A Not-So Enchanting Plague (Disney's Encanto, F, M) PART 8/8 FINISHED

[Arty]

Not Isa over here plotting! XD

[sneezingfun894]

I am really unhappy with how this next part turned out. I wish I could've done more. Writer's block absolutely sucks. 

 

This part is smaller than the others, and I think we're reaching the end of the story... I have a few things I still wanna work on, but this one is definitely meh. Anyway, here's part 4:

PART 4

 

“Not me”, said Luisa. “I rarely get sick.”

“That doesn’t make you any better than anyone here” Isabela hissed, annoyed at her sister.

“Girls, stop, please. Can’t we have a peaceful meal?” Julieta begged.

“Perdón, mamá” – both girls lowered their eyes in embarrassment.

“So, tía Pepa and Bruno” Mirabel started, trying to change the subject but not succeeding, “Are you both healed?”

“Yes! I feel brand new” Pepa smiled as a ray of Sunshine descended.

“I’m almost there” Bruno added. “Thanks for asking.”

“Dolores” Abuela interrupted, “how was your walk with Mariano?”

“It was great, Abuela.”

Camilo shapeshifted to Mariano and teased his sister playfully, “Oh, Mariano, mi amor!” Dolores punched him lightly in response.

“IH-TSCHEW! IIIH-TSCHEW! *sniff* TSHEE!” Isabela interrupted the conversation with a triple sneeze.

“Salud, mi neta!” Alma Madrigal eyed her granddaughter with concern. “You should drink some of the agua and take some rest.”

“I will, abuela. I can’t wait for this thing to be over.”

“I wonder who of us will be next....” Agustín pondered.

“Well, hopefully it stops with Isa. I mean, how strong can this thing be?” Pepa said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure” Isabela muttered.

“What was that?” Dolores said.

“Nothing, I’m getting chills. I think I’m going to lie down. Permiso.”

Another day passed, and Isabela was patiently waiting for her actions from two days ago to succeed. She would hardly cover her sneezes around Dolores, who would respond with “your sneezes are way too loud”.

Dolores spent the next day feeling ‘funny’. She wasn’t showing any symptoms, but she felt extremely tired. Mariano asked her on another walk and she almost declined, but she really wanted to spend time with him. And she figured she’d feel energized just being around him. He came to pick her up, chatted a bit with Abuela, Pepa and Felix and both headed out of Casita. She didn’t realize it was breezy outside and her clothes were not fit for that weather. As soon as she felt the cold breeze hit her skin, she trembled. Mariano noticed and,

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I – just felt cold all of a sudden. It’s nothing.”

“Here” he took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. “That’ll keep you warm.”

“Gracias.” She gave him a loving smile.

As they were walking and talking about their lives, she felt the infamous tickle. She tried to make it go away, but it was helpless. She needed to let out that sneeze. She’d never sneezed in front of him and she was feeling self-concious about it. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she pulled away from him and,

“Tsh-! Tsh!”

“What – what was that?” he looked puzzled.

“I, uh... I sneezed.” She felt her cheeks grow red with embarrassment from having to acknowledge what’d just happened.

“That was so cute” he smiled. “Even your sneezes sound cute. Me, I sneeze like a Bulldozer.”

“She laughed and approached him again. She felt really comfortable around him and this little moment just made it obvious.

But she wasn’t really done. As they were walking along the square, she felt the urge to sneeze again.

“I-tsch! Tsch! Tsch!”

“Dolores, do you want me to take you home? I sense you’re not feeling very well.”

“It’s a bug that’s been going around in the house. First my mom caught it, then tío Bruno, then Isabela and I think it’s hitting me. Tsh! Perdón”

“Oh, that’s terrible. But I thought your aunt could heal everything, can’t she do something? I hate seeing you suffer like this.”

“Her powers help lessen the symptoms, but it usually takes two to three days for it to disappear completely. I hope I don’t give you this. Can we please head back? I think I’m starting to run a fever...”

