New chapter, sorry for the long wait guys, I've been busy. Thankyou to Shaz1123, Becky, AntisepticThroatLozenges, Amy, loststolenandfound and mnm for their amazing reviews :), Oh, and Happy Easter! I forgot to say that on my other story!
Chapter 7- Mugston
'Now what happened?' Harriet asked once they were driving in the direction of the town, Harriet and Danny in the front, Tom in the middle of the back seat, Harry behind Danny and Dougie behind Harriet, a blanket tucked around his knees from Harry, an empty ice-cream container balanced on his lap as he leaned his weakened head against the window, his eyes shut in exhaustion.
'A rock flew through the window at Harry,' Danny said quietly, keeping his eyes on the road.
'Are you alright?' she asked quickly, turning to look at him.
'I'm fine,' Harry smiled back.
'Who did it?' Harriet asked, turning back to the front.
'We don't know, that's what we're trying to figure out,' Tom grimaced. Harriet bit her lip and watched out the windshield, her eyes wide.
'Anyway, the house looks great Harriet, really. You've done an awesome job!' Harry grinned and she smiled.
'Why thankyou Harry.'
'No problem, you can come and do our house now,' Harry chuckled and she smiled again.
'Danny!' Dougie suddenly squeaked, his eyes flying open and sitting up straighter. Danny pulled to the side of the road as Dougie sprang out of the back seat. Tom closed the door behind him, shutting out the noise.
'He's got something there to puke in,' Danny sighed, watching as a pickup truck passed them by.
'I know, but if he did sweetheart, we'd have nowhere to put it,' Harriet shrugged, taking Danny's hand gently. Tom and Harry smiled at each other.
'Guess so,' Danny breathed, looking over at Harriet and smiling. The door opened again and Dougie pulled himself into the car, giving the blanket to Tom as he put his seatbelt on and closed the door.
'All good now?' Danny asked gently. Dougie nodded, leaning back against the seat. Tom covered him with the blanket, handing him back the container and his water.
'Doug, come here for a sec,' Harry said curiously, leaning round Tom. He put a hand on Dougie's sweaty forehead, recoiling straightaway.
'Doug, seriously, you're on fire!' he exclaimed.
'That's why I don't wanna be covered...' Dougie slurred quietly, closing his eyes tighter.
'Harriet, in the console there should be some KFC hand towels. Can you please get them for me?' Tom asked. Harriet fumbled around inside chewing gum wrappers, CD's and other rubbish until she found a handful, handing them to Tom. He ripped the top off one, giving the others to Harry. Tom unfolded it, placing it on Dougie's forehead, doing the same with the four others.
'Feel better mate?' he murmured. Dougie nodded groggily and began to fall asleep. Danny opened the windows, letting in some fresh air as they cruised down the country road, all the small, abandoned and run-down houses making Harriet feel accomplished and proud. Finally, a sign saying Welcome to Mugston passed by her window.
'Stop here Dan,' she smiled as they got to one street, like Greenvale.
'Mugston? What a depressing name,' Harry said as he opened his door. The place was tiny. There was one line of shops, and a few houses scattered behind them.
'I know. It's older than Greenvale though,' Harriet shrugged, shutting the car door and proceeding to help Dougie out, gripping the tops of his arms tightly. Tom gently pulled himself out of the car, taking his crutches from Harry.
'Who's taking Dougie to the doctor?' Tom asked in interest, shoving his wallet in his back pocket as Danny locked the car. A few people moseyed along the street, peering in shop windows. From what they could see, the doctor's practice was across the road and the general store was down the other end of the street.
'Well, what about Harriet and Danny? Harriet knows the people who work there. Me and Tom can buy something for dinner,' Harry said.
'Yeah, sounds alright. We'll meet you either inside or out here okay?' Tom said, taking the keys from Danny.
'Alright. Bye guys,' Danny shrugged.
'Harriet, is there anything you don't eat?' Harry asked quickly, spinning around.
'I eat everything,' she smiled, taking Danny's arm.
'That's good,' Harry smiled back, beginning to walk slowly along the street beside Tom. Danny took Dougie's arm in one of his, and Harriet's in the other as they ambled across the street, Dougie barely walking properly.
They reached the front door, opening it and faced with a desk.
