“Sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll bring them home later. Go look after your girl.”
“Daddy, I don’ts feel well,” Betsy complained as Ink settled her into bed. She could barely remember the drive home or him carrying her upstairs.
He’d stripped her off and dressed her in one of her favorite nighties.
She snuggled in, clasping hold of Floppy who had been hidden under the pile of cushions she’d bought for the bed, pulling him in close. She kept him hidden during the day in case Royal or Baron walked in.
It had amazed her how well they were all getting on. She was under no illusions that everything would always be perfect. But she never wanted perfection.
She just wanted happiness.
“I know you don’t, button,” Ink told her soothingly. He brushed her hair off her face. “I don’t even have a thermometer to take your temperature.” He picked up his phone. “Gonna get one of the guys to pick up some stuff for me. Hack will be here soon to check you over.”
“Don’t need the doctor.”
“Well, he’s coming so you’re going to cooperate.”
She tried to protest, but she started sneezing instead. Her head was throbbing, her throat ached and she just wanted to sleep.
The sound of Ink talking lulled her into sleep. It wasn’t until she felt her hair being brushed away from her ear that she woke up with a grumble.
“Shh, it’s okay, button. Hack is just taking your temperature.” Something was pressed into her ear and there was a beep.
“Yep, it’s 102. Betsy, can you open your mouth wide for me?”
She opened her eyes with a disgruntled frown. “Wanna sleep.”
“I know, button,” Ink said soothingly. “Just let Hack check you over and you can sleep. Okay?”
“Okay.” She suffered through Hack’s ministrations with just a few grumbles. Then when he was finished, Ink tucked her up under the covers.
“She’s got a very red throat and her glands are swollen. Plus she has a fever,” Hack said to Ink as she closed her eyes. “Keep her quiet. Get fluids into her when you can. If her temperature spikes or you can’t get fluids into her, let me know. I’ll put an IV in for her.”
“An IV?”
“Just being careful. I don’t think it will come to that if you make certain she rests and looks after herself.”
Ink brushed her hair back off her forehead. She sighed happily at his touch.
“She doesn’t have to look after herself. Not when she has me.”
Something rubbery pressed against her lips and she grumbled, pushing it away.
“Button, you need to drink this. You haven’t drunk any of the water from your sippy cup.
“Betsy doesn’t want to drink. Betsy wants to sleep.”
“We’re back to talking about ourselves in the third person, huh? Come on, button. Drink this for me. You don’t have to do anything but suck.”
She gave a disgruntled grumble and turned her head away. “Betsy is sick. Betsy doesn’t feel well.”
“She’ll feel better after a bottle.”
“A bottle?” She forced her eyes open to see he was sitting on the bed facing her with a baby’s bottle in his hand although it looked bigger than a normal baby’s bottle. “I don’ts need a bottle, Daddy. I a big girl.”
“Well, I gave you a chance to drink from your sippy cup and you didn’t. Besides, you’re sick and it will be easier to take care of you if I give you fluids like this.”