Male Floral Frustrations (Forever)

[Shay]

So, this is a little Forever fic that I started writing quite awhile ago. It's not finished, but I think this first bit can stand on it's own. I apologize for the chapter ending in a bit of an odd spot. I do have more written, but since I have no idea when I'm going to come to a natural stopping point, this seemed like the best spot for a transition. I also included a little photoshopped image at the bottom that I did to go with the story. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Comments and constructive feedback are welcome.

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

Henry frowned as Jo parked the car in front of a florist's shop. "Which of these buildings is the crime scene in?" Henry asked trying not to let his apprehension show in his voice.

"It's right here in the florist's. Couldn't you tell by the unis guarding the entrance?" Jo answered raising an eyebrow.

"Right yes, of course," Henry murmured. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going in there."

Jo sighed and gave Henry a withering look. "Why not? Does it remind you of Abigail?"

"No. It reminds me that I have allergies and I don't have any medication on me," Henry replied stiffly.

"Henry, I've seen you around flowers before and you've been fine," Jo pointed out.

"Detective, just because I experience a negative reaction to some flowers, does not mean that I react that way to all of them. Also, in most cases a single small bouquet is not enough to affect me if I don't get too close. A florist's shop filled with a large variety of flowers is another matter altogether," Henry explained. "I'm afraid you'll have to call Lucas down here to process the crime scene."

"Henry, it's going to take another half hour at least for Lucas to get down here," Jo protested.

"I'm sorry, but that's a delay that you'll have to live with. It would take even longer to obtain some medication and wait for it to get into my system, and without that, I'm not setting foot in that establishment without a gas mask," Henry insisted.

Jo rolled her eyes. "Stop being so dramatic. I'm sure you'll be fine. Can't you just tie your scarf around your face or something?" Henry's only response was a strange sort of doubtful glare. "Okay look, I'll text Lucas and let him know he's needed here, so that way if you can't handle it in there, he'll already be on his way."

Henry ran a hand over his face and sighed in defeat. "Very well," he said, pretty sure that he was going to regret this. Both he and Jo got out of the car, and he pulled up a fold of his scarf over his mouth and nose as Jo had suggested, despite being skeptical as to how much the thin fabric would filter out the scent and pollen from all the flowers in the shop. He tugged on the ends of his scarf to tighten it and secure it in place, then checked to make sure his handkerchief was close at hand.

Henry looked ridiculous with the scarf tied around his face, but Jo forced herself not to laugh since it had been her idea to begin with. She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile and led him into the shop.

Henry stopped in his tracks in the entryway. He felt dizzy for a moment as he was assaulted by the vast assortment of strong scents from the plants within the shop, but it soon passed. It seemed he was correct in his assumption that his scarf would do little to filter out the fragrance of the flowers. His first instinct was to turn around and flee the shop, but he forced himself to follow Jo further into the building. After several seconds, the tell tale itch began to form high up in his nasal passages. He sniffled and rubbed at his nose through the scarf, but it seemed to do little to help, and he felt his eyes starting to water. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before anyone could notice.

"Jo, Henry, over here," Hanson called out when he spotted them and waved them over to the body. "What the..." Hanson said, trailing off when he got a better look at Henry and saw the scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face.

"Don't ask," said Jo.

Henry felt his eyes tearing up again as he and Jo approached the body. The smell of flowers was even stronger here, and the itch in his nose worsened causing it to run. Not wanting to soil his scarf, Henry pulled it down from his face and wiped his nose with his handkerchief. The fragrance in the air was slightly stronger now without his scarf covering his face and it was really making him want to sneeze. He gave his nose a good rub trying to keep the itch at bay, but he knew that this was a battle he was not going to win.

Henry slipped on a pair of gloves and crouched down next to the body. It seemed that a few displays were knocked over during the struggle and there were flowers scattered over and around the body. A lot of these flowers happened to be lilies, which Henry was apparently quite sensitive to, if his escalating reaction was anything to go by. His eyes continued to water, blurring his vision, and he felt himself growing congested while the itch in his nose turned into a torturous tickling sensation. He tried to focus on the body in front of him, but it was difficult with his allergies going haywire.

Hanson frowned when Henry seemed to freeze up after he crouched down next to the body. There was an expression on his face that he couldn't quite pinpoint, and his eyes seemed unfocused and watery like he was about to start crying. "You alright there, Doc?" Hanson asked with concern. The only response he got from Henry was a sniffle. Then the tears overflowed, spilling from his eyes, which he quickly wiped away. "What's with Henry?" he asked Jo. "It's not like him to get all teary eyed over a body. Do you think he knows the victim?"

"Umm..." Jo murmured unsure what to say. She felt a small stab of guilt knowing that the tears and the sniffling were being caused by Henry's allergies, and she wondered if it had been a mistake to pressure him into coming in here. Before she could formulate an answer, Henry's eyes quickly shut, and his head tilted back slightly. He then pitched forward releasing two loud sneezes into his handkerchief. She and Hanson blessed him simultaneously.

