Country in the City; Book One

Chapter 16 ~ The Virus

Michael, the kids, and I were just getting to my parents house from the fair. Kayleigh had fallen asleep on the ride home, but Kyle was very hyper from all the sugar he had gotten. As we were walking towards the house I noticed a note on the door. It read:

Abigail,
Your dad and I got called for an emergency twenty four hour prayer session. We signed up for now till 5:30 that way we could still see you off :) Our phones will be off, but we'll check them every hour. Send us a message when you get home. Hope you had a good diner. See you in the morning.
Love,
Mom and dad
P.S. No doing anything we wouldn't normally let you do.

So I sent my mom a message and told her that we were home and that Michael was staying to help me get the kids ready for bed. Once inside I carefully take Kayleigh's dress shoes and tights off and put her pajama pants on. The I pull off her dress over her head and put her pajama shirt on and tucked her in. I then took Kyle's pajamas out and went into the living room where Michael and Kyle were.
It took both of us to try and calm Kyle down while we put his pajamas on. After about ten minutes, we finally got Kyle dressed in his pajamas.
"I've never seen him this wild before." I tell Michael.
"Well when he gets super wild what do you do?" He asks me.
"Generally when he gets super wild right before bed it's because he is really tired, but doesn't want to go to sleep. So I take him and rock him in the rocking chair, tell him he's stuck and sing him his lullaby. Then, once he's given up trying to get away, he falls asleep really fast. But something's different this time, I just can't put my finger on it."
"Well let's try that anyways." Michael suggests.
"Okay." So I catch the wild hooligan and take him to the rocking chair. After a few minutes of relentlessly trying to get away he realizes he's stuck. So he relaxes in my arms. I continue to sing his lullaby to him. "A little frog in the pond am I, hippity hippity hop. Up on a lily pad, high and fly, watch the fishies as they swim by. A little frog in the pond am I..." I sing for him over and over and over again.
After a little while he tells me, "Mommy, I don't feel good."
Before I can respond he starts puking all over me. I instantly stand up with him in my arms and run to the bathroom. I set him on the ground and have him aim towards the toilet. Michael comes rushing in and I tell him to go sneak into my room and get Kyle some new pajamas.
As Michael is getting new clothes for Kyle I turn the water on hot so it'll start warming up. Once it's warm I soak a wash cloth in it and wring it out. Then I wash off Kyle's face and start taking his clothes off. I give him a wash cloth bath, constantly rinsing off the wash cloth, before putting his fresh clothes on him. We have to stop every now and then because he starts puking again.
I feel so bad because there nothing I can do to take my kid out of this misery.
Michael went home and got an overnight bag so that we could take turns staying up with Kyle.
I looked at my watch and saw that it was 9:58 so I called my mom.

"Hello"
"Oh good! You answered. so I don't have much time to talk. Dinner was great but then when we go back we tried to get Kyle to go to sleep. He ended up puking all over the both of us and has been puking ever since. So Michael is running home to get some clothes and is going to stay with me tonight while we help Kyle. I know that you don't like us having our boyfriend over at night but it's not like we can do anything. We're helping a puking three year old. Is that okay?"
"Well let me ask your dad and then I'll call you back."
"Okay bye."

We hang up and four minutes later she calls back.

"What did dad say?"
"Well your dad and I talked it over and decided to make an acceptation since Kyle is sick and your right. It's not like you can do anything with a constantly puking toddler. Give Kyle a hug for us."
"I will mom. I love you, bye."
"Love you too, bye."

Kyle then started puking again. After he finished this round of puking I changed my own clothes. Once I washed my self up I tried to get Kyle's temperature. Every time I told her to keep his mouth shut for the thermometer, he puked. I gave up and used the thermometer that you swipe across their forehead. The temperature isn't as accurate, but it's better than nothing.
"103.7" I say out loud.
"Ooh, that's really high. He technically should be hospitalized for that." Michael says, walking in behind me. I jumped a little.
"I thought they only get hospitalized if it's 104 or higher."
"Yeah, but with most places if it's able to be rounded to 104 than they keep them."
"Oh."
"Well what do you want to do?" He asks.
"Kyle how do you feel?"
"Terrible," he mumbles.
"Do you think you could take a bath?"
"No. I don't want to move." He says.
"Alright handsome. You don't have to. everything is going to be fine." I tell him. Then turning back to Michael I say, "I'm going to steam the bathroom." I head towards the shower and turn it on, all the way to hot. I close the door an put a towel on the crack between the door and the ground.
I sit next to the toilet, seat Kyle in my lap and gently start rocking him side to side. I sing him his lullaby once again.
Without saying anything Michael brings me a cool and damp towel places it on Kyle's forehead and sits down next to me. I stop rocking Kyle but keep singing him his song. With me leaning into his side, Michael puts his arm around me. Slowly, Kyle drifts of to sleep with Michael and I right behind him.
I wake up at four in the morning realizing that we had fallen asleep with the shower still on. I feel Kyle's forehead and he feels even more hot than that night. I take his temperature again and it reads 105.6. This freaks me out so I wake up Michael.
He wakes up instantly. "What's wrong!"
"I have to take Kyle to the hospital! His temperature is too high, I need you to stay here with Kayleigh." I tell him as Im standing up.
I hand him Kyle while I put on my shoes and throw on a coat. Grabbing my phone and keys, I take Kyle back and quickly strap him into his car seat. Michael runs out real fast and hands me a bag of ice. I place it on Kyle's forehead. As I'm pulling out of the driveway Michael says, "I love you," and blows me a kiss.

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"Fathers, do not provoke you children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
~Ephesians 6:4