Ch. 2
Later that night after dinner Emily and JJ put Penny to bed before coming downstairs and watching a movie with the boys. Emily and JJ sat on the couch while all the boys sprawled out on pillows and bean bags on the floor. But halfway through the movie Ethan and Henry had joined their mothers on the couch. Ethan laid his head into JJ's arm as he let his feet stick out and dangle over the arm rest, while Henry placed his head in Emily's lap and curled up in a ball next to her. Declan remained on the floor setting up all the bean bags and pillows to form a nice bed for him. By the time the movie was over Henry and Declan were asleep. Ethan was awake and fighting sleep. JJ helped him sit up on the couch.
"You going to make it upstairs E?" JJ asked
"Yeah mama" he replied sleepily as he stood up and stumbled through the living room
He made it almost to the stairs when he tripped over the mound of bags on the floor. He tried to catch himself from falling but was not very successful as he hit the hardwood floor with a thud.
"Umphh" he cried as his body connected with the floor
Emily had just stood up with Henry in her arms when she heard the thud. JJ rushed over to the eleven year old as she helped him up.
"You okay E" she asked as she looked him up and down
He nodded.
"Stupid bags" he replied as he kicked them with his foot before replying "Ouch" and jumping up and down on one foot
"If you guys would learn to pick up your bags that wouldn't have happened" Emily told him as she walked up to him and JJ
"Thanks for your concern mom, I'm fine" he told her sarcastically
Emily stared at her son before wrapping one arm around his shoulders to guide him up the stairs as she carried Henry with her other arm.
JJ shook her head as she turned back around and headed over to the sleeping teenage boy. She bent down next to Declan and brushed some of his long blonde bangs out of his eyes. She smiled as she brushed her fingers across his cheek. Then she shook him gently.
"Declan" she said as she continued to shake the almost sixteen year old
"Dec" she said again
He jerked his head up that time and blue eyes met blue. He relaxed when he saw that it was JJ.
"Sorry D, you fell asleep" she told him as she brushed more of his hair back
"Everyone's going to bed" she said as she stood back up
He groaned as he flopped his face back down into the bean bag before sighing and pushing himself up off of his makeshift bed. He yawned as he stood up next to JJ. He was just a couple of inches taller than her now when she didn't have her shoes on. He threw his arm around her shoulders as he attempted to lean on her a little bit.
"Declan you know you are bigger than me now right?" she told him
He smiled down at her and nodded, "But I'm tired"
"Well neither of us will make it up the stairs at this rate" she replied with a smile
He stopped leaning on her but kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the stairs. JJ then wrapped her arm around his waist as they began to ascend the stairs. When they got to the top Declan released JJ as he turned to head down the hall to his room. But he stopped and turned back around, walking back up to JJ and leaning down slightly to kiss her on the cheek.
"Night mom" he said as he turned to head back to his room
"Night Declan. I love you" she said as he walked away
"Love you too" he replied before entering his room and shutting the door
JJ started to head to her bedroom but then turned and headed down the same hall Declan just had. She stopped at the door a little before Declan's and walked into her other son's bedroom. She smiled as she saw Emily tucking Henry into bed and continued to watch as Emily bent over kissing him on the cheek. Then she stood up and pulled the covers over Ethan on the top bunk, before kissing him on the cheek as well. When she turned around she gasped when she saw JJ standing there.
"Sorry" JJ said as she held up her hands
"It's okay I just didn't expect you to be standing there" Emily told her with a smile
"I'm just going to kiss them goodnight and then maybe I will kiss you goodnight" JJ told her with a wink
Emily smiled as she nodded walking up to JJ, "That sounds wonderful. I'm just going to tell Declan goodnight"
JJ nodded as she and Emily passed each other squeezing each other's hands as they passed.
JJ bent down kissing Henry before standing on the bed frame to kiss Ethan on the top bunk.
Meanwhile Emily had knocked on Declan's door but received no answer, so she cracked the door and found him sprawled across his bed on top of the covers. Emily smiled as she walked in and walked up to his bed. She grabbed a blanket that was bunched at the bottom of his bed and covered him up with it before leaning over, brushing some of his wavy bangs out of his face and kissing him on the cheek.
A few hours later JJ woke up and sat up in bed. She looked to her left and saw that Emily was sound asleep, sprawled out on her stomach, her bare back showing because the sheet only covered to her waist. She smiled at the brunette woman as she started to pull the sheet up further over her. But then she heard a noise, the same noise she could of sworn woke her up in the first place. It sounded like a door. She picked up the baby monitor listening closely, but then she heard it again and knew it had not come across the monitor. She threw the covers off of her before grabbing her blue silk robe and wrapping it tightly around her.
