A new Power of three Part 3:
Sick
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Life is busy right now. My mom's turning 70 in a few weeks. Had to prepare some stuff for her birthday. Here it goes. Start of the madness. Hope you like it ;)
A week earlier in 2004:
"Daddy… daddy! Dad! Dad wake up!"
Andy groaned as he heard Meghan's voice over him. It had gotten late last night. A Saturday for that matter. It hadn't only been late on Saturday. It had been late all week. He had promised Prue and the girls to spend the day. But when Brianna and Meghan had woken them before, he just couldn't force his eyes to open.
"Daddy!" he now heard his youngest call out for him as well. He groaned again and turned on his side, trying in some kind of way to ignore his kids. He was just simply exhausted. He needed to sleep. Just one more hour. He just hoped Prue would understand and pull the kids out sooner or later. Sooner he really would prefer right now.
"Dad, please, we're starving" Meghan whined. Andy blinked a few times to get his eyes open and then turned back on his back facing his kids. Just as he settled again Anna jumped onto his stomach. Andy winced and shrugged together 'right into the family jewels' he thought as his face messed in pain
"Morning" he greeted them softly, trying hard not to show his pain
"Can you please get up, dad? I tried making breakfast, really!" Meghan told him, as Brianna snuggled into him. His sleepy mind only slowly worked through what was going on. The kids were there. Where was Prue? Why did Meghan try to make breakfast? Why didn't Prue? Did he miss on something? Did something happen? Prue got up with them, he was sure of that. Or did she? His mind was working overload, but yet couldn't form one clear thought. He started to softly rub circles on Anna's back and then tucked a fallen stray of hair behind Meghan's ear. His big girl! She had turned four on monday.
"Where…?" he cleared his throat to get rid off the sleepiness in his voice "honey, where's mom? Why didn't she make breakfast?" he asked still blinking more than usual to finally fully wake up
"Mommy's falling asleep" Brianna told him. Andy looked from Meghan to Anna. Suddenly worry shook him wide awake. What did the little girl mean. He softly picked her just to place her back in his lap as soon as he had settled into a sitting position
"I think mom has caught a stomach flue" Meghan told him, as he switched his attention back to her "we were playing in Anna's Prue this morning when mom suddenly said she'd be right back and that she had to go to the bathroom" Meghan explained
"but she needed pretty long and so I went to the bathroom. I wanted to go in, but mom said she was fine and that she'd be there in a second, but I heard her throw up..."
"mommy sick" Anna nodded
"when mom returned she didn't look good. She tried to play again with us but fell asleep as she read us a story..."
"mommy read little mermaid. Can you finish it for us, daddy?"
Andy was still confused. This just didn't sound like Prue at all. She wouldn't just fall asleep and leave their girls, now would she? Gosh… what if something had happened?
"why didn't you guys wake mom?" Andy asked looking at Meghan
"mom's not feeling well all week already. She never said anything… I didn't want to wake her..." Meghan said and then looked guiltily down "and I didn't want to wake you either. I'm sorry. Mom said we should let you sleep… but I didn't find the toast and the eggs burned and the pancakes tasted weird… and..."
"hey, hey, hey" Andy said soothing Meghan, as he felt how she'd start to cry of desperation any second "it's okay. Everything's alright." he told her and put a hand to her cheek to make her look at him
"I let Anna watch some TV… and we ate some cookies from the sweets cabin" she told him. Andy let out a soft laugh
"It's okay. You did great" he said and kissed her temple softly
"Meghan said, me can't help" Anna told her dad, feeling like she had to explain herself as well, what caused Andy again to laugh
"Could you two stop now? It's okay. You did a great job. You were angels. And now I'm making some pancakes, what do you think?" he asked
"Yay!" Anna cheered while Meghan looked down
"Heeeey, I can also make something else..."
"No. I want pancakes too, but I used all eggs" Meghan said, again almost tearing up. Andy again had to hold back a laughter. This all was too cute. He would have loved every bit of it, if this situation wouldn't mix with worry and anger at the same time. How could Prue just fall asleep? What if something had happened to the girls while they were unattended? What if Meghan had hurt herself in try to make some breakfast? Why didn't she just wake him, if she didn't fell alright? Why didn't she tell him last night? Why hadn't he noticed? Meghan said Prue wasn't well all week.
