her leaking snout, again.  The tissue joined its friends on the table.  A new tissue took its place.  She didn’t usually talk to herself out loud, but it helped her to focus through this cold, and, besides, she was exhausted.  She could be forgiven a few eccentricities in her own office.  Anyway, good enough.  She could always send a follow up report later, when she was feeling better.

“II’KOOO!”

That wasn’t her sneeze.  Nikki turned to her door to find Tabitha standing in her doorway cleaning up after that little explosion. She looked a mess.  Her hair was frazzled, she had bags under her eyes, and her nose was beet red.  She still had clearly used tissues sticking out of her pockets.  Nikki hoped she didn’t look that bad in a couple days time. 

“Hey, boss.” Nikki replied weakly, fearing the worst.  “Whad’s up?”

“I wags jusd magging su…S’IIK’OOO!   Sure you were fidishing up dat repord. *sniff*”  She seemed to emphasize this point by trying to blow her nose.  Judging by the wet sound that followed, she had succeeded, if only for the moment.  Judging from the tattered state of her current tissue, supplies were running low.  A good sign to get out of the office for the day.

“Jusd going to send id now.”  She opened up her e-mail and noticed an unread e-mail at the very top.  Must be Natalie, she thought.  She didn’t even think about checking the subject line, tired as she was. She clicked it open as she organized a few loose files on her desk.

“HECHIEW!”  

That one had snuck up on her so fast she only had time to turn her head away from Tabitha…and right towards her laptop.  Nikki could see little beads of her saliva make rainbow drops all across her screen.  Gross.  But at least this was her personal laptop and no one else even touched it.  She even got to bring it home at night for security.  She used it for practically everything at home.  E-mail, Netflix, surfing, you name it.  It had even let her finally cut the cord at home, since she didn’t really even need a TV just for herself.  The little laptop had saved her a lot of money over the years.  Feeling bad for her old friend, she used a tissue to try and scrub some of the moisture off the screen, before she wiped her own nose.

Suddenly, there was a weird screeching noise coming from her laptop. 

“II’HITCH’YOOOO!” …A dark part of Nikki had to admire Tabitha’s timing.

The screen distorted, turning blue, then green, and, finally, black. 

Nikki turned to Tabitha again, who was busy wiping her raw nose. “Sorry *sniff*…eberyding ogay?”

Nikki was in shock.  She tried pressing the start button.  Nothing.

“Ndo.”

She tried pressing the escape key, the delete key, F3, then a bunch of random keys.  Nothing.

“Ndo, ndo, ndo, ndo, ndo…”

She had been so close and now it was gone, all gone.  Not just her report.  Her pictures.  Her e-books.  Her…everything!

“My…my labtob died…”

“Seriously? *sniff*”  Tabitha came around her desk to take a look for herself.  “Oh, dat’s *sniff* bad lucgk.  Well, *sniff* nodthing dat cadn’d waid undil morning, andyway.”

Nikki was still too stunned to say anything of note.  Gone.  All gone.

“Bring id indo the IT guys donighd.  *sniff*  They…THI’ISSHOO!  They’ll hab id worgking by morning.”

Nikki nodded absentmindedly.  It was all she could do now.  IT was her only hope.

“Heh…*sniff*  id’s kinda fuddy...loogs like it caughd your cold.”

Nikki tried not to give her boss a death stare as she went back to her own office, she really did.  She honestly couldn’t say how successful she was, though.  She could only look down on her poor, dead friend and remember…

“HI’CSHIEEEW!”

Remember not to keep sneezing on her laptop, sneaky sneezes or no.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nikki was too worried about her laptop to really relax at home.  Even after changing into her cute little sweats that somehow managed to be fashionable AND cozy.  Even after making herself a warm cup of her favorite tea.  Even after taking off her socks so she could feel the carpeting between her toes.  She REALLY hoped those IT guys were as good as they said.

The worst part was that she didn’t have anything to do! 

“He….he…he…he’chiew!  HE’chiew!  he’CHI! he'KI!”

Except, listen to herself sneeze, anyway.  She really shouldn’t have put all her stuff on one machine.  She had cloud backups, sure, but that was only good if you had a COMPUTER!

She blew her nose for what must have been the five-hundredth time today and added it to the pile.  Why did she never keep wastebaskets closer?  Why did she fail at the simplest things?  Why was she so bad at life?  She laid down on the floor, disgusted with herself.  She was where she belonged.  With her mess she couldn’t be bothered to pick up, the tea cup she couldn’t be bothered to wash right now, and the herself that she couldn’t be bothered to take care of.

“heeeh…eeeh…HE’CHEEEW!”

…To be fair she should have brought the blanket she couldn’t be bothered to wash to keep her company on the slightly cool floor, but she couldn’t be bothered to get up right now.  Even to avoid her own germy droplets from hitting her right in the face as they fell back to the floor.

Then she realized how…quiet it was. 

She could hear the zooming of cars going pass her house.  The hum of her refrigerator in her kitchen.  Even the slight tapping of the leak in her bathroom.  She started to listen to the sounds. 

They started to merge together into a kind of symphony, harmonizing with each other in her mind. 

The silence was kind of…peaceful, actually. 

Nikki tried to think back, but really couldn’t remember a time when she just relaxed instead of constantly doing something, even if it was just watching TV.  She was constantly checking her e-mail, or watching something, or getting started on the next day’s work.  The silence was oddly novel.  Stranger Things, it wasn’t, but, it calmed her a little after a hard day’s work. 

Maybe being cut off from technology for one night wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

But, then the telltale tickle of a sneeze began to build in her nose.  No rest for the reflective.  She desperately clawed for her tissues, but couldn’t quite reach them in the position she was in.  And she refused to get up.