JJ then walked quietly out of her bedroom and peered over the banister, looking downstairs. She didn't see anything and then she heard another noise coming from the other end of the hallway. She walked down to the other end of the hall, where the boys' rooms were. That's when she noticed the bathroom light on and the door shut. She knocked lightly on the door but received no answer.
She knocked again before saying, "Hey it's JJ"
A moment later she received an answer, "Mom"
JJ recognized the voice as Ethan's, "Ethan, honey, are you okay?"
"No. I don't feel so good" he said from the other side of the door
JJ then opened the bathroom door to find her eleven year old son on his knees hunched over the toilet.
"Ethan" she exclaimed as she rushed over to him, kneeling down beside him and brushing his bangs out of his eyes to feel his forehead
"Baby why didn't wake us up?" she asked him
"I didn't want to bother you" he told her as he turned to look at her
JJ's heart broke as she noticed his skin paler than usual, "Sweetie you aren't bothering us. We love you"
He nodded before turning quickly back to the toilet and throwing up again. JJ rubbed his back as he continued to hover over the toilet. Then she stood up and walked over to the sink, grabbing two wash cloths and running cool water over them. She then walked back over to him and knelt down beside him. She took one wash cloth and wiped his mouth before setting it down on the toilet seat. Then she took the other wash cloth and ran it over the rest of his face and his forehead, wiping his bangs back in the process.
"Does that feel okay?" she asked as she moved the wash cloth to the back of his neck
He nodded slowly before leaning into her. JJ wrapped her arms around him as she pulled him into her lap. He rested his head on her chest and she could feel the heat radiating off of him.
"How long have you been up?" she asked him as she continued to wipe his face and neck with the wash cloth
"About an hour I guess" he told her quietly
"Have you been throwing up the whole time?" she asked him
He nodded, "Yeah, about every fifteen or twenty minutes. But I think it's getting worse"
"Oh E I wish you would have woken us up" she told him as she held him
"I thought I could handle it" he answered
"Of course you did" JJ said shaking her head, "You're exactly like your mother"
"Most people say I look like Emily" he joked
JJ smiled, "See, exactly like her, even trying to joke around when you're sick"
JJ could feel him smile right before he practically jumped out of her arms to lean over the toilet again, releasing more from his stomach. JJ moved to kneel behind him, rubbing his back and grabbing the other wash cloth off of the side of the toilet. When Ethan felt like he was finished he leaned back slightly and JJ wiped his mouth before replacing the cloth on the toilet. Then she took the other wash cloth and began wiping over his face and neck before placing it on his forehead as he finally leaned back into her chest. JJ scooted a little further back so that her back was against the wall, then she pulled Ethan with her so that his back was against her chest, making sure the wash cloth was on his forehead. She rubbed her hand down his arm and she felt him take her hand in his and squeeze it.
They laid like that for awhile until JJ felt Ethan's breathing even out. She looked down at him and saw that his eyes were closed. JJ then leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes as well, as she held onto her son.
About an hour later Emily woke up and rolled over finding an empty bed. She turned her head back to her nightstand where the clock read 330am. She blinked her eyes a few times as she tried to wake up. Then she sat up and looked towards their bathroom, she didn't see JJ in there so she sat up and grabbed her red silk robe before wrapping it around her and walking around the bed towards the door. She opened it and walked out thinking she would check Penny's room first, but as soon as she stepped into the hall she saw a light on in the boy's bathroom at the other end of the hall.
She walked down the hall to the bathroom and when she looked into the bathroom she found JJ laying on the floor leaning against the wall, with Ethan leaning against her and both of them fast asleep. Just as she was about to walk into the bathroom she heard a noise coming from one of the bedrooms. So she turned and walked further down the hallway, stopping outside Ethan and Henry's room. She opened the door and found Henry sitting up in bed.
She walked inside the room, "Henry are you okay?"
"I'm sorry mama" he said quietly
"For what baby?" she asked as she flipped on the desk light before walking over to him
As she got to the bed she could smell something foul and then she noticed that Henry must have thrown up all over himself and his sheets.
"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked as she knelt beside his bed
He shrugged, "I don't feel good"
Emily nodded as she felt the boy's head.
"I tried to wake Ethan but he didn't answer" Henry told her as she pulled her hand away from his head
"That's because he's in the bathroom. I don't think he's feeling too good either" she told Henry
She stood up and went over to his dresser, grabbing a new pair of pajamas. Then she turned back and walked over to him.