“Claro. He embraced her to keep her warm as he led her back to Casita.

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by sneezingfun894

[Katzoo12]

You’re definitely right about writer’s block, it SUCKS. If you needed one or two more days, we could’ve waited. But as for this part: It’s great! Of COURSE Dolores would have soft sneezes, it makes total sense. I bet the next part will be even better if writer’s block doesn’t shoe up again

[MIN]

Writers block is the biggest of all the icks, take all the time you need! But even so this part was great! Short but sweet but really well written!

[RipleyToo]

You should do a Luisa story next 😁

[sneezingfun894]

Hola! 

I come bearing another part. This one has a little TLC (mother/daughter) and you may notice something new that was not explored in the movie. I noticed we didn't get much interaction from Dolores and her mom, and in the next parts I'll come up with a backstory of this. It also has lots of sneezing, so enjoy! 

 

PART 5

The next morning, Dolores woke up to unbearable buzzing in her ears. She could hear her lungs fill up with mucus which she had to let out. She coughed as silently as she could, cause even her own cough was too loud for her. She got up and it was still a little dark outside. She paced silently around her room to grab her handkerchief. Trying to relieve the pressure in her sinuses, she blew her nose into the silk piece, but it was useless. Dolores had never felt this sick all her life. She started to wonder how her cousin was feeling, when she heard a “ah-tcheew!” from the distance. It came from Isabela’s room. She also heard her let out a sigh and open her bedroom door. Dolores really needed to drink some water. She left her room and met Isabela in the hallway.

“Buenos días, prima.” Dolores whispered, since she didn’t wanna disturb the others.

“Buenos días....” Isabela eyed her tired-looking younger cousin. “You look and sound terrible. Did you also catch it?”

“I think –” as she was replying, she was interrupted by a “TSHHH”, which was stifled into her elbow.

“I think” Isabela followed, with a look of sarcasm in her face, “That you are next. Oh wait, it’s happening. My bad.” She grinned.

“I had no hope of not catching this.... we’re all doomed. TSHH! TSHHH! TSHHH! TSSSSH!”

This conversation was taking place near Pepa and Felix’s bedroom. She woke up to her daughter’s sneezing and immediately opened the door.

“Lolita, mi amor?” Pepa looked at both girls. “Are you okay?”

Dolores cleared her throat before answering, “I caught it now....” she coughed and let out a silent sneeze into her elbow.

“Ah, mi amor, I’m sorry you don’t feel well... Do you want me to make you some tea?” Pepa walked towards her wardrobe, getting her robe. Felix was now awake too, and he asked sleepily,

“What is it, mi vida?”

“Dolores caught the cold.”

“Oh no. Not again.”

“This is all my fault, if I hadn’t gotten sick, this would have never happened, and—” Pepa started getting nervous and a cloud formed above her.

“Mama, don’t worry. It’s just a cold, it’s gonna go away in tw— IIITSCH! TSCHII! TSCH!” She covered her own ears, wincing.

“Vamos” Pepa tied up her yellow robe. “I’ll make us some tea. Come, Isabela.”

“Me too?”

“Of course. You are sick too, right? Let me be your mama’s replacement while she’s still asleep. Though I don’t have her powers, I can manage.”

The three women walked to the kitchen in silence.

The silence was broken once they got to the kitchen, as Isabela felt her nostrils twitch with the urge to let out a sneeze. She didn’t feel like covering, so she just let it out freely,

“AH-TSCHEW! TSHEW! ITSCHEW!”

“You mind covering your mouth? I’m pretty sure I only caught this because you don’t care about others.”

“You guessed it” she smiled, defiantly, “I wanted you to suffer like I am.”

Pepa was listening to the girls’ bickering and decided she had had heard enough. “Girls!” a thunder formed over her head. “Ya basta! You two cannot go a full waking hour without fighting. You are no longer teenagers, stop and start acting your age.”