“Geeeh…”

She twisted around, trying to bend herself towards her tissue box.

“Hiiieh…”

Almost there, just a little…and she managed to knock over her teacup with her feet in her contortions, instead.  The teacup rolled into her tissue mountain, managing to scatter her mess across her living room.

“Oh, cobe oooo….eeeeiiiihhh….HEEEIH’CHHHHIEEEW!”

And, all she had to show for her trouble was a teacup rolling around on the floor, a pile of tissues strewn about, and more of her self-made rain on her face.  Maybe, it was a better idea to just go to bed early.  Peaceful self-reflection was overrated, anyway.

Somehow, she managed to pick herself up.  Through herculean effort, she grabbed her tissue box and teacup from off the floor.  In a show of true grit, she even managed to bring the teacup to the kitchen to be placed into the sink.  The tissue pile and uncleaned cup could stay that way, though, she was only human.  Enough was enough for one day.  Hopefully, tomorrow would be better.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My picture (well…video, but close enough, hopefully):

https://media.gettyimages.com/videos/five-women-crying-while-watching-movie-brooklyn-new-york-city-usa-video-id86185480

[normandy]

Janet dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. That movie was an absolute tearjerker, and she was sure glad she snuck a tissue box into the theater. The drama, the romance...it was almost too much to bear at some points.

And that's precisely why she brought a few friends to weather the emotional storm with her. She looked over to her left, where Gwen was blowing her nose copiously.

"Stacy, thanks for inviting me," Gwen started as she finished wiping her nose. "But I'm so emotionally drained. I don't know if I'm capable of doing anything the rest of the day."

In the row behind them, Casey dabbed at her nose. She reached for another tissue, but found the box to be empty.

"Hey, what gives? Janet, I thought you brought a full box."

"I did," Janet replied. "I guess someone was pretty stealthy while they hogged the tissues."

Ashley's eyes widened. The jig was up! She'd secretly been dealing with a nasty cold, and had been using the tissues to blow her swollen and congested nose. Her condition was about to become more obvious, as she felt a sneeze coming on.

"Ah...ah..."

Ashley's eyes fluttered shut. She couldn't hold it any longer.

"AhTSCHHHH! HahTSCHOOO! Hah..hahCHOO!"

Ashley's sneezes were so loud that her friends all jumped. Janet chuckled.

"Well, well, the tissue thief has been caught."

Prompt: https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1014143375-woman-sneezes-takes-handkerchief-headache-smile-feel

[Likesn]

Being an actress, especially a young one, taking her first steps in this world, is hard. Hilary had to go through a lot of trouble, taking on any job she was offered and hoping to be discovered by some big- shot in the industry. In the meantime, she had to do a lot of things she hoped she would never have to do again, once she's a well known actress. One of those things was appearing in kids' shows. It wasn't the kids that bothered Hilary, she got along very well with kids, it was the fact that a studio full of kids was essentially a germ factory. With kids on set, there was always some virus going around, making it's way rapidly through them and moving on straight to the adults. There was one time Hilary caught a bad flu after shooting an episode for a kids' show, and was bedridden for two full weeks, a lifetime for someone in her position. After her latest appearance in a kids' show, Hilary was "fortunate" enough to end up with "just" a head cold, but it was starting to take it's toll on her nose.

Another thing Hilary hoped she wouldn't have to do for much longer was commercials. She never really liked the roles she had to play in commercials, but she couldn't miss the opportunity to be spotted, and the money wasn't too bad either. Thus, when she got a call and was offered to be auditioned for a furniture commercial, Hilary put on a considerable layer of makeup, in order to conceal the redness that was increasing in her nose, and went to the studio where the shooting for the commercial took place.

Hilary waited in line with other actresses waiting to be auditioned for the commercial. Whenever she had to sneeze or sniffle, the other actresses gave her dirty looks. Hilary couldn't blame them- she knew neither of them could afford getting sick, and she probably would've done the same in their place.

When she was finally called, she introduced herself to the director and the cameraman, managing to hide the congestion in her voice, and sat down on the sofa, where she was about to be filmed describing the "comfortable house" around her.

"Aaaaand- action!" called the director.

Hilary was about to start saying her text, but just then she had to sneeze- "Hhh Ha Uptshoo"!

"Cut!" called the director.

"Oh by gosh! I'b so sorry" Hilary apologized, still covering her face with the hand she sneezed into.

"Here" said the the cameraman, handing her a box of tissues.

"Thadk you so buch" said Hilary and smiled. She then took a tissue from the box and gave her nose a wet blow.

The audition then went on without any further setbacks. Hilary managed to say her text without sounding congested, which she considered to be a big success. When the audition was over, the director thanked her and told her he would be making his mind in a couple of days and that his secretary would let her know if she got the job. On her way back home, Hilary thought that maybe she should try to audition for a cold medicine commercial, but then she thought about all the actresses waiting in line next to her that day, and wondered how many of them she had infected, thus making them potential competition for a role in a cold medicine commercial.

