Three
Age 3 / 247 words
Dennis coughed weakly, curled up, sweating and only half-awake. His father gently stroked his hair, watching over the bed, trying to keep the worry off his face, more for Colin's sake than the sick boy's.
"He's so hot." Colin rocked anxiously from foot to foot at the bedside, fretting, speaking so quietly Bob could barely hear him. "He's going to be okay, right? Right, Dad?"
"Sure he is, Colin. The Doctor gave us the medicine and Dennis drank it all down like the good boy he is." Bob sounded assuring, but he was looking over at the one small fan spinning away in the corner, barely making headway against the oppressive summer heat. "He'll be fine."
Colin frowned harder, fidgeting. Bob tried to pull him into a hug but Colin shrugged the arm away, moving back to be next to Dennis, reaching out to very gently touch his brother's cheek. "I wish mum was here."
Bob swallowed, cleared his throat, said, "Me, too, Colin."
"It's too hot," complained Colin. Dennis stirred a little, whimpered. Colin's hands clenched fists in Dennis's sheets. In a fierce whisper, he repeated "it's too hot!"
Above Dennis's bed the silver sun, moon and stars mobile suddenly tinged, and they both looked up in time to see it slowly sway. A moment later, the open curtains billowed as a cool breeze washed through the room. Bob blinked, turned to stare at Colin. Colin didn't look up, focused.
Dennis sighed softly, smiled, and slept.
Dennis coughed weakly, curled up, sweating and only half-awake. His father gently stroked his hair, watching over the bed, trying to keep the worry off his face, more for Colin's sake than the sick boy's.
"He's so hot." Colin rocked anxiously from foot to foot at the bedside, fretting, speaking so quietly Bob could barely hear him. "He's going to be okay, right? Right, Dad?"
"Sure he is, Colin. The Doctor gave us the medicine and Dennis drank it all down like the good boy he is." Bob sounded assuring, but he was looking over at the one small fan spinning away in the corner, barely making headway against the oppressive summer heat. "He'll be fine."
Colin frowned harder, fidgeting. Bob tried to pull him into a hug but Colin shrugged the arm away, moving back to be next to Dennis, reaching out to very gently touch his brother's cheek. "I wish mum was here."
Bob swallowed, cleared his throat, said, "Me, too, Colin."
"It's too hot," complained Colin. Dennis stirred a little, whimpered. Colin's hands clenched fists in Dennis's sheets. In a fierce whisper, he repeated "it's too hot!"
Above Dennis's bed the silver sun, moon and stars mobile suddenly tinged, and they both looked up in time to see it slowly sway. A moment later, the open curtains billowed as a cool breeze washed through the room. Bob blinked, turned to stare at Colin. Colin didn't look up, focused.
Dennis sighed softly, smiled, and slept.