The White Queen (S.Rogers)

Chapter 84

Brooklyn rested her head against the bathroom wall, closing her eyes. For the moment, Juliana seemed to be calming down with the vomiting.

It had been a stressful day, to say the least.

When she had gotten to the school, she had never been so impatient before with the security measures, that barred her from just running into the school, and going to the nurse's office. The entire time, she was biting back the urge to scream at the security people to just get the hell out of her way. They were between her, and her sister, who was sick.

Juliana was sick.

Brooklyn didn't feel like she was going to be able to comprehend the concept.

The last sick child she had encountered had been Rebecca....

She pushed the thought aside, the memory of the small crumpled body on the dirty mats along with it. She didn't need the past to drive her fear up higher.

She had managed to get through security, and to the nurse's office, without snapping any bones, and not hurting anyone, so she considered that a point in her favor. But the sight of her little sister, seemingly smaller as she was curled up on the paper-covered cot, holding a plastic bowl to her stomach, as she cried, was enough to break Brooklyn's heart into a million pieces. Dropping to her knees beside the cot, she had crooned out to her sister, while stroking the stray sweaty hairs from the little girl's face.

"Miss Bianchi?" a middle-aged woman with a paunchy stomach asked, coming closer. "She's gonna be okay. Like I said on the phone, I think it's just the flu."

"She doesn't get sick." Brooklyn responded, biting her lip. "My family... we don't get sick."

"Children do." The nurse said kindly. "Honestly I'm a little surprised to hear that she's hasn't, before."

Brooklyn took a deep, calming breath. Nothing was going to help the situation, by losing her mind. "I've only had her since April of last year. I don't know... I don't know if anything happened before that."

"I see." The nurse tutted, before sighing. "She'll be fine. As I said, kids get sick. Actually all the time. You are going to want to keep her as hydrated as possible. Nothing too sweet, or salty. Maybe go to the store on your way home and pick up Gatorade or Pedialyte. Simple foods. Applesauce, bananas, toast, rice. Anything that isn't going to upset her stomach more than it already is. If this is the flu, it's going to get worse before it gets better. If anything serious changes between now and tomorrow morning, take her to a doctor, right away. Just look for signs that she's in distress." The nurse came over, patting Brooklyn on the shoulder. "You'll be fine. Do you have someone you can call, to help you?"

Brooklyn went to nod her head, then paused. Steve was out of the country, as far as she knew. He hadn't yet returned her phone call. Kitty was away at a Spa in Atlantic City. Marcus and Merlot were... well, something about a 'gay hideaway'. and Mrs. De Luca was an old frail lady. "I'll figure it out. Thank you." She stood up, reaching to pick her sister up when the little girl made an odd moan and bent over the bowl, retching up a thick mash of what looked like semi-digested cereal. Breakfast. Great. The smell, sweet and sour at the same time, caused Brooklyn to wrinkle her nose.

She waited until Juliana groaned and dropped back on the cot, whimpering as she tried to pull her legs up even more.

"Vomiting always tends to come first." the nurse advised. "I would get her home before the rest of it comes. Diarrhea. Not something fun, when they are this age."

The nurse managed to help Brooklyn get Juliana and her things squared away, with a few barf bags for the ride home, the little girl clinging to Brooklyn like a monkey. She rushed as quickly as she could, to get Jules into the vehicle before the next bout of vomiting hit. While on the quick drive home, she had called the greengrocer and the convenience store down the street from the apartment, explaining the situation, and asking for anything they could think of, to help her and her sister get through this.