When it's not always raining there'll be days like this. When there's no one complaining, there'll be days like this. When everything falls into place like the flick of a switch. Well my mama told me there'll be days like this. When you don't need to worry, there'll be days like this, when no one's in a hurry there'll be days like this. When you don't get betrayed by that old Judas kiss, oh my mama told me there'll be days like this
27th December 2020
"If this is my first post-birth period I swear, I'll cry" Morgana grumbled as she put her hand on her stomach. For the last few hours she'd been getting stomach cramps, while not unbearable yet they were rather painful. She tended to get cramps right before her period along with her PMS, though given that she was exclusively breastfeeding she was hoping to not have her period back until 2021, many women not getting periods for the first six months.
"Right on time for after Christmas too" Merlin remarked.
"I was hoping not to get it back until 2021, it could have surely waited a few days" Morgana sarcastically remarked.
"Well this is 2020" Merlin shrugged. "The year that keeps on giving".
"What day even is it?".
"Dunno. All I know is that it's the weird period between Christmas and New Years Eve. The twilight zone, whatever you want to call it".
"Oh yeah, the period where we get extra fat from eating takeaways, Betwixtmas or Crimbo limbo whatever it's called. We can't even get takeaways".
"I thought take away was open in lockdown?" Merlin frowned.
"I dunno, lost track of life" Morgana shrugged.
"Well, that's what always happens in this strange period, let alone in the 2020 one".
"We never ended up getting our honeymoon" Morgana pouted. "I mean we were saying about how we'd have it at around the beginning of September".
"Holidaying with a newborn" Merlin grimaced. "Would've been fun".
"I think that the plan of staying at home in our own bed was much better".
"Yeah, especially with coronavirus" Merlin agreed. "Newborn cuddles are the best".
"As if the UK wasn't hot enough" Morgana chuckled. "I mean imagine being in a hot foreign country".
"Okay that heatwave was rather intense. I mean I left the hospital and it was boiling, even though it was midnight!".
"I remember, the ward was boiling" Morgana smiled at the memory. "They had the fans on blast so high that it was beginning to get cold".
"That's the problem though!" Merlin agreed. "It's too hot then too cold ... I mean the maths corridor was either freezing before or too hot".
"As for the English block, that was boiling" Morgana grimaced. "Gwen managed to get us air con and everyone was absolutely freezing".
"Summer '18 wasn't it?" Merlin grinned.
"That was the time" Morgana sighed. "Then as for the next summer".
"Well that was a major plot twist" Merlin said sarcastically. "Then as of summer '20".
"We were preparing for our own little arrival and working from home due to a pandemic" Morgana smiled.
"And now he's here" Merlin gently kissed the baby's forehead. Morgana lay herself back down to feed Alfie while Merlin checked the baby monitor. Amhar sat up and coughed. "Oh shit".
"What is it?" Morgana asked as she stroked Alfie's head.
"Amhar has a cough" Merlin sighed. "He looks like he's struggling to breathe too".
"Oh no" Morgana groaned and put her head back, lightly coughing into her arm.
Merlin turned away and grabbed a tissue, coughing violently into it. "Oh shit" Merlin muttered. "Maybe we ought to ... you know?".
Morgana coughed again. "Get tested?" Merlin nodded. "Okay. Get the thermometer?".
Merlin went to get Amhar, he put his arms up and mumbled "Dada", putting his face on his shoulder. Merlin could feel that the toddlers forehead was warmer than usual. He grabbed the thermometer out the draw, put a clean cover on it and put it in Amahr ear, he cried in protest.
"I know Kiddo you don't feel well, it's okay sweetie" Merlin said. The thermometer beeped and Merlin checked the temperature. 38.5°. "Oh sweetie" Merlin put his hand on Amhar head and gently rubbed his back as he cried. "It's okay. Let's go see mummy". He grabbed the thermometer and made his way to the master bedroom and put Amhar down on the bed. "Thirty-eight point five" Merlin sighed as he put the old cover in the bin and grabbed a new one.
