As the clocks had gone back to GMT it was almost dark by the time we got back from school. If that wasn't enough to mess up my training, I was trying to shake off the remnants of a cold.

Monday was freaky, we'd waved goodbye to Ali Bernie and Rhod, and were about halfway to Che' Peter's when Maddy nudged me.

"Drew stay there get your breath back."(As if I had any choice.)"Come on Maddy in the car now."

After what seemed like 5 minutes I felt about back to normal and started to roll sideways to try and stand when Mad and Carol returned.

"Drew, get off the floor its cold down there!" cried Mad as she flew at me knocking me back down in the process.

"I'm Ok really! I was just getting up that's all."

"Upsadaisy." said Carol as she hoisted me up with no more effort than lifting a bag of groceries and plonked me down on the sofa in the living room.

"I'm alright Auntie really."

"Your not alright you've been on the floor for twenty minutes." Carol put her hand to my forehead.

"You're burning up, Maddy get a blanket and the strip."

Maddy returned with a blanket and a plastic envelope.

"Undo your belt and trousers Drew, now stand." I did and Maddy deftly removed my blazer and started attacking the buttons on my shirt. In seconds the shirt was off.

"SIT. One, Two, Three." Called Maddy and a second later I was naked beneath the blanket.

Carol had her hand on my forehead again.

"But I'm fine Auntie."

"You've got a temperature of 38.3 that's 101 in old money."

"Wha.. How do you know that?"

"It's written on your face." Maddy laughed as she peeled something off my brow and showed it to me, it was one of those liquid crystal thermometers.

"Oh."

Just at that moment uncle John came home.

"Oh not again." he groaned.

"It's alright John nothing to panic over this time, just a fever, we're putting him to bed now."

"Just remember the bathrooms on the right Drew."

I was walking down the gennel. It was dark, as I turned the corner two of the boys that had been following us the night before stepped in front of me, one held his hands up.

It's alright princess we just wanted to apologise for scaring you last night."

I felt a hand on my arm, someone was behind me, I did what any girl would have done in that situation, took a deep breath and screamed.

I heard footsteps running; good I really put the wind up them.

A door opened and suddenly it was light.

"What's up Drew?"

"Oh shit... nothing just a bad dream I guess."

"Bad dream, I reckon their dialling 999 next door."

"God Drew you're soaking, I'll get Mum."

Carol came upstairs took one look and started organising me.

The bed was stripped and changed I was stripped washed and changed and put back I felt like a tree being repotted.

"Right that's you sorted. Just in time by the sound of it."

I could hear voices downstairs Dad and Juliet.

"What's happened to the wimp now" Juliet was moaning.

"You can stop that right now, your brother has a name and you know full well that Drew hasn't wimped out on anything in his life unlike you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It wasn't Drew that pretended to have a sprained ankle to get out of playing in the Badminton competition six months ago, you had a good chance of winning that."

"That was a real sprain."

"Rubbish, you were seen dancing around in the mall with that tramp Sonia that afternoon there was nothing wrong with your ankle." Wow Dad was building up a real head of steam.

Jules was quiet.

"I notice you haven't denied that Sonia is a tramp."

"Dad she's my friend."

"That Friend of yours has got her face plastered all over the Mall as a suspected shoplifter. You are in danger of being tarred with the same brush, do you really want to explain that to your mother."

"No Dad."

Since hanging round with that crowd you've done nothing but try to belittle Drew's achievements this year while you have achieved nothing. Unless you change your ideas and start supporting this family, you're going to find that the family wont support you, and that includes university am I getting through to you."

I didn't hear the reply but the question scared me, I could only imagine what it did to Jules.

"Mrs. Roberts at the sports centre tells me that there's a badminton knockout this Wednesday shall I tell her to enter your name?"

"Dad, I'm out of practise."

"Juliet when are you going to get the practise if you don't enter? Can't you get it into that blond head of yours that you don't have to win to make me proud of you, all you have to do is your best."

All three of us let out a sigh of relief as we heard Juliet's muffled sob's. Maddy got up and quietly closed the door so's not to embarrass her when they came up.

