One or Two Things I Know for Sure

Chapter 8 Sick

Leah Nicole House may be the youngest of her sisters, but that didn't stop her from trying to take over the attention in the house. She had learned months ago that she could climb out of crib and wake up most of the household by simply calling for her Mommy till someone answered. Someone always did, because six in the morning was simply and ungodly hour.

So when Greg and Allison House woke up to their alarm clock and not their youngest child they both knew someone was possibly wrong.

Allison ever so 'gently' shoved her husband awake and asked him (threatened with ice cold water really) to get Annabel and Madeline up and dressed as she went to check and see how Leah was doing.

"Hey baby girl" Allison says as she walks into Leah's desert colored room. Making a mental note that she needs to move her daughter into a 'big girl' bed soon.

"Mommy" her daughter responds, she was still laying down in her crib rubbing her purple blanky over her apparent runny nose and pink cheeks.

Allison leans over the dark crib and gently presses the back of her hand against her daughter's forehead, in an ever recognized movement of trying to guess a temperature of the child. She isn't in the least bit surprised to find that her daughter is running a temperature.

"You don't feel too good do you Bug?" Allison asks and gives her daughter a little smile, pushing away sweaty strands of curly red hair.

"Tummy" she answers as if that should explain everything. She reaches a hand out, asking with no real words to be picked up. Allison reaches in and picks up her daughter, letting the little girl rest her warm cheek against her shoulder and one hand holding on to her neck. The other little hand still holding the blanky against her cheek.

"Let's go get you something to drink and tell Daddy it's his day to take Bel and Maddy to school" Allison tells her daughter, thanking Med-school and two older daughters for not panicking over a simple cold.

But no matter how much practice she might have in dealing with it, it was still hard to have her little baby be so unlike her usual hyper and babbling self.

"Hey… Oh, germy baby" Greg says as his wife walks into the kitchen with their youngest daughter in her arms. Leah lifts her head slightly to give her best two-year-old glare at her father who just smiles and kissed his wife and daughter's cheeks.

"So I'm guessing I'm on school drop-off duty?" Greg asks with a pout.

"Dad you said 'duty'" Annabel points out, laughing through her spoonful of cereal.

"Do you know how old that joke is?" House asks his oldest daughter, who just rolls her eyes and giggles softly.

"Well I'll call Alice and see if she can come in today, I know it's her day off but-"Allison says, holding her daughter tighter and kissing the top of her head. She really doesn't want to leave Leah with their nanny, especially since she is sick. She just isn't sure if Cuddy would be willing to give her the day off when there was an inspector coming; Allison is after all the assistant head of Immunology.

"No, Mommy stay" Leah says almost close to tears, her little arms tighter around her mother's neck.

"Greg, could you talk to Lisa?" Allison pleads hopefully, because they both know she'd rather spend the day cleaning a runny nose then leaving her daughter alone when she is sick.

"Yeah, yeah. It's not fair I don't get to skip work today" Greg pouts, drinking down the rest of his coffee (it wasn't as good as Allison's, but it would do).

"Can I stay home too?" Annabel asks hopefully, and faked a cough for good acting.

"No, you have school. Don't think I forgot about your English test young lady" Allison answers as she starts fixing some orange juice in a sippy-cup for Leah. Greg had yet to figure out how she could move around so easily with a two-year-old in her arms; he just guessed it came with the whole 'mom' thing.

"Man, not fair" Annabel says as she carries her bowl to the sink.

"I wanna go to school" Madeline says, smiling at her sister who jut rolls her eyes again.

"I would too, if all I did was color and take naps"

"It's not all I do!" Madeline says, with her little arms crossed.

"Well, I feel the love in this room" Greg says, putting Madeline's bowl in the sink as well before picking up his back-bag. "Let's get going before the hugging and rainbows start. Go get your coats"

"You just needed to have three kids didn't you?" Greg asks, giving a fake sigh. Allison slaps his arm playfully and gives him a good-bye kiss before he walks towards the door.

Allison laughs gently, readjusting Leah on her hip before bending down to give her two other daughters a kiss and one armed hug each.

"Now let's go find that 'Children's Tylenol'" Allison says handing Leah the orange juice before walking towards the master bathroom.

"Eww" Leah says, with the sippy-cup between her mouth and her nose scrunched up.

"I know, but I promise you'll get to lay down with Mommy and watch t.v. all day after you take it"

"Mommy no go work?" she asks, eyes hopeful as Allison sits her down on the toilet before searching the medicine cabin.

"No, Mommy staying with Leah today"

"Okay"

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Here is a new chapter. Thank you so much everyone for the reviews.

Please tell me your thoughts on this one as well.

GabbyAbby