Disclaimer you know.
That afternoon Alex, Mr. Foreman, and Elena had themselves busy taking care of Dorothy. Dorothy was now in bed with a cold compress across her forehead. Alex was sitting at the bedside while Elena and Mr. Foreman would drop in every now and again. Dorothy's fever had risen to 103.4 and getting dangerously high. She had eaten the soup and a quart of the loaf of bread Brianna had gotten for her before falling asleep again. Now Mr. Foreman entered the room once more and walked over to Alex.
"Run a cold bath for her, we need to get her fever down." Mr. Foreman said.
"Yes sir." Alex said getting up from his chair and walking into the bathroom.
Alex sighed and walked over to the tub. He immediately turned on the cold tap and began to allow the tub to fill up. He then sighed again and turned around to find Elena and Em now standing in the doorway to the bathroom.
"You haven't left her side since you got here, Alex you know you risk catching whatever she has by staying with her don't you?" Elena asked worriedly.
"Well so do you, but I'm not thinking about myself, her fever is getting dangerously high, you said it yourself." Alex replied.
"Alex." Em sighed walking over to him.
"Mrs. Gale, I know she's your niece but I care about her as much as you guys do." Alex said turning back to the tub.
"It should be full enough in a few minutes, Alex, we know you want to help but why don't you go take a short walk?" Em said placing a hand on his shoulder.
Alex wasn't going to argue with Mrs. Gale. He simply nodded and left the bathroom. Mr. Foreman had taken Alex's seat next to Dorothy's bed. Alex simply sighed and walked out of the room. In the hallway he found Toto and pockets sitting next to the door. He also for the first time noticed the china princess's room which was right next door to Dorothy's. Having nothing better to do he knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Came the voice of the china princess.
"It's Alex." Alex replied.
"Oh, Alex, the door's open, come in." The princess said
Alex sighed and opened the door. As he walked in he found the china princess and marshal mallow sitting at a table having tea. The princess offered Alex a seat which he accepted and sat down in.
"Before you ask, her fever has gotten dangerously high, Mr. Foreman, Mrs. Gale and Elena are running her a cold bath. They told me I should go take a short walk." Alex said sighing.
"You must be worried about her." The princess said.
"I'm always worried about her, and why wouldn't I be, she's basically surrounded by danger wherever she goes, and it doesn't help her that the jester is picking us off one by one." Alex replied.
"No, no it doesn't, but the jester did this last time too, and I have a feeling he's going to save you for last, give her a reason to go after him, and lure her into a trap." Marshall Mallow said looking at Alex worriedly.
"I know, I've thought about that, him using me to get to her, but what about her aunt and uncle, I mean, he can't touch her cousin's thanks to Glinda's protection, what if he takes them? She'll have to take care of the triplets on her own." Alex said.
"That is a good point." The china princess said trailing off.
"Alex, if anything you should worry about your own family, the jester can use them to get to you, which in turn will allow him to get to her once he traps you." Marshall Mallow said pouring Alex a cup of tea.
Meanwhile at the jester's hideout.
The jester was watching the goings on in his crystal again. He was smiling a wicked smile that would make even the bravest person turn and run in the opposite direction.
"Oh Puffball, you think I would use his parents and sister to get to him, do you? Well not I've got something even worse planned for them, his father already hates him enough and I don't want him here because I got punched in the jaw last time we met, so I'll just keep his family partially intact." The jester said before laughing wickedly again.
Meanwhile back in Dorothy's room.
As Em slowly lowered a sleeping Dorothy into the cold bath she sighed and knelt down next to it. she had changed Dorothy into a thick nightgown so she would at least have some indirect contact with the water for a few moments and the cold water wouldn't directly put her in a state of shock, as Elena pointed out as did Mr. Foreman much to Em's annoyance of having to be told the same instructions twice. Dorothy's body immediately shivered and. Em sighed and took some water into her hand and poured it over Dorothy's face. Immediately Dorothy's eyes opened a little and Dorothy looked over at her aunt.
