The Teacher // Josh Dun

.:twenty six:..

"You haven't been taking your medicine?" Josh asked Devon when he woke her up. Her medicine container that Josh always kept up with was on her table.

Devon only adjusted her position and let out a small whimper.

"Dev?" Josh leaned over her with a worried look.

She didn't respond again.

Josh put the back of his hand to her forehead, feeling the sweat and heat hit his skin. "You're running a fever."

"E-Everything," Devon stuttered out. "Hurts."

"Is it just the baby?" Josh questioned.

"I just feel so nauseous a-and tired so probably." She said, then let out a groan.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Josh pulled her hair from her sticky forehead and placed a kiss before getting up. He retrieved two tylenol pills and ice water for her.

"Here," Josh knelt at the bedside and handed her the pills. "Sit up, okay?" He supported her shoulder as she did so, coughing after she sipped the water.

"Thank you." She whispered as she laid back down and let out a heavy sigh.

Josh hiked the blanket up to her shoulders and made sure she was warm. "Do you want anything else?"

"Can you make it so I don't have to work anymore?" Devon, who was ill, still had her attitude.

Josh chuckled, then got the thermometer from the bathroom.

"Woah," Josh got even more worried when he saw the number. "Do you wanna go to the doctors? Make sure the baby is okay?"

"I'll be fine." She shivered.

***

"Mom?" Josh was pacing around the bedroom as he called his mother with his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Is everything okay?" His mother responded. "You sound worried."
"Yeah," Josh nodded. "It's Devon. She's sick a-and she's hardly responding and I don't know what to do."

"Did you check her temperature? Give her medicine and water?"

"Mhm," Josh replied. "She had a fever at 103 this morning, but now it's 104.3."

"Josh," his mother sounded incredibly bothered. "You need to get her to the hospital. That kind of fever could hurt the baby."

"Wait really?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "If she has a fever, you need to try to get her to cool down a bit. She's not wearing any layers, is she?"

"No I-I made she she wasn't I-" Josh stopped himself. He was nervous and mumbling at that point.

"Listen to me Josh," Mrs. Dun knew about her son's anxiety and how it affected him, so she had to make sure he did whatever he could for Devon. "I want you to call an ambulance, okay? While you're waiting, get some clothes on her and try to get her down the steps. Can you do that for her?"

"Of course." Josh replied as he glanced over at Devon.

"Just try to stay calm," Mrs. Dun recommended. "That's the best thing you can do for her."

So Josh hung up and dialed 911. He answered with panic in voice, explaining what happened. After that, he retrieved a fresh shirt and sweatpants to dress Devon in.

"I'm gonna get you dressed, okay?" Josh told her quietly as he pulled the blanket off of her to put the pants on. He made sure to adjust the blanket so that her abdomen was covered, even if it was only him in the room. He didn't have her explicit consent.

Josh was even like that when she got dressed. He would turn around and made sure not to look until he was told so. Devon assured many times that he didn't have to do that, but he knew that people could change their minds and he didn't want her feeling uncomfortable around him.

"Can you help me put your shirt on baby?" Josh asked as he helped her sit up. He let her lean her chin on his shoulder as a rest when she was sitting up. He could hear her quiet, spaced breaths.

"Can you walk?" He asked her, knowing very well she couldn't.

A pale Devon simply let her eyes droop to a close.

"Okay," Josh wrapped his arms around her. "I'll help you out."

He picked her up in a bridal fashion, groaning as he did so. "I didn't know 12 weeks could do this much."

Devon, who would usually insult him for a comment such as that, didn't even blink an eye. In fact, Devon was completely passed out.

***

Josh sat napping next to Devon's hospital bed, his elbow on the arm rest and his hand covering his mouth. Devon was being treated for pneumonia.

"Josh?" His mother called from the doorway.

"Hm?" Josh opened his tired eyes and sat up in his seat.

"I brought some flowers," Mrs. Dum walked in and placed them on the bedside table. "For Devon and the baby."

"Thanks," Josh yawned and got up so that his mother was able to sit down. "She, um, she has pneumonia so she's gonna be here for a few days."

"Did they say anything about the baby?"

"They're gonna do an ultrasound when she wakes up," Josh replied. "They wanna make sure it doesn't hurt in any way."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," she assured her son. "These people know how to care for her."

Devon was being held in the maternity ward due to the baby she was carrying.

"Is her OGBYN here?"

"Her what?"

Mrs. Dun sighed. "The baby Doctor." She put it in simple words.

"She has a baby Doctor?"

"Who raised you?" Mrs. Dun asked. "You have a sister that's almost half your age."

"But I'm not smart."

***

Devon was awake, so the ultrasound technician was preparing the procedure.

"I can't wait," Josh held Devon's hand. "I'm gonna see the baby."

So, when the gel was on Devon's steadily growing stomach, Josh was pretty much off the walls with happiness.

"Let's see," the technician spoke to herself as she got the picture on the screen. The 'baby doctor' walked in just in time.

"So your stomach's been bothering you?" She asked as she took control of the wand.

"Yeah," she nodded. "But I've been sick so I think that's it."

The Doctor was quiet for a minute as she examined the screen.

"You're right," she replied. "There's the head and then the feet."

Josh grinned up at the screen and kissed Devon's hand. "That's it?"

"The heartbeat is strong," the woman stated. "Which is a good sign. See?" She pointed to the monitor on the top of the screen. "182. He or she, is growing great."

"Yeah," Josh chuckled as his eyes began watering. "Devon's belly has been growing quick too. She's had about ten hormonal breakdowns this month."

"And the first trimester is done, so we should start preparing." Devon looked up at Josh.

"What does that mean?"

"Only six more months."