John's Revenge
Illness
*Liv’s POV*
I went to pick Mona up from nursery. I was late, poor Mona would be the last kid there. I got Alyss out of the car and I held her hand as we walked into the nursery. I could hear children playing. I looked at my watch.
Six thirty? Who else would be here at six thirty?
I went inside and saw Joey and Addy running around with Mona.
“Amanda?” I called. She walked out of her office and saw me.
“Hi Olivia, are you taking Joey and Addy home today?”
“Not that I know of,” I frowned, picking Alyss up when she tugged on my skirt.
“Oh, they were meant to be picked up at lunch time. I can’t reach her at home and her mobile phone is switched off,” Amanda sighed.
“Well, I’ll take them with me and try to get hold of Adrienne.” I smiled at Amanda. “Mona! Joey! Addy! Get your stuff, it’s time to go!”
Joey ran up to me. “Where’s Mommy and Jake?”
“They’re out. You’re having dinner with me and Mona and Alyss today.”
“OK.” He grinned at me and ran off.
We all piled into the car and I drove home. I used the car phone to ring Adie’s house. There was no answer. I tried her mobile phone, it was switched off. Just then, my mobile rang.
“Hello, Liv, it’s Adrienne.”
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” I pulled over at the side of the road.
“Um, I’m in the hospital with Jakob, could you pick up Addy and Joey from nursery please?”
“You’re in the hospital? What’s wrong?”
I heard Adrienne sobbing.
“Jakob’s got meningitis, the doctors are doing tests but they don’t know if he’s going to make it. And he keeps having these things the doctors call “febrile convulsions”, when he goes all stiff and he starts jerking and his eyes…”
She couldn’t speak anymore.
“Don’t worry sweetie, I’ve got Joey and Addy with me right now. Do you want me to try and get hold of Billie Joe?”
“Yes please, he should be here.”
“OK, I’ll look after Joey and Addy for as long as I can, I have a key to your house, so I can stop by and pick up what they need.”
“Thank you Liv. I’ve gotta go now, the doctors want to talk to me. Thank you, bye.”
Adrienne hung up as did I. I reached over and put my mobile in the glove box.
“Aunty Liv, what’s wrong?” Addy said.
“Nothing sweetie,” I turned around, wiping a tear from my cheek. “But you and Joey have to stay with me for a while, because Jake’s a little bit poorly.”
“Okay.”
I drove to Billie and Adie’s house. I got everyone out of the car and took them inside. I told Addy and Joey to choose some toys. Then, I got four cups of juice and a coffee.
I took the phone from the hall and called Billie’s mobile number.
“Hello, Billie, this is Liv. I need you to ring me the minute you get this message. It’s really important.”
I tried Mike’s mobile and Tré’s but got the answer phone on both. I left them similar messages, then tried the tour bus phone.
“Hello, Terry Evans, driver for Green Day, how may I help you?”
“Terry! It’s Olivia, I need to speak to Billie Joe, now.”
“I’m afraid they have just this minute gone on stage, can I take a message?”
“Yes, I need him to ring me the second he finishes the show, it’s urgent.”
“Okay, I’ll let him know.”
“Thank you, bye.”
I hung up and went upstairs, grabbing a suitcase from the hall cupboard. I threw in some clothes and toys, then went downstairs.
They were all in the kitchen. Alyss was sitting at the table, drinking her juice. Addy, Mona and Joey, however, were not sitting at the table. Addy was standing on the counter, looking in the cupboards. Mona was standing on a chair giggling and Joey was hammering a tune on some up-turned saucepans.
Alyss looked up. “Uh-oh.” She said quietly.
The three elder children froze and slowly turned their heads to face me.
“Cookie?” smiled Addy. Mona nodded. Joey just grinned.
I went to pick Mona up from nursery. I was late, poor Mona would be the last kid there. I got Alyss out of the car and I held her hand as we walked into the nursery. I could hear children playing. I looked at my watch.
Six thirty? Who else would be here at six thirty?
I went inside and saw Joey and Addy running around with Mona.
“Amanda?” I called. She walked out of her office and saw me.
“Hi Olivia, are you taking Joey and Addy home today?”
“Not that I know of,” I frowned, picking Alyss up when she tugged on my skirt.
“Oh, they were meant to be picked up at lunch time. I can’t reach her at home and her mobile phone is switched off,” Amanda sighed.
“Well, I’ll take them with me and try to get hold of Adrienne.” I smiled at Amanda. “Mona! Joey! Addy! Get your stuff, it’s time to go!”
Joey ran up to me. “Where’s Mommy and Jake?”
“They’re out. You’re having dinner with me and Mona and Alyss today.”
“OK.” He grinned at me and ran off.
We all piled into the car and I drove home. I used the car phone to ring Adie’s house. There was no answer. I tried her mobile phone, it was switched off. Just then, my mobile rang.
“Hello, Liv, it’s Adrienne.”
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” I pulled over at the side of the road.
“Um, I’m in the hospital with Jakob, could you pick up Addy and Joey from nursery please?”
“You’re in the hospital? What’s wrong?”
I heard Adrienne sobbing.
“Jakob’s got meningitis, the doctors are doing tests but they don’t know if he’s going to make it. And he keeps having these things the doctors call “febrile convulsions”, when he goes all stiff and he starts jerking and his eyes…”
She couldn’t speak anymore.
“Don’t worry sweetie, I’ve got Joey and Addy with me right now. Do you want me to try and get hold of Billie Joe?”
“Yes please, he should be here.”
“OK, I’ll look after Joey and Addy for as long as I can, I have a key to your house, so I can stop by and pick up what they need.”
“Thank you Liv. I’ve gotta go now, the doctors want to talk to me. Thank you, bye.”
Adrienne hung up as did I. I reached over and put my mobile in the glove box.
“Aunty Liv, what’s wrong?” Addy said.
“Nothing sweetie,” I turned around, wiping a tear from my cheek. “But you and Joey have to stay with me for a while, because Jake’s a little bit poorly.”
“Okay.”
I drove to Billie and Adie’s house. I got everyone out of the car and took them inside. I told Addy and Joey to choose some toys. Then, I got four cups of juice and a coffee.
I took the phone from the hall and called Billie’s mobile number.
“Hello, Billie, this is Liv. I need you to ring me the minute you get this message. It’s really important.”
I tried Mike’s mobile and Tré’s but got the answer phone on both. I left them similar messages, then tried the tour bus phone.
“Hello, Terry Evans, driver for Green Day, how may I help you?”
“Terry! It’s Olivia, I need to speak to Billie Joe, now.”
“I’m afraid they have just this minute gone on stage, can I take a message?”
“Yes, I need him to ring me the second he finishes the show, it’s urgent.”
“Okay, I’ll let him know.”
“Thank you, bye.”
I hung up and went upstairs, grabbing a suitcase from the hall cupboard. I threw in some clothes and toys, then went downstairs.
They were all in the kitchen. Alyss was sitting at the table, drinking her juice. Addy, Mona and Joey, however, were not sitting at the table. Addy was standing on the counter, looking in the cupboards. Mona was standing on a chair giggling and Joey was hammering a tune on some up-turned saucepans.
Alyss looked up. “Uh-oh.” She said quietly.
The three elder children froze and slowly turned their heads to face me.
“Cookie?” smiled Addy. Mona nodded. Joey just grinned.