Callie was confused when she first woke up. Where was she? She tried to sit up, but her head was pounding and she just couldn't make herself. She didn't think she'd ever felt this badly before.
"Hey, Love, how are you feeling?"
Callie opened her eyes and looked over. Lena.
"Why am I in your bed," Callie asked, her voice hoarse, her throat sore.
"You're sick, Bug."
"I have to go get ready for school," Callie said, trying to get up.
"No ma'am. It is ten in the morning. You and I are spending the day at home. Everyone else is off to work and school."
Callie fell back, thankful she didn't have to go to school today. Thankful she didn't have to do anything.
And then she sat up and vomited, all over Stef and Lena's bed.
"Oh, bug, be still, Love," Lena said, rushing to the bathroom and grabbing a towel and several rags, wetting the rags so she .
Callie immediately started crying, but did as she was told and didn't move.
"Callie, it is okay. It was an accident. An accident that you could not have prevented. Okay, Cal, I am going to take the blanket off of you, then your shirt …"
"I threw up on your bed," Callie cried, keeping as still as possible.
"You know, once Stef had the flu," Lena started as she began to clean up Callie, "and oh she was so sick. Couldn't keep a thing down. Lift your arms, Love. About the third day of her being so sick, she could barely move without help. And do you know she tried to get out of bed while I was fixing the kids dinner and she couldn't make it and threw up all over the bed. I am talking way worse than what you just did. Way, way worse. I had to go out and buy a new comforter because there was no cleaning that one," Lena said.
Callie smiled slightly at the story as Lena cleaned her up.
"Tell me what hurts, Love," Lena said, wrapping the comforter up and putting it in the bathroom so she could wash it later. She wanted to throw Callie's pajamas in the washer immediately because they were her favorite pair.
"Head, stomach, throat."
"I am going to take your temp, okay," Lena asked, leaning over to Callie with the thermometer.
A few moments later the thermometer beeped and Lena sighed.
"Time for more tylenol. 102.4. Lower than last night, but not low by any means."
"I will be okay. I need to go to the bathroom, Lena," Callie said, trying to hurry and get up.
Lena realized when Callie nearly fell, she was going to need help.
"Here, Love, let me help. After you use the bathroom do you want to take another bath? It might make you feel better. I have some chicken soup downstairs just waiting for whenever you are ready."
Callie could only nod and lean into Lena as they walked toward the bathroom. She was exhausted and all she had done so far was vomit and stand up.
Callie slept most of the day after Lena helped her in the bathroom and pulled one of Stef's t-shirts over her head, and then eat a small amount of soup before falling back asleep in Lena's bed. Lena went about her day — it was rare she was home with only one child. She spent her day catching up on laundry and watching television in her room while watching Callie sleep.
Lena had tried several times to get Callie to tell her what she liked to drink or eat when she was sick, but Callie had kept telling her the same thing: nothing. Lena didn't have to be a mind reader to know Callie probably hadn't been in homes that cared whether she was sick or not. At least not as far as Lena could tell.
It was around two in the afternoon when Stef came home, laden with every sick food she could think of since, according to Lena, Callie wouldn't tell her a single thing she wanted.
So, she had bought everyone's favorite sick supplies: Sprite, Coke, popsicles, saltine crackers, cans of soup — though she knew Lena had already made soup, it was something Jesus always wanted, probably because it was much saltier than Lena's and it settled his stomach — and she got Callie a sick prize. One she and Lena had talked about at length. It wasn't exactly a cheap sick prize like she normally gave the kids, but this one was definitely important.
"Hey, Love, how is our patient," Stef asked as she walked into her bedroom.
"Her fever is still 100.8, but the last time she woke up she said she felt a lot better. I called the doctor and talked to her nurse. She said the flu is really bad right now and if we don't have to bring her into the office then don't. When I told her Callie's fever was going down and she was drinking plenty after throwing up once, she said to wait it out. mmI think it is going to just be a 24-48 hour bug. She finally let me look in her throat earlier and there is some redness but nothing that would suggest strep. If she still has a fever tomorrow we can take her to Stat Care. Did you pick up her sick prize," Lena said.
Stef nodded and smiled, holding up a white bag.
"Let's wake her up so we can give it to her. Though I think we probably need to explain to her that most sick prizes are not this extravagant."
Lena nodded and smiled. This was something they had been talking about for a while and she was glad she and Stef were the only ones home with Callie at the moment.
"Callie, sweetheart, I need you to wake up for me," Lena said, running her fingers through Callie's hair to wake her up gently. She still felt warm, but it was much less warm than it had been earlier in the day.
Callie opened her eyes slowly, rubbing the sleep out of them. She stretched and then sat up. She didn't feel nearly as badly as she did that morning.
"Hey, that's my shirt," Stef said in mock surprise.
Callie looked down and then sheepishly gave a half grin.
"Lena said you ruined an entire comforter and she had to buy a new one," Callie said hoarsely.
Stef's face turned into one of mock horror this time, and she put her hand to her chest and opened her mouth in a fake scream, "Lena, you ail me! You told the little rugrat about the time I threw up all over your favorite comforter? Shame on you!"
Lena laughed and wrapped her arms around Callie's shoulders now that she was sitting up.
"Well, our rugrat here threw up on the bed and was very upset about it. I wanted to make her feel better since it wasn't a big deal at all — plus, I didn't have to throw the comforter away this time. I am just going to wash it. So, Callie did a lot less damage than you. A new shirt was all she needed after I cleaned her up."
"Lena said this was your favorite shirt and I could sleep in it. I can give it back to you now though. My pajamas will be clean soon," Callie said, staring at her hands.
It all suddenly came crashing down on Stef. Callie was not used to being taken care of. She needed to lighten up on the jokes with her.
"Cal, I am honored you want to wear my shirt. It is my favorite. And because it is my favorite, my favorite thirteen year old can wear it as much as she wants," Stef said, running her fingers over the side of Callie's face.
"Callie, we want to give you something," Stef started, "In this family, when someone is sick, they get a sick prize. Now, normally, it is something small. Like a stuffed animal, or a book. Something special for the person sick. Lena and I have been talking, though, and we decided it was time to get you something we think you need and deserve. It is a bigger sick prize, and they won't always be. But here, Love," Stef said, handing Callie the bag she'd carried in.
"Open it, Callie," Lena urged.
Callie took the bag and then, without even realizing it, she laid backwards into Lena. Sitting up was wearing her out.
Callie opened the bag and pulled out a box. Her eyes grew big.
"You got me a phone," She asked, her eyes huge. No one had ever spent that kind of money on her. She didn't deserve this.
"Yes we did. There are some rules. There are things locked on the phone, you are to leave the find my phone app on at all times so we can find it and you if need be, your phone is connected to mine and Mama's account so you need to ask before buying an app or anything else. You may download things you want, but Mama and I can look at your phone at any time. This is a privilege, remember that. No phone at the dinner table, or when we are talking to you. Everyone's number is in there already. You can text us or call us whenever you need or want to," Stef explained.
"I can't …" Callie said, looking at the brand new phone she was holding in her hand like it was made of diamonds.
"You can, Love. You're on the family plan now," Stef said with a huge smile. She liked the sound of that.
