Sixes & Sevens (Seven Hearts Book 1) (23 page)

Returning from the health center, Jonathan found Jaycee and Marc right where he’d left them. Apparently Sean had run to the store to grab a couple of dry-erase boards, and some other sore throat conveniences. Eventually, someone would need to run to the pharmacy to pick up Jaycee’s prescription because the test confirmed that it was confirmed as strep. Jonathan ordered Jaycee to lie down on the sofa while the guys brought everything to her. Kleenexes, cough drops, books, and everything else the guys thought she might need were piled on the coffee tables around her. Garrett even gave her a bell in case she needed something, but couldn’t ask for it because it hurt too much to speak.

She felt miserable, but pampered. She prayed the guys wouldn’t fall sick too, but Jonathan hadn’t given her much hope of that coming to pass. Besides, she’d already kissed a couple of them, and the others were always touching and kissing her face…it wouldn’t be hard for them to catch it. Not that she knew when she’d contracted it, or from whom for that matter. Jaycee felt terrible that she’d gone out earlier in the day, but hoped the spa followed the strict business practice of wiping everything down with sterilizer. Marc volunteered to pick up Jaycee’s meds, and he hurried there and back—like the hourglass was running out of sand. Jonathan measured out the liquid and fed Jaycee her dose.

Although Garrett had given her the bell, Jaycee wound up texting the guys instead of speaking. It was tiring trying to type on such a small screen, so Jaycee was thrilled when Sean returned with the dry-erase board. Her throat had only gotten worse all evening, till she was feeling miserable. The guys turned the television to a rom com and let her relax. They gathered other chairs around the sofa and talked in low tones, hoping to let her sleep. Tonight would have been Sean’s night with Jaycee, but he would have to wait till she was better, or at least, not apt to give him what she had. Tonight, the guys would all sleep in their own beds, but none of them were thrilled about it. Despite being vulnerable to illness, they agreed they’d rather stick close to Jaycee, but she would hear none of it. Even as she fell asleep, she ordered them to sleep in their own beds.

“I hate seeing her like this. Poor Princess has had terrible luck since she met us,” Alec groaned.

“I think her luck has been terrible for years, don’t blame yourself,” Marc offered in comfort.

“How long will she stay sick for?” Sean asked.

“It’s hard to tell. I guess it depends on how early we caught it, but considering how messed up her throat looked, she’s not likely to get better overnight.” Jonathan answered sadly, wiping his glasses.

Slowly the guys got up, and headed to their bedrooms. Jonathan was the only straggler. He couldn’t stand to see her hurting, and he was worried about her temperature. Despite her threats, he decided to sleep in a chair beside her. Throughout the night he checked her temperature with a swipe to the forehead, his sleeping beauty would require more than that to wake her up. Her temperature climbed slowly, but never quite reached a true fever. It wasn’t a bad circumstance, it only meant her body was fighting hard to cure her. He hoped she’d win the battle quickly. School would be starting very soon, and while he could write her a doctor’s note, he hoped she’d be well enough to attend. It didn’t look good to miss the first day.

January 10, 2016

The next morning found several more of the household sick. Garrett, Lee, and Alec had all developed signs of strep. Jonathan took swabs of all their throats, and took them to his lab early in the morning. Breakfast wasn’t their usual affair, as half the crew was denied eating anything but soft foods. They were given oatmeal by Jonathan’s orders. Air mattresses had been placed in the living room for the fallen to lie on. Since they were all sick, there was no longer any reason to be keep anyone separate. Not that the guys had been avoiding Jaycee. On the contrary, they’d paid more attention to her since she’d fallen ill.

Jonathan was kept busy at work, as the campus was apparently facing a rash of cases of strep throat. Jonathan had taken to wearing a mask and gloves at work. He wouldn’t be much help to anyone if he became ill as well…though he didn’t hold out much hope. Two of the nurses had fallen ill already so he was short staffed and running out of patience. Why couldn’t people just stay home when they knew they were sick? Or, at the very least, wash their hands! As a doctor, he felt it was his duty to remind people to take the proper precautions when sick, but it always fell on deaf ears. He couldn’t blame those people who had no other option, if you needed to make a living you did what you had to do. He believed that as a society we’d gotten rather complacent about the severity sickness could cause some. The elderly and children usually took the brunt of it, but those who were already ill were at elevated risk as well.

Jonathan asked Sean to take the day to run errands for him. Sean picked up prescriptions for the guys, and fetched supplies for Jonathan. He even wound up doing some office work by the end of the day. As if having strep floating around campus wasn’t bad enough, there were other germs spreading too. Sean was glad to help, even when he was feeling run down he kept a fast pace and a smile. There were times Jonathan was so proud of Sean. Jonathan was lucky his parents had adopted Sean. He’d gotten a brother and a friend at the same time. He worried about Sean getting sick, but Sean didn’t seem bothered.

“The math is against me, so it’s gonna happen. But it doesn’t matter. We know what to look for. I’ll keep an eye out for symptoms and we’ll catch it early,” Sean assured him.

“I’ll remember that when you’re complaining your throat is on fire,” Jonathan shot back with a smile.

“I’m sure you will,” Sean said fondly.

Jaycee had finally taken to using the dry-erase board as her means of communication, but eventually it turned into games of hangman and tic-tac-toe with Garrett and Alec. Alec really was a baby when he was sick. He made the others fetch everything for him, whining all the while. His charm and personality completely abandoned him when he was unwell. Garrett, on the other hand, stayed much the same, as he never spoke up regularly. While they played games, he’d turned on a sporting show about rodeos. Jaycee tried to picture him on the horses, instead of the real riders. When she imagined him wearing chaps and a cowboy hat, it made her smile. Besides his boots, which were mostly covered by his jeans, Garrett didn’t exactly dress like a cowboy. Button up shirts, even in plaid, weren’t delegated to any one group. During work hours, if he wore a hat, it was a hard hat.

That night, Lee came in looking red faced. He had a fever and a sore throat, it had spread again. While Lee looked like something the cat threw up, he didn’t act ill, but he did plop unceremoniously down beside Jaycee without saying a word. He rested his head in her lap, and gave her sad eyes. She picked up the board and wrote, “I’m sorry.” To which he replied, “Don’t be. Now I can stay home with you.”

By the end of the night, the only person not sick in the house, was Jonathan. Either his immune system was heads above the rest, or his busy schedule kept him away from their germs for longer. Whatever the reason, he used the time to write notes for each of the others, excusing them from classes on Monday. Lee and Marc used their doctor’s notes to excuse themselves from their obligations as well. Self-defense and the agency would have to survive without them for a couple of days. They could go back after twenty-four hours, but only if their symptoms were gone.

Jonathan had spent so much time tending ill patients, he was feeling the strain. He pressed his hands against his eyes, trying to relieve the tension, until he saw phosphenes. He decided to take the day off too, so he could tend to his family. He called another doctor in to replace him for a few days. Better safe than sorry. His replacement was a highly recommended specialist, and they had studied together in med school. He wouldn’t have any trouble picking up Jonathan’s patients.

While it was supposed to be his day with Jaycee the next morning, he’d need to forgo that for now. Although he would spend the day with her, cooking and taking care of the guys, it wasn’t what he’d had in mind. He probably needed to call his parents and reschedule their visit, not that it would go over well. Since they weren’t overly involved parents, when they did take the time to visit, they expected Sean and Jonathan to drop everything, and dance to their tune. This time they would be sadly disappointed.

Jacqueline and Ronald Kavanagh had been touring the Mediterranean on their yacht, but they decided to come home to spend a day with their sons once or twice a year. They weren’t mean people and they didn’t treat others impolitely, except that they were very selfish. Ever since Jonathan was very young, they would take off to see the world, leaving Jonathan in the care of hired help. After Jonathan got a little older, he started complaining more about their absence, eventually they decided to adopt a child. The Kavanaghs weren’t cruel on purpose, they were just blinded by money and intrigue. So, when it came to adopting a child, they still wanted only the best. Sean’s academics were well above average, and while he fell shy of genius, he wasn’t far off. Considering Jonathan’s larger brain, they often saw life on the same level. As children, they both found their parents’ indifference appalling and in adulthood, tried their best to avoid the inevitable social interaction with them.

Jonathan dialed his father’s number with a heavy heart. “Hello, Father,” Jonathan said in a formal tone, as was expected of him.

“Son. What are you calling about?” Ronald Kavanagh asked in a gruff tone.

“I’m afraid something has come up. We’ll need to reschedule your visit,” Jonathan said.

“No. You made an appointment with us, now you’ll be an adult and follow through,” Ronald lectured.

“Father, while I understand your reasoning, there’s a matter of greater importance. Most of our household is unwell.” Sighing internally, Jonathan hoped he’d taken the right approach. His father was so prickly at times.

“You should have said so upfront. Your mother and I have no intention of catching your illness. We’ll send you a note when we can reschedule,” Ronald said.

“Okay, Father. Sean and I will look forward to hearing from you again,” he said.

“Rightly so, good-bye, Son.” Ronald hung up the phone before Jonathan had finished saying good-bye.

Okay, maybe Jonathan’s parents were a tad rude. He supposed they got it honestly. His grandparents were even worse. They had all came from money, and it showed. The world was their playground and sometimes ants got burned.

During his childhood, he’d done his best to make sure he didn’t behave like his parents. It helped that he’d had rather kind teachers and caregivers. By the time Sean arrived, Jonathan’s personality had developed into that of a considerate person. One of the reasons he wound up in medicine was because of his parents. He decided to devote his life to helping others, instead of devoting his life to helping himself. Sean was broken and lonely when he’d been adopted, and while he’d hoped to have the love of two doting parents, what he’d gotten had been better. The utter devotion of a big brother and a friend who would do anything for him.

Having checked calling their parents off his list, Jonathan felt one piece of his burden lift. Now he could at least breathe easy for a while longer. It would probably be months before he heard from them again. In the meantime, Jonathan could focus on Jaycee and the guys. He did eventually plan on letting Jaycee meet his parents, but he felt it was better to get to know her himself first. That way he would know how to prepare her for the inescapable misery. Still, he couldn’t complain about his parents too much. Many people had it far worse. He was very lucky to always have had a roof over his head, and food in his belly. Never had he been forced to go without and he had the best tutors money could buy. While money couldn’t buy love, it did place him in the right school to meet the best friends that would shape his future.

Jaycee was an unexpected gift. Sure, Marc had told them about her since they were little, but they never could have anticipated their actual reaction to her. So much of it was pure chemistry. Watching Jaycee sleep, Jonathan thought about how much he’d come to care about her in such a short time. He hurt when she hurt and he felt sad when she was down and her laugh…well, even a smile from her lit up his world. Pleasing her had been the first time in his life that Jonathan really felt like he needed to exert himself. Academics and medicine came easy to him, but relationships took work, no matter how smart you were. It was a constant give and take. He would give anything to make her happy. He was falling for her fast. His brothers were too, even if they hadn’t all realized it fully yet. For now, they just all knew they needed her in their lives. That was a good start.

Tossing and turning, Jaycee was caught in a nightmare. Because of her proximity to the other guys, who were still sharing air mattresses with her, no one else was getting any sleep. Most students were reading syllabuses, and getting their first assignments right now. Jonathan wished Jaycee was with them. He pictured her sitting in class next to other students her age without fear in her heart. Imagining her after several weeks of classes, he saw her making friends with the guys and girls in her classes. Well…maybe not the guys, he didn’t really care to picture that, even if it was innocent. It really wasn’t just jealousy; he was too worried about her. Her self-esteem was at such a low level, and having a guy grow close to her only to hurt her could destroy all the progress she’d made. Already, after only a few days with them Jaycee was coming out of her shell. Instead of keeping quiet, and staying out of the way, she teased and talked with them.

Sean joined Jonathan on the sofa. “Did you call our parents?”

“Yes. Father wasn’t happy, but he’ll be in touch later with a new visit date. We didn’t manage to get out of it, if that’s what you were hoping…it merely got delayed,” Jonathan said.

“I wasn’t really expecting a different outcome, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t hoping,” Sean said with a grin.

“Ha! If you say so.” Jonathan said, laughing.

“Did they say anything else?” asked Sean.

“Not really. You know Father. It was rather brisk and to the point.” Sighing, Jonathan tried not to be disappointed.

“You didn’t mention Jaycee, did you?” Sean asked the question, but even the guys lying on the air mattresses were curious as to his response.

“No. I really don’t want to subject her to them yet. I feel like we need to build her up first, make her stronger—more confident—before she faces them,” he said.

“You make them sound like a firing squad,” Lee croaked from the spot closest to Jaycee.

“They aren’t the easiest people,” Garrett said with a cough.

“No, but they are family,” Marc said sadly.

“Exactly, and we only get one shot at introductions. Why risk it, by forcing it too soon. Forget them, this isn’t a good time for Jaycee either. She’s got enough on her plate,” Jonathan argued.

“He’s right,” Alec whispered, burying his head in Jaycee’s neck.

“Let’s just hope they don’t decide to make a surprise visit…they’ve done it before,” Sean added.

“Amen.” Alec’s word was muffled by Jaycee’s body.

“You shouldn’t talk with your arms full,” Sean teased.

“Good one, but I’m not letting go. It’s part of my treatment,” Alec mumbled.

“I don’t remember prescribing Jaycee as a medicine,” grumbled Jonathan.

“No, but it couldn’t hurt,” Alec said, chuckling.

Garrett wanted to throw a pillow at him, but he didn’t want to risk hitting Jaycee. Not that it would wake her up, but he didn’t like the idea of it anyway. They really shouldn’t even be talking, but they couldn’t help themselves. There wasn’t much you could do when you were sick, besides watching television. Which they were already doing. Since Jaycee had fallen asleep, they’d taken to switching off who picked the show. Garrett was currently in control of the remote again, and he’d chosen an old Western. Marc hadn’t wanted to watch anything, so he took the spot closest to the television. His back was turned to the screen, leaving him facing Jaycee. Now there was a sight he could watch for hours on end.

It wasn’t until lunchtime that Jaycee finally woke. When her eyes popped open, she noticed she’d spread herself out across the guys during her sleep. Her limbs were stretched as far as they could go in any direction. Twinkling eyes full of mirth met hers, they didn’t care that she’d taken possession of the space. Jonathan brought them a big tray of chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Jell-O was the optional dessert. Jonathan had mixed up some hot tea for everyone to drink. Jaycee sipped it slowly, savoring the warmth on her throat.