Scarlatina

"Therese, sweetheart, you're going to be late for work."

Carol came out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel on her face and neck, to find Therese in bed still, the covers pulled up over her head, curled into a fetal position. Carol sighed. Getting Therese out of bed in the mornings was an exercise at the best of times, but lately Therese had been tired, wanting to stay in bed and sleep past her alarm, acting very fussy when Carol did finally convince her she'd miss her train if she didn't get up and get dressed immediately.

Therese murmured and turned over onto her stomach, pushing her face into the pillow. Carol went over and kissed the part of Therese's neck that showed above her pajama collar. "Darling. You're going to miss your train and I really can't drive you to work today. You need to get up."

Therese rolled over and moaned. "No. I'm sleepy, Carol."

"I know, sweetie. But it's almost the weekend and we can spend all day in bed tomorrow if you like. Come on. I need to get you changed and then you need to get dressed and ready to go."

"No." Therese pouted stubbornly, a rather rare occurrence for her. "I don't want to get dressed. I don't want any breakfast."

"Therese." Carol's voice was reproving. "Now, let's not start the day out being sour. It's Friday; we both have busy days ahead, and," - Carol checked her watch, hissing in frustration - "I'm already going to be late. Come on, now. Up you get. Be a big girl today, please."

Therese's lower lip began to tremble, and Carol knew she'd said the wrong thing. Sometimes the girl was so sensitive; it was truly irritating. But she reached out and stroked Therese's hair away from her face, gently, and composed herself. "Say, what if we went out for dinner tonight? Or maybe caught a show on Broadway? Would you like that?"

A tiny smile, then. "Yes, I would," whispered Therese, and she reached out for Carol. Carol gave up on making it to work on time and took Therese into her arms, breathing in Therese's sweet sleepy smell and enjoying her warmth.

"Mmm," murmured Carol. "I wish we could stay in bed all day." She kissed Therese's forehead. "Come on, sweetie. You need to be changed."

This time, Therese allowed Carol to remove the bedcovers. She stretched out, yawning sweetly, and then smiled at Carol. Carol removed Therese's pajama pants and tickled her on the tummy. Therese giggled, but she blushed, and clutched the front of her diaper for a moment.

"Uh-oh," said Carol. "I should have known that every time I tickle you, you wet your pants." She kissed Therese on the tummy instead and then made quick work of her diaper change, wiping Therese thoroughly from front to back, trying to clean her as much as she could. Therese chewed on her fingernail, her mind elsewhere. When Carol finally finished with her, she didn't get up right away, and Carol gently tickled her belly again to get her attention.

"Where are you?"

Therese's eyes refocused. "Oh, I was thinking about work. I'm sorry." She smiled at Carol again and then got up, wandering to the wardrobe and picking out a grey suit and cream blouse. Carol started to make the bed, and then stopped.

"Therese, darling, did you have an accident last night?"

Therese turned around from where she was putting on her bra. "No. I don't think so. I didn't feel like I'd leaked."

"The sheets are wet." Carol sighed a little, trying not to outwardly show her frustration. "I think I'm going to have to call Bob this morning and let him know I'm going to be late. We'll have to send out the laundry; I'm not sure we have many clean sheets left." She didn't mention the accident Therese had had the week before, but Therese clearly knew what Carol was referring to, and she came over, half-dressed, to gently push Carol out of the way, her face flushed in embarrassment.

"I made the mess. I'll clean it up." Therese started to strip the bed. "Go and call Bob if you're going to be late."

"You're going to be late, too, and you haven't even eaten anything!" Carol ran a hand through her hair, but Therese, carefully not looking at her, just shook her head.

"Go, Carol."

Carol quietly left the bedroom and stopped by the phone on the table in the hallway. Recently, she'd just been feeling, well, off. She wasn't sure if it was that she was going through the change of life, or she was coming down with something, or the emotions of the last few months were catching up with her. But she was more achy after a long day of work and less patient with Therese and her sometimes very capricious moods. Carol wondered if she needed some time away to herself; maybe a weekend with Abby would help. But Abby had been less able to spend time with Carol lately due to her work as an entomologist; she'd had to attend several agricultural conferences lately and she was pursuing a woman she'd met at one of them. So Abby was out, at least for now, though they did still talk almost daily, long phone conversations that Carol would have with her during her downtime at the furniture store.