***

I'm probably gonna be using this in my own drabble thread, but I'm very curious to see what other people can make of it here:

https://stock.adobe.com/video/young-students-in-scarfs-sneezing-in-tissue-suffering-flu-winter-epidemic/243363713

Edited January 26, 2019 by Likesn

[Wig_Powder]

This one's a bit longer than I normally write, but there were interesting elements in the video that I wanted to try to expand on.

~~~

The sorority house of Kappa Chi Psi was a pretty tight knit group. When the Thanksgiving holiday rolled around, those who weren’t able to visit their parents or whose parents weren’t visiting them always banded together and had their own Thanksgiving dinner, everyone pitching in to make the traditional meal and to celebrate their own little college family. Unfortunately, this particular year there were only two students who didn’t have plans…and neither of them were in any condition to even think about making dinner.

“Where do you think we caught this from?” Shirley asked, as she adjusted the scarf around her neck. It was a thick, warm scarf, one of a dozen that KCP kept on hand. In addition to helping you feel better, they were also used as signifiers that one of the sisters was sick, and therefore to be avoided if you had a big test or paper coming up. Melanie was wearing one too, though she’d wrapped hers slightly differently.

“No idea,” Melanie answered, pulling out a fresh tissue, “But I’m pretty sure we caught it at the same time.”

“How do you figure thaaaa…” Shirley began, only to be stopped by an all too familiar tickle in her nose. Lifting a tissue to her face, she waited for the sneeze, which at least didn’t spend much time torturing her. “Ah-ah-Apshh!”

“Bless you,” Melanie said, then picked up her previous train of thought, “Because we seem to be getting the same symptoms at the same time.”

“Maybe my cold’s making me slower than usual, but I’m not following you.”

“You said you started feeling cold on Saturday, right?” When Shirley nodded, Melanie continued “So did I. I heard you coughing from your room at pretty much the exact same times I would be coughing. And for the past two days, we’ve been sneezing pretty much in synch.”

“No way,” Shirley said, laughing a little, “We may have the same cold, may even have managed to catch it from the same person, but I refuse to believe it’s identical down to the timing of our sneezes.”

“Just keep an eye and an ear out,” Melanie said, before she grimaced, “In fact, I’d suggest doing it right now…”

As Shirley watched, Melanie’s face contorted in preparation for a sneeze, her body tensing slightly. Just as she heard the small “Ih” that preceded Melanie’s actual sneeze, Shirley’s own nose tickled sharply, and she stifled her sneeze at the same time that Melanie just let hers out.

“Chmmph!”

“…kitchh!”

Shirley opened her eyes after the sneeze, a bit taken aback. “Ok, I’ll admit that was weird, but one sneeze does not a pattern make.”

“It’s been happening all day,” Melanie said, “You just haven’t noticed because your sneezes tend to drown out mine.”

Shirley felt her nose tickle again. “Well, let’s see if you’re ri…ih…ihh…”

Despite the urge to close her eyes, Shirley watched Melanie’s face, and sure enough, Melanie’s own nose was twitching, her mouth hanging open in the classic “about to sneeze” face. When she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, Shirley succumbed to the sneeze.

“It-pshhhk!”

Shirley immediately raised her head and saw Melanie unclenching her jaw, a sign she had stifled the sneeze. “Well then…” Shirley said, sniffling, “That’s an interesting development.”

“You’re telling me,” Melanie said, before looking Shirley over, “I wonder if my nose is as red as yours, too.”

Shirley took one look at Melanie’s glowing nose and said “Probably.” before she felt yet another tickle. As she reared back for the sneeze, she saw Melanie bring her tissue to her face.

“Hikshh!”

“Ah-TCHH!”

The two of them sniffed simultaneously, then made eye contact again and chuckled. “Well, they do say misery loves company.” Shirley said.

“So they do,” Melanie said, “And on the bright side, this weird tandem illness thing hopefully means we’ll start feeling better at the same time, so we can enjoy what’s left of our vacation together.”

“Works for me,” Shirley said, “But the question is, what are we going to do about today?”

“Well, when we finally decide we’re hungry enough, we’re either going to see what’s available in the kitchen—I think Anne said there’s some canned chicken soup in the pantry—or we’ll go on the internet and see if there’s any restaurant that’s a) open on Thanksgiving, and b) delivers. Then we’ll probably either watch a movie, or sit and sneeze some more.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Shirley said with a smile. Melanie smiled back before her eyes fluttered closed, and Shirley felt another tickle.

“Hep-CHHH!”

“Ishheww!”

“Bless you.” Melanie finished it right before Shirley did, and they smiled at each other again. It definitely wasn’t the ideal Thanksgiving, but they’d make it work. And while they weren’t related by blood, they definitely currently had a lot of things in common.

 ***

My picture: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-woman-sneezing-49196729.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=BC671C12-1F3D-4C30-A4E1-9E4159466E65&p=163968&n=179&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3Dwoman%20sneeze%20allergy%20indoor%26qt_raw%3Dwoman%20sneeze%20allergy%20indoor%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D0%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26pl%3D0%26plno%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26contributorqt%3D%26plgalleryno%3D%26plpublic%3D0%26viewaspublic%3D0%26isplcurate%3D0%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D

[normandy]

Melissa sat down on her bed, computer in tow. As a freelance writer, she had deadlines on her next two articles, both of which were fast approaching. For moral support, she kept mementos nearby: flowers that her boyfriend had dropped off for her on his way to work that morning. She could procrastinate no longer--she took a whiff of the petals and began to type.

Just then, she felt a sharp tickle dash through her nose. Melissa took a finger to her nostrils, rubbing furiously in an attempt to alleviate the itchiness. It didn't help.

"Ih...Ihshoooo!"