I had a lump in my throat as I thought of the support I'd had from Dad this last year, even last week when I made a poor time due to my cold starting, it didn't phase him he was just concerned for me.

I didn't realise I was crying until Carol handed me a tissue.

Carol made a big production of walking across the room and banging the door open.

"Ah. There you are Dave come on up, you too Jules."

Dad and Jules appeared in the doorway. Dads arm around her shoulders, her arm around his waist.

I had to hide my smile. inside I was grinning.

"How yer doing Kiddo?"

"Pretty good really." (Five minutes ago I'd have said 'A bit rough')

"Yeah, right, the doctor was worried about pneumonia."

"I don't remember any doctor?"

"You were pretty much out of it at the time. It was about an hour before you woke up." Said Maddy

"I'm surprised you didn't wake he was pounding your back pretty hard while he listened to your chest, all that and an injection and you still didn't wake.

"Injection?" I tried to pull up the sleeve of my pyjama jacket.

"Don't bother," said Carol "It was much lower down."

I was about to lift the bed covers when Carol put her hand on mine and said,

"Spare us Drew, please."

I put my hand under the covers then tried to keep my face neutral as I felt, not pyjama bottoms or even my cotton boxers but slippery panties.

Mad didn't help by mouthing the word "Pink" at me from behind Dad's back.

"So what did the Doc say Carol?" asked Dad

"That Drew was over the worst, but there might be one or two more erm... flushes, but providing his temperature doesn't go too high then there's no need to panic and he'll call in in the morning."

"How will I know?" I asked.

"You'll know." Said Carol

"Actually you might not, you were out of it last time. We'll keep an eye on you."

Jules eyebrows wiggled at Maddy but she said nothing.

"Right I'd better report the latest to your Mum before she gets on a plane."

"Maria's threatened to nail a set of starting blocks down for her, so she's ready to sprint to the car."

"Oh and try to get better by Thursday were off to the sports centre in the evening."

"What for Dad?" (Tongue firmly in cheek)

"Jules has entered a badminton tournament, I thought we'd go and cheer her on. And I want to check out the weight room, there might be something that'll help you get back up to par.

"We'll see what the doctor has to say about that." Carol said firmly.

Dad started to go into verbal diarrhoea mode as he tried to thank Carol for helping, Carol was having none of it as she shooed them back downstairs.

"I'll be baaack" growled Maddy trying to sound like Arnie.

I must have fallen asleep, I don't remember her coming back but I woke with my mouth attached to her left nipple.

"Wha.am..."

"You really are very good at that. But I suppose I'd better get ready for school." Mad whispered, as she seemed to flow away from me.

"Do you want to use the bathroom Drew?" I looked up Maddy was all ready for school.

"Shit I'm late!" I threw the duvet back, then stopped in shock.

"What the..."

"You had another little hot flush last night and we ran out of pyjamas"

Last night started to come back to me.

"Here put this on." Mad helped me into a robe, which just happened to match the chemise I was wearing.

Mad put her arm around my waist and steered me to the bathroom. I noticed she put herself between me and the stairs.

"I can manage now Mad."

"Yeah, Right." She said as I crashed off the doorframe

"You're on your own from here. I'll wait outside" Mad giggled.

"Come on Maddy or you'll be late, I'll take it from here." I heard Carol through the door.

"You Ok. In there?"

"Yes auntie. Just finishing." as I washed my hands.

I opened the door.

"Why Gaby, you look lovely this morning, that colour is just perfect for you."

"Er Thanks I think."

The Doctor will be here any time now so I'm afraid you'll have to change into these, he is expecting to examine Drew isn't he?" Carol handed me a clean pair of pyjamas, they were toastie, and they must have come straight from the drier.

Carol guided me back to bed.

"Auntie er why was I wearing panties when Dad was here?"

Carol laughed.

"We thought you'd be more comfortable. They were Johns pyjamas the top was huge on you, but the bottoms were ridiculous. If you'd worn them you would have looked like Simon Cowell. They'd have come up to your armpits."

Angela Peters 03.04.04 © 2004

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