"You have a nice place here." Danielle said, cutting a tomato into thin slices.

"Thank you." I smiled, closing the door to the twin's room softly behind me. It'd taken a good half hour to get Ronan down. He was burning up. My head pounded with the worry.

"So what is it your studying at university?" She asked, and I would never get over how completely wonderful her accent was.

"Pre-med."

"Wow." She said, smiling again and placing a sandwich on a plate for me, handing it over as I headed over to the table with my textbook.

"I like kids. Obviously. I'm going to be a pediatrician." I took a bite of the sandwich. It was good, an oddity, since I usually didn't have much time to pay attention to what I ate. "What do you do?" I asked, flipping to the section we were studying.

"I'm a dancer." She said. "I've been in a few music videos and such." She shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. And I suppose she said it that way because she didn't want it to be a big deal.

"That's awesome." I said, "Umm, there's a TV in there, if you wanted to watch it. Umm, I have some books and stuff over there if you wanted to stick around," I said, realizing I couldn't very well carry on a conversation while trying to study.

"I'll let you study then. I have a book." She said, pulling one out of her purse.

And so we settled into a quietness that was only disturbed by the occasional rustle of a page being turned.

By the time I finally placed my book down, my head aching with the information I'd taken in, a few hours had passed. I looked towards the boys room. It was quiet. But they had to eat. I sighed, knowing that once I woke them it would take hours to get them back down.

"Um, I have to feed the boys so it's probably going to get pretty noisy in here," I warned, hating to assume that she would want to be around that.

"I'll help."

I stopped putting away my books to look at her again.

"…Really?" I asked.

"Of course." She said, and she smiled again.

I opened the high chairs up and poured milk into two sippy cups.

"There's um, there's left-over mac and cheese in the fridge. They usually will just eat that with some applesauce. That's in the pantry." I said, nodding to the door in the kitchen. "I'll just go get them up."

"All right." She said, as I walked down the hall to open the door. The lights were off and I could hear the gentle sound of breathing coming from the two cribs. But the room was warm and smelled sick.

I walked over to Riddle's crib and picked him up, wincing at the sweat that made a track down his back and through his shirt.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry," I said when he started to wake.

"Ma baa jooo." He said. "Joo. Joo. Joo. Joo."

"I have your milk." I said, walking into the kitchen and setting him in his highchair, snapping the top closed and placing his cup on the top. He grabbed it immediately.

"How's he feel?" Danielle asked, setting a small plastic plate of mac and cheese and applesauce in front of him.

"Sweaty," I sighed. She frowned.

I walked back to the room, hearing Ronan begin to squirm where he lay and whimper, aware of the disturbance of air in his room.

"Mommy's right here Ronan." I said, reaching down and picking him up. "You're hungry?" I asked.

"Joo."

"Yes. Milk is here." I laughed, watching him scrunch his face up at the light in the room. I put him in his chair as well, giving him his milk before going to search for a washcloth. Meals always ended in a mess.

"Ma." Ronan said, his face red and blotchy. "Ma. Ma. Ma. Ma!" He yelled, slapping his hands into the applesauce Danielle had just given him.

"No Ronan," I scolded him, grabbing his hands and running the cloth over them. "No. Eat your food."

He dipped his fingers into the apple sauce again before proceeding to stick his fingers in his mouth. Riddle watched him for a second before he copied his actions.

"He doesn't look well Lily," Danielle said, watching Ronan as a bead of sweat fell down his forehead. I had already disappeared into the bathroom to grab a thermometer.

"I know." I said, holding my hand against his body as I tried to get his temperature. "103" I said, my heart pounding in my ears. "He needs a doctor now." I said, taking away his food and pulling him out as he started to cry. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what was wrong with him. And Danielle was here. This strange girl I didn't really know.

"Here I'll get him," She said though, immediately moving to get Riddle out of his seat. "He feels really warm as well. I'll wrap their food up. In case they have to wait when we get to the E.R."

"You really don't have to come. I'll probably be there for a while. You've been a great help but I don't expect you to do this." I tried to brush off her help. Making lunch for an obviously stressed stranger was one thing, but spending the night in the E.R. was another.

"Don't be daft. I can't imagine how scared you are right now. Is there anyone you need to call?" She asked. Code for, is there a father that needs to be contacted?

"No." I said, walking back into the boys room and grabbing the diaper bag and a change of clothes.

"I have your purse right here." She said, balancing Riddle on one hip with my purse around her wrist and cups of applesauce in her hand.

"Thank you." I said, taking my purse from her. I turned around, flipping off any lights I could but I really couldn't be bothered to clean things up at the moment.

"All right, let's go then." She said, and I thought maybe she said it almost sternly, as if she was trying to help me focus. Who was this girl? People like her just didn't exist. People that kind couldn't be real. Not here.

"Okay." I nodded, holding the door open and letting her out first. Ronan was squirming again in my arms, starting to flail his fists around. "Shhh baby it's okay. We're going, we're going." I hushed him, quickly descending the stairs of my apartment complex to my car, where Danielle already waited. Ronan relaxed slightly in the cool evening air. God he was burning up.

I unlocked the car door clumsily, opening the back to strap Ronan into his car seat as Danielle did the same on the opposite side.

We were nearly to the E.R. when Danielle's phone began to ring.

"Hello?" She asked, and I heard a faint voice on the other end. "On the way to the E.R." She said, and I saw her roll her eyes. "No, no, Lily's little boys are running a fever." I wondered how she could do that, say my name and talk about what was happening like it was normal. Like she helped strangers with their children all the time. "I met her today at the grocer's."

"You know I appreciate this but if there's somewhere you have to be-" She waved off my concerns.

