Three day�s passed since Heidi had been admitted to the hospital, and her condition was declining rapidly. She had Pneumonia in both lungs and slept most of the time.
For Jonathan not knowing where his brother-in-law and sister were, in combination with seeing Heidi getting worse and worse, was nerve racking to say the very least. Sam had been by the hospital everyday telling him that due to storms not far from where Rick and Evelyn were staying, the lines to wire them were down. He informed Jonathan not to worry about Alex or anything else, wanting him to be able to focus on Heidi.
In the quiet small hospital room, as his niece slept, Jonathan sat at her bed side with his head resting against her side. He felt responsible for her getting so sick, though in reality he didn�t have any control over that. He lifted his head as she coughed, and gently place the oxygen mask over her mouth and nose, which woke her. Her tired eyes opened but just barely. �Are you hungry?� he asked as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. She said something but it was so quiet that he couldn�t hear her. Carefully he pulled the mask away from her face then put his ear close to her mouth.
�Momma,� she rasped.
�I think they are on their way darling,� he said as he put the mask back over her face. Jonathan got the small bowl of broth the nurse had brought in earlier and placed it on the small tray, then gently sat her up enough to slip a third pillow behind her. Once she was more or less settled he slipped the mask from her face then dipped a small syringe into the soup bowl and filled it. He put it in her mouth and pushed on the plunger slowly until it emptied.
Heidi let her uncle feed her two more syringes full of broth, then her eyes shut. She didn�t seem to notice when Jonathan took the extra pillow away, nor when he put her oxygen mask over her face. She continued to sleep even when Dr. Stanley came in the check on her.
Dr. Stanley listened to her breathing, and took her temperature by placing the thermometer under her arm, finding that her fever had not changed. It was still 101.1. �We need to give her another dose of aspirin,� he said.
Jonathan nodded his head, then stood up. He got two small pink baby aspirin then sat down in his chair. �Hey Pixie,� Jonathan said as he rubbed his hand over her chest. It took a few moments but Heidi finally woke up enough for her uncle to give her the aspirin. Once she had taken them she went right back to sleep, leaving Jonathan alone to worry about her, and about when her parents would return.
~*~
Staying with Sam and Amy was better than having to stay with Aunt Maggie, but Alex was still not happy. Since Heidi had been admitted to the hospital and since her condition had been getting worse, they no longer let him back to see her. Now at home in his room, he and Megan sat on the floor working on a model. �I wish they would hurry up and come home. Sam said he finally got ahold of the hotel but mum and dad aren�t there now,� Alex said, as he finished painting a tiny cannon, for the war ship they were working on.
�Well that could be a good sign. Maybe they are on their way,� Megan offered as she continued to paint the main part of the ship.
When they finished painting the pieces for the ship, they were left to wait until it all dried before putting the rest of it together. Since it was raining outside they were not left with much else to do, and decided to go downstairs and raid the refrigerator.
In the Kitchen Aunt Maggie was preparing something with Marie and Amy was sitting at the table talking to her husband Sam. Ignoring his Aunt, Alex walked to the refrigerator and pulled out left over corned beef then walked past her, putting it down on the counter.
�Alex you may not spoil your meal,� Maggie said.
�Oh hush up. If it wasn�t for you she wouldn�t even be ill, but you just couldn�t remember to go lock the god damn door,� he yelled, then ran out of the kitchen, leaving everyone including Megan in stunned silence.
~*~
Later on, Sam arrived at his room with milk and a plate of cookies that Amy had sent with him. He knocked on the door and opened it when Alex told him he could. �Amy thought these might help you feel better,� Sam said as he walked over to the bed and set them down on Alex�s bedside table. He had never really been around children, and wasn�t sure how to proceed. �Do you want to talk?�
�Not much to talk about,� Alex said as he sat up, then took a cookie and bit into it. �She doesn�t have a clue on how to handle my sister, and I wish mum and dad would hurry home,� he said as he put the cookie back down on the small china plate.
