7 days before quarantine.
JoJo woke up as usual. He yawned and rubbed his sand filled eyes and blinked them awake. He rubbed his temple and yawned.
"Monday already?" He asked himself tiredly as he dragged himself out of bed. He went to the bathroom, which was empty because his sisters were already eating breakfast.
Hair combed, teeth brushed, face washed and ready to go, JoJo grabbed backpack and headed downstairs.
"Sit down and eat, son." Ned said as he drank his coffee and stared at his phone.
Sally was finishing up the pancakes as she glanced at the news on the kitchen tv.
"Reports have said the whoronavirus has spread throughout Who York and Who Island, closing them off. Only essential travel is allowed until further notice. Join us tomorrow for an exclusive interview with the mayor and Whoville's greatest scientist Dr. Mary Lou Larue for a game plan of what needs to be done during this pandemic." The news anchoress said.
"Mommy?" Sally heard a voice say below her knees and a tug at her leg fur.
"Yes, Hildegard?" She answered her 9 year old daughter.
"Is there a zombie apocalypse going around?" The question made Sally chuckle.
"Of course not! Just because it's a pandemic, doesn't mean everyone is going to turn into zombies." Sally said, flipping the pancake in her pan before turning around and giving the panicked little girl a hug.
"But Jennifer at school says that the virus turns everyone sick and into zombies."
"Well, Jennifer is wrong." Ned said, shoving his phone in his pocket.
"Daddy's going to talk to some experts tomorrow and he'll be the first to know." Sally said. "Now go finish up, you'll be late."
JoJo cut into his pancakes shoved the piece into his mouth. He had heard about this whole "pandemic" for weeks now and he thought everyone was making a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be.
Once he was done, JoJo hopped out of his chair.
"Hold on, there, little man!" Sally said loud enough for JoJo to stop dead in his tracks.
"Medicine time!" Sally said as she twisted the cap of cough syrup and getting a spoon ready.
JoJo's shoulder slumped. "Oh, come on, Mom! Not again!"
"There's a virus going on outside and people are getting sick. Not my babies! You're the last one to get the medicine. Now open up, baby boy!" She said as she poured the thick red liquid onto a metal spoon.
JoJo gulped and opened up his mouth. Sally poured the cough syrup onto his tongue.
Not wanting to gag and spit the medicine onto the floor, JoJo swallowed. The minty gross taste went down. JoJo could swear that he could feel it settle with the pancakes in his stomach.
"Good boy." She said.
He forced a smile but as soon as she turned around, JoJo stuck his tongue out and shivered as he grimaced and gagged dramatically.
"You'll get used to it." His dad said as he patted his son's shoulder.
"They make cough syrup pills, you know." The boy said, smartly.
"The syrup goes down quicker and I don't want my kids to become pill poppers. Now I've got to get going, we have a meeting today about the virus. I'll be a little late, I'll bring home dinner, Sally!" Ned called to his wife after talking to his oldest son.
"Bus is here!" Hannah yelled.
JoJo grabbed his bag and rushed out the door.
He got on the bus with his sisters and dreaded the day.
At home.
Sally loaded the last dish into the washer and pressed the button. As it ran, she went to the living room and saw her youngest children.
Hula, Holindai, Henrose, Hippy, Happy, Hoppy, Heart, Huggy, Hedy and her 5 month old baby Jeremy were either playing or napping in they were in diapers, like J. J. was.
Yes, a year ago, Ned and Sally decided to have one more baby to make 98 children, a perfect 100 person family.
Shock filled the family when the baby came into the world with male genitals, rather than being another girl. That's when they decided that was enough children. They got another boy, that was enough.
They were concerned that their oldest would be jealous now that he wasn't the only boy anymore, but surprisingly, JoJo excepted it quite well. He actually took on a fatherly role once Jeremy Jason came home from the hospital.
JoJo was never a touchy feely soft big brother, but he felt protective of his baby brother, since the minute he held the wiggly newborn.
So much that Ned even came into their room in the middle of the night to check on the baby when they didn't hear him cry for a feed and he caught JoJo feeding his brother his bottle.
Ned felt proud that JoJo felt responsible for keeping his brother safe.
Everytime he cried, JoJo was on it. Hunger? JoJo got a spare bottle from the fridge before Sally had a chance to get her nursing pillow. Cranky? JoJo could hold him until Jeremy calmed down. Sleepy? JoJo was quick to put him to bed. Wet? JoJo had experience with baby sisters that he could change diapers with his eyes closed. Bored? JoJo would walk around the house with his baby brother.
It was like JoJo was obsessed with his new brother.
But now school had started back up from winter break and JoJo had to go back to school.
Sally had her baby all to herself now and he was asleep, so she could get some chores done.
At work.
The meeting was already 90 minutes in, and Ned was wondering if it will end before he had a chance to visit the Who University office to speak with the scientists.
"So as you can see, by this chart, this virus has been spreading in the past few weeks, we need a game plan to protect the community before it starts taking lives." Someone pointed to a chart and Ned took notes.
"Mr. Mayor, are you still going to discuss the virus with the specialists over at the college?" Chairman Vonfrood asked.
"After this meeting, I'm going straight over there." Ned answered.
"Good. Any further questions shall be answered at the next meeting in two days." Vonfrood slapped his gavel on the table. "Meeting adjourned."
Ned went to his office and packed his suitcase with notepads, pens, books on diseases and his phone charger. One could never be too careful. Ned would have to do his own research and compare data with Dr. Larue.
"Miss Yelp, please postpone any appointments until I get back." He asked.
"Mmm hmm." The purple plump woman said, not even looking up.