As Carol picked up the phone, she thought about Therese. Therese had lately been more tired and much more fractious. As the hot July days wore on, she seemed to be unable to handle the heat very well. Carol had procured an air conditioner, at a steep price, for the bedroom so they could at least sleep at night, but she didn't like to run it when they both weren't home, which could mean an hour or two of stifling New York heat and humidity before it became cool enough for Therese. Carol also wondered if Therese's diapers were overheating her; they'd tried a few days of Therese wearing just panties, but after a number of accidents, thankfully not on the carpets or furniture, Therese had asked for her diapers back. While they were home, Carol let Therese go without her tight, hot vinyl pants, which seemed to help a little, but Therese was wary of sitting on the furniture or the bed without her pants on, which meant that she spent a lot of time lying on the hardwood, drawing or reading, shifting uncomfortably.

Regardless, thought Carol, it could be that they both needed some time away, maybe at a resort by the beach, or out to the Hamptons for awhile. Just to breathe a bit and get out of the sooty heat. She rubbed her achy lower back, mindful of the fact that she had missed last month's period and was likely due for this month's early, and made her phone call.

When she'd finished, trying to ignore the annoyed note in her boss's voice, Therese came out of the bathroom, looking very smart and businesslike in her suit, her hair and makeup carefully done, but also looking flushed and tired. "Ugh. Is there any coffee?"

"Yes. I made some earlier this morning." Carol went ahead of Therese into the kitchen to pour her a cup. Therese sloshed some milk into it and stood against the counter, drinking deeply.

"It's going to be so hot again today," she said, her voice rising in a whine, and Carol pouted at her sympathetically.

"Oh, darling. I know. Is the air conditioning still broken at the office?"

Therese made a face and put her cup down. "It was yesterday. I don't hold out hope they'll have fixed it today, I'm afraid. And it's supposed to be scorching all weekend. I read it in the paper yesterday."

Carol kissed Therese on the cheek. "I was thinking of taking a drive out to the beach tomorrow, maybe. It might be nice to cool off a bit. Or we could go to Abby's and use her pool." Abby never minded Carol dropping by when she was away, and Carol, feeling a little sweaty at the back of her neck, thought about just how nice it would be to cool off in Abby's pool and carefully manicured garden. Her gardener came twice a week. It was one of the things Carol missed about living in Ridgewood; the miles of green space and quiet cool countryside.

Therese smiled, but she looked exhausted. "Maybe. Maybe it'd be better to spend the time in bed, like you mentioned." She picked up her purse from the counter beside the stove and came back to Carol, her arms extended. "I don't want to go," she whimpered, and Carol took Therese into her arms and looked down at her, a little surprised.

"Sweetheart, are you all right? Usually you're less fussy than this once you're out of bed."

Therese tossed her hair and tried to smile. "I'm all right. I'm just tired."

Carol kissed her, knowing she was going to kiss all of Therese's lipstick off and not caring. "All right. Have a good day at work, and give me a call around lunchtime; let me know what restaurant you'd like tonight. And try to stay cool. Don't forget your bag."

Therese nodded and watched as Carol picked up her own purse, heading towards the door. "I won't forget. Thank you for putting some clean changes in last night."

"I love you, Therese." Carol blew her a kiss and left, already feeling the humidity of the day press against her sore back and her tender breasts. If her period was coming, it really couldn't come soon enough, thought Carol, heading towards her car and slipping on her sunglasses.

She hoped Therese would be all right.

//~//

Therese watched Carol go and swallowed painfully, feeling the headache that she'd awakened with pound against her skull. She was definitely coming down with something, though she figured it was just a summer cold and nothing to be concerned about. She usually got one or two during the hot season; strange, thought Therese, based on the fact that colds seemed a winter malady.

Deciding to skip breakfast due to her tummy churning a little bit and a low ache in her abdomen, she told herself she'd grab a bagel from the bodega on the corner next to the Times Building. What Carol didn't know wouldn't hurt her. And anyway, thought Therese rebelliously, she didn't have to eat if she didn't want to. She was still an adult.

The heat was pressing already as she made sure the bedroom air conditioner was turned off and the fans in the living room were off as well. The humidity wasn't making her head feel any better; in fact, the pain was making her feel a little sick to her stomach. Turning and heading back into the bathroom, she swallowed two aspirin from the medicine cabinet and winced as her sore throat made itself known.

Therese felt a hot flash overcome her suddenly; she started to sweat and her face flushed a bright red. Suddenly, Therese realized that she didn't feel well enough to brave the train to work. She didn't feel well enough to do anything at all.