“Sorry, tía” Isabela was genuinely embarrassed.

“Sorry, mamá”.

“Now that’s better.” You could see a ray of Sunshine over Pepa’s head. “Camomila?”

“Sí, por favor” Isabela and Dolores replied together.

The three of them chatted for a bit. None of them felt like going back to bed. It was almost 7 am anyway. Julieta came into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast and saw her sister, daughter and niece talking. She could tell both Isa and Dolores had ailments, so she moved faster into the counter.

“Buenos días! You’re up early.”

“Remember when I was sick a few days ago and hoped our girls wouldn’t catch it? Well...” Pepa said, eyeing her daughter and niece. “So I made us some tea! Of course it doesn’t have your healing powers, but”

“I’m sure it was made with the same amount of love, hermanita, and that’s what counts.”

“TSHHH” Dolores sneezed into her handkerchief.

“Salud!” her aunt said, sympathetically. “Let me make you some pandebono and you’ll feel all better.”

“Gracias, tía Julieta” Dolores sipped her tea.

Luisa was the next to come to the kitchen for breakfast. She had milked a cows and brought the milk to her mother.

“Morning”. She noticed her cousin was pale and flushed in the cheeks. “Lemme guess, you’re sick now too?” She took a seat.

“Sí...” Dolores coughed and it was visibly painful for her to do so.

“EH-TXCH!” Isabela sneezed, this time using her hands to cover.

“Díos mio, it’s like a germ barn in here. Thankfully, I rarely catch what goes around, so I’m safe.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about this, sis” Isabela teased.

“You wanna get her sick too? You’re such a—”

“Dolores Madrigal!” Pepa scolded. Didn’t we talk about this?

“Yeah... sorry, Isa.”

“It’s fine.”

“Isabela, say you’re sorry too.” Julieta added.

Isabela rolled her eyes. “Fine. Sorry.”

The rest of the family came downstairs for breakfast. By lunch, Mariano went to Casita to visit his girlfriend. He’d been really worried about her. He wanted to take care of her like he did with his mother. He brought her a small bouquet of Flowers. He was greeted by Bruno, who hadn’t seen the Flowers in the Young man’s hands.

“Hey, Mariano, come in—EHRSHOO! ETCHEHH! EEETSHAH” This time, Bruno managed to cover his sneezes. He was no longer sick, but he still apologized profusely and explained it must have happened because of the Flowers.

“Tranquilo... how’s Dolores?”

“Not so great, bro. She’s been sneezing a lot.”

“Pobrecita. Can I go see her?”

“Yeah, she’s resting in her bedroom.”

He walked over to his girlfriend’s bedroom. The door was ajar, but he knocked softly not to disturb her.

“Mariano?” Dolores whispered.

“Cariño, can I come in?”

“Please do.” He went towards her bed and sat on a chair. “Your uncle said you’re not feeling great, so I came to visit.”

“That’s nice of you” she smiled and sniffled lightly. “I’m sorry, I must look like a mess.”

“Even if you tried really hard, you couldn’t. Now” he reached for her hand. “How can I help you feel better?”

“Just by being here you’re helping.” She felt a little tickle on her nose, which she wished away, but it didn’t. She lifted her head from the pillow and her body bent forward with a sneeze. “IITSHEE! Excuse be”. He placed his hand on her forehead. It felt warm. But she loved the feel of his cold hand in her warm front, so she just closed her eyes.

He stayed with her for a bit, then went back home. Later, Pepa came into her oldest daughter’s room with a cup of tea made by Julieta.

“Hola, mi vida.” She entered slowly. “Feeling better?”

“A little.” She sat up and picked up the mug. As she drank, the liquid swished through her body making sure to heal every single part. “Now I’m sure I’ll be feeling better quickly.”

