Midmorning was a time for the hospital to be bustling with doctors, nurses and patients. Ned walked up to the receptionist.
"I'm here to see my son."
"Name?" The nasally voice of the receptionist asked.
"Jeremy McDodd."
The long nails of the woman tapped on her keyboard.
"Room 43, make sure to wear a mask."
"Thank you." Ned said.
Sally was nursing her baby, as the doctor said it was the best antioxidant for him at this time and it would prevent dehydration.
"Knock knock." Ned said as he entered.
"Hi, sweetie." Sally said.
"How is he?" Ned asked.
"The doctors gave him some medicine for his coughing and he told me to nurse."
Ned looked at the babe nursing. He was awake, his tiny fingers on his left hand gripping the collar of Sally's blouse. His bright blue eyes stared at his mommy's face as he suckled.
"His belly is getting full, now let's fill your belly." Ned said as he took out the food.
Ned fed Sally as he fed the baby. She enjoyed someone else feeding her. It was one less meal she had to cook.
JoJo's heart was racing. It had been hours since his dad had left for the hospital, and he hadn't heard back from him. He was worried about his brother. At the hospital the night before, JoJo felt on edge and uneasy. His hands were shaking, no matter how hard he tried to keep them steady, they shook. He also felt sweaty and cold.
His baby brother could've been sick with Whorona and could've died.
JoJo always wanted a brother and he could lose him.
Ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum. JoJo's heart pounded fast. He placed a finger on his neck and checked his pulse.
120 beats per minute.
The teenager pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it. He pressed the Whoogle button and typed in a question.
"How fast should a heart beat?" He asked.
His phone spoke.
"According to the Whoville clinic, an average heart beat is 80 to 100 heart beats a minute."
His heart was beating too fast. Something wasn't right.
"Grandma?" JoJo walked into the kitchen, where his grandmother was stirring cookie dough.
"Yes, darling?" She asked.
"Can you check my heartbeat? I need a second opinion."
Rose looked at him. She did train to be a nurse before she had her grandson's mother, so she was familiar with checking someone's pulse.
"Sure." She wiped her hands and took her grandson's hand. She pressed a finger on his wrist and looked at the wall clock. After a minute, she looked puzzled.
She pressed two fingers against his neck and repeated the test.
"Say ahh." She said.
"Ahh." JoJo opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out so his grandma could look in his throat.
"Normal."
She pressed a hand to his forehead to feel for a fever. He felt clammy and cool. She used two hands on his neck to feel for any abnormalities such as limp nodes.
"Fine. Do you feel icky?" She asked.
"No. I feel nervous. My heart is racing, I'm cold and sweaty and I'm shaking."
"Oh, sweetness. You're just anxious about your brother. He'll be alright." She rubbed his cheek.
JoJo felt sort of calm.
The door opened and Ned walked in. "I'm home."
JoJo raced to him. "How's J. J.?" He demanded.
"Whoa! No 'hello, dad'?" Ned asked.
"Hello, dad, how's J. J.?" JoJo said.
"He's doing better. He stopped coughing. Doctors have him on antibiotics right now."
JoJo instantly felt better as he let out a sigh of relief.
Rose came up. "He's been anxious, Ned. Go comfort your son. That's an order!" The older woman ordered her son in law.
Ned knew better than to question his mother in law.
A few minutes later, Ned and his son were sitting together on his recliner watching a rerun of some show from the 80s. JoJo didn't care what they watched. JoJo needed to get his mind focused on something else.
JoJo would usually be distant when it came to his dad, but he needed comfort. He wanted to say "hold me" to someone, but didn't want to appear weak.
Ned could read his son like a book these days and he could tell he needed a hug from his old man.
Ned wrapped his arm around his oldest and pulled him close. JoJo snuggled deep into his dad's fur. Ned could feel his son's heart beat on his stomach as they cuddled.
After a while, JoJo fell asleep. Rose came up and pressed her finger against the boy's neck.
His heart slowed down to a normal 100 beats a minute.
"Good job, son." She said to her son in law.
Ned smiled. He loved it when his mother in law referred to him as "son". It showed Ned that he was accepted into Sally's family.