Part 2
One Month Earlier,

Jennifer Horton Deveraux brought her daughter Abby into SUMC for a checkup. The eleven year old girl had what seemed a bad summer cold, or an unseasonable case of the flu. She'd complained just the day before of feeling achy and hot, and sick to her stomach.

It was a rainy, mild summer in Salem, and only a few days had been warm enough for an active kid like Abby to get overheated playing outside. When Jenn tried their standby remedy of flat soda pop and pretzels, Abby couldn't manage to keep them down, either.

While being examined by their new pediatrician, Noelle Curtis, Jenn noted that Abby was listless, and unusually tired.. This was very worrisome to the young mother, since the youngster was usually as frenetically energetic as her father, Jack. had always been. Something was very wrong, Jenn feared, and her talk afterwards with Noelle didn't change that opinion.

"I'm guessing, until we get the tests back, Mrs. Deveraux." Dr Curtis told her.

"Please, call me Jenn., and tell me what you'r guess is."

"Im guessing, Jenn, that Abby's picked up some kind of flu bug. It doesn't happen much in the summer, but with an active, growing child, its not really that unlikely, unless she's isolated from every other child in Salem.."

"No, not Abby. She's been to camp, and checking in with her cousins when they're around.. Should I call around and ask if any of her friends are down with this flu?" Jenn asked.

"I don't think that's necessary. Abby's the first young one I've seen with flu symptoms. But if that's what she's got, I can pretty safely predict a line around the block here in a few days.. You don't need to be very worried, Jenninfer. Kids are amazingly resilient and antibiotics usually knock this stuff out in a short time. Of course, i understand your concern runs deeper than that."

"Yes, when she was a baby Abby developed aplastic anemia. She needed a bone marrow transplant, and luckily, after a few scary weeks, we found a donor. I felt really blessed, because no one in the immediate family was a match. Dr. Curtis, Abby's been completely healthy since then., not even a hint of a remission. Am I overreacting?"

"As a parent, I''d have to say absolutely not.'" Noelle smiled. "And please, call me Noelle. Everyone else here does. And as a pediatrician, I'd say there's no harm in caution, especially since Abby's immune system was once compromised.. And didn't you tell me that her father had a congenital illness?"

"Yes, Jack did, Noelle." Jenn nodded, a shadow falling over her heart. "It killed him, less than a year ago. I still can hardly believe it. I guess that's why Abby is so incredibly precious to me, more than ever."

"I understand. My dad''s fighting liver cancer. But he won't quit his practice! Did you ever wonder what makes the men from Salem so stubborn?" Noelle asked.

"Jack always said the answer to that was simple: The women from Salem."

"I'm sorry I didn''t get to meet him. Go on and take Abby home, and make sure both of you get some rest. And of course, push fluids. That can't hurt. I'll send a scrip for those antibiotics down to the pharmacy asap. Let them deliver it. You're to take your daughter home and try not to worry. That's doctor's orders, okay?"

"Oh absolutely. Listen, Noelle, I know all about doctor's orders, I grew up surrounded by doctors. My mom, my Dad, my older brother, my grandfather, and about half of my cousins became doctors! But thanks. I'm really glad you and your dad came back to Salem. "

"Well, we heard there weren't any Hortons in line for Chief of Staff just now." Noelle laughed. "So we figured one or the other of us would be a shoe-in!"

Jenn laughed too, and collecting Abby from the waiting room, took her home., stopping only long enough at Salem Place, to satisfy the craving they both suddenly had for orange sorbet.

Opening the door to their apartment, the one Jennifer rented when she and Abby just couldn't bear to stay in the huge house Bill bought them, the young widow wasn't really surprised to find her grandmother Alice waiting.

"Is this some kind of conspiracy?" Jennifer asked, giggling and huggin.g the woman who had partly raised her and most of her kin."

"Of course it is." Alice smiled. "A conspiracy to make sure Abigail gets well, and you don't fall ill yourself caring for her. You know, I've always had a special place in my heart for this curly top, ever since you named her for my beloved mother. And you know, Jennifer Rose, you have a special place in my heart, too. You've made your father and your mother so proud. Why when I think of the wild-child who came running into Salem that summer ..."