“Mi Lolita” Pepa put her hands on top of her daughter’s, “I’m so proud of the young Woman you’ve become.” As Pepa got a bit emotional, a small cloud formed. She was learning to let her emotions be, so she didn’t shoo it. “Lo siento if sometimes I pushed too hard. All my life I’ve lived over the edge of a breakdown, worrying about everything and then having the weather to show for it. I’m sorry if I was too harsh on you. I aimed at perfection, but I’m learning there’s no such thing. I know we haven’t had the best relationship these past few years because of—what happened – , but I am willing to change this. Do you think we can?”

Instead of responding, Dolores let out three silent “tshoo”s. They laughed and Dolores took her mom’s hand harder and,

“You don’t need to apologize for anything. Both of us have said and done things, but I am willing to restore our relationship. As I grow fonder of Mariano, I think more and more every day of starting my own family with him and I want to raise my children as you and Papa raised me, Camilo and Antonio.” When she was done speaking, she could feel her throat was dry, so she sipped some of the agua her mother had on the tray.

“Te amo, mi hija” Pepa leaned in to give her daughter a hug.

“Wait, you’ll catch this.” Dolores backed away for a bit.

“I was the one who brought this plague upon this family, I think I’m safe.”

They hugged, and Dolores sneezed, “IH-TSCHI”

“Salud!” her mom blessed.

From the distance, Dolores heard a muffled cry. Because of the buzzing in her ears, she couldn’t identify where it was coming from or who was crying, but she was about to find out....

Edited February 20, 2022 by sneezingfun894

[RipleyToo]

Such an awesome update and very cute as well! I love how you added what makes these characters so special too! 

[Katzoo12]

As always, I LOVE THIS. The sneezes are especially great! If I had to guess, after the backstory, Luisa’s going to get sick and then Julieta?

[angora48]

Ooh, cliffhanger! Fun!

This continues to be a great fic. I like the details of how Dolores's gift makes the cold even more unbearable for her, and the mother-daughter-cousin interaction was really good. And I appreciate the quick return of sneezes from Bruno, thanks to Mariano's flowers!

[MIN]

Aw I loved this part! Pepa and Doleres for the win! This was so cute! Love the cliffhanger! Can't wait for the next part! 

[sneezingfun894]

22 hours ago, Katzoo12 said:

As always, I LOVE THIS. The sneezes are especially great! If I had to guess, after the backstory, Luisa’s going to get sick and then Julieta?

Wait and see 🥴

[RipleyToo]

On 2/21/2022 at 8:33 PM, sneezingfun894 said:

Wait and see 🥴

Can’t wait, I’m excited 😁

[RipleyToo]

When will the next part be out? Sorry if I seem like I’m rushing, I’m just excited 🤣 🤣 

[Katzoo12]

1 hour ago, RipleyToo said:

When will the next part be out? Sorry if I seem like I’m rushing, I’m just excited 🤣 🤣 

Glad to know I’m not the only one excited! I was actually considering asking first but you beat me to it. Well, I AM trying to improve my patience so there’s that too😂😂

[NickG1998]

I really love this wonderful story please update soon take your time there's no rush I just finished reading this and I can't for the next update

[sneezingfun894]

It’s flattering to see that y’all are excited about the next part! But, just like Isa, I strive for perfection. I am currently working on the next part but it’s still very raw and not good enough. Since I have tomorrow off from work, I’ll try to improve it! Once again, thank you so much for your positive feedback, it’s what keeps me going ❤️

[RipleyToo]

Awesome! Can’t wait to read it 😁

[sneezingfun894]

Hello, hello!

 

*Yes, here I am again suffering from writer's block. I don't think this part did Luisa justice, I wasn't able to portray her the way I wanted to, but I tried. Also, we are now reaching the end of the story. I believe there will be only two more parts with the last of the Madrigals catching this thing after this one. I know it's short and probably not what you were expecting, @RipleyToo, but... we'll see.*

 

Without further ado, here's part 6:

 

 

PART 6

“Luisa?” Julieta’s voice could be heard coming from Luisa’s room. “What’s wrong?”

