Part 10
"AJ?" Bud asked, immediately, "Where's your brother?"
Both boys had been playing in the 'fort' that Bud had built them, further down the garden.
"Jimmy's being sick, Daddy," AJ announced.
Nikki was quickly put back in the swing and Bud, Harm and Mac rushed down the garden to find out what was wrong. (Mattie couldn't get up so easily, so stayed where she was with the second twin.)
"Jimmy, son?" Bud asked, getting down onto his hands and knees, so that he could climb into the children's fort, "Are you okay?"
He came out a minute later, with his middle child in his arms. This had all been quite difficult for Bud, he had Jimmy in one arm, while the other was on the ground, to help him with his balance.
"Here, Bud," Mac offered to take the boy, while he got to his feet.
Bud gratefully passed Jimmy to her and Harm helped Bud to his feet again.
"Careful Ma'am," Bud told her, "He was pretty violently ill in there…I don't want him getting anything down you.
Despite the strong fumes coming off the front of the boy's clothes, Mac didn't hesitate to cuddle the boy to her.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked the child.
He only shook his head, sticking his lower lip out then cuddled closer to her.
"Do you want Daddy?" Mac asked the child again.
"No," Jimmy began to cry, "I want Mommy…"
"Mommy's not here, just now," Bud told his son, softly, "But she'll be back soon. She's gone to take Tiegan and Tyler to the ballet recital."
This was not the news that Jimmy wanted to hear. He was poorly, he was sleepy and he wanted his Mom. Tears began to fall in earnest.
"Alright, Sweetie," Mac soothed him, "Let's go and sit down. We'll go and get your blankey, get you all snuggled up and wait for Mommy to come home."
Bud disappeared into the house so that he could retrieved pajamas and Jimmy's old security blanket from the boy's room. Jimmy never usually need the old blanket, but it still came in handy from time to time.
Once they got Jimmy out of his dirty clothes, into his pajamas and cuddled up in his quilt on Mac's lap, he promptly fell fast asleep.
"That was easy!" Mattie exclaimed, softly, "I was sure there was going to be a full-blown tantrum, there."
"Maybe with one of the others," Bud replied, "but not Jimmy. He always sleeps if he's sick."
By 'others,' Bud had meant little AJ, but since the boy was playing nearby, he'd decided not to incite any trouble. He used his eyes to indicate the boy when he had emphasized 'others.' Harm, Mac and Mattie knew just who he was talking about.
They were surprised when Harriet arrived home with Tyler still in tow.