Part 4:
Mary walks in. "Where's the thermometer?"
"Why, what's wrong?" Tom asks.
"Nancy's pretty hot and irritable." Mary says.
"In the medicine cabinet. Or in Nicholas's room; I forget," Abby answers.
"Thanks." She goes to check, finds it and then goes to Nancy and Elizabeth's room.
"Get that thing out of here." Nancy grouses.
"Come on it won't be that bad. I hear Nicholas was brave earlier and let Abby take his temperature. Now open wide."
"Elizabeth protect me please." Nancy pleads.
"Come on Nancy, let her play doctor." Liz smiles.
"Uh uh."
Mary manages the get her to take the thermometer anyway. While they're waiting for the results.
"So Nance how are you feeling?" Mary asks.
~A doctor all right. She's making me talk with a thermometer in my mouth.~
After awhile Mary takes it out and frowns. She takes Elizabeth aside. "Can you tell Dad and Abby to call Dr. Max." She whispers.
"What's the temp?" Elizabeth asks. "They will want to know."
"103.9"
"Good grief." Elizabeth says and runs downstairs into the kitchen. "Nancy's temperature is 103.9."
"103.9?" Abby repeats. "Max said it would go down, not up."
"I better go call Max." Tom says
Tom calls Max's number.
Max answers this time. "Hello."
"Greg? It's Tom." he tells him about Nancy's temperature.
"I'll be right over, try to get her into a lukewarm bath. If you can't then use cold washcloths. What brand aspirin are you giving her?" Greg asks thinking she needs a brand switch.
"I don't know. Let me check with Abby." Tom covers the mouthpiece. "Abby?"
"Hmm?" Abby says, having only heard Tom's end of the conversation.
"Greg wants to know what brand of aspirin we are using."
"Bayer, like he said."
Tom tells Max that.
"I'll bring over a different brand."
"Thanks Greg." Tom hangs up and tells Abby and Elizabeth what Max said.
"I'll get the wash cloths." Elizabeth says.
"If Nancy's got it that bad, I should go check on Susan and Nicholas," Abby says.
"I'll wait here for Max." Tom says
Elizabeth gets a basin filled with cold water and takes it into their room. She tells Mary what Dr. Max said.
"Thanks Liz." Mary says.
"Go away and leave me alone." Nancy gripes.
"Sorry sis can't do that." Mary counters. She dumps a washcloth in the water, wrings it out and places it on Nancy's forehead.
"Nancy, can I get you anything?" Elizabeth asks.
"Ice cream."
"OK." Elizabeth says and leaves. A few minutes later she returns with the ice cream.
Nancy manages to eat some of it but can't finish it. "I really feel like sh--, well you know." She tells her sisters.
Liz laughs. "It's OK, you can say it."
Nancy laughs also but frowns again.
Abby goes upstairs and taps at Susan's door.
"Come in" Susan says
"How are you feeling?" Abby asks.
"Miserable."
"Hot?"
"Yeah, a little." Susan says
"Well, let's check it out," Abby says, brandishing a thermometer.
Greg arrives and rings the front doorbell.
Tom answers the door. "Thanks for coming by."
"Not a problem. I'm just sorry the aspirin didn't work on her."
"She is upstairs in her room."
They go upstairs to her bedroom. Greg examines her and persuades her to take some of the aspirin that he brought over. "Does Susan have a high fever?" He asks Tom.
"Abby is checking on Susan and Nicholas now."
"We should check her temperature again in a few minutes. I'll go check on Susan and Nicholas."
"OK."
"Dad it's so hot in here." Nancy says.
"Want me to open a window?"
"Yes." She says and nods off.
Tom opens the window and leaves the room.
Meanwhile after checking on Nicholas. Greg finds Abby in Susan's room. "How is she?"
"Feverish. I thought their temperatures were supposed to go down, not up."
"They were." He waits with Abby for the thermometer to be done.
David shows up and comes upstairs. Mary corners him. "Can you keep an eye on Nancy I have some studying to do."
"So get one of our other sisters to do it or Abby." David says.
