New Beginnings Karl Hoffmeister

More Than A Stomach Bug

"Mmmm, no." You whined, the clock on the wall read 5:13am, the sun wasn't even up yet. You had slept pretty much the whole day yesterday and still you felt drained.

"Everything okay little Dove?" You heard Karls deep voice from beside you.

"I don't feel good." You moaned. You felt your stomach begin to turn. After another moment you jumped up and ran to the bathroom, throwing up in the toilet. You moaned as you rested your head on the wall. Karl was right behind you ready to hold your hair should you need to vomit again. After throwing up once more as Karl held your hair back you washed your mouth out, brushed your teeth and Karl carried you back to bed.

"Awe darling, I'm going to have Elizabeth call for a doctor once the offices start to open. I hate seeing you this miserable." He held you against his chest and brushed his fingers through your hair.

"I'm sure it'll pass, but if it makes you feel better then yeah I'll see a doctor." You yawned, it wasn't even 6am yet.

"Go back to sleep darling, I'm right here." Karl whispered in your ear after feeling how limp your body was from tiredness.

"Sleep with me." You clung onto him tighter.

"I'm right here, I promise I'm not going anywhere." He assured you.

You both fell asleep for a little while longer, but once the clock hit 8am Karl gently removed himself from you to find Elizabeth. She was in the kitchen as she always is around this time preparing breakfast. It being Saturday Otto didn't have to be up early for school so he would most likely be up in the next hour or so.

"Elizabeth." Karl said quietly, not wanting to startle her with his sudden presence.

"Oh good morning sir. Would you like me to prepare you a cup of coffee?"

"No thank you Elizabeth I can manage. Could you call Doctor Williams and ask him to do a house call. Y/N still isn't feeling the best and I would like for him to have a look."

"Of course sir, I'll call him right away." She dusted the flour off her hands and went for the phone. Karl made a pot of coffee. As the pot finished brewing Elizabeth came back. "Doctor Williams said he will be in around an hour and a half."

"Perfect, thank you." He poured two cups of coffee. "One cream 2 sugars if memory serves me." He said placing the cup in front of Elizabeth.

"Thank you, but I'm supposed to be serving you." She chuckled, making Karl smile softly. She had been so much more than a maid all these years. She was a friend and a mentor to himself and Otto. A very wise older woman who Karl had known most his life, but he knew she could not work like this for much longer. She was old and becoming fragile.

"I'm not talking to you as your employer, I'm talking to you as a friend. Elizabeth, you have worked for me since the very beginning and you never wavered. Even when you thought I was dying you never left or looked for new work. You were willing to stay with me until the very end, even when Lotte left and I was at my worst you were there. You never abandoned me and I will never abandon you. That being said, I have seen how this work has been difficult for you lately and I would never forgive myself if you were to get hurt or exhaust yourself doing it."

"Are you firing me?"

"Absolutely not. I want to give you some options and whatever you choose I will honor. Just understand that I understand this job can be very physically demanding and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know Karl."

"I thought of 3 possibilities. The first is if you want to continue your job, the second you could retire and I will set you up in a home of your own anywhere you want. Or thirdly, you could retire and stay here with us. You are family Elizabeth, Otto adores you as well as me and Y/N....But I want you to do what's best for you." Karl explained.