Later at the Bradford's at around 10am. Tom took the day off to wait for Max to call with the throat culture results and to look after Elizabeth. She's taking a nap and he's waiting for Max to call. ~OK, she forgot to pills on the honeymoon and she was sick this morning. Naah it can't be; we had other means of protection.~
There's a knock on the front door.
Tom opens the door. "Max come on in." He lets him in. "So what are the results?"
Max hands him a bag from the pharmacy. "It's strep all right."
Tom takes the bag. "Oh no." Tom tries to remember if anyone has drank from Elizabeth's glass recently or has used anything of hers.
"I've got extra throat cultures ready and waiting for when the rest of you get sick."
"You might save some for your family too. Brad and Nancy got together last night, remember?"
"Where your daughter and my son are concerned, strep is the least of my worries," Greg says.
"My sentiments exactly." Tom says.
The phone rings.
Tom answers it. "Hello."
"Mr. Bradford?"
"Yes this is him."
"This is the school nurse at Tommy's high school. We sent him home, he had a temperature of 101 degrees and a red throat. You might want to have your doctor look at him."
"How long ago did you send him home? Why didn't you call me to pick him up?"
"He insisted he was ok to walk home." she says.
Tommy comes through the door. He manages a small "Hi."
"Thank you for calling." He hangs up. "Tommy go lie down on the couch so Dr. Max can examine you." Tom fusses.
"I am ok, my throat just hurts a little, that's all." Tommy says trying to convince himself and Tom.
"Tommy."
Currently, after one of her classes Nancy heads for the cafeteria
dragging. She finds a table and sits down. At first she thought it was
from the lack of sleep the night before but now she felt awful. Her throat
was killing her and she didn't have an ounce of energy in her. She goes
to the payphone and tries to call home but the line is busy. She calls
David's but no one is home. Joannie and Susan wouldn't be out of classes
for another hour. She dials the place Abby
is right now and gets the university's secretary and asks her to get
Abby.
"Nancy? What's wrong?" Abby asks, knowing it has to be pretty bad for one of the kids to track her down at school.
"My throat hurts." She says in a raspy tone. "And I don't have the strength to walk home. Can you pick me up?"
Abby thinks it over--Nancy really ought to have called Tom about this, but she didn't... "Sure. Class doesn't start for more than an hour. I'll pick you up, drop you off home and come back."
"Thanks Abby, I know you're busy but the phone was busy at home and David's not home. I'll meet you out front." They say their goodbyes and she goes to wait out front for Abby.
Fifteen minutes later Abby pulls up. "You look terrible," she tells Nancy by way of greeting.
Nancy gets in the car. "Brad would have a different opinion on that," she kids.
"Brad didn't see you looking like this."
"True."
At the Bradford house, Greg pulls Tommy aside. "All right, open wide."
"OK." he says as he goes to the couch. Tommy opens wide and nearly gags on the tongue compressor.
Greg takes the culture. "Sure looks like strep. Tom, you may have an epidemic on your hands."
"Oh no." Tom gets that pathetic 'What do I do now' look on his face.
"Sorry Dad." Tommy says
"Oh no, Tommy it's not your fault."
"Look, I'll come back tonight and take cultures from everyone, whether they think they're sick or not," Greg tells him. "And don't look so worried. Everyone--well, except for you--is young and except for this healthy. It's not like you have to worry about anyone elderly, babies, or pregnant women."
Tom does a double take at his last words.
The front door opens and Abby leads Nancy in. "Another customer for the Bradford Home for the Ill and Enfeebled," she announces.
"You too?" Tommy struggles to sat to Nancy.
Nancy nods.
"Step right this way, young lady," Max says, pulling a culture kit out of his satchel.
"No, not the stick." Nancy groans and rubs her throat.
"It'll be over before you know it honey. He has to do it." Tom says.
"While I'm here I might as well culture you and Abby, too," Max says. "And then, thanks to Nancy, I'd better test my own family."
"Nancy wasn't the only one involved in last night's fiasco." Tom says after Nancy's culture and his culture is done.
"You worry about grounding your kid, I'll worry about grounding mine," Max says while he cultures Abby's throat.
"Good deal." Tom says. "Now you two get up to bed." He tells Tommy and Nancy.
"Ok." Nancy goes upstairs to bed.
"What about Nicholas?" Tommy asks and continues "Wouldn't it be better that I stayed down in the screen porch so Nicholas doesn't get sick?"
"He's probably got it, too," Max tells Tommy, and then turns to Tom. "I'll call you up in a few hours with the results," Max says, closing his bag. "You two might want to get some rest; chances are, you both have it, too."