"Thank you," Henry answered after a moment, feeling a touch dazed from the sneezes. And yet the sneezing had done nothing to alleviate the tickling in his nose and he felt more fast approaching. "Please excuse me for a moment, Detectives," he said quickly before standing up and turning to face away from his colleagues. He buried his nose in his handkerchief once more, and his breath hitched a few times before he doubled over, sneezing violently over and over again. After several sneezes, the fit seemed to end, and he straighted up. He blew his nose wetly, groaning softly afterward. His nose was still tickling, but not strongly enough to make him sneeze, at least for the time being.

"Jesus Christ, Henry! Bless you!" Hanson exclaimed.

"Are you going to be okay?" Jo asked, placing a concerned hand on Henry's arm.

"I'll live... probably," he said, his voice thick with congestion. Henry glared at Jo slightly, wondering where this concern for his well being was earlier. He shrugged off Jo's hand on his arm and crouched down next to the body again. This however, was not the smartest thing for him to do, as it brought him closer in proximity to the flowers once more. He felt his symptoms getting worse again, and blinked back the tears that were forming in his eyes. He rested his chin in one hand, surreptitiously pressing a finger hard against the underside of his nose in the attempt to quell the growing tickle as he examined the body.

After a moment, he began to report his findings, but his speech was stilted, and he kept having to pause as he fought off the urge to start sneezing again. "Well, the obvious cause of death... is a puncture wound... to the carotid artery. The weapon is a... long round thin object... that likely had quite a sharp point." He stopped to sniffle and rubbed his nose vigorously, but this only seemed to increase the irritation in his nose. Henry closed his eyes and held his breath. He clenched his teeth and tried by sheer willpower to hold off what felt like was going to be a rather intense sneezing fit.

"You okay there, buddy?" Hanson asked nervously. Henry's face had gone all red, and he quite literally looked like his head was about to explode. Henry opened his watery eyes, shook his head, and then shut his eyes tightly again.

"Henry, if you... " Jo started to say, but Henry held up a hand silencing her.

It was no use. Henry couldn't hold his breath any longer, and that first shaky inhale brought with it a wave of floral scent that caused the dam to burst. He quickly brought his handkerchief to his face as he took another deep shuddering breath, then started sneezing convulsively. After sneezing half a dozen times with barely enough time to take a breath between them, he felt rather dizzy and lost his balance. He fell backward from his crouched position, sitting down hard on the floor. He sneezed another six times in rapid succession, his throat starting to hurt from the force of them. He blew his nose, cringing at how disgusting it sounded, and then opened his eyes. Though his vision was all watery and blurred, he could see Jo and Hanson both staring down at him with their mouths hanging open in astonishment. He might have felt embarrassed, but his nose was still tickling fiercely, and that was demanding all of his attention.

Jo could hardly believe what a strong reaction Henry was having. That small stab of guilt she'd felt before was like a knife in her heart now. He looked so miserable and it was all her fault. She knew he really couldn't stay in here any longer and she grabbed onto his upper arm to help him to his feet.

Henry twisted out of Jo's grasp and turned away from her as much as possible before succumbing to another harsh sneezing fit. When there was a break in the sneezing, he sniffled wetly and shakily got to his feet while trying to catch his breath. This was simply not going to work. There was no way that he'd be able to finish processing the crime scene. They'd have to wait for Lucas to arrive and finish the job.

"I can't... I can't do this... I can't be here," he stammered out before dissolving into another bout of sneezing. The moment the sneezing started to slow down, he began stumbling towards the exit, but still paused every few steps to sneeze. His vision was still quite blurry from his watery eyes, and it was a small miracle that he managed not to trip or knock anything over on his way out.

"Wow, poor guy," said Hanson as he and Jo watched Henry stagger out of the shop sneezing the whole way. "He really should have taken a sick day."

Jo sighed. "He's not sick. It's allergies" she said, making a wide gesture around her indicating the flowers. "He was fine before we got here. He didn't want to come in the shop, but I kind of pressured him," she admitted, biting her lip in shame.

"Jo!" Hanson exclaimed in a tone that was usually reserved for reprimanding his children.

"I know, I know. I screwed up. It's just, I've seen him around flowers before and he's been fine, not even a sniffle, so I thought he was being hyperbolic." She sighed again and ran her fingers through her hair. "I really thought that tying his scarf around his face would help."

Hanson shook his head incredulously. "You really thought those flimsy fancy pants scarves he wears would be good for blocking out anything?"

"Okay, I guess it does sound ridiculous when you put it that way," Jo conceded. "Well, I guess I'd better go check on him."

"Yeah, and get him some Benadryl or something. I guess I'd better call Lucas and get him down here."

"No need. I texted him earlier and told him he might be needed," Jo explained. "Hopefully it won't take him too much longer to get down here."

Hanson nodded. "Okay, I guess I'll just sit tight then."

Edited November 3, 2017 by Shayla

[AngelEyes]

Oh Henry! I miss this show! It was so great. You write it so well. 

11 minutes ago, Shayla said:

Henry ran a hand over his face and sighed in defeat. "Very well," he said, pretty sure that he was going to regret this.

Indeed!

Looking forward to more!

[2SHY222]

I am beyond greatfull you made this. Forever was my absolute favorite show. I watched it religiously every week it aired. I wish this could've been a part of an episode. You're writing is great 🤗

[Elyze]

Forever!  I love Henry Morgan! I cannot believe this show only got one season. Thanks so much for writing something Forever! It's great! Poor guy is struggling so hard. Please do torture him a bit more 

[Shay]

Thanks so much for the comments you guys! I really appreciate it.

