I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. I heard soft crying coming from somewhere. Cooper was still fast asleep next to me. I climbed out of bed and wandered out of the bedroom in search of the noise. It was coming from Anthony's room. I went into it and flicked on his Iron Man lamp. He moaned and looked up at me with pain in his eyes.
"Momma, my head hurts now too." He grumbled. I felt his forehead. He was much warmer. I sighed and checked his temperature. It was definitely higher even though most fevers go down at night and that worried me.
"Hold on baby, let me go get daddy." I told him and left Anthony's room. I crept into the master bedroom and gently shook Cooper awake.
"Char, what's wrong?" Cooper asked.
"Anthony's gotten worse Coop, you're a pediatrician I wanted you to come take a look at him." I told him. Cooper got out of bed quickly and followed me to Anthony's room. Anthony was staring at the glow in the dark stars on his ceiling and fighting back tears. Cooper checked his temperature and did an exam of his throat and mouth.
"Char, he's pretty dehydrated, I think we should take him to the hospital for some fluids." Cooper told me.
"What are we going to do with Mason and Trenton?" I asked.
"Do you think Addison could watch them?" He asked.
"Coop it's four in the morning." I argued.
"Well what else is there to do?" He asked. I nodded. He had a point. I sighed and pulled out my cell phone.
"I'm sorry." I whispered and hit dial on Addison's number. She answered on the fourth ring.
"Charlotte, is everything okay?" Addison asked sleepily.
"No not exactly." I told her.
"Is it the baby, did you miscarry?" Addison asked wide awake and worried now.
"No, I didn't miscarry. Anthony is really dehydrated, Cooper and I were going to take him into the hospital for some fluids and we were wondering if we could drop Trenton and Mason off there." I explained.
"Yeah, sure. Just drop them off on your way to the hospital." Addison told me. I smiled.
"Thank you so much, see you in a minute." I said and hung up. I left Anthony's room and went to wake up Trenton and Mason. Trenton groaned and pulled the covers in tighter.
"Mom no I don't feel good." Trenton moaned. I sighed, he better be lying, this sickness could not be going around the whole house. I felt his forehead. It was warm too. I sighed. This was not good. Trenton sat up and threw up all over his covers. He flopped back down into bed.
"Cooper!" I yelled. Cooper came running.
"Oh my God. Trenton." He sighed and checked Trenton's temperature.
"Yeah, you've got a fever too, but this isn't strep." Cooper groaned.
"Now what do we do?" I asked. Cooper sighed.
"You take Anthony to the hospital and Mason to Addison's. I'll stay here with Trenton. I'll call ahead to the hospital and tell them you are coming and exactly what to give Anthony." Cooper told me. I nodded and went to round up Anthony and Mason.
A few hours later (10am)
Anthony was still at the hospital on IV fluids. Cooper called me with hourly updates on Trenton and Addison had dropped Mason off at school three hours ago. I was exhausted and accidentally fell asleep watching Anthony sleep. Addison shook me awake a few minutes after I had closed my eyes.
"Charlotte, maybe you should go crash in an on call room. They can keep Anthony until you get a good rest. You need lots of sleep, you're pregnant again." Addison reminded me. I sighed and nodded. I got to my feet and kissed Anthony on the forehead before leaving the room in search of an on call room. I found one and crashed.
Two days later
Anthony was doing much better but he still wasn't allowed at school. Trenton was going back to school today. It had been like a 36 hour bug. Mason hadn't caught anything yet but I had woken up not feeling good this morning. I had my ten week appointment with Addison today and then I was going to skip work and come home. I loaded Mason and Trenton up in the car and drove them to school today instead of making them ride the bus. I met Addison in the usual exam room. She was waiting for me. On the ultrasound she had a frozen image of a fetus.
"Is that yours?" I asked gesturing to the screen. Addison nodded and rubbed her belly bump. "Everything okay?" I asked. Addison nodded.
"A little too okay." Addison told me.
"How so?" I asked.
"Multiples must really run in Mark's family." Addison said.
"Are you pregnant with twins again?" I asked. Addison shook her head.
"Worse." She said.
"Triplets?" I asked. Addison nodded.
"Yeah, identical." Addison breathed.
"Oh my God Addison. Are you okay with this?" I asked. Addison shrugged.
"I guess so, I mean I'm older and we did IFV both of those raise the chances of multiples and Twins run in Mark's family. So the odds of multiples were high. I just never thought triplets." Addison said.
"Well, you were really big for only sixteen weeks." I admitted. Addison nodded.
"I just thought because it was my second pregnancy." Addison confessed. I nodded.
"Well, you and Mark are awesome parents, you can do it." I told them. Addison nodded.
"So, do you know what the sexes are?" I asked. Addison nodded.
"Jake ran the ultrasound. So he told me. I'm having two boys and a girl." Addison told me. I nodded.
"That's a good combination." I said. Addison nodded.
"Well come on let's see how you are doing." Addison said. I nodded and laid down on the exam table. I lifted my shirt up and Addison squirted the gel onto my still flat stomach. She moved the radar around.
"Charlotte, I don't know how I missed this, but you're having twins." Addison told me.
"Twins? Twins? Oh God. If they're both boys I am kidnapping Whitney from you." I laughed. Addison smiled.
"Sorry, you can't have her. It'll be the three against four in my house." Addison laughed.
"Addison it'll be six to one." I laughed. Addison glanced at me.
"Oh, I am so sorry." Addison apologized. I smiled.
"How about we go get some breakfast?" I suggested. Addison smiled and nodded.