𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐆𝐨 (𝐮𝐡 𝐨𝐡)

28. Flu

Kimoni's POV

Man, this week been hell. Joelle caught the flu, and it's like my whole world turned upside down. She's been so fussy, and I ain't never seen her like this before. My baby girl, usually full of smiles and them bright, curious eyes, now looks up at me all tired and glassy-eyed. Her cheeks are flushed red from the fever that's been holdin' on to her for days. Ray and I been takin' turns holdin' her, rockin' her, singin' to her-whatever we can think of to make her feel better, but nothin' seems to work.

It's late, like way past midnight, and I'm sittin' on the couch with Joelle in my arms. She's wrapped up in her favorite blanket, the one with the little elephants on it that she loves so much. She's hot like a little furnace, her skin burning under my touch. I can feel her tiny body shiver every now and then, even though she's sweating through her onesie. Every little twitch she makes sends a wave of worry through me.

Ray's in the kitchen, tryin' to make some old-school remedy my mama swears by. I hear him movin' around, opening cabinets, the clink of glass as he pours something into a cup. He's been actin' calm, but I see straight through him every time he looks at Joelle. I feel it too, deep in my chest, like a heavy weight I can't shake off.

"Babe, you think we should take her to the doctor again?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. Joelle's finally startin' to settle a bit, and the last thing I wanna do is wake her up with my loud mouth.

Ray comes over sipping a steaming mug of tea. "I dunno, babe. We just took her yesterday, and the doctor said to keep doing what we doing'. She ain't eating much, but she's drinking her fluids, and that's important." He sits down next to me, his hand rubbin' small circles on my back, tryin' to comfort me. "But if you feel like we should, we can go. I just don't wanna drag her out in this weather again if we don't have to."

I nod, looking down at Joelle's little face. Her lashes are wet from cryin', her breath comin' in soft, ragged sighs. My chest tightens, and my heart beating fast in my chest, as any first time parent would feel when their baby is this sick.

"Let's just wait it out a little longer," I say, my voice crackin' a bit. "Maybe she'll start feeling better soon."

Ray nods, leaning in to press a kiss to Joelle's forehead. "We got this, babe. She's strong, just like her mama."

I smile, but it don't reach my eyes. I know he's trying to reassure me, but all I can think about is how small and fragile she looks right now. It's like every breath she takes is a struggle, and it's killin' me that I can't do nothing to make it easier for her.

The hours drag on, and Joelle's fussing turns into full-blown crying. Her little face scrunches up, and she lets out these pitiful wails that sent her into cough attacks . Ray and I take turns walking her around the room, trying to calm her down, but she just won't settle. The fever's got her feeling miserable, and there's nothing we can do to take that pain away.

Ray hands me the thermometer, and I gently slide it under Joelle's arm, holding her close as we wait for the beep. When it finally goes off, my heart sinks-103.5. Higher than before. I look at Ray, and I can see the fear in his eyes mirroring my own.

"I think we gotta take her in," I say, my voice tremblin'. "This ain't normal, Ray. This is bad "

He doesn't argue, just nods and grabs the keys off the counter. "Let's go. I'll drive, you hold her."

The drive to the hospital feels like it takes forever, even though Ray's pushing the speed limit. Joelle's crying has quieted down, but she's still so hot, and her little body's shivering in my arms. I keep kissing her forehead, whispering to her that it's gonna be okay, but I don't even know if I believe it myself.