@2SHY222 and @helyzelle , I don't recognize either of you, so I'm not sure how long you've been members here, but in case you weren't aware of it, this actually isn't the first Forever fic I've written. I've been writing them since like the third episode aired, which is unusual for me because I usually want more time to get to know the characters better, but I just loved this show so much that I couldn't wait. The names of the other Forever fics I've posted on this site are Erratic Sensitivities(this one has like 17 chapters I think), Noxious Neckwear, and Over the Top. If they don't turn up in a search I can try to dig up the links for you. I have also written a few non-fetish sick fics that are posted off site that I can link to if you're interested.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't point you toward @Wig_Powder since I think the majority of the Forever fics on this forum were written by the two of us. Some of theirs are called Protective Measures, Wrapped Up, Good Samaritan, and Five Times Henry's Allergies Interfered With a Case, but I could be forgetting some.

Anyway, I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to write more since things are pretty hectic right now, but I think I see a spot in what I've already written where I could break it up again and post another part. I'll try to proofread that and get a part two up soon.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Shayla

[Shay]

Well, it didn't take as long as I thought to edit part two, so enjoy!

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

When Jo exited the shop, she saw Henry leaning against the side of her car still sneezing his head off, though they were coming further apart than they had been inside. He looked terrible. His eyes and nose were both red, swollen, and leaking quite a bit of moisture. "How are you holding up?" she asked as she leaned against the car next to him.

"How do I look like I'm holding up?" he asked bitterly, his words nearly unintelligible from the congestion. He jerked forward sneezing twice, then wiped his nose on his handkerchief. He'd given up trying to blow his nose as his handkerchief was now far too saturated for that.

"Bless you. You don't look like you're holding up very well at all," she answered truthfully.

"That's a vast understatement," Henry replied with a scowl. It was Jo's fault that he was so itchy. It wasn't just his eyes and nose, but his ears, throat, and the roof of his mouth itched quite a bit too. His head and throat were also quite sore from the repetitive sneezing, as were most of the muscles in his torso. He knew that some of the blame lay with him though too. He was a grown man and two hundred years older than she was, and yet he had still let her pressure him into entering that shop against his better judgment. If he was being honest with himself, he had probably only given in so easily so that she wouldn't think less of him. Now all he saw in her eyes was genuine concern rather than the exasperation she had expressed earlier.

Henry rubbed his itchy nose and doubled over sneezing again, wiping both his nose and his eyes after straightening up. "I'm sorry, but there is no way that I'm going to be able to go back in there," he said resolutely. "As you can see, I still can't stop sneezing, and my eyes are watering so much I can barely see anything."
`
"I know, and I'm the one who's sorry. I had no idea that it would be that bad, and it didn't occur to me that your scarf was too thin to offer much protection," Jo apologized. "I promise that in the future I'll take any medical conditions you have more seriously."

"Even if it's something really bizarre?" Henry asked with a slightly amused expression on his face.

Jo narrowed her eyes at Henry. "Why? Do you have a bizarre medical condition?"

"It's a hypothetical question," Henry answered before muffling a sneeze into his handkerchief.

Jo raised an eyebrow noting that his response wasn't exactly a denial. "Fine, I promise that I'll take all of your medical conditions seriously in the future, even if they are really bizarre."

"Thank you, I appreciate that, Jo. I may hold you to that someday," he said solemnly. Henry gasped as the tickling in his nose suddenly flared up and he sneezed forcefully into his handkerchief four times in quick succession. He sniffled, coughed a few times, and moaned softly. "Do you think we might sit in your car? I'm afraid I'm feeling rather lightheaded."

"Of course," said Jo giving him a sympathetic smile. She unlocked the car and they both got in.

"I don't suppose you have any tissues?" Henry asked hopefully. "My handkerchief is quite beyond the point of usefulness now."

"I'm not sure," said Jo. "Check the glove compartment. If I have any, they'll be in there."

Henry opened the glove compartment, and to his dismay, there was only a single travel pack of tissues, which had already been opened and was missing a couple, and a handful of napkins. He sighed as he retrieved the tissues and napkins from the glove compartment. Henry blew his nose repeatedly in the attempt to clear out as much of the congestion as possible, and by the time he'd finished, all of the tissues and most of the napkins were gone. Unfortunately all the blowing had irritated his nose enough to send him into another sneezing fit. After several more violent sneezes, he blew his nose again, more gently this time, and used up the last of the napkins.

Jo frowned. "I guess I'd better get you some more tissues. I think I saw a drug store around the corner on our way here. I'll get you some allergy medicine too while I'm there. What brand do you use?"

"I'm afraid for an attack of this severity, over the counter medications will do little to help," Henry said with a shake of his head. "It would be best for me to just wait until I get back to my home or office where I have my prescription medication stored. However, I wouldn't say no to some ibuprofen for my headache."

"Sure, Henry. Whatever you want," Jo said and gave Henry's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Just try to rest and I'll be back as soon as I can."

