It began to get worse in the middle of September. Helen felt ill, and his Helen never felt ill. She was coughing and one morning she just couldn't get out of the bed. ”Are you sure you can take care of the children? I can call in sick...” ”No, no, don't do that...” She coughed. ”I will be fine, just fine.” she said. Maltravers therefore prepared both breakfast and lunch for his family. It wasn't the most nutritious meals, nor did it taste very good but both boys ate with appetite. ”William, promise me to take care of your brother today, mother is not feeling well.” He said and smile towards his oldest son. ”Okay.” William said. ”Why is mom not feeling well?” he asked, with the sincerity that only children can have. William looked a lot like his father. He had blond hair that fell around his angelic, slightly chubby face. But it was going to grow away, because unlike his father William was an active child. Bessie always told Maltravers that he was too active, that it wasn't normal for boys never to sleep and just talk and talk. ”I don't know.” Georges honest answer was. ”If I knew I would be a doctor, wouldn't I?” William nodded. ”Yes, but you would not be a good doctor, father.” He smiled. ”Because a doctor need to look scary.” Maltravers smiled at that comment and turned to feed Charles who looked like he had banged his head in the food. Maltravers wondered if Charles was ever going to grow up to be somewhat normal.
He spent his whole day worrying, not about Bess, she would be fine if she just got some rest, he was sure about that. But about his boys. He couldn't really concentrate on the tasks he was given. What if William set fire to the house, or if Charles got squeezed under the sofa. He tried to stay calm, but he rushed home from work faster than usually, just to come home to something he had never seen before. The whole house was messy, toys everywhere. The kitchen looked like it was had been a battlefield. But the boys where alright. Dirty, but alright, Maltravers thought as he gave them a bath, a sandwich and tucked them to bed. He looked into their bedroom, she was still in the bed, she looked like she had not moved at all. ”Bess, have you eaten anything?” ”No... I am not hungry.” She coughed. ”Just tired.” Maltravers didn't care, if he had only learned one thing at the army it was that one had to eat or one would not be able to fight. He found some leftover chicken that he made a simple soup out of, and he tried to clean the livingroom but quickly realized that he didn't know how to. She ate his soup, told him that it was horrible, but smiled faintly.
She was sick the next day too, and the next. The young woman next door agreed on keeping an eye on William and Charles, she thought they where adorable. And he sent for a doctor. The doctor was as one would think doctors should be, tall and with greying hair. He didn't take long. ”Mr. Maltravers.” he said after comming out of the bedroom. ”Yes.” Maltravers said, eager. ”I think that your wife might have pneumonia.” The doctor went down to the stair while telling Maltravers why he thought that Elizabeth had pneumonia. Maltravers did not know much about medicines and the human body, but he did know that... it was deadly. ”I would like to move her to a hospital. She would have a better chance there.” He smiled and patted Maltravers back. ”It will be just fine.”
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
Re: Unprompted: Blenkinsop/Maltravers - They Owe Us A Life 14a
Date: 2011-11-24 09:49 am (UTC)It began to get worse in the middle of September. Helen felt ill, and his Helen never felt ill. She was coughing and one morning she just couldn't get out of the bed. ”Are you sure you can take care of the children? I can call in sick...”
”No, no, don't do that...” She coughed. ”I will be fine, just fine.” she said. Maltravers therefore prepared both breakfast and lunch for his family. It wasn't the most nutritious meals, nor did it taste very good but both boys ate with appetite.
”William, promise me to take care of your brother today, mother is not feeling well.” He said and smile towards his oldest son.
”Okay.” William said. ”Why is mom not feeling well?” he asked, with the sincerity that only children can have. William looked a lot like his father. He had blond hair that fell around his angelic, slightly chubby face. But it was going to grow away, because unlike his father William was an active child. Bessie always told Maltravers that he was too active, that it wasn't normal for boys never to sleep and just talk and talk.
”I don't know.” Georges honest answer was. ”If I knew I would be a doctor, wouldn't I?”
William nodded. ”Yes, but you would not be a good doctor, father.” He smiled. ”Because a doctor need to look scary.” Maltravers smiled at that comment and turned to feed Charles who looked like he had banged his head in the food. Maltravers wondered if Charles was ever going to grow up to be somewhat normal.
He spent his whole day worrying, not about Bess, she would be fine if she just got some rest, he was sure about that. But about his boys.
He couldn't really concentrate on the tasks he was given. What if William set fire to the house, or if Charles got squeezed under the sofa. He tried to stay calm, but he rushed home from work faster than usually, just to come home to something he had never seen before. The whole house was messy, toys everywhere. The kitchen looked like it was had been a battlefield. But the boys where alright. Dirty, but alright, Maltravers thought as he gave them a bath, a sandwich and tucked them to bed.
He looked into their bedroom, she was still in the bed, she looked like she had not moved at all. ”Bess, have you eaten anything?”
”No... I am not hungry.” She coughed. ”Just tired.” Maltravers didn't care, if he had only learned one thing at the army it was that one had to eat or one would not be able to fight. He found some leftover chicken that he made a simple soup out of, and he tried to clean the livingroom but quickly realized that he didn't know how to.
She ate his soup, told him that it was horrible, but smiled faintly.
She was sick the next day too, and the next. The young woman next door agreed on keeping an eye on William and Charles, she thought they where adorable.
And he sent for a doctor. The doctor was as one would think doctors should be, tall and with greying hair. He didn't take long. ”Mr. Maltravers.” he said after comming out of the bedroom.
”Yes.” Maltravers said, eager.
”I think that your wife might have pneumonia.” The doctor went down to the stair while telling Maltravers why he thought that Elizabeth had pneumonia. Maltravers did not know much about medicines and the human body, but he did know that... it was deadly. ”I would like to move her to a hospital. She would have a better chance there.” He smiled and patted Maltravers back. ”It will be just fine.”