She sniffled. "Thank you, Spot."
"You're welcome, sweetheart."
"What shall we do now?"
"You go talk to Kendra while we wait for Trent. I'll stay here and play with Lizzy."
She smiled a little. "All right."
He helped her to her feet and sat down on the floor next to Lizzy who was playing with her toes.
Lightly , Rae tapped on the door to the room Kendra was sleeping in.
"Come in," Kendra said, sleepily.
"Hello, sweetie," Rae said with a smile.
"Hey," Kendra said, sitting up and clutching her baby.
"Feeling better?"
"A lot better."
She smiled, sitting next to her. "That's good," she said, pushing her hair from her eyes, kissing her forehead.
Kendra crawled into Rae's lap and snuggled up against her. "I want my Momma..."
"Would you like Spot to get her?"
"Dr. Trent said she's real tired..."
"Well, I'm sure she'd still want to visit you sweetie."
"Do you think I can go home soon? Aunt North may have had her baby while I was gone..."
She smiled. "She hasn't yet. Don't hurry so much. Otherwise you might not get better as quickly as you want to."
Kendra frowned. "I don't like being sick."
"I know how you feel." She hugged Kendra. "I don't like being sick either."
The door opened and Trent walked in. "Spot told me I would find you in here."
Rae smiled. "Hello, Trent."
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'm all right, just a little tired."
He placed his hand on her forehead. "I think you're running a slight fever..."
She gave a small sigh.
He took Kendra and placed her back on the bed. "Pick yourself a room, Rae...Luckily they're all empty right now...and get yourself in a bed."
She sighed. "Do you think it's really that serious?"
"No, I don't...but I want you in bed anyway..."
She sighed a little and nodded. "All right..."
She stood and walked to the door. She poked her head out for a moment before looking back at him. "I'll take the room across the hall."
"All right. Get some rest, okay?"
"Under protest..." she said, walking across the hall.
"I would be worried if you didn't protest," he said with a smile.
She rolled her eyes and crawled into the bed.
"You're setting a bad example for my other patient here," he called out.
"Oh shush."
Trent laughed and tucked Kendra into bed. "Sleep tight, kiddo."
"Do I HAVE to take another nap?" she whined.
"Yes. Trust me, you'll fall asleep in no time."
She sighed and looked at her baby doll. "We have to take a nap," she told the doll.
He smiled. "Both of you sleep well, okay?"
She nodded and snuggled under the quilts.
After giving her little shoulder a light pat, he left the room.
He poked his head in the room across the hall. "Take a nap..."
"I'm trying," Rae said with a pout.
He leaned against the doorframe. "Would you like me to give you something to help you sleep?"
"That might help..."
"Be right back," he said, heading down the hall.
She nodded, curling up on the bed and staring at the ceiling
Trent disappeared into his office a moment before walking into the main room where Spot was on the floor playing with Lizzy. "Spot take this medicine to your wife and make sure she takes a nap."
"All right. Should I be worrying about anything?" Spot asked.
"No...I just want to keep an eye on her for a few days...and make sure she gets lots of sleep," Trent said, picking up Lizzy.
He nodded. "All right. I'll be back down in a bit then."
"Take your time...Lizzy and I are just fine."
Spot smiled and headed up the stairs.
"Hey there, sweetheart," he said, walking into Rae's room.]
She smiled. "Hello Spot. Did Trent send you to do the dirty work?"
"I think he wants to take a look at Lizzy..."
She nodded. "Have you brought something to help me sleep? It seems I don't sleep enough for Trent."
He handed her the medicine and a glass of water. "You don't sleep enough."
"I sleep a lot more than I want to."
He sat beside her. "You need to get your strength back."
She gave a little sigh. "I know..."
She took the medicine and lay back on the pillows. Reaching over, Spot stroked her hair.
"Will you stay with me?" she asked.
"Of course I will." He stretched out beside her.
She curled up next to him, resting her head on his chest.
He gently rubbed her back. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He kissed her forehead. She cuddled for a bit longer and then closed her eyes to sleep. Once he was sure that she was sleeping, he eased her back onto the pillows and tucked a quilt around her shoulders. He smiled, watching her sleep peacefully. Pressing another kiss to her brow, he left the room in search of Trent.
He found Trent in his office with China, testing Lizzy. He looked up with Spot entered. "So, did you get her to sleep?"
"Yes...She was really tired, she just wouldn't admit it."
Trent smiled. "Sounds like Rae, alright."
"How's my baby girl?" Spot asked.
"She's doing well. She's still very bright and playful, though a lot more hesitant now- as is expected."
He nodded. "She usually does pretty good...as long as she can hear one of us."
Trent smiled. "And you've both done wonderfully."
Spot walked over and took Lizzy's hand. She squeezed his fingers tightly, gurgling. He gently lifted her into his arms and she caught his finger again, pulling it to her mouth and gnawing on it with her gums. He laughed a little, watching her.
Spot looked at Trent and China. "When are you two gonna have one of your own...you've been married forever."
"Well.. we really haven't had a lot of time," Trent said, a little wistfully. "We'd love children, certainly."
China sighed and looked at him. "I've lost two," she admitted softly.
"Oh..." Spot said. "I'm sorry, China."
China nodded, and hearing one of the boys crying she quickly left the room
Spot bit his lip. "I see I've struck a nerve..."
"It's been hard on her...but she won't admit it."
"I'm sorry I brought it up."