Henry nodded, sniffled, and then closed his eyes, hoping that Jo's errand wouldn't take her too long. "I shall eagerly await your return."

Jo got out of the car and walked as quickly as she could to the drug store. It didn't take her long to find everything she needed, and fortunately the store wasn't crowded so she was able to check out fast. It probably only took her about fifteen minutes to get back to Henry, but with the way he was suffering, she imagined it probably felt like a lot longer to him. She had hoped that he would have fallen asleep, but as she approached the car, she saw him in the midst of another sneezing fit. He had gone back to sneezing into his overused handkerchief in the attempt to contain the mess, even if it was no good for blowing his nose any longer. She got into the car just as Henry's sneezing seemed to subside for the moment.

"Ah, Jo, not a moment too soon," Henry said, smiling weakly as he struggled to speak intelligibly through his congestion.

Jo frowned as she looked Henry over. He really didn't look any better than he did when she left, and a part of her thought that maybe she should have gotten him some allergy medicine anyway despite his claims that it wouldn't help. She removed what she had bought from the shopping bag and gathered up the dirty tissues and napkins Henry had used earlier into it as a makeshift trash bag. She then opened up the large box of tissues and handed it to Henry.

"Thank you," said Henry, gratefully taking the box from Jo. "You have no idea how desperately I needed these." He quickly pulled a few tissues from the box as the tickling in his nose suddenly flared up and sneezed into them three times in rapid succession.

"Bless you. I think I have a pretty good idea." Jo sighed as Henry blew his nose repeatedly. "Without your prescription pills, how long would it take for this allergy attack to work itself out?"

"I'm not sure, perhaps hours. Unfortunately, my nose is extremely sensitive right now, and it feels like just breathing wrong is enough to set me off," Henry explained with a sniffle. "It's also possible that some of the scent from the flowers was by absorbed by our clothing, though I'm too blocked up right now to be able to tell."

"Yeah I don't smell anything," said Jo, "but my sense of smell was never as good as yours to begin with."

Henry nodded at her. Then, feeling another prickle in his nose, he doubled over sneezing several times into a fresh wad of tissues. The last sneeze of the fit was particularly forceful, and he let out a small yelp afterward before coughing quite a few times. Henry sniffled and wiped his nose before lowering the tissues from his face.

Jo couldn't help but notice that there were some bright red flecks of blood on the tissues, and when she looked at his face she saw that his lips were tinged with blood as well. "Henry, you're coughing up blood! I need to get you to the hospital!" she shouted starting to panic. Her panic was replaced with confusion as Henry started to laugh. "Okay just what the hell is so funny about you coughing up blood?" Jo demanded after Henry's laughter had continued for several seconds.

With great effort, Henry managed to compose himself enough to stop laughing. "I'm not coughing up blood, Jo. I just bit my tongue rather hard with that last sneeze," he explained and stuck his tongue out at her so she could see for herself before he lapsed into laughter again.

"It's not funny," said Jo scowling. Her expression softened when Henry stopped laughing only to have another coughing fit. She handed him the bottle of water she had purchased to swallow the pain medication with.

Henry took small sips from the bottle until he managed to get his cough under control. "Thank you. It seems all of the sneezing has irritated my throat quite a bit," he said, his voice now hoarse as well as congested. He let out a small groan and massaged his temples as he felt his headache growing worse. Jo passed him the bottle of ibuprofen she'd bought. Henry shook a couple of pills from the bottle and swallowed them with a long sip of water. He gave her a puzzled look when she also passed him a small packet of pretzels. "I appreciate the thought, Jo, but do you have any idea how much sodium is in these?" He wasn't sure why he was so concerned though since it wasn't like he had to worry about his health.

"Yeah I know, but there wasn't exactly a ton of food options in the drug store, and that was actually one of the healthier choices. I figured you should have a bit of food to eat with the pills."

"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to eat a few pretzels, and I could probably use a bit of salt to replace what was lost through the allergic tears and other bodily fluids," he said, opening the packet and started to nibble on the pretzels as Jo started the car.

"I think I'm going to take you home," said Jo as she pulled out onto the road. "I don't think you're in any shape to go back to work today."

"I'd like to argue with you," Henry paused to sneeze, "but I believe you may be right. I really don't feel well at all."

"Yeah you've looked better. I really am sorry about all of this," Jo said, feeling a fresh surge of guilt.

Henry rubbed his nose, sneezed twice more, and sighed. "Oh, Jo. I do appreciate that, but not all of the blame lies with you. I honestly didn't know that I was going to react as strongly as I did. If I'd known, I would have been much more firm in my objections. It was also foolish of me to remain in the shop for as long as I did. I should have left after the first sneezing fit rather than trying to tough it out."

Jo nodded. "So we both exercised poor judgment today. For future reference, do you have any other allergies that I should be aware of?"

"Well, I have hay fever in general. If it had been a bit later in the year, I'd be taking my medication on a daily basis and my reaction in the shop wouldn't have been nearly as severe, if there was one at all. This is another reason why I may have appeared to be fine around flowers in the past," Henry explained.

Jo ran a hand over her face in exasperation. "Henry, if you'd just told me that earlier, this whole mess could have been avoided."

"I may perhaps have a tendency to make things more difficult than they need to be," he replied with a weak grin.