'Harriet! How're you going sweetheart?' the pretty face at the desk asked brightly.
'I'm going great Alice,' Harriet smiled.
'Who have you got here?' she asked in concern, looking at Dougie.
'This is Dougie and Danny-,' Harriet started.
'Oh McFly right?' Alice quickly exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
'Yeah, that's right. You guys must watch A LOT of Top Of The Pops and CD:UK out here, am I right?' Danny asked and Alice nodded.
'Only thing to watch on a Saturday morning. Now what's wrong with Dougie here? Does he have an appointment?'
'He's been vomiting a lot and can't keep anything down. And I rang about half an hour ago and Doctor Franklin said we could see him straight away,' Harriet smiled.
'Alrighty then, just take a seat and I'll go and get him. Do you guys need anything?' Alice asked and the three shook their heads.
'Friend of yours?' Danny asked, helping Dougie into a chair.
'She apparently thinks so. I went to school with her,' Harriet shrugged.
'She gave me a creepy look,' Danny whispered and Harriet cracked up.
'Sounds about right.'
'So Doug, do you want us to come in with you?' Danny asked quietly, turning to the sick boy.
'If that's alright, I'm not really up to talking right now,' Dougie sighed.
'Of course mate,' Danny nodded.
'Harriet? Doctor Franklin will see you guys now,' Alice called. Harriet grimaced and stood up, Danny helping Dougie, and together the three walked along the short hall to the white door.
Meanwhile, Tom and Harry were having trouble. They could not decide on what they wanted for dinner.
'No, we can't make Spaghetti, we don't have enough time!' Harry complained as Tom walked around the three-aisle store.
'Yes we do!' Tom exclaimed.
'Listen, what if we make like instant pasta or something then?'
'No, because then we'll seem inept!'
'Inept at what!'
'Cooking! We all know we're inept at cooking!' Tom exclaimed.
'Listen, what if we go to the butcher's down the street and buy some hamburgers or something and we'll make them? Sound alright?' Harry suggested.
'Alright then,' Tom sighed, and together the two walked around the store, buying cheese, lettuce, rolls, sauce and tomatoes to have with them, along with ice-cream, chocolate and various other sweets, adamant that they were going to buy a cake from the bakery on their way home.
'Hello there young Dougie! My, you don't seem very well do you?' Doctor Franklin was large and red faced and extremely loud. His greying hair was slicked against his shiny, half-bald head and he wore a white coat, speaking with a northern accent. His glasses rested on the bridge of his nose and he had a thin, grey moustache lining his upper lip. He wore a single gold band on his finger, but not his wedding finger. Dougie waved Danny on to answer the question.
'As Dougie's not really up to talking, I'll answer. He's been vomiting a lot for the last two days, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. He can't keep any food or water down either. We've seen someone about it, and they told us that he had the stomach flu, and gave us some medicine that didn't seem to work,' Danny said expertly, looking quite pleased with himself at the end of it.
'Hmmm,' Doctor Franklin sucked on the end of his pen, 'I'll do some quick tests and we'll see what we have here. It sounds like a stomach bug to me, but you never can be too careful.'
And with that, he took Dougie's temperature, tsking at the 39.98 degrees Celsius reading. He checked the inside of Dougie's mouth and his stomach, pressing on different places, earning him scowls from Dougie.
'Any diarrhoea?' he asked and Dougie shook his head.
'No sore throats, coughing or sneezing or trouble breathing?'
Dougie shook his head again. He got out his stethoscope and placed it against Dougie's chest.
'Alright, I see what we have here,' he said finally, sitting down after listening to Dougie's breathing and his heart. 'You've got a pretty severe case of gastroenteritis Dougie.'
'English please?' Dougie said shortly.
'Gastro. Stomach bug. You'll be alright, I'll give you an injection to stop the vomiting and some things to rehydrate you and bring up all your nutrients again,' Dr Franklin said, moving to a bench and taking a syringe out of the cupboard below and preparing it.
'Dougie, it has to go somewhere that rarely sees the light of day. Would you like the others to leave?' he called back.
'What? Where does it have to go?' Dougie asked quickly.
'In your gluteus maximus mate,' he shrugged, walking back over.
'Oh...' Dougie sighed.
'I just need you to lie on your front on the bed and we'll get it over and done with...'