"It's okay princess. We're just gonna go ask aunt piper, okay? I'm sure there are some eggs at the manor" he told her softly, hiding his feelings.
"Now…. How about you two get dressed…?" he asked when he noticed how they still were in their pajamas. And again wondering about Prue's behavior. She was always the one, dressing the girls right after getting up. Normally he was the one letting them breakfast in their nightgowns and afterward watch some cartoons with them "and in the meantime I check up on mommy and get some eggs from the manor, okay?"
"I made some mess in the kitchen, too" Meghan now confessed
"Well, then I'll just clean it up again" Andy said smiling
"Can we watch some cartoons?" Anna asked sheepishly. He saw in his baby girls' face she knew she had watched this morning already way too much TV and just tried to get some more bonus TV time. So again he kept himself from laughing by biting his lip
"Well, I'd say after you two got dressed you can watch some more TV while I get things done, okay?" he asked smiling a little
"Yay!" Anna yelled and ran immediately out. Now Andy really had to laugh.
"Can you get your sister to the bathroom already, I'll get some clothes for you, okay?" he asked Meghan
"Okay, dad" Meghan answered nodding and left the room as well
Andy finally got up and while putting on some black sweat pants and a gray t-shirt glanced at the alarm clock 10:37. the girls never changed or ate that late. They all never did. And he couldn't even remember the last time he slept in that long. Once dressed, he went to Anna's room and found Prue sleeping on the floor. The fairy tales book still in her hands. Her position very uncomfortable
'she really needed sleep' he thought, wondering how someone could even sleep like that. He approached his sleeping wife and knelt down. He softly tugged a fallen strand of hair out of her face and then noticed how pale she looked. Gently he placed a hand on her forehead 'no fever' he thought and took the book out of her hands. He placed it a little away from her, then picked her, carefully not to wake her and took her to their bed.
He laid her down properly. He bit his lip. She really looked not good. He suppressed the need to wake her and talk to her. To caress and kiss her. He ran a hand over her cheek and then covered her up. Prue sighed softly in her sleep and moved to her side to snuggle into the pillow and into the soft warm covers. He smiled slightly and kissed her temple.
Afterward everything went like any other day. Andy picked some clothes for Meghan and then for Anna, only then noticing the huge mess the kids had made. On the way to the manor he had to go through the kitchen, what was even a bigger mess than the kids' room. He sighed heavily as he went to the manor. Once there, he lied to piper about the eggs and returned as fast as possible with them. He cleaned the kitchen and finally made something to eat for his kids. It was almost noon when they had finished what was supposed to be breakfast. He then told the girls to tidy Anna's room, as he went back to his and Prue's bedroom.
Andy sat again down at the edge of the bed and softly tried to wake his wife. No matter if angry or worried, sick or whatever else. Prue needed to eat something as well. After several minutes Prue finally stirred softly and finally her eyes shot open as she sat up with a start. Shocked and confused she looked around. She searched for the book in her hands, thinking she had only fallen asleep seconds ago and already then feeling guilty
"it's okay" he told her. Prue's eyes shot back to him
"oh my god. What happened?" she asked
"you fell asleep." he simply told her
"damn it… the girls..."
"are okay. We just had breakfast. I brought you some pancakes…." he told her. Prue still looked confused and also a little sleepy at the dish on her nightstand. She suddenly put a hand to her stomach and swallowed deeply, while closing her eyes
"Prue? Are yo…." Andy couldn't finish as Prue got up and ran to their bathroom, throwing up heavily. Andy went after her and immediately grabbed for her hair to move it out of her face. Her pony tail had been a mess from sleeping. As soon as Prue stopped vomiting he flushed and got her a cold, wet towel, cleaning her face
"I'm sorry" Prue told him, still breathing heavily
"it's okay. Seems like you caught a stomach flue"
"yeah… I guess so" Prue mumbled, but he clearly saw her thoughts were somewhere completely else
"Meghan said you were feeling bad already a few days. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I… I don't know. I… when? I mean you were barely home… and it never was as bad as today. I'm sorry, really"
"stop apologizing. You're sick. It happens to the best..." Prue nodded slowly "but I think you should see a doctor if you're not better tomorrow, okay?" Prue nodded slightly, still not really looking at him, as Andy pressed a soft kiss against her temple.
