The Henson Brothers: Two Complete Novels (59 page)

"Come on, Uncle Eric," Nina called when she noticed him standing by the door.

"That's okay," he replied. "I can see from here."

"But it's nice out."

"I know." He nodded. "Nice breeze."

Adriana said, "He's making sure everything looks nice from the house." She caught Eric's eye and saw him relax. Nina shrugged and they went back inside. They sat on the couch, Nina sitting between the adults, and watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

"So what do you want to be for Halloween?" Eric asked Nina as a Garfield special came on.

She thought. "An anthropologist."

Eric and Adriana shared a look. How typical of her. Not a fairy or a gypsy or even a superhero—an anthropologist.

"But I don't have a costume," she said sadly.

Adriana said, "I can make you one."

"Really?"

"I love creating costumes." She grabbed a sketch pad. "How do you want to look?"

Nina began to describe her costume and Adriana sketched an outfit that had Nina bouncing up and down with excitement. Eric said he would come to see her and take her trick-or-treating.

Nina went to bed and whispered to herself, "This is going to be the best Halloween ever."

* * *

Eric squinted at the words in front of him. His headache seemed to make everything double and wouldn't cease. He could barely raise his head when he heard his office door open.

"You look awful," Drake greeted, coming into the room. "What are you still doing here?"

"I think it's called working."

"Nice to see your disposition has improved."

Eric rubbed his forehead.

Drake sat in the seat in front of him. "Take the day."

He had too much to do. He had deadlines to meet and he wanted to be free for Halloween. "Why did you stop by?"

"Cassie wants to invite you for Halloween. Marcus's first trick-or-treating adventure. We're going to have a small party with his best friend and then go out."

"What is he going to be?"

"A tomato. I'm going to be taking lots of pictures."

Eric nodded. "Blackmail."

"Exactly."

He smiled faintly at the image. "Sorry, I can't make it. I'm taking Nina trick-or-treating."

Drake hesitated. "Are you sure you'll be up to it?"

Eric blinked. Damn, even his brother was beginning to double. "Yes."

"You should rest. I think I can hear your lungs expanding."

"That's what happens when your brother punctures them."

"Hey, I've only recently begun to blink my left eye."

"I think purple's a pretty color on you."

Drake stood. "Well, happy Halloween."

"You could have just called."

He opened the door. "I know."

Eric allowed a small grin. "Thanks."

Drake nodded and left.

* * *

"Mom! You're walking in the swamp again."

"Sorry," Adriana said, stepping out of the imaginary swamp. Nina had turned her living room into a jungle. She loved her costume so much that once she reached home, she changed and pretended to explore the deep jungles of the living room. It had been a gradual change—cushions moved, candles missing, Elissa wearing a blue handkerchief—until Adriana had caught Nina hiding behind a lamp.

They stared at each other, Nina gazing up at her, waiting for punishment. Adriana just tipped an imaginary hat, warned her to wear bug spray, and walked away. At that moment their relationship changed. As did her living room. At first Adriana was going to protest her pillows being scattered across the floor and her silk throw being used as a mosquito net. But it was so delightful seeing Nina out of her room and acting like a child, she said nothing.

"You're still in it, near the quicksand," Nina warned. "Here, let me save you." She got into her imaginary canoe and paddled toward her. "Get in."

She did.

Nina whispered, "You have to be quiet."

Adriana nodded, then gasped.

"What is it?"

"I see a crocodile rising out of the water."

"Where?"

She pointed. "See that moving log? Now its eyes are coming above the water."

"That's an alligator, Mommy. See the long, rounded snout?"

Adriana resisted rolling her eyes. Even in play, her daughter had to correct her. "Now it's opening its mouth."

Nina visibly shivered. "Let's get out of here." She paddled to firm ground. "Do you know how to get back to camp?"

"Yes. Dinner will be ready in two hours. We'll have snake."

Nina scrunched up her nose. "But we had snake last time."

"Then we'll have barbecued lizard with chocolate ants for dessert."

Nina licked her lips. "That sounds good."

