The Best Is Yet To Come part 5
Bo took a deep breath and listened as Matt spoke on the other end of the phone. He tried to remain calm, as to not alert Nora to any impending emergency.
Matt: I dunno Pa…Stacy was up here changing Maddie and she’s like covered with all these little red spots…
Bo: I see…where about?
Matt: (disgusted) Pa…just….spots…just….
Stacy grabs the phone from him.
Stacy: Mr. Buchanan?
Bo: Yes…
Stacy: Maddie’s got these red spots…they’re tiny…in bunches…all over her bottom, her legs, her back…I think you and Mrs. Buchanan should come home…Maddie feels warm too…I’m not going to give her her milk…my mom always says that dairy and fevers don’t mix…we’ll give her some juice…are you coming home?
Bo: Ah…yes…yes…that would work…
Stacy: I’ll call Dr. Wolek if you’d like….
Bo: yes, I would appreciate that…thank you…
Bo hangs up his phone and looks at Nora.
Nora: Bo…
Bo: Honey…
Nora: (getting angry) Bo…who was that you were talking too?
Bo: Honey, we have to head home…
Nora: Oh my God…Bo….what’s wrong? What’s wrong with my babies?
Bo: Nora….calm down…Stacy has it under control…
Nora: What Bo? What the hell does Stacy have under control?
Bo: Maddie has a little rash of some sort…
Nora starts walking towards the car a little faster.
Nora: What kind of little rash? Where is it? How is Stacy handling it? Where’s is Matt?
Bo: Red….slow down…please…
Nora: (very angry) Slow down?? Slow down?? Our baby is at home…with children watching her…she is suffering from some sort of rash….
Bo: She may have a fever….
Nora: Sweet Jesus…Beaufort Oglethorpe Buchanan!
Bo: Not the full name….
Nora: Damn it Bo…I knew we should have stayed home…
They get into the car.
Nora: Give me your phone…I want to call Larry…
Bo: Stacy already is calling him…
Nora: Just get us home…
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Stacy: (to Matt) Go make her a juice bottle instead of that milk…
Matt: Why?
Stacy: Matt…please (Maddie starts to cry)
Matt: Fine…
Matt trudges out of the room and heads back to the kitchen.
Stacy: (calling out to Matt) Make it seventy five twenty five juice to water…
Matt: No problem…
Stacy: (to Maddie) There we go (zipping up the baby’s pajamas) Now that you’re a bit more comfortable…lets go downstairs and look at one of your books…
She heads down stairs with Maddie. They enter the living room just as Matt is bringing the bottle.
Matt: Stac…this is creeping me out…way out…
Stacy: What’s that?
Matt: You…Maddie…this whole “family” thing…its just creeping me out….
Stacy: (taking the bottle from him) Fine…(rolls her eyes) Did you get in touch with Dr. Wolek’s office?
Matt: (sitting down and watching Stacy give Maddie her bottle) They were paging him…hey…
Stacy: What?
Matt: How did you learn all this stuff…with Maddie…like how to not freak out?
Stacy: I dunno…I just guess I know…
Matt: Cool…my folks should be home soon…
Stacy: You wanna hold her while I get the thermometer from the bathroom…she feels like she’s getting warmer…
Matt: Sure (taking the baby as Stacy heads back upstairs) Hey lil peanut…not feeling well? (he gently brushes her hair from her forehead and kisses the spot that was covered)) You are warm…
Maddie smiles at her brother and then suddenly gets a terrified look on her face.
Matt: (noticing the baby’s face) Maddie? Maddie!!
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Nora: I swear Bo…if anything is wrong…
Bo: Yeah…blame me…like if you would have remained LOCKED in the house with Maddie, she wouldn’t be sick right now…because you HAVE that mystical ability to ward off illness…
Nora: (irritated) I don’t need that right now…
Bo: No…but you do need to realize that children get sick….
Nora: (sarcastically) You don’t say Bo…and just where sis you stumble upon these kernels of wisdom?
Bo: Know what?
Nora: No…what…inspire me…
Bo: I’m done talking to you…but I will say this…when we get home…and Maddie is just fine…I expect nothing less than a full out apology from you…
Nora: Huh!
Nora looked out the window.
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Matt: STACY!!! SHE’S PUKING!!!!
Stacy literally flew down the stairs.
Matt: Get a towel or something!!!
Stacy: Calm down!!
Matt: She’s exploding here!!
Matt held the baby out away from his body as she continued to throw up.
Matt: STACY!!!
Stacy: Matt…calm down…
Maddie began to cry hysterically.
Stacy: That’s why I said calm down!! She’s scared enough as it is! Give her to me and go change your…
The phone begins to ring. Matt grabs the phone as Stacy takes Maddie upstairs.
Matt: Dr. Wolek! Thank God!!
Larry: What’s up Matt?
Matt: It’s my sister…she has this rash…and now she’s puking everywhere and my folks aren’t home…
Larry: Calm down Matt!
Matt: (irritated) I can’t! My sister is gushing, my folks are out, I’m freaking and my girlfriend is unnervingly calm!!
Larry: You need to follow her lead…where is Maddie now?
Matt: Stacy has her upstairs, probably changing her…
Larry: Does she have a fever?
Matt: She did feel warm…
Larry: How many times has she vomited?
Matt: Once (frowning as he looks at his still wet shirt) but it was tons…
Larry: (trying not to laugh at Matt’s over emotional state) Ok…and your folks?
Just as Larry said it, Bo and Nora walked in.
Matt: They just walked in…
Larry: Tell your mom to go check out Maddie and call me back…
Matt: Ok (he hangs up) Thank God!!
Nora: Where’s my baby? (rushes upstairs)
Matt: (holding his shirt away from his chest) Pa…
Bo: (sympathetic to his son’s plight) Go change…
Matt: Pa…its was disgusting…(heads upstairs)
Bo follows his son upstairs. He finds Nora and Stacy in Maddie’s room, Maddie on the changing table with Nora hovering over her.
Bo: (smugly) How’s the patient, doctor?
Nora: She’s really sick Bo…
Bo: (now very concerned) What’s wrong?
Nora: She’s burning up…she’s covered with spots and she can’t stay awake…
Bo: Wrap her…let’s get to the hospital…Stacy…come on…
Matt walks into the room as the trio prepare to take Maddie.
Matt: What’s wrong? How is she Ma?
Bo: Let’s go boy…we’ve got to get her to the hospital…
Matt: But Dr. Wolek said….
Nora: We’ll call him from the car…let’s go…
TBC