Lyndsey found Rayanne's number and dialed, sitting down on the couch. Rayanne answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hi!”

“Hey Lyn! What’s up?”

“Just taking a break. Nick and Madi are both sick.”

“Oh no! What’s wrong?”

“They both have temperatures over one hundred. They’ve been sleeping a lot.”

“Is she being cranky?”

“She’s being like any sick person would be. I wouldn’t exactly call it cranky. I’d call it...wanting to be comforted by her Daddy I guess.”

“Aww...she’s clingy to him?”

“Yeah, she kept calling for him when he went to our room to sleep.”

“Poor Nick.” she laughed. “Has she been coughing at all?”

“No, not really.”

“Good. She had bronchitis once, what a nightmare!”

“Oh no!” Lyndsey laughed.

“ As long as you can get them through today I’ll be there later to help!”

“OK, I’ll be looking forward to it!”

“How is Nick being with her? Is she annoying him?”

“No, he’s doing fine! He’s frustrated though.”

“I can imagine. Oh no...”

“What?”

“I just thought. Tomorrow is the day they’re flying up here to move me. They can’t fly sick...either one of them.”

“Nick wants to be there. If Madi is still sick I can take care of her if it’s alright with you guys.”

“That’s nice of you.” Rayanne smiled on her end of the phone. “I don’t know how easy she’d be to handle...how about this. Can you or Nick call me later tonight so I can see how they’re feeling?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem!”

“I’m almost done packing!”

“Great! We can’t wait to have you two living here.”

“I’m throwing a lot of stuff away.” she laughed. “Buffalo is a little different than Florida! I’m leaving a lot of stuff with my mom...snowsuits, shovels.”

“No snowsuits here!” Lyndsey giggled. “Ya know...”

“Yeah?”

“We never really came to terms with the whole situation when you left.”

“Nope, we didn’t.” Rayanne said quietly.

“I feel bad for bad for what happened and how I came between you two.”

“Well, obviously it wasn’t strong enough. Maybe you did us a favor showing us that.” she said, although she didn’t really mean it.

“Maybe. I’ll admit, I’m happy with the way things ended up in the long run. I just wish it could have happened a different way.”

“It’s weird how much older I feel now...like that was so long ago. I guess that’s what having a baby can do.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was just going to say.” Lyndsey laughed.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“When you came to Europe...you didn’t know about me before you got there right?”

“Right.”

“So why did you come? Honestly. Was it just to have fun and hang out with Brian and the guys...or was it for Nick?”

“Well, I totally miss Bri when he’s gone, along with the other guys. Of course I wanted to see Nick, but it wasn’t just for him.”

“I’ve wondered that for the longest time.”

“Well now you can rest easy.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Did I intimidate you when you found out? Like about our past?”

“Intimidate? No, see that’s the thing. When I said I knew Nick must love you if he didn’t tell me about you, I meant that; and from what Brian told me that first day you got there, I knew it was serious, but I really trusted him. We actually had talked about it just that afternoon when we were the park.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“When I first got there, the feeling was just like...I still cared for him and the love was still there.”

“I know.”

“But when I saw him with you...I realized how much I loved him and how much I missed what we had. One thing led to another...” she continued. “Did anyone tell you how that kiss happened?”

“Brian told me what he saw. That’s all I know.”

“Well...what he didn’t see is what probably made Nick decide to kiss me.”

“Which was...” Rayanne asked hesitantly.

“I started dancing and singing to him. A song that described how I felt about him.” Rayanne sat quietly, listening to everything Lyndsey was telling her. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this...it’s kinda of late now. I guess I just feel guilty.”

“Ya know Lyn, I’m not saying this would have made me the happiest person, but if you wanted to get back together with him, talking to us might have been an easier way.”

“I know, but I never thought that song would lead to all that happened. If I would have known...” she trailed off.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to, but I would have let you do it, if I knew it was what he wanted.” she continued, ignoring what Lyndsey had said. Lyndsey sighed lightly. “Well, anyway, like I said...whatever Nick and I had wasn’t strong enough, so it’s OK.”

