Days in the Life of a Madrigal

In flew Enza

There was a little girl, and she had a little bird,
And she called it by the pretty name of Enza;
But one day it flew away, but it didn't go to stay,
For when she raised the window, in-flu-Enza.

The town had come to a virtual standstill as parents spent the day waiting in the plaza for help from Señora Julieta Madrigal. After the first four children, Julieta knew she had an outbreak of the flu going on and immediately changed tactics. The stomach flu that started in the Encanto's school had worked its way into most of the children in town. Thankfully, none of them had been lost to the fevers. That at least she could help with. That and the body aches and help them sleep and regain their strength.

Isa and Dolores, neither of whom were still in school, had thankfully not gotten sick, so they helped by making sure the youngest were brought to her first. So much vomit... Julieta spent most of the day reminding worried parents as she administered what help she could to wash their hands frequently. Keep the sick away from as many as they could. Feed them only small amounts of thin broth and her tea every four hours or so. The next day, a heavier broth and maybe an arepa. Let them sleep, but make sure the fever didn't come back and if it did, send someone to her.

Julieta still chaffed at the knowledge she could not 'heal' a sickness like this with her Gift. It multiplied in the body too quickly. By the time someone knew they were sick, the fever and chills would have already started. It didn't help that all the younger Madrigal children had also gotten sick. Mirabel, Camilo and Luisa were all in the nursery together. Her mother insisted she help care for her grandchildren, as many of the abuelas in town did. Julieta could not deny her or any of them that, she needed the help. As a consequence, a few of the older adults had also gotten sick, including her mother.

Bruno, who'd been helping with her kids, popped up in the plaza, looking completely stressed. Julieta worried it was because of one of the kids, instead she discovered he'd found their mother shivering with fever as she sat in the rocking chair near the window of the nursery. He'd already taken her to her room, and Julieta looked at all the people still waiting and knew she could not leave. She made him one of the bundles, gave him her standard instructions, and sent him home to deal with it.

Some hours later, as the last of the townsfolk got what they needed, she sent Dolores to go check on her mother and father. Isabela, she sent to check on her sisters and cousin and give them all some broth and arepas she'd left for them.

Agustín helped her pack up her things, and together they made their way back to Casita. Once home, Julieta sat at the table, head resting on one of her hands, the other slowly stirring her coffee. She'd added a bit of chocolate to it and it smelled divine. The coffee wouldn't really do much, she was way past overtired for that, but it tasted so good. Agustín sat across from her, and she could see the worry written there. Neither had slept for a day and a half, and he'd followed her like a ghost. Appearing whenever something needed to be moved or a specific herb was needed, or bottling the tea she'd brewed. Only one 'accident' the entire time... Julieta tapped the wooden table with her fingertips five times after putting down her spoon. No need to tempt it.

There was the sound of thunder from upstairs, and Julieta smiled. She'd banished Pepa to her rooms, with only Félix allowed to come and go. She was heavily pregnant, and a flu at this point would be the worst thing possible for her and the baby. Félix followed every one of her instructions, bearing the brunt of Pepa's displeasure at not being able to see to Camilo herself, but so far, so good. Agustín smiled as she again tapped the table five times. Julieta smiled as well.

As if called by the wood tapping, Bruno came in and poured himself a coffee and took a long drink.

"How's Mamá?" Julieta asked and took a long sip of her drink.