"Yeah I'm staying. You guys can't be done yet can you?" She asked, squinting at the clock. "Oh. Well I won't leave until she sends me away so you lot will just have to come to the hospital then." She said. My eyes widened considerably.

Were we having some sort of party in the E.R. waiting room?

"That's not necessary." I hurried to stop her. I didn't want to drag other people into this mess. And having a bunch of people show up at the hospital while Ronan and Riddle were sick was just…odd.

"Well then don't come. I'm just saying I probably won't get back to the hotel until late. So, don't wait up." She rolled her eyes at whoever she was talking to. "Yeah yeah, love you as well, bye." She hung up, and turned to look back at Ronan and Riddle. "Hey you're all right there." She said, reaching back to tug on Ronan's toes.

"How do they look?" I asked, turning into the parking lot, my eyes scanning the lit signs pointing me in the direction of the emergency room. I ran a hand through my hair, knowing it was going to be a long night. The lecture tomorrow was going to be pure Hell. Damn it.

"Riddle looks sleepy. Ronan's fussin' still. Whatever they got he's got it worse."

"He always does." I shook my head. Ronan was just…softer than Riddle. Riddle was the loud one. The energetic one. Ronan was shy and quiet and always more fragile.

"Well let's hope it's not busy then." Danielle shrugged as we pulled into a space near the doors. I hopped out of the car and hurried around to the back of the car. Ronan was tossing back and forth, sweating and drooling. My boys did not drool that much normally. My stomach flipped with my nerves. Oh god something was wrong. Something was wrong.

"Okay Ronan we're going to see what's happening okay?" I tried to calm myself as I glanced at Riddle. He was sweating too. This day had gone from stressful to terrifying. "You got him?" I asked, watching as she picked him up and didn't wince at the sweat. That was a cute shirt too.

"Yeah love, let's go." She nodded and began walking into the hospital. I followed quickly, sighing in relief at the cool air that blasted over me as I walked through the doors. The room was quiet, an old man sitting in one seat coughing and a woman sitting behind the front desk on the phone. As I approached the desk she handed me a form and I held up another finger, requesting two. She glanced at Danielle, saw Riddle and nodded, handing me another clipboard.

We moved to the seats.

"Here I can hold them both while you fill those out." Danielle offered, and I sent her a grateful look before helping to situate Ronan in her arms. I filled out their information as quickly as I could and pulled out the insurance from my purse.

I hurried back to the desk, my eyes on Danielle the whole time. I still wasn't about to unconditionally trust a stranger to hold my two sons while I turned my back. She may have been kind but I wasn't so naïve as to blindly trust.

"Thank you." The nurse said, looking over the information and frowning. "I'll see if I can get you in soon." She said, looking over at Danielle.

"Thank you." I nodded, rushing back over to take Ronan from Danielle. I knew how heavy they could get. There was a wet spot on her shoulder from the drool. "Sorry for the drool, he usually isn't so bad." I apologized, sitting down beside her to wait even though my nerves urged me to pace the room. I knew it would only fluster the sleeping babe in my arms.

"It's no problem. Really." She said. And I knew she was sincere.

"You're very kind. Almost suspiciously so. I have to wonder if you have a motive. No offense." I hurriedly added, not wanting to insult someone who had done so much without any reason.

"No, no. If I was you I'd be confused too. I don't really know why but…I don't know, you seem like someone I'd get on with. And as I already said, you're brave. I don't know how you do this alone." She said, shifting Riddle to her other shoulder.

"Me either." I sighed, wondering once again how I was still alive. How I was still managing to keep A's in my classes. How I managed to keep my brain from imploding.

We sat in silence after that for a while, listening to the sounds of the hospital. The occasional beep or sound of rolling wheels from behind the double doors, or the wet coughing from the man.

"Where's the father?" Danielle asked, and I didn't answer for a moment, in awe of her straight-forwardness. I had the vague notion that I was supposed to be somewhat offended at her intrusive question. I wasn't.

"Not in the picture. I don't have any idea who he is." I said, watching her face for the shock. The pity. The disgust. Anything. She didn't react though.

"Must've been an ass then." She said calmly, her eyes turning to watch the man.

"I wouldn't know. They're not mine." I said quietly. She did react to that.

"Who?"

"Riddle and Ronan. They're not actually mine. My best friend got pregnant in high school. I helped out for the first six months. I've had them for maybe 8 months alone. What with college starting, it was difficult. It was different. But…I don't regret it. I couldn't have let them go into the system. They could've been separated or…not with me." I shrugged, my eyes on Ronan's face. His eyes were closed, his breaths heavy and hot against my chest.

"Well then you're braver than I originally thought." Danielle said, and when I looked she was smiling at me.

"Most people prefer the word ignorant." I responded, but I smiled.

"I like you Lily. You're a good person. We should be mates." She nodded to herself.

I had to chuckle.

"I would like that. But you said you're only visiting right? How much longer will you be here?" I asked.

"Only a few more days. But I'll make sure to come back for visits. And I will call you. And text you." She said.

"Come all the way back to America to visit a girl you only just met? Sounds awfully determined of you. Are you always so straight-forward?" I asked, rubbing Ronan's back. It was damp.

"Well, it's not very often that I meet people who treat me like a normal person." She said.

"You're famous or something aren't you? I knew I'd seen your face somewhere before."

"Yeah. I guess you could say that." She shrugged.

I really couldn't bring myself to look at her differently. So she was some sort of famous dancer. But she'd cleaned vomit off of Ronan's chin and made me a sandwich. She seemed pretty normal to me.

"Ms. Draven?" The nurse called and I stood up with Danielle. "The doctor will see you now."