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"Hi, is that Dr DeLuca-Bishop? It's Mrs High, from the school."
Carina puts her pen down from where she was making some notes about a surgery she has in a few days. Not that she was getting many notes anyway with her brewing headache. "Hi, yes it is. Has something happened?"
"Andrea has been sick unfortunately, and then about 10 minutes after she turned up in the nurse's office Liam did too, complaining of a stomach ache and a headache. He hasn't thrown up yet but he's looking like he's going to end up there too."
Carina clicks her tongue sympathetically, running her hand through her ponytail. "Allora, okay. I can come and pick them up, I will be about 20 minutes or so?"
"Not a problem, they'll both be in the nurse's office, come to the main office and you can get them signed out and taken home."
"Grazie, see you soon," Carina says and then hangs up the phone. She quickly finishes the notes she was making from this page so she doesn't lose her place and then stands up. She had been assigned time this afternoon to prepare for this surgery and she's only on call for emergencies, so hopefully it shouldn't be too difficult to be able to leave and pick up the kids. She will take her research work with her, although she's doubtful she'll get much done.
That's a river that she can cross when the time is right, or whatever the saying is.
Being the head of the department comes with the perks of only having to speak to Chief Bailey about needing to leave and Miranda understands perfectly, Pru having had a bug Last week that Carina suspects is the same one. After a quick handover to Jo to update her on the status of the department, she grabs her stuff from her office as well as a couple of extra emesis bags (just in case) and then heads down to the daycare to get Gianna.
Carina was in two minds about whether to pick her up early and bring her along but she had concluded that it would be easier than someone having to come back for her later, or getting someone to drop her off. Plus, she had been grizzly and unsettled all night- they had assumed it had been from her recently moving to sleeping in her own room after hitting six months but perhaps that was not the case and she's coming down with the same thing her siblings have.
"Hi, I'm here to sign Gianna out. I know it's early," Carina says to Charlie, the friendly daycare worker manning the front desk today.
"Hi Dr. DeLuca-Bishop. Of course, is there something wrong?"
"Her brother and sister's school called, they're both sick. She was unsettled last night so I thought I may as well bring her home, she's almost definitely going to get sick too."
Charlie hums sympathetically as she radios through to the baby room, asking them to bring Gianna through. "Makes sense. There's definitely stuff doing the rounds, we've had so many staff out this week... oh there she is."
Carina smiles as she turns to see her daughter being carried through by one of the workers from the baby room, Gianna firmly clinging to her. As soon as she sees Carina she bursts into tears, reaching her arms out and screeching until she's safely in her mamma's grasp. She tucks her head against Carina's shoulder, wiping her snotty, tear- stained face on the fabric of Carina's jacket.
“Oh, grazie per quel piccolino, grazie. Andiamo a prendere tuo fratello e tua sorella e poi andiamo a casa a coccolarli? Stanno un po' male. [Oh thank you for that little one, thank you. Shall we go and get your brother and sister and then go home and snuggle? They're a bit sick.]"
Gianna simply looks up at her with big blue eyes, not making an attempt to grab at her hair or her clothes or literally anything she can get her hands on like she normally would.
Definitely not feeling her best.
"Just need to sign her out here..." Charlie prompts, pointing to the sign in and out sheet. "Is she booked in for tomorrow?"
Carina thinks, trying to remember what day it is. Her headache is definitely getting worse.
"I think it's only until midday... yes Maya comes off her shift at 8am so it gives her a chance to nap a little then she will come and pick her up at midday."
"Okay. But if her siblings have thrown up she can't come in unfortunately, daycare policy."
Carina sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Right, yes, of course. Sorry."
"No worries. I hope the big kids feel better soon and the rest of you stay healthy. Bye Gianna!" She bids them goodbye, waving at Gianna with a big smile on her face. She gets a scowl and a gurgle in return.
Gianna continues to fuss as Carina carries her down to the car, awkwardly texting Maya with one hand to let her know the situation before she realises it would be a lot easier to just send her a voice note, so she does that instead.
"How do you feel, little one, hmm? Do we have a fever?" Carina muses as she buckles Gianna into her carseat, the baby reaching for the fabric strips attached to the handle. She puts the back of her hand to Gianna's forehead, frowning when she feels it's a little warm.
"Are you warm because you were in daycare, or warm because you're sick?"
Gianna blows a raspberry at her, bubbles forming on her pursed lips and Carina laughs fondly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Okay. Let’s go and get Liam and Andrea.”
Andrea is mid throwing up when Carina walks into the nurses office, Gianna on her hip.
“Oh piccola, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Carina soothes, hurrying over and putting her hand on Andrea’s back, steadying her as her little body trembles with the coughs.
“Mamma I don’t feel good,” Andrea whimpers, her face pale as the nurse gently wipes her mouth with some tissue.
“I know my love. I’m going to take you and your brother home and we can have some snuggles on the couch, okay?”
Andrea nods tiredly, leaning into Carina’s side and she wraps an arm around her shoulders.
She then turns to Liam, who is sitting on the other bed with a bowl in his lap, looking miserable and pale. “How are you feeling pulcino?” She asks, adjusting her grip on a wiggly Gianna.
“Like I’m gonna puke but I haven’t puked.”
Carina clicks her tongue sympathetically, before glancing over at the nurse. “Can we wait here for a few minutes before we go? I do have emesis bags in the car but I’d like to avoid them being sick in there if I can help it.”
The nurse nods easily, beckoning Liam over and helping him climb up next to Andrea. She then offers to take Gianna for a moment so Carina can cuddle both older kids close, pressing kisses to their heads like when they were little babies.
After ten minutes there’s no more sign of either kid puking so Carina gathers up their things, swinging both of their backpacks over her shoulder and hoisting Gianna onto her hip before walking them out to the car slowly and carefully.
“Okay my loves, we’re going to go home and then get into our pyjamas, do some medicine and snuggle on the couch. How does that sound?” Carina says as she buckles Andrea in.
“Can we have belly rubs?” Liam asks quietly, holding his bowl closely to his chest as he sits in the middle between his sisters.
“Of course.”
Carina gives each of their legs a squeeze and then climbs into the driver's seat, starting the car to drive home. It’s an incredibly quiet drive which is a sure sign they’re both sick and tired. Carina drives carefully, not wanting to jostle their sick bellies too much. It’s only Gianna’s babbling that she can hear from the back, a stark contrast to the usual cacophony of chatter.
By the time she pulls into the driveway Andrea is on the verge of falling asleep, her head lolling forward every now and then before she blinks her eyes open again. Carina gets her out of the car first, rubbing her back as she flops herself over Carina’s shoulder, half awake.
“Mamma,” Andrea whines as Carina lowers her onto the couch, tucking a blanket over her and pressing a kiss to her warm forehead. She will get a thermometer in a moment but she can tell just from the kiss that she has a fever.
“I know princess. I’m going to get your brother and sister then we can snuggle, okay?”
Andrea gives her a nod with a pouty face so Carina kisses her forehead again. “I’ll be right back.”
She’s quick out to the car again, scooping up Gianna and then holding Liam’s hand as she leads him inside. She doesn’t worry about their backpacks, there’s nothing in there that they need right now and they can sort it later.
Inside, Liam heads straight for the couch and climbs under the blanket with Andrea while Carina puts Gianna down into the play pen in the corner. She can’t crawl yet but she has figured out how to scoot, and she’s surprisingly fast. Maya had nicknamed it the baby jail, which Carina absolutely had not approved of but right now, that’s exactly what she’s using it for. Keep the baby contained so she can look after her sick siblings.
Not to mention her own headache is getting worse and her stomach is starting to twist a little.
She’s ignoring it for now, she knows she’s probably also getting sick but while she’s still feeling relatively healthy she’ll focus on getting the kids medicated and comfortable.
“Okay, I’m going to get your pyjamas so you can get all comfy. Then we can do temperatures, medicine, and snuggles, okay?”
There’s a soft mumble of agreement so Carina dashes upstairs, quickly changing into her own pyjamas since the waistband of her slacks is starting to become uncomfortable on her increasingly bloated stomach. She then grabs the kid’s pyjamas and favourite teddies and goes back downstairs.
“Mamma!” Liam shouts as Carina reaches the bottom of the stairs and she hurries up.
“What’s wrong?”
“Gianna puked!”
Carina swears under her breath just before she hears their youngest burst into tears. She hurries over, knowing that it could just be baby spit up but given the fact the others are definitely sick she’s not so sure.
The amount of throw-up covering the playpen answers her question and she drops the kids' pajamas and teddies on the couch and then goes over to Gianna, assessing the situation and mentally thanking her wife for having the foresight to put a wipe-clean surface down underneath the playpen.
She’s just picked up Gianna gingerly, holding her at arms length to avoid getting herself covered in vomit and wondering how best to clean this up when the front door opens and Carina looks up, frowning at the sight of her wife.
“Bambina? What are you doing home?” Carina asks, taking in the blonde’s pale appearance and sweaty skin.
“The whole station has come down with a vomiting bug, spaghetti dinner is cancelled, I’ve not thrown up yet but I don’t think it’s far off.”
Carina groans softly, before nodding her head at the two sick kids who are halfway changed into their pyjamas. “Yeah, I don’t think we would have been going anyway.”
Maya blinks, as if only just realising the eldest two are home. “They’re sick?”
Carina nods, lying Gianna down on a changing mat so she can strip off her onesie. “Andrea already threw up at school, Liam hasn’t yet but he’s not far off, and Gianna just did too. Have you thrown up?”
Maya doesn’t get a chance to answer her question though because Liam pipes up, halfway changed into his pyjamas. “Oh I wanted to go to sketti dinner,” he pouts, then almost immediately gags. Maya dashes to grab a bowl and puts it in front of him just in time, rubbing his back as he throws up, turning herself away and going another shade paler.
“Yeah everyone is sick pulcino. Sometimes when we’re sick we have to cancel plans.”
Liam pouts again as Maya wipes his mouth and moves the bowl out of the way. Carina catches her wife’s eye, knowing they’re about to be in for a very long few days with every single member of their household sick.