Dolores heard footsteps leading to her cousin’s bedroom from Isabela, Mirabel and Agustín. “I-uh- I was helping Señora Diaz with her cows, then I tried to lift them and I—I felt weak again... I don’t feel good” Luisa broke down in tears.

Isabela rolled her eyes at the scene, “Are you serious? You’re crying because of this? Oh, grow up!”

Julieta scolded, “Isabela! Do not talk to your sister like that. Let her be.” She placed her hand in her daughter’s forehead. “You’re running a little fever, cariño. Lie down and I’ll be right back with something to cheer you up.”

“But—I’m the strong one... I never get sick.”

“Luisa, you don’t need to be strong all the time. All of us have our weaknesses.” Mirabel comforted her sister.

“HNGH—SHOOO!” Luisa let out a powerful sneeze that shook Casita’s walls all around. Mirabel, Agustin and Isabela looked at each other.

“When will all of this be over?” Agustín had an worried expression in his face.

“What was that? Did my mom get upset again?” Camilo entered his cousin’s bedroom.

“Sorry, that was me. I sneezed.” Luisa said, shyly.

“Oh. Salud!” Camilo smiled at her, sympathetically. Then he shapeshifted into Julieta. “Can I get you anything? An arepa? Tea?”

Luisa laughed then, “Gracias, primo. Mom’s already coming.” Then, she felt the urge to let out an enormous sneeze. She knew it was going to be powerful like the first one. “I’m gonna—I’m gonna snee—EEEEEEEEETSCHIIIIIEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! EEEEEEEEETSCH!” As she did, the force of her sneezes made things she had in her drawers fall and break. Agustín rushed to try to salvage some things, but it was useless. Luisa’s sneezes were as strong as herself.

“I’m sorry....” she looked down at her feet, embarrassed by what had just happened.

“It’s not your fault, mi amor.” Agustín comforted his middle child. “Oh, look, here’s your mom.”

“Pobrecita” Julieta approached her daughter. “I could feel your sneezes from the kitchen. Now, here’s something to make you feel better. Lie down.”

Before Luisa had a chance to grab the arepas, she was taken by surprise with a sneaky sneeze that took her off guard, “TSHOOOOOO!” As she had no time to cover, some of it hit poor Julieta in the face. “Mamá!” Luisa looked at her mother in horror. “I am so sorry, I swear I did not see it coming, and now you’re gonna get sick too and—” She was about to break down again, but Julieta, with a calming voice, grabbed her daughter’s hand and, “I know you didn’t mean to. It’s fine. Now eat this.”

Luisa still had tears in the corners of her eyes, and swallowing felt painful. “Thank you, mom.”

“Now drink some tea.” Her mom demanded.

From Luisa’s window, her name could be heard from one of the villagers. “Luisa! Can you help me draw the water from the well?”

Luisa was already getting up to help but was stopped by Julieta. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“The people need my he—HEEEEEEETSCHEW! Help.”

“Mi hija, you cannot help anyone like this right now. Rest for a bit, I’m sure the people can survive a day or two without your help. Your well-being is what matters right now.”

Luisa coughed into her fist. “You’re right... I feel cold.”

Along with the food, Julieta also brought a wet towel to help Luisa’s fever go down. Her body was shivering from the fever, so her mother helped her take off her shoes and placed her feet under the covers. She kissed Luisa’s forehead as she was about to leave her room. In the hallway, Julieta ran into Pepa.

“Luisa’s sick?” Pepa asked, concerned.

“Sí...” Julieta replied, looking towards her daughter’s bedroom door.

“Oh no. She’s lucky to have you take care of her.”

“Pepita” Julieta felt a tone of resentment in her sister’s voice. “Why do you always feel you’re not doing enough for your children? You are the most amazing mom I know. You need to realize this.”

