Odette attempted to give Julien a bath, but he screamed when she tried to stand him on his feet to undress him.
"You cannot bathe if you have your clothes on, Julien." She tried but he refused to let her put him down so eventually, she gave up and decided to just put him to sleep.
She sat with him in the rocking chair that was placed in the nursery until he fell asleep, which didn't take long, then she laid him in bed. Before she turned out the lamp, she noticed his cheeks were slightly pink, but she assumed it was because he had been laying on her.
Odette undressed herself and stepped into the large tub Alfie had bought especially for her. Steam from the warm water swirled around her, lulling her to the point that she knew if she didn't get out, she would end up sleeping in the tub. She put on a new silk night dress that felt heavenly on her clean skin and crawled into bed. She had just closed her eyes when Julien released a frightening scream and Odette jumped up quickly, running to his room.
She turned on the lamp and found the small boy with very pink cheeks, tears streaming down his face.
"What is it?" Odette asked as she grabbed her son and pulled him into her arms.
The moment his skin touched hers, she could feel his fever. Julien pushed away from her when she tried to touch his head and Odette knew his fever was so high, her touch probably hurt.
"Alright, it's alright." She soothed.
Odette ran a cool bath and lifted her shaking and screaming son.
"I know, I know. But it will help you." She said to no avail when Julien didn't want in the water.
Without a second thought, Odette stepped fully clothed into the cold water and sat, her son still tightly in her arms. She brought the water up in her cupped hand and let it flow down the back of his head, neck, and back. She knew the water must be uncomfortable for him, but she needed to bring his body temperature down. She cursed herself for not having any medicine that could help lower his fever, nor did she have a telephone to call for a doctor, not that she knew who or where the closest doctor was. Odette remained in the cool bathtub holding her son until he stopped screaming and seemingly fell asleep. She breathed a small sigh of relief at his respite before she stood and took him back to his room.
Less than ten minutes later, she was back in the cold bathwater with a crying boy. This went on for hours, until Odette realized the sun had begun to rise. She was exhausted and cold, but Julien's fever wouldn't break, and he didn't want to be without her. she had opened the windows in his bedroom to cool the room, hoping it could help him rest but, his fever returned just as quickly. As the morning droned, his fever remained and brought with it a cough that rattled his chest.
"Oh, no." She whispered, knowing that cough.
In the few moments Odette was allowed to put him down, she scoured her cupboards and drawers, looking for any ingredients that may help relieve his fever. Julien's cough and fever grew worse, until finally he stopped crying and Odette's concern grew well past worry. Deciding her efforts had been in vain, she scooped the boy up and ran across the street to find help.
Odette knocked on the door repeatedly, feeling Julien's body heat radiating to the core of her heart. She didn't know if Alfie would be home or if Edna would be the one to answer, either way, she would have someone to help her. Exhaustion and worry were building up inside her, representing itself as an emotional lump in her throat. When Alfie opened the door, Odette was so relieved to have help, she pushed past him. When Odette saw the woman putting on her dress, she noticed Alfie's shirtless chest and realized what she had walked in on. Anger bubbled inside her, growing when Alfie handed the woman money.
Alfie's eyebrows raised and the emotional lump in her throat prevented her from speaking until finally she strained out, "Forget it. I will figure it out on my own."
"Odette!" Alfie barked, before he grabbed her arm and turned her. "What is wrong with the boy?"
"He needs a doctor." She responded, wanting nothing more than to walk out and slam the door behind her but her son needed his father's help right now.
Alfie immediately walked toward the telephone, making a quick call before he put the receiver up and said, "He's on his way."
"I am going to put him into his bed." Odette said before she snapped, "You may want to put on a shirt unless you need the doctor to look at anything your FRIEND may have left behind with you." She said as she glanced toward his lap.
Alfie rolled his eyes as he turned to grab his shirt, hearing her heels trudge toward Julien's nursery.
When Alfie had dressed, he walked into the back room and looked at the small boy in the bed.
"How long has he been like this?" Alfie asked.
"He started running fever last night. I did the best I could but, it brought nothing." Alfie could hear the emotion in her voice and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"It's not your fault."
Odette violently shrugged his hand off her shoulder, "Do not touch me or my son until you have at least put soap on your hands. I have seen where they have been."
"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Alfie asked, blinking repeatedly and pursing his lips, attempting to keep his anger under control.
"I said, do not touch me after you have had your hands all over your whores!"
"You are emotional," Alfie reasoned, his body shaking with anger. "And you are worried." He was taking deep breaths, wanting to remain calm and not give into her emotions.
"No! I am tired! And I am afraid!" Odette shouted. "Because I have nursed my son and cannot help him! His chest rattles when he coughs and breathes and his fever is so high, I have been in a cold tub with him for hours! All while you are here, paying women for sex! YOUR SON IS ILL AND YOU ARE PAYING FOR PLEASURE!"
"I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS FUCKING ILL!" Alfie yelled back.
"Yes, well-" Odette started before Edna cleared her throat from the doorway.
"Dr. Friedman is here." Edna said and Alfie nodded for her to allow him back.
Dr. Friedman came in, a large gray mustache under his nose. Odette stood by quietly with Alfie beside her and their argument forgotten, while the doctor examined Julien, mumbling a "hmm" and "tsk tsk" occasionally.
"How long has he been like this?" Dr. Friedman asked as he listened to Julien's breathing.
"The fever started last night but he did not develop the cough until late this morning." Odette answered, wringing her hands.
"And what did you use to treat the fever?"
"Cool bathwater."
Odette bit the inside of her bottom lip while she attempted to wait patiently for the doctor to finish his examination.
"Well," Dr. Friedman started as he stood. "I will need to use your telephone Mr. Solomons."
"What's wrong with him?" Alfie asked.
"Pneumonia. And quite a bad case of it I'm afraid."
Odette wasn't surprised. She knew the sound of that cough when she heard it. Alfie walked with the doctor to the sitting room where the doctor made a call to a chemist and Alfie send Edna to retrieve the compound.
"Will he be alright?" Alfie asked the doctor before they walked back, wanting an honest answer.
The doctor opened his mouth to answer but Odette screamed from the back room and both men quickly rushed back.