She knew she really should go to work. They were going to press a little early today to give everyone a chance to get out a bit earlier for the weekend, and she had a stack of contact sheets on her desk that seemed a mile high. But Therese, now feeling a chill despite the hot weather, realized that if this was a cold, it was coming on fast, and she'd end up miserable at work, especially without air conditioning.

So before she could change her mind, she went to the phone and dialled her boss. "Jim, I'm not coming in today," she said, trying to sound businesslike. "I'm not feeling well, and I'd rather not spread it around."

"Belivet, we need you," came Jim's harried voice, crackling through the phone and straight through Therese's pounding head. "You know we're trying to meet deadline early today. Can't you take some aspirin and tough it out? Williams has no idea what he's doing and I could use you to babysit him today while I get other things done."

Therese winced. Keith Williams was new to the department and was struggling to learn the way things were done. Therese knew that Jim didn't have time to train Keith, but her stomach churned and started to ache when she thought about going in. She shook her head, and cleared her aching throat.

"No, I'm really sick, Jim. I'll see you Monday, okay?"

Jim's sigh could have been heard in New Jersey. "Okay. But I'm not happy about this, Belivet." He put the phone down and Therese felt momentarily guilty until her abdomen started to cramp. Therese briefly wondered if she was due for her period, but realized she'd only had it a week or so ago. She started to feel weak, and thought she'd go and lie down.

Shedding her suit and hanging it back up in the much cooler bedroom, she fished out a pair of mint-green cotton pajamas and put them on, feeling a little better already. She turned on the air conditioner, ignoring the chill that shot down her spine when she was hit by the blast of cool air, and lay down on the freshly changed bed. She felt better once she lay down - less nauseated - but her stomach cramped again and this time, it made a low growl.

Well, maybe she was just hungry. Therese wandered to the kitchen and started to make herself a piece of toast, but her throat ached painfully and she started to feel really tired. She should have gotten up on time, she thought, and let Carol make her breakfast. She rubbed a hand across her eyes, which were starting to burn a little, and then abruptly dropped her knife when her belly cramped badly and she realized she needed to get to a toilet, now.

Therese ran into the bathroom, thankfully across from the kitchen, and unpinned her still-dry diaper just in time. As she sat on the toilet, she wondered what kind of illness this was. She'd had stomach flus before, but this seemed to be much worse. Therese pressed her burning forehead into her hands and wished for Carol. But Carol was at work, and she had been so worried about not getting there on time. Therese didn't feel she could call her now. She'd lie down and wait until Carol got home late this afternoon.

Abandoning her half-buttered toast on the counter, telling herself she'd clean it up before Carol came home, Therese went back to bed and turned her hot face back into her pillow, closing her eyes, enjoying the relative cool of the bedroom. She'd just lie down for a little while, and then she'd probably feel a bit better. It could just be something she ate.

Her eyes closed.

//~//

Carol put her pen down and frowned. It was past noon, and usually Therese called just before she went out to grab herself some lunch. But the phone had been silent all morning, and even on Therese's busiest days, she never forgot to call Carol.

Picking up the phone, Carol dialled the number of the New York Times Photo department and asked for Therese, only to be told by a flat-voiced man that Therese hadn't come in that day.

"She called out sick, ma'am."

"Oh!" Carol stifled a note of surprise. "That's right, I do remember her saying she wasn't well today. Thank you. I'll give her a call at home."

"Yep." The man hung up abruptly and Carol's forehead creased in concern. Therese had called out sick? Carol knew she'd been tired, but she hadn't realized Therese wasn't actually feeling well. Poor baby. It would explain her recent fractiousness and exhaustion. It was like Therese to not say anything, either. Carol wondered, shifting uncomfortably in her hard chair, if she, too, was coming down with something. She was so sore and achy today.

She picked up the phone again and called home, but the phone rang and rang without an answer, and Carol wondered if Therese had decided to step out for a few minutes, maybe to go to the deli on the corner for their matzo ball soup, which she liked when she was sick. She started to feel concerned. She didn't like the idea of Therese at home by herself if she was feeling sick, though Therese often liked to be left alone when she had a cold, wanting to sleep it off. However, thought Carol a little fondly, she always liked to nurse, and was actually clingier that way than normally.

Carol stood up. She had an hour for lunch, and she decided she'd pop home and just see how Therese was doing. Picking up her keys, she hurried out to where she'd parked the Packard on the street. She knew she'd lose her spot, but she was more concerned with Therese.

