Picture Perfect (A TJ Bell Story)

Chapter 15 - Colds, Barbies, and Secret Visit

[TJ's POV]

So far, tour has been great. Celeste is having a great time, too.

Robert is starting to get used to CJ glued to his side, but still isn't used to her dolls.

Georgette is coming tomorrow and Celeste seems excited.

Bret and the band love spending time with her. And in a few days we'll be making it to Pennsylvania and just in time for her birthday.

I was in the living room drinking some coffee when I hear the door open and I hear a child coughing.

I look and see CJ standing there, looking pale and covered in sweat, clinging to a Skelanimals kitty, looking sad.

"CJ, baby, what's wrong?" I asked as I put my mug down and walk up, kneeling down to her height.

"Daddy, I don't feel so good," she mumbled.

That's when I started to get nervous.

"Oh crap," I mumbled, then felt her head. "What do you feel?"

"My head is hot, and my tummy hurts, and I'm cold, and I'm scared," she whimpered.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Hey, hey, its going to be okay," I said, picking her up in my arms and cradling her. "Craig!!"

***

"TJ, buddy, relax, she just has a fever and head cold. Its happened to Leila and she turned out just fine," Craig said after I tucked CJ into her bunk.

"But what if it was worse?! She could have had some sort of food poisoning, I wouldn't have know what to do!" I panicked.

"Dude, we could have just taken her to the hospital if it was serious, but its not. Nothing a little Children's Tylenol and chicken soup can't fix," Craig said.

"Just relax. Georgette is coming tomorrow and she can help out, so you don't freak out next time the kid sneezes," Craig said, patting my back.

Just then the bus door opened and Kevin walked in with Robert.

"There was a nearby Walmart. Got her some Tylenol and Robitussin, and some soup I'll start cooking for her," Kevin said, handing me the medicine.

"Thanks," I said as I read the instructions of the Tylenol and Robert followed me, holding something I wasn't paying attention at.

I nodded after reading the instructions. Geez, I remember hating cough medicine when I was a kid, It was like the devil's homemade smoothie to me.

I open the bunk to see CJ curled up in a ball with a zebra fleece throw and red bedsheets.

"Hey, buddy, how you holding up?" I asked as she then started coughing.

"I feel icky," she mumbled.

"I know, baby, but you'll be okay. I got you something to make you feel all better," I said, pouring a good amount of the pink gunk into the little cup.

"Noooo!!" She cried, and I suddenly flinched at a flashback. Robert seemed to have noticed, but he kept quiet.

"W-What's wrong?" I asked after composing myself.

"Mommy and Uncle Ghost and Uncle Ricky would give me that whenever I didn't feel good, and it was yucky and ew!!" she protested.

Fuck. Quick, TJ, think of something.

"Oh, no, this is different. This is a yummy bubble gum flavor, see?" I encouraged, showing her the bottle.

"Then you drink it," she said.