Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
I barely heard her. All I could think about was Ada – was this my fault? Had I been neglecting her?
Jesus, I really needed to take a step back from everything else in life and focus on being a mother.
“Thanks,” I said, still distracted, as I reached for Ada’s bag that held her lunchbox, crayons, and stuffed bunny. “I’ll call and update you guys tomorrow, but it doesn’t look like she’ll be feeling well enough to come in.”
We left Dawning City just as the sun was beginning to sink low in the sky. I thought to call Nell and explain my prolonged absence from the HAUTESCENE offices, but I knew that I had to take care of Ada first. We hiked a few blocks to the nearest urgent care – I was sure Stephanie’s recommendation had been solid, but what I wasn’t sure about was my insurance covering someone who was possibly out of network – and waited in a sticky waiting room with lime-green painted walls. The color seems to make Ada feel even worse. She lolled in my lap and buried her face in my neck, twining her arms around me and clinging on for dear life.
“Mommy, it hurts,” Ada said in a throaty whisper that made my heart lurch to the side. When I pressed the inside of my wrist to her forehead, I found that she was burning up and I shot the receptionist a glare.
“We’ve been waiting for over an hour,” I said loudly. “My little girl is really sick – she’s getting sicker by the minute.”
The receptionist gave me a bored look and I wondered how someone who had to spend her whole day could be so outwardly heartless.
By the time we were called back, I felt like I was going to be sick myself. My skin was clammy and even though I was overheated, I was getting cold flashes. An equally-bored looking nurse appeared and called for me and Ada to follow her back into an exam room where she stripped Ada down and put her in a little paper dress.
“The doctor will be with you shortly,” she said after taking Ada’s temperature and blood pressure.
Then, we were waiting again. I got up and began pacing back and forth in the little room, desperately wishing that everything would be okay. To distract myself, I took out my phone and fired off a quick email to Nell, explaining that my kid was sick and I’d likely be out of the office tomorrow, if not for the next couple of days. To my surprise, she replied almost immediately with sympathy
If even Nell knew this was bad, I couldn’t imagine how much worse it could get.
When the doctor came in, I stood up and gave him a wide-eyed, panicked stare.
“She’s sick and listless,” I said. “And she’s running a fever, and—”
The doctor held up his hand and chuckled. “She certainly is,” he said. Then, he squatted down so he was Ada’s height. “Little missy, I hear you’re not feeling well.”
Ada, too sick for her usual shyness, coughed and sniffled.
“That cough doesn’t sound good,” the doctor said. He hooked his stethoscope in his ears and listened to Ada’s breathing, then had her cough several times while he moved the piece of metal over her back. I watched her wince every time the cold stethoscope touched her skin, and I had to clench my jaw and swallow hard to keep from crying.
What would happen if this was bad, truly bad? Had I missed my chance to tell Nico the truth and have us be a family? I knew it was ludicrous to be thinking about him now, but suddenly I wished that we were just that – a real family. I wished that I could call him and tell him to pick up chicken soup and ginger ale and crackers and have him meet us at home, where he’d pull me into a huge hug and make sure that Ada got to bed.
“This little lady has a bad bout of bronchitis,” the doctor said finally. He gave me a rueful smile. “Relax, Momma,” he added. “It could be a lot worse – I’m glad you got her in to see me before it turned into pneumonia.”
The doctor gave us a prescription for an inhaler and extra-strength acetaminophen, then instructed me to purchase a humidifier for Ada’s bedroom and make sure she got plenty of fluids.
“Nothing carbonated,” he said sternly. “And some children are frightened by the noise of the humidifier – that’s normal, but you’ll need to make sure that she keeps it on.”
I nodded, as if he was dictating the Dead Sea Scrolls to me.
“Of course,” I said. “I’ll make sure that she has everything she needs.”
I hated stopping anywhere on the way home – yet another reason why I wished Nico was waiting for me back at my apartment – but I had to duck into the drug store and buy a humidifier as well as pick up Ada’s prescription. I stocked up on Pedialyte and apple juice, which was Ada’s favorite, as well as a few cans of chicken noodle soup and some bread for toast.