“Let’s get you cleaned up,Spatz,” I said, walking to the bathroom. “Freddie, can you get the bath started?”
She darted past me. “On it.”
When we walked in, the water was already running and Freddie was adding a liberal amount of bubbles whilst emptying all of Josie’s toys into the tub.
We sat down on the floor, but she started crying as soon as I put her next to me and she crawled back onto my lap.
“Spatz, you need a bath. I’ll sit right next to you the whole time, alright?”
Freddie raced out of the room when Josie refused to let go of me. We stayed on the floor until she got back. Bless her rebellious heart, she had her iPad in hand.
“Josie, how about some Pumuckl?” Freddie asked, her voice low, her mouth in a halfhearted smile.
It worked, and five minutes later, Josie was in the bath, watching her favorite show, playing with the bubbles. She not only had the worst diaper rash I had ever seen, but her whole back was red. I had to swallow constantly to stop the tears from escaping, making me look like a fish on dry land.
Freddie chatted the whole time and made silly faces, making sure Josie had everything she needed. She managed to get a half-lift of the corner of her mouth out of her. I gently cleaned a week’s worth of food and dirt off her. At least she had been fed at some stage, as small a consolation as it was. Her hair was a mess and I had to wash it twice and condition it three times.
I wrapped Josie in a towel and gently padded her dry. She started crying again when I put more lotion on her and put a diaper back on. Once she was in her favorite pink onesie I picked her up and she buried her head in my neck. Seeing her like that broke my heart and I felt a few tears escape.
Rhett was waiting for us outside the bathroom door. “The doctor is here,” he said and walked into the living room with us. It shouldn’t surprise me that he’d managed to get someone to do a house call in less than thirty minutes. He put his hand on my neck, offering silent support.
The doctor was gentle, his voice low and his manner careful. Josie sat on my lap during the examination, surprisingly calm. Once finished, the doctor told us to keep her hydrated but that a good meal and sleep would do wonders for her. She couldn’t have been left in the apartment for long since she wasn’t terribly dehydrated. The good news was we didn’t have to take her to the ER. The bad news was she had a terrible rash from wearing the same nappy for at least two days.
He left us with a cream and instructions on what to do should it get worse.
Oma had cooked for an army in the time it took us to clean Josie up. Every kitchen surface was covered in food, even the sink held a full bowl of potatoes.
“Where is Rhett?” I asked when I couldn’t see him anywhere.
“Gone out.”
That made me stop in my tracks, confused. Where could he have possibly gone? Except for his meeting, he had stayed with us the whole week. And now he’d just left. I didn’t understand but was too tired to think about it.
Josie only ate a few bites, even refusing the strawberries Oma had cut up for her. They were usually her favorite. Her eyes were getting smaller with every second that ticked by and she put her head on the table not long after. I lifted her up and lay down with her in bed. She curled up next to me, holding my hand, her grip strong even after she fell asleep. I stayed, more for myself than Josie. Once she was out, she usually slept like a rock, but I couldn’t get myself to leave her yet.
First thing tomorrow I had to talk to the lawyer and make sure Anna would never get access to Josie again.
I woke with a start, my head throbbing, my arm asleep. Josie snored lightly next to me, her body draped over my arm which explained the pins and needles I felt. Freddie was on the other side, barely fitting into the single bed. We had all ended up in the same bed, neither Freddie nor myself willing to get too far away from Josie.
Even Celeste was there, lying on the foot of the bed, purring away, pretending to be a normal cat. But she couldn’t fool me. As soon as someone came within swiping distance, she would strike. That’s why I pushed myself against the wall on my way out of the room, putting as much space between us as possible. No need to tempt her.
I took a deep breath when I made it out unharmed and turned to go to the bathroom. I hadn’t even brushed my teeth before passing out and that was the one thing I couldn’t go without.
Once I’d changed into my pajamas and cleaned my teeth and face, I passed by the kitchen for a glass of water.
“Emmi?” Rhett’s sleepy voice called from the living room.
I turned and there he was, lying on the couch, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, covered by a blanket mountain with his head on at least three pillows. Oma had gone a little overboard again it seemed. Usually I was there to divert her attention but since I had been asleep and Rhett was too polite to decline, she must have emptied the laundry cupboard on him.
“You’re back.” And once again, I was stating the obvious.
“Come here.” Again with the commands. He could at least have said please. I rolled my eyes at him.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me.” Not only did he seem to have supersonic hearing, but he also appeared to have night vision. Something to remember for later.
He was smiling when I made it to the couch, and as soon as I was within reach, he tugged on my arm and I tumbled down on top of him.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