Arriving home twenty minutes later, she opened the door of the apartment to find the fans going in the living room and kitchen, and frowned slightly. If Therese had left the house, she knew to turn them off. But that must mean she was still here. The apartment was hushed, a soporific afternoon spell over it already.

Carol walked into the kitchen and dropped her purse on the counter, noticing that Therese had abandoned a piece of toast on the counter and a glass of water. The aspirin had been taken from the bathroom and left beside the stove. She took off her blazer and hung it over a chair, stretching out her sore back, and then walked into the master bedroom, down the hall.

Therese lay asleep on the bed, her thumb in her mouth. There were tear-tracks on her face, and her pajamas looked rumpled and a little sweat-stained. There was a foul smell in the room, and Carol wrinkled her nose. They had an explicit agreement that Therese could use her diapers for wetting, but not for soiling. Carol hadn't even really changed any of Rindy's soiled diapers; she wasn't about to start with Therese now. Therese had been shocked by the idea, and had quickly agreed, which made this highly unusual. But - and Carol's face changed - if Therese had had an accident . . .

Therese woke up then, her face crumpling into a pout. She tried to clear her throat, but winced. "Owwww," she whimpered. She sat up and fumbled beside the bed for a glass of water, but it was empty. She grimaced as she moved, her soiled diaper clearly uncomfortable. Then she noticed Carol, and she started to cry.

"I'm sorry," wept Therese, rubbing her face, her voice sounding hoarse. "I didn't mean to."

Carol came and sat on the bed, taking her poor sick girl in her arms. "Oh, my darling," she murmured. "I'm so sorry you're not feeling well."

"I didn't mean to have an accident," Therese sobbed. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Carol. I feel awful." Her voice rose in a thin wail, and Carol hushed her, rocking her back and forth.

"Shh, shh, oh, Therese. Shh. It's all right, sweetheart. You're just not feeling well. It's not the end of the world. Your tummy's a little upset, isn't it?" Carol smoothed Therese's sweaty hair from her hot forehead. "Oh, and you've got a bit of a fever. Poor Therese."

Therese, usually not one for this sort of fussing, pushed her wet, mucus-covered face into Carol's blouse. Carol looked down at her, faintly surprised. Therese really must not be feeling well if she was this clingy.

"Okay, darling. I think you need a bath, don't you? Let's get you out of that dirty diaper and try to bring down that fever a little."

Therese shook her head. "I don't want a bath," she said, and started to shiver violently. Carol held her close and kissed the top of her head.

"I know you're feeling nasty. But you're very smelly and I think you'll feel better once we get you washed. I'm a little concerned about you getting a rash if you're having diarrhea, sweetheart."

Therese suddenly gagged, then, and Carol looked at her in alarm. "Are you going to be sick?"

Therese shook her head, but then she gagged again, and Carol made the decision to move them to the bathroom. Therese started to shake as she got to her feet, and Carol looked at her critically. She'd never seen Therese with such a high fever before. As soon as Therese got into the bathroom, she immediately turned on the tap and filled a glass, gulping the water gratefully.

"I won't be sick," she said, sounding exhausted and sinking down onto the toilet, wincing as she did so. "My throat is so sore, Carol. It makes me gag a little."

"Oh, sweetheart. Maybe it's tonsillitis." Carol started the bathwater and then came back and stroked Therese's hair. Therese leaned against Carol and started to cry.

"You must think I'm so disgusting," she wept, and Carol knelt down in front of her, trying to ignore the protest of her lower back, and kissed Therese's forehead.

"I don't think you're disgusting. I think you're very sick, and I think we need to make you more comfortable so that you can feel better."

"What if you get sick?" Therese's wide dark-blue eyes looked alarmed, and Carol laughed.

"I won't get sick. I don't have any tonsils," she said and winked at Therese. Therese smiled a little, but her eyes involuntarily closed and she slumped forward into Carol's arms, almost as if she couldn't bear to sit up straight any longer. Carol rubbed Therese's back. As smelly and as dirty as Therese was, and she didn't smell too pleasant, thought Carol, she was still so vulnerable and sweet.

"Say, Therese. Why don't I call out of work this afternoon and we can take a bath together?" Carol kissed the top of Therese's head and Therese nodded into Carol's shoulder.

"Yes, please."

"All right." Carol gently took off Therese's sweat-stained pajama top and rubbed her shoulders as Therese shivered violently, her fever causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. Therese clung to Carol, which made it hard to take off her pajama pants, but then she suddenly clutched the front of her plastic pants and her lower lip began to tremble.

