February 5, 2013

White Dog and the rest of the White Dog Army wagged excitedly when it became apparent that I was talking to Steve on the phone...and then they looked at the clock. Suddenly their excitement was a bit tempered; it was only 9:15pm and EVERYONE knows dad is in class until 11. What was the problem?

Steve was in the car on the way home. Our conversation was interrupted by his frequent bouts of lungy coughing. When he left this afternoon he complained of feeling warm and said his neck ached. He laughed as he took aspirin and joked that he was just becoming an "old man."

The WDA went into preparation mode. The tea kettle went on to boil. An extra afghan was placed on the end of the couch. White Dog "turned back" the bed. They offered to eat the salmon pasta I had already made so that "dad could have something blander, like broth, which might feel better on his tummy." (They were not happy when I counter-proposed waiting until Steve got home, asking him, and if he preferred soup, putting the salmon away for another night).

Steve was greeted by barking orders and surrounded by concerned White Ones before he was even in the door. Sure enough, he IS running a slight fever...and the cough sounds even worse in person. We are afraid that it will keep him from sleeping.

The patient has already been given his orders for tonight. Change into warm comfy house clothes. Take the WDA for quick night-time walks. Get under a blanket. Eat some dinner. (NO! You can't do schoolwork)! Go to bed. Gets LOTS of sleep protected by an Army's worth of loving care...and don't share the sickies with momma!