"Oh sweetie" Morgana sighed as he lay next to her. She grabbed Alfie and lay on her back with the baby on her, holding Amhar close to her. "It's okay sweetie". She coughed into her shoulder. "Can you smell vomit?".
"No" Merlin frowned.
"And smoke. How odd" Morgana shrugged. Merlin put a clean cap on and took her temperature, 38.2°. "I'll do Alfie's" Morgana sighed. 37.0°. At least the baby was fine.
"Right, I'm checking the NHS website" Merlin said. "We already know that cough's are a symptom and we all have them except the baby, likewise with high temperature. Apparently loss of smell or smelling things that aren't really there are a symptom too".
"Oh great" Morgana muttered. "I guess we ought to get on with booking our tests".
"I guess so" Merlin agreed with a sigh. "Amhar let's go for a wee".
"I no need a wee" Amhar scowled.
"Come on kiddo, you have to" Merlin sighed. "I can tell you need a wee. Big boys go for a wee on the potty, not in their pants". That grabbed Amhar's attention, he scrambled out of bed and made his way to the toilet. He sat there for quite a while, Merlin and Morgana weren't paying attention instead occupied with booking their coronavirus tests.
"Mummy" Amhar wailed from the toilet. Morgana handed Alfie to Merlin so that he could burp him and then went to the en-suite.
"What's up kiddo?" Morgana asked.
"I don't feel well" he cried. "Tummy hurts".
"Oh sweetie" Morgana hugged him. "It's okay sweetie. Where else does it hurt?".
"Bum" Amhar wailed and coughed again.
"It's okay sweetie" Morgana reassured him and patted his back as he cried. "It's okay, you're okay".
His crying soon faltered into a small smile as a disgusting smell filled the room before he went back to crying. "It hurts mummy".
"I know" Morgana said. "Merlin, I think we need a nappy..".
"What's happening?" Merlin asked.
"Amhar's got diarrhoea" Morgana sighed and stood up. "I'm going to be sick...oh boy".
"I'll get him some nappies and a bucket" Merlin said. He quickly put Alfie in the ergo so that Morgana wouldn't worry about the baby and went to Amhar's room to grab the nappies and then downstairs to get some of the bright orange buckets they had in the cupboard under the stairs. He groaned as he walked up the stairs, Amhar crying more and the sound of retching. He put the nappies down on the bed and went over to the bathroom. Amhar was sat on the toilet, fallen in while Morgana was throwing up in the sink. Merlin picked Amhar up out of it and made a mental note to buy one of the child seats that could be installed to the toilet to stop him falling in (they already had two, one downstairs and one in the main bathroom, though didn't have one in their room given that he didn't use it often). He pulled Amhar out and went to Morgana and rubbed her back, holding her hair back until she'd stopped being sick.
"Urghhh" Morgana groaned as she leant on the shower wall. "Well ... I think we got norovirus".
"Seems that way" Merlin agreed with a sigh as he wiped Amhar and took him off the toilet, putting him in a pull-up. Merlin made sure to clean up the bathroom, wiping down the toilet, sink and door handles with anti-bacteria spray and wipes, Morgana took Alfie and Amhar down while Merlin took care of everything upstairs and stripped the bed, taking them to be washed. He soon made his way downstairs to Morgana, Amhar and Alfie cuddled up in the sofa as they watched Hey Duggee on repeat. He went over to the washing machine and then went back to the sofa. Amhar had snuggled against Morgana's chest, his thumb in his mouth with Alfie in the Ergo attached to Morgana.
"Hey you" Morgana smiled as she saw Merlin.
"Hey" Merlin smiled as he sat on the other side of Amhar. "How is he?".
"Tired, looks like we're having a lazy day, I've given him Calpol. Thank you for taking care of us".
"That's okay" Merlin replied. "How you feeling?".
"My stomach still hurts, though I don't feel sick anymore. This little guy is getting there, I suppose".
"Even with everything happening, I love times like this".
"Me too" Morgana agreed. "Not getting ill, of course and hopefully we don't have covid. Family cuddles as we watch a movie together curled up under a blanket".
