I Told You So.
"ACHOO!" Shaggy sneezed for the fourth time in a row, "Owww," he moaned, the sneezes were painful.
Christina glided into the room wearing a baggy tee-shirt and sweats, "We tried to tell you boys," she rolled her eyes.
Shaggy opened his mouth to argue only to have a coughing fit. Christina was at his side, rubbing circles into his back.
I wonder how Melinda's doing?
…...
"ACHOO!" Dalton sneezed.
"You called?" Melinda laughed, stepping into the room holding a tray with a gleaming silver tea-set.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Dalton's mocking laughter dissolved into another coughing fit.
"BOYS!"
Dingbat and Numbskull arrived, tripping over one another and sliding into the wall because of a discarded banana peel.
"Just give me the box of tissues," Melinda face-palmed, "Then get out,"
The bumbling duo happily obliged.
Melinda sat on the edge of the bed, passing the much-needed tissues to her distressed boyfriend.
"This wouldn't have happened if you'd listened to me"
"I-achoo-don't-achoo-care"
Melinda rolled her eyes, patting Dalton's back.
There was no getting ahold of Cecelia who had texted earlier saying:
Don't text, don't call. I have a feverish pirate on my lap who's convinced he's going to die.
Instead, Melinda-without looking at her screen-texted Christina to inform her of Dalton's stubbornness.
You're preaching to the choir came the response.
…...
Christina forced Shaggy back down on the bed, pulling the covers up to his chin.
"You stay here," she ordered him, kissing his forehead.
"But-"
"No," she pressed a finger to his lips, "Rest now"
he wrestled a hand out from the covers-paler and shaking from the chill-to grab her wrist as she stood.
"Stay with me," he coughed, "Please?"
"I can't, Shaggy," Christina sighed, untangling her hand, "I have princess stuff"
He began to laugh only to end in coughing.
Christina readjusted the covers. When he still shook she took a quilt from the little chest at the foot of the bed and spread it over him.
"Rest," she repeated, kissing his forehead again, the wisps of her hair tickling him.
Fighting his exhaustion, he watched her leave, wings dragging the ground. Only now did he notice the cranberry-colored dress with the loose sleeves she wore. When had she changed her clothes? Had he dozed off?
"I'll be back soon, Shaggy"
and the door shut behind her with a soft click.
…...
Melinda sat in her lumpy velvet reading chair, grasping her teacup with both hands, waiting for it to cool while she watched Dalton sleep under five different blankets with a cooling cloth on his forehead. Whenever he shifted, no matter how small, she jumped from her chair, ready to tend to him only for Dalton to settle again leaving Melinda to calm her racing heart.
Tracing the delicate pattern of the teacup allowed her to focus.
"Couldn't you just heal him?" Dingbat asked.
"Go away"
the flying monkey couldn't get away fast enough.
…...
why didn't they use healing spells the trio would question themselves the following week.
Worry.
Shaggy could tell you they worried too much.
Much too insistent on nursing them back to health.
Christina paced-as was her habit-around the room, wringing her hands.
Was Melinda doing the same?
…...
"Melinda you're going to wear out the floor," Dalton declared with a slight shiver, pushing himself to sit up, "You've been around Christina too long"
"Lay back down!" she zapped him, magic binding him to the mattress, "Before you puke"
"It only happened once!"
"I'm taking no chances, that's my favorite rug"
"You're worse than Grandma"
"Don't make me call her"
"You wouldn't dare"
"Don't test me"
…...
the day continued in much the same pattern. The girls hovered over the boys. Each overly prepared for whatever they might need.
And if you think the pets were exempt from this occurrence. Well, think again.
…...
"Scooby, get back in the bed this instant!"
"Yes, Jade, sorry, Jade"
Scooby flopped into the dog bed with a long sigh.
This day was never going to end!
…...
Well, I was digging through forgotten projects and stumbled across this one. I tried to finish it and here we are.
Review.