The sneeze crept up on Melissa, so much so that she had no way to cover it. Melissa began to rub her nose even more furiously, and could almost feel her nose begin to redden. She didn't remember ever having serious pollen allergies, but these flowers must have been seriously potent.

Just then, her breath began to hitch.

"Hih..hIH!"

She paused. With her mouth agape and eyes halfway shut, Melissa internally pleaded with her nose to release her now-stuck sneezes.

"HihhhSchngxt! Shooo! Ih...ItchIEW!"

After trying to stifle the first of her sneezes, the other two were too forceful to hold back. Keeping the back of her hand pressed against her nose, she scanned the room in search of a tissue box. No luck. She made a mental note to buy in bulk next time she was out.

"HuhUhSHOOO! HuhCHIIEEEW!"

Two more sneezes tumbled out of her. Feeling almost lightheaded now, Melissa felt the back of her hand begin to dampen. She stood up, and searched for a towel she could blow her nose into. However, as she stood up, she felt another sneeze building up in her nose.

"Oh cuh-cub on...Ah...HaHTCHOOO!"

Sneezing into her cupped hands, Melissa lurched forward with the force of her sneeze.

She knew she wouldn't be finishing her articles anytime soon.

**********

Prompt images:

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-ill-flu-office-1307774251?src=C5B2AwWS0swQdPVmZNnlyw-1-9

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-ill-flu-home-1307777968?src=C5B2AwWS0swQdPVmZNnlyw-1-45

 

[Healer]

Sharon just wanted to go home. She *was* home, just a few hours ago, and at some point between then and now, she'd somehow been convinced that dragging herself across town and sitting herself at her desk, was actually a good idea.

Fuck, here it comes. "Ah...H'DISHIEW!" she sneezed violently into the tissue she had barely managed to pull up to her nose, and was now incredibly reluctant to pull away. Just a few more hours, she told herself, just a few more... "Ihh... ih-SHIIIIEEW!"

She groaned and blew her nose, and silently contemplated throwing her steaming cup of coffee into the face of her boss, who insisted she come in, despite feeling fresh garbage. She shuffled, as she finished, tossing the tissue into the pile that was fortifying her desk from any coworkers that would otherwise pester her for various tasks.

She sighed and made an effort to get some work done, despite the foggy head, the stuffy yet somehow simultaneously runny nose, and the consistent tickle in the b...back... hah...of... W-wait, hah-hang on...

Her eyes began to stream, obscuring her vision, as she grasped desperately for her tissues, only to let herself down.

"Ih-Hah-DIIISHIIIIEW!" she sneezed, covering the screen of her PC. She groaned and, aided by the return of her sight, she grabbed a tissue and began wiping the screen down. The night shift team shared this desk and, as much as she felt it was a lost cause, she'd feel terrible if she didn't at least try to contain the biohazard that she had become.

She gave a sigh and watched as the clock ticked down, a burning itch already resurfacing at the back of her nose.

------
Hours later, Sharon was sat on the sofa in her living room, a throne of tissues slowly building around her. A full day of work completed, and her boss agreed to give Sharon the next day off, once Sharon accidentally sneezed on her lunch.

Now she could sit back, relax, and finally begin to feel better.

"Ah...Hah'KISHIIEEEW!"

She felt no better.

-------

Hope this is okay

and

[Likesn]

*sniff sniff*

"Ugh! I wish I didn't have to come to work today" thought Sonia. She was at a critical stage of her internship at a major law firm, and even though she came down with a nasty head cold she coudln't afford not going to work, she just couldn't.

She also didn't want the people around her to know that she's sick, fearing that it will hurt her chances to get a job at the firm at the end of her internship. Thus, instead of giving her nose the relief it was so desperately longing for, she didn't blow it, and chose to keep sniffling as quietly as she could instead.

"Hey Sonia, have you seen the depositions of the Miller case? Mr. Carson sent me to get them for him, but I just can't find them" said Kim, a fellow intern, who stopped by Sonia's desk. Kim's voice wasn't unusually loud, but when Sonia heard her talking she felt like her head was about to explode, a clear sign that her congestion was giving her a headache.

"Hea Upchoo!" while Sonia's head did not explode, her nose did, with a massive sneeze. She somehow managed to act fast enough to catch her sneeze in a tissue, but Kim still backed away from her with a disgusted look on her face, putting her hand in front of her like a barrier.

"Ew!!!!! Don't tell me you're sick" she told Sonia, who used the tissue she held to her face to give her nose a much needed wet gurgling blow.

"I'b dot sick" said Sonia.

"Yeah right. You're gonna have to learn how to lie much better than that if you want to be a lawyer" said Kim.

"Adyway- I thidk I've seed the depositiods of the Biller case od Rod's desk. You should get theb frob hib before he bridgs theb to Br. Carsod hibself, add takes all the credit, like he usually does" said Sonia.

"Thanks Sonia, I will. You better not get me sick though, or I will kill you" said Kim.

________________________

"I'b goig to kill Sodia" Kim mumbled to herself two days later.

Standing in the middle of the cold meds aisle in the pharmacy, Kim was having one of the worst headaches in her life. She couldn't breath through her nose, no matter how many times she had blown it. The only thing her blowing did was peel of the heavy layer of makeup she had used in order to try and hide her illness

"He Esh Shoo!" kim let out a wet sneeze.

She used what seemed to be the millionth tissue for that day, and gave her nose a wet, tired sounding blow.

Once Kim finished blowing her nose, she kept looking for something to help with her congestion, and made a mental note to look for something to help with her terrible headache as well. She needed something that would work well, and more importantly- fast.

There was no way she would take a sick day tomorrow. She absolutely couldn't miss work.

___________________________

Two pictures from me as well:

https://stock.adobe.com/images/high-angle-view-of-diseased-adult-businesswoman-sneezing-at-workplace/228090728

And

https://stock.adobe.com/images/junge-frau-liegt-erkaltet-im-bett/57307097

[PantheraPardus]

"Heh-Chssh, Ih-Chssh, Heh-Chssshh!"