"Can't do that," Abby says, "I just came by to drop Nancy off. I've got to go back to class." She starts to give Tom a goodbye kiss, but is interrupted by Greg.
"That's how strep spreads. You two ought to be more careful."
"I can't rest either. I have to work on my column and take care of Tommy, Elizabeth, and Nancy." Tom protests. "And why can't we kiss if chances are we already have it?"
"Newlyweds," Greg shakes his head and leaves.
The phone rings again.
"Hello," Tom says when he answers.
"Dad? Its Nicholas," he says in almost a whisper.
"Nicholas do you have a sore throat and are they sending you home?"
"Yeah, but they won't let me go unless you or Abby pick me up."
"I'll be right there Nicholas." He hangs up after awhile and turns to Abby. "Nicholas, too. I'm going to go and pick him up. "Tommy I'll be back in a little while, now go upstairs and get in bed."
Tommy nods and goes upstairs.
"Do you want me to skip class?" Abby asks, hoping the answer is no, but feeling she has to offer.
"No I can handle it, don't worry. You should get back to school."
"Thanks. I'll be back as soon as I can," Abby says and rushes out the door before Tom can change his mind.
Tom then goes to pick up Nicholas, brings him home, and puts him to bed. "Dr. Max will be by later to do a throat culture. You get some sleep."
"OK"
Tom then goes to check on his daughters who are both sleeping, so he goes downstairs and takes a break while he can.
An hour and a half later Joannie comes home. "Hi, Dad. How's Elizabeth?"
"She has strep throat dear, and she decided to share with Tommy, Nancy, and Nicholas. Dr. Max will be doing a throat culture on you, Nicholas, and Susan tonight. And since David was here yesterday I'll call him over for one. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine. What about you? And why are you home playing Mr. Mom?"
"Because I can." He replies. "I know I'm forgetting someone with these throat cultures. And at times like this that makes me feel like a bad father."
"Well, it makes me feel better. She may have her own room, but you can't even remember her name," Joannie teases.
"Mary, how can I forget my firstborn daughter."
"Because you're getting old and senile?" Joannie guesses and prepares to run.
"I am not reaching that point yet young lady, er what's your name? Just kidding sweetheart."
Mary comes through the front door. "Hey what's going on?"
Joannie takes the opportunity to slip upstairs while her father is distracted.
"Hi honey." Tom tells Mary what's going on.
"Oh my," she says.
"Oh my isn't the half of it."
"What is the other half?" Mary asks.
"There is no other half. It just gets overwhelming around here when the entire household is hit with an epidemic."
"That's true. I would stay and help but I have to study at the library for my anatomy classes." Mary says, "Unless you really need me."
"Actually I'd rather you stay at least til Max does your culture."
"I guess I can study upstairs until I get the green light."
"Ok."
"Call me if you need anything." Mary says as she retreats to her bedroom.
Abby and Dr. Max meet outside the house, each on their way in.
"So what's the situation?" he asks.
Abby shrugs. "I don't know much more than you do."
"Well, your culture came back negative, so it looks like you get to play nursemaid."
Abby sighs and leads Max inside. "Don't tell me I'm the only one who doesn't have it."
"Well, I haven't tested everyone yet..."
Joannie is sitting in the living room, and Max grabs her for her culture, and then he heads upstairs to look at Nicholas.
He knocks on the door to the boys' room.
"Come in" Tommy says
"How are you feeling, Tommy?" Max asks. "I brought you a little something." He hands Tommy a bottle of antibiotics. "And Nicholas, time for you to stick it out and say 'ah'."
"Thanks, I think." Tommy says
"Ah." Nicholas says.
Max does the throat culture. "I brought enough antibiotics for you to start tonight, too, if this is positive," he tells Nicholas. "You swallow pills yet, or do you need liquid?"
"Neither," he says not wanting any.
"You want to keep feeling bad?" Dr. Max asks.
"No," Nicholas concedes.
"Then is it pills or liquid?" Max asks again.
"Are the pills big?" he asks.
"Not that big," Dr. Max says, "but if your throat is hurting, maybe you're better off with the liquid. Easier to swallow."
"OK," he says.
"Good. In the meantime, rest and drink a lot. I'll let your dad know later on if you need the medicine."
"OK," he says.
Max musses Nicholas's hair and goes down the hall to Mary's room.
"Hi Dr. Max, how are the guys?"
"Sick. And you?" he asks.
"I feel fine," Mary says. "Except I have a small tickle in my throat, it must be the air."
"Or it could be the bug," Max says. "Let's do the culture."
"If you insist," Mary says.
Max pulls out a swab. "I insist."
