Chills and Fever

It was around nine o'clock in the morning when Evelina crawled out of bed that morning. For most twelve-year-olds - indeed, for most school-age children most anywhere - nine o'clock was still a rather early hour to rise.

Ev was not most twelve-year-olds, however, and nine was at least an hour past when she was normally up and around for the day. Even if it was summertime.

On this particular morning, however, not only did Ev awaken late, she didn't even bother to change out of her pajamas. Instead, she padded straight down the hall and proceeded down the stairs. In a sleepy shuffle, she followed the sound of voices to the kitchen.

Reaching Eli first, the girl walked straight to him and leaned against his side by means of a sort of no-armed hug. The girl remained there only a moment, however, before continuing to where Kallie stood, leaning against her, as well. Only, this time, Ev wound her arms around the woman's waist and pressed her face into her blouse.

"Äiti," Ev murmured miserably, shivering even though the room was warm, "Äiti, I don' feel very well."

Kallie leaned against the counter, a mug pressed firmly in her hands as she smiled slightly at her husband. Dressed for the day, she was currently debating what to eat for breakfast. Normal quite organized, breakfast seemed to be the one meal Kallie did not bother to plan a head of time in her mind - or alternatively forget about completely.

Although she was teasing lightly with Eli, her mind was occupied on the child who was still upstairs. She couldn't help but glance at the clock and the doorway with a concerned look. It was far later than when she usually saw her daughter about the house. Worrying the inside of her lip Kallie turned to refill her mug, and had just about decided to go check upon the girl when she heard the footsteps on the stairs. Her relief at this was short lived however once Evelina entered the kitchen. Even before she spoke it was obvious to anyone looking that she was unwell.

Flashing a worried glanced at Eli, Kallie turned her sympathetic gaze down to the girl, brushing her hair aside as she set down her mug on the counter behind her.

"Oh Kultaseni," her hand drifted from the girl's hair to her face, "I think you're burning up. Did this just start this morning?"

Eli turned his gaze away from Kallie at the sound of footsteps shuffling down the stairs, his smile fading a little as he saw the sleepy expression on her face. Looking down at her as she collided with him, he gave a small laugh, "Hey there, Pup."

His concern escalated at the mention of a fever, and he returned her look of worry. With a half-conscious gesture, he pulled out his wand and flicked it behind him, making a glass fly to the sink and fill up with water, another flick and it soared into his hand. He offered it to the girl.

The girl leaned into the touch as a cool palm found her fevered brow. It wasn't just that it was cool, either. It was gentle, a caring gesture; a maternal gesture. Mum would make her feel better. Mum always made her feel better. It's what mums do, after all.

Ev had responded to Eli's with an inarticulate hum. The question posed to the girl required an answer, however, and the girl's brow puckered as her fevered mind worked to process the query. When did...

"Think it..." she mumbled out, the effort aborting as a glass was held out to her, effectively distracting her entirely. One hand tangled in the woman's blouse as the other took the glass, bringing it obediently to her lips and sipping without much interest. A few sips and then she handed the vessel back, her arm reaching back to meet its pair.

What had she - oh. Right. "I felt a bit funny yesterday, she murmured in Finnish, seemingly unaware of the switch in language.

Gently stroking her hair - an action that Kallie was starting to find might have been for her own comfort rather than the child's. She had to do something or else she'd fall into the the panic that she could feel building up in her chest, and Kallie couldn't panic. Not here, in front of her husband, her child. Not now when someone needed her.

Patiently, Kallie waited, her expression one of kindness, warmth, concern; it wasn't the usual blank mantel she'd give her employees, the other ministry workers. It wasn't the arched eyebrow and impatient foot click that she would give someone she knew was purposely drawing out their answer. This was a different kind of Kallie, a soft, maternal Kallie. To some, it might have seemed new, perhaps she had always been capable of it, but before this moment she had never had a chance to show it. What Kallie knew though, knew but had yet to associate the situations, was this was a place she had been often as a child. Her mother, deeply depressed from the death of her first daughter, had reverted in many ways to childlike habits. Kallie had been mothering her mother her whole life.

She just never realized it.

"Yesterday, huh?" Kallie repeated the statement softly in English more for Eli's benefit than anything else. As adorable as Kallie found his confused face, she was tactful enough to know this wasn't the time to tease him.

Nodding her head slowly once she finally got a response, Kallie impulsively kissed the top of the girl's head before she reached for her wand. If it had started yesterday, it could easily just be a common cold, right? There wasn't much she could do for that, she knew, but surely there could be nothing bad from that either. Sliding her wand out of the little pocket it always was hidden in, along the side of her sleeve, the woman muttered a few quick spells to herself. Healing spells had never been Kallie's expertise, in fact, there seemed to be some sort of trick that held Kallie's practical mind back, but determined and studious, Kallie had mastered enough to get the basics. A spell to give her the exact temperature of was completed successfully, and the second more general one was supposedly able to pick up diagnosis of common cold's and fevers.

Kallie wasn't sure if she managed to get that one to work or not.