Foster Brother

Chapter 12 : Sicker

Chapter 12 

The next day...

Emmy POV

"Emmy, wake up."

I opened my eyes to see mom standing next to me.

"Time for school," she said quietly, trying not to wake up Jeff.

"Mom, I know Jeff is going to have a rough day. Can I please stay home with him today?"

Mom sighed, but nodded. She left, and I looked at Jeff. He was sort of starting to wake up. 

I could see tear stains on his cheeks from last night. And there were bruises all over him.

"Morning, Jeff. Are you doing alright?"

His eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Jeff, please don't cry. Do you need anything? How are you feeling?"

"My throat."

His voice was all scratchy. 

"Ok. Just calm down. I'll get you some medicine."

Jeff POV

Emmy and her mom came into the room. 

"Are you sick, Jeff?" Her mom asked.

I nodded.

"Alright. I want to take your temperature."

She handed me a thermometer, and I put it in my mouth. I waited for it to beep, and then handed it back to her.

"You're at 102.2. I'm going to get you some medicine. What doesn't feel good, Jeff?"

"My throat and my head."

"Ok. I'll be right back."

Emmy sat down on my bed. Her mom came back with a bottle of red liquid. She poured some of it into a cup, and handed it to me. I drank it, but it was gross. Then again, what cough medicine isn't?

She left, but Emmy was still here.

"I know you probably don't feel the best, for multiple reasons... But it's going to be an ok day," Emmy said.

I sighed. Honestly, my whole body aches, my throat hurts, and my head is pounding.

"Do you want to go get some breakfast?" Emmy asked.

I wasn't really hungry. In fact, my stomach kind of hurt from being so stressed out.

"Come on, Jeff."

She took my hand. I followed her to the kitchen. Her mom made us bacon and eggs. And they were so good.

I actually felt a bit better. The medicine was starting to work, and the food made me feel a lot better. 

"Jeff, let's go relax in the living room, ok? I know you must be tired and stressed out."

Emmy brought me to the living room. She put on a movie, and then she sat next to me. I was feeling extremely tired, and I think it's because of the cold medicine. 

Emmy put her arm around me, and I leaned my head on her shoulder, and I fell asleep.

Later...

Emmy POV

 Jeff had fallen asleep with his head on my shoulder. My mom had given me a blanket to put on both of us. 

But not soon after, Jeff started coughing in his sleep, and he woke himself up. He sat up straight so he could cough better, and when he was finished, he had a miserable look on his face.

"Aw, Jeff..."

He leaned his head back on my shoulder. But his body felt tense and rigid. I put my arm around him, and rubbed his back, trying to comfort him. 

"Is there anything that would make you feel better?" I asked.

"I want my mom, but she's in Paris," he whispered.

"Paris?"

He nodded.

"What's she doing in Paris?"

"It's for work. She flew all the way home to see me for my birthday, but then she had to go back!" He said, starting to cry again.

I pulled him into my arms. I still don't know the whole story of what happened, and I'm really curious. But I don't want to ask him and make him any more upset than he already is.

He ended up laying in my lap. And he fell back asleep. But all this crying and just plain being sick is messing up his voice. I'm almost assuming he's going to have no voice later today.

Later...

Jeff POV

Emmy's mom made chicken noodle soup for dinner. She said it would make me feel better. I didn't really have an appetite, but I ate anyway. And it was good.

My voice was gone. All I could do was whisper now. 

I wrote a bunch in my diary about how I felt and what I thought. And it made me feel better. Kind of...

I was really upset about everything. But Emmy was being really supportive, and she let me sit next to her and lay in her lap like practically all day.

She didn't try to make me talk about it, which I was happy about. She respected my privacy, and didn't bother me about it. She just let me be upset, and didn't question me. 

I was still sick, and I was actually feeling slightly worse. I wasn't sure if it was because I cried so much, or if it was because I was getting sicker, or a combination of both. 

And I'd gotten Emmy sick too. After dinner, she said her throat was starting to hurt. I felt so bad for getting her sick. It's all my fault.

I was currently curled up in Emmy's bed next to Emmy. We were watching a movie on her laptop. My head was on her shoulder.

"Emmy, I'm going to fall asleep... I'm so tired," I whispered.

"I'm really tired too..."

She shut her laptop.

"Can I please stay here? Just for tonight?" I asked.

"Of course, Jeff."

I just wanted someone to be there for me right now. I didn't want to be alone, even if that only meant being in my own bed 3 feet away from Emmy's. I wanted to be near someone who would let me, and I wanted to be comforted.

Emmy turned off the light next to her bed. I snuggled down under the covers. Emmy laid her head on my chest, and put her arm over my stomach, hugging me. 

"Night, Jeff."

"Night, Emmy..."