* * *

At dinner Nina was quiet.

"You have to take your hat off," Adriana said after grace.

She put her hat aside. She picked at her brownie in her kid's frozen dinner.

"Your chocolate ants are not crunchy enough?" Adriana asked, noticing her lack of appetite.

"I don't want to go to boarding school," she said in a quiet voice.

"I wasn't planning to send you."

Her eyes watered. "But I said really bad things."

"They were hurtful, but I forgive you... like you forgive me." It was a question rather than a statement.

Nina nodded.

"Then all's well."

She shook her head, tears falling. "I didn't mean what I said. You're not stupid, you're fun. I wish... I wish..."

Adriana held her hand. "All is in the past. That was eons ago when we visited the Galapagos Islands and saw the golden rays. Now we're in the jungle and we're..." She faltered.

Nina gave her a watery smile. "Now we're friends."

* * *

He was late. Adriana checked her watch again, then looked at Nina, who waited on the couch. Her anthropologist hat sat low on her forehead while she swung her legs shielded in tall boots. "He may not be coming, sweetie. Why don't we get started?"

"He'll be here," Nina said, confident. The doorbell rang. Adriana answered the door, relieved. Relief turned to worry when she saw Eric's face. He looked exhausted.

He pushed up his glasses. "Sorry I'm late. I had to get things done."

His voice was deeper than usual with a raspy quality. "Can you do this?"

He didn't meet her eyes. "Of course."

Nina came up to him. "Do you like my costume?"

"And just who are you, madam?"

She giggled. "It's me, Nina."

He rubbed his chin. "Yes, I see the resemblance." He held out his arm. "Let's go."

Adriana hesitated, then grabbed her keys.

* * *

"Wow! Look at all that I got!" Nina said, dumping her candy on the living room floor. Adriana helped her separate the unwrapped candy as Eric sat on the couch watching TV. He'd become unusually quiet since they'd returned. Nina sent Adriana a worried glance.

"It's time to get ready for bed," she said.

She was about to argue, but thought otherwise. "Good night, Uncle Eric."

He managed a smile. "Good night."

"He's probably tired from a long day," Adriana said, walking with Nina down the hall.

Nina looked at her, anxious. "He has a bad cough."

"He'll be okay." Once Nina was settled in her room, Adriana returned to the living room. She saw Eric resting his head to the side, his eyes closed. She turned off the TV and nudged him. "It's time you went to bed as well."

He glanced at his watch. "No, there's something I need to get done."

"You can get to it later." She pulled him to his feet. "You need to sleep."

"I won't argue." He followed her to the bedroom, stumbling twice but quickly catching himself. Adriana's anxiety grew. That wasn't like him.

"How long have you had this cough?" she asked, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Don't know."

She took off his shoes and socks and helped him into bed.

He grabbed her wrist as she pulled up the covers. "I'm just tired. No worries." He rested his head back and immediately fell asleep.

Adriana went to sleep three hours later. Just as she was slipping into a wonderful dream, Elissa jumped on her side.

"Not now," she muttered. She gently pushed her aside and rolled over. Elissa meowed and jumped on her head and climbed down to her legs. Adriana moaned and raised herself on her elbows. She turned on the light, squinting in the glare.

"Come on, Elissa. It's too early to eat. And you know where your litter box is. Do you hear a noise?" She reached for her robe and headed for the hallway. She expected Elissa to follow but the cat jumped on top of Eric instead.

"Get down," she ordered.

Elissa meowed.

"What is it?"

She climbed on top of Eric's back and meowed again.

Adriana lifted her off. "Bad girl." The cat let out a disgruntled sound and jumped on the bed again. She climbed on Eric's back. Adriana knew there was a reason for her cat's unusual behavior. "You want him up too? This had better be good."

He was sleeping so peacefully she hated to wake him. Most of the covers had been pushed away, leaving his back bare. He was sleeping soundly. Too soundly. She touched his shoulder and snatched her hand back. He was burning with fever. She placed a hand on his forehead. Beads of sweat gathered under her fingertips. He lay so still she feared he'd stopped breathing. She hit the middle of his back with the flat of her palm. He took a deep breath and began coughing violently.

