(23/01/2019)

CHAPTER 63

To say that the Thornton girls were excited to see their baby brother or sister was an understatement. Jack gathered them together on the couch when they got home and pulled the precious photo out of his pocket. He had looked at it several times since he had first put it in there and now as he showed Halley, Gracie and Eve who peered excitedly over his arms, he couldn't have been happier.

Elizabeth sat beside Gracie, who was squeezed between them, and she beamed at all of their adorable expressions, although Eve's was the funniest. Initially delighted it soon turned to confusion as she stared at the black and white photo in front of her.

"Where's the baby?"

"Right there." Jack pointed at the kidney shape on the picture. Elizabeth would admit it wasn't the best photo to explain to a four year old.

"Where?"

"Right there. That's the head and that's the body and that there is a leg."

Eve furrowed her brow and leaned in closer until her nose was almost touching the picture. Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle. Eve stared at it for a long time while Halley and Gracie gushed about having a new baby and how they couldn't wait for it to arrive.

"I can't see it" Eve said with a shrug before giving up and joining in with her sisters, adamant that she was getting a new baby sister, not a brother.

The girls moved away, still talking excitedly, leaving Elizabeth and Jack behind. Elizabeth scooted closer and put her head on Jack's shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just really excited now. I don't want to wait another six months."

Elizabeth chuckled, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"It will go fast and then you will tell me that you don't feel ready."

Jack turned, looking down at her. "I am ready though. I've been thinking about it all afternoon. It was like something snapped in the clinic this afternoon. I can't explain it but it just feels … right."

Elizabeth smiled up at him as he turned and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Three days later, Jack walked in the door and was surprised to find all of his girls asleep on the couch in front of the tv. He had been later than normal because Frank had to move their appointment to later that afternoon. Still, he wasn't that late. He looked at his watch again and sure enough it was barely after six.

Elizabeth was stretched across the lounge and had Eve tucked into her side. Halley and Gracie were curled up on their bean bags on the floor with a blanket over them. He could understand that Elizabeth and Eve may have dozed off but it was unusual for Halley and Gracie. The tv was still on in the background with the volume down low.

"Beth?" Jack said quietly, running his hand over her shoulder.

Elizabeth stirred. "Jack?" She looked up at him slightly dazed.

"Yeah. What's going on?"

"Everyone's sick with a cold or flu. I'm not sure yet."

"You as well?"

"Yeah."

"Okay have they had dinner?"

"A bit."

"Alright, I'll move them to their beds. You stay there."

Jack moved each of the girls upstairs, tucking them each into bed. They barely stirred. Gracie felt a bit warmer than her sisters, but she began shivering so Jack tucked her in and sat with her for a few minutes to make sure that she settled.

When he returned, Elizabeth had dozed off again, so Jack scooped her up into his arms.

"Jack. I can walk" she mumbled half-heartedly.

Jack ignored her as he carried her up the stairs, making his way to their bedroom. He placed her down on the ground.

"Stand there for a minute."

He kept a hold on her to pull back the bed covers and she swayed and he caught her before helping her into bed. Her skin was hot to touch just like Gracie and as he helped her put her legs up on the bed, she shivered. He pulled the covers up around her and sat down beside her, running his fingers through her hair.

"How long have you felt sick for?"

"Maybe since last night …"

"Why didn't you say anything?" he said, his tone harsher than he intended.

"There was nothing you could do about it."

Jack waited until Elizabeth had drifted back to sleep before he went back downstairs and found Rip scratching at the back door.

"Hey bud. You hungry?"

He howled at him.

"Okay. Okay. Hang on."

Jack went and got his bowl of food and put it out for him. He went and got his own dinner sorted before returning to the back deck with it. He sat down and Rip sat beside him as he ate.

"It's just you and I tonight, buddy."

Rip put his head down on his paw, both of them staring out at the yard.

Jack ended up calling into work as absent the following morning. Elizabeth hadn't stirred when her alarm went off. Jack had cancelled it and gotten up to check the girls. Halley and Eve were awake but washed out. Gracie remained unmoved.

Jack helped Halley and Eve in for a bath before setting them up downstairs on the lounge with some toast. He then called his Mom.

"Hi Jack."

"Hi Ma."

"You're calling early."

"Yeah, well I have a problem. All of the girls are sick, including Elizabeth."

"Oh no. What with?"

"A cold or flu. I'm not sure. Halley and Eve aren't too bad but Gracie and Beth are really sick. I don't know what to do."

"Have they got a fever?"

"Yes."

Charlotte proceeded to tell Jack what to do for Gracie and Elizabeth.