"You didn't know any better..."
"I still feel bad."
Trent nodded.
"Is she upset now?"
"I'm not sure."
Spot sighed.
"Don't worry about it, Spot. You know how China is."
"Just like Rae," he said with a smile.
Trent nodded. "Just like Rae."
"How is Rae really?"
"She's doing well. She's eating more, which helps."
"But..."
"I'm not sure why she's so tired...or why she's running a fever..."
"She's running a fever?" Spot asked worriedly.
"A slight one..."
He frowned deeply. "Should I worry?"
"I'll let you know when to start worrying."
He nodded. "All right... Thank you, Trent."
"I want to keep an eye on her for about a week...just to see if I can't figure this thing out."
"Okay." He nodded.
~*~
A very weary Molly walked into Trent's clinic still in her uniform from work.
"Hello Molly," China called out to her.
"Hello," Molly said wearily.
"Would you like to see Kendra now?"
"I wanted to ask you how she's doing first..."
China smiled. "Trent told her that if she behaved today she could go home tomorrow."
Molly smiled. "That's good to hear."
"She promptly told her baby doll to stop tattling."
She laughed.
"Go on back and see her. I have to go change a diaper," China said, hearing one of the triplets cry.
She nodded and headed down the hall.
When she stuck her head in Kendra's room, the girl was talking to her baby doll.
Molly smiled. "Hello sweetie."
"Mommy!"
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better. I wanna go home."
She smiled. "Tomorrow, if you're good." She walked into the room and sat on the edge of Kendra's bed. "What were you telling your dolly?"
"She's been tattlin' on me."
Molly hid a smile. "Oh? When?"
"She told Dr. Trent that I wasn't takin' a nap..."
"Should you have been?"
Kendra hung her head. She smiled, brushing Kendra's hair out of her eyes. "I tried to take a nap..." Kendra said. "But I wasn't sleepy."
Again, she smiled. "That's what's hard about being sick- when you feel like you're all better, but you still need to rest."
Kendra made a face. "But I tried of restin'!"
"I know." Leaning over, she kissed her forehead.
"Has Aunt North had her baby yet?"
"Not yet, but she's getting close."
"Babies take a long time..."
"Yes they do."
Kendra crawled into Molly's lap.
She smiled. "I've missed having you at home, sweetie."
"I missed you too..."
Molly smiled.
"I miss Pape too..."
She stroked the girl's hair. "Perhaps we can get Spot to bring her soon."
"I asked him...he forgot her..."
"I'm sorry we left her, sweetie."
"I wanna go back..."
"I know..."
"Are you still mad at Daddy?"
"I... I don't know..."
"I really miss him..."
She frowned a little and kissed Kendra's brow. "I know you do."
Kendra sighed deeply and snuggled against Molly.
"I love you, sweetie."
"I love you too, Mommy..."
She hugged Kendra tightly. "Now why don't you rest some, okay?"
"But I been resting for a long time..."
"Just one more day, Kendra."
Kendra pouted. She smiled. "I don't wanna stay here no more..."
"I know..." Molly tucked Kendra's doll in with her.
"I don't wanna take another nap..." Kendra said with a yawn.
"You need to try if Dr. Trent is going to let you come home tomorrow."
"Will you stay here with me tonight?"
"If he'll let me, I will."
"Please go ask him..." Kendra begged.
She smiled. "All right. I'll be right back."
Kendra nodded sleepily. Molly disappeared from the room.
Trent was just leaving Rae's room. "Hello Molly."
"Hello..." She paused for a moment. "Would you mind terribly if... I stayed tonight? Kendra wants me to stay."
"That will be fine, Molly...and then you can take her home in the morning before you head to work."
She nodded and smiled. "Thank you."
She turned and walked back into Kendra's room where the little girl was sound asleep. Molly smiled, leaning over and giving her a light kiss on the forehead. She left the room and went into the main room where Spot was sitting on the couch talking softly to Lizzy.
"Hello Spot," she said.
"Hey Molly."
"How was your trip out here?"
"Long...The boys didn't travel well..."
She tilted her head with a sympathetic smile. "Well, you're getting your rest now, aren't you?"
"Well....with China taking care of the boys...and Trent taking care of Rae...all I have to do is take care of my baby girl."
She smiled. "How is Rae?"
"I don't really know," he said worriedly. "She seems to have less energy than she did two weeks after the triplets where born..."
Molly frowned a little.
"Trent's been giving her something to help her sleep since we got here yesterday..."
"I hope she gets better..."
"Me too, Molly. Me too."
She yawned a bit.
"Tired?"
She nodded. "The people I work for threw a party until the early hours this morning...and then expected to be at work at the normal time today."
Spot laughed a little. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"If Andrew hadn't thrown such a fit when I mentioned working in the factories, I wouldn't be working as a maid..."
"So you're a maid then?" Spot asked curiously.
She nodded wearily.
He smiled, squeezing her shoulder. "You should probably get to bed too. You look exhausted."
"Between Kendra being sick, helping North, and my employers..."
He took her shoulders and gently pushed her down the hall. "To bed. Trent will probably say the same thing."
"I can't believe he didn't say it just a few minutes ago."
"He was probably thinking it."
She nodded. "Goodnight..."
"Night Molly."
She walked back down the hall to Kendra's room and stretched out on the bed next to the one where Kendra was sleeping. "Good night, sweetie," she whispered to the sleeping girl and soon fell asleep herself.