I sure hope you've read the first Get a Flu before continuing on to this chapter. Just a reminder.
Thanks to all of those who have read and a thanks to those you have commented (reviews give me HP)
A quick shout-out to…
BuJyo, I'm glad I could offer such inspiration ^_^
And jazzyjenn5 for staying with me for the sequel. Hope you enjoy it as much as the first.
On to the reading.
Get a Flu Too
Chapter 2:
Marshall pulled up along the curb in front of the Shannon house and got out of his car. He started walking towards the house, locking his car as he left and then slipping the keys into his jacket pocket.
He ascended the few stairs and stopped at the front door. Gently so as to not aggravate any headache Mary was sure to have, Marshall knocked on the door and stepped back to wait patiently.
Surprisingly, the door opened almost instantly and Marshall found himself looking not at Mary, but at her sister Brandi.
"Hello," Marshall smiled cheerfully.
Brandi made a double-take, her eyes widening as she looked Marshall over from top to bottom.
"Marshall?" she finally asked incredulously.
"The one and only," Marshall replied breezily. "Mind if I come in?"
"Sure," Brandi said quickly, stepping out of the doorway with a flustered movement.
"Thanks," Marshall nodded as he stepped inside. Brandi closed the door behind him as Marshall stepped into the living room.
"Um," Brandi started as she stepped after Marshall. He turned to face her. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything but, what are you doing here?"
Now it was Marshall's turn to exhibit surprise as he turned to look in the direction of Mary's room and then back to Brandi.
"Mary didn't tell you I was coming?" he asked skeptically.
"No," Brandi admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I thought she'd been asleep this whole time."
Marshall couldn't help but shake his head with a condescending smile. Stubborn Mary. Calling for him behind her sister's back. She must really be annoyed.
"Brandi honey, who is it," a singsong voice called from the kitchen.
"It's Marshall, mom," Brandi called back, making Marshall cringe. He wondered how anyone could sleep with these two yelling to each other.
A moment later and Jinx Shannon emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron tied around her waist. Her expression brightened when she saw Marshall.
"Good afternoon, Marshall," she chirped with a beaming smile. "What brings you here?"
Marshall offered her a nod in greeting. "Mary called me."
Jinx's smile flickered uncertainly as she tilted her head in puzzlement. "Really?" she asked. "When?"
Marshall's gaze flickered uncomfortably between Brandi and Jinx. "A few minutes ago," he answered honestly.
"Huh." Jinx said as she exchanged a bemused glance with Brandi. "And here I thought she's been asleep this whole time."
There was an awkward pause that Marshall felt he was the cause of. Apparently, Mary had called him behind her family's back and asked him – or rather ordered him – to come over without letting her family know. It wasn't a surprise actually. But still a little unnerving for a seemingly uninvited guest to come over.
A sudden sharp and horrid smell assaulted Marshall's nose, breaking him from his thoughts. He physically recoiled and had to fight the urge, out of politeness, to cover his nose.
Jinx too noticed the smell and sniffed the air proudly.
"Oh!" she exclaimed eagerly. "Lunch is done."
She hurried out of the room and back into the kitchen.
"Lunch?" Marshall choked.
"For Mary," Brandi explained. "Mom had insisted to make Mary lunch." Even she cringed against the smell.
The smell was absolutely vile. It smelled like something rotten had been tossed into boiling water and then cooked over the stove along with a few spices from the garbage dump as seasoning. The smell made Marshall's stomach clench and his eyes water.
It was now perfectly obvious why Mary had called him. And it was now his duty to perform the action she had secretly ordered: get rid of the family.
Marshall turned to where the air was slightly fresher, inhaled deeply, and then marched into the kitchen bravely.
Jinx was at the stove, swirling a smoking liquid in a large pot. The liquid was dark and bubbling. It was impossible to see what was swimming around inside it.
"Miss Shannon?" Marshall asked meekly.
Jinx turned and smiled at him.
"Smells good doesn't it?" she asked happily.
Marshall felt his stomach lurch and swallowed the reflex to gag. "Wonderful," he lied though gritted teeth.
His attempt at appearing truthful wasn't good enough. Jinx saw through the guise and her face fell.
"It's terrible isn't it?" she asked in a small voice. Her lips trembled as she turned to look sadly at her creation.
"It's not that," Marshall assured. "It's just that… I don't think Mary can eat that right now."
Jinx looked up at him quizzically.
"I mean, it's because she's sick," Marshall explained quickly. "When I was sick, I couldn't eat a thing. My stomach got upset easily. Since Mary has the same thing, I don't think she'll be able to eat for a while."
"Oh," Jinx said, brightening slightly at the fact that it wasn't her cooking that didn't appeal to Mary. "I guess that makes sense."
"But you know what did make me feel better?"
Jinx looked up expectantly, her eyes wide and pleading.
"Old fashioned chicken soup." Marshall smiled warmly.
"Oh," Jinx fidgeted uncomfortably. "I don't think I know how to make that."
"It's easy," Marshall enthused. He looked around the kitchen and retrieved a pen and paper from a nearby drawer. He quickly jotted down a list of ingredients for his favorite chicken soup recipe and handed it to Jinx.
"Here. Go to the store and buy these ingredients. When you get back, I'll teach you how to make a good chicken soup."
Jinx took the shopping list with a grateful smile. She clutched the list to her chest as if it were the secret to the fountain of youth.
"Thank you," she said sincerely and bounded out of the kitchen.
"Brandi," Marshall heard Jinx's voice call, "we're going to the store. Come on."
Marshall walked out of the kitchen to see Jinx and Brandi heading for the front door, their purses slung over their shoulders and Jinx holding the keys.
Jinx and Brandi turned back to look at Marshall.
"Are you staying?" Brandi asked.
"Yeah," Marshall replied with a slow smile stretching on his lips.
"You're welcome to stay as long as you want," Jinx offered. "Mary will probably be asleep the whole time so you shouldn't have to worry about her. Make yourself at home."
"Will do," Marshall said with a wave. "Thanks."
Brandi and Jinx turned and left, closing the door behind them. Marshall stayed standing in the living room until her heard the car start and rumble down the road until he could no longer hear the engine.
When he was sure that he was alone, he returned to the kitchen, grabbed the pot of swirling liquid, and dumped it down the kitchen sink.
"You're welcome," he said aloud.
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I have never had the pleasure of having bad soup but I took a guess. Mary's in the next chapter so stay tuned.
Until next time,
Hobey-Ho