“Yeah, but you and your girls never got into a bad fight... Remember when Dolores had her Quinceañera and she fell in love with that chico Manuel? She was so madly in love she wanted to marry him right away. I said some horrible things to her, and she said some too. Thankfully, we got past that, but I felt like I ruined her life when she came home with him and introduced him and I... thundered. She was so embarrassed, and he was so scared... he never wanted to see her again. Our relationship was never the same.” A single tear rushed from Pepa’s eye. Julieta, seeing her sister’s sadness, hugged her and added,

“Time – like my cooking – is healing. I can see that you’re both trying to rebuild your relationship and it’s going great. Dolores loves and looks up to you.” She reached for something in her apron’s pocket and, just like a magic trick, picked it up and said, with a smile, “Look, an arepa con queso.” She handed it to Pepa.

“Thank you.” She ate the arepa and felt better.

“AAAAAAAA—AAAAATSCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATSCHEEEEEEW!” Luisa sneezed again, causing the walls in Casita to tremble. “Looks like someone else needs me. I’d better run. Out of everyone, she’s the most dangerous to catch this. Let me get her some more healing food.”

“Go, go!” Pepa smiled and returned to her own bedroom.

Luisa was feeling terrible. The worst for her was not being able to help the villagers, but she was learning to prioritize herself. Julieta decided to stay a bit longer with her to keep her company. By nighttime, her throat was hurting a lot and her nose was running. She was well aware her sneezes could potentially destroy the recently-rebuilt Casita, but she couldn’t really help.

“UNGHT-SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!” sneezed Luisa into her handkerchief. Julieta had stayed with ther throughout the afternoon and had dozed off. She was starting to feel the effects of taking care of her family for the past two weeks. As Luisa sneezed, she was awakened with a jumpscare, which she tried to conceal. “How are you feeling, Lulu?”

 

“A bit better, but these sneezes are terrible.”

“Do you feel like getting up and having dinner with the family? I think it’ll do you good to get out for a bit.”

“I think so. Let’s go.”

Since Julieta knew she’d be cooking for her family for a while to restore their health, she’d made Chicken soup for the next days. Though feeling better, Luisa was still weak, so she was led to the table by her mother, where the other Madrigals were waiting for them.

“Hi, Luisa!” Antonio said, smiling. “Are you feeling better?”

“A little, Toñito.”

Julieta brought the soup pan to the table and served each of the family members a laddle-full. They dined peacefully, at times interrupted by Luisa’s sneezes, which she was now trying to stifle in order to keep everything in place.

“This soup is delicious, hermanita. I would like to learn to make it someday. Can you teach me?” Bruno said to Julieta, but she did not reply. Rather, she was looking distant. “Julieta?”

Julieta came out of her daydream and, “What? Oh, perdón, I... got distracted.”

Felix asked, “Is everything okay?”

“Yes. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

But it was not fine. The Madrigals looked at each other as they knew something was up. But they had no idea what was coming......

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by sneezingfun894

[RipleyToo]

This was a great update! Writers block is annoying and hard to deal with, I understand  ! Can’t wait for the last 2 parts! 

[MIN]

Writers block suuuuckksss! But this was sooo gooood!!! You really did Luisa well I thought. Can't wait for the end of this story! Though also I don't want it to finish! I suppose all good things must come to an end at some point though 🙃 

[Arty]

Damn...me reading Luisa's part was like reading about myself because of her wanting to help everyone Lol.😅😅 You did her character great!!!!!! And ugh my heart loves Julieta.

 

Such a great mom.

[sneezingfun894]

36 minutes ago, Arty said:

Damn...me reading Luisa's part was like reading about myself because of her wanting to help everyone Lol.😅😅 You did her character great!!!!!! And ugh my heart loves Julieta.

 

Such a great mom.

I’m glad you like her, cause…. 😉 stay tuned!