Mary groaned and rubbed her aching sinuses, putting down the nasal spray she had just bought on her lunch break. 'This has to be the flu,' she mused, shivering slightly. 'After all, I was perfectly fine this morning, and I was only a little congested before lunch. Nothing else could have set in so quickly. If it is the flu, I'd better go home now. Missing a few days of work is preferable to infecting clients.' Sighing, she slowly stood up, careful of her suddenly aching back. 'Yes,' she thought, 'this is definitely the flu.'

_____________

By the time Mary arrived at home, she only had the energy to change into some soft, warm clothes and collapse on the sofa.

"Huh-Chisshh!"

And sneeze. Like clockwork, every time she was about to fall asleep, she sneezed.

"Hih-Chissh!"

That one knocked her throw pillows onto the floor. As Mary leaned over to pick them up, she fell off the sofa too. 'I don't want to stand. But I can't sleep on the floor, but why can't I?' Deciding to puzzle this conundrum when her head wasn't spinning like a top, Mary pulled down her blanket and settled in, relaxing until she was right on the edge of sleep. Then,

"Huh- Chisshh! Ugh."

Even a change in elevation can't change sneezing.

_____________

In chronological order,

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-businesswoman-sneezing-on-subway-train-50424808.html

and

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-businesspeople-sneezing-on-subway-train-50424927.html

with

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/big-sneeze-high-res-stock-photography/HM3420-001

as the main subject, if possible.

 

[Wig_Powder]

In theory, the idea had been a good one; a group tour to visit the new office location. It was a combination of team-building exercise and tourism, and would allow for a bit of a break after a long day of meetings. No reason a business trip had to be all work and no play, after all.

What no one had counted on was that the office building, still under construction, happened to be close to a large patch of ragweed. Nor had anyone expected the day to be as windy as it had been. The group had only been there for five minutes, but that had been more than enough time for a large gust of wind to blow the ragweed pollen straight towards them, covering all of them with a fine yellow powder. They’d all brushed themselves off and beat a hasty retreat, but the damage had been done.

Ms. Lan was the first to succumb, though she managed to hold out until they were on the train back to their hotel. Pulling a tissue from her jacket pocket, she bent forward with a “Hut-chsxt!”, barely keeping herself from stumbling forward by wrapping her other hand around the nearby pole. After that, it was like the floodgates had opened. Everyone else dug in their pockets for tissues, and the compartment soon rang with the sound of sneezing.

“Heeehhh…heh-HEH-PSHEW!”

“Huh-huh-huh-Ushoo!”

“Ih-chihh!”

“Eh…eh-psshhmf!”

“Esheew!”

Everyone was so wrapped up in their sneezing that they were barely aware of anything else going on around them. What little they were aware of was an attempt to keep from knocking into each other (or falling to the ground) and disbelief that they were all in the same boat. Well, almost all of them; Mr. Fiore, the head of their department, was the only one not sneezing. But that was only because he had his fingers pressed very hard underneath his nose and was taking shallow breaths through his mouth.

When the group arrived at their stop, everyone hurried out of the train and ran for the hotel, hoping to get out of their pollen-tinged clothes and into the showers in their various rooms. Mr. Fiore followed suit, though he moved at a slightly slower pace, hand still pressed to his nose. It was only once he was safe inside his room that he withdrew a thick white handkerchief from his pocket and held it to his face.

“Ah…ARCHHOOOOOO!!!”

He sniffed, already feeling another one building, but at least he’d have a minute or two to start removing his clothes before it came on. Hopefully he could get the worst out of his system before he entered the bathroom; he didn’t want to be responsible for any cracked glass.

Fiore had gotten down to his shirt when the next sneeze came, and he grabbed for his handkerchief again. “Ah…ARISHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” He could tell there was still more on the way, and knew he would have to wait a good twenty minutes before he could even consider heading for the shower. With a sigh, he removed the rest of the suit, changed into a bathrobe (letting out another huge sneeze—“Eh…ERTCHHHHHHHHH!!!”—in the process), then sat at his computer. Since he had some time to kill, he might as well draft an apology e-mail to his colleagues for what had happened. And while he was at it, he’d contact the construction company and ask them to make sure that ragweed patch was thoroughly bulldozed. Hopefully they’d wear the right protective gear while they did so.

***
My picture: https://stock.adobe.com/images/allergische-frau-im-bett/30541161?asset_id=30541151

[normandy]

Hih...HihSchuh!

The itch ran right through Janet's nostrils, resulting in her first sneeze of the morning. She rubbed her now-reddening nose with the soft sleeve of her pajamas. Janet was hoping she wasn't coming down with something, but the headache and sore throat she was feeling late last night had obviously morphed into a full-blown head cold. Her head was still pounding, but Janet's sniffly nose now demanded the bulk of her attention.

Hah...Ascheew! Shoo!

The second sneeze took Janet by surprise, causing her to spray her germs into the air in front of her. That's why she hated getting colds--her itchy nose was always unrelenting, and she hated sneezing so much. Grimacing at how stuffy her nose had gotten, Janet plucked a few tissues from the box on her nightstand and blew her nose loudly, then lobbed the soggy mass farther down along the bed.

"Erica would have hated that," Janet thought, referring to her germaphobe superior at the office. "I better call in sick for the day."

Phone in hand, Janet dialed Erica.

"Hey Janet! Still coming in today? Hope you're not coming down with something too--I just had to send two techs home for the day," said Erica.

"Hate to break it to you Erica, but I think I caught what they have. It came over me last night. I think it's just a bad co...cold..."