"I'm asking you. Will you?"
"I'm too busy I have a game to watch. Besides that's woman's work taking care of sick people." David says.
"David she's your sister." Mary starts to get angry.
"I think I know that." He goes looking for Tommy to see if he wants to watch the game.
"Hi Son, I am glad you are here." Tom says.
"Thanks Dad, you watching the game?"
"No, I have other things to worry about."
"Come on Dad they'll be fine." David says.
"David, Nancy has a temperature of 103.9. Nicholas has muscle aches and Abby and Dr. Max are with Susan "
"Oh." David starts to feel guilty. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Could you sit with Nicholas or Nancy to give Tommy or Elizabeth a break?"
"Sure." He goes to take over for Tommy.
Mary approaches her Dad. "Dad it's 104 now."
"Damn." Tom says and goes get Dr. Max.
"What's wrong Tom?" Greg asks as he finishes taking Susan's temperature.
"Nancy's temperature is 104." He says worriedly.
Greg frowns and takes the thermometer out of Susan's mouth. "So is hers."
Tom looks frantic. "Now what do we do?"
"Since the aspirin obviously isn't working on these two we need some ice packs."
"I'll get David to run down to the store for bags of ice." Tom says
Greg nods.
Tom quietly walks into Nicholas room and sees he is sleeping. He motions David out into the hallway.
"His fever is still dropping." David says in the hallway. "Hey what's wrong?"
"That's good news." Tom states about his youngest. "I need you to go and buy as much ice as you can." Tom pulls out a $20.00 bill and hands it to David as he explains what has happened.
David heads out and takes Tommy with him.
Meanwhile in Nancy and Elizabeth's room.
"Mom is that you?" Nancy asks in her delerium thinking that she sees Joan there.
Elizabeth looks at Mary in disbelief.
Mary shrugs and then places another washcloth on Nancy's forehead. "Mom's not here honey. Elizabeth and I are."
"How are Susan and Nicholas? And mom is too here."
"Nicholas is fine." Liz says.
"And Susan?"
"She's fine too." Mary lies.
"I'll go get Dad."
Elizabeth finds her Dad waiting by Susan's door.
"Dad come quick." She explains what ha happened.
Tom loudly says "MAX." and goes into Nancy's room
"Nancy?"
Max soon enters. "What?"
"You two see her right?" Nancy says to her Dad and Dr. Max.
"See who?" Tom asks.
"Mom."
"Mom?" Tom asks and then looks at Greg. ~What's going on?~
"Delirium must be setting in. Is David back yet?" Greg asks as he checks Nancy over.
"I'll go downstairs to watch for them." Elizabeth says not wanting to hear this..
"Thanks Elizabeth." Tom says.
Elizabeth hurries out of the room
David and Tommy return with the ice and start filling ice packs.
"You go to Susan's room and I'll go to Nancy's ok."
"OK."
Tommy takes the ice into Susan and places them on her.
"Thanks, that feels good." Susan says
"Anything else I can get you?"
"Popsicles sound good." Susan replies
"I'll see what I can do." Tommy says.
"Elizabeth what's wrong?" David asks.
"Nancy thinks she is seeing Mom." She says with tears.
He hugs her. "It'll be all right."
"I hope so."
"In the meantime I better get this ice in to her. Do you want me to come back after that. Do you need to talk?" He asks.
"I'll be OK."
David kisses her forehead and brings the ice into Nancy. At first she freaks out because the ice is very cold but soon starts to calm down.
Upstairs, Abby walks into Nancy's room. "What's going on?" Abby asks Tom and Greg.
"Delirium." Greg says hoping that Abby didn't hear everything.
Tom takes Abby aside and tells her what has happened.
"Oh. Well, um...I think I'll go check on Nicholas."
~Me and my big mouth.~ Tom thinks. "Please don't go."
"It's just down the hall. I'm not going far."
"OK, but you and I are going to talk about this later."
"Nothing to talk about," Abby insists.
"Are you sure?" he asks.
"Sure," Abby says before going to look in on Nicholas.