[angora48]

Aww, poor Luisa! The huge, Casita-shaking sneezes were perfect for her. And preemptive poor Julieta--it's all starting to catch up with her!

[sneezingfun894]

Happy Sunday! Here's the next part! There will be one final part after this one. Enjoy! Comment! ❤️

 

PART 7

Julieta decided she would spend the night in Luisa’s bedroom. Even after eating her mother’s food, the fever wouldn’t cease, so it was best for Julieta to keep an eye on her. The two of them went to bed shortly after dinner. Luisa could tell her mom was feeling exhausted and decided to point it out.

“Ma”, she looked deeply into her eyes. “You look tired... I mean it, you don’t need to stay. I can manag—EEEEEEEEEEEEEEETSCHEEEEEEEEEEEEW!”

“Salud! See? I think you could use some caretaking, mi hija. I’m okay. Now, let’s blow the candle out. Buenas noches!”

Luisa lifted an eyebrow. She knew her mom and she knew when she was overdoing it. After all, they were the same when it came to concealing weakness...

As the following morning came, Julieta had been long awake. She was unable to get much sleep, due to Luisa’s constant tossing and turning. Also, the poor girl’s nose did not give her a break, dripping often. Julieta got up, headed back to her and Agustín’s bedroom to change into everyday clothes and went to the village for supplies. She had dark circles under her eyes due to the lack of sleep, and some of the villagers took notice, but decided not to say anything. By the time she got back into Casita, almost everyone was already up, except for Camilo. Since he was a teenager, he slept longer than anyone else. Julieta had felt a bit of weakness in carrying the bags of fruits and vegetables, but she brushed it off to the almost sleepless night she’d had. She headed to the kitchen, where she dropped the bags and started making breakfast. Mirabel volunteered to help, but Julieta said it was okay; she could help set the table instead. While dicing up bananas, Julieta suddenly felt a weight in her forehead and sinuses. She knew what was coming, and she knew she’d finally succumbed to the illness that had taken down pretty much her entire family. But she would do whatever was in her power not to show. She rushed out of the kitchen into the bathroom, where she stifled a single

“Istch!”. She pinched her nose as to keep the sneeze sound to a minimal; after all, she knew her niece would definitely hear her and, worse, tell everyone.

Julieta made sure there were no more sneezes coming before she left the bathroom. She almost bumped into her sister on the way out.

“Hey”, Pepa grinned. “I didn’t know you were in there. I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Camilo’s sixteenth birthday is coming up, and I thought we’d celebrate with a little fiesta. I’ll help you with the food, of course, and I was thinking of inviting Celia, that girl my Camilo’s been Sweet on –”

Julieta adored her sister, but sometimes when Pepa got carried away she had the tendency of talking too much too quickly, and Julieta’s brain just wasn’t having it today. Julieta was nodding throughout the entire monologue, secretly praying her nose wouldn’t betray her. But...

As Pepa kept going, Julieta’s nose wanted to make its own point. It started out twitching ever so lightly, while Julieta was trying to keep it under control. But it was helpless, to the point where Julieta knew she had to cut the conversation short if she wanted to hide it from her sister.

“Pepi” Julieta interrupted. “Permiso, but I-uh, I gotta check the—” She did not finish the sentence; it wouldn’t finish anyway before it was too late. Julieta shoved past her sister, which caused a little thunder above Pepa’s head. Felix caught the end of the Exchange and managed to comfort her until the cloud vanished.

Julieta rushed back into the kitchen, standing as far away from food as she could, closed the door and let out two “itsch! Itschi!” that she covered with her elbow. She then washed her hands and went back to cooking. Pepa literally stormed into the kitchen, still upset with the way she’d been cut off.

“Qué passa?” Pepa moved closer to where Julieta was standing and making breakfast. She had her back to her sister, so Pepa couldn’t really see her face and how tired she looked. “Did I do something?”

