Seventeen: In The Wars (Spots and Dots 2)
Kurti ate his breakfast slowly, since his whole body hurt, then he
crept to the Medicine Chest and fetched himself a painkiller.
"Kurti?"
He finched at the noise. "Mama, *please*," he whispered. "My head
hurts."
Once again, Mama flourished the dreaded thermometer, but Kurti was
almost content to sit still. It hurt to move.
Papa took one look at him and muttered, "Oh, *no*. Not again..."
"Rubella, this time, I think," said Mama. "He's been moving like a
little old man."
"Oof," said Papa, and felt his forehead. "Only a little warm. I'll try
to keep the girls away from him, though."
"It's probably already too late," sighed Mama.
"Mama..." whimpered Erika. "I gots owies all over *everywhere*..."
"Yep. Too late." Mama sighed again. "And we *just* got over the
measles."
"I'll 'phone everyone."
Kurti sipped a drink and picked at his lunch while he and his sisters
watched cartoon characters bludgeon each other into insensibility for no
real apparent reason. None of them were very inclined to do anything
about the ringing 'phone, except plugging their ears.
Mama got it. "House of Pestillence... No. No. That was a joke. We all
have Rubella, now. Oh? *Oh*. Yes. Under the circumstances, that *is* a
good idea. Kurti shouldn't have to miss out on his education just
because he's too ill to go. Yes. Are you having any trouble with the
other Heirelgart boys up there? No? That's good. I was worried they
might be carriers. You know how these things get about. I'll get Kurti
to write them a few letters, ne? Thank you *very* much. Take care."
Kurti was curious enough to actually get up and head towards Mama to
try and find out what was going on.
"Good news, fuzzy-love," she said. "You don't have to be held back a
year."
"Huh? How's that supposed to work?"
Mama smiled. "They're sending your year's work here in the mail. It's
too late for you to go to school, so school's going to come to you."
"And *you'll* grade me on my tests?" Kurti asked, nervous. He didn't
like the idea of getting easy grades.
"No, love. Your tests will have to go back to St Ulric's. Your
schoolwork will have to be graded by someone here who's an honest third
party... Father Gottfreid would probably like to. He's gaining an
interest in village life."
Kurti sighed. So much for the easy life. He returned to the couch and
leaned against the armrest, eyes drifting shut every now and again.
Erika cuddled up to him and fell asleep.
_What a good idea._
When he woke up, there was music on the TV. Four men in suits, three
playing guitar, and one playing drums. They looked like nice young men,
and were singing in English.
"_Baby's good to me, you know/She's happy as can be, you know/She said
so. I'm in love with her and I feel fine..._"
Kurt smiled. It was good music. It was so good, it even made Anja
dance. Okay, jump up and down in time to the music. And the Lyrics made
him think about his sisters when they were little.
"_I'm so glad/That she's my little girl. She's so glad/She's tellin'
all the world..._"
Kurt's tail started twitching with the beat. The music went right to
his heart, and Erika was sleeping through it. He didn't want to wake her
by moving, too much, so he let his tail dance for him.
Katja got the giggles from watching him.
There was a set of boring interviews, and then the music men were
back. The guitars sang to him.
"_Something in the way she moves..._"
_Wow._
Kurt became more interested in the boring interviews, and thus, found
out all about the music men. They called themselves the Beatles, and
they changed music forever. They came from Liverpool, but they often
performed in Hamburg, Germany. They even sang some of their songs in
German. The first band to ever do so.
When they played _She Liebe Dich_, Kurti was *sold*.
He knew what he wanted for Christmas.
Kurti fell asleep through the next set of boring interviews, and
dreamed the music as it played. The next time he woke up, for sausages
and bread and a lot of sympathy, the Beatles were gone from the TV. In
their place were boring people interviewing even more boring people, and
when they finally played more music, it was dull and lackluster.
Stupid grown-up TV.