"Come here buddy" she said holding out her hands
He crawled across the bed and held out his hands as she picked him up off the bottom bunk before turning and walking out of the bathroom. She carried him down the hall past his bathroom and back to her bedroom. She walked into her bathroom and turned on the light setting him down on the floor as she began to peel of his shirt. He held onto her shoulders as she knelt in front of him pulling his shorts down as well. She looked up at him and saw his face growing pale.
"H?" she questioned
She knew what was coming so she picked him up quickly and took him over to the toilet getting him there and turned around just as he began to throw up again. She rubbed his back as he continued to throw up. When he was finished he grabbed his tummy and started to cry.
"Oh baby" Emily said as she reached around him to flush the toilet.
Then she picked him up and set him on the counter getting out a washcloth and wetting it before wiping down his face with it. Then she wet another cloth and held it against his forehead before picking him up and sitting down on the toilet seat with him in her lap.
"Shhhh, it's okay baby, I've got you" Emily said as she held him
He began to settle down a bit so Emily got up and grabbed his clean pajamas off the bed before walking into her bedroom and sitting down on the bed with him. Then she set him down and helped him step into a new pair of shorts.
"I'm just going to leave your shirt off okay Henry" she told him
He nodded as she picked him back up and she could feel how warm he was. She pulled back the sheets on JJ's side and crawled into bed with Henry. She laid on her back, with Henry practically on top of her. She continued to rub his back to help him fall asleep. Sometime later she looked at him and could tell he was asleep. She eased him off of her before slipping out of bed and heading back down the hall.
She got to the other bathroom and found Ethan and JJ in the same position. She walked into the bathroom and knelt down beside JJ. She brushed some of the blonde hair out of her face before shaking her lightly.
"JJ" she said quietly
The blonde woke up and saw Emily staring at her before she looked back down at Ethan, remembering the events from earlier.
"Hey" JJ said with a half smile
"Hey" Emily said with a raised eyebrow as she cocked her head to the side
"So Ethan's sick" JJ stated
"Yeah so is Henry" Emily told her
"Really?" she asked concerned
"Yeah I came looking for you about an hour ago and then I heard Henry and went in to check on him and he had gotten sick all over his bed" Emily told her
"Oh no"
"Yeah I cleaned him up and he's in our bed sleeping right now. I figured I'd wake you guys up so you aren't sore in the morning."
JJ nodded as she shifted slightly.
"Why don't you get Ethan to our room. I'm going to get the sheets off of both their beds and put a load in the washer" Emily told JJ
JJ nodded again as she watched Emily stand back up before turning back to her, "How long were you up with him?"
"I don't know…awhile"JJ answered
"I didn't even hear you get up" Emily stated sadly
JJ smiled, "It's okay Em. I'm just glad you're sleeping better"
Emily nodded slightly before turning and heading out of the bathroom back to the boy's room. JJ then moved Ethan forward enough for her to get an arm under his shoulders and another under his knees. Then she took a deep breath and stood up with Ethan in her arms. She was thankful at that time that he was still small and thin. She squeezed herself and Ethan through the door as she walked down the hall towards her bedroom.
Emily came out of the boys' bedroom at that time with all of their bedding. She dropped it at the top of the stairs remembering Henry's pajamas so she headed back to her and JJ"s bedroom. She walked in and found JJ laying Ethan down next to Henry.
"Jayje you didn't have to carry him in here" Emily told her as she walked by to go into their bathroom
"I know but he's sick and luckily he's still light enough for me to carry" JJ told her with a smile
Emily came back out of the bathroom with Henry's pajamas and JJ stopped her, "Em you might want to throw your robe in also"
Emily looked down and saw some leftover stuff from Henry, "Oh God, I think I am going to be sick"
"Emily we see dead bodies all the time and you are going to be sick over something your son got on you?" she questioned with a smile
But Emily turned and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her before throwing up herself. She came out a few moments later and walked over to her dresser grabbing a pair of shorts and a shirt before going back in the bathroom and changing. She came back out with her robe in her hand and picked up Henry's pajamas before heading out the bathroom to take the rest of the stuff down to the laundry room.
JJ shook her head at Emily before walking into the bathroom and getting two new wash cloths, wetting them, grabbing a thermometer and walking back over to the bed. She sat down next to Ethan, leaning over him to feel Henry, who was still warm. She stuck the thermometer in his ear and waited for it to beep. When she looked at it she saw that it read 101.
"Oh Henry" she said sadly as she stroked his cheek
She took one of the wash cloths and rubbed his forehead as he lay facing the opposite direction. She laid it across his forehead the best that she could before feeling Ethan again. He seemed to be hotter than Henry and that worried JJ. She stuck the thermometer in his ear and waited until it finally beeped. She looked at it and it read 103. Her eyes grew wide and heart started racing. She took the other wash cloth and ran it across his face and forehead, wiping his bangs again out of his face. His eyes shot open at that time and JJ jumped.