"With the rain pouring down" Merlin added as he looked out the window.
"What do you think of pizza for breakfast" Morgana suggested.
"I think it's a terrible idea" Merlin chuckled. "And that you need your coffee".
"Probably" Morgana agreed with a laugh.
28th December 2020
Merlin woke up to a churning in his stomach, not that he was surprised. Morgana and Amhar had spent most of the day in some way attached to either the toilet or the sick bucket. He rolled over, Amhar was nestled in between them, Morgana was snoring and Alfie was asleep in the Next2Me. He closed his eyes against the pain and the nausea. Amhar and Morgana both looked tired even while asleep. Merlin checked the time, 8:30 which was considered a lie-in in the Emrys household. With Amhar in their bed, Morgana didn't feel comfortable co-sleeping with the baby so he had to go in the Next2Me which he wasn't really a fan off, though he tolerated it if Morgana held his hand, now that he had outgrown his gro-swaddles and used snuggle bags instead, which had the option to have his arms in or out, while in the bed he was happy to have them in whenever away from Morgana he had his arms out so he could grip on tightly to her finger. He did have to be moved back and forth into the bed whenever he woke up through the night for a feed—10pm, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30 and then he'd usually feed when he woke up for the day at six thirty or so, depending on if Merlin had to go to work or not.
Merlin made his way downstairs, tiptoeing and closing the stair gates behind him. He made his way to the downstairs bathroom, groaning as he emptied his bowels though the relief felt good, as did the lack of cramps afterwards. Looks like the whole family had gotten the sickness. He cleaned himself up, sprayed down the toilet, sink and door handles with Dettol spray and out a face mask as he made his way out, waving to his lovely neighbour Doris though made sure to stay away from her as even though he had his mask on he didn't want to take the risk of possibly infecting the elderly woman. Post had come even though it was a bank holiday, though it was only their covid testing kits and Merlin made his way inside with them and went upstairs. Amhar was still asleep while Morgana was leant over feeding Alfie, trying to keep her eyes open and looking exhausted.
"Hey you" Merlin whispered.
"Hey" Morgana replied. "Where'd you go?".
"I got the runs too" Merlin grimaced.
"Oh boy" Morgana muttered. "All of us are sick, except the baby thank God".
"Well, I have the covid tests" Merlin said. "I'll do mine first then you do yours?".
"Okay sure, need to finish feeding Alfie" Morgana said as she looked at the baby. He looked up and grabbed a fistful of her hair. "Ow! Alfie, no. That's not nice. I'm keeping you alive!". Merlin chuckled and made his way to the bathroom, washing his hands for twenty seconds and unboxing his covid test. He washed his hands again and put the liquid filled vial on the side the sink opened, leaving the odd pad-like thing in the bag.
"How do I do this?" Merlin asked with a frown as he walked into the bathroom.
"Back of the throat and get your tonsils five times, then up your nose until you poke your brains out and swivel five times and again in your nose".
"Bloody hell" Merlin muttered. "Did they really poke your brains out when you were in labour? The instructions are confusing".
"Of course not" Morgana chuckled. "It doesn't go that high up. Well at least it didn't when I was in labour".
"Well, I'm a teacher and Amhar's in nursery and so far we managed to get through a whole term with no testing".
"A miracle indeed" Morgana agreed. Merlin went back to the bathroom and opened the swab kit, poking the awful-tasting cotton bud down the back of his throat retching and gagging as he did so throwing up slightly in the sink, then put it up his nose and circled each nostril five times before he broke the swab in half, threw away the excess and put the swab in the vial, screwing the lid on tightly and putting it back in the bag. "I guess I ought to do mine then?".
"I'll burp Alfie" Merlin said as Morgana passed him the baby with a muslin square. She went to the loo and washed her hands before she unboxed the testing kit, going the same as Merlin and beginning to take her test, shoving the cotton bud down the back of her throat and then up her nose. She cried and then vomited, Merlin rushing over and Amhar waking up with a wail.
"You okay?" Merlin checked as Morgana leant on her heels catching her breath.
