Adopted

Chapter 74

I sat with Kyla and PopPop talking. Kyla asked all sorts of questions about me and the accident and being sick and the orphanage. Like wanting to get to know me, not rude questions.

Kara came in with Kennedy.

"Hey sweetie," she said to me. "We missed you at dinner. The older kids missed meeting you."

Kara has three other kids who had been outside playing when we arrived, somewhere at the back of the property.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to sleep so long," I said.

"Don't apologize," Kyla said. "You were tired. We could see that. You still look tired. Are you sure you slept well?"

"Yeah," I said.

We sat and talked some more. Granny came in and gave everyone kisses good morning. She opened the oven and I realized the turkey was already cooking.

Mom and Dad made their way into the kitchen and not long after, the other 3 kids came in and Kyla and Kara's husbands came too. Introductions were made and my cousins were nice and said hello and asked some questions.

The three kids were so loud and boisterous. I got up from the table and let them take my seat. I went back up to my room and lay down on my bed. Mom came up a bit later.

"All good, honey?" She asked.

"Yeah. They were a bit loud. I needed a break," I said.

"You'd think you'd be used to all that noise, Mom said sitting on my bed. "Are you sure you're okay? Your cough is worse and you slept through dinner."

"Yeah. I'm okay," I said.

"Dad and I are going out for coffee. Want to come?"

"Okay," I said.

Dad's family is Mormon, so they don't drink coffee. Or Coke. Or alcohol. How Dad was going to manage the weekend without, we'd joked about on the car ride from the airport.

I put on my shoes and met Mom and Dad downstairs.

"We'll be back for dinner!" Dad called out.

"Okay honey!" Granny called back.

We drove towards the city and pulled into a Starbucks. Dad got a coffee and Mom and I got tea.

We talked about Dad growing up in Vegas and my cousins and my aunts.  Mom and Dad decided to go for a walk even though nothing much was open. Just coffee shops, fast food and tourist traps. I wrapped my hoodie around me and shivered.  I coughed. Mom looked at me with concern. 

"I don't like the sound of that. We're going to Doc when we get home if that doesn't sound any better by then," she said.

"Okay," I replied. What was I going to do? Say no?

Mom and Dad walked arm in arm and I trailed behind them. They weren't waking fast but I felt out of breath. Dad turned around when he realized I wasn't at his elbow anymore. I'd stopped to cough. It sounded like a bark. My chest hurt when I coughed, but I figured that was probably from having broken ribs that took some time to heal.

"Jess, that really sounds bad. Let's get back to Granny and PopPop's. You need a rest. Okay?"

I shrugged. Dad put his arm around me, and Mom did too. We walked back to the car and went back to the house.

"You're back early," Granny said, looking at me.

"Jess got tired. This desert air isn't something she's used to," Dad said.

I went upstairs and lay down. I was asleep almost immediately.

Mom came and woke me up in time for dinner. 

"Hungry?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Well, come downstairs. Try to eat something, okay?"

I nodded and quickly changed out of the clothes I'd been wearing since arriving. I pulled on black jeans and a t shirt with a warm hoodie over. I was frozen. I went into the bathroom and ran the hot water for a minute to warm up my hands.

I went downstairs where Mom patted the chair beside her and I sat down. Everyone went around saying what they were thankful for.

"I'm thankful for Mom and Dad, all of you and having a family again," I said. Granny got tears in her eyes, so did Mom and Dad.

Food got passed around. I took some turkey and stuffing and green bean casserole. I tried everything and it was all really good, but I wasn't that hungry. I mostly pushed the food around my plate, taking a few bites here and there. The table was full of conversation and the little kids fussing and playing and making faces. Kennedy was in a high chair smashing peas and sweet potato mash and making more of a finger painting than getting any in her mouth.

Mom and Dad were engaged in conversation with Dad's sisters and PopPop was talking to one of my uncles.  I didn't feel left out. It was kind of nice to watch the family interacting. I'd never had this before. Even before the orphanage.

"Jessica?" Kyla asked, getting my attention. 

"Yeah?"

"How does Thanksgiving with my brother compare?"

"To what? At the orphanage it was just another day, but with turkey and stuffing.  And with my biological parents, it was usually just us and some friends of theirs and their kids. I don't have any aunts or uncles or cousins. So, this is... slightly less chaotic than the orphanage?"

That got a laugh and a toast (alcohol free, of course).

When dinner was done, Granny said we'd take a break before dessert. Everyone helped clear dishes, so I brought in my plate and the bread basket.

"You didn't eat much," Granny said.

"I'm sorry. I'm not that hungry. It was really delicious though." I said.

"Go lie down. You look like you're ready to collapse."

I went back up to my room to lay down. I saw Mom watch me drag myself upstairs.

I fell asleep again. But at some point I woke up and something was wrong. I was sweaty and my stomach felt like it was rolling around. I realized I was about to throw up, so I ran to the bathroom. I didn't bother with the light, but leaned over the toilet and just threw up over and over.

"Jess?" I heard. "Jess, are you okay?" 

It was Mom. She opened the door and saw me leaning on the toilet. She turned on the light.

"I threw up," I said, my eyes closed and my head in my arms.

"That's okay, baby," Mom said  rubbing my neck and reaching over me to flush the toilet. She stopped.

"Oh god," she said.

"BRENDON!" She screamed, and then pulled me away from the toilet and held me in her arms.

"What?!" Dad said, stumbling into the bathroom in pyjama bottoms.

"We need to get Jess to the hospital," Mom said. "For starters, she's burning up. Second, look in the toilet."

Dad walked over to the toilet and said "oh. Shit,"