"OK." Tom says not convinced.
Tommy leaves Susan's room and sees Abby standing my Nicholas's door. "Is he OK?"
"Yes, he's fine. Sleepy is all."
"That's good news, I am going to go get Susan a popsicle." Tommy says. "Hey are you all right?"
"Yeah. A little worried about Nancy--her fever's gotten real high, see."
"Oh man." Tommy says.
"Dr. Max has been in to look at her. I'm sure she'll be OK soon," Abby says, mentioning nothing of the hallucination.
"My standing here I guess won't help Nancy." Tommy says, "I am going to get that popsicle, do you want anything?"
"No. I think I'll just turn in early--tomorrow isn't going to be any easier."
"OK, good night then." Tommy says.
Mary takes out Nancy's thermometer and sighs in relief. "It's going down as fast as it came up."
"And Susan's?" Nancy asks.
"I don't know. Dr. Max is with her right now."
"Can you go find out?"
"Sure." Mary leaves the room.
Nancy glances over at David and sees a worried look on his face.
"What?"
"Are you all right? You thought mom was here."
"I don't remember that." She says and then starts to worry herself. "What was I saying?"
He tells her but leaves out the part about Abby leaving the room.
"Does Abby know about this?"
"No."
"The truth." He nods. "Oh great, I've gone and done it this time."
"No you haven't. It's not a crime to miss mom and want her here."
"Oh it isn't? Well let me ask you this. Did I ask for Abby at all?" He doesn't say anything. "Then there is a problem. I should have been asking for her too."
Mary finds Abby in the hallway. "Nancy's temperature is down to 100, how's Susan?"
"Better," Abby says. "Her fever's not that far down, but then it did spike later than Nancy's did.'
"But she'll be all right?"
"Sure. Her fever's breaking--it's just a matter of time now."
Mary sighs in relief.
Elizabeth is sitting outside her parents room.
Abby turns the hallway corner and sees Elizabeth sitting there. "Is something wrong? Is Nancy OK?"
"She's delirious, Abby...she thinks..." Elizabeth doesn't finish her sentence.
"She's delirious, Abby...she thinks..." Elizabeth doesn't finish her sentence.
"Nothing."
"Elizabeth..."
"She thinks she sees Mom..." she blurts out.
"I know," Abby assures her. "It's the fever talking. Don't let it get to you. As soon as the fever breaks she'll be back in the here and now."
"You think? I mean I have read about people seeing dead people before they die."
"People don't die of mono, though before they're cured, they sometimes wish they might."
"I hope you are right."
"I am," Abby assures her. "She'll live a long life, just to drive you crazy."
"I suppose you are right." Liz chuckles.
"Maybe next time you complain about closet space I'll remind you about tonight."
"She could have the whole closet, if she would just get better."
"In a week of two you'll wish I never heard that," Abby teases.
"Can we keep it between us?"
"My lips are sealed."
"Thanks." Liz says. "And I am really sorry about earlier."
"Earlier?" Abby asks.
"Yeah, about the lollipops Nancy wanted."
"Oh, well, there are more important things going on."
"Funny how one thing can change your perspective."
"Don't go getting ideas, just because I'm willing to let one slip by."
"Don't worry, I won't."
"You look beat," Abby says. "You should probably go try to get some sleep."
"Where? I can't sleep in my room not the way Nancy is acting."
"She's not 'acting' any way. She's sick. But if it'll keep you up, you could sleep on the sunporch. Or ask Mary if you can share her room."
"I didn't mean it the way that sounded." Elizabeth replies. "I guess you are right, I am tired. I'll go crash on the sunporch."
"Want me to go get your pillows and blanket?" Abby offers.
"Thanks, but I can get them." Elizabeth says. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Abby says, and goes to get ready for bed, hoping she can pretend to be asleep before Tom comes in to have that talk with her.
About an hour later Tom comes and quietly slips into bed. "Abby, you asleep?" he whispers.
She was, but his whispers wake her. Not quite with it enough to lie, she says, "No, not asleep."
"Are you OK with what happened earlier with Nancy?"
