I do.

Park

We keep walking around the park. It has been some time since we came in.  Mr Wattson has seen my sister's bored face and he is so polite to offer us a moment of rest. "Are you tired? Shall we sit by the pond, over there?" How kind of him! "Caroline, come here. Take a seat." I offer her because she really does not look well. My older sister takes a seat on the nearest bench. Hermann offers to go and bring her some drink from the merchant we have passed by a few moments ago, and he leaves. 

"Caroline, are you allright?" I ask her as oon as we have some privacy. "No, I am not." she says in a weak voice.  "Actually I have been feeling really bad recently." she explains. "Shall we take you home and send for a doctor? I am sure Mr Green will make time to come and see you." 

I get scared. The medicine nowdays has made a great progress but still it cannot cure everything. One of my youngest brothers died last year because of some unknown disease. I do not want Caroline to end up like him. Hermann is comming back, and he is holding a cup of hot tea in each hand. "I have bought you a drink too, Miss Genevive." He gives me the cup and I thank him with a smile. A pleasant warmth spreads all over my body, when I take a sip of the dark liquid. But it does not seem to be working on Caroline. "Please, we have to get a carriage and take her to our family doctor, Mr Green. He lives nearby, actually." I beg the man, who has no idea of what is going on. But neither have I. 

"It was a really good idea to bring her to me, Miss Baker." The old doctor says at the very moment he sees my sister. "Caroline here does not look well. I shall do my best." He locks himself in the next room with her and I stay in the hall with Mr Wattson. To be honest, I am worried. And so is he, obviously. "I am so sorry I took you and your sister out today. She has probably cought cold or something..." he appologiss even though we do not know the doctor's diagnose. "I do not consider this to be your fault, Mr Wattson. Caroline told me she has not been feeling well for few days now." I gently but still modestly place my hand on his shoulder: "I think she will be fine soon." And as we comfort each other we wait for the doctor to tell us what is really going on with my sister. 

And yet, I cannot stop myself from thinking of this moment. The two of us... I feel so selfish for allowing to think like this. This is about Caroline! She matters the most.

Suddenly Mr Green opens the door and he leaves the room. I wait for what he has to say and I get scared. He looks so serious... "I think I have bad news for your family, Miss." He says in low voice. "Your sister has some troubles with breathing. I tink it might be thuberculosis." I feel my knees weaken but somehow I manage to keep standing. "How?" I ask quietly. "How could she get something like that?" "As I remember, her husband is a sailor. Those men tend to be imune towards many diseases but they can unintentionally bring them near weaker humans. Like your sister." He polishes his glasses with a slleve of his coat as his words resonate in my head. "Has her husband been around recently?" He asks and I can only nod. He has been here for two weeks and none of us got sick. We had no idea... 

How are we going to tell our parents?