Chapter 7-

Tessa felt like a complete and total wreck, like she'd been hit by a train. She sniffled as she awoke. She had not been able to go to sleep until two o'clock in the morning the night before because her head had hurt so badly.

"Hey, you okay?" Zoë asked, her green eyes heavy with sleep.

"Yeah." She sneezed.

"I'll get the kids up, and I'll make breakfast you stay in bed for a little while."

"No Zoë, I'll do it." She proceeded to get up.

"No." She said, her tone was strict as she pushed Tessa back onto the bed and tucked her in. "I'll do it." And then she left. Tessa lay back down and closed her eyes. She was quite pleased to have this rest. Even so Tessa felt awful for wishing that her Mom could be there to take care of her.

………………..
"Where's Tessa?" Michael asked.

"She's upstairs, I'm in charge this morning."

"Is she sick?"

"Yes, and sit down and have your breakfast." She told the twins.

"Does this mean that you are going to be taking us to the birthday party later?"

"No. Tessa's still, taking you."

"Why?"

"I can't drive, I'm only eleven! Meanwhile, have either of you seen Sophie?"

"No."

"Not today."

"That's odd. She's usually the first one up. You too stay right here, I'll be back." She said as she darted up the stairs.

Sophie's room was dark and quiet as she walked in. Her curtains were unopened and her toys remained undisturbed. Zoë tiptoed over to her sister's crib and peered over the side. She was sound asleep. Once she touched her she found that she was burning with fever. This made no sense! She had been so much better the day before, she had even said so! So, she carefully picked her up and carried her to her own room. She placed her under the covers next to their older sister.

"Umm?"

"No Tessa, go back to sleep."

"No, you better get Sophie out of my bed, or she'll get sick again."

"Feel her head, she's way worse than you have been." Tessa felt her sister's forehead. She looked up at Zoë who noted that her sister's glare was one of great concern.

"Do you know what this means?" She asked, jumping out of bed, seeming to forget her own illness.

"No."

"Feel her again." Zoë reached down to feel Sophie's head. "You said that she's hotter than I have been this whole time. Do you know what a temperature like the one that she has means for a two year old?" Zoë shook her head.

"It's very serious."

"I'll get the thermometer."

"And a cold wash cloth please." Tessa yelled to her sister as she went to change her clothes and start a new day, 'so much for sleeping in,' She thought.

………………….

"I hope she wakes up soon."

"Me too, but I don't think that we should try."

"Neither do I remember what Mom said."

"Oh, you mean the whole never awaken a sleeping baby, ever! Speech?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe she'll just sleep it out."

"Maybe. Oh, I have to go check on the twins, I'll be right back."

Zoë heard nothing as she descended the stairs and this alarmed her slightly, but what alarmed her even more was what she saw when she reached the bottom step.

"What? How? How did you…? Ahhh!" Zoë screamed.

"We're sorry." The twins said.

In Zoë's absence the twins had successfully covered the room as well as themselves in flour.

"We were trying to make a cake."

"But it didn't turn out too good."

"We're sorry."

"That's okay guys, why don't we have a bath and then we can clean up the floor."

"What about the party?"

"That's hours from now, you'll make it there."

……………………

"When are you going to wake up sweetheart?" Tessa asked as she ran her fingers through her baby sister's strawberry blonde hair. The little girl began to stir in her sleep.

"Come on sweetie, wake up, wake up, come on, time to get up." She patted Sophie's hands.

"Momma." She whispered, still asleep.

"Wake up darling." Sophie did not reply, instead she just lay there, tossing and turning in delirium.

"How is she?" Zoe asked.

"She's hotter, and she's very sweaty. I'm awfully worried."

"The medicine didn't work?"

"No." She said.

"What about the twin's party?"

"I don't know, should we risk giving this to other kids?"

"Probably not, but they are okay, aren't they?"

"Maybe."

"We should probably just take them, they've just had another bath and are waiting downstairs."

"Okay, I don't want to leave Sophie." She sighed as she got up.

"I'll call you if anything happens."

………………..

"Are you guys okay, back there?" Tessa asked as they got in the car.

"Yeah!"

"Yes."

"Good, then we're ready to go." She turned the key in the ignition. Suddenly her cell phone began to ring she answered it immediately.

"Hurry, she's waking up!" Zoe exclaimed.

………………..

"What about the party?" Olivia asked as they ran into the house.

"Olivia, we've got more important things to worry about now than the party, now will you guys please go to your room and find something not messy to do."

"What's wrong?" They followed her up the stairs.

"Nothing guys. Nothing at all." She said as she escorted the twins into their room and then ran down the hall.

………………..

"Is she awake?" Tessa asked as she burst into the room.

"Yes. Feel her head now, she's burning up, she says her stomach hurts her."

Suddenly Tessa got a feeling.

"Help me get her ready."

"Ready for what? What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know I just need to get her to the hospital, that's all!" Tessa cried.