Faking Sick; Jack Chambers:
There was Roger, the master mischief maker who was constantly trying to see how far he could amount to before getting caught. But today was different. Roger was fed up with the of the hustle and bustle that came with school. Rigid teachers, unfledged classmates, piles of arbitrary homework became too much for the young lad. So he faked a sick day. Simple. He knew his doting parents would just shower him with affection and sympathy if he played his cards right and successfully played it off.
Alice was going to go shopping with the girls later on and Susan was going to be in school the way Roger should have. Jack was the only who earned his two days off from work and as fate had it, he would spend it catering to his 'sick' little boy. Roger greedily mixed together his famous vomit concoction and hid by the toilet in the bathroom.
"Dad!" He called from his room, still snuggled into his bed with the covers laced around him and a subtle guileful smirk spread across his face. Jack on cue came running into his son's bedroom with a floral print waisted cooking apron wrapped around his waist.
"What is it Roger?" "I don't feel well." He whined in an ailing voice. Jack raised an eyebrow and looked on with perceive. "Really?" He said with unsureness that raised his voice higher. Roger nodded, trying to make his eyes look sick. But little did Jack know, Roger came fully prepared with a fake fever, fake vomit and rehearsed coughs and sneezes.
Before Jack could catch Roger's goat, Roger was off to the bathroom and 'spilling his guts' when a worried Jack came in to check on him.
Maybe he really is sick? Jack thought before going over and rubbing Roger's back. "It's okay buddy, daddy's here." he said softly. "Why don't I clean this up and then I'll be there to tuck you in?" Jack said with a babyish tone. Roger nodded and stumbled weakly to his bedroom and waited for his father to come.
Roger grew bigger with satisfaction from the deceit he had brought upon Jack and a concerned Alice and Susan. "Maybe I shouldn't go out today," She said while ushering Susan out to the car. "No, no. I'll take care of Roger while you're gone, you have a good time." Jack said while giving Susan and Alice a goodbye kiss. He waved them goodbye before going back inside to tend to Roger.
"Roger are you all comfy in bed?" Jack dotingly asked. Roger nodded pretending to be a frail and innocent baby. Jack's paternal feelings grew stronger as he tucked the covers around Roger and peppered his cheek with kisses. "Does your tummy hurt?" Roger shook his head. "What about your forehead, or your chest?" "Well, my chest feels a little congested but otherwise...I'm doing okay." He said faking coughs and sneezes in between.
Jack put a sympathetic hand on his cheek, rubbing it with his thumb. "I'll make it better, I have just the thing." Jack ran out of the room leaving Roger perplexed and anxious. Roger smiled as if he was getting away with something. Finally getting his well 'deserved' break from school and the homework and the teachers, schoolmates, oh it was almost just too perfect!
That was until Jack came in with vapour rub and a thermometer. Yep, he was going to give real medicine to Roger's fake cold. "Okay buddy, daddy's gonna give you some medicine for your sick chest." Jack said with a babyish voice. He sat on Roger's bedside and opened up a hesitant Roger's pajama shirt.
Jack