~Early next morning, Delko house~
Calleigh was up early getting the children's lunches ready for school. Pip appears beside her.
"Hey Pumpkin!, Why aren't you dressed ready for school"
"Got tummy ache!" Pip replies looking like she was going to be sick.
"Oh Pip! Go and tell daddy and have him get you a pot just in case." Calleigh said looking at her poorly little girl.
"MOMMA! CHRISTI JUST THREW UP!" Timmy yells down the stairs.
Pip groans and heads back upstairs to bed. She snuggles under her quilt with her Gaffy.
Calleigh goes and checks on Christi and takes Christi's temperature and its 101.5 and she's shivering.
"You young lady have the flu. And I think your sister has it too." Calleigh said checking on Pip as well as Eric comes in.
"They both have temperatures of 101+, Can you call Alexx. I need her to check the girls out"
Eric nods and pulls his cell out and calls Alexx who comes right over to check her god-daughters out.
"Eric, Calleigh, both girls have stomach flu and Calleigh, I would advise you to give them plenty of liquids and I wouldn't take them to visit the Speedle Twins" Alexx said
They nodded and put the girls right back to bed.
Alexx then checks Timmy out fairly quickly and finds that he's okay.
"Eric, Take Timmy to kindergarten. I'll stay here with Calleigh and help with the Twins"
"Alright." Eric said going and scooping Timmy up and carries him downstairs and out of the house and takes him over to kindergarten.
"Momma, I want a hug" Christi cries. Calleigh sighs and heads for her room.
When Calleigh gets there she checks Christi temperature again.
"Christi, how many times have been sick this morning?" Calleigh said getting wise to her.
"Few {cough} times!" Christi lied.
Calleigh tucks her in and finds the hot water bottle, tucked under her pillow. Calleigh doesn't say a word, She pulls the bottle out and drops it beside the bed. Once Christi is tuck in and has dozed off, Calleigh picks it up and heads out.
"Pip's asleep!" Alexx says coming out of Pip's room,
"So is Christi. But she faked it." Calleigh said holding up the hot water bottle to show Alexx.
"I don't think she was. Her eyes were glassy and her skin was clammy." Alexx said.
"She was faking it with the Hot water Bottle" Calleigh said "How she faked the glassy eyes is beyond me"
"Calleigh, Christi got a temperature of 100+, so has Pip! Calleigh She not faking it!" Alexx said looking at Calleigh.
"It's just Christi plays so many stunts these days! It wearing me down!"
Suddenly Pip appears at her door, She been sick all the way down her Pj's and Gaffy
"Gaffy got icky all over him" Pip said in tears.
"Aw, Pip sweetheart Lets go get you cleaned up, Gaffy will have to go in the wash with your Pj's" Alexx said
"It all over my bed too, momma!" Pip said in a little voice.
"Calleigh, you sort Pip out and I'll do her bed" Alexx said has Calleigh guides Pip into the bathroom.
"It ok sweetie!" Calleigh sooths as she washes Pip down.
"What made you sick?"
"I don't know, momma There been a bug going around school" Pip says her little eyes full of unshed tears.
"Pippi, If you run away and you got sick, Who would look after you?" Calleigh asked knowing Pip would try again as soon as the babies due date was getting near,
"I don't know momma? Find a hospital or head for aunty Alexx's house" Pip said as Calleigh lift her out of the bath and wrapped her in her pink fluffy towel. After getting Pip in fresh Pj's and finding Tatty Gaffy for her to hug. Calleigh laid down with Pip beside her on the Sofa. Alexx came down and put the spoiled bed sheets in the wash.
"Christi is totally fast asleep, and it looks like you two are as Well" Alexx whispers putting a throw over Calleigh and Pip.
Calleigh awakes to the smell of Alexx's home cooking, She gets up and heads into the kitchen.
"I put Pip back to bed, And let you sleep, It looked like you need it Sugah, Eric called saying he pick Timmy up from kindergarten. Now get some of Alexx's Chicken Soup into you, We can't have you going sick!" Alexx said.
~Next morning~Calleigh is up early, She checks on Pip and Christi.
Christi temperature is back to normal but Pip temperature is still high in the 100's.
"Christi, time to get up. You got school today" Calleigh said
"No! don't feel well!" Christi mutters from under her quilt
"CHRISTINA DELKO GET OUT OF THAT BED THIS MINUTE!" Calleigh said in a strict tone.
Christi scrambles out and Calleigh gets her showered and dressed ready for school.
Eric was going to drop both Christi and Timmy off at Kindergarten and school on his way to the Lab.
"How's Pip this morning?" He asks as Calleigh ushers both Christi and Timmy down stairs for breakfast.
"She still running a high temperature, it 101 at the moment" Calleigh said as she gives Eric a kiss on the cheek, "Can you check to see if Keira and Joshua are okay just warn Lauren that there is a stomach bug about, I would hate the Twins to get it, being newborns!"
Eric nods "I'll call Alexx just after I drop the kids off at school, get her to pop in again, or you can take Pip to hospital and get her checked out there! I'm just as worried about Princesa too"
"I'll take her to the hospital." Calleigh said gathering her purse and keys before heading up to get Pip.
"Ok I'll drop these to off and meet you there. I'll give Horatio a call and let him know that he is Two CSI's short today"
Eric drops Timmy off first at his kindergarten before heading towards Christi and Pip's elementary school to drop Christi off. But Principle Cortez was waiting for him.
"Mr Delko, Morning Christi, Run in that's a good girl!" Principle Pamela Cortez says before looking at Eric. She adds "Where were the Twins yesterday?"