Sam nodded his head. �I think your parents are likely on their way. Your mother has always had a knack at knowing when things were amiss, especially with you. One time Amy and I were here for a diner gathering, and she suddenly got this funny look on her face, then left the table as fast as she could. Turns out you were trying to get out of your baby crib and had gotten your foot caught,� he said, hoping to somehow make Alex feel better.
Alex offered him a small smile. �I feel like it�s my fault. Heidi got soaked when she ran outside that day, and I should have gotten her out of her cloths and into something warm straight away, but I didn�t,� he said.
�Alex, her being sick is nobody�s fault. Sometimes it just happens. The best thing we can do is try to support one another, and hope that your parents arrive safely home,� he said. Sam was surprised when Alex hugged him, then hugged him back. After that the two of them worked on Alex�s model, both trying to get their minds off of the worry they were feeling over Heidi�s illness, and Rick and Evelyn not being home.
~*~
On a ship, two days away from London, all Rick and Evelyn could do was try to enjoy their time alone. Neither one of them had any idea what was happening with Heidi, and only had Evelyn�s dream to go on. In the quiet comfort of their room, at the end of another rainy day at sea, Evelyn sat in their bed reading while Rick was in the bathroom preparing to join her. Nights for her were usually the worst. She kept having the same reoccurring dream, where she heard Heidi crying, but couldn�t get to her. Thinking about that dream made her shutter, then she looked up as Rick walked to the bed.
�Are you cold?� he asked as he slipped into bed beside her. He had nothing on and once she put her book away he opened his arms then pulled her against his chest.
�This journey is taking too long Rick. I know something is wrong with Heidi, and I want to be home so I can hold her in my arms, so I can hold both of them in my arms,� Evie said as she rested her cheek against his bare chest.
Rick was also worried. He knew something was wrong as well, and had a feeling the recent storms in Switzerland and even now had a play in why they couldn�t get in touch with London. What worried him most was what Evelyn was saying. She seemed to have a way of knowing when their children needed them, and he hoped that the storms they were experiencing at sea would subside so they could get home that much sooner.
~*~
Nightfall brought on a new set of problems, primarily with Heidi�s temperature sky rocketing. The nurses brought in a porcelain wash basin with cold water and every ten minutes they or Jonathan would put a wet cold towel on her forehead and wipe her arms and legs down with the cold water, in effort to bring her fever under control. For the first hour Heidi fought them, then drifted into a restless fevered sleep, still rasping with each breath she took in.
It was nearly 4am when a kind nurse named Helga took her temperature finding it back down to 101.2, and after giving the little girl two more aspirin, she instructed Jonathan to keep changing the towel on her head every twenty minutes instead of every ten. By that time Jonathan was worn out, but somehow managed to stay awake. Now by Heidi�s bedside he held her tiny hand in his wishing he could find some way to make her better. He watched as her tiny chest moved up and down with each breath she took, and could hear her rasp as she breathed. �God bring my sister home soon,� he whispered as he sighed then rested his head against the edge of her bed.
~*~
A day and another night passed, and by morning Rick and Evelyn were walking on English soil. They took a taxi home, and when they arrived they were surprised to see Sam�s car parked in front of the house.
�I�ll pay the driver and get our things, you go in and see what�s going on,� Rick said as they stepped out of the car.
Evelyn got her purse, then hurried up the front steps to the front door. She opened it expecting to hear the happy laughter of both children, but instead was met only with silence. Knowing that Rick had a lot to bring in, Evelyn left the door open and headed in to the house. When she walked into the parlor she found Sam and Amy sitting with Jonathan. Before she could even speak a word Jonathan was on his feet, then he was hugging her.
�OH thank god you are home. Evie Heidi is quite ill. She is in the hospital,� he said as he pulled away from her. He watched as she blinked then watched as she ran toward the front of the house.
Rick had just put down the first load of luggage when Evelyn was pulling his hand, talking so fast that he couldn�t understand her. �Evie,� he tried as she continued to pull him out the door. He finally had to pull his hand out of hers, then grab her shoulders and turn her to face him. �What�s wrong?� he asked.
