Two days later, Seth was sitting upright and joking with Maggie and Juju. After nine days, his high fever had finally broken that morning. The girls were relieved to see him feeling better. He looked weak and frail, but Maggie knew that with food and rest, he’d feel better within days.
“Fuck, man, I’m glad Seth feels better. I was really worried about him,” Juju finally admitted.
“I know. These past nine days have really sucked. Between work and taking care of Seth, I’m totally beat. All I want to do is sleep,” Maggie commented.
Slowly, Seth was beginning to feel himself again. He went back to school, and he even surprised the girls one evening by heating up frozen pizza for dinner. He’d been getter stronger, and on the third day after his recovery, Joey showed up at the apartment in the late morning.
Maggie answered the door. “Joey? What are you doing here? Why aren’t you in school?”
The young girl looked pale and nervous. “Seth is sick. He fell down in the hall on his way to math class. I couldn’t wake him up. The nurse came and got him, and he’s in her office. You need to come now ’cause they don’t have a phone number to call you. The nurse asked me to come and get you.”
Maggie shot out the door, still in her pajamas, and ran to the school with Joey. In the nurse’s office, Seth was lying on a small cot. Maggie rushed over to him.
“Are you OK? What happened?”
“I’m fine, Aggie. I just got really tired, and then I was asleep in the hallway,” Seth reported.
“He passed out,” the nurse, Mrs. Booker, interjected. “Went completely unconscious, but he tells me that he was pretty sick the last week or so,” she stated as she did a quick assessment of Maggie. Exceptionally exquisite was what ran through Mrs. Booker’s thoughts as she gave Maggie the once-over.
“Yeah, he had the flu for over a week. He wasn’t able to eat or drink much. He’s been feeling better over the last three days,” Maggie explained.
Mrs. Booker considered the information. “Maybe he’s just dehydrated. I think you should take him home and make sure he eats and drinks lots and lots of fluids. I want you to buy Gatorade on the way home. That will work well for him.”
Mrs. Booker paused. She watched Maggie stroking Seth’s hair. The nurse had seen a lot over the last twenty years…broken families, abusive parents, unruly children. But she was intrigued by the genuine love and adoration Seth and Maggie seemed to have for one another. It’s refreshing to see a brother and sister so close, Mrs. Booker thought. There were so many unhappy people in Kensington—many born into the hardness of poverty. Hopelessness and joblessness were the mantras in this town, and those two factors often brought out the worst in people.
Mrs. Booker had seen Maggie on the streets about a year ago, hooking. Maggie had a look and grace about her that was hard to miss and impossible to forget. The nurse figured that Maggie was prostituting to keep a roof over Seth’s head. With that, Mrs. Booker knew very well, came heartache and pain.
Mrs. Booker watched as Maggie mothered the sick child. How lucky the boy is to have a sister with so much compassion, she decided. The nurse cleared her throat, and Maggie looked over at her. Mrs. Booker motioned with her index finger for Maggie to follow her into a tiny office. She closed the door behind them and turned to Maggie.
“I want you to take this,” Mrs. Booker said, handing Maggie ten dollars.
Maggie’s eyes revealed her embarrassment and relief. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, I want you to buy him Gatorade and make sure he eats, too. I can see that the two of you are very close. He’s lucky to have a big sister like you,” Mrs. Booker commented.
“Seth’s the most important person in my life. I’d do anything for him,” Maggie said.
Mrs. Booker softly patted Maggie on the shoulder. “You’re a sweet girl. You listen to me: if Seth has any more problems, I want you to come back and see me. Keep a close eye on him. I took his temperature, and he doesn’t have fever, so I really think he is just dehydrated. If there’s anything I can do to help, you come and see me, hear?”
Maggie nodded. Before leaving the nurse’s office with Seth, Maggie said, “Mrs. Booker?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Thanks for being so kind to us,” Maggie said.
It was rare for Maggie to encounter people who thrived on helping others. In Kensington, people were more likely to go out of their way to harm or exploit people.
“No problem. Now you take care of this little man,” Mrs. Booker commented, gently stroking the top of Seth’s head.
Maggie and Seth walked slowly back to their apartment. The autumn air was crisp. Seth was lethargic, and his movements were calculated, as if every step he took was painful.
“Seth? Are you OK, sweetie?”
Seth nodded. “I’m just tired is all. I wanna go home and get in bed.”
The two stopped at a convenience store and bought Gatorade with the ten dollars that Mrs. Booker had given to Maggie. Once home, Maggie settled Seth onto the mattress, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep. About an hour later, Juju came home and, seeing Seth in bed, gave Maggie a curious look.
“Joey came and got me. Seth passed out at school. The nurse thinks he’s dehydrated from being sick for so long. She said to let him rest and make sure he drinks enough. I have clients lined up, starting at two o’clock this afternoon, and my shift at Doubles starts at eight o’clock. Will you be able to be here with him tonight?” Maggie asked.
“Sure. I’ll go out earlier today. Once I make my quota, I’ll come right back and stay with him. What should I do for him?” Juju asked with apprehension, remembering the bulb syringe that Maggie had stuck up Seth’s nose.
“Just make sure he eats something and drinks a lot. I’m sure he’ll feel better in the morning,” Maggie said.
When Maggie got home at three in the morning, Juju was waiting for her. She looked over as Maggie entered the apartment. Her face was a mask of worry.
“What’s wrong?” Maggie asked.
“I don’t know, Maggie. Seth started shaking on the mattress, and his eyes were rolling back in his head.”
As if it was planned, Seth began to jerk on the mattress again. It looked as if someone was seizing his shoulders and shaking him. Maggie rushed over and sat next to Seth. She gently rubbed his arms, and she knew immediately what was happening.
Juju’s eyes were bulging from their sockets. She stood watching with her arms wrapped around herself. “That’s what he was doing…what’s wrong with him?”
Maggie tried to keep her voice even so she wouldn’t reveal the panic that was rising in her chest. “He’s having a seizure. Just relax. He’s going to be fine. Wet a towel and bring it over to me,” Maggie instructed calmly.
Juju sprang to action, grateful there was something she could do to help. By the time she walked over to the mattress with the damp towel, Seth’s seizure had ceased.
Maggie took the towel and gently wiped Seth’s face and neck. He looked at her through tired eyes. “What’s wrong with me, Aggie? I’m scared,” he muttered weakly.
“You’re going to be OK, sweetie. I’m here, and you’re going to be fine,” Maggie fussed.
Then Seth looked at her with confused and disoriented eyes. Maggie lifted his thin, long body and placed him on his side, to keep his airway open. A few minutes later, he was sleeping again.
Juju was horrified as she watched Maggie. “What the fuck, Maggie? What are we going to do? There’s obviously something really wrong with him, right?”
Maggie looked up at Juju. “Yeah, something’s wrong. We’re not going to panic…that would just freak him out,” she whispered.
“But what are we going to do?” Juju insisted.
“We’re going to wait and see how things go. Just remember to stay close to him when it happens. You wanna be sure he doesn’t hurt himself if he has another seizure.”
Maggie got up and went into the cramped bathroom. Only then did she let herself cry, releasing all of the anxiety and dread that had gripped her. When she came back into the living area, her eyes were bloodshot and her face looked as if it were made of stone.
“You all right?” Juju inquired, taking in her friend’s expression.
“I’m fine, Juju. It’s Seth I’m worried about.”