"Yeah, no kidding." She winced as Henry doubled over in another harsh sneezing fit. "Bless you. Maybe you should put the seat back and try to take a nap."

"You try taking a nap when you can't stop sneezing for more than a couple of minutes at a time," Henry scoffed after blowing his nose in a fresh handful of tissues. "Perhaps lying down would help my headache though." He reclined the seat as far as it would go, then adjusted his seatbelt so he could turn over to lie on his side facing Jo with the tissue box lying on the seat next to him.

They rode in silence for a little while, save for the sound of Henry's frequent sniffling and sneezing. He had his eyes closed though, and Jo bet that he would have fallen asleep if he could stop sneezing for long enough to do so. When she was stopped at a red light, she glanced over at Henry and saw that he was shivering a bit. "Are you cold, Henry?"

Henry opened his watery eyes and looked up at Jo. "I suppose I'm feeling a touch chilled, but that's really..." he trailed off, grabbed a tissue from the box, and sneezed a forceful triple into it. "the least of my worries right now," he finished.

Jo instinctively reached out and felt Henry's forehead. "You feel kind of warm. I hope you're not getting sick on top of the allergy attack."

"I don't believe so," Henry said with a sniffle. "However, it's not unheard of to develop a low grade fever with an allergic reaction. The ibuprofen I took for my headache should take care of the fever as well once it kicks in."

Jo frowned uncertainly at him, not sure if she really believed that it was only allergies at this point, but only time would tell. She turned her attention back to the road as the light changed and started to drive again.

"I'll be alright, Jo. I just need medication and rest. I'm sure I'll be well enough to go back to work tomorrow." Henry rubbed his nose feeling like he was going to sneeze again, but then the tickle shifted more to his throat and he started coughing. Like before, he was eventually able to get the cough under control by sipping from the water bottle, but now the bottle was mostly empty. What he wouldn't give for a hot cup of tea right now, or even a throat lozenge.

"Yeah I really hope you're all better by tomorrow," said Jo, "because right now you sound like you have a cold from hell."

"I certainly feel like it," Henry agreed. He was starting to cramp up in his current position, so he rolled back over onto his back in the seat and placed the tissue box on his stomach. He closed his eyes again and tried to rest as much as he could, even if it wasn't possible for him to actually fall asleep in his current condition.

He moaned softly and sniffled as the tickle in his nose flared up again. He grabbed a couple of tissues from the box and brought them to his face just in time to catch a small fit of sneezes. They lacked the force that most of his previous sneezes of the day had had, and he'd like to think that this meant that his allergies were starting to calm down on their own, but he knew that this was probably not the case. It was most likely that he was too exhausted to keep sneezing as violently as he had been. His nose was still tickling, and his breath hitched for a few seconds before he sneezed twice more into the tissues. He blew his nose gently and tossed the tissues into the plastic shopping bag.

"Bless you," said Jo. "So once you get home you'll just take your allergy meds, and then soon enough you'll be good as new?"

"It would be lovely if it were that simple. I will most likely need a couple of doses several hours apart before I'm mostly back to normal. The first dose will definitely reduce my symptoms though," Henry explained. "However, I may also require a sinus rinse."

Jo cringed. She wasn't quite sure what a sinus rinse entailed, but it didn't sound at all pleasant. "Well I just hope it helps."

"Thank you, so do I," said Henry with a sigh as he massaged his aching sinuses with one hand.

A few minutes had passed since Henry's last sneezing fit, and Jo wondered if that meant he was improving, but then she heard the sound of soft congested snoring. She glanced over at his sleeping form and suppressed a giggle. Apparently fatigue had won out. With any luck he'd stay asleep until she got him home.

[AngelEyes]

Poor baby! I love the part where he bites his tongue and Jo freaks out cause she thinks he's coughing up blood. LOL

[Elyze]

@Shayla Thanks for posting more of this story already! I'm pretty new here, I think I joined about 3 months ago. One of the first things I searched for when I was validated was Forever so I already found your other fics here. If you would point me in the direction of your other stories I'd love to read those as well. I found @Wig_Powder through a Hornblower fic (also Ioan) and spent many hours over at their LJ reading more more more, also Henry Morgan.

[Shay]

Thanks so much for the continued feedback.

 

@helyzelle Ah, cool. I should have known a dedicated fan would easily search that stuff out.  Here's a link to my other works on AO3(fics/fanart/fanvids) https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kythe42/works

It's mostly Forever stuff, but there's some stuff from a few other fandoms, including some crossovers. I've also got a Jo sick fic on there that I never posted on this site because there really wasn't that much in the way of sneezing. Unfortunately, the entries that have Forever icons and fanart I've made are all broken due to the crap that Photobucket pulled, and I just haven't had the energy to fix everything they broke on AO3 and other sites. The entry linking to my Forever fanvideos is fine though since that's Youtube.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Shayla

[Elyze]

@Shayla That username rings a bell, I've come across it before in my searches. I haven't read much Forever on AO3 yet though. Thanks!

[Shay]

I'm not surprised since I've cross posted some of the same stories from here onto AO3 and fanfiction.net. It's just that I have more stuff on there besides the sneeze fics. There's a lot of good Forever fanfic on those sites, and Forever is one of the few fandoms that I actually seek out non-fetish fanfic for.