�Heidi is ill. Oh Rick she�s in the hospital,� Evelyn said as she started to cry, feeling guilty for being away when one of her babies needed her.
As he held her Alex and Jonathan ran in from the parlor. �She has pneumonia and Aunt Maggie is with her but you need to go now,� Alex said, wanting to get his Aunt away from his baby sister.
After that everything happened fast. Rick ordered Jonathan to get some sleep, then asked Sam and Amy if they would mind staying at the house until they could get to the hospital and find out what was happening. Once all of that was settled they were in Rick�s car, on their way to see their baby girl.
~*~
With the help of Helga and another nurse, Maggie gave her niece a much needed sponge bath, which included washing her hair. They were all careful to get her dried off and to keep the door to her room shut. Now Heidi was in a clean night gown from home, and asleep in Maggie�s arms while they rocked in a near by rocking chair. She was wrapped in a soft blanket that the hospital provided, and still had an oxygen mask over her little face. Maggie had managed to get her to eat most of the broth they had brought in for her and drink a full glass of cool water. She felt guilty for not keeping a better watch over her neice, and made the decision to stay with her until her parents return.
Once she was sure that Heidi was asleep and comfortable, Maggie put her back in her bed, making sure to keep the two pillows propped behind her, to keep her sitting in a semi upright position. As she was pulling more blankets over her the door opened, and when Maggie looked up she was relieved to see Rick and Evelyn.
As soon as she saw her daughter with the oxygen mask over her tiny face, Evelyn let go of Rick�s hand and ran the few steps to her bed. She sat down in the chair pulled up next to Heidi�s side then took her tiny hand. �Momma�s here baby,� Evie said as she kissed the back of her hand. When she didn�t respond, Evelyn looked at Maggie.
�We gave her a sponge bath not long ago, and that I think took all of her energy.� She gathered her things, needing to go home to deal with her guilt over the events of the past few days. As she left it seemed neither Rick nor Evelyn noticed her, and Maggie didn�t mind that, and was hopeful that with them home things would get back to the way they needed to be.
While Evelyn sat on once side of the bed, Rick took a seat on the other side, and for several long minutes all they could do was watch as their little girl slept. A few minutes later Dr. Stanley arrived with a nurse Heidi wasn�t fond of. Both parents stood up needing to know what was happening with their little girl.
�With Pneumonia there isn�t a whole lot we can do for her. She gets a shot of penicillin twice a day, and two aspirin every four hours for her fever. The rest is up to Heidi,� he explained as he pulled his stethoscope out of his bag. There was no easy way to tell them the rest, and after he listened to her chest, and wrote a few things down on her chart he looked at both of them while his nurse prepared to give Heidi a shot. �We�ve been unable to get her to eat properly, and she is dehydrated. I�m not sure how much more she will be able to take,� he said.
Heidi�s scream got the attention of both of her parents and brought them to her side. The nurse had pulled down her blankets, and had done little more before she woke up and started to struggle.
Evelyn easily lifted her daughter into her arms holding her cradled against her chest. �I�m here now love, and we are going to get you well,� Evie whispered as she rocked her. She looked at her daughter and watched as she opened her eyes, then offered her a smile, even though she wanted to cry.
�Hurt,� Heidi said as she snuggled her cheek closer to Evelyn�s chest.
�I know it does my love, but I will hold you after she gives you your medicine and sing to you,� Evie said.
Heidi coughed and Evelyn gently sat her up rubbing her back until the coughing subsided. When she stood up and put Heidi down, her baby cried, and both she and Rick held her hands as the nurse administered the shot, then it was all over, and Heidi was back in her mothers arms.
Crying agitated her condition, and Heidi coughed, and even screamed when Evie tried to put the cumbersome oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. The exhausted toddler only fought for another couple of minutes then fell asleep against her mum�s shoulder and chest. Then and only then was Rick able to put the mask over her mouth and nose.
�I feel so helpless,� Evelyn said as she gently placed Heidi back in her bed, pulling the soft blankets over her small body. As she finished, she found herself in her husbands arms and was glad to be there.
�I know,� was all he could say.