"Auntie Em, where's Alex?" Dorothy asked weakly.
"He's…" Em started to say
"He's right, here." Alex said walking in and cutting Em off before joining her next to the tub.
Dorothy shivered again and then turned to Alex.
"Please, don't leave again." Dorothy said as some strength returned to her voice.
"Dorothy, I promise I won't leave your side again, I just wasn't going to argue with your aunt." Alex said
"How are you feeling honey?" Em asked curiously.
"I can't remember the last time I felt so sick." Dorothy said.
"Dorothy, the last time you were sick was that time you go the measles." Em replied.
Dorothy opened her mouth to respond but shivered again instead, her body wasn't adjusting well to being such cold water. While in a nightgown nonetheless.
"Dorothy, save your strength, you're going to need it for your recovery." Alex said placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Auntie Em, can you, please ask Brianna for, some juice?" Dorothy asked.
"Sure sweetie, I'll see if they have any of your uncle's favorite cure all." Em said.
"What's that?" Alex asked curiously.
"Grapefruit juice, for some reason it does one heck of a better job at speeding up recovery, despite being so bitter." Em said getting up and leaving the bathroom.
They both waited in silence for several moments before either of them actually said something.
"So, did you sleep well?" Alex asked curiously
"I couldn't sleep at all, I couldn't muster up the strength to open my eyes, and I just knew for the most part you were with me." Dorothy said coughing a bit.
Alex chuckled and splashed some water onto Dorothy. The water was now slightly warm. He then placed a hand on Dorothy's forehead. The cold bath had lowered her temperature a fair amount but she was still sick. Mr. Foreman then walked into the bathroom carrying a fresh nightgown and a towel and walked over to them.
"I see your aunt took my advice and put you in a nightgown for some insulation from the water, however it's been a few minutes so it won't too much in protecting than it will lower your temperature." Mr. Foreman said
"All she needs is a little bit of color and her strength back and she'll be fine." Alex said taking the nightgown from Mr. Foreman.
"Alex, you and I both know that could take a matter of days." Mr. Foreman said.
"Jon, he knows." Dorothy said.
"I know he knows, I'm just making the point my dear." Mr. Foreman said.
"Well the point has been made." Alex replied.
"Anyways, your aunt told me she's going to see if she can get some grapefruit juice, bitter but effective." Mr. Foreman said.
"She said it's one of Uncle Henry's favorite cure-alls." Dorothy said laying back down in the tub.
"Not just your uncle's but your grandfather's your father and your uncle were always given grapefruit juice when they were sick." Mr. Foreman said.
Dorothy merely winced at the mention of her father. He still didn't like thinking about her parents. Elena then walked into the bathroom and over to the tub.
"Mrs. gale will be here in a few minutes, Alex, Mrs. Gale doesn't want you in here while Dorothy's is changing into a fresh nightgown, so if you wouldn't mind?" Elena asked trailing off.
Alex nodded and got up. He then sighed and walked out of the bathroom. Mr. Foreman then ran out and placed a hand on Alex's shoulder.
"Alex my boy, I know you're worried about her but you mustn't stress yourself out, we can't have you falling ill as well." Mr. Foreman
"Thanks for your concern Mr. Foreman, oh, hello Mrs. Gale, I see you've found the juice you wanted?" Alex asked as Em walked in with a glass bottle of a light pinkish orange juice.
"Yes, I did, but I'm going to wait till later to administer it, Henry's father normally gave it to him the next day so he wouldn't immediately throw it up." Em said placing the glass bottle on the nearby table.
Alex simply smiled a fake smile and sat down on the bed to wait for Dorothy.
Well, that was a surprisingly rambling on chapter. But the next chapter will be much more… interesting so to speak. Anyways how fast will Dorothy recover? What do you think? And who will the jester go after next? The gales? The Teaks? One of Dorothy's friends? Who knows?