The Vicky Series: Book 3: Living A Dream

Chapter 22

With a shrug she decided that particular worry was months away yet and at the moment there were five miserable children in this house as well as two sick men. Poor Will and Bo were now miserably sick and both running high fevers. Vicky decided to put them in the spare bedrooms to keep the sickness to the house. Thank goodness Katie stayed when Pappy returned to town.

"Ma!" Reuben called and broke out in a horrible coughing fit. "Oh Ma! It hurts so bad!"

Vicky sat the tray she carried down on the chair next to the bed and sank to the edge of his mattress. As she stroked his sweat soaked hair and pushed it away from his face her heart ached for him. He always tried to be so grown up so she knew he was really suffering something awful.

"I know it does baby. Here." She helped him to sit up and poured hot water into a cup and stirred in some honey. "This will help soothe your cough. And Then I'll make you some willow bark tea. It should help with the hurting a little. But the best thing you can do is sleep."

"I'm sorry I got sick, Ma. I should be helping you."

"Nonsense and Fluff" she smiled at the borrowed phrase she'd taken from Katie "Who is the mama and who is the boy?"

He smiled sleepily and snuggled down under his covers curling himself around her.

"Don't go for a little bit?" He asked as he reached for her hand and closed his eyes.

"I'll stay until you're asleep." She promised.

"Mama! Mama! Mama!" A chorus of cries went up as the three little sibs woke up ten minutes later.

Thankfully the baby was in her room at the moment. With a quick glance she saw that Reuben was already asleep. Standing slowly she bent and kissed his fevered brow before she turned her attention to the other three. Katie came in a moment later with another tray.

"I hoped you had the teapot." Her smile was that of a tired mother. "Let's get some honey and tea into these little dears and then I've an idea that might help us some."

"Mama Katie," Vicky smiled as she tucked the covers around Little Quin and stroked his fevered cheek. "If you can help make this suffering end, I shall nominate you for sainthood! For surely it would be the first of your three miracles!"

Katie offered a weak laugh and they set about administering warm honey water and willow bark tea. When the children were all tucked in again, Vicky sat and read to them from a book of fairytales until their heavy eyelids drooped closed and they slept once more. Quietly she set the book down and left the room.

"I've already tended to Lizzy. She's had her honey. I put it in warm milk for her but she wouldn't drink the tea, so I put a drop of laudanum in her milk too."

"Mama!" she exclaimed in surprise as she turned her full attention to the woman before her.

"Nonsense and fluff." She waved her hand. "I'd have put a spot of rum in the milk if you had any. It works well enough if you keep the doses small. She'll sleep now and sleep is what she needs if she's to get well. She's smaller than the rest and her risk is greater."

"I—" Vicky's breath caught. "I...thank you."

"Child, I know we're all near run down to the bones with weariness but this has lingered long enough!"

"I've tried all I know..."

"Well, I've asked Louie if he and the boys might be willing to help and" a knock sounded at the door. "And I guess they said aye. Come Daughter."

Vicky raised her eyebrows in surprise and followed without a word. The door opened and six men each holding buckets and brooms, mops, and rags filed in. Vicky watched quietly as Katie began issuing orders. The first order of business was to open every window and door to let the clean air carry away the illness and every fire must be banked high to counter the cold.