Stephen closed the bedroom door as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake Jewell now that she had finally fell into a fitful, feverish sleep. He had sat with her throughout most of the day, trying to entertain her with stories as he mopped her burning forehead and even held her hair back as her body tried to expel, again and again, whatever she took into it and only came up with blood at times. He didn't think she actually heard him most of the time, stuck in a fever induced haze, but his voice did seem to sooth her.
The doctor had stopped by earlier in the afternoon, giving her the medicine that was allowing her a little rest now and would hopefully have her feeling a little better in the morning. He didn't seem to think there was any real danger in her condition as long as they kept her hydrated; her unique physiology was apparently resistant to whatever she had been infected with. All they could to do, the doctor insisted, was keep her body strong enough and support it enough to fight back whatever it was on its own.
That really wasn't good enough for Stephen but there was little else he could do. Stepping outside their bedroom for a much-needed break, heart set on a bottle of port, he turned around to find four year old Devyn staring up at him intently. He figured, with the darkness that had settled upon the house, that it was much past her bedtime but he hadn't been keeping track; with Jewell out of commission this week, Iona (with the ever willing Amanda's help) had been doing double the work to watch over the kids and help take care of the lady of the house.
Weary and thinking maybe the little girl in her night dress was an apparition because she hadn't moved once since he noticed her, he rubbed at his eyes. She merely blinked that set of grey eyes she inherited from Jewell at him, holding her blanket protectively to her chest. "Isn't it past time fer lil' ones such as yerself to be in bed, Devyn lass?"
"I can't sleep."
"Aye," he had figured as much being that she was awake. He knelt down a little to match her height, "And what seems tae be the trouble, sweety?"
"I need you to read my book," she intoned earnestly, whipping said book out from its hiding spot beneath her blanket and holding it out to him.
He tried not to grimace, wanting very much to have some port and try to get some sleep himself between looking after his wife. But if there was one thing that the children of the newly named Ravenlock-Kidd household had quickly found out about the dreaded pirate captain, it was that he was a total softy. Devyn and Eva Jade in particular had quickly perfected the big-eyed, pleading look that could get papa-Stephen (or as Devyn pronounced it, "Stea-fen")to do just about anything. As Stephen slightly hesitated now, Devyn poured on the little girl charm and even affected a well placed sniffle: "I need the storwy," sniff!, "or I can't ever sleep."
Devyn-1
Stephen-0
"Aye, of course ye be needin' yer story, lass." He was instantly rewarded with the brightest of smiles. "And what story do we be 'avin' 'ere tonight?" He took the book she handed over easily and his face almost fell as he read the title: The Faerie Princess and her Magical Trip to the Market. This was horrible! Why was Jewell poisoning the children's minds with this garbage? "Ah, this 'ere is me favorite!"
"Tell it your way!"
Ah, now here was a little lass after his own heart. Stephen had quickly been enchanting all the children with his tales and Devyn was no longer satisfied with Princess Morning Glory and her trip to the market where she befriended a mouse and stray cat. She wanted poor Morning Glory to jump a pirate ship and get mixed up with all sorts of unsavory company on her way to the market. In fact, forget the market!
"My way, lass?" He matched the grin she was wearing, lifting her up, and heading down the hall to her room, "Aye, I think that can be arranged."
The doctor had stopped by earlier in the afternoon, giving her the medicine that was allowing her a little rest now and would hopefully have her feeling a little better in the morning. He didn't seem to think there was any real danger in her condition as long as they kept her hydrated; her unique physiology was apparently resistant to whatever she had been infected with. All they could to do, the doctor insisted, was keep her body strong enough and support it enough to fight back whatever it was on its own.
That really wasn't good enough for Stephen but there was little else he could do. Stepping outside their bedroom for a much-needed break, heart set on a bottle of port, he turned around to find four year old Devyn staring up at him intently. He figured, with the darkness that had settled upon the house, that it was much past her bedtime but he hadn't been keeping track; with Jewell out of commission this week, Iona (with the ever willing Amanda's help) had been doing double the work to watch over the kids and help take care of the lady of the house.
Weary and thinking maybe the little girl in her night dress was an apparition because she hadn't moved once since he noticed her, he rubbed at his eyes. She merely blinked that set of grey eyes she inherited from Jewell at him, holding her blanket protectively to her chest. "Isn't it past time fer lil' ones such as yerself to be in bed, Devyn lass?"
"I can't sleep."
"Aye," he had figured as much being that she was awake. He knelt down a little to match her height, "And what seems tae be the trouble, sweety?"
"I need you to read my book," she intoned earnestly, whipping said book out from its hiding spot beneath her blanket and holding it out to him.
He tried not to grimace, wanting very much to have some port and try to get some sleep himself between looking after his wife. But if there was one thing that the children of the newly named Ravenlock-Kidd household had quickly found out about the dreaded pirate captain, it was that he was a total softy. Devyn and Eva Jade in particular had quickly perfected the big-eyed, pleading look that could get papa-Stephen (or as Devyn pronounced it, "Stea-fen")to do just about anything. As Stephen slightly hesitated now, Devyn poured on the little girl charm and even affected a well placed sniffle: "I need the storwy," sniff!, "or I can't ever sleep."
Devyn-1
Stephen-0
"Aye, of course ye be needin' yer story, lass." He was instantly rewarded with the brightest of smiles. "And what story do we be 'avin' 'ere tonight?" He took the book she handed over easily and his face almost fell as he read the title: The Faerie Princess and her Magical Trip to the Market. This was horrible! Why was Jewell poisoning the children's minds with this garbage? "Ah, this 'ere is me favorite!"
"Tell it your way!"
Ah, now here was a little lass after his own heart. Stephen had quickly been enchanting all the children with his tales and Devyn was no longer satisfied with Princess Morning Glory and her trip to the market where she befriended a mouse and stray cat. She wanted poor Morning Glory to jump a pirate ship and get mixed up with all sorts of unsavory company on her way to the market. In fact, forget the market!
"My way, lass?" He matched the grin she was wearing, lifting her up, and heading down the hall to her room, "Aye, I think that can be arranged."