[Wig_Powder]

What a lovely surprise to come back to after being away from the forum (and the internet) for awhile! I'm always happy to see Forever fics (or any Ioan fandom based fics), and I completely agree with 2Shy222 that I wouldn't have minded seeing a scene like this in the show. Then again, any scene involving Henry sneezing would have been just fine by me.

And thanks so much for promoting my work as well as yours. It's a very thoughtful gesture, and I deeply appreciate it.

[Shay]

I was actually hoping to post it before you left as a sort of going away present, but I guess I missed you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm currently working on a third chapter, but it's a bit slow going. The first two parts were mostly done ages before I posted them, and I just had a bit of editing to do.

[Wig_Powder]

Take as much time as you need; I've been wrestling with some stories myself this year, so I know exactly how it goes.

[Shay]

Sorry it's taken me such a long time to get this next part out. Health issues and lack of motivation and just life got in the way. That being said, I make no promises about how soon I'll be able to get the next chapter out.

_____________________________

 

For a short time, Henry managed to sleep peacefully. Then, all of a sudden the traffic in front of them stopped moving, and Jo had to hit the breaks hard in order not to crash into the car in front of her.

Henry gasped as he was jolted awake by the sudden stop. He took a moment to catch his breath and let the hammering of his heart settle down. "What happened?"

"Sorry, Henry. It looks like there's a traffic jam up ahead," Jo explained. "It's too bad, you had finally managed to fall asleep."

"How long was I out for?"

"Just a few minutes."

Henry nodded. That explained why he didn't feel at all refreshed. He rubbed at his itchy nose, temporarily staving off another sneezing fit. "How much longer do you think it will take to get me home?"

"I'm sorry, but I honestly have no idea. There's no telling how long this traffic jam will take to clear up. As soon as I can, I'll try to turn off onto another street and hopefully drive around the traffic," Jo promised. It might be awhile before she could even do that though considering that traffic wasn't moving at all at the moment.

Henry groaned, both at Jo's statement, and at the overwhelming tickle in his nose. He quickly grabbed some tissues, inhaled sharply, and sneezed into them several times in rapid succession. He let out another small groan as he blew his nose. "Jo, may I please borrow your gun?"

"What? No!" Jo yelled, taken off-guard by Henry's question.

"Then would you please shoot me yourself and put me out of my misery," Henry pleaded, though not really meaning it.

Jo sighed, shook her head, and smiled sympathetically at Henry. "I know you feel awful, Henry, but I don't think Abe would be too happy with me if I granted that request."

Henry chuckled. "You're right. He'd most likely be quite annoyed." Then again, Abe might actually be thrilled since it would lead to Jo learning about his immortality.

Jo rolled her eyes and laughed, then turned her attention back to the road as traffic started moving again, albeit at a crawl. "I could always pistol whip you to knock you out."

Henry shook his head and smiled in amusement before muffling a pair of sneezes into a tissue. "I'm almost tempted to take you up on your offer, though I have a feeling I'd regret it when I come to."

"Yeah, probably," said Jo laughing again. "Maybe some music will help you relax," she said, turning on the radio. "You like jazz, right?" The look Henry gave her was one of pure disgust, and she couldn't help laughing again. "I'm kidding," she assured him before switching the radio to the classical station.

"Thank you," Henry said, closing his eyes. The soft music almost seemed hypnotic in his fatigued state, and it wasn't long before he dozed off again. The next thing he knew, Jo was gently shaking him awake.

"Wake up, Henry. You're home," said Jo. She felt bad for waking him, but she really did need to get back to work.

Henry groaned as all the discomfort he felt before falling asleep came flooding back. "So I am," he said, after glancing out the window. "Thank you for driving me home."

"It was really the least I could do under the circumstances, Jo said with a forced smile, still feeling guilt over what had happened. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore, congested, and itchy," Henry said, rubbing his nose. It didn't feel like he was going to sneeze right away, which was probably a good thing, but it would still be awhile before he was feeling back to normal.

Jo nodded, feeling a wave of sympathy for him. "You'd better go take your meds and get some rest. I really have to get back to work, but I'll check in later to see how you're doing."

Henry chuckled. "I appreciate that, Jo, but I'll be fine," he assured her as he got out of the car.

"For my own peace of mind then, and don't pretend you wouldn't do the same thing if I wasn't feeling well," Jo said, practically daring him to contradict her.

"Very well," Henry said with a smile and shake of his head. "I'll expect your call this evening." With that, he closed the car door and gave Jo a small wave before heading to the shop door.

He was surprised to find the shop closed, and had to fish his keys from his pocket to let himself in. There was no sign of Abe in the shop, so he made his way up to the apartment and finally found Abe in the kitchen.

"Oh good, you're home," Abe said when Henry entered the room. "I could really use your help with..." he trailed off once he got a good look at Henry. "What happened? You were fine when you left."

Henry held up a finger to signal that he needed a moment. The itch in his nose that had been teasing him for the last few minutes decided that it finally wanted out. He'd carelessly left the tissues in Jo's car, so he was forced to sneeze into his arm. After sneezing a second time, he lifted his head with a sniffle. "Flowers, too many flowers," he said, rubbing his nose.

