It’s that time of the year to be thankful and giving, so I’ve compiled a list of some of my very favorite sickfics on AO3 and other platforms.  So please read, enjoy, and create a rec list of your own (and tag me so I can enjoy the spoils).

Note: I will try to make any trigger warnings clear in the summaries, but please know that I’m very unphased by stuff.  These stories might not be very appealing to anyone but me.  I think it also goes without saying that all of these are emeto.

Second note:  I did not write any of these!  I’m just a happy reader here, sharing some of my faves with my friends.  All authors are credited, and I thank them very much for posting their work.

two basic motivating forces by sxldato 

(@sxldati here on Tumblr. Follow them if you aren’t already—you won’t be disappointed! They write for Captain America, too.)

Fandom: Supernatural

Summary: Sam’s ill and panicking while he and Dean are working a job.  After several rounds of anxiety and vomiting, Dean gets him back on the right track.

Laur’s notes:  (I know I fan Judah a lot, but they’re awesome and totally deserve it.)  I think this story has it all: a great setup as a casefic, plenty of emeto, and a perfect amount of angst to round it out.  I find Sam and Dean incredibly true to character, but just slightly amplified to make it all work.  Plus, the writing is superb.

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Time Out by ratherastory

Fandom: Supernatural

Summary: Sam has an awful migraine accompanied by visions of Dean killing himself.  Dean attempts to get Sam feeling better, then talk about what’s really bothering him.

Laur’s notes:  I think I may have found this one before I started watching Supernatural.  The descriptions of migraine pain are relatable, and then the angst ties it nicely into the whole package for me.

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Secrets, Lies, and Guinness Pies by there goes my gun

Fandom: Harry Potter

Summary: After Sirius dies, Lupin breaks down, taking Harry and others with him.  This is a great mix of whump (emeto) and angst, all set across a background of binge drinking and shared grief.

Laur’s notes: This is the first sickfic that I absolutely fell in love with, and it’s probably the one that set me on my preferred path of angsty vomit writing.  This fic has been around since ’04, and I probably found it in about ’06.  I was 13, and this fic is definitely too mature for most folks that age.

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Christmas Dinner by solrosan

Fandom: Sherlock (BBC)

Summary: Sherlock’s been suffering an eating disorder, and the aftermath of Mrs. Hudson’s Christmas dinner is painful for both Sherlock and John.  Another absolutely brilliant whump+angst fic.

Laur’s notes: This one gets a little into Sherlock’s ED brain, but it’s 100% food-centric, not body-centric.  The description of nausea into vomiting (natural, then induced) is perfect.  On top of Sherlock’s physical illness, he and John are both highly emotional and raw, which makes this story great for trash like me.

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Translation of Languages Murdock by shyday

Fandom: Daredevil (Netflix Marvel)

Summary: Matt has the be-all-end-all of migraines and is oversensitive to everything.  Foggy comes by to help out, and Matt continues to be a miserable, sick mess.

Laur’s notes: Shyday is one of the most excellent writers I’ve ever read, and definitely my favorite for all things Daredevil.  The descriptions of how Matt navigates illness are full of amusing metaphors, yet absolutely serious and spot-on.

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Syncope (Thanksgiving Remix) by shyday

Fandom: Daredevil (Netflix Marvel)

Summary: Back during the law school days, Foggy takes Matt home for Thanksgiving break, and Matt’s down with a migraine during the festivities.

Laur’s notes: This one is all from Foggy’s perspective, so everything is quite external compared to Translations as very internal.  The descriptions of how Matt looks while battling his pain are very vivid and engaging.

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G.I. Joes and 2AM Diners by OhCaptainMyCaptain

Fandom: Captain America MCU (NOTE: this fic is AU)

Summary: The slow burn of all slow burns, Steve and Bucky initially meet as kids in the early 1990s and become best friends.  They grow up and apart, then unexpectedly meet again as adults.  Bucky’s been to war, Steve’s faced his own challenges, and now it’s a test to see if they can be in each other’s lives again.

Laur’s notes:  This is fucking long.  There’s also no puke outside the first chapter (and it’s kid puke).  However, there are beautiful descriptions of physical discomfort/feeling ill in uncomfortable emotional situations, and these are amazing.  All 100K+ words are worth it.  There is smut at the end.

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Dancing in the Dark by mohini

Fandom: Captain America MCU (NOTE: this fic is AU)

Summary: After coming home from the war, Bucky’s not himself, and he’s turning to alcohol to cope.  Steve’s there to assist.