“OK. I feel better now that you know everything though.”

“Good.”

There was a brief moment of silence before Lyndsey spoke.

“OK, this isn’t an awkward moment.”

“Sorry, my mind is on a thousand things.” Rayanne laughed softly.

“It’s alright.”

“Lyn!” Nick called from the bedroom.

“Nick’s awake. I should go see what’s up and how they’re doing.”

“OK, take care of my baby for me.”

“I will.”

“Thanks Lyn.”

“Yup.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.” Lyndsey hung up the phone as Nick called to her again.

“Lyn!”

“Coming!”

She walked down the hallway to the bedroom and opened the door quietly.

“What do you need sweetie?”

“Can you make me some chicken soup?”

“Of course. How are you feeling? Any better?”

“Not really...I’m just hungry. Madi’s still burning up.”

“It hasn’t been long enough for more medicine. I’ll get her a cold cloth. You want one?”

“Yes please, I’m roasting. Crank the AC too, my shirt is drenched.” he said, sitting up to take off his shirt.

“OK. I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks.”

Lyndsey headed first for the kitchen to start the soup before she filled a sippy cup with orange juice for Madi. She made her way to the bathroom and wet two washclothes with cold water. On her way back to the kitchen she turned the air conditioning up higher. When the soup was warm enough, she put it in a bowl and carried it down the hallway on a tray with the rest of the stuff.

“Here ya go hun.” she walked in quietly, handing him the soup.

“Thanks babe.” he coughed as she put one cloth on him and one on Madi.

“I cranked the AC. I hope she doesn’t get cold.”

“I don’t think she will. Feel her.”

Lyndsey sat down next to Nick, putting her hand on Madi’s bare leg. “Oh my God.”

“I think she’s warmer than she was.”

“What should we do? She doesn’t have a Doctor.”

“Take her temp.”

She grabbed the thermometer. “I hope she doesn’t wake up.” She held her head down lightly and put the thermometer in her ear. “Shit! 102.1. What are we supposed to do?”

“Maybe we should take her to the med station.”

“Maybe I should, you don’t need to be going anywhere.”

“Lyndsey, I want to go.”

“Maybe they’ll look at you too.” she smiled.

“Let’s go.”

Lynsdey got Madi dressed quickly. “She must be so sick, she didn’t even wake up Nick.”

“We should wake her up.” he said shaking her. “Madi. Madeline!”

“Nick...” Lyndsey said worriedly.

“MADELINE!” He picked her up and shook her gently.

“She’s not waking up?”

“No, she’s not.”

“Madeline Nicole!” Lyndsey said, poking her small arm. Madi moved, but didn’t make a sound. “Oh thank God. I was worried.” she sighed with relief.

“You were worried?”

“I know you were too. Here’s her juice, see if she’ll drink it.”

“Madeline sweetie, drink this.” Nick said, putting the cup to her mouth. She drank a tiny bit slowly, then started crying.

“We should go now. I”ll drive.”

“Alright.”

“Want me to put her in her seat?” she asked grabbing the keys and heading to the Durango.

“No, I’m holding her.” He threw on a clean tee shirt and jumped in the passenger seat, holding Madi on his lap.

“You can’t hold her sweetie.”

“Just go!” He leaned his head back against the entire trip.

“We’re here. Let me take her for you.” Lyndsey said, parking the car.

“See? I can to hold her.” he said climbing out.

She climbed out her side and walked into the Med Station beside him. She went straight to the desk as Nick found a seat and sat down, Madi leaning her head back against his chest.

“May I help you?” asked the lady behind the desk, smiling up at Lyndsey. “Looks like you’ve got a couple sicklings with you.”

“Yeah. Very sick the little one is.”

“OK, we’ll get a Doctor for you. What’s the name?”

“Madeline and Nick Carter.”

“Could you spell that please?”

“M-A-D-E-L-I-N-E-C-A-R-T-E-R.” she paused and watched the lady write. “N-I-C-K.”

“Thank you. Have a seat and fill out these forms.” She handed forms over the desk ledge.