"Both were sick yesterday, Both with that stomach bug that been going around the school. Except Pip is worse then Christi, Calleigh is taking her to the Hospital as we speak, I need to get over there and meet her" Eric said before adding "Oh Dr. Alexx Woods will be picking Christi up at the end of school today"
He turns and heads for his car. "Mr Delko. I need to talk about Christina's attitude in class" Eric sighs and turns and says, "What has she done now? Or not done for this matter?"
"Mr Delko, She been making her sister do her homework, Every bit she has handed in has been in Pip's hand writing!"
Eric groans and rubs his hand over his head. "I'll talk to Christi about it. And see what I can do. She just refuses to listen to anything we say!" Eric says
"Mr Delko, there another problem, Pip been staying in doors at Recess doing hers, then she hands hers in!, I'm worried She never seems to have any friends, We're trying to get her to socialize but she just doesn't want too" Mrs Cortez said.
Eric shakes his hand "No, Mrs Cortez, Pip had friends but Christina always stole them away from her. Pip just give up at trying to make friends at the age of Three!" He says
"Maybe you should try to put the girls in different schools. I'm worried about Pip. I see alot of potential in her." Mrs Cortez says looking at Eric.
"What about putting them into different home rooms?" Eric asks "We can't afford to send them to different schools, not now Calleigh pregnant again" He adds.
"We'll try that and if the problem continues you just may have to send one of the girls to a public school. Or even home tutor Pip" Mrs Cortez says
"I'll talk to Calleigh later about it but for the moment, I need to get to the hospital. Pip is really sick she had a temperature of 101 degrees!" Eric says heading for his car leaving Mrs Cortez looking shocked.
~At the Hospital~
Calleigh is sitting beside Pip's bed, the little girl is on an IV line getting fluids pumped into her Dehydrated body. She has a serious stomach infection, Eric soon finds Pip's room. Calleigh was sitting looking worried.
"Cal, I'm sorry Mrs Cortez caught me, she wanted to talk about Pip and Christi. Christina been getting Princesa to do her homework" Eric said looking glum, "She thinks we should send either Pip or Christi to a public school, I suggest that putting the girls into different home rooms, Mrs Cortez thinks it be good for Pip, It will get her socialize with other girls" Eric adds.
Calleigh sighs, "I don't think so. What ever Friends Pip makes Christi steals!" she says brushing some of Pip's hair out of her daughter's face.
Eric sits down in the chair on the other side of Pip's bed. The doctor comes in.
"Mr and Mrs Delko, We think your Daughter has got a bad case of Food poisoning, Where has the family eaten?" He asks
"No where! Except I took Pip to Mr Frosty, Ice Cream Parlour, the day before yesterday." Calleigh said,
"What did she have at the ice cream parlour?" the doctor asked.
"Triple Chocolate Fudge with white chocolate sprinkles" Calleigh answers
The Doctor went on to explain that five other children had food poisoning from that Ice cream Parlour. Eric and Calleigh just look at the Doctor, "We've got the Food and Drug Administration onto it, They looking into the place, I'll check back within the hour" He says then turns and leaves,
~20 minutes later~
Calleigh is dozing in the chair when a knock comes to the door and Speed sticks his head around it.
"Hey Cal," Tim said
"Shush!" Eric said putting his finger to his lips. "Cal has just drop of to sleep"
"How is she? Alexx rang me and told me that little Pippi was in here sick" Tim said coming further into the room.
"Pip's got serious case of food poisoning, How Lauren?" Eric asks in a whisper not wanting to wake Calleigh up. Tim cell Vibrates the display said "Lauren"
Tim flips open his cell and reads the text "Babe, where are you. I need you up here." Tim smiles he hadn't had time to tell Lauren that Little Pip Delko was five floors below her seriously ill with food Poisoning,
"I better go up and see Laurie," Tim says in a quiet whisper to Eric,
Eric nods "Take care Tim, send our love to Lauren" He says back in a whisper.
Tim heads out and the door swings shut the soft click of it shutting wakes up……
"Dada, Pippi need drink" Pip said in a small dry voice. Eric smiles before saying "Shush, Princesa," Eric holds a sippy cup to her lips, Pip starts to take fast sips "Take it slowly Princesa," Eric adds taking the cup away.
"Me Tried, Pippi needs to sleep" Pip said yawning.
"Well close those pretty Green eyes for Dada" Eric said kissing her head
"Otay" Pip mutters dozing off to sleep again.
Calleigh opens her eyes.
"She woke up and wanted a drink" Eric said with a weak smile. "then she went back to sleep again, You missed Speed too"
"Eric, I been thinking what if when Pip is better we get her that kitten she wanted the other day?"
"And Christi? She just make a fuss and try her hardest to take it away from Pip" Eric said with a worried look on his handsome face,
"Not if we get her one too!" Calleigh said before adding "What did Mrs Cortez also say?"
"Christina hasn't been doing her homework, This little one been doing it and Christi been handing it in has hers, Have you noticed that Pip never had any homework?" Eric asks Calleigh.
"Yeah, now you have mentioned it, Pip never seems to have homework!"
"Mrs Cortez, said that Pip doesn't go out to play at Recess. She heads to the library and does her homework and then goes and finds the teacher and hands it in straight away!" Eric tells Calleigh,
"No wonder the others pick on her and that she has no friends" Calleigh said sadly as a few tears escape from her green eyes. Eric didn't know what the next few months would bring, Mrs Cortez sent work home for Pip to do while she recovered. Calleigh and Eric kept there promise and got Pip the little grey tabby kitten she wanted. She named it Smokey.
The ice cream parlour got closed down completely and the other stores around Miami had there products tested for Salmonella and other bacteria's.
Christi behaved herself for the next few months and got a few A grades in a few subjects.
Eric and Calleigh were pleased with her. Timmy excelled in his studies and in Sport, He love baseball and had given up on surfing and had taken up Diving to spend time with his Dad.