Kelsey Robbins

8

"Where's Kels? I got the meds" Wallace asked, setting the grocery bag down.

"Sound asleep on the couch" Donna smiled a little, happy that he was home and safe.

"Fever still?" He asked, getting medicine out of the box.

"Yeah. Checked an hour ago. 101.4" His wife answered him, looking out to the sleeping teen on the couch.

"Alright" Wallace sighed, getting an orange Gatorade from the bag. Kelsey's favorite. He quietly went out and kneeled by the couch. "Kelsey wake up kiddo"

"Mmm nooo," Kelsey mumbled, slowly waking up and feeling like crap.

"I got medicine. You need to take it, can you sit up?" Wallace asked the teenager, getting a groan in response but she sat up. He handed her the medicine and her Gatorade, watching her take the medicine.

"Thanks" she mumbled, laying back down on the couch.

"You comfy there? Or do you want to go back up to your bed? I can carry you up if you want your bed." He asked, looking over at her.

"Stay here" she mumbled, already falling asleep again. Wallace nodded and pulled the throw blanket over her and went back to the kitchen.

"Got medicine in her, she's falling back asleep now. If her temp gets higher, I want to take her in." Wallace told his wife, to which she nodded.

After that conversation, he headed upstairs to their bedroom to shower.

——————

Kelsey was asleep on the couch for 2 hours before she woke up, and still felt pretty darn awful.

"Kels you up?" Donna asked, seeing her sit up in the living room.

"Yeah" she mumbled.

"You okay?" Donna asked, noticing how her daughter was blankly looking and the mumbling.

"Mhmm" Kelsey hummed but she didn't. She felt worse and didn't want to admit it. She'd heard Wallace and her mom talking and she was going to do anything she could to avoid going to the hospital.

"You sure?" She asked, bringing out some chicken noodle soup.

"Mhm"

"Okay, honey. You need to eat, so I made you chicken noodle soup." Donna smiled, sitting down with her.

"Mama I'm not hungry" Kelsey mumbled, sighing as she was handed the bowl.

"I know honey but you need to eat something. Let's get your temperature first" Donna said, getting the thermometer and handing it to her daughter. Kelsey sighed and hit the button before putting it in her mouth. As soon as it beeped, she handed it to her mother and leaned against her shoulder. Donna took it, and looked at it and then her, before getting up and going upstairs.

"Hey, Wallace. Temps up to 102.4" She told her husband, showing him the thermometer.

"Alright," he sighed, going downstairs with Donna. "I'll take her"

She nodded and sighed, getting her coat and shoes ready.

"Come on kiddo. I don't like the fever you got. We're gonna get you checked out." Wallace said, getting his coat and stuff.

"Nooo" Kelsey whined, sitting up slowly.

"Come on," he told her, helping her up and getting her coat on her.

"Daddy ple-" Kelsey started and then stopped, realizing what she'd just said.

"I know you don't want to but we need to. We'll keep you home again tomorrow" Wallace said, shocked at what she'd just said and also knowing she was shocked at her own words so he didn't acknowledge it.

"Fine" she mumbled, listening to her stepdad and heading towards the blue Tahoe.

Once they arrived at Med, Wallace got Kelsey checked in and sat down with her in the uncomfortable chairs.

"Doesn't look too busy. Hopefully, we can get you back quickly and home again"

"Can we uh," Kelsey started, playing with her fingers. "Can we talk about what I uh, what I said or called you earlier?" She asked, not looking at him the whole time she was asking.

"Of course" Wallace replied, "Kelsey, you can call me anything you want to. I want you to know that I'm here, always. I'm not like your father"

Kelsey nodded "I know now. My dad never picked me up from school early. Sick or not. This is now the second time that you've been there when I needed help."

"I always will be. You can always call me" Wallace told her, glad to hear she was coming around to the idea of having a stepdad.

"Kelsey" a nurse came out interrupting their conversation, both of them getting up and going into the treatment room.

As soon as they arrived in the room, Kelsey took the opportunity to lay down and pull the thin hospital blanket over her, letting herself fall asleep before she even saw a doctor.

"Hey, Chief," Dr. Halstead said as he came in with the iPad. "What's going on tonight?"

"Kels came home earlier with a little fever and just not feeling good. We got her to take medicine and she slept a little bit. Temp went up" Wallace explained, fixing the blanket on Kelsey's bed.

"Alright. Has she been in contact with the flu? What are her symptoms?" Will asked, looking up from the notes.

"Fever, fatigue, congestion, sore throat. I don't know if she's been around anyone with the flu." Wallace supplied, looking over at Kelsey.

"Alright, we'll get a flu test and see if that's what she's got. I'm pretty positive it's the flu. Any vomiting?" Will asked, ordering the flu test.

"Not yet. Hoping she won't."

"Alright. I'll be right back with that test Chief." The dr replied and headed out of the room. Chief nodded and waited, slowly waking Kelsey up.

"Hmmm?"

"Flu test kiddo" he whispered, taking the blankets off her.

"Mmmmm" She groaned, sitting up a little and leaning against him. She was still really warm and Wallace was hoping any meds they gave her would bring it down.

He'd stay with her, however long it would take.