While Max is upstairs, Abby searches Tom out. "How are you feeling?" she asks when she finds him. "Don't tell me you're sick, too."
"No I'm fine, Max gave me a negative how bout you?"
"No strep," Abby says.
"That's a relief." He says. "I'm going to check on the girls. Want to come with me?"
"Sure. Looks like dinner will just be soup, so I don't have to rush it."
They go and check on the girls.
"Elizabeth I don't want to play I don't feel good." Nancy groans.
"Well neither do I. Poker isn't that energy draining. Come on please." Elizabeth pleads. "I'm so bored."
Abby overhears this. "Tom, if they're already sick, why don't we let them all hang out downstairs in front of the TV?"
"Good idea."
"I'll be down later." Nancy goes to sleep again.
"Grouch." Elizabeth says and goes downstairs.
"Now how are we going to make sure we don't catch anything?" Abby asks Tom.
"Well we can't share their utensils or glasses and we can't kiss them or anything."
"And what about us? Should we be cautious around each other, just in case? I really can't afford you getting me sick right now."
"Yes I suppose, although that will be very difficult."
Abby sighs. "If I'd have known, I'd have kissed you more while I had the chance."
Nancy says something in her sleep. "Hi Brad." A smile forms on her sleeping face.
"Abby let's get out of here." They exit the room.
"It's OK as long as you don't know, right?" Abby teases her husband.
"Exactly." He says.
"I'll have to remember that..."
Later Nancy comes downstairs and sees that the couch is taken by Tommy and Nicholas and that the chairs are also taken so she grabs a blanket and a pillow and camps out on the floor. "What are you guys watching?" She asks between coughs and groans.
Joannie, who doesn't yet know if she's sick but doesn't want to miss TV time, answers. "It isn't the Waltons, that's for sure."
Nancy sighs in relief.
"Beyond that, it doesn't much matter, does it?"
"I guess." Her stomach rumbles but she doesn't feel like braving food right now.
Joannie sticks her head out of the doorway. "Dad! Abby! When's dinner?"
"In a minute honey!! There's pizza for us and soup for the sick ones!!"
"Yuck." Nancy says to both prospects.
"Pizza?" Abby says. "We can eat an adult meal for a change and you got pizza?" She puts her hand over her stomach and makes a face.
"Well what do you want?"
Abby thinks about it. "Nothing, I guess. I'm not much in the mood for food."
"Your stomach hurt again?" He worries.
"A little, yeah," Abby admits. "All this running around and hassle, I guess."
"Why don't you go lie down," he says.
"Maybe I should," Abby says and yawns. "I'm not usually so tired, really."
"Do you want me to call Max?"
"No, he's got enough on his hands. I'm sure I'll feel better in time."
"Ok," Tom continues to worry.
Abby leans over to kiss him, but stops herself in time. "I forgot--we don't want you giving me anything you haven't already given me, right?"
"Uh er, right." Tom says. ~Uh oh she's pregnant.~
After Abby has gone to lie down. Tom serves dinner Nancy just pushes her soup aside.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"Yes but my throat is saying no." Nancy tells him.
He makes her a bowl of ice cream. ~As long as she eats something.~
Nancy takes a few cautious bites and then finishes the ice cream.
"Want to try some soup now?"
"No."
He distributes ice cream to rest of the strep stricken children.
"No thanks," Nicholas says and Tommy just picks at his.
"This is the strangest strep strain I've seen in my life. Your sister can't eat soup, yet you guys can. Your sister can eat ice cream yet you guys can't. It's beyond me." Tom starts feeling the strain. "Nancy do you want their ice cream?"
"Yes."
He gives it to her.
The phone rings--Max with the culture results. "You'd better call everyone who was at your house while you were away," he tells Tom. "Everyone's got it but you and Abby, so I assume they were exposed while you were in Tahoe. Either that or the two of you were being careful."
"Everyone? Max we're not sure who all was in this house when we were away. The kids aren't even sure."
"Then I guess I can tell Daisy to put that deposit on a new car, because I'm about to get a lot of teenaged business."
Tom laughs and makes a mental note to call Vivian after talking to Max.
"I've got another batch of cultures to run," Max says. "I called the pharmacy and told them to deliver the antibiotics to you."
"Thank you Max, and hey is it ok if Nancy just has ice cream it's the only thing she can handle right now."
"She won't die of malnutrition if she eats what she can handle until she's better," Max reassures him.
Tom sighs in relief and then asks. "How's your family?"
"So far, fine. If Nancy gave it to Brad, it won't show up for a week or two, anyway."
"Yeah, have you talked to him yet? Has he told you what happened? Nancy hasn't told me, not that I gave her a chance to I should have waited til I calmed down to talk to her."