"E, are you okay?" she asked
He shook his head as he sat up, causing JJ to stand up, before he tried running to the bathroom, but tripped and fell on the way. JJ ran to him, grabbing him under his arms and getting him to his feet as she helped him get to the bathroom. She threw the lid up just as Ethan leaned forward vomiting yet again. JJ helped him slide to the floor and rubbed his back just as she had before. Once he was finished he leaned into her chest again and was fighting the urge to cry.
"I want it to go away mama" he said sadly
"I know baby" she said sympathetically as she ran her fingers through his soft hair
"It hurts" he told her
"What hurts?" she asked as she moved her hand from his hair to his back
"My tummy…and head…everything" he stated as he bit his bottom lip
"I'm so sorry sweetie" she told him as she rubbed his back, "It's okay to cry"
"I don't want to cry" he told her as he fought the tears
"Okay, but if you wanted to it would be okay. And I promise not tell anyone" JJ said as she continued to rub his back
He nodded, but still refused to cry. JJ marveled at how much he was like Emily. They were both so sensitive but would always try to fight their emotions and JJ still didn't understand it. She knew several times she could see that Emily wanted to cry but she would fight it. She would chew on her bottom lip or on her nails, the same habits that Ethan had also when it came to emotions. They were alike in almost every way, from their looks down to their personality. They were both kind, sensitive, witty, and yes a bit nerdy but JJ loved everything about them.
A few minutes later Ethan made a move towards the toilet again and JJ was behind him rubbing his back. Once he was finished he leaned back into JJ again and she wiped his face as she held him.
About a minute later Emily walked in and found them on the floor of the bathroom. She walked around to the other side of them so that she could see Ethan. She knelt down in front of him and brushed a few stray hairs out of his face. She could see how much paler he was than usual and her heart broke.
"Hey baby"
"Hey mama" he said quietly with a small smile
She smiled back as she felt his forehead, "What's wrong?"
He shrugged, "Everything hurts"
"You're burning up" she stated as she looked over his head to JJ
She nodded before saying, "I took their temperatures. He's 103 and Henry's 101."
Emily's eyes grew wide, "We need to call a doctor"
JJ nodded, "You want to sit with him and I'll call or-"
"No" Ethan practically shouted as he clung to JJ, "Don't leave me"
He turned to look at Emily, "Can JJ please stay with me? I don't wanna move"
Emily nodded sadly as she leaned forward and kissed his forehead before standing up. She walked out of the bedroom and over to the nightstand grabbing her phone and calling their emergency on call doctor. It took about ten minutes before she got hold of anyone and by that time Henry was waking up in bed. Emily told the doctor what was going on as she sat down beside Henry. She was listening to the doctor when she noticed the look on Henry's face. She immediately picked him up and ran into the bathroom, stepping over Ethan and JJ to get to the toilet. She once again made it just in time as she squatted behind the seven year old as he leaned over the toilet. After he finished he sat back into Emily causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards taking Henry with her. She luckily landed on her butt and Henry landed on her lap.
"You okay baby?" she asked as she held him
He nodded slowly as she shifted him so that he was sitting sideways in her lap and he could lean into her chest. She then finished the conversation with the doctor before hanging up, dropping her phone to the floor.
"What did he say?" JJ asked in a concerned voice
"He said there was a nasty bug going around with similar symptoms of the flu, but there isn't really anything we can do but ride it out"
"But the fevers?"
"He said just keep an eye on them and if their fever gets up to 104 then take them to the ER"
"But Ethan's is already close to that" JJ said in a worried voice
"I know so we just need to keep an eye on him" Emily said trying to remain calm even though she was freaking out on the inside
JJ nodded as she looked back down at Ethan who had closed his eyes and was resting against her chest. She wiped his face again with the washcloth before placing it over his forehead again.
Emily then looked down at Henry and saw that he had fallen asleep again. So she stood up with Henry in her arms and stepped over JJ and Ethan to walk out of the bathroom and over to her bed. She pulled back the covers and laid Henry down before pulling the sheet up over him. Then she walked back into the bathroom and squatted in front of Ethan and JJ. She reached out and grabbed Ethan under the arms, carefully lifting him up. She felt him wrap his arms around her neck as she stood up and carried him to the other side of the bed as JJ followed her. JJ pulled back the covers and watched as Emily laid Ethan down as carefully as possible before pulling the sheets up around him.