"I'll do it," she whispered. Carol stroked her hair.

"Sweetheart, it's all right. You're just very sick. I really don't mind and I certainly am not going to be angry with you."

"No, Carol, I'll do it," said Therese, sounding like she was trying to be firm, but failing. "It's going to be terrible, and I . . ." She trailed off and started to cry again, her voice sounding cracked and exhausted.

"Nonsense," whispered Carol, kissing Therese's cheek. "Shh, shh. Let me take care of you."

Therese cried through Carol taking off her plastic pants and unpinning her diaper. She cried as Carol quietly wet a washcloth and cleaned her bottom, which did indeed show signs of a rash, and she cried as Carol helped her into the bathwater and then quickly and quietly disposed of the diaper by taking it directly to the trash chute outside the apartment door. She wasn't about to try to send that out with the laundry. Poor Therese didn't need to be reminded of this embarrassing accident, since it upset her so.

Before she came back to Therese in the bathroom, Carol stopped by the kitchen sink to wash her hands and then called Bob to let him know that she wouldn't be returning to the store this afternoon. "My niece is quite ill, and I'd rather keep an eye on her, Bob. I'm sure you understand."

Bob sighed. "I guess so. Carol, we were supposed to drive across town to check out that estate sale. I can go myself, I suppose, but I was counting on you . . ."

Carol resisted rolling her eyes. Men could be such babies. "You managed fine without me before I came," she reminded him, a little recklessly, she belatedly realized. "But I will be back on Monday unless Therese is worse. There's another sale you wanted me to go to then that will last a few days."

Bob agreed, in bad grace, Carol thought, and she hung up the phone. Returning to Therese, who was lying in the bath, her eyes closed, her face flushed alarmingly, Carol quietly removed her clothing and patted Therese's shoulder. "Move up a little bit, darling."

Therese obediently moved, though it seemed to cost her quite an effort. Carol settled in the warm water behind Therese, letting the smaller woman lie back against her chest. She kissed Therese's head and Therese moved so that she was facing Carol.

"There. That's a bit better, isn't it?" Carol kissed Therese's forehead, and Therese rested her cheek against Carol's breasts. She sighed and ran a finger over Carol's nipple, and Carol smiled knowingly.

"I don't think we've tried nursing in the bath, have we?"

Therese shook her head. "No. Could I?" She looked a little shy, and Carol rubbed her lower back under the water.

"Of course, sweetheart."

Therese latched on and closed her eyes. Carol leaned back against the back of the tub, closing her eyes, as well. If Therese had to be sick, at least they could have some peace and quiet in the soporific afternoon. Carol heard the birds chirping out the open bathroom window, and a little breeze blew in and cooled her wet skin. Therese shivered as it hit her skin, and Carol cradled her a little closer, gently splashing some water over Therese's shoulders and trying to keep her warm.

After a moment, though, Therese unlatched and looked up at Carol, grimacing. Carol kissed her nose. "What's the matter, Therese?"

"They're hard and I don't like it," pouted Therese, and Carol felt surprised.

"What's hard, angel?"

"Your . . . breasts. They don't feel like they normally do," complained Therese, and she gently cupped one of Carol's breasts, which was more sore now that Therese had nursed a little. "It's all hard."

"Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry," said Carol. "I haven't been feeling myself lately. I missed my time of the month last month, and well, I might be due for it soon. Maybe that's why they don't feel like they usually do. You're having a hard time today, aren't you?" She stroked Therese's damp hair, and Therese nodded, but she still latched back on, closing her eyes.

"Well, it doesn't seem to bother you that much," teased Carol gently, and she let Therese nurse for awhile. Therese switched sides after about ten minutes, and then promptly fell asleep, her cheek pillowed against Carol's chest.

"No, no, darling," murmured Carol, gently patting Therese's cheek so she'd wake up. "Not in the bath. Let's get you washed and then you can have a nap."

Therese whimpered, but she obediently sat up and let Carol wash her hair and her body, shivering as she was rinsed down. Then she turned and helped Carol wash her own hair, but she stopped after a few minutes and leaned, exhausted, against the side of the tub as Carol rinsed her hair.

"It's naptime for you, little one," said Carol, as she got out of the bath and wrapped a towel around herself. She helped Therese out and wrapped her tightly in her towel before she had time to get cold. Therese snuggled against Carol for a moment, but then she clutched her abdomen.

