The past week has somehow been nice, even though Periwinkle was sick. Or because she was sick. A tiger, declawed. Or returned to kitten-hood, at least.
She spiked a nearly 104* fever on election night, and I watched her sleep next to me on the couch, watching her breathe, making sure she was okay. A terrible night for two reasons. Tylenol helped, when she'd feel miserable enough to take it, and her nightly fevers were never that high again. (I did telehealth to see if I needed to bring her to the ER, but was reassured that if she was eating/drinking not vomming she was good.)In the meantime, we watched a LOT of YouTube on the TV (a privilege they are only allowed when sick, and boy did she take advantage). It was fun. I tried to work, while laughing at silly videos and getting ridiculously caught up in a few random families' lives (Team #Nalish!). We chatted, when she wasn't napping.
She needed me, for everything. When she got lightheaded, she reached out for my hand. Eighty-five requests for ice water a day, ice packs, blankets, food, fan on, fan off, I was there (I was not productive, work-wise...) She never wanted me out of her sight. It's been a LOT of together time, with no arguing, shouting, or rolling of the eyes.
The fever has been gone a few days now, and now it's a bad bronchitis cough. I don't envy her that. It sounds awful. But we started planning her return to school. Yesterday she was still feeling weak.
But today she was trying to catch up on missed math work, and in one breath begged me to help her understand and yelled at me to go away because I don't know anything anymore.
The tiger is back. But it was nice to have the kitten for a few days.