"Pretending she didn't need anyone.? Oh, Gran. I need you now more than ever. And I love you so much. Let me get Abby settled, and we'll have a good long talk. Who have you heard from lately? David? Sarah? Julie?" Jenn stood up, and shook off the weariness that had been plaguing her all day.

"Oh well, yes. Julie emails me, now, at least three times a week. And Scott is visiting with her and Doug, so I get news on all of them. " Alice confided, watching Jennifer debate with Abby whether or not the girl would rest upstairs or down.

"Now, let me think, I had a call from Melissa last week, when she got back from her latest tour, Sarah's her stage manager, these days, and they're having so much fun, and not a little success. David seems to be very busy trying to keep from downsizing his father's company, And of course you know your parents were just leaving Nairobi, on their way to Senegal, a few days ago. Michael is trying to keep things together in the clinics he's running in Tel Aviv, and how did he put it, across the green line, in Bethlehem, with Jeremy and Robin and Carrie helping. It makes my heart glad that they've been able to work together. But my, how frightening."

"I agree." Jenn told her. "I cringe everytime I hear about another bombing. "But Mike's kept me pretty well posted. In fact he called to say that Dad and Mom might be coming north to visit him, before they decide on their next jaunt."

"Well, then, I must ask Jeremy to make sure he takes some pictures. It's so rare, these days that we get as many generations of Horton's together. Oh, that reminds me, I got the sweetest letter from your cousin Jessica. She can't come visit for a few months because she's expecting again and they're being especially cautious. I'm glad because I know how much she and Joshua want another child. And of course, Marie is there, she won't let Jessica out of her sight, at least that's what Jessica wrote me."

"Oh I believe it. Aunt Marie isn't someone to fool with Gran, She's your daughter, through and through."

"Well, I suppose I should take that as a compliment. So I will. After all, Greason women helped civilize this part of the country you know. My own grandmother, your cousin Sarah was named for her, was one of the founders of Salem. She married ... ... a Caleb Chandler."

"Oh that reminds me, Gran. Have you met Abby's new pediatrician yet? She's Neil Curtis' daughter, Noelle."

" Yes. It was just a few months back, when she came by the Horton Foundation offices, after her final interview. She looks a great deal like her father, don't you think? And she has his sense of humor, too. Medical humor, strange, its one thing Tom was certain I never understood.."

"Well, I like her a lot and so does Abby." Jennifer added. "Now, Ms. Abigail, If I let you stay downstairs, snuggled in the big chair, do you promise to sip some tea and try for a nap?"

"Uh-huh." Abby nodded, with something like her normal enthusiasm.. "Noelle's really kewl, Gran." she told Alice. "She won't talk down to me ... like some people we know."

Jennifer said nothing, only shook her head and returned to sit next to Alice.

"Well, that's important in a doctor, Abigail." Alice agreed. "Its called a good bedside manner."

"Oh ... yeah." Abby obediently sipped some tea and laid back in the lounger that had been her favorite place to sit, with Jack when he was home. She was asleep before the rest of her tea got cold.

"Well, that's one less worry. She hardly slept all night." Jenn explained. "It's just not like Abby to get so worn out. Noelle is sending some medicine over. She seemed to be certain it will help. I hope so!"

"Jennifer Rose, you're going to worry yourself sick!" Alice exclaimed. "And that's what I came over to prevent.!"

The phone on the coffee table rang and Jenn excused herself to answer it.

"Hey, sis!" Lucas Roberts said when she answered.

"Hey Lucas. I guess I forgot you were going to call."

"No problem.. Will just wanted to know when Abby's going to be feeling better, they were going to do something when he got back from camp."

"Not this week, I'm sorry. Abby's got a flu bug of some kind. She's got to rest and take it easy, Doctor's orders. Kids catch things so easily. You'd better keep Will home, if you can. "

"Hey, thanks for the heads up. Is that Noelle Curtis, who's seeing Abby? Yeah, Will's got this massive crush on her. Lissen, Jennifer, stay well, and don't wear yourself out ...I've done some child care myself now, and its rough."

"Thanks, Lucas. You sound just like Gran, and she came over to help out."

"Great. Call me, if you need anything from ... you know, anything. Okay?"

"I will, Lucas. I will," Jenn told him feeling a bit tired and irritated by hovering relatives..

"Promise?"

"I promise.:"