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Jinx is never sick. Or at least, that’s what she claims. But when she drags herself into The Last Drop looking pale, sniffling, and barely able to lift her gun, even Silco has to admit something’s wrong.
Sevika notices first, watching from her usual corner as Jinx sways on her feet mid-sentence, trudging to the stool before an apprehensive Thieram to sit down. She doesn’t say anything—just rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, and waits for the inevitable crash.
Jinx coughs violently into her arm, spittle flying from her lips.
It takes everything in the bartender, Thieram, not to recoil in disgust lest getting a scolding from Silco and mean glare from Sevika.
“Ugh,” she groans, voice rough. “I think I’m dyin’.”
“You’ll live.”
Jinx whines, clearly hoping for more sympathy. When it doesn’t come, she turns to Silco instead, blinking dramatically.
“You wouldn’t let me die, would ya, Silly?”
“Not on my watch,” Silco answers, not skipping a beat as he comes to sit on the stool beside her.
But the longer Jinx struggles to sit upright, the more obvious it is—she’s actually sick.
And the moment she collapses mid-sentence, Silco knew this was serious.
See, Silco doesn’t do “sick days”. As far as he’s concerned, Jinx is a force of nature, too volatile to be taken down by something as mundane as a fever. But now that she’s burning up and barely conscious, he’s forced to confront an uncomfortable reality: he has no idea how to take care of a sick girl.
“Well I’m not going to keep taking over for you when she’s sick. It’s time for you to be more than just a ‘sugar daddy’,” Sevika sneers at the last part.
Silco sighs. She was right. He was always good at keeping up with her education and fostering what he felt was good habits. But feminine hygiene? Sick days? The latter came rarely but Sevika was always better at catching it early, plus the girl always recovered quickly; even moreso with the Shimmer now.
“Put the back of your hand to her forehead,” she directs.
Silco, not normally one to take orders, puts his pride aside and does so, noting the small sigh that left her rosy lips.
“She’s got a fever,” Silco mutters, pressing a hand to Jinx’s forehead. “Needs rest.”
“She needs to stop being dramatic,” Sevika corrects, though there’s tension in her voice. “Rest is a luxury.”
Sevika and the goons worked tirelessly day and night, always working at Silco’s beck and call and cleaning up Jinx’s messes. Would it really kill him to give Jinx any type of mild inconvenience for once?
Silco gives her a knowing look in response. She knows it’s bad regardless.
The woman groans, rolling her eyes and draping her old shawl over Jinx’s prone form.
“Mm, smells like ogre. That you, Sevika?” the youth hums, eyes still closed.
“I’m trying to help you, kid. You’d do well to keep quiet,” she huffs before gently scooping the other up in her arms.
Jinx groans childishly but buries her head into Sevika’s bosom as they both head up to Silco’s office.
Jinx is bundled up in one of Silco’s too-expensive armchairs, wrapped in Sevika’s old shawl like a burrito. She dozes in and out, mumbling nonsense in her sleep, occasionally waking just long enough to demand things.
“Water,” she rasps.
Silco hands her a glass. She glares. “No, the good water.”
Sevika snorts. “What, you want Freljord-imported mineral water?”
“Maybe.”
She pinches the bridge of his nose. “You’re delirious.”
“Freljord-imported water is what she shall have then,” Silco turns to Sevika.
“…You’re kidding right?”
“They sell them in Piltover. I’ll give you the momey for it.”
Sevika stares at him, unimpressed. "You want me to go topside. In broad daylight. For some fancy water?"
Silco raises a brow, utterly unfazed. "I thought you liked a challenge."
She scoffs, crossing her arms. "I like a worthwhile challenge."
From the chair, Jinx lets out a weak, pitiful sigh, rolling her head dramatically to the side. "Guess I’ll just die thirsty..."
Silco rubs his temples. "You’re not dying, Jinx."
"Could be," she croaks.
Sevika exhales sharply, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. I’ll go. But before I do—" She levels Silco with a look. "You are giving her medicine."
Silco frowns. "She doesn’t need it."
Sevika gestures at Jinx, who is currently making a game of trying to balance her own fingers on her nose, eyes unfocused. "Yeah? She looks real healthy to me."
Silco grimaces. He doesn’t like being told what to do. But he also doesn’t like how feverish Jinx looks, so he doesn't argue.
Sevika, satisfied, pulls a small vial from her pocket and tosses it to him. "Half a dose. She hates the taste, so good luck with that."
Silco turns the vial in his fingers. "And if she refuses?"
"Figure it out." Sevika smirks. "You’re a master manipulator, aren’t you?"