Emily turned to look at JJ, reaching out and taking the blonde's hand in her own, before pulling her towards her and kissing her forehead. JJ leaned into Emily as they stood with their foreheads pressed together.
"This has been a long night" JJ stated
"And unfortunately I think it's just getting started" Emily added
"Did the doctor say how long this would last?" JJ asked as she pulled away from Emily
"He said about three to five days" Emily answered
"What a way for them to start their summer vacation" JJ said
Emily nodded before walking around the bed towards the hallway, "I'm going to peek in on Declan and then go change the laundry"
JJ nodded as she watched Emily walk out of the room.
Emily opened Declan's door and looked in, finding the teenager still sound asleep in almost the same position he had originally been in. She smiled before she quietly shut the door and headed down the stairs. She stepped around the pile of bags on the floor as she headed to the laundry room. Once she was finished she headed into the kitchen where she found JJ getting some water.
"I was thirsty" she stated as Emily came into the kitchen
Emily nodded as she got herself a glass of water also. A few minutes later they heard a noise upstairs and they both rushed out of the kitchen towards the stairs. Emily was just ahead of JJ and right before she got to the stairs she tripped over the pile of bags that she had managed to avoid earlier.
"Dammit" she said as she hit the floor with a thud
JJ tried not to laugh, but she fell almost the exact same way Ethan had earlier that night. As Emily pushed herself up off of the floor she kicked the bags.
"Stupid bags" she said before grabbing her foot and jumping up and down on the other foot, "Ouch"
"Wow, this is like total de ja vu for me babe" JJ said from behind Emily
"What?" Emily snapped as she carefully set her foot back down
"Ethan did the exact same thing nearly eight hours ago" JJ stated
"Well if you guys would pick up your bags this wouldn't happen" Emily said in a slightly raised voice as she stepped over the bags
"Excuse me" JJ said as she followed Emily up the stairs
"JJ your bag is in that pile. I saw it when I walked through the door" Emily said turning to look at JJ
"I…uh…I'm sorry Em" JJ said sympathetically
"It's okay Jayje" Emily told her right before they heard more noise coming from upstairs
Emily and JJ took off running the rest of the way up the stairs and into their bedroom finding their bed empty. As they headed into the bathroom they found Ethan standing beside Henry who was bent over the toilet. They also found that someone did not quite make it all the way to the toilet.
"I'm sorry. I tried to help him make it" Ethan said, talking about Henry
"It's okay baby" Emily said as she walked up to the boys with JJ behind her
"Are you okay Ethan?" Emily asked as she brushed some hair out of his face
He nodded slowly before turning to lean into Emily.
"Okay well then let's get you back to bed, okay" she told him
He nodded again as he turned away from Henry. Emily bent down and grabbed him under his arms again as she lifted him up and carried him out of the bathroom.
"I can walk mama" he said unconvincingly
"I know sweetie" she replied as she entered the bedroom and walked back over to the bed carefully laying him down
She kissed him on the head before standing up. As she was about to walk away he grabbed her hand.
"Don't leave me" he said in a worried voice
"I'm not baby. I'm just going to clean up the bathroom and then I'll be right back. Okay" she told him as she ran her fingers through his hair
He nodded as he slowly let go of her hand.
She then walked into the bathroom and grabbed some towels to clean up the floor. She looked over at Henry and JJ and found JJ wiping him down with a wash cloth before picking him and carrying him out of the bathroom. Emily then threw the towels in the corner of the bathroom, knowing there would probably be more laundry to come soon.
She walked back into the bedroom to find JJ crawling into bed beside Henry. So Emily walked over to her side of the bed and climbed over Ethan before laying on her back. Ethan then turned onto his right side and laid his head on Emily's chest as he snuggled into her side.
Around 5:30am Emily woke up finding Ethan asleep beside her. Emily cursed to herself because she knew she had just laid down less than thirty minutes ago. She sat up and looked over at JJ finding her facing the other direction with Henry curled into her. As she was about to lay down she heard a noise coming from down the hall. She carefully crawled out of bed, realizing as soon as she stood up how light headed she was. She shook it off as she headed out of her bedroom.
As she walked down the hallway she saw the light on in the boy's bathroom so she stopped outside the door and knocked lightly. When she received no answer she knocked again. When she didn't receive an answer that time she opened the door slowly, peeking inside. As she did she noticed a body curled up on the floor. She opened the door wider and found Declan laying on the floor, using some towels as a makeshift pillow. Emily immediately rushed inside and knelt down next to the teenage boy.
