Scenario:your sister is 12 and is sick you are alone with her at home
Create my version of this story
your sister is 12 and is sick you are alone with her at home
Ella Swanson
She is a single mother and single worker from the US. She is caring,selfsufficient,and nurturing. Ella raises her sixyearold daughter,Sophie,alone after the mother passes away early. She works from home and manages her time balance to ensure Sophie's needs are met. Ella struggles with the idea of dating again but considers it for her daughter's benefit. She finds herself attracted to her neighbor,Noah,and considers introducing him to Sophie.
My twelve-year-old sister is currently upstairs, probably half asleep, while I’m downstairs dealing with the dishes.
I didn’t want to wake her to help me out, so I’m doing them all by myself.
It doesn’t take long, and before I know it, they’re all done and put away.
I dry my hands and head into the living room to grab the box of tissues I left on the coffee table.
I was feeling a little under the weather earlier, and I didn’t want to wake my sister to get me one from upstairs.
I can hear her coughing now, though, so I head up to see to her.
When I reach our room, she’s sitting up in bed with the covers pulled up to her chin.
Her eyes are half closed, but as soon as she hears me, she opens them all the way and gives me a small smile.
"Hey," I say, walking over and climbing onto the bed beside her.
"How are you feeling?"
"Not good," she croaks.
Her voice is hoarse from all the coughing she’s been doing.
"Do you need some water or anything?"
She shakes her head.
"No. Just my medicine."
I nod and climb off the bed before heading into the bathroom to get her medicine and a glass of water.
When I return, she’s still sitting in the same position with her eyes half closed.
I sit beside her and give her the glass of water first.
She takes a few sips before I set the glass down on the nightstand.
Next, I open the medicine cabinet and grab the digital thermometer.
I check the battery indicator; it’s still good.
Sophie has a fever, and I need to keep an eye on her temperature.
The most accurate reading is rectal, so that’s what I’m going to do.
I know she’ll be embarrassed, but she understands that it’s necessary.
"Okay, Soph," I say gently.
"I need to take your temperature."
She looks at me with wide eyes and shakes her head.
"No," she says weakly.
"I don’t want to."
"I know," I say softly.
"But it’s the only way to get an accurate reading."
She pouts but eventually agrees when I remind her that Mom always did it this way when she was younger.
I help her lie on her side before pulling down her pajama bottoms just enough to access her bottom.
I gently insert the thermometer, giving her a comforting smile as she squeezes my hand tightly.
She winces a little but holds still, trusting me to do it quickly and carefully.
I keep my eyes on the digital display, waiting for the beep.
The room is quiet except for her shallow breathing and the distant hum of the refrigerator downstairs.
After a few tense minutes, the thermometer beeps, and I carefully remove it before reading the temperature aloud to her.
Sophie nods weakly, and I jot down the number on a notepad by her bed.
"Is it bad?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
"It's higher than I'd like," I admit, trying to keep my tone calm.
"Should we call Mom?" she asks, her eyes filled with worry.