A Little Something Unexpected (Mother at Seventeen)

Chapter 3- Decisions (Rewritten)

Chapter 3- Decisions 

I called my mom to get the number to the pediatrician and called them to get a sick appointment. Thankfully the had one if we could make it there in under ten minutes. Jake told them to hold it for us and made sure we got there on time. He turned off the car and I got out to get Brianna, but Jake was there to hold me back. 

"I'll get her." He said sternly and started to unbuckle her.

"Jake she doesn't even know you. You just met her today," I said.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." He looked me over. "Besides, you don't seem to be in the best condition to carry her." 

I had no argument for that. "Alright." 

He pulled her out of the car gently and laid her head on him. I took the keys from him and placed them in my pocketbook and started walking toward the building with Jake. 

At the front desk, I sighed us in and waited for the doctor. He had been expecting us so we were called back and seen right away. 

After the checkup, Dr. Capponi asked if we were her parents. 

"We are," Jake answered."Is she going to be okay?"

The doctor seemed unconcerned. "She'll be fine. Kids get sick and kids get better. Just the usual. New parents like you tend to overreact sometimes, but you'll get used to it."

"So whats wrong with her?" Jake was losing his patience, but Dr. Capponi was just trying to put us at ease. 

"A simple bacterial infection along with some teething. It's a nasty mess, but she'll recover. I'll prescribe her some antibiotics and have it cleared up in a few days. The vomiting was was a side effect of the fever. The dairy you put on her food list most likely encouraged it. I'd avoid it for a few days until the fever goes down. Give her the antibiotics for ten days. Don't stop them even if she feels better. Make sure she takes all of it or she could become sick again. It's also important to keep her well hydrated. If you give her juice, cut it with water. Do half and half that way it cuts down in her sugar intake, but she still gets the same benefit." 

Jake and I both nodded along, but I felt very overwhelmed. There was a lot of stuff to remember. It was probably stuff that any other parent already knew and cold handle it, but I was feeling very insignificant to them. I didn't like the feeling it gave me. I wanted to be that kind of parent. Instead it was like Bree was getting short changed in the parent department. I was determined to change that immediately.

After the pharmacy and the grocery store, where I picked up a book on parenting, Jake drove us home.  

"Lay her on the bed," I told him.

He placed Brianna in the middle of her bed and I sat down beside her. I didn't want her on my bed in case I had to leave her for a minute and she feel off the bed. I'd already given her the first does of antibiotics and now she was sleeping. Remembering the trash can I got up to get it from the bathroom. I put a new trash bag in it and carried it to her room and place it next to her beside the bed in case she felt sick again. 

"I'm going to go to the kitchen and pour her some juice in a sippy cup, I'll will be right back," I said to Jake. He was sitting in one of Bree's little chair's watching her sleep. 

He nodded and I left. When I returned and and Bree had everything she needed, I wanted to pull off my vomit clothes and shower, but I didn't know if it was too soon to leave Jake alone with her for that long. Maybe he didn't even want to stick around now that she was okay.

He glanced at me. "If you want to go get cleaned up, I'll sit with her." 

I nodded, grateful. I didn't know if he was being kind or of the smell was getting to him. Either way I would accept it.