At least it wasn't so bad to fall asleep to.
Kurti ate his breakfast slowly, since his whole body hurt, then he
crept to the Medicine Chest and fetched himself a painkiller.
"Kurti?"
He finched at the noise. "Mama, *please*," he whispered. "My head
hurts."
Once again, Mama flourished the dreaded thermometer, but Kurti was
almost content to sit still. It hurt to move.
Papa took one look at him and muttered, "Oh, *no*. Not again..."
"Rubella, this time, I think," said Mama. "He's been moving like a
little old man."
"Oof," said Papa, and felt his forehead. "Only a little warm. I'll try
to keep the girls away from him, though."
"It's probably already too late," sighed Mama.
"Mama..." whimpered Erika. "I gots owies all over *everywhere*..."
"Yep. Too late." Mama sighed again. "And we *just* got over the
measles."
"I'll 'phone everyone."
Kurti sipped a drink and picked at his lunch while he and his sisters
watched cartoon characters bludgeon each other into insensibility for no
real apparent reason. None of them were very inclined to do anything
about the ringing 'phone, except plugging their ears.
Mama got it. "House of Pestillence... No. No. That was a joke. We all
have Rubella, now. Oh? *Oh*. Yes. Under the circumstances, that *is* a
good idea. Kurti shouldn't have to miss out on his education just
because he's too ill to go. Yes. Are you having any trouble with the
other Heirelgart boys up there? No? That's good. I was worried they
might be carriers. You know how these things get about. I'll get Kurti
to write them a few letters, ne? Thank you *very* much. Take care."
Kurti was curious enough to actually get up and head towards Mama to
try and find out what was going on.
"Good news, fuzzy-love," she said. "You don't have to be held back a
year."
"Huh? How's that supposed to work?"
Mama smiled. "They're sending your year's work here in the mail. It's
too late for you to go to school, so school's going to come to you."
"And *you'll* grade me on my tests?" Kurti asked, nervous. He didn't
like the idea of getting easy grades.
"No, love. Your tests will have to go back to St Ulric's. Your
schoolwork will have to be graded by someone here who's an honest third
party... Father Gottfreid would probably like to. He's gaining an
interest in village life."
Kurti sighed. So much for the easy life. He returned to the couch and
leaned against the armrest, eyes drifting shut every now and again.
Erika cuddled up to him and fell asleep.
_What a good idea._
When he woke up, there was music on the TV. Four men in suits, three
playing guitar, and one playing drums. They looked like nice young men,
and were singing in English.
"_Baby's good to me, you know/She's happy as can be, you know/She said
so. I'm in love with her and I feel fine..._"
Kurt smiled. It was good music. It was so good, it even made Anja
dance. Okay, jump up and down in time to the music. And the Lyrics made
him think about his sisters when they were little.
"_I'm so glad/That she's my little girl. She's so glad/She's tellin'
all the world..._"
Kurt's tail started twitching with the beat. The music went right to
his heart, and Erika was sleeping through it. He didn't want to wake her
by moving, too much, so he let his tail dance for him.
Katja got the giggles from watching him.
There was a set of boring interviews, and then the music men were
back. The guitars sang to him.
"_Something in the way she moves..._"
_Wow._
Kurt became more interested in the boring interviews, and thus, found
out all about the music men. They called themselves the Beatles, and
they changed music forever. They came from Liverpool, but they often
performed in Hamburg, Germany. They even sang some of their songs in
German. The first band to ever do so.
When they played _She Liebe Dich_, Kurti was *sold*.
He knew what he wanted for Christmas.
Kurti fell asleep through the next set of boring interviews, and
dreamed the music as it played. The next time he woke up, for sausages
and bread and a lot of sympathy, the Beatles were gone from the TV. In
their place were boring people interviewing even more boring people, and
when they finally played more music, it was dull and lackluster.
Stupid grown-up TV.
At least it wasn't so bad to fall asleep to.