"Nothing happened."
"How can you say her seeing Joan is nothing?"
"Well, what do you want me to say?"
Tom sighs. "I don't know."
"And you expect me to?"
"I guess because it threw me for a loop, I thought it may have cause you to feel awkward too."
"It threw you for a loop?" Abby asks, glad to move the conversation away from herself.
"Of course it did, it isn't everyday your daughter sees her dead mother."
"It's not every day your daughter runs a fever that high. Or was it more the dead mother than the sick daughter that threw you?"
"No...never mind. Right now, I am too tired to know what I am talking about."
"You sure? Or is it just me you mind talking to about it?"
"Yeah I am sure, unless you want to talk about it." Tom asks.
"Nothing to talk about, I told you."
"OK, if you say so." Tom replies.
"I did, didn't I?" Abby snaps.
"Why are you snapping at me for?" Tom asks.
"Nothing."
"Whatever." Tom says. "Goodnight."
Abby gets out of bed. "I have some studying to do. Now's as good a time as any. I'll be up later."
"Abby, what's going on?" Tom asks getting out of bed.
"Modern Educational Theory," Abby says, grabbing a book off her nightstand.
"That's not what I meant, why are you so angry?" Tom asks frustrated.
"Would you stop telling me what I feel? I'm not a child, you know."
"I never said you are, but you never talk to me about what you feel."
"You wouldn't get it."
"Oh so now you know what I will and won't get."
"If you're going to nit-pick...OK, you've never gotten it before and I don't see why you'd start now. Better?"
"Explain it to me."
"There's nothing to explain. I made my own choices and I have to live with that."
"Choices.....wait a minute? Are you sorry you married me?"
"Only when you ask ridiculous questions like that."
Tom sighs a huge sigh of relief. "Then what choices are you talking about then?"
"Look, it's late. You have to work in the morning and I've got sick kids to tend to. We should get some sleep."
"Why won't you talk to me?"
Abby turns out the bedside lamp. "Wouldn't want to throw you for a loop."
Tom reaches over and turns the light back on. "OK, what did you mean by that?"
"Hey, I'm just quoting you, so you ought to know what I mean."
"OK fine, I'll tell you. I was upset."
"What do you mean by 'upset'?"
"It scared me, I thought Nancy was dying,"
"So it was the fact of the hallucinations, not what she hallucinated?"
"Yes, what did you think it was?"
"I don't know--you wouldn't say, so I assumed..."
"Assumed? Oh you thought I was upset by who Nancy was hallucinating about?" Tom replies.
"Well, you wouldn't talk about it."
"Because I thought you were upset by it."
"Why would I be upset by it?"
"When I saw your face for one. When I told you in Nancy's room and the way you left so quickly."
"Because of the look on your face," Abby tells him.
"My face? Only because I thought I was losing Nancy."
"You should have said. It didn't sound that way while you were explaining things to me."
"How could I? You walked out of there so fast. I felt like you deserted me."
"From the look on your face it didn't seem like I had any place in that room."
"That's ridiculous." Tom says. "You had as much right as anybody."
"I know that. But it didn't look like you remembered it."
Tom sighs. "I am sorry." and then adds. "From now on, lets not assume anything on both our parts. OK?"
"That'll last about a night," Abby laughs.
Tom laughs also. "We can at least try."
"We can try," Abby agrees.
Tom kisses her. "Let's get some sleep, huh?"
"Good idea. Misunderstandings always tire me out."
Tom crawls back into bed.
The next morning during breakfast.
"If you need help taking care of them I can skip classes today." Mary says to Abby.
"No, no, it's all right. I took leave just for this sort of thing," Abby says.
"Ok, but if you change your mind let me know."
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
Tommy comes in and crashes on the kitchen table. "Is there any coffee left?"
"Yeah, sleepless night?"
"What happened to you?" Abby asks as she pours him a cup of coffee.
"Nicholas was moaning the whole night. I came down to the sunporch, but Elizabeth beat me to it."
"You could have used the living room couch," Abby says.
