I'm Not Afraid Of You! (A Gift Fanfic)

Sicker N A Dawg

The very next morning, I woke up feeling hotter than pavement on a summer day, I was perspiring. Along with that, I could hardly breath through my nose. I went to the kitchen, the thermometer was on top of the fridge. I stuck it under my arm until it beeped, it was 101.3. It was a fever, a fever plus congestion equals the flu.

"Shit," I said.

No school for me today I guess. I got some covers from the linen closet and made myself comfortable on the couch. I turned the TV to my favorite show, Dinosaurs, you can't go wrong with a movie or a show by Jim Henson Productions. Jim Henson, may he rest in peace, was my childhood. Mom was at work and Donnie's truck was still in the driveway. Less than a minute later, Donnie walked in, saw me, and turned the TV off.

"What do you think you're doin', you're supposed to be in school?"

"I'm sick."

"You sound sick, but you could be fakin' it."

"I ain't faking Donnie, I'm congested and I got a fever."

He walked to the kitchen and got the thermometer.

"I checked it!"

"Check it again Birdie!"

I checked it, same temperature.

"Same as it was. See?"

I gave it back to him.

"Yup, you're sicker n a dawg. Let me call the school n your mama."

He went to the phone that was sitting on the end table at the end of the couch and dialed the first number.

"...Hey Val, it's Donnie, Birdie is home from school sick, fever n she says she's congested as well. I'll take care of her since I'll be off on vacation the rest of the week. I'm about to call n excuse her from school...you're welcome baby. Bye."

He hung up.

"Your mama said she's sorry she can't come home to take care of you. I'm off for a week, got nothin' better to do."

"Thanks Donnie."

"Hmmhmm. I'm gonna call school now."

He dialed the school's number.

"Hi, this is Donnie Barksdale, my stepdaughter Bridget Baker will be takin' off school today, she has a fever...thank you...bye bye."

He hung up.

"There you go Birdie, they said there's been a flu goin' around Brixton, they said you can have the rest of the week off if you have the flu, you're congested so...I guess it's what ya got. You had the flu before, I think you know what to do."

"Rest, keep blowing your nose, and drink plenty of liquids."

He nodded.

"First thing's first...breakfast. I'll make me n you a bowl of cereal."

He went to the kitchen and opened a cabinet.

"We got Apple Jacks, Raisin Bran, Honey Combs..."

"Raisin Bran."

"It's what I'm havin' too."

He made me and him a bowl of cereal, I continued watching Dinosaurs. He gave me my bowl and sat down at the opposite end of the couch. I took a bite, I could hardly taste it because I was congested.

"Can you turn it to somethin' other n kid shows? You're sixteen years old, you're too old for these shows."

"I'll find something."

I pressed the guide button on the remote, it showed all the channels, The Andy Griffith Show was on TV Land. Donnie smiled.

"My daddy used to watch that all the time."

"Wanna watch it?" I asked.

He shrugged. I turned it to the show, we watched TV and ate our cereal in peace. After I ate my cereal, I laid down and continued watching TV. Donnie got up amd made him a cup of coffee.

"Can you make me a cup?"

"Now when did you start drinkin' coffee?"

"Every weekend morning since I was twelve."

He sighed.

"Alright, your nose is congested, this might clear em right up it's so damn strong."

He chuckled.

"Creamer?"

"Yeah."

"You won't be able to taste it."

"That's how I like it."

He stirred mine and his coffee.

"How much do you put it in?"

"A little more than yours and Mom's. I like it sweet."

He sat down with our coffees.

"So that's why the creamer n this house runs out fast!"

"Easy Donnie, I'm sick."

"Oh I'll be easy, as soon as you're over this flu, I'll bust your ass for hoggin' the creamer."

We drank coffee and watched TV in silence.

The flu was getting to me after I drank my coffee, I was tired. With Donnie still watching TV, I closed my eyes.

I don't know how long the nap was because when I woke up, I saw Donnie eating lunch, it was McDonald's, a big bag was on the kitcheh table.

"Time for lunch?" I asked groggily.

"Yup...I left n got you n me a cheeseburger n fries a piece from McDonald's."

He got up, got a burger and fries out of the bag.

"Here ya go, I got you a large sweet tea, it's a lot of liquids, n I also got you one of them little apple pie things you like, you can eat it later on."

"Thank you Donnie," I said as he gave me my food.

He got me my favorite kind of pie, that's kinda thoughtful of him. I started eating my burger.

"You get salt n crumbs n my couch, you're vacuumin' it right up, you understand me?"

"Yes sir."

Gladly I didn't get crumbs in the couch. Eating warm food made me feel better, thanks Donnie.

Mom came home that evening, she gave me a big hug.

"Oh honey...poor baby. How did Donnie do in taking care of you today?"

"At least he didn't hit me."

"He did an ok job?"

I nodded.

She made me a bowl of chicken noodle soup for dinner. After I ate, I asked for my pie that Donnie got for me from McDonald's.

"He went to McDonald's and got you and him lunch?"

"Yeah, he got me the pie because he remembers me mentioning that apple pies were my favorite."

"Ain't that sweet of him."

I ate my pie after Mom warmed it up for me.

The next few days went by, me and Donnie chilled out watching TV and I was starting to miss breathing through my nose.