With her runny nose flaring, Janet waved her other hand in front of her face, trying to coax the sneeze out. Realizing that emphasizing her sneezes would better her odds of having the day off, Janet made sure to sneeze loudly enough to throw off her boss.

"Hi-hisheeew! Hitchieew! Hah hah-CHUUU!"

Janet exaggerated the third sneeze, making her cold somehow seem even worse than it was.

"Shoot, Jan, you sound terrible. Don't think about coming in until next week. Last thing we need is more people sick."

With that, Erica hung up. Janet was giddy--more Netflix time for her. But as if on cue, another itch tore through her nose. Janet snatched another tissue from the box, and held it over her open mouth, preparing for another round of sneezes.

"Heh...eh..."

Eyes fluttering and nose running, Janet remembered just how much she hated colds.

"Ehhh...hehKItSCHEEW! HehhkSHEEW! Heh...SHEEW!"

Janet unleashed another sneezing fit into the tissue, even tearing a hole through it. Janet moved her blonde hair back out of her face, and grimaced again at the mess in her hands. She reluctantly got up from her bed, tissue box in hand, to clean herself up and make a cup of tea.

 

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-young-woman-got-sick-blowing-her-runny-nose-in-a-paper-tissue-staying-173199236.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=B1FEE3CD-2461-4F81-8D82-4A143EA041D9&p=81180&n=215&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3Dwoman%20sneezing%26qt_raw%3Dwoman%20sneezing%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D0%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26pl%3D0%26plno%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26contributorqt%3D%26plgalleryno%3D%26plpublic%3D0%26viewaspublic%3D0%26isplcurate%3D0%26imageurl%3D%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D

 

 

[Wig_Powder]

Enora settled herself down on the couch with a sigh, arranging the blanket around her to cover as much of her body as possible. As much as she disliked it whenever she got a cold, she would be the first to admit there were benefits to it. Her personal favorite was having a guilt-free excuse to stay home, wrap herself in a blanket, and read trashy novels that may have been predictable and of middling quality writing-wise, but hit the cheesy tropes she loved. And they were generally easy to read and follow, which was good when her head was fogged by illness.

Picking up her latest book (a fantasy novel that promised enchanted fetch quests and various supernatural allies), Enora shifted position a bit more until she was at maximum comfort and began to read. She soon lost herself in the story, oblivious to the outside world. For a few minutes, she even forgot about her cold.

Well, until her nose itched sharply. Rubbing at it a few times did no good, so Enora reluctantly put down the book and grabbed a tissue from the box she’d set nearby in preparation. “Hutchoo! Huh-chihh! Huhhh…huh-choo!”

Although the sneezes were relatively soft, they still dampened the tissue enough to make it useless. Crumpling it up, Enora put it on the arm of the couch and pulled out another tissue to blow her nose, only to be surprised by a final, slightly louder sneeze. “Uh-CHUH!”

Once she was absolutely sure more weren’t on the way, Enora blew her nose, then set the tissue (which probably could handle another sneeze or two) on her lap for easy access, then picked up her book again. Hopefully her nose would behave itself long enough for her to see how Princess Bermet solved the puzzle of the serpent statues.

 My picture: https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-woman-having-flu-and-blowing-her-nose-at-royalty-free-image/508054048

[Guest]

Why, oh why, had she had those final two vodka martinis on that Friday night !!

As the new incumbent at Harrison & Mortimer she had been keen to go out with her new colleagues at the end of her first month as a trainee solicitor but she should definitely not have agreed to join in when Tony had suggested the "dare games". And if she had not had those two extra martinis she would also have probably beaten George in the "how many cream crackers you could digest in a minute game" - she had played it before at University, but all she had managed was one and then collapse in giggles. So she had to do Tony's dare …. which he had  written and put into the famous "H&M hat before the games had started. As she pulled it out she knew it would be ridiculous ..'BALANCE A TOIL,ET ROLL ON YOUR HEAD FOR ONE HOUR WHILST SITTING STILL IN THE OFFICE' 

It had been subsequently agreed that she could do it one evening after work - after Mr Harrison and Mr Mortimer had gone home .. and she had chosen two weeks on Friday to be the designated day and at least seven of the party she had been with before had promised to come along. 

The trouble was that on the Thursday before her throat had begun to feel sore and by that evening she had begun to sneezplaced on it e... On the Friday morning she had turned up at work with a box of tissues and two large white handkerchiefs in her briefcase. The sneezes "Hiitchhhewww..hhh-uhhhuchuummpphhh.." had exploded into the handkerchiefs all morning and the accompanying blows and honks into the tissues had continued all day .. several people had suggested she went home but she knew she had to stay an complete the dare..

And so at six thirty in the evening, now feeling the full effect of her streaming, rotten code ib de dose, she stripped down to her T-shirt and sat on the table, her hair had been pulled up into a peak on the top of her head  with a toilet roll placed on it... It had started so well but about five minutes in she had sneezed … miraculously the toilet roll had stayed on top but her nose had run and so she had decided on the simplest solution … to pull down the contents of the roll and blow, blow, blow.

Photos were taken but she didn't care … at seven thirty she had completed the dare ..her nose was red raw after the toilet paper onslaught and Tony was waiting there with a big soft handkerchief for her ….. and the way he hugged and congratulated her gave her a warm feeling that she could enjoy her time at Harrison & Mortimer 

My picture https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/R9gF8ml0Z76ZPeJolMnDivN6JDY=/600x338/smart/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2FNetwork%2FImages%2Fhandkerchief-sneeze-16067.jpg

 

[Wig_Powder]

I threw in this photo as inspiration for this response as well, since they're clearly related.