"Have you ever tried sleeping on that couch?" Tommy asks while sipping his morning energy.
"Can't say I ever had to find out."
"Just to warn you, there are springs that stick you in the ribs or kidneys if you lay down on that couch."
"In that case, I think it's your father who should sleep on the couch."
Tom walks in. "Why. Are you kicking me out of our room?"
Meanwhile in Nancy and Elizabeth's room.
"Are you all right?" Nancy asks her younger sister.
"Fine." she lies.
"You're not fooling me."
"Do you remember anything about last night?"
"No, but David told me what happened. Were you there to experience it?"
"I was there when you were delirious."
"Oh boy, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I am now."
"I'd hug you but I'm contagious."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Liz says. "I better get going."
"Ok, take care kid."
"You too." Elizabeth replies.
After Elizabeth leaves. Nancy goes to the bathroom for her morning ritual. After she's done she considers going downstairs to get something to eat but her body aches too much. "Hey is anyone home!!"
Tom comes out of his room. "Nancy, you all right?"
"I'm hungry and I can't make it downstairs." Her expression then turns serious. "Dad is Abby ok?"
"Huh? Why wouldn't she be."
"David told me about last night."
"Oh..., She's fine."
"That's good." Nancy says not at all convinced and feeling a little guilty.
"Can I get you something?"
"Can you get me some real food. I'm so tired of soup."
"I'll see what I can rustle up, don't worry I won't cook."
Nancy smiles. "And I love you Dad." She goes to her room.
Tom just smiles and goes downstairs.
"Nancy is hungry."
"Why don't you get her something from the grease pit." David suggests.
"Hmmm...Good Idea."
"And maybe Susan and Nicholas also." Mary says.
"I am going to need some help." Tom says
"I'll go with you." ~Maybe that will be the time to tell him that I got laid off again.~ David says.
"Good, Abby do you want anything?"
"From the Grease Pit?" Abby shudders. "No, thanks."
"OK...you don't know what you are missing." Tom replies.
"Heartburn, indigestion, an upset stomach..."
"Ah, but it is worth it."
"I think I'll pass."
"OK." Tom says and leaves with David.
On the way to the Grease Pit.
"Dad I got laid off again." David finally says.
"Oh No." Tom says.
"Do you mind if I come over for meals more often until I find work."
"No, of course not. But what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to look for another job."
"If you want, I could check and see if there is anything at the paper."
"That would be great, at least till something in construction comes along, thanks Dad."
"Good, I'll call them when we get home."
"Thanks." They arrive at the Grease Pit and order the food.
"Will you take the food up to them and I will make that call."
"Sure." He takes the food up to Susan, Nancy, and Nicholas.
Tom makes the call and waits for David to return.
David returns. "What did they say?"
"How good are you with ink?"
"Ok, why?"
"They need someone for the printing presses at night. Are you interested?"
"I'm very interested."
"Great...You start tonight." Tom writes down who he is to report to.
"I thank you and my landlord thanks you."
"No problem Son, nice to know I can still help someone in this family."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, just glad I can help."
"Ok, well thanks Dad." He leaves.
Nancy sneaks out of bed long enough to make a phone call and is very relieved at the end of the phone call. Abby walks in and catches her in her and Tom's room hanging up the phone.
"Don't worry I wiped it off with disinfectant afterwards and guess what."
"What?"
"That guy from the modeling agency is willing to move the interview up to when this mono leaves me."
"That's great. Now you just have to get better."
"Yeah I know and the next two weeks can't go by quick enough." ~Should I ask now if she's ok about last night?~
"If you don't rest, it'll take even longer, especially after last night."
"I know." She heads for her bedroom. "About last night. David told me what happened."
"That you were feverish?"
"Yes, and that I saw my mom in the room."
"You mean that you thought you did."
Nancy nods. "Not that I remember any of it."
"And you're getting better now," Abby says, eager to drop the topic until she's sorted out how she feels about it.
"Are you ok?"
"Of course I am. You're the one who's got mono."
"Good." Nancy says and goes to her room to get some rest.