The Courtship of Cerridwen Circe Whitethorn
Chapter 6: Sick in Bed

It was still raining cats and dogs the next day, water was starting to stand in the streets, Wilson creek was out of its banks and Willow Creek was swollen. The Big Black River was at normal levels though, that was a good thing. Nobody was predicting a flood yet, though a rumor was going around the school that if the rain kept up. Homecoming would be canceled this year, which included the annual hostage exchange. Now, Benton Academy has this weird tradition that each homecoming they play their biggest rival Manchester Academy, part of them playing Manchester Academy is that Benton Academy gives up one of her students, in return for a Manchester student. The student who is given up is called a 'Hostage'.

The 'Hostage' is treated more or less like a guest of honor, they sit with the cheerleader, they are normally fed a steak dinner. And normally cheer on their team from the other side of the field. Sounds good right, but there's a catch, the catch is that the student from the losing school is subjected to a humiliating forfeit. Often they are pushed into a home-made gunge tank and covered in slime that is the color of the winning school. Green and White if Manchester wins, and Red and White if Benton Academy wins.

Anyway Homecoming was still a fortnight away. And because I wanted to, I had volunteered to be the Benton Academy hostage, Lily Elizabeth Potter, who was the Captain of the Varsity Cheerleader Squad had accepted it without giving it a second thought. Anyway, my motivation for volunteering was not school spirit as is supposed to be the case, and I could care less about football. No, I wanted to volunteer because no matter who won the game, I would get a sparkling new dress and two tickets for the Homecoming dance afterwards out of the deal.

And well, I'd hoped that Daisy would be attending that dance with. I wanted him to attend the dance with, and you know made it official at Homecoming, It would be so romantic. Even if I ended up getting slimed, it would be so worth it. I just wanted the world to see that Daisy and I were a pair, even though most of the school thought I'd hated him, since I'd slapped the heck out of him yesterday in front of the whole school. That had just been a big, okay huge misunderstanding.

That had been a major social blunder on my part, since according to the grapevine most of the girls at school decided that Daisy was back on the market. And were starting to move in to steal him. My best friend forever, Taylor Anna Croft had kind of made matters worse by jumping Daisy as soon as he came home. My other best friend, Madeline, had crawled Daisy's ass from one side of Benton to the other when word reached her. And Lily and Jamie, God bless their souls, had added to the confusion when they cornered Daisy at their family store. From what was told to me from somebody who had witnessed it, both Potter girls had given that boy a fair piece of their minds.

In the end, I think Daisy decided that dating me would not be worth the hassle, so while I'd hoped and prayed to whomever out there would listen to my prayers that Daisy would decide to accept my offer and go to the Homecoming dance with me. I knew there was also a chance he would reject my offer. I was steeling myself for that rejection.

All of these thoughts flew around my scattered brain mind as I started to climb the concrete steps that lead to the second floor of the nurses office. You see I'd woken up with a scratchy throat and feeling a bit under the weather. Mrs. Potter had noticed while I was having breakfast with Lily and Jamie. All three of them strongly suggested that I stay home from school today.

I was tempted too, so very tempted, but in the end I decided to go to school anyways, after all I had to explain to Daisy why I'd snapped, and to make it up for him. I still owed him some ice cream. But since my friends had jumped him and chewed him out, ice cream might not be good enough. Maybe McDonald's or Pizza Hut. And yes, I still really wanted to buy him some ice cream and talk to him. To air out these feelings.

That had been my plan anyway, instead after the second period I felt the first signs of a fever starting to come over me. Halfway through the second period, I was falling asleep. Instead of being scolded though, I was told to see the nurse, it was clear to everybody but me that I was sick, how sick I don't know. I hoped that it was just a mild cold. The last thing I wanted to get was the flu and miss my date on Saturday night with Daisy, that is, if he still wanted to see me. And I did not want to play the hostage, for my own selfish reasons.

Again all of these thoughts seemed to swirl around me, as I forced myself to climb the wooden stairwell/ My arms felt like they were on fire and my legs felt like lead. Each step forward I took took a huge amount of effort and seemed to drain me of every ounce of strength I had in my slender frame. Once I reached the nurses office, I could barely raise my arm, but somehow I found the strength to knock upon the wood door.