"Carol, you have to go," she said urgently, and quickly turned to sit on the toilet. Carol obediently left, but she heard Therese begin to cry as her bowels emptied themselves violently. Carol quietly closed the bathroom door and went to the bedroom to get dressed.

After she'd put on a light cotton skirt and a sleeveless silk blouse, she sat at the vanity and blow-dried her hair while Therese finished in the bathroom. When Therese came out, she looked absolutely spent and a little green. Carol clucked under her tongue.

"Let's get you into your pajamas and in bed. I'd usually insist you blow-dry your hair, but . . ." Carol trailed off as Therese shook her head and laid down on the bed, her chest heaving with the effort of walking from the bathroom back into the bedroom. A light sheen of sweat shone on her forehead.

Carol diapered Therese, making sure there was extra cloth in case of another accident, and helped her into her old blue polka-dot pajamas, tucking her into bed securely. Therese immediately turned onto her side and yawned, then looked up at Carol.

"Carol, can I nurse?" Therese looked close to tears, and Carol, for the first time, started to feel a little worried. She hadn't seen Therese this sick before - she hadn't even seen Rindy this sick before, not even when Rindy had the measles. Carol placed a cool hand on Therese's forehead and drew back as it seemed the bath hadn't helped to bring her fever down at all. Therese's forehead felt like it was on fire.

"I'm going to take your temperature, sweetie. Then, yes, you can nurse." Carol wasn't about to deny Therese anything at this point. "I'm concerned that you haven't seemed to have anything to eat today. I think you need to eat at some point."

"I don't want to," said Therese, her chin starting to quiver. "Please, Carol."

Carol sighed. "All right. You don't have to right now. But later, you're going to have some soup. And I'm going to get you some water. I want you to stay hydrated, sweetie."

Therese nodded, and Carol left to get the thermometer out of the bathroom, along with Therese's glass of water. Settling against the headboard, she took Therese in her arms and cradled her securely, pillows tucked under Therese's head and the covers keeping her warm. Therese started to unbutton Carol's blouse, but Carol shook her head.

"No, no," she reproved Therese, and Therese's lip came out. "I'm going to take your temperature first. Then you can nurse." Carol slipped the thermometer in Therese's mouth and checked the bedside alarm clock. "Three minutes."

Therese closed her eyes, and Carol unbuttoned her blouse, unhooking the front of her bra. Her breasts suddenly twinged at the thought of Therese nursing, and she had a sudden memory of cradling newborn Rindy and feeling the same twinge. The nurses at the time had told her that the twinges and welling feelings would go away after awhile, as long as she kept bottle-feeding the baby and not nursing her. Carol had a wild thought that she might actually be ready to let down her milk for Therese - before she realized that she hadn't ever really breastfed anyone before and the idea was preposterous. She must be just extremely hormonal.

Therese opened her eyes and spoke around the thermometer, her voice a little muffled. "Can I take it out yet?"

Carol checked the clock. Three minutes had passed. She nodded and took the thermometer out of Therese's mouth and tried not to show her alarm as the mercury read 103 degrees Fahrenheit. "Oh, baby. You definitely have a fever."

Therese tossed her head irritably. "I know. Carol, can't I nurse now? Please?" Her voice was so plaintive that Carol leaned down to kiss her hot forehead.

"Yes, Therese. But I'd like you to take some aspirin first." Carol placed a finger against Therese's lips as she started to open her mouth to protest. "Your fever is 103; I'm not about to let you go unmedicated, sweetheart. That's very dangerous."

Therese frowned but obediently sat up and swallowed the pills, taking a long slug of water, draining half the glass. Carol was glad to see Therese drinking, and she checked her diaper as Therese placed the glass back on the nightstand. She was dry.

"I'm still dry," said Therese irritably. "Don't I let you know usually that I'm wet?"

"Oh my goodness," said Carol a little playfully. "Someone is fussy. Come on, we'd better let you nurse. And no, you usually don't say anything," she said to Therese, who was already latched on and nursing intently. Therese closed her eyes and frowned, and Carol laughed, stroking Therese's hair. Clearly, Therese was not in the mood for any sort of teasing today.

Therese fell asleep against Carol, her hot body making Carol feel sweaty despite the air conditioning. But the aspirin started to work - after about half an hour, Therese didn't feel quite as hot. Carol gently disentangled herself from Therese, but the girl woke up a little, her eyes unfocused.

"No, don't go," she murmured, and Carol took Therese's hand.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart."

Therese closed her eyes again.