turned on the shower. “Let me rinse off and I’ll be out in a sec.”
She spent the rest of her free time in the morning cuddled on the couch in her bathrobe with her laptop. She watched an episode of sitcom from her childhood that greatly improved her mood.
Jess was about to leave for work when she stopped by the door. “Hey, you should go check and see if Emma’s all right. Usually she’s up and ready to go by now. There’s not a huge hurry, but you should probably wake her up.”
“I’ll go check on her. Have a great day at work.”
Jess rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’ll try. See you tonight.”
Ivy walked down the hall to Emma’s room. The door was covered in stickers of pink butterflies, kittens, and rabbits –Emma’s favorite animals.
She gave the door a good knock.
“Em! Time to get up and get ready for school.”
When there was no response, Ivy opened the door a crack and peeked in. Emma was curled up on the bed, breathing softly, still deeply asleep.
“Hey,” Ivy said quietly as she walked into the room. “Time to wake up.” She leaned down to give Emma a gentle touch on the shoulder to wake her up.
When the girl still didn’t open her eyes, Ivy pressed the back of her hand against her forehead. Emma’s skin was clammy and burning hot.
Ivy began to panic almost immediately. She had no idea what to do. I should probably call Jess, she thought.
The phone rang several times before the answering machine picked up.
“Hey Jess, I think Emma’s really sick. Um. Just thought you should know. Let me know when you get this message. Oh yeah. What should I do? Should I give her fever medicine? Yeah. So. Call me back.”
A few moments after Ivy hung up the phone, Emma’s eyes fluttered open.
“Emma! You’re awake. How are you feeling, sweetie?”
The little girl sat up slowly. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes a little glassy. “I don’t feel good, Auntie.”
“Okay. Okay.” Ivy took a few deep breaths. “I’ll call your school and tell them you won’t be able to come in today.”
Emma nodded. “Okay,” she said, her voice small.
“Want me to make you some breakfast?”
The girl shook her head. “I’m not hungry. I’m just sleepy.”
“Okay. Go back to sleep, all right? When you’re hungry just let me know.”
Emma curled back up under the covers.
Ivy didn’t spend much of the next few hours doing anything for herself. She checked on Emma every half hour or so and spent the rest of the morning checking the internet for what to do when a little kid had a fever. She had never been in this situation before.
Jess called back around eleven.
“Just let her sleep,” she said, not sounding as worried as Ivy thought she would. “There’s some fever reducer for kids in the cupboard if she complains of feeling really sick. Otherwise, let her sleep and make sure there’s water by her bed all the time if she needs it. I’ll try to come home early if I can. I’m super glad you’re there, Ivy.”
Around twenty minutes later Emma wandered out of her room into the living room while Ivy was making herself some lunch.
“I’m hungry,” she said plaintively.
“Go sit on the couch and I’ll make you something. Do you want soup?”
Emma nodded. “Soup please.”
Ivy heated up some chicken soup for her and gave her a little bowl after it had cooled down. She nibbled at the sandwich she had made for herself but wasn’t too worried to be very hungry.
A few minutes after eating the chicken soup Emma looked a little queasy. Without any other warning, she threw up the entirety of her lunch on the living room floor. Then she started to cry.
Ivy took a damp, cool washcloth and cleaned Emma up and led her back to her bed. “I’m going to call your mom, okay? Just get more rest.” The little girl sniffled and nodded. She was asleep within seconds.
After spending almost fifteen minutes getting the puke out of the carpet satisfactorily, she called Jess again. She didn’t
She spent the rest of her free time in the morning cuddled on the couch in her bathrobe with her laptop. She watched an episode of sitcom from her childhood that greatly improved her mood.
Jess was about to leave for work when she stopped by the door. “Hey, you should go check and see if Emma’s all right. Usually she’s up and ready to go by now. There’s not a huge hurry, but you should probably wake her up.”
“I’ll go check on her. Have a great day at work.”
Jess rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’ll try. See you tonight.”
Ivy walked down the hall to Emma’s room. The door was covered in stickers of pink butterflies, kittens, and rabbits –Emma’s favorite animals.
She gave the door a good knock.
“Em! Time to get up and get ready for school.”
When there was no response, Ivy opened the door a crack and peeked in. Emma was curled up on the bed, breathing softly, still deeply asleep.
“Hey,” Ivy said quietly as she walked into the room. “Time to wake up.” She leaned down to give Emma a gentle touch on the shoulder to wake her up.
When the girl still didn’t open her eyes, Ivy pressed the back of her hand against her forehead. Emma’s skin was clammy and burning hot.
Ivy began to panic almost immediately. She had no idea what to do. I should probably call Jess, she thought.
The phone rang several times before the answering machine picked up.
“Hey Jess, I think Emma’s really sick. Um. Just thought you should know. Let me know when you get this message. Oh yeah. What should I do? Should I give her fever medicine? Yeah. So. Call me back.”
A few moments after Ivy hung up the phone, Emma’s eyes fluttered open.
“Emma! You’re awake. How are you feeling, sweetie?”
The little girl sat up slowly. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes a little glassy. “I don’t feel good, Auntie.”
“Okay. Okay.” Ivy took a few deep breaths. “I’ll call your school and tell them you won’t be able to come in today.”
Emma nodded. “Okay,” she said, her voice small.
“Want me to make you some breakfast?”
The girl shook her head. “I’m not hungry. I’m just sleepy.”
“Okay. Go back to sleep, all right? When you’re hungry just let me know.”
Emma curled back up under the covers.
Ivy didn’t spend much of the next few hours doing anything for herself. She checked on Emma every half hour or so and spent the rest of the morning checking the internet for what to do when a little kid had a fever. She had never been in this situation before.
Jess called back around eleven.
“Just let her sleep,” she said, not sounding as worried as Ivy thought she would. “There’s some fever reducer for kids in the cupboard if she complains of feeling really sick. Otherwise, let her sleep and make sure there’s water by her bed all the time if she needs it. I’ll try to come home early if I can. I’m super glad you’re there, Ivy.”
Around twenty minutes later Emma wandered out of her room into the living room while Ivy was making herself some lunch.
“I’m hungry,” she said plaintively.
“Go sit on the couch and I’ll make you something. Do you want soup?”
Emma nodded. “Soup please.”
Ivy heated up some chicken soup for her and gave her a little bowl after it had cooled down. She nibbled at the sandwich she had made for herself but wasn’t too worried to be very hungry.
A few minutes after eating the chicken soup Emma looked a little queasy. Without any other warning, she threw up the entirety of her lunch on the living room floor. Then she started to cry.
Ivy took a damp, cool washcloth and cleaned Emma up and led her back to her bed. “I’m going to call your mom, okay? Just get more rest.” The little girl sniffled and nodded. She was asleep within seconds.
After spending almost fifteen minutes getting the puke out of the carpet satisfactorily, she called Jess again. She didn’t
Similar Books