Jinx lets out a weak laugh. "Yeah, Silco. Manipulate me."
He shoots her a dry look. "Go back to sleep."
She hums, already dozing off again.
Sevika pulls on her coat and heads for the door. "I’ll be back. Try not to let her set anything on fire while I’m gone."
Silco watches her go, then turns his attention back to the vial.
Half a dose. She hates the taste.
Simple enough.
Or so he thinks—until Jinx wakes up and takes one look at the medicine in his hand.
Her nose wrinkles. "No way in hell."
Silco pinches the bridge of his nose. "Jinx."
"Nope."
He exhales slowly, patience thinning. "It’s a simple dose of medicine."
"Nope."
"It will help."
"Nuh-uh."
"Jinx."
She pouts, wrapping the shawl tighter around herself like a fortress. "It’s gross."
Silco glances at the vial, rolling it between his fingers. "You drink questionable chemicals daily. What makes this any worse?"
"Those taste fun." She glares at the medicine as if it personally offended her. "That tastes like feet."
Silco gives her a flat look. "And when, exactly, have you tasted feet?"
She smirks sleepily. "You don’t wanna know, boss."
He sighs. He doesn’t have time for this. If Sevika were here, she’d probably strong-arm Jinx into taking it, but Silco has his own methods.
His eyes flick toward the desk, where a small tin of sweets sits. An idea forms.
He plucks one from the tin—a wrapped caramel, her favorite—and holds it up. "Take the medicine, and you get this."
Jinx narrows her eyes. "Bribery?"
"Negotiation."
She squints at him, then at the caramel, then back at him. He can see the internal battle playing out in real time.
Finally, she huffs. "Fine. But I better not taste it."
Silco arches a brow. "You will."
She groans dramatically, flopping further into the chair. "Ugh. Just give it to me before I change my mind."
He uncorks the vial and hands it over. Jinx eyes it with deep suspicion before tipping it back in one go.
A pause.
Then her entire body shudders.
"Blegh!" She sticks out her tongue, shaking like a wet cat. "That’s disgusting!"
Silco wordlessly hands her the caramel. She snatches it up, immediately unwrapping it and shoving it into her mouth.
She chews, eyes fluttering shut in relief. "Okay. Okay. That’s better."
Silco shakes his head, amused despite himself. "Drama queen."
She cracks an eye open. "Your drama queen."
He doesn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, he adjusts the shawl around her shoulders, ensuring she’s properly wrapped up.
Jinx hums, the caramel still in her mouth. "You’re not so bad at this, y’know."
Silco stills for a fraction of a second, but recovers quickly. "At what?"
She yawns, nestling deeper into the chair. "Taking care of me."
Something tugs in his chest. He doesn’t like the feeling.
"You should rest," he says instead.
Jinx, already half-asleep, mumbles something unintelligible and drifts off.
Silco watches her for a moment, then exhales, leaning back in his chair.
For someone so dangerous, she looks terribly small like this.
He doesn’t like that feeling either.
Sevika returns to the office with two 6-packs of water in a glass and sets them both down on the large desk, rousing both Jinx and Silco from their sleep.
“Your Freljord-imported water is here,” she mocks before breaking open the seal and handing a crisp bottle over to Silco who then taps Jinx with the butt of it.
“Ngh, water? Mmm,” she sits up with a cat-like grin and grabs it from him before taking a big swig from the bottle.
Sevika watches as Jinx guzzles the water like she’s been stranded in the Shuriman desert. "You better savor that. Cost me a damn headache to get it."
Jinx lowers the bottle, gasping dramatically for air. "Tastes like ice and luxury," she sighs, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
Silco shakes his head. "You’ll have to let me know if it cures fevers too."
Jinx sticks her tongue out at him before taking another sip. "Better than that nasty medicine at least."
Sevika snorts, plopping into a chair with a groan. "Speaking of—she take it?"
"With great reluctance," Silco says, eyeing Jinx.
Sevika smirks. "Bribed her with candy, didn’t you?"
Jinx grins, flashing caramel-stained teeth. "He’s learning."
Silco exhales, resting his chin on his knuckles. "If that’s what you want to call it."
Sevika leans back, satisfied. "Good. Maybe next time, you can be the one running errands while I stay here and play nursemaid."
Silco gives her a dry look. "Don’t get ahead of yourself."
Jinx, now halfway through her water bottle, suddenly sets it down and stretches with a yawn. "So, am I, like...off-duty ‘til I’m better?"
Sevika raises a brow. "You’re sick, not retired."
Jinx groans, flopping back against the chair dramatically. "Ughhh. But I hate being sick."