~~~

Libena generally considered herself pretty modern, but there were a few areas where she remained stubbornly old-fashioned. One of them had to do with what to sneeze in; tissues might be more convenient, but even the ones with lotion were eventually too rough for her nose. Handkerchiefs, on the other hand, took much longer to chafe the skin, especially if she washed them with fabric softener. Plus, they could handle more sneezes and generated less waste. With that in mind, she always kept at least one handkerchief in her purse (she added extras during the height of allergy and cold season), and always put one in her pocket, ideally one that matched her outfit.

While she did choose handkerchiefs that were meant to be used instead of a decorative item, Libena liked ones that had more going for them than just a plain white square. The one she always kept in her purse had her initials embroidered on them in red, and all her other ones had some other decorative flourish. Some had flowers or other designs at the edges, some had interesting designs around the border, and some were different colors and patterns. While some her options were somewhat limited because she wanted her handkerchiefs to be machine washable, she’d still managed to amass two dozen of them, so she didn’t feel she was lacking in variety.

One day, Libena was at her parents’ house, helping them go through some stuff in the attic (there was a neighborhood garage sale coming up), when her mother came across an old tablecloth, one with a classic red and white checked pattern. The reason it had been relegated to the attic was obvious, since it had such a large tear in it that one corner was almost literally hanging by a thread. Her mother lightly tore it off and passed it to Libena. “Here,” she said with a laugh, “Maybe you could turn it into another handkerchief!” Libena laughed too and stuck the cloth into her pocket, mostly to humor her mom.

A little later, Libena found a suitcase and went to open it to make sure there was nothing inside it. Instead of a zipper, it opened via two metal clasps, which had gotten a little stuck due to the passage of time. After a bit of exertion, Libena managed to move them, surprised but satisfied when the case immediately sprung open. The satisfaction didn’t last long, though, as her nose started itching and she noticed too late the cloud of dust she’d dislodged. While she wasn’t allergic, being so close to the cloud set her off, and she backed away until she was pressed against the nearest wall, not wanting to inhale any more. But she’d breathed in enough to trigger a sneeze, and she automatically grabbed at her pockets, seizing the first cloth she found and bringing it to her nose. “Ah…hahh…hatchh!”

She sniffed and began to rub her nose with the cloth, opening her eyes at the same time. To her surprise, instead of seeing white with a polka dot border, the cloth in front of her eyes was red. Realizing it was the remnant from the tablecloth, she cocked her head and experimentally rubbed her nose with it. She hadn’t paid too much attention when she’d stuffed the cloth into her pocket, assuming that it would be somewhat rough on the nose since it wasn’t designed for that purpose (indeed, given that pattern’s association with picnics, she’d assumed it would be stiff and plasticky). But it actually felt pretty nice against her nose. Sure, it wasn’t wholly soft, but it wasn’t any worse than when her nose brushed against the embroidered designs on some of her other handkerchiefs. Maybe her mom had been onto something after all.

Then her nose itched again. Libena wasn’t sure if it was still from the suitcase or if it was from bits of dust clinging to the “handkerchief” (the tablecloth had been in a box, but it had probably still collected some dust), but she didn’t have much time to think about it before she sneezed again. “Hat-chssshhh!!”

She nodded vaguely when she heard her parents bless her, then experimentally blew her nose. The cloth had a little less give than she was used to, but it still helped her clear her sinuses without too much discomfort. In fact, perhaps the slight firmness would help it absorb a little more spray.

But that was an experiment for another time. For now, it was best to avoid sneezing into something that could make the situation worse. With that in mind, she tucked it into her other pocket, pulled a bit of her other handkerchief out for easy access, then went to go examine the contents of the suitcase.

 ***

My picture: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/businesswoman-allergy-sneezing-into-tissue-420262330

[normandy]

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Kim lamented as she opened another drawer of her office basement's filing cabinets. She hated having to do record reviews, but since her name came up on the rotation, it was up to her to sift through these old papers, and the thick layer of dust that comes with them. And it made itself apparent pretty quickly--once Kim opened this particular drawer, a plume of dust sprinkled the air around her.

A seemingly innocuous inhale from Kim sent this dust straight to her nostrils. She pressed a finger directly under her quivering nostrils, hoping to hold back her sneezes.

"Heh...eh...HiSCHIEW! Hiiiishheeeeew! HihItCHIIEEEW!"

Kim doubled over with the force of her sneezes. She removed and unfolded the crumpled-up tissue from her suit sleeve and harshly blew her nose into the worn cloth. However, doing so must have irritated her nose, and Kim felt another round of sneezes coming on.

"Hih... hih-!"

Kim held the tissue in front of her teary-eyed face, preparing for the sneezes yet to come.

"HihyISHOOO! HihISHOOO! Hah...HATCHIIEEEW!"

Once her fit subsided, Kim scurried back up to her cubicle in search of more tissues. She made a note to purchase some antihistamines on her way home.

My pic: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-worried-business-woman-that-holding-1562581234

 

 

 

[Dusty15]

Ali dragged herself off the couch and brought her laptop to the kitchen table in hopes that sitting somewhere a little less comfortable would keep her awake. She had a remote Zoom class meeting with several of her fellow graduate students at three that she couldn't miss. They were all doing classes from home now, which was a blessing today because Ali was sick with a killer cold. The last thing she wanted was to appear on screen with her nose running and her voice raspy from a night spent breathing through her mouth, but it was better than having to meet in-person.

She clicked the link and let the chat load, trying to put a smile onto her face as the images of her classmates appeared in the familiar grid onscreen.

"Hi all," she said before quickly putting herself on mute. She flipped open her notebook and began to write as her classmates discussed their latest research efforts.

Only moments into the class, she felt her nose running. Furtively, she leaned out of view of the camera and reached for a tissue from the box she'd put close at hand, giving her nose a quick blow before returning to the screen.

"Ali, you're up," Steve, one of the guys prompted.

"Alright, so I've got some good new-"

"I think you're still on mute, Ali."

She tapped the microphone button and started again.

"Sorry- I was saying I-- heh..."

Her breath hitched suddenly and she frowned, knowing what was coming by the urgent tickle that blossomed in her nose.

"Sorry...I...." she stammered as she grabbed a fresh tissue and pressed it to her nose. Eh-TSGH! Hehh...ehh'TSGHHT!

'BLESS YOU!'  'Bless you, Ali'  'gesundheit!'  messages popped up in the chat.

"Sorry, I've got a bad cold," she said. "Nothing serious, just really stuffed up. Does anyone mind if I just send my thoughts in an email after this and save you my sniffling?"

