To Steal An Egg

Chapter #2

I glanced at my watch, it was 6:35. Good, the kids let me sleep in. "Woah," I breathed when I looked up. I heard crying from in the bedroom. I stood up and tried to avoid the pieces of house on the ground. "Jack? Carter? Tori? Tim? ROSEY?!" I called, but there was only the sound of whimpering and crying from the hall. What was it? I crept through the hall still confused of what happened. A tornado? A bomb? An earthquake? Yes. Yes! YES!! An earthquake! That was it! But how did I sleep through an earthquake this bad? I must have been more worn out than I'd realized. But what about my kids? I wondered. How about them? Are they okay? Did they die? I choked when I thought that. No, no, no! No! NO!! "NO IT CAN'T BE!" I cried. But - no! No! No it - can't - be! I thought when I peeked in the bedroom, only to see nothing. Then I heard a familiar cry from the bathroom. 

"Mommy! Mommy!" the voice cried. "Mommy!"

"Rosey?" I asked.

"Mommy!" she cried again.

"Rosey, it's Mommy. I'm here," I assured her.

"Towi zoom zoom," she said.

"What did Tori do, honey?" I asked.

"See go zoom zoom."

"I don't think I understand what you mean by 'zoom zoom', honey."

"Wun."

"Did she go for a run?" I asked.

"Outside and no come back," she wept.

"Oh I'm sure it's just a long run in the morning."

"No."

"Or maybe she did run away, but do you-"

"WANT OUT!" she cried.

"Yeah, I'll drain this water out. Oh, honey. I'm so sorry I left you in there! You look sick!" I said.

"Want doctor Wasson."

"Doctor Watson?"

"Yes. I want cheewios and potatows. And sparkols."

"Let's take your temperature, and then we can find your brothers and sister, and then we can go to the doctor to see Watson, okay?"

"Yes!" she squealed as I picked her up and brought her to the kitchen. I held her in one arm while I opened the health cabinet with the other. I pulled out the thermometer and stuck it in her ear while I placed my right hand on her forehead.

Beeeeep, the thermometer sounded and I pulled it out of her ear. I jumped when I saw what it read.

103.8

"Oh, Rosey, we need to get the doctor. You have a really high fever."

"Feefer?" she said, looking up as her lip folded over and her eyes began to fill with tears. "Me die?"

"Oh, NO! You're just sick," I said.

"Sick. I jus sick," she said, nodding.

"But FIRST, we need to find you big brothers," I told her.

"Weeeally beeg brovers!" she laughed. Then I picked her up and we went down the hall and into their room. But when I called, "Carter!? Jack!? Timothy!?" there was no answer but a rustling from behind - no, under - the bed. When Carter peeked his head out, I saw the tears that had stuck to his face.

"Oh, Carter, honey! Are you alright?" I said, examining him.

"I think so. Where's Jack? Is he with you?" he said wearily and then started to panic, "Is he hurt?"

"No, I haven't seen him..." I began.

Carter burst into tears. "Jaaack!" he cried.

"Dack?" Rosey asked.