"Tom," Max says very, very gently, "two healthy teenagers who like each other get together in the middle of the night. They weren't studying for finals, I can assure you."
Tom groans.
They talk for a few minutes more, and then Max goes back to his other patients.
Abby comes downstairs, looking a little pale.
Tom goes to her and feels her forehead. "Abby what's wrong? Is it your stomach?"
"I'm fine, Tom," Abby pulls away in irritation. "I called Hilda Krauss and made an appointment, all right?"
"All right." He goes to check on the kids.
Abby follows him. "How are they? Did you get them to eat anything? Did you get to eat anything?"
"Tommy and Nicholas are asleep. Their fevers aren't rising any and they ate soup. Elizabeth's fever is still dropping she ate too. I'm keeping an eye on Nancy's temperature it's risen but I'm sure it will drop like Elizabeth's did. She'll only eat ice cream but Max said that was fine. The others haven't come down with it yet although I suspect Mary will soon, says her throat is bothering her a little."
"Sounds like you've had your hands full," Abby says. "You go rest a while and I'll mind the shop."
"Ok, but if you start feeling worse I'll take over."
"It's nothing, I told you!" Abby snaps.
~Yeah right.~ "Ok, I was just trying to be considerate." He goes upstairs to lie down.
Abby stares at the steps for a minute and then goes into the living to check on the kids.
Tommy and Nicholas have gone up to bed. The girls are still downstairs.
"Hi Abby." Elizabeth says.
"Hi Abby." Nancy says.
"Hi. How are you doing? Want me to make you some hot tea?"
Elizabeth nods.
"Yeah it's pretty chilly in here." Nancy says and wraps the blanket closer around her.
Abby goes into the kitchen, stopping to turn up the thermostat on her way. Soon she comes back with a tray of teacups.
"I put honey in; it'll help your throats."
They thank her and start drinking.
"Are the healthy ones still healthy?" Nancy asks.
"So your father says."
The doorbell rings and Abby goes to answer it. She comes back with several bags from the pharmacy. "There's medicine here for everyone but your father and me," she tells the girls, "so I guess everyone, no matter how they're feeling, is sick."
"Poor Joannie, Susan, and Mary." Nancy says.
"Hey, how about some sympathy for me and your father?" Abby jokes.
"Ok poor Dad and Abby." She tries to open the medicine bottle but it winds up slipping out of her hands. She grabs it too quickly and sways a little.
Elizabeth steadies her and shakes her head. "Don't move too fast young lady you have a fever and if I remember right from mine dizziness also. Now be a good girl." She teases.
Nancy glances at her and then shakes her head. "Thanks a lot now Abby will stick a thermometer in my mouth."
"No, I won't," Abby says. "You just had hot tea. "I'll open your medicine, let your mouth cool, and *then* I'll stick the thermometer in your mouth."
"See she's giving you time to escape and it could be worse it could be the other place." Elizabeth continues to tease her sister.
"You're not very funny tonight." Nancy tries not to laugh.
"Ew, Elizabeth..." Abby laughs.
Elizabeth starts laughing and soon Nancy is too.
Joannie walks into the living room, rubbing her throat. "What's so funny?"
"Elizabeth has a quirky sense of humor." Nancy says. "What's wrong you have it too?"
"No, I just yelled too much yesterday at the game."
Nancy exchanges a disbelieving look with Elizabeth and Abby.
Abby hands Joannie her medication. "Dr. Max and your throat culture say otherwise."
"I can't be sick! I have a play to rehearse!"
"And we'll be a very appreciative audience, won't we, girls?" Abby prompts Nancy and Elizabeth.
"Of course." Elizabeth says.
"Definitely, starting tomorrow. I'm going upstairs and going to sleep," Nancy says trying to avoid the dreaded thermometer.
"I'll be up in a minute to take your temperature," Abby says.
Nancy grumbles and goes upstairs.
"Grouch!!" Elizabeth rubs her throat. "Remind me not to yell."
"Oh, I'll definitely do that," Abby laughs. She makes Joannie a cup of tea and then goes upstairs to take Nancy's temperature and distribute medicine to the other kids.
Nancy waits for Abby to take the thermometer out. After she does: "So is it going down?"
"A little, maybe. Not enough yet, though."
"It will." She falls asleep.
Abby checks on the other kids and then goes to her own room, yawning. "Nancy will live," she tells Tom. "Her fever's started to go down. Joannie's just starting to hurt."
"And Susan and Mary are next and most likely David, Vivian, all the kids that attended the party while we were gone."
"Well, at least Sacramento will be a quiet town..."
