DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).

Chapter 5
Heat

I can't explain it. The way I felt my arms burn with such severity that even I began to sweat was enough to make anyone wonder what had happen. It wasn't even my own body heat that reached over 100 degrees. It was Willow. Her pajamas were soaked when I awaken from the aggressive heat. I could see the soaked spots under her arms and around her neck and back. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and her breathing was mixed with snores showing her congested state.

I was in a fury, rising from the bed quickly and fumbling to get to the bathroom cabinet in the dark. I grab the thermometer and rush back to the bed, pressing the machine into Willow's ear and stirring her from her rest.

"Shh, it's okay Will. You're fine." I soothe, stroking back her soaked hair. She began to cry in discomfort from her own body and whimpered as her arms attempted to pull free from the overheating pajamas. "106.5" I mumble, racking my brain on what I should do.

"Mommy…" Willow cries, reaching for me. I pull her into my arms and place her on the ground. I strip her off her pajamas and grab her knit blanket from the end of the bed.

"Don't worry baby, I'll take you to the doctors." I say, lifting us off the ground with her huddled in my embrace. I grab another blanket from her room along with her dog and a new set of pajamas.

I rush downstairs as I shove the things into my purse and kick on my boots. Thankfully my pajamas consisted of leggings and a too big t-shirt. Nothing too eccentric for nightwear. I grab my keys and head for my black SUV, unlocking the back doors and strapping her into her car seat with a swift motion. I drape her second blanket on her lap and toss my purse onto the front seat before rushing from the driveway and towards the hospital.

"It's okay, Will. No need to cry." I coo, looking at the rear view mirror. "You don't feel good." I say, offering a sympathetic glance. She just sobs once more and pulls her blanket up to her shoulders.

"Cold." She says. I increase the heat slightly and drive just a tad faster, hoping that there were no patrol cars watching for speed limits tonight.

I pull up to the ER 10 minutes later, parking the car quickly and pulling Willow into my arms, her body heat feeling even hotter as I cradle her head to my shoulder. I rush into the emergency room and head for the receptionist.

"Hi, this is my daughter Willow, she's four years old, and has a fever of over 106. She's allergic to penicillin and has slight heart arrhythmia." I explain in a hurry, rocking Willow in between my frenzy of words.

"Alright I just need her health card." The nurse says, nodding at her screen. I fish out my wallet and pull out her card, handing it over. She types in some more info and hands it back.

"Just bring her over to my side and I'll do a quick exam before getting her in line to see a doctor." The nurse instructs, printing off her hospital band and opening the door to her check up room. I enter and take a seat on a chair. I place Willow sitting on my lap and hush her with soothing words about her being all right. The nurse wraps the band around her wrist and then pulls up a chart. She adds it to a clipboard and reaches for her pen.

"Okay Willow, I'm going to check your temperature." She nods and opens her mouth willingly. "That's right, just place it under your tongue." The nurse explains, looking for the temperature. "107." She says out loud, pulling out the thermometer and disposing of the seal. She jots down the info and then turns on the scale. I place Willow on the ground and she willingly gets on. "Any change in appetite or bathroom usages?" The nurse asks, wring down 30 pounds as Willow's weight and 3ft as her height.

"Um she said she wasn't hungry around dinner time and only ate about half of her food."

"And sleep?"

"She slept from nine to seven last night and from nine am to twelve pm during the day. She was claiming to be tired at 6ish."

"Okay." The nurse nods, placing down the clipboard. "Any vomiting?"

"No."

"Alright Willow, does anything hurt?" She asks, holding my daughter's eyes.

"My tummy." Willow expresses.

"Do you need to throw up?" The nurse asks next. To answer that, Willow reached for one of the cardboard containers we were offered upon entering the office, and threw up her pasta and chicken. "Well that answers that." The nurse says, taking the vomit bowl and offering a new one. I take it and wrap Willow in her blanket, using a tissue to wipe her mouth and kissing her forehead to calm her furious tears.

"Just take a seat in the waiting room. I'll try to get her in to see a doctor real soon." I thank her and exit the room, Willow in my arms like a baby.

I take a seat and lay her out next to me, her legs rested on another chair and her head on my lap.

As I sit there I stroke her hair and work her into her sleep again. We sit for nearly four hours, her vomiting occurring only once each hour. I felt my heavy eyes grow almost impossible to keep open by the time she was called in.

"I'm Dr. Ricker. Sorry for the wait, it's been wild here." He explains, closing the room door behind us and offering me to place Willow on the bed. I rest her down and hold her hand, my other one brushing her hair carefully.

"So she has a fever, vomiting, and has the sweats, correct?" He asks, washing his hands at the sink.

"Yeah, She was sleeping a lot more and eating less as well." I add, he nods and grabs some gloves.

"Okay, let's take a look." He approached Willow and had her sit up, slightly. He used a stick and light to see the back of her throat. "Well her throat isn't inflamed, and there doesn't seem to be any irritation." He tosses the stick out and uses the light on her eyes. "Appropriate dilation of her pupils." He says, clicking off the light. He unwraps the stethoscope from around his neck and places it on her chest.

"She was born with a heart arrhythmia, right?" He asks me, I nod in response and continue to run my fingers over her hair.

"Alright Willow, lie down." He instructs, I ease onto her back and hold her small hand. "Tell me if it hurts where I press." He begins gentle prodding over her belly and abdomen. "Ouch." She whimpers when he reaches her lower belly.

"I'm going to get her set up with an IV and an ultrasound. I think this may be an appendicitis."

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-Valentina