Brett Battles - Sick

A cry woke him from his sleep.

A young cry.

A girls cry.

Daniel Ash pushed himself up on his elbow. Josie?

It was more a question for himself than anything. His daughters room was down the hall, making it hard for her to hear his sleep-filled voice in the best of circumstances. And if she was crying, not a chance.

He glanced at the other side of the bed, thinking his wife might already be up checking on their daughter. But Ellen was still asleep, her back to him. Hed all but forgotten about the headache shed had, and the two sleeping pills shed taken before turning in. Chances were, she wouldnt even open her eyes until after the kids left for school.

Ash rubbed a hand across his face then slipped out of bed.

The old hardwood floor was cool on his feet but not unbearable. He grabbed his T-shirt off the chair in the corner and pulled it on as he walked into the hallway.

A cry again. Definitely coming from his daughters room.

Josie, its okay. Im coming. This time he raised his voice to make sure she would hear him.

As he passed his sons room, he pulled the door closed so Brandon wouldnt wake, too.

Josies room was at the other end of the hall, closest to the living room. She was the oldest, so she got to pick which room she wanted when theyd moved in. It wasnt any bigger than her brothers but Ash knew she liked the fact that she was as far away from Mom and Dad as possible. Made her feel independent.

Her door was covered with pictures of boy bands and cartoons. She was in that transitional stage between kid and teenager that was both cute and annoying. As he pushed the door open, he expected to find her sitting on her bed, upset about some nightmare shed had. It wouldnt have been the first time.

Josie, whats-

His words caught in his mouth.

She wasnt lying in the bed. She was on the floor, the bedspread hanging down just enough to touch her back. Ash rushed over, thinking that shed fallen and hurt herself. But the moment his hand touched her he knew he was wrong.

She was so hot. Burning up.

He had no idea a person could get that hot.

The most scared hed ever been before had been when hed taken Brandon to a boat show in Texas and the boy had wandered off. It took Ash less than a minute to find him again, but he thought nothing would ever top the panic and fear hed felt then.

Seeing his daughter like that, feeling her skin burning, he realized hed been wrong.

He scooped Josie off the floor and ran into the hallway.

Ellen! he yelled. Ellen, I need you!

He knew his voice was probably going to wake Brandon but, at this point, he didnt care. Josie was sick. Very sick. He needed Ellen to call an ambulance while he tried to bring their daughters temperature down.

Ellen! he yelled again as he ducked into the bathroom.

Using an elbow, he flipped on the light then laid Josie in the tub. He wasted several seconds searching for the rubber plug, then jammed it into the drain and turned on the water, full cold. To help speed up the process, he pulled the shower knob and aimed the showerhead so that it would stream down on her and cool her faster.

Where the hell was Ellen?

He put the back of his hand on Josies forehead. She was still on fire.

Ellen!

He was torn. He wanted to stay with Josie, but the pills Ellen had taken must have really knocked her out, so that meant it was up to him to get help.

Hang on, baby, he said. Ill be right back.

He raced into the hall and back to the master bedroom. The nearest phone was on Ellens nightstand, next to their bed.

Ellen. Wake up.

He shook her once, then picked up the phone and dialed 911. As he waited for it to ring, he glanced back at the bed.

Ellen hadnt moved.

Nine one one. What is your emergency? a female voice said.

He reached down and rolled Ellen onto her back, thinking that might jar her awake. But her eyes were already open, staring blankly at nothing.

He flipped on the light. The skin around her mouth and eyes was turning black, and there were dark drying streaks running across her face from her eye sockets where blood had flowed.

Nine one one. What is your emergency?

Oh, God. Help, he managed to say.

Are you hurt, sir?

He touched Ellens face. It was as cold as Josies had been hot, and instantly he knew no breath would ever pass her lips again.

Send help! Send help, please!

He dropped the phone, not bothering to hang it up. It didnt even dawn on him that he hadnt given the operator an address. He was barely holding on to his sanity.

Back in the hallway, he tried to shove the image of Ellens cold and lifeless body into the back of his mind. He looked into the bathroom. Josie was still propped up in the tub, the water now several inches deep. He knew he should go see if she was cooling off, but he had to check Brandon first.

He threw open his sons door and flipped on the light. Brandon had one of those beds that were raised in the air like a bunk, but instead of a second mattress underneath there was a desk.

Ash rushed over to the bed. His son was a long lump covered by a Spider-Man comforter. As was the boys habit, even his head was buried beneath the blanket.

Ash could feel the muscles around his heart tightening. With the yelling and the running and now the light on in the room, he was sure his son should have woken, but Brandon hadnt moved at all.

He grabbed the comforter and pulled it back.

His son was lying on his side, his back to him.

Just like Ellen. Oh, God. Please, no.

Holding his breath, he put a hand on Brandons shoulder and pulled him onto his back.

His sons eyes fluttered. Dad?

For the first time since Josies cries had awakened him, Ash was unable to move.

Dad, are you okay?

Maybe this was the dream part. Maybe this was the final blow. Maybe in a few seconds hed realize that Brandons voice was only in his head, and his son was as cold and dead as his wife.

He touched Brandons forehead.

Warm.

Normal warm.

Brandon?

Youre scaring me, Dad, his son said, inching back a little. Whats going on?

Ash quickly pulled Brandon off the bed and held him tight against his chest as he ran out of the room.

Whats going on? Brandon asked again.

No questions right now, okay, buddy? Ash told him, trying to keep his voice calm. Youre going to be fine.

It was a lie, of course. How would either of them ever be fine again?

He carried his son into the bathroom and sat him on the closed toilet lid.

Whats Josie doing in the tub? Brandon asked.

Not now.

The water was nearing the halfway point and was covering Josies waist and legs. Ash touched the side of her face, hoping her temperature had come down a few degrees.

Not only had it come down, it had plummeted.

No! No, no, no!

He yanked her out of the tub without turning off the water, and began stripping off her drenched nightgown.

Brandon, get some towels! he yelled.

Dad, whats going on? Whats wrong with her?

Just get the towels!

By the time Ash had her clothes off, Brandon had retrieved three towels from the cupboard under the sink. Ash used the first to quickly wipe off what water he could, then wrapped the other two around her. Though she was dangerously cold, unlike her mother she was still breathing.

Get behind her, he told his son as he laid her on the floor. Hug your body to hers. We need to help her get warm.

Brandon surprised him by not arguing. He stretched out behind his sister and hugged her tight. Ash did the same in front, creating a cocoon of warmth with Josie in the middle. It was the only thing he could think of doing.

Shes so cold, Brandon said.