Tom laughs. "That it will be."
Nicholas comes knocking on the door.
Tom gets out of bed and opens the door. "Hi, I thought you were asleep, champ."
"Can I come and sleep on the floor?"
"On the floor? There's room in the bed for you." He feels his forehead, frowns, and gets the thermometer. He also makes him lie down in bed.
"Thanks." he says
"No problem." He then whispers to Abby after he puts the thermometer in Nick's mouth. "He's burning up."
"I'll go get him some juice," Abby whispers back. "And don't get too close to him--I don't need you sick, too."
"Ok," Tom waits impatiently for the time to take the thermometer out to come.
Tommy runs into Abby near the stairs "Have you seen Nicholas?" he says rubbing his throat.
Mary comes out of her room pale "What's going on?"
"He's going to be sleeping in my room tonight," Abby says. "His throat hurts and he's got fever."
"Well if his throat hurts anything like mine, I doubt any of us will get any sleep."
"Yeah, I know," Abby yawns. "It's going to be a long night. Want some tea with honey, as long as I'm making?"
"Thanks, I might as well." Tommy says. "Need any help?"
"Sure, why not?" Abby answers. "If you're up to it."
"OK." Tommy says. "Mary do you want to come?"
"Might as well," she says.
They go downstairs and Abby puts the kettle on to boil, then looks in the refrigerator. "Nothing interesting to eat," she sighs.
"I thought Dad ordered pizza for you guys earlier?" Tommy says.
"Ugh," Abby winces, and starts looking in the freezer. "Vanilla. Why can't we ever have anything interesting like Macadamia brittle ice cream? I know, I know, if I want it I ought to buy it..." she mutters, mainly to herself.
"Abby are you all right?" Mary asks
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," Abby answers.
~hmmm...won't eat Pizza, tired? Could she be? Mary, lets not let your imagination run away with you, but on the other hand.....~ Tommy interrupts Mary thoughts. "Earth to Mary."
"Huh?"
"Do you want some more tea?" Tommy asks
"Yeah, thanks." she replies.
"Can you two manage down here on your own? I should go back upstairs and help your father with Nicholas," Abby says. "Two Bradford men in my bed. I'm not sure I'll survive."
Mary and Tommy laugh "Thanks for the tea." they both say.
"Good night. Try to get some sleep," Abby suggests, and then goes upstairs.
Currently upstairs Tom takes the thermometer out and discovers that his youngest child's temperature is 103 so he frantically calls Max.
After Tom explains the situation to him, Max sighs. "You gave him the medicine? You keeping him in bed and warm? Giving him lots of liquids?"
"Yes, but can you come over?" Tom asks frantically.
"Tom, all your kids have high temperatures when they get strep. After the medicine takes effect it goes down. You've been through this before, remember?"
"But he's so little."
"Give him some Tylenol. If his fever's not down a half hour after that, I'll come over, though there's really nothing I can do that hasn't already been done."
"Thanks Max." He gives Nicholas some Tylenol.
After Tom hangs up with Max. Brad comes into the kitchen.
"What's wrong with Nicky?" He asks his dad.
"Strep. All the Bradford kids have it, which means you probably will, too," Greg says. "How many times have I told you to wait for the blood tests before you play doctor?"
"Nancy's sick? Maybe I should go visit her."
Greg pushes his son down into a seat. "You will not. You already took enough years off my life with that little stunt last night. She's grounded, you're grounded, and if you want to see her again it'll take an act of Congress."
"Nancy and I are both adults now. You and her Dad can't stop us."
"You both still live at home, so we can and we will," Greg insists.
"What do you have against Nancy anyway?"
"She's a Bradford. I have enough chaos in my life."
"Besides that."
"Well, she's a little--flighty, isn't she?"
"Better than being a stuffed shirt."
"Who are you accusing of being a stuffed shirt?" Greg asks loudly.
"No one. I'm just stating a fact."
"Well, I'm stating one, too," Max insists. "You stay away from Nancy Bradford."
"No."
"This isn't subject to negotiation, Brad."
"You never understand." He turns to leave the room.
"I do too understand! I was a teenager once myself, you know!"
"Yeah right." Brad says sadly and leaves the room.
"Great, just great," Greg mutters and goes back to reading the sports section.
"How you managing in here?" Abby asks Tom and Nicholas when she gets into her room.
Tom tells her how high the fever is and what Max said to do.
"What about a lukewarm bath? I've always read that's supposed to bring down fevers," Abby says.
"Good idea." He draws a bath for Nicholas and helps him in there. After the bath his fever starts dropping.
Abby, meanwhile, makes up the bed for one more occupant.