"Declan" she said as she shook him
His only response was to moan slightly. Emily felt his forehead and he was burning up. She stood up and grabbed a washcloth off of the sink, wetting it, and then kneeling back down beside Declan. She began wiping down his face and he slowly opened his eyes.
"Hey handsome" she said with a smile
"Mom?" he questioned as his eyes struggled to focus
"Yeah sweetie, it's me" she told him as she used the wash cloth to wipe his hair out of his face
He attempted to sit up and soon as he did he turned quickly towards the toilet, throwing up. Emily's heart broke as she rubbed his back to help comfort him. Once he was finished he attempted to stand up.
"Declan, you probably shouldn't move" Emily said taking his arm and helping him up
"I'm okay" he told her unconvincingly as he moved towards the sink
She stood beside him with one arm around his waist as he rinsed his mouth out with water. He leaned all his weight onto the counter as he closed his eyes.
"Declan, are you okay?" Emily asked as she held onto him tighter
He nodded slowly as he turned to try to walk out of the bathroom, "Need to lay down" he said quietly
Emily helped him walk back to his room and helped him lay back down in bed. She then took the washcloth and wiped his face down with it before placing it on his forehead.
"I'm going to get the thermometer, honey, I'll be right back" she told him as she turned and walked out of his room back to her own bedroom.
She grabbed the thermometer and walked back to Declan's room. She stuck the thermometer in his ear and waited until it beeped. She looked at the number and saw that it read 103 and her heart began to race.
"Declan sweetie, you want to come to my room. The other boy's are in there with us because they are sick also" she told him as she set down on the edge of his bed
He opened his eyes slightly as he looked at her, "I'm not a baby. I'll be fine"
"Declan" Emily pleaded
"Mom, really, I'm fine. I just need to sleep" he told her as he closed his eyes
Emily sighed knowing she couldn't convince the teenager at this point. She wiped his face one more time with the wash cloth before replacing it on his forehead.
"Okay, well, if you change your mind you know where we will be" she told him as she stood up and left his room.
As she walked back down the hallway she stopped at Penny's room, peeking in to check on her. She saw that she was still sleeping peacefully so continued on to her bedroom. When she entered her room she saw that JJ was up with Henry again in the bathroom. Emily was about to check on them when she started feeling queasy herself. She sat down on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. Then it hit her, she jumped off the bed, covering her mouth and darting out of the bedroom and to the extra bathroom next to Penny's room. Emily shut the door before hunching over the toilet and throwing up herself. Once she was finished she rinsed her mouth out with water before wiping down her face.
Emily walked back into the bedroom and found JJ putting Henry back to bed, she turned to look at Emily and JJ cocked her head.
" Em are you okay?" JJ asked once she had covered Henry up
Emily nodded as she walked into the bathroom picking up her phone off the floor. When she walked back into the bedroom she looked at JJ.
"Declan is sick too. I'm going to call Pen and see if she will come get Penny. Maybe we can at least save her from getting sick" Emily stated as she dialed Garcia's number
JJ nodded as she sat on the edge of the bed, next to Henry. Once she hung up she turned back around to look at JJ.
"You should get some rest. I think we are both going to need as much as we can get" Emily told the blonde as she walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" JJ asked
"To change the laundry. Garcia said she would be here in about half an hour to pick up Penny" Emily said as she walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
When she made it downstairs she stopped and leaned against the wall when she started feeling sick again. Then she turned and ran to the half bath that was located downstairs. When she finally came out of the bathroom she headed to the laundry room and changed out the loads. Then she sat down on the couch for awhile to wait for Garcia. Finally there was a knock on the front door. Emily got up to answer it and found Garcia on the other side with mask over her nose and mouth and Emily couldn't help but smile.
"Garcia" Emily said as she opened the door for her
Garcia came in and looked Emily up and down, "Long night?"
Emily nodded before asking, "What's this?" and pointing to her face
"Don't get me wrong princess Prentiss I love you but I refuse to get sick" Garcia answered
Emily nodded, "Well no one has been in Penny's room tonight, so hopefully she is okay"
Garcia nodded, "You wait here and I will gather my precious mini JJ"
Emily smiled as she watched Garcia rush up the stairs. About ten minutes later she came back down the stairs and Emily rolled her eyes. Garcia had placed a mask around Penny's nose and mouth as well.
"Garcia don't you think there are already germs on her?" Emily asked as she made it to the front door
"Yes but that's why Derek is waiting in the car with antibacterial lotion and when I get home miss Penny here is getting a bath"
"Okay, thanks Garcia" Emily said as she opened the door
Emily tried to lean down and kiss Penny on the head but Garcia jumped out of reach, "I don't think so kitten, no spreading germs"
And with that Garcia was gone and heading down the front porch steps. Emily shook her head as she shut and locked the door behind her. Then Emily felt a wave of nausea again and turned to head to the bathroom downstairs. This time when she came out JJ was standing there with her arms crossed.