"Bless you," Abe said, wincing in sympathy. "Wedding crime scene?"

"Worse, a flower shop," Henry said, rubbing his nose again. Just remembering it made his nose itch. "It was a complete disaster and I was forced to leave before I'd even finished examining the body."

"I can imagine," Abe said with a frown, knowing how bad his father's allergies could get. "And you didn't take something before you went because...?"

"I didn't know what sort of crime scene it was until we'd arrived," Henry explained. "And you can spare me the lecture. I realize it was foolish to go ahead with it, but in my defense, I didn't anticipate having as severe a reaction as I did. Now what was it you needed help with?" he asked, trying to take the focus off of himself.

"I managed to cut myself opening a box," Abe said, holding up a bandaged hand. "I cleaned it up the best I could, but I think I need stitches. I was going to go to urgent care, but you can save me the trip if you're feeling up to it."

Henry sighed. All he wanted to do crawl into bed with some antihistamines, but his son came first. "Alright, let's sit down at the table, and I'll take a look."

Abe nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table. Henry joined him after washing his hands and gently peeled back the bandage on Abe's hand. "The cut doesn't look too deep," Henry said after taking a moment to examine Abe's hand, "but I think it will need a few stitches. You'll probably have a bit of a scar."

Abe shrugged. "What's another scar at my age?"

Feeling the itch in his nose spike, Henry quickly turned away from Abe and muffled a rapid fire fit into his arm. "If you don't mind waiting half an hour, I'd like to take a shower and some medicine first," he said, wincing as the congestion in his voice seemed to be getting worse.

"That's fine," said Abe. "In fact I insist on it. I'd rather you didn't sneeze while trying to stitch me up."

"I'll certainly endeavor to do my best," said Henry, knowing that the medication probably wouldn't be enough to completely stop his sneezing. He re-bandaged Abe's hand before getting up from the table. "I'll be back as quickly as I can."

Once Henry had left, Abe began to make lunch, thankfully unimpeded by his injured hand. About fifteen minutes later, the sound of running water from the shower stopped, and was immediately replaced by the sound of loud repetitive sneezing.

Abe made his way upstairs and found Henry perched on the edge of his bed in a robe with a towel draped over his shoulders and his nose buried in a handkerchief. He winced as Henry let out three harsh sneezes in rapid succession. "I can see the shower did wonders for clearing your head," he said dryly.

Henry groaned and blew his nose. "I think I got water up my nose," he said, his voice thick with congestion. In truth, he suspected his shampoo, but didn't want to worry Abe. The mild scent didn't normally bother him, but it seemed like everything was setting off his nose in its current hypersensitive state. If he was right, things would settle down once the scent faded.

"Right..." Abe said, not sure whether or not he believed Henry's explanation. He reached out and placed his non-injured hand on Henry's still damp forehead. "Are you sure this is just allergies?" he asked, noting that Henry felt warmer than normal.

"I just took a hot shower," Henry said, rolling his eyes. "If you still think I feel feverish in an hour, I'll take my temperature."

"Alright, fair enough," Abe said, removing his hand. "I'll just wait for you downstairs then."

Once Abe was gone, Henry finished drying off, pausing here and there to sneeze again. He debated whether or not to get dressed. He knew that changing into a pair of pajamas would only serve to worry Abe further, but he did plan on taking a nap once he'd finished stitching up Abe's hand. He also doubted he'd be leaving the house again today, so finally, he settled on a pair of pajamas.

Abe raised an eyebrow when Henry entered the kitchen wearing a robe over his pajamas with slippers on his feet. "Couldn't find a pair of scrubs?" he asked dryly.

Henry merely rolled his eyes in response as he set his medical bag down on the kitchen table. "I'll get started once I've washed my hands," he said, going over to the sink.

Once Henry's hands were washed and dried, he sat down next to Abe at the table and began pulling supplies out of his medical bag. Abe winced when Henry washed the cut out with alcohol. "I know it's unpleasant, but the worst will be over once I've given you a local anesthetic," he said, trying to reassure his son, even though he knew Abe had certainly had his share of wounds sewn up in his life.

"That is the worst part," Abe agreed, bracing himself for the injection.

Henry made quick work of injecting Abe's hand with the numbing agent, and not a moment too soon, since his nose decided to start itching again. He turned away from Abe as he buried his face in his handkerchief. His breath hitched a few times as the itch grew in intensity before he finally doubled over, sneezing three times in rapid succession.

"Excuse me," Henry said, then gave his nose a good blow. "We'll give the anesthetic a couple of minutes to kick in, and then I'll stitch you up."

"Are you absolutely sure you're up for doing this?" Abe asked, looking his father over to try to see if he could gauge just how bad he was feeling.

"I'm sure," Henry said, the confidence in his voice somewhat marred by his congestion. "I'll put a mask on as a precaution, and I promise to set the needle down if I feel another sneeze coming on. Besides, if you go to the clinic, the anesthetic will probably wear off by the time they get to you, and then you'll need another injection."

"Good point," said Abe. "Even if you're not feeling your best, you'll probably still do a better job than whoever's down at the urgent care clinic."

