Work Text:
Chuck Vs. The Nocturnal Emission
by Lopaka Tanu
It began with a sniff. Nose twitching, Chuck shifted in his bed. Something tickled his nostrils and he groaned. When that didn't drive it away, he rolled over and buried his face in the pillow.
That only worked for a few moments.
This time when he smelled it, his eyes instantly flew open. Blood shot and itching from lack of sleep, he blinked them to clear away the pain. When he took a quick breath he finished with a gag. The stink was so strong that it burned his nostrils. Chuck brought a hand to his face to cover his mouth and nose.
Instantly awake, he pushed up from his bed. He peered about his room for the source of the stench. There was no where it was stronger than the rest. No where was free of the funky oder either. The stink seemed to have permeated every square inch of his room.
Feeling his stomach begin to roil, he staggered for the door. Opening it turned out to be a big mistake. Eyes wide, he ran for the bathroom. He almost didn't make it to the toilet before losing last night's dinner.
That was how Ellie found him a few minutes later. Back arching, he hugged the toilet for dear life. He could see her silhouette out of the corner of his eye, but was too busy to acknowledge her. Not that it mattered at the moment.
Standing in the doorway, she gently rocked the baby on her hip. "What's the matter, Chuck? Do you think it's last night's dinner?" Her voice carried a hint of worry.
He could only shake his head in denial before it hit him again. The stink overwhelmed his senses and he was drowning in the urge to vomit. Eyes fluttering from the effort of his guts trying to flee his mouth, he felt exhausted. His stomach seized twice more before he realized there was nothing more coming up. Satisfied it was okay, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
The toilet seat lid came down with a satisfying thunk. Curling up beside the shower stall, he flushed. He laid back against the glass while the water and puke sucked down the drain. The smell was still there, but his body no longer wanted to react violently.
In the mean time, Ellie had moved in closer. She still stood a few feet away, but she was bent over to look at him.
He knew that it was because of the baby. If he was sick, she didn't want the baby to catch it if she could help it. She was a good mom like that. Shaking his head, he dropped it back against the cool tile. "It's something awful, Ellie. I think the sewers might have backed up." Just thinking about it made his stomach clench and he burped.
She grimaced. Shifting the baby higher up on her hip, she frowned at him. "Actually, I believe I know what it is. It's not the sewers."
Stunned, Chuck looked at her expression. Then he followed her line of sight to the baby. "Jacky?" For the first time he noticed the baby was in only a diaper. He looked wet as if he had just been bathed.
"Yeah. Apparently strained peas are not good for his little tummy." She ran a finger over her son's stomach and he smiled up at her. "Devon's gone out to get him something to settle his stomach." Ellie sucked in a quick breath between her teeth. Eyes flaring wide, she tilted her head. "It was really bad. I'm not surprised you had such a strong reaction just walking past our door."
This time he stared at her incredulously. "Are you kidding? I was in my room. He woke me up!"
"Really?" She frowned, then looked back at her grinning son. "Wow, that's some powerful sh...poopoo."
Stomach grumbling, Chuck clenched his eyes shut.
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