Julieta, still not facing her sister, replied, “Of course not. Don’t worry. It’s fine.” However, as she spoke, there was a hint of hoarseness in her voice. Luckily, Pepa didn’t notice. Or didn’t comment on it. Instead, she continued,

“As for decorations, we could go to the village and get supplies...”

Julieta was still nodding along to her sister, when she felt her nose start to run. She sniffled as quietly as she could, then picked up her handkerchief from her apron and wiped the edges of her nostrils without being noticed. She knew she couldn’t hide it much longer. But, luckily, Antonio called for his mother from the hallway. She excused herself and went towards her son, who needed help with his clothes. Julieta sighed in relief, as she could stop pretending for a bit she was fine. Her head was starting to pound, and she felt the need to blow her nose again. She did so quietly and stifled two sneezes into her elbow.

“Ti—sh! Ti—sh!” sneezed Julieta. As breakfast was ready, she placed the meal at the table and called for her family, hoping no one would notice she wasn’t well.

Luisa’s nose was still chapped and drippy, so she kept her own handkerchief by her side. Before getting to the table, she let out two partly-stifled “EH-TSCHEWWWW”s, then sat by Mirabel and Isa.

Usually, Julieta was very upbeat in the morning, but today she just kept to herself, barely touching the food she’d made. Mirabel sensed she was off.

“Ma?” Julieta was a bit startled as she heard her name being called. “Could you pass the milk, please?”

“Sí, corazón.” She grabbed the milk jar and handed it to her daughter.

“Are you... feeling okay?” Mirabel asked, a tad concerned.

“Yes, Mirabel, I’m fine.” Her reply came off a bit harsher than she meant to be. “Estoy bien.”

Breakfast went on as the Madrigals chatted about their upcoming day. Julieta tried to play it coy and Interact, but she was feeling beat. Then, suddenly, her nose decided to betray her once more with a sneeze that snuck up on her. Still, she managed to fake it as cleaning her mouth with a napkin. However, Dolores was sitting right beside her and instantly realized what was going on. As Julieta sneezed a stifled “tsh” into the napking pretending to wipe her mouth, Dolores turned to her and whispered, “Salud”.

“Oh” Julieta smiled, uncomfortably “No, that wasn’t a sneeze, sweetie. I was just wiping my mouth.” She eyed Dolores as if she was begging her not to say anything.

“If you say so...”

Julieta kept using that technique throughout breakfast. She managed to stifle four more sneezes by using the napkin. It was only later on that day that she wouldn’t be able to hide her condition any longer. Once again, the family got together for dinner – Chicken soup – and, as Julieta had both hands busy holding the bowl of soup, she felt a terrible tickle on her nostrils. It was so strong, she knew she had absolutely no time to stifle or to lay the bowl down. She turned towards her right shoulder and gave up the fight. The whole family sat watching the scene unfold. Julieta sneezed twice, “HUH-TSCHEEEH! TSCHEEH!” Then, she blew her nose.

“Called it.” Dolores said.

“Salud, Ma!” Mirabel said, feeling bad for her mom.

“I wonder if her own food can heal her....” Camilo pondered.

“Ah, mi amor, now you’re the one who’s sick... Let us take care of you...”

“I’m not sick... It’s just a couple of sneezes. I am fine.” Julieta protested.

“Hermanita” Pepa looked at her sister. “Will you stop being stubborn? I should’ve realized you were unwell. Perdón. But now you can count on us.”

“Yeah, you helped us get better, now it’s our turn to give it back.” Bruno came closer to his Sisters.

“HIH-TSSSCHEE!” Julieta sneezed. “Thangk you, but you really don’t have to—“

“We don’t have to. We want to. Now, sit.” Isabela helped her mom into the chair.

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by sneezingfun894

[MIN]

Oh this was such a great part, my favourite yet I think, personally! I really hope we get one more part with more sick julieta in!