Jackson looked horrified. “No! There was a package in the refrigerator!”
“Okay. Good. Maddox stopped killing the chickens because David loves them so much. He doesn’t even kill the non-layers. And he made a graveyard for them.”
“Is that what those two crosses were out under the big oak tree out back?” Jackson asked.
“Yep. Coyotes killed Bernice and Jessica last year. David cried like his heart was broken. David is careful not to name the cows, but he’s already in love with the chickens and can’t change that. The only way he’s going to accept killing one is if it’s old and suffering.”
“And who wants to eat an old, sick chicken?” I put in.
We all chuckled over that.
When the soup was ready and Carter pulled the cheese bread out of the oven, I went to get Maddox and David, but David wouldn’t leave Ollie and said he wasn’t hungry.
While the rest of us ate, I noticed that Maddox was mostly pushing his food around his plate.
“Is he worse?” I asked him.
Putting down his spoon, Maddox covered his face with his hands for a moment. When he looked at us, his vulnerable expression sent a chill through me.
“Yes. Before, Ollie was fussy, but he was nursing. Now he won’t nurse and is disturbingly quiet other than his coughing. And his fever keeps spiking. I’m really worried. Laura called and said Dr. Humbard was waylaid by an emergency at the hospital and did a video call with them at the Borders’. He told them to take Jeremiah to the hospital. They probably just made it before the storm hit.”
A louder boom of thunder had us all looking toward the window over the sink where I could see dark clouds covering the sky. A couple of drops of rain hit the panes as lightning flashed, followed by the loudest crack of thunder yet.
“I hate storms,” Ben said, moving closer to me.
I put my arm around him. “We’re safe here in the house.”
Maddox got up from the table. “I’m going to go be with David. He doesn’t like storms either.”
“I’ll keep the soup hot for you guys,” Jackson called to him. Turning to us, he said, “Should I be concerned about the girls catching whatever this is?”
“I’d keep them away from everybody, to be safe,” Carter said.
The roof of the house was made of tin, amplifying the deluge when it let loose a minute later. Getting up and going to the window, I looked out to see sheets of rain so thick and heavy I couldn’t make out anything past them.
“Crap,” I muttered.
“I got the cows in before I came inside earlier,” Colt said, coming to stand behind me at the window. “Man, what a downpour.”
I was really worried now. “I should’ve told Maddox to take Ollie to the hospital when he told me he was sick. Now, he can’t take him in this.”
“You didn’t know he was going to get worse,” Colt said.
Ben came to stand on my other side and rested his head against my arm. The three of us stood watching the rain for a few minutes before returning to our meal.
“My parents planned to make a video call tonight to talk to us about things,” Jackson said. “Maybe I should tell them to hold off.”
“That might be a good idea,” Carter told him.
When lunch was over and we’d cleaned up, leaving the soup on low in case we could coax Maddox and David into eating some,we all went into the living room. Jackson called his parents and told them what was going on.
“I’m sorry you guys came when there’s sickness here,” Ben told Carter while Jackson talked to them.
“You couldn’t have known. With kids, short of locking them up at home, you can’t keep them from being around illness.”
A call of “Da-dee!” from down the hall announced that Alisanne was awake, and Carter went to check on her. Jackson finished chatting with his parents and hung up just as Maddox walked down the hall.
“Would one of you mind coming and holding Oliver while I make David eat a little? He hasn’t had anything all day.”