"You hate being still," Silco corrects.
She pouts but doesn’t argue.
Sevika, still watching, shakes her head. "Try to sleep, kid. You’ll bounce back faster."
Jinx hums in consideration, then suddenly turns to Silco, eyes wide and pleading. "Will you tell me a story?"
Silco blinks, caught off guard. "A story?"
"Yeah, y’know, like when I was little," she says, snuggling deeper into the shawl. "I’m sick. I need entertainment."
Sevika smirks, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Go on, ‘sugar daddy’. Entertain the kid."
Silco shoots her a sharp glare but sighs, rubbing his temple. He thinks for a moment, then settles back in his chair with a ghost of a smirk.
"Fine. But only one."
Jinx grins, looking far too pleased.
Sevika shakes her head with a chuckle, leaning back to watch the show.
Silco starts: “Once upon a time, there was a stubborn little girl who caught a fever but refused to sleep. And so, her ever-patient guardian—"
"That’s you."
"Yes, thank you, Jinx. Her ever-patient guardian tried everything—bribery, reason, threats of defenestration—yet she persisted in her nonsense."
Sevika snorts. "Persisted in her nonsense—"
Silco ignores her. "And in the end, he realized there was only one way to get some peace."
Jinx tilts her head. "What’d he do?"
"He drugged her tea."
Jinx pauses, eyes narrowing. "…You wouldn’t."
Silco simply steeples his fingers, expression unreadable.
Jinx suddenly sits up, gripping her water bottle with suspicion. "Wait—is this—?"
Sevika outright laughs. "Relax, kid. If he really wanted you unconscious, you’d already be snoring. Besides, you’re drinking bottled water,” she adds with a shrug.
Jinx glares between them both, then takes a cautious sip anyway, just in case.
Silco exhales. "And now, this foolish girl—who has wasted enough of her energy—will finally go to sleep."
Jinx groans but sinks back into the chair, grumbling under her breath. "Y’know, if I was poisoned, that’d be a really dramatic way to go..."
Sevika shakes her head with a smirk. "Good night, Jinx,” she rises to her feet and stretches, ready either to turn in for the night or do some night patrol.
Jinx lets out a tired huff. "Fine. But if I wake up dead, I’m haunting both of you."
Silco gives her an unimpressed look. "Duly noted."
She nestles deeper into the chair, eyelids already drooping. Within minutes, she’s out, breathing softly.
Silco watches her for a moment before exhaling and leaning back in his chair.
Sevika smirks. "See? Not so bad at this whole parenting thing."
Silco doesn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, he merely adjusts Jinx’s shawl again and closes his eyes.
It’s been a long night.
And, he suspects, a long morning ahead of him.
If Jinx is bad when she's sick, she's worse when she starts to feel slightly better.
One minute, she's a lump under the patchy blanket, mumbling incoherently in her sleep. The next, she's dramatically whining about the temperature.
"Too hot," she groans.
Silco pulls the coat off.
"Too cold."
Silco throws it back on.
“…Too hot."
Silco exhales sharply through his nose. "Jinx."
"Too cold," she whines again, wiggling deeper under the shawl.
Silco massages his temples. "You are insufferable."
Jinx sniffs, her voice hoarse but full of faux misery. "You wouldn't talk to me like that if I were dying."
"If you were dying, I wouldn’t have to listen to this," he counters flatly.
Sevika, freshly returned with a steaming cup of something strong-smelling, snorts as she leans against the desk. "She’s feeling better, alright."
Jinx flops dramatically onto her side. "I am better. Basically cured. Fully operational and ready to cause trouble!”
Silco levels her with a look. "You collapsed yesterday."
"Yeah, well, that was yesterday." She sits up slightly, only to immediately wobble and drop back down with a groan. "Ughhh."
Sevika smirks. "Y’know, you could just stay put and rest like a normal person."
"Could," Jinx mumbles into the blanket. "Won’t."
Silco exhales sharply, standing. "Sevika, if she gets up, break her legs."
She gasps, scandalized. "You wouldn’t."
Sevika crosses her arms. "I would."
Jinx pouts but stays put, eyes darting between them like a cornered animal. "This is abuse."
"Welcome to caretaking," Silco mutters, taking the drink from Sevika’s hand and settling into his chair.
Jinx huffs but doesn’t argue. Instead, she burrows deeper into the blanket and mumbles something about "dictatorships" before closing her eyes again.
Sevika smirks, watching as Silco finally takes a sip of his drink. "So. You survive your first sick day?"
Silco exhales, setting the cup down. "Barely."
Sevika chuckles. "Welcome to the real work, boss."