---


And my photo to inspire: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-doing-yoga-workout-room-1741185437

[Sneeze-aholic]

I've just come across this thread and hope you don't mind me jumping in. 

*******

 

Alex had been struggling through a cold for the last few days.  He finally felt like he was turning a corner this morning as having skipped his workout the last few days he dressed for a yoga session to kick off his day. 

He lowered himself gently onto the mat, aware of the tension in his back and shoulders from the sneezing and coughing of the past few days. 

He relaxed a moment into Child's pose, before moving up onto all fours.  Rounding through his back, dropping his head as he moved through his cat-cow sequence.  He sniffed wetly as he noticed his nose starting to run whenever he dipped his head. 

Sniffling and swiping at his nose he moved through an upward facing dog, a lunge before he arrived at a standing pose.  Spying the tissue he broke from his routine, plucking one and blowing his nose wetly before he returned to the mat, discarding the tissue beside him. 

His routine continued, some warrior poses, his arms long and legs strong. A forward fold, with his head to knees once again reminding him of his cold as it caused his nose to run and he sniffed wetly. 

Stepping back into a downward facing dog, he sniffed again, feeling a tickle this time at the back of his nose. He balanced on one arm as he rubbed down the side of his nose. He pushed deeper into the pose as the tickle built.

He tried to rub the tickle away, but each inhale brought it back.  He tried to hold his breath, a finger under his nose but he knew that it's no good, he needed to sneeze. 

Coming out of the pose he picks a tissue just in time.  "Hehhh'EEESSSHHHHOOOO" he sneezed deeply and wetly into the tissues as he flopped back into sitting on the mat. 

*****

My image: 

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/waiter-sneezing-into-elbow-while-serving-1742688884

 

 

[Wig_Powder]

“Can I get you something to drink?” David asked, pen and pad at the ready.

“Yes,” said the woman, touching a point three-quarters of the way down the menu, “I'll have a large milk, as well as a Firecracker.”

David nodded and was just jotting down the order when the woman continued “And I have a question about your special today. How spicy is it, exactly? If I order something spicy, I want it to have a definite kick.”

“I have to admit, I've never tried it myself,” David answered, “I'm not one for spicy food myself. But it's made with cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper, and based on the reactions of other customers who order it, it seems plenty spicy. Although it also depends on which chef is doing the preparation. When Chef Anbern is in the kitchen, he tends to just rub the meat down with the spice mix and add what's left to the sauce. But when Chef Ulin is in charge, she puts an extra dusting of the spices over the meat right before serving. Unfortunately, we recently shuffled our work schedules around, so I'm not sure which one is currently in the ki...”

As he was speaking, the door to the kitchen flew open, David's fellow waiter Geoff rushing out with a large tray, presumably to serve the party of eight at the far end of the restaurant. More importantly, however, the forceful opening of the doors sent a wave of hot air into the dining room, carrying with it a strong scent of spice. It was strong enough to both burn and tickle David's nose, and he quickly turned his head away from the table to sneeze into his arm. “Kit-CHSHHH!!”

He sniffed and lowered his arm, wincing when he saw the woman holding up her hand as if she was trying to ward off his sneeze. “I'm sorry,” he said, “The spices sometimes get to me, especially in large concentrations. One more reason why I don't tend to order spicy foods.”

To his relief, the woman started smiling. “I understand. But if the scent is strong enough to make you sneeze even if you're a fair distance from the kitchen, I'm willing to bet that means there'll be a fair bit of spice in the special, no matter which chef is in charge. Put me down for a plate of that. Thank you for the recommendation.”

David didn't fully understand her logic, but he wasn't about to complain. Nodding, he wrote down her order, then hurried towards the kitchen, already bracing himself for another sneeze or two as soon as he got close enough to the doors.

My picture: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-sneezing-while-reads-book-1421580272

 

[Likesn]

"Just ode bore page" Judy pushed herself to go on.

The test was in three days and she needed to know this book very well. She turned the page.

"Chapter 13: Upper Respiratory Infections" was the title.

"Well isd't that just great Haa Tshioo!" Judy sneeze all over the page.

"Oh cobe od!" she called as she had to wipe the spray. When the page was dry she kept reading.

"Symptoms might include coughing"

"*cough cough*"

"congestion"

"*sniffle*"

"and sneezing"

"Haai Tshooooo!" yup, she had a textbook cold.

"I better get over this cold by the tibe I have to Haaa Tshioooooo! take the test" Judy said to herself.

This was Judy's third year in med-school and she was doing quite well. The only problem was whenever someone in her class got sick she was usually one of the first ones to catch it. Studying to become a doctor was a pretty stressful deal, so people in her class got sick very often.

"Haaai Tshoooooooooooo! Oh by god!" she sneeze so hard she dropped the book.

Who was it that got her sick this time? Was it the girl who couldn't stop sniffling? The guy who kept clearing his throat? Maybe the girl with the explosive sneezes? Whoever it was, now Judy was sick and her sneezes weren't very small either.

"Ha Ha Haaai Tshoooooo, Haa Tshioooooooo!" That's it *sniffle* I'b goig to bed" she decided.

The rest of the book would have to wait for the next day. Hoping she would be better by then, Judy wondered how she could manage being surrounded by sick people for a living.

"I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get there" she thought before getting in bed with a box of tissues by her side. At the moment, she was more worried about getting over this cold.

____________________________________________________________________________________

https://stock.adobe.com/il/images/sick-young-woman-lie-relax-in-bed-at-home-coughing-sneezing-struggle-with-influenza-ill-stressed-millennial-girl-blow-runny-nose-suffer-from-fever-or-flu-cure-rest-indoors-sickness-concept/328915515