“Thanks.” Lyndsey took the forms, sitting next to Nick.

“We should have just gone to see Dr. Thomas.”

“Nick, when is her birthday?” she asked, not hearing what he said.

“Oh shit...April third.”

“April third, two thousand.” she mumbled to herself as she wrote. “Mother’s name, father’s name.”

“I would hope you know those two Lyn.”

“I do, I’m just talking while I write. I have no idea about her medical history, just that she had bronchitis once.”

Nick rubbed Madi’s hair as she started crying softly. “Madi, it’s OK. Drink your juice sweetie.”

“Do you know anything besides bronchitis?”

“No.”

“Good enough I guess.”

“She’s allergic to strawberries, but that has nothing to do with it.” he said.

“OK. Now on to yours. You were just here two days ago, shouldn’t they have one of these on file?”

“Go tell her. Madi shhh!” he said, trying to calm her as her crying grew louder.

Lyndsey made her way to the desk and waited patiently.

“Yes?” asked the lady behind the desk.

“Hi. Um, Nick, the one I came in with, was just here do days ago. Do I have to fill this in again?”

“Oh, no you don’t. Carter is the name?”

“Yeah.”

She waited while the receptionist typed on the computer.

“OK, he’s all set.” She looked up at Lyndsey. “Just the baby.”

“OK thanks. Here’s Madeline’s.” she said with a smile, handing the papers over.

She sat back down next to Nick and Madi and waited for their name’s to be called. Less than five minutes later the Doctor stepped out into the small waiting area.

“Nick and Madeline Carter.” she said without looking up from her clipboard.

Nick carried Madi through the doors into the office.

“OK, so...” she started looking back down at her board. “Nick and Madeline. What’s the problem today?”

“We’re sick.” Nick answered dryly.

“Let me see this little one, can I?”

“Sure.” He handed Madi to the Doctor.

“Hi there Madeline. Aren’t you as cute as a button!”

“Takes after her father.” Nick mumbled under his breath.

“Did you say something Mr. Carter?” She waited for a moment for an answer, which she did not get. “She’s very warm. Do you know when the last time she had medicine was?”

“Uh...and hour ago?”

“The last time her temp was taken?”

“Fifteen minutes ago. It went up after she had the medicine.”

“I’m going to take it again. Madeline, would you like to play with some of Dr. Weaver’s toys?”

Madi sat listlessly, her head hanging slightly to one side.

The Doctor handed Madi a book and took her temperature. “Has she been eating?”

“Not lately. We’ve both been sleeping.”

“OK. Do you have the same symptoms?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t taken my temp lately.”

“No coughing or runny nose?”

“Nope.”

“Alright.” She extracted the thermometer from Madi’s ear. “101.9. Is that up or down from before?”

“Down. It was 102.”

“I’m going to listen to her breathing now.”

“Do what you have to do.” he said as he watched the Doctor turn Madi to face him and stuck the stethescope under her shirt.

“I’ll just sit here and wait my turn.” he mumbled.

“She has a tiny bit of fluid built up in her lungs, but it’s nothing to be too concerned about. Has she been going to the bathroom normally today?”

“I guess. What does the fluid build up mean?”

“It’s common for fluid gets built up in and around the lungs with bacterial infections. I’m giving her an antibiotic to break the fever and loosten the fluid. She might start to cough, phlegm will be normal. I want her back here in ten days.”

“Great. Another fifty bucks.” he said under his breath. “Alright.” he said louder, for the Doctor to hear.

“Your turn.”

” Yippee.”

“On the table please.” Nick hopped up on the table. “Let me get your temp. Open up.”

He obliged, opening his mouth. Dr. Weaver stuck the thermometer in his mouth and waited before taking it out.

“101.3”

“No change.”

“OK, I need you to take a few deep breaths for me.” She stuck the stethescope under his shirt as she had Madi’s. “In.”

“How deep?”

“As deep as you can please.”

“What if I blow up?”

”Mr. Carter, please breath in. If you feel like you’re going to ‘blow up’, I ask that you stop.”

