In such cases, "borrow" doesn't fit, as it implies intent to return, nor does "steal", which indicates lack of permission. "take" seems too general.
As a concrete example: "Hey, can I [verb] some painkillers?"
Learn English – Word for “take with permission but no intention of returning”
single-word-requests
Best Answer
As Andrew writes in his comment, the most natural choice would probably be have. I’m not sure why you think take is too general, either: it accurately describes what happens.
Another option you might consider, though it is quite colloquial, would be snatch:
Snatch usually means ‘steal’, but it is frequently used in colloquial speech to refer to taking something (with no intention of giving it back), but without any reference to whether you’ve obtained permission or not.
Of course, in the context of your example, logic and normal expectations would override almost any verb, and even borrow could be used without anyone think that the headache-ridden would ever intend or be expected to actually give back the painkillers after they’d passed through his system.