"Its that stupid test" Morgana muttered. "It could be a bit more pleasant, though at least I didn't throw up on the midwife".
"But you did on me" Merlin pouted as he made his way into the bedroom. "Twice".
"And I said I'm sorry!" Morgana exclaimed.
"And I've forgiven you" Merlin smirked.
"Good" Morgana huffed. "As you should have. You're not the one dealing with pushing a baby out your vagina, breastfeeding, postpartum depression even though men can get it apparently which makes no sense. Well, swabbing Amhar should be fun".
"It sure will be" Merlin agreed with a grimace. "So I'll swab him you hold him?".
"Okay" Morgana agreed. She put a dummy in Alfie mouth and lay him down on the bed, she took Amhar to the toilet then sat him on her lap.
"Open wide, say ahhhhh and the airplane is going to come in your mouth".
"Ahhhhhh" Amhar said sticking out his tongue as Merlin swabbed his tonsils. Amhar cried gagged and thrashed around as Merlin swabbed his tonsils. "No more".
"Just up your nose okay sweetie" Morgana said. "Yeah, then you can have chocolate". Amhar reluctantly agreed and Merlin swabbed his nose and put the swab in the vial while Morgana rocked Amhar, still gagging.
"I'm heading off to the postbox to send these off" Merlin announced. "Think you'll be okay with the kids?".
"Of course" Morgana replied. "It's next to the doctors surgery, not far all. See you".
"Love you both" Merlin said as he kissed Amhar and Morgana's forehead and left the bedroom.
"You okay little man?" Morgana checked.
"Tummy hurt" Amhar whined. He gagged again and Morgana quickly put her hands under his chin, rushing to the bathroom with him. "I don't like sicky mummy".
"No one does sweetie" Morgana hugged him as she knelt on the bathroom floor.
29th December 2020
The Emrys family ended up spending most of the day on the sofa. While they all had recovered quickly from the sick bug they still remained ill, coughing a lot, being rather worn out and finding it hard to breathe. The sore throats were the worst though with no break whatsoever and having cough sweets and lemsip could only do so much. Merlin and Morgana both attempted gargling with salt water which felt odd and only made them both feel slightly nauseous, doing absolutely zilch for their throats. Amhar bounced back extremely quickly and was practically climbing up the walls with all his energy, Morgana and Merlin taking it in turns to wrap up warmly and watch him play in the garden for five minutes at a time. They had to isolate until they had a negative test and Amhar had very much missed his walks over the last few days, a mixture of isolation and weather meaning he hadn't been out since Christmas Eve. They were huddled under the blanket when they received the news that they had indeed tested positive for coronavirus.
"Well now what" Morgana sighed.
"We have to isolate" Merlin rolled his eyes. "No leaving the house. Puck".
"Puck" Amhar giggled as he ran around again.
"How does that kid have so much energy" Morgana muttered. "And how did he recover so quickly!".
"He's a kid, lucky sod" Merlin muttered. "Remember being a kid and you couldn't wait to grow up".
"And not believing the adults that want to be a kid" Morgana shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, those were good times".
"I mean so is now" Merlin pointed out. "In some way. Being able to spend all this time as a family".
"It is, of course it is" Morgana agreed. "Except we have coronavirus".
"What co bo ba bi bus?" Amhar asked.
"Coronavirus is the thing that made mummy and daddy sick" Merlin explained. That night in bed, Morgana scowled at Merlin as he snored. She remained awake to make sure that the baby wouldn't stop breathing, even though he hadn't had any symptoms and they didn't test him so it was unlikely. She'd been in close contact with him anyway and breastfeeding on demand so he'd hopefully have some antibodies from her anyway. Though as he fed at around three o'clock, Morgana looked at her baby and turned the lamp down slightly. The look in his eyes as he looked at his mother was overwhelming with love. He'd be ok. They all would be.
A/N: I am not a medical person so don't take my word for it with regards to COVID testing, this is generally my experience with it and make sure to follow the instructions you're given with the test! I recently had tonsillitis and it was horrible, I tried to gargle with salt water for the first time and it was so bad ... so had to add that in too lol