"Hey JJ" Emily said trying to act nonchalant
"How long have you been sick?" JJ asked
"What?" Emily said as she walked around JJ, trying to ignore the question
"I'm serious Em, how long have you been sick?"
"JJ I'm fine" Emily said as she headed up the stairs
"You are not fine Emily. You are paler than usual and it looks like you are sweating" JJ pointed out as they got to the top of the stairs
Their argument was interrupted by Declan rushing into the bathroom. Emily immediately turned to head into the bathroom to check on him. He had just finished emptying the contents of his stomach and had leaned against the wall. Emily grabbed the washcloth on the sink and knelt down beside him to wipe his face, while JJ stood in the doorway. Unfortunately once Emily's senses detected what had happened in the bathroom, she felt her stomach roll. She immediately crawled over Declan's legs to empty her stomach into the toilet as well.
"Oh baby" JJ said as she walked up and knelt beside Emily, holding her hair back for her
When Emily finished she sat back slightly as she turned to look at JJ, "I'm okay"
JJ shook her head, "No you aren't"
JJ then felt Emily's head and could feel how warm she was. Then she turned and looked at Declan who was still leaning against the wall.
"Okay who wants to move first?" JJ asked looking from one to the other
"I am fine JJ. I can walk" Emily said as she forced herself to her feet
"Me too" Declan said as she pushed himself up against the wall
"Why is everyone in this family so damn stubborn" JJ said angrily
Declan just looked at her before walking slowly past and heading back to his room. Then Emily followed him out walking back towards her room. When she got into the room she saw that Ethan was awake.
"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?" she asked as she walked around to that side of the bed and sat down beside him
"Bad and I don't think I have anything left in me to throw up" Ethan told her sadly
"I'm sorry baby" she said as she laid down next to him
JJ then picked up her phone and called Hotch letting him know that neither she nor Emily would be in today because everyone in the house was sick. Right after she hung up she started to feel nauseous. She turned and ran into the bathroom just in time. Emily immediately threw off the covers and headed into the bathroom after JJ. She walked up behind the blonde, grabbing her hair and holding it out of the way as she knelt down behind her and rubbed her back. Once JJ was finished she relaxed into Emily's arms.
"Now who's not feeling well?" Emily said with a smile
"Aww crap" JJ stated as she sighed into Emily
Not a moment later Ethan came running into the room almost tripping over his mothers as he hurled himself at the toilet. Once he was finished he joined them on the floor.
"I really don't know how much more can come out" he stated as he laid his head on JJ's lap
JJ brushed some hair out of his eyes as she looked down at him, "I'm sorry baby"
They finally all made it back into bed. As the morning rolled on it seemed the boys were getting over the vomiting part, unlike JJ and Emily. Sometime in the early afternoon the boys were asleep, as was Emily. JJ however was still awake. She was laying on her back with Henry curled into her right side. Suddenly a blonde head entered the bedroom. She turned and saw Declan looking at her and he smiled slightly.
"Hey"
"Hey D" she replied with a smile, "How are you feeling?"
"Not so good" he answered
JJ nodded, "I'm sorry sweetie"
"I was just wondering…if you know…if I could" he rambled
JJ rolled her eyes and patted the space between herself and Emily, "Come on D"
He smiled as he walked around to the foot of the bed before carefully crawling up the bed and laying down on his stomach, turning his head towards JJ, "Thanks"
"Always" she smiled at him as she brushed some of his bangs out of his eyes
A few minutes later he was sound asleep. JJ felt his forehead and saw that he was still pretty warm. Then she felt Henry and noticed he was still warm as well. She closed her eyes as she felt a wave of nausea rush over her. She let out a deep breath once it passed. Soon after she felt herself drift off to sleep.
A couple of hours later Emily woke up, still feeling tired. She couldn't feel her left arm so she turned her head and found Ethan's head on her arm, his left arm thrown over her waist and his leg thrown over her own. She smiled down as she kissed the top of his head. As she turned to look to her right she found a sleeping Declan next to her. He was on his stomach and his head was facing her. She smiled and she shook her head lightly at the teenager next to her.
She leaned up slightly to look over at JJ and Henry and she found JJ looking back at her.