"Do you need me to come? I can bring some food for you."

"I would be very grateful, Ma. I'm not so sure about all of this."

"Okay. I'll be there soon."

In the meantime, Jack hovered between Gracie's and Elizabeth's rooms doing his best to make them comfortable. Charlotte arrived and after helping Halley and Eve with some lunch, she went and sat with Gracie.

Jack came back to Elizabeth just as she was trying to move out of bed.

"Babe, what are you doing?"

"I'm just going to the bathroom. I'm fine" she snapped at him.

"You're not fine. Let me help you."

"Jack …" she whined. "I'm perfectly capable of getting to the bathroom on my own." She pushed Jack's arm away and forced herself to stand and in that moment her legs wobbled underneath her causing her to stagger before Jack caught her. He held her firmly around the waist and his cool hands on her hot skin caused her to shiver.

"Beth, you have barely eaten in a day and you still have a temperature. Let me help you."

Elizabeth just groaned in response allowing herself to collapse against Jack who scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom. He turned the shower on and once it was warm, he helped her into the water to which she let out a yelp.

"Cold! Cold! What are you doing to me?" she cried, her teeth immediately began chattering.

Jack quickly adjusted the taps and she sank onto the floor in a heap. She stayed there for a long time with her head on her knees and the water hitting her back. Jack slowly turned the taps down so that she could handle the change in temperature gradually.

"Jack?" she called out.

Jack pulled himself off the edge of the vanity and moved over toward her.

"Yeah babe?"

"Can you help me, please?"

He turned off the water and helped her to stand before covering her in a thick towel and carrying her back to the bedroom. He helped her change into her pyjamas before sliding her back in under the covers.

"Are the girls okay?"

"They're fine. Ma's here helping with them."

Elizabeth closed her eyes again as she collapsed onto her pillow.

"Sorry" she murmured quietly.

"For what?"

"For before. My head … its just throbbing so badly."

"I'll get you something for it. Just rest. Everything is under control. Let me take care of you for once."

Elizabeth was already dozing off, to tired and sick to respond.

It took four days for everyone in the house to start feeling better again. Halley and Eve bounced back quickest so they went and stayed with Charlotte over the weekend. After a good few days rest, Elizabeth emerged on Sunday morning feeling much better to find Jack in the kitchen cooking up a storm.

"What's this?"

"A surprise breakfast for my gorgeous wife."

"What about me?" Gracie's voice piped up from the table where she was already digging into some pancakes. She was clearly enjoying being an only child while it lasted.

"And for my beautiful daughter, of course!"

Jack placed a plate at Elizabeth's table setting as he brushed past Gracie, giving her a kiss on the forehead as he went. He came toward Elizabeth, putting his arms around her waist before leaning into kiss her.

"Mmmm you taste like maple syrup" she said, licking her lips as she looked into his eyes.

"Well it is your favourite topping ..."

His dimpled grin lasted all of a minute before he leant into quickly kiss her again before turning and leading Elizabeth to her seat and holding it out from the table for her.

"Oooh and you have strawberries and blueberries too. You're spoiling us, isn't he Gracie?"

"Mmmff" she nodded, her mouth stuffed full of pancakes.

Jack came and sat down opposite Elizabeth with his own plate.

"You both look much better today. It's about time. I hate seeing you both sick like that."

"I know. It was a bit rough but you were fantastic Jack."

"I remember Halley being sick when she was a baby and we were both so worried about her."

Elizabeth looked up at him. "That's right. She ended up with pneumonia after she seemingly had a cold."

"We took her to the ER because she was tuning blue and she wasn't breathing properly. It was such a cold night though that we weren't sure what to do and it was so nerve wracking. I still remember you were wearing your nightgown with your winter jacket on over the top and your slippers. You sat in the back seat of my old truck with Halley in your arms while I drove. That was a scary night" Jack said with a small smile.

Elizabeth stared at him, mouth slightly open in surprise.

"You remember all of that?"

"Yeah" Jack said with a slow nod. "It's random I know but I still remember Halley's little body in that hospital bed. Seeing that kind of thing has haunted me, I'm sure."

Elizabeth couldn't believe all the details that Jack remembered and they seemed to roll straight off his tongue.

"I – I just …"

Jack put his hand out to cover Elizabeth's own hand that was resting on the table.

"Everything is slowly coming back Beth. It just takes me a while to make sense of it and sometimes a trigger or something. That's all."

Elizabeth grinned at him as she took another bite of pancake. Maybe, just maybe he would have more memories of the girls over the next few months when he had her pregnancy and a new baby as a trigger. That was her hope, and secretively, it was his too.