Henry chuckled, appreciating his son's confidence in his skills. He washed his hands once more before putting on a mask. After waiting another minute, Henry gently prodded the area around Abe's wound. "Can you feel anything?"

Abe shook his head. "I can feel a bit of pressure, but nothing else."

"Good. I can get started then," Henry said, threading a needle. He worked slowly and carefully, only pausing once to sneeze, and was finished after about ten minutes. He then cut the thread and re-bandaged Abe's hand. "I trust you don't need a lecture about keeping it clean and dry?"

Abe rolled his eyes. "I think I can handle it. Are you hungry?" he asked, gesturing to the sandwiches on the table that he'd made while Henry was in the shower.

Henry sighed as he removed his mask and packed up his medical bag. He didn't have much of an appetite, but knew Abe would worry if he didn't eat. "A little. Would you mind terribly if I ate upstairs? I'd like to take a nap as soon as I'm done eating."

Abe nodded in sympathy knowing that he'd want a nap too if he'd had a day like his father had. "Go ahead. Call me if you need anything," he said, hoping that he hadn't sounded too overly worried. He still had a feeling that something more than allergies was going on, but he'd have to be patient to see how things progressed.

"I will," Henry assured him, grabbing his medical bag and one of the sandwich plates before heading up to his room.

Edited March 26, 2018 by Shay

[AngelEyes]

Squeeeee!!!!! Henry's back!!! So happy to see an update!

58 minutes ago, Shay said:

Jo sighed, shook her head, and smiled sympathetically at Henry. "I know you feel awful, Henry, but I don't think Abe would be too happy with me if I granted that request."

Henry chuckled. "You're right. He'd most likely be quite annoyed." Then again, Abe might actually be thrilled since it would lead to Jo learning about his immortality.

LOL

 

59 minutes ago, Shay said:

"That's fine," said Abe. "In fact I insist on it. I'd rather you didn't sneeze while trying to stitch me up."

Great job with Abe. You've totally got his dry sense of humor.

 

1 hour ago, Shay said:

Henry sighed as he removed his mask and packed up his medical bag. He didn't have much of an appetite, but knew Abe would worry if he didn't eat. "A little. Would you mind terribly if I ate upstairs? I'd like to take a nap as soon as I'm done eating."

Abe nodded in sympathy knowing that he'd want a nap too if he'd had a day like his father had. "Go ahead. Call me if you need anything," he said, hoping that he hadn't sounded too overly worried. He still had a feeling that something more than allergies was going on, but he'd have to be patient to see how things progressed.

You have their relationship totally pegged. I love it!

[Wig_Powder]

1 hour ago, Shay said:

Abe made his way upstairs and found Henry perched on the edge of his bed in a robe with a towel draped over his shoulders and his nose buried in a handkerchief.

Mmm, now that's a beautiful mental image.

Curious to see where this goes! Though take all the time you need to continue it; I know what it's like to lack time or inspiration.

[Elyze]

I'm so happy this fic continues!

8 hours ago, Shay said:

"Bless you," Abe said, wincing in sympathy. "Wedding crime scene?"

"Worse, a flower shop," Henry said, rubbing his nose again. 

Cute. So many possibilities for flowery crime scenes...

8 hours ago, Shay said:

"Even if you're not feeling your best, you'll probably still do a better job than whoever's down at the urgent care clinic."

Well, there are very few doctors out there with the experience Henry has so I'm sure that is true.

8 hours ago, Shay said:

He still had a feeling that something more than allergies was going on, but he'd have to be patient to see how things progressed.

Oh? Interesting, I need to know more

[groundcontrol]

Another wonderful addition, thank you!! Am I totally horrible for hoping that there is, in fact, something more than allergies going on?  Can't wait to see where it goes from here, and I love that this was continued!

[Shay]

Thanks so much everyone for all the lovely comments. Again, I have no clue how long the next chapter will take, but here's a bit of a teaser for you.

---------

"You're burning up, Dad," Abe said softly, after feeling Henry's forehead.

"No I'm not. I'm just tired," Henry grumbled, pulling his blanket more tightly around him.

Abe raised an eyebrow. "You do realize those things aren't mutually exclusive?" he said, his concern growing by the minute. "I'm going to get the thermometer."

[AngelEyes]

2 hours ago, Shay said:

Abe raised an eyebrow. "You do realize those things aren't mutually exclusive?"

LOL!

[groundcontrol]

Oh, and what a teaser that was!! Super excited for this next part  Thanks for posting

[Thatonestranger]

I absolutely love this story!  I can’t wait for the next part!  I just finished watching the series and I can’t believe there’s not a second season!

[Shay]

I know. I'm still heartbroken over the cancellation. Though, the show creator did share a lot of his plans for season 2 in interviews and I hated most of them, so maybe it was for the best. On the other hand, maybe it would have been better than nothing, but it's hard to say for sure.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading and commenting. The next chapter is coming along, albeit slowly.

[Elyze]

35 minutes ago, Shay said:

Though, the show creator did share a lot of his plans for season 2 in interviews and I hated most of them, so maybe it was for the best.

I never saw those interviews, what did they have planned? I was so sure they were going to continue the series I didn't go looking for anything, I wanted it all to be a surprise. But I got the wrong surprise when they cancelled it!