"Hey" JJ said
"Hey" Emily replied
"How are you feeling?" they asked simultaneously before letting out a small laugh
"You first" Emily said as she looked at JJ
"Still feel horrible but I haven't been sick in awhile" she told Emily
"Same here" Emily replied
"Henry is still running a fever" JJ told her
"Ethan too. I can feel the heat radiating off of him" Emily stated, "And I think Declan is still running a fever because I can see him sweating"
JJ nodded before laying her head back down, while Emily did the same. Then JJ rolled away from Henry and carefully got out of bed.
"Where are you going?" Emily questioned as she watched JJ enter the bathroom
Then JJ reappeared with a thermometer, "Just going to check"
JJ stuck the thermometer in Henry's ear waiting for it to beep.
"Still 101" she stated as she looked over at Emily
"What about yours?" Emily asked JJ
JJ then took her own temperature, "102"
Emily nodded as she watched JJ climbed carefully over Henry to get back in her spot on the bed. Then JJ stuck the thermometer in Declan's ear.
"104" JJ said as she looked up with wide eyes at Emily
"It's okay JJ, he's a lot bigger than the little ones. And he hasn't thrown up in awhile." Emily said, although she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince JJ or herself
"Let me get Ethan's temperature and then I'll call the doctor" Emily told her as she reached up to take the thermometer
"I'll call him, I'm already up" JJ said as she crawled off of the bed and walked around to her side of the bed to retrieve her phone off the nightstand.
Emily then took Ethan's temperature and found that it was the same as earlier, "103 same as before"
JJ nodded her head as she ushered to Emily. Emily then stuck the thermometer in her own ear. She pulled it out and looked at it.
"Well?" JJ questioned
Emily looked at thermometer and then at JJ, "102"
JJ glared at Emily, "You're lying"
"No I'm not" Emily told her as she turned off the thermometer
But JJ came around to Emily's side of the bed and took the thermometer out of her hand. She then turned it back on, knowing it kept the last temperature in memory. Emily cursed herself as she watched JJ turn it back on. As JJ read the numbers her eyes grew wide. She dropped her hands as she stared down at Emily.
"105" JJ said in a frightened voice
"I'm okay JJ, really. I feel the same as I did earlier" Emily told her as she looked up at her
"Emily you are not okay" JJ stated as she dialed the doctor's number
"JJ, really, I usually run higher temperatures, something to do with my immune system" Emily told her unconvincingly
JJ finally got hold of the doctor and told him first about Declan and then about Emily. The doctor voiced his concerns about both before reassuring JJ that their size and Declan's youth would play in their favor. Once she hung up she walked back over to Emily's side of the bed. She looked down at her and smiled at Ethan and the way he was wrapped around his mother. Emily smiled up at JJ.
"Well what's the verdict?" Emily asked
"He said that as long as both of you are still feeling alright and haven't been sick in the past couple of hours that you should be okay. But we are supposed to keep an eye on him" JJ said as she nodded towards Declan
Emily nodded before adding, "And I'm guessing you are going to keep an eye on me?"
"That's a stupid question Emily" JJ told her
"I'm sorry Jayje. It's just I really feel okay" Emily told her
"Yeah well I also know you Emily Prentiss and you downplay everything. So I will keep an eye on you if I want to" JJ stated before she dialed another number
"Now who are you calling?" Emily asked as JJ held up her hand
Emily soon found that she had called Garcia to check on Penny. After hanging up the phone JJ crawled slowly back into bed turning to right side and pulling Henry against her.
"I love you Em" JJ said out loud
Emily smiled as she pulled Ethan closer to her, "I love you too Jayje"
Soon they both fell asleep. JJ woke up later that night on her back and Henry asleep next to her on his stomach, with his right arm thrown on top of her. She smiled as she kissed his forehead noticing he didn't seem quite as warm as earlier that day. Then she looked at the clock and saw that it was 915pm. She sighed as she sat up and looked over at the other side of the bed. She smiled when she saw Emily still asleep on her back with Declan asleep on his stomach and his head laying on top of Emily's right arm which was stretched out under the teenagers head. Then she looked at Ethan who had shifted and was now also laying on his stomach with his face buried into Emily's left side and his left arm throw over her chest. JJ then laid her head back down and closed her eyes yet again.
Two days later everyone was up and moving around, feeling somewhat better. All of them were weak from not eating in three days so Emily and JJ made a nice dinner and they all sat down at the table that night to eat. Then Emily stripped her and JJ's bed, as well as Declan's to wash them. Then they made everyone's beds with clean sheets and they cleaned up the bathrooms and threw all the towels into the laundry room to be washed. That night was the first night everyone slept in their own beds and by the next day everyone was feeling much better than they had the past week.
A/N: Reviews are always appreciated, it helps boost my ego and quite possibly upload chapters faster! So please tell me what you think!
