How My World Changed Forever...Again

Sick?

Billy's POV
I'm downstairs making coffee and getting some food ready for everyone. It's the least I can do for two people who left their lives and flew three thousand miles across the country for my family.
My first born beautiful daughter comes down, her hair falling out of a ponytail, a blanket trailing behind her, and "Blankie" in her right hand being rubbed against her mouth. "Hey little girl," I say.
My favorite thing is to see my girls not all covered in makeup and dressed up. I like to see them as they are; children.
She sits down on a barstool. I put a glass of milk and a plate of pancakes in front of her. "So, how you doing?" I ask her.
"Good."
"I'm sorry your mom and I have been busy.  I know we haven't been paying too much attention to you.  You been feeling okay with Colleen and Rachel?"
     Usually Annie is really quiet in the morning.  After I ask that question, she immediately perks up.  "Daddy, I've been having such a good time with them.  They're so amazing.  Whatever happened with, you know, I'm glad it did because we would've never met them if it didn't."
     I know what she's talking about.  I know she's talking about Matt and Rebecca pulling the rug out from under us.  With her answer, I stop talking and let her eat.  I know she's always tired at breakfast.
     Within a few minutes, my next little angel comes down the stairs.  "Hey H-Money," I say.
     She doesn't answer and just rubs her little eyes.  Instead of coming over to the island, she lays down on the couch.  That isn't uncommon for her though.  She often goes back to sleep when she gets up.  However, it's a red flag to me when I hear her coughing.  "Hayley?" I ask, worried, "are you okay?"
     "Yeah," she mumbles.
     I go over to the couch.  "Do you feel sick?"
     She nods her little head.  I lay my hand on her forehead.  She doesn't feel warm.  "My throat and head hurt," she says, sadly.
     "Little girl!  I'm sorry.  Okay, I gotta um, I'll be right back."
     By this point, I know Hayley is not going to that hospital today.  I don't want to tell her that yet though.  I don't know what we're going to do with her because if I stay here, Annie won't get to the hospital.  "Annie?  Come to my room with me for a minute."
     She follows me and sits on our bed.  "Okay.  Hayley cannot go to see Katie today.  You can't go see patients when you're sick.  Katie's immune system is very weak right now and if she gets sick, it could be extremely dangerous.  I don't know how I'm going to keep her home though."
     "I'll ask Colleen or Rachel," Annie says.
     "I don't know Annie..."
     "Come on, how sick is she really?"
     "Okay, good point," I say, realizing that Hayley might not even be that sick, "regardless, if she says she's sick, she can't go.  And also, think about this: Hayley is 10 years old.  It's a lot for a ten year old to sit in a hospital room and watch a very sick friend lie there.  That's really hard.  Even the four years you have on her makes a huge difference.  If she's saying she's sick to get out of going, it's obvious that she doesn't want to go.  I'm not going to force a kid to go sit in a hospital room for hours.  I don't think she's faking for attention.  If she wants to stay, she can.  I will make that happen.  Okay, anyway, yes, go ahead and go find Colleen and Rachel.  And for goodness sakes, please knock on the door.  If it's quiet, wait a little bit.   I don't want you to wake them up."
     "Yeah, okay," she says, getting up and leaving the room.
     Until I was saying that out loud, I never really thought about Hayley just not wanting to go.  She's pretty much watching her friend die.  To a ten year old, that's a lot.

Annie's POV
     I just agreed to go talk to Colleen and Rachel about Hayley being sick.  When I reach my door, I knock on the door.  "Who is it?"
     "Annie"
     "Okay, just a sec."  Colleen opens the door and says, "hey."
     Her hair is wet and fallen over her shoulders.  "Rachel's getting dressed, she'll be out in a minute."
     I go in and sit on my bed.  I talk to Colleen for a minute just about random stuff. When Rachel comes out, I say, "so, Hayley is kinda sick today.  She isn't like flu sick or like throwing up sick.  She just has a sore throat and a headache.  Naturally, she can't go to the hospital. My dad thinks he's going to have to stay with us and that my mom is going to have to come pick me and whoever else up..."
Before I can even say anything else, Rachel says, "I'll stay with her, I mean, if your dad is okay with that."
"I'm sure he would be, and that would be amazing. Are you sure?" I say.
"I mean, I've never taken care of a sick child in my life. But if she really isn't even that sick, we'll be fine."
"My dad honestly thinks she just doesn't want to go...to the hospital. He said it's a lot for a ten year old. He said she can't sit in a room all day and watch her friend disappear before her eyes," I say, beginning to cry, "she hated hospitals; she hasn't been a visitor in a hospital since...I can't."
Colleen sits down next to me and puts her hand on my back. "We get it. Shh, it's okay. You don't have to say anything else, Annie. Rachel is going to stay here with Hayley. I'll go with you and your dad. You know, everything's going to be okay."
I nod my head into Colleen's arms.
Rachel switches places with Colleen so she can get ready to go. Rachel sits with me for a few minutes while Colleen does her makeup.
I manage to calm down and within a few minutes, it doesn't even look like I was crying. Rachel and I go downstairs to tell my dad she'll stay with Hayley. He's in the kitchen cleaning up Hayley and my breakfast mess.  I walk towards him and say, "Daddy? Rachel wants to stay with Hayley. Colleen is gonna come with us."
"Really? Thank you so much! I really don't know what I wouldn't done with her today," he says, peeking over to the couch to see Hayley, "she's asleep again. I worry that she's actually sick."
"We'll be fine," Rachel says.