7 Kids-One Happy Family

Chapter 8

Two weeks in New York was by far enough for Carrie. The meetings were boring. The paperwork and planning was exhausting. She would wake up around 4 in the morning for interviews and have to stay up until midnight for performances. It wasn't like she was in her 20s anymore and could handle the long days ahead of her. She had seven kids instead to think about.

On top of everything that was going on, it didn't help that a week and a half into her trip, Carrie had gotten the flu that was sweeping over New York. For two days, she had cancelled and rescheduled everything that was planned which was going to make her trip even longer. And that just killed her. It was a week and a half since she had seen her kids and it was going to be about another week before she was going to get to see them.

As soon as Carrie showed even the slightest signs of being better, they immediately dragged her into rehearsals for shows. She was still tired and her voice couldn't take the strain. Yet, everyone was putting pressure on her to do well. She had to be amazing. If she was anything less, there would be damage.

They were in rehearsals for her show that night, and she couldn't hit a single note. She couldn't go one minute without coughing, sneezing, or blowing her nose.

"Carrie, maybe you should take the chorus down an octave," Mark, her musical director and one of her best friends, suggested.

"No, I'm fine," she tried to argue until she bursted out coughing.

"Okay, then," Mark nodded. "Well then, make sure you hit that E note on the downbeat or else it's going to sound like a train wreck."

"Yeah, Mark, I got it," she got out trying not to sound rude even though she was annoyed. The band took a five minute break, and Carrie went to lay down on her bed in the tour bus trying to take away the throbbing sensation in her head.

"Carrie?" Carrie heard her manager, Ann, call out as she also heard the tour bus door open.

"In here," Carrie said as loud as she possibly could.

Ann made her way to the back of the bus to Carrie's room where she saw a very sick lady looking miserable. "Carrie, you have meet and greets in an hour. You need to get up and get ready."

Carrie's face immediately went from a shade of white and pale to a shade of green. She had a look of disgust as she bolted past Ann and to the toilet in the bathroom where she emptied out anything and everything that was possibly in her stomach. Luckily, her hair was already pack into a ponytail so Ann didn't have to hold her hair back.

"That's it," Ann threw her hands up. "I'm calling a doctor. No meet and greets today."

"But Ann-" Carrie tried to argue.

"Don't try, Carrie," Ann shook her head leaving the tour bus so she could make some calls.

Carrie couldn't help but cry. She felt as though she was letting down everyone. She was disappointing her fans, her band and crew, her manager, everyone. She was supposed to be amazing. But she couldn't be amazing with the flu. She did the only thing she thought she could do, and called home.

"MAMA!" a girl's voice squealed through the phone causing Carrie's head to spike into an even worse headache. She could tell that it was Mia who answered.

"Hey, sweetie can-" Carrie tried to ask only to get bombarded by questions.

"How are you feeling? Have you felt any better? Oh, Mama we miss you so much. When are you coming home?" Mia ranted.

"Is that Mommy?!" Carrie could hear Grayson yell.

"Mom!" the other kids exclaimed. Everyone was trying to talk to Carrie through the phone only to finally get stopped by their mother.

"Guys," Carrie tried to slow them down. "Can you please hand the phone to your father?"

It only took a few seconds before she heard the one person's voice she needed to hear most. "Hey, babe. How ya doin'?"

"Mike, I don't think I can do this," Carrie started to cry again.

"Hold on, babe," Mike said worriedly. "What's going on?"

"I can't sing. I can't do interviews. I can't do my job anymore," she said through the tears. "I'm too sick."

"I'm so sorry, babe," he told her. "I wish I could be there and take all of your pain away. But you're going to be okay. I know you can get through this. You're a strong girl."

"Everyone is expecting me to be perfect," she explained. "How am I supposed to go out there if I am anything less than perfect?"

"You are perfect," he replied. "In sickness or in health, you are perfect to me and I love you."

With those words said, the tears just kept on pouring out from her, "I just really wish you were right now."

"Carrie, the doctor's here!" Ann knocked on the bus door.

Carrie quickly wiped up her tears and she got into her professional mode. People couldn't see her broken like this. She didn't even let her kids ever see her like this. The only person she allowed was Mike, so she quickly sucked up the tears and put on a brave face. "Babe, I gotta go. The doctor is here. Love you."

As soon as her conversation ended, the doctor came onto the bus where he evaluated her in the living room up front. It didn't take long. Probably only ten minutes before the doctor told her, "I highly suggest she does not perform tonight. She needs vocal rest because her vocal chords are swollen."

"She has to perform though. She doesn't really have a choice," Ann said.

"Well, if she wants to perform in the future, I suggest rest now. She has already pushed it enough," the doctor replied.

"It's your call, Carrie," Ann looked over to Carrie. She was hunched over, elbows on her knees, her face buried into her hands. She couldn't take this. She was letting so many people down. She was letting herself down. And she was going to have to take. Her body just couldn't cooperate.

"Ann," she looked up. Ann had known Carrie for so many years. She could read her mind like a book. That face told her exactly what she needed to do. She just nodded understandably. "I'll let everyone know. You just rest here, okay?"

Carrie nodded back nervously. She thanked the doctor before she was left alone on the bus in privacy. It wasn't long after that she was in bed, going to sleep almost instantly.

*

It felt like days that she was asleep. However, it only turned out to be a few hours. What woke her up was the soft and gentle kiss on the forehead. Her eyes fluttered opened and she took a deep breath as she saw the one person she wanted to see this entire time. It was like she had this new burst of energy and she felt as if she was healed already. She sat up in her bed and greeted him with a hug although she immediately pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't want to get you sick."

"Shhh," he hushed her. "I don't want you lifting a finger. Go back to sleep and get some rest."

Her headache relieve as he gave her another kiss on the forehead as she laid back down. "Will you stay with me?" she asked, her voice raspy and sore.

He laid down on the bed with her as she snuggled up to him instantly. Before she was asleep, she couldn't help but smile at Mike's thoughtful and sincere words, "I want to let you know that you aren't letting anyone down. Your fans will always love and support and care for you no matter how sick you get or how old you grow. Your team of people and your band are always going to stick behind you through thick and through thin. And as for your family, there is never going to be a time when we aren't proud of your perfect self."

Carrie just barely heard the last word, before she was out like a light. She was going to get better, and she had everyone there to help her do so.