Nick rolled his eyes and took a deep breath.

“One more.”

“What if I don’t want to?” he asked, but took another breath.

The Doctor took the stethescope out. “Thank you.”

Nick crinkled his back at her when she turned her back.

“I want to have a look at your throat please.”

“Take a look Doctor.” he said opening his mouth.

She inspected his throat before stepping back. “OK.”

“Well?”

“Is it sore at all?”

“No. If it was I would have said so under symptoms.”

“You have no fluid buildup, but your throat is red.”

“That means...?”

“I want to do a throat culture. Open up again.”

He opened his mouth again and let the Doctor stick the swab back in his throat.

“Damn!” he gagged. “Stick it in my intestines, why don’t you? Maybe you’ll get last nights dinner!”

“Mr. Carter, there’s a little one here don’t forget!” she said dropping the stick in a bag.

“She’s my daughter.”

“I’m prescribing amoxicilan. I believe it’s strep, if it’s not, I will notify you and you can discontinue the medicine. If you don’t hear from me, continue taking it until it’s gone.”

“Are you done? Or would you like to give me a cavity search while you’re at it?”

“Here’s your prescription, here is your daughters. Make sure you get this filled today, so her fever will break. And I might add, I hope this attitude toward me is not carried home and used in front of your daughter.”

“Don’t tell me how to be around my daughter.”

“I said I hope and I do. Get these filled as quickly as possible, I want you both back in ten days.”

“Don’t you worry you’re p...head.”

“If her fever doesn’t break by the morning bring her back.”

Nick took the papers and picked Madi up. “I think we’ll go to my Doctor next.” he said, slamming the door. “Come on Lyn, we’re leaving.”

“Nick, is everything OK?”

“Go pay. I’ll be outside with her.” he said handing her a fifty dollar bill.

Lyndsey walked to the desk. “Excuse me?”

“Paying”?”

“Yes.”

“OK, that will be $50.” she smiled.

“Here. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I hope they feel better.”

“Me too!” she laughed.

Nick put Madi in her car seat and started the Durango, waiting for Lyndsey.

“Do I have prescriptions to go fill?” she asked as she got in, putting on her seatbelt.

“Yes, two of them. That lady about gagged me to death! Stupid...ugh.”

“Nick, she’s doing what she has to do and you know that.”

“I don’t like to be touched when I’m sick. Anyway, I think she was trying to get to me. She tried telling me how to act around Madi.”

“What did she say?”

“Well, when she gagged me I said “Damn” and she said...” he changed his voice to a mocking tone, “Mr. Carter, I would hope you don’t bring your attitude home and use it around your daughter. Or something like that.”

“Ooh...so what’s wrong with Madi anyway?”

“A little fluid in her lungs. Her temp is down by a tenth of a degree.”

“So medicne and rest, is that all we can do for her?”

“Pretty much. If it’s not down by tomorrow with the meds, she wants us back. But I think we’ll just go to my Doctor tomorrow.”

“And you? What’s wrong with my baby?” she smiled.

“She says I might have strep.”

“I’ll take you guys home, then go get your medicine.”

“Alright.”

“We should call Ray. Madi’s not gonna be able to go tomorrow. Neither are you.”

“I’m going anyway. I told her I’d help, I can’t make the guys go alone.”

“OK.” she agreed, not wanting to argue.

Nick smiled, knowing he won.

“I’m sure she’d understand.” she said quietly.

“Fine, you talk to her about it.” He leaned his head against the window.

“OK, we’re home!” she said as she pulled the Durango into the driveway. They got out, Nick getting Madi and made their way inside.

Nick headed to Madi’s room and changed her diaper before laying down on the bed with her next to him.

“OK, I’ll be back, anything else you want while I’m gone?”

“Pick her up a stuffed animal or something.”

Lyndsey smiled down at them. “OK. I’ll hurry back.”

“Thanks hun.”

“You’re welcome sweetie.”

Lyndsey left them alone. Nick sang Madi a lullaby to put her to sleep. She fell asleep quickly while he was singing, him not too far behind.