"Eric, wake up."

He continued coughing.

"Eric?"

The coughing soon subsided. He looked up at her, narrowing his eyes against the light. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

She sat next to him. "You have a fever. Let me take your temperature."

He rolled on his back and wiped his forehead with the side of his hand. "Don't worry, it will go away. I'll be—" A fit of coughs interrupted.

She stood and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back." She raced to the kitchen and called her brother Winston.

He answered after the third ring. "Do you know what time it is?"

"I need you to bring over your doctor's bag."

"Adriana—" he warned.

"Please, this is important." She hung up before he could argue.

She grabbed a towel and dipped it in cold water. She placed it on Eric's chest.

He sat up and swore, grabbing his head. "What the hell was that?"

She picked up the towel. It had slipped to his lap. She placed it on his chest again. "It's to help your fever."

He tried to push it away. "It's just dripping cold water on my trousers."

"Don't be stubborn. I don't have a large ice bucket to drop you in. Lie down." She held up her hand. "And don't say you're okay."

He lay back.

She fetched a rag and rested it on his forehead. "Now be still."

He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep again.

Adriana couldn't be still. She went to the living room and organized things in her cupboard, started a word find, looked at a
Vogue
magazine, and flipped through TV channels until someone knocked on the door.

"So who is it this time?" Winston asked by way of greeting. "A trapeze artist with no health insurance? A musician who forgets his yearly checkups?"

"This is serious." She took his bag and pulled him toward the bedroom.

He released her hold and took off his coat. He tossed it over the back of the couch. He was a tall, neat man of medium build and impatient brown eyes. "Adriana, I told you, no more charity cases."

"When he's well, he'll be able to pay you. I promise."

He shook his head and went to the bedroom. He stopped in the doorway and studied the man in bed.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Observing him."

"But—"

"Shh. Let me do my job." Winston went to the bed and let his eyes gaze over the man then turned to Adriana. "He's not going to like this, is he?"

"He's sick."

"Mm-hmm. I'll make sure to send the bill to you." Winston narrowed his eyes. "He looks familiar. What's his name?"

"Eric." She said his name quickly, hoping he wouldn't make the connection to Cassie and Drake. He'd been at their wedding and probably had met Eric at some point. She didn't wish to discuss their relationship right now. Thankfully, Winston was in his professional mode and didn't recognize him.

He nudged Eric awake. "Hello, Eric. I'm Dr. Travers. Adriana told me you have a fever."

Eric sat up, then held his head. He glared at him. "Who the hell are you?"

"I just explained it to you."

His voice was a low grumble. "Explain it again."

Winston sighed. He hated belligerent patients. "I'm Dr. Travers, Adriana's brother. She called me because she's worried about your fever."

"I'm fine."

"Let me do a quick analysis." He reached to feel Eric's lymph nodes.

Eric seized his wrist. "I said I'm fine."

Winston loosened the grip and folded his arms. "Do you have any sisters?"

He blinked. "Yes, one."

"A younger one?"

He nodded.

Winston's lips thinned as he glanced at Adriana. "Then humor me."

Winston checked for swollen glands, asked how long he'd had the cough, asked what medicines he was taking, and took his temperature. He later warmed the stethoscope on his palm, then placed it on Eric's chest and back. He finally folded the instrument.

Eric waited for the diagnosis. The silent examination was maddening. Seeing a doctor was like admitting weakness, admitting that you're sick, that you're helpless.

He said, "I'm not going to the hospital."

Winston lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug. "Then I guess I'll have to treat you myself or at least Adriana will."

They both began to protest.

He held up his hand. "With rest and the right medication you'll be fine."

"But—" Eric began.

"Are you allergic to penicillin?"

"No."

He searched through his bag. "Do you have any needle phobias?"

"No."

"Good. This will get the medicine into your system faster." He looked at Adriana. "But I also suggest tea to loosen up what's in his chest."

"What's wrong with him?" she asked after he had administered the shot.