Sherilyn’s hands gripped the edge of the shoe rack tightly, but it wasn’t enough to keep her steady. Losing her balance, she collapsed to the floor. As she slipped into unconsciousness, her only thought was, “Oh no, I’ve scared Jenna!” “Waaaah… Mommy!”
“What happened?”
Sophia, hearing the commotion, rushed over and was just as frightened. She hurried to Sherilyn’s side, and upon seeing her eyes shut tight and her face as pale as a sheet, panic set in. Touching Sherilyn’s forehead, she exclaimed, “Oh my! You’re burning up! We need to get you to the hospital…”
“Waaaah!”
Understanding the seriousness of her mom’s condition, Jenna burst into tears and ran off.
“Jenna?” Sophia was confused. “Where are you going?”
Jenna made her way to the sofa, picked up the landline, and dialed a series of numbers with her little chubby fingers. The call connected, and Gilbert’s deep voice came through. “Hello…”
“Mr. Gilbert!” Jenna cried, tears streaming down her face. “Mommy’s sick! Mommy fell down! Waaaah…”
This was serious!
Upon hearing the news, Gilbert felt a sudden tightness in his scalp. “Jenna, sweetie, don’t cry! I’m on my way!”
“Okay! Please hurry, Mr. Gilbert!”
After a sniffly hang-up, even Sophia was in awe. The little one remembered Gilbert’s number by heart. Thank goodness for her. Otherwise, Sophia, left to care for Jenna on her own, would have been overwhelmed. Struggling, Sophia managed to get Sherilyn onto the couch to lie down, cautioning Jenna in the process. “Mommy’s sick, Jenna. You shouldn’t get too close… Mommy would feel so bad if you got sick too!” “Okay…”
Jenna seemed to half understand but obediently kept her distance. Tears pooled in her big eyes, looking both well-behaved and pitiful.
Then, Sophia fetched an ice pack from the freezer to cool Sherilyn down and mumbled, “Mr. Johnson should be here by now…”
The doorbell rang, and Jenna raced to open it.
“Mr. Gilbert!”
“Jenna!”
Gilbert scooped Jenna up and hastened inside, spotting Sherilyn lying on the couch.
“Mr. Johnson, you’re here…” Sophia stood up.
“Sophia.”
Nodding at her, Gilbert handed Jenna back. “Take care of Jenna for me. I’m taking Sherilyn to the hospital.” “Alright, will do!”
Gilbert then carefully lifted Sherilyn in his arms, and just as he steadied himself, the woman in his embrace opened her eyes. “Sherilyn?”
Sherilyn was delirious from the
fever, blinked a couple of times, and then her eyes shut again. Gilbert tightened his grip, feeling the heat emanating from her body… This was no minor cold! Turning around, he quickly left the apartment.
Behind him, Jenna’s cries lingered. “Jenna, be a good girl. Mr. Gilbert is taking Mommy to see the doctor, and after that, Mommy will be all better.”
“Mommy…”
…
Despite her feverish state, Sherilyn
was somewhat aware. But the fever was so intense it felt like she was being roasted over a fire, leaving her with no strength, every movement aching.
“The fever’s caused by a viral infection, and the fainting was due to anemia,” the doctor explained after the examination. “We’ll need to administer IV fluids for a couple of days.”
…
In the IV room, after receiving some
fluids, Sherilyn regained some
strength. She leaned back in her chair and thanked Gilbert with a
smile Thank you, really… I’m feeling
better now. You can go on with your day.”
Her tone was polite but unmistakably distant.
Gilbert’s eyes flickered with concern. “I can’t leave you like this… Let me call Edgar for you. Once he’s here, I’ll head out…”
As he reached for his phone, Sherilyn suddenly panicked. “Wait!” she exclaimed, stopping him in his tracks. “I… I’ll call him myself.” Gilbert paused, a bit taken aback, then nodded. “Alright, do you have your phone with you?”