I knocked once, and nothing happened, a moment later I knocked again and still nothing. I was just about to knock again when the door opened and there in the doorway appeared dawn, dressed in a starched white dress with short sleeves. White stocking and white high heel shoes. And to top it off a white apron was tied around her. She looked like a nurse straight from one of the story books my mom used to read me when I was little. Anyway, Dawn just looked at me for a few seconds before pronouncing judgment.

“Summer cold?” She asked as she raised an eyebrow. She moved to the side. “It's going around. We've had fifteen or so students call in today with high fevers, chills, and stuff. And I've sent four home this morning.” Dawn then added. “I could send you home. Or I could let you sleep here for the rest of the day. And give you some over the counter cold tablets.” She said as she motioned for me to step into the nurses office.

“If I can sleep here, that would be a big help. Mom and dad are flying in today from Dallas.” I said, taking a deep breath. “And I'm staying with the Potters and right now they are busy with their shop. I think I just rested a little rest that all.” I said as I slumped down into a nearby chair.

Dawn took notice and peered at me.

“Maybe a touch of the flu too, tell me Cerridwen have you gotten your flu shot yet?” She said as she started to dig through the cabinets. “Oh bloody hell, where did I put that blasted thermometer again?” I heard her whisper under her breath.

“No, I normally get my flu shot around the middle of October, right before Halloween.” I said as I watched Dawn dig, she was reminded of a mole digging through the freshly tilled soil of mom's herb garden that was located behind the house.

“I'll strongly suggest that you get it before then. This flu season is going to be a kicker. Both you and Daisy need both of yours as soon as possible.” She said, sighing then at long last she found what she was looking for. She placed the thermometer on the counter top and started to dig for something else. A few moments later she placed a folded night gown next to the thermometer. The night gown was pink and featured one of the Disney princesses in the middle.

“And with you playing the hostage this year, I would get it. Along with any other shot you're missing.” She paused. “Hey you and  Daisy could come here and I'll give you guys it, I won't even charge you a dime unlike CVS does. Then you two can go out for ice cream or get McDonald's together. It would be a cute girl, like a date.” Dawn smiled as held her hand up to her cheek. “I get to watch over your budding romance, man this is pure gold. If I could draw, I would totally make a manga about you and Daisy, alas I can only write and I'm behind on deadline.”

The last part just flew over my head. So instead of trying to process what Dawn said I focused on the night gown. After a few minutes I muttered the following words.

“Jesus Dawn.” I said with a huge sigh. “Really? Pink and Disney Princesses? I'm a Hot Topic girl, I eat Disney girls for breakfast.”

“Really?” Dawn said as she turned toward me, “You'll sleep better with this on. Plus its just us girls now.” She said, “Now,” She commanded, “Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.” She commanded as she picked up the thermometer.

I did as she commanded and a few seconds later she was sticking the thermometer into my mouth. She stuck it right under my tongue. It is the most uncomfortable thing you can ever imagine. A few seconds later the thermometer beeps after the third beep, Dawn pulled the thermometer out of my mouth. She glanced down at it and then heaved a heavy sigh.

“Girl. What I should do is call the freaking hospital, you're running a high fever.” She said as she turned around. “Anyway I know the quality of the local hospital, it's nothing more than a band-aid station. If I send you there with a mild touch of the flu, you'll be dead by sunrise the next day with something else.” Dawn sighs. “Jesus, no wonder you local's call it 'King Slaughters',”.

I blinked and blinked again. And slowly I started to lift myself from my chair. There was no way in hell I was going to King Daughters Hospital, everybody in town knew it was nothing more than a band-aid station hospital. And what is a band-aid station hospital, well according to Urban Dictionary and I quote, 'Band Aid Station: band aid station small local hospital, typically infers substandard care. Often used by healthcare professionals at large, cutting-edge hospitals. So named because they are only capable of basic first-aid such as applying band-aids.' End quote.

“And where do you think your going Ms. Whitethorn?” Dawn said she gently pushed me back down into the wooden chair.

“I'm not going to King Daughters Hospital.” I said looking up at Dawn. “I'm not going, they almost killed Jamie a year ago! And they told she just had a cold, instead of the flu. And they told Taylor she had a sprained wrist instead of a broken wrist. Plus the hospital is haunted, and even if you were to take me by ambulance. I'll still be in the waiting room for at least a good five or seven hours before somebody sees me.” I said.

“I had no idea things were like that.” Dawn said with a sign. “Maybe the new director will turn things around. I have several friends whom I went through school with that want to settle here. Most of them are nurses but one or two are doctors.” Dawn shook her head. “Anyway go ahead and change into the gown.” She said pointing toward a bathroom that was attached to the nurses office. “I'll prepare the bed in the meantime.” And with that being said, Dawn rose up and walked over to some storage cabinets.

I hung my head down and sighed and picked up the gown, I then walked into the bathroom. A moment later I was stepping out, the first thing I noticed was the gown was one size too big and most damning of all it was pink. I hated it with a passion of a thousand burning suns, it was the most girlish color one could think of, if the gown had been black or even purple it would have been fine. But it was pink, and featured a Disney princess, the one with blue eyes and golden blonde hair, the cartoon image reminded of Jamie oddly enough. At this point my arms felt cold and clammy and I was breathing through my mouth. Dawn noticed and quickly took my uniform from my hand and placed it to the side.

“Okay.” She said, taking a deep breath. “Straight into bed with you!” She said pointing to the hospital. The hospital bed was one of those old fashioned hospital beds, you know the ones with iron railing at the head and a place for a chart to be hung at the foot. I was sure the hospital bed came from the old Mercy Hospital. A Roman Catholic Hospital in Vicksburg that was rumored to be haunted by the ghost of an evil nurse called 'Nurse Spooky' who according to urban legend was said to prey upon children who strayed from their rooms at night.

“Is that bed haunted?” I asked as I peered toward Dawn.

Dawn sighed and shook her head “No, it's not haunted, I don't think beds can be haunted.” She said, peering at me. “Anyway, the sheets are clean and I'd just washed the blanket and pillow this morning.” She said as she started to dig through the mini fridge she kept in her office. A moment later she pulled out a bottle of bluish looking Gator-aid.

A moment later Dawn pushed the gator-aid into my hand, this was followed by two cold tablet tablets. I blinked and popped the cold tablets into my mouth and swallowed a mouth full of gator-aid.

“Drink it all.” Dawn said as she turned her back, she then marched away, “I gotta find a fan.” She called over her shoulders. “It's way too hot in here. Also if you need to take a wee you know where the bathroom is. Just watch when you flesh, the chain sometimes comes off. The plumbing in this school is out of date.” She called out. “Like most things in this town.” She added under her breath.

I rolled my shoulder and finished drinking the Gator-aid, it tasted like water that had been strained through a dirty gym sock. But it was supposed to be good for you after all, right? After all, the cheerleaders drank this stuff like soothing water and so did the footballers. Once I'd finished I tossed the empty plastic bottle into a nearby trash can.

A few seconds later Dawn returned with a big, black, box fan. She plugged the fan in and turned it on high and pointed it toward the bed. I blink and she pointed toward the bed. At this point I nodded my head and turned toward the bed. I still thought the bed was haunted. Like who knows how many people had passed away on that thing. Or worse yet, how many people had gotten their thrills on that thing. Shit with my recent run of luck I might wake up and a ghost would hang around the foot of the thing, waiting to drag my soul to hell.

Anyway I tossed the covers back and climbed into the bed, I lifted the covers back. A few moments later Dawn had plugged in the fan and had turned it directly on me. She was also holding a jar, a blue plastic jar. She eased down upon the bed.

“Here.” She said unscrewing the jar. “This should open up your chest and allow you to breathe a little better.” She said dipping her hand down into the jar she spooned out a big handful of clear cream. Without saying another word she started to rub the cream onto my chest. A few seconds later the fumes from the cream reached my nose and I did start to breathe a little better.

“And now.” Dawn said after she rubbed the cream into my chest. “More Gator-aid and sleep.” She said putting a fresh bottle of gator-aid by my bedside. “I'll wake you up an hour before school lets out and I'll see about getting you some lunch. Until then, get some sleep. Drink plenty of gator-aid, and you know where the bathroom is if you have to wee.” Dawn sighed. “Anyway, I gotta try to get this newest chapter written, my publisher riding my coattails.” And with that Dawn left me.

“Good luck!” I said and with that I laid down and closed my eyes and before I knew it, sleep overcame me.

To be Continued.