Shamrock Ranch

Chapter 5 A Sick day

Instantly she was up, the sudden movement made her dizzy and nauseated. Austin caught her before she fell off the bed.

"Easy there darlin, it's alright," he said, "it won't take long and it's just me."

"I...I..I have one that goes in my mouth in my bedroom," she said, as she pressed her bottom to the bed, there was no way in hell that was happening. She didn't care if he was her brother.

"You have a thermometer?" Austin watched her curiously, pausing, "Did you take your temperature this morning?"

Crap. Penny watched him shifting a little, she would have gotten off the bed, but Austin was holding her to him, watching her. She didn't answer him, she found his carpet very interesting it was white she thought, maybe an off white.

"Penelope, what was your temperature this morning?"

"It wasn't high, I'm okay," she smiled at him, though he narrowed his eyes. Why was that happening? She didn't understand.

He sighed, "I don't know if I trust your thermometer now," Austin said sternly, okay he was being mean, but he was very concerned that she said nothing, though he had thought about it this morning. She shook her head.

"It doesn't take long,"

"Can't it go in my ear?"

"Why don't you get me yours, and we will compare."

"I don't think that is how it works, Austin."

"I am sure it is," He said thoughtfully, he was playing with her, but Penny had a small scowl on her face. She didn't know him well enough to know if he was telling the truth or not. Penny went and got her thermometer, Austin walking with her, he paused looking at the thermometer. Where did she even get this, she hurried to shove something back into her drawer.

"Penny," he said slowly, "What do you have in there."

"umm."

She looked at it and then at Austin, "N...well...umm...I don't want to tell you."
He paused, at least she didn't lie to him, he smiled at her. He squatted down infront of her.

"Darlin, i'm glad you didn't lie to me. For now let's take you temperature, but did you take anything this morning that I should know about?"

"No, it...it wasn't that high just like 99 something," she said softly, Austin paused. It wasn't high but that didn't make him anymore happy that she was hiding her being or even feeling sick from them. Especially when the twins got sick, cause if one was sick so was the other.

He picked her up onto his lap and held up the thermometer. She felt hot, and he didn't like how the thermometer's numbers were fading in and out like it was going to die on him. The bedroom door was open when Luke walked in.

"What happened?" he wasn't panicking but Luke is a family man and rancher. He looked at Penny and then at Austin. He walked right over to Penny and felt her head. He thought this morning she just wasn't hungry cause did what he had done. She hadn't felt this warm.

"She had a 99 something fever this morning apparently, so I am taking her temperature again to make sure she doesn't have a fever. She feels hot."

Luke being Luke, took the thermometer and popped it into her mouth, the picked her up as he sat on her bed and rubbed her back waiting for it to beep at them. Penny watched them confused on why they were being so attentive to her. They should have more to worry about than her.

"It keeps freaking fading in and out, I can't read it," he grumbled.

"I'm sure we have batteries for it?"