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Bella sat at the bar, sipping her apple juice through the purple crazy straw. Uncle Husk always remembered just how he liked her juice. And most guests who didn't know Bella had learned not to question why there was a kid here; Husk was very protective in his own gruff way.
Husk also heard Bella cough. He noted it sounded a little hoarse.
“You okay, kid?” Husk asked.
Bella cleared her throat. “Yeah, Uncle Husk. Can I have some more juice please, maybe with some ice cubes?”
Husk obliged. He watched Bella sip at the juice, and she didn't cough again...not in his earshot.
That night, Angel was doing one of his drag shows at the casino, and Husk went with him. Angel left linguine for Bella, but she didn't eat much of it.
Charlie didn't pressure Bella to eat. She put the unfinished pasta into the fridge, as that was what Angel would have done.
After dinner, Bella changed into her nightgown early. Then she sat on the couch, unable to concentrate on her favourite show. She barely heard Auntie Charlie as Auntie Charlie asked her if there was anything else she wanted to do tonight, like a game.
“Hon,” Vaggi whispered to Charlie, “she doesn't look so good.”
Finally, Charlie did look more carefully at Bella. She noted Bella's wings now looked more grey than silver, and one of Bella's antennae looked droopy. Then Bella coughed, even more hoarsely than earlier.
“Oh, no!” Charlie whispered. She knelt down to Bella. “Sweetie, are you sick?”
To Charlie's further dismay, Bella started to cry.
“Yes,” Bella croaked. “I didn't want to tell Mama or Uncle Husk. Wanted them to have fun at Mama's show.” Bella rubbed her sore throat. Even though she lacked a nose, she still got colds sometimes, and felt the other effects of colds, especially the cough and sore throat.
Charlie and Vaggie took Bella up to bed. Charlie tucked Bella in as Vaggi got Lucifer.
The trouble was, Lucifer had no experience with this sort of thing. Charlie had never gotten so much as a sniffle when she was little. A combination of her father's angelic blood and her mother existing before illness entered the world. This was another time he wished he and Lilith hadn't given Eve the Forbidden Fruit.
Lucifer thought maybe he could use his power to make Bella well again, but no matter how many times he snapped his fingers or clapped, or gently touched her, Bella still felt yucky. Her grandpa's hand on her forehead felt nice and cool though.
Noticing her father looked ready to cry, Charlie said, “It's okay, Dad, you tried.”
“I don't know what to do, Char-Char,” Lucifer sighed. “You didn't get sick as a kid, so I never...I'm useless.”
Bella's throat hurt too much to talk, so she tried to comfort Grandpa Luci by taking his hand.
“The kid's sick?” Cherri asked, having poked her head in the bedroom door.
“Yeah,” Charlie said, with an anxious look at Bella. “Cherri, do you-”
“Not good with stuff like that, Princess,” Cherri said, frowning. “My nan used to try this weird thing called a mustard bath...I'll just call Angie.”
“No,” Bella croaked. “Don't want...Mama's show...”
“It'll be okay,” Cherri assured her.
“Bellina?”
Weakly, Bella opened her eyes. Without her glasses, she just saw a blur of pink and white.
“Mama?”
Angel sat down next to Bella and Fat Nuggets. Fat Nuggets had been at Bella's side for some time, now.
“I'm sorry,” Bella whispered.
“Don't be,” Angel said softly. “Were you afraid to tell me you felt sick?”
Bella nodded. Angel put his hand on her forehead, and to his relief, she didn't feel feverish.
“You never have to be afraid to tell me you're not feeling good, Bella Maria. I'll have other shows, and other special times with your Uncle Husk.”
“Okay,” Bella croaked.
Angel adjusted Bella's blankets, made sure she was propped up on two pillows just the way she liked it, and Husk brought apple juice and a jug of water.
Bella fell asleep again, Mama and Fat Nuggets at her side, as well as some of her favourite toys. She had her bunny Mama made when she was a baby, her doll Graziella, her koala, and teddy bears from heaven.
Angel stayed in Bella's room all night. He thought back to Bella's infancy in Val's penthouse, when Angel slept in her nursery even though there wasn't much room. Hopefully the special soap he'd been using for Bella's baths were working, and Val wouldn't pick up on Bella's illness and try to “help”.
“Riposati, Bellina,” Angel whispered. “La mamma e qui.”
Bella coughed in her sleep, but not as hoarsely as earlier. A good sign, Angel hoped. If Bella could survive a premature birth, she could survive a cold.