"And I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down." Rob reads.

"No, no. Top! Top Unk Wob." Tim says putting his hand over Rob's mouth. "Me keered." (stop, stop Uncle Rob, Scared)

"Wolf keeled piggy!!" Chance cries falling over in the fall, sobbing. (killed)

"Alright, maybe I'll read a different story." Rob says with a smile. "Uh, Jack and Jill?"

"No, Jack falls and cracks his head open." Austin says as he turns channels on the t.v.

"Humpty Dumpty?" Rob asks as he thumbs through the pages of the nursery rhyme book.

"Nope, he falls off the wall and breaks all to pieces." Austin replies.

"Little Red Riding...No" Rob shakes his head. "Wow, I didn't know nursery rhymes were so violent."

"Well, I really don't think story time is necessary anymore." Adam smiles looking down at a sleeping Chance laying on the floor.

Jenika was sitting on the couch. Tim was sitting on the floor next to her. He laid his head over on her lap and was sucking his thumb. He was trying hard to hold his eyes open.

Jenika lovingly played with his hair.

"Look like Tim is right on the verge of dreamland too." Adam smiles.

"He feels awfully warm." Jenika says as she gently massages his scalp with her fingers.

Olena leans over and lays her hand on his forehead.

"You're right. He does feel like he might have a bit of a fever." Olena says. 

"Sweetie, you ready to go to bed?" Jenika asks rubbing him on the head.

He nods and then raises his head to look at her.

"Me seep you?" He asks sleepily. (can I sleep with you)

"Of course you can sleep with me, Angel." She smiles.

"Just remember his mind age, Jenika." Adam says with a yawn. "And you need to put a pull up on him."

"I know." She says sadly.

After going to bed, Tim woke Jenika up a few times whimpering in his sleep. She reaches over and lays her hand lightly on his cheek. He was still warm with a fever.

She hugs him up to her and dozes back off to sleep.

~~

The next morning, Jenika slips out of bed and heads downstairs to the kitchen. She walks in and everyone is already seated around the table eating breakfast.

"Bout time you getting up." Austin smirks. "Where's Timmy Boy?"

"He's still asleep. He whined, tossed and turned all night." Jenika yawned as she fixed herself a cup of coffee.

"Is he still running a fever?" Olena asks.

"Yeah." The blond answers with a sigh. 

"Maybe if he gets up and eat something, he'll feel better." Rob says.

"I'll go see if he's awake." Jenika says setting down her coffee and heading back upstairs.

She walks quietly into the bedroom and sits down on the side of the bed.

"Hey, Sweetie?" She whispers softly as she brushes back his hair. "You hungry?"

"No." He pouts shaking his head. "Me don't peel good." (I don't feel good)

"You might feel a little better if you were to eat something." She says kissing him on the forehead.

"My twoat huts and me can't bweed." He says softly. (throat hurts, breathe)

"I'm so sorry, Baby. Want me to go and see if I can find some medicine?" She asks rubbing him on the back.

"No." He whines. "Mecine yucky." (medicine)

"How's he feeling?" Adam asks coming into the bedroom followed by the others.

"His nose is stopped up and his throat is hurting." She says looking around at her friends.

"I'm sure we have some cold medicine that he can take." Austin replies.

"No, mecine yucky." Tim whimpers.

"But it might help you feel better, Timmy." Austin says pulling a chair up next to the bed.

"No, Unk Aussy. Peez, it yucky." Tim says as he begins to cry. (Austin, please)

"Tim? Honey, you want something to drink?" Olena asks.

Tim nods as he sniffs, trying to breathe.

"Alright, I'll be right back." She smiles leaving the room.

A few minutes later she comes back with a sippy cup.

Tim sits up and takes the cup and takes a drink.

"It taste punny." He says with a hoarse voice. (funny)

"It's soda. I just added a little water so it won't hurt your throat." Olena smiles. "Drink it all."

He turns the cup up and finishes drinking the cool liquid. 

"Tank you, Aunt Ena." Tim says quietly handing the empty cup back to her.

"You're welcome, Sweetie." Olena smiles rubbing him on the head. "Now, get some rest."

Tim nods and lays back down on his side pulling the covers up around his shoulders.

"Let's all go back downstairs so he can sleep. He'll feel better soon." Olena smirks as she walks pass the others leaving them with puzzled looks on their faces.

"Something tells me that wasn't soda in his cup." Jenika says picking up her coffee.

"Nope." Olena smiles. "I happened to remember that I had some Alka-Seltzer Plus cold medicine in my purse. It was honey-lemon flavored."

"Can...Can I go pay wid Timmy now?" Chance asks as he finishes his cereal. (play, with)

"Tim is not feeling well, Buddy." Rob says as he takes a napkin and wipes the milk from Chance's beard.

"Who I pay wid den?" Chance asks, tilting his head. (play with then)

"I love playing with Legos. Wanna go see what we can build?" Adam says with a childish grin.

Chance nods and jumps up from the table.

"I wanna play too." Austin laughs getting up from the table.

"Well, Heck. I might as well too." Rob chuckles also getting up.

Olena giggles as she watches the grown men run from the kitchen like children. She smiles as she looks back around at Jenika.

Her smile fades as she sees the sad look on her friend's face.

Jenika was staring down at her engagement ring, turning it slowly on her finger.

Olena reaches across the table taking the blond by the hand.

"Hey." She says softly giving her a small smile. "He'll come back to you."

"But what if he doesn't, Olena?" Jenika says looking up at her best friend. A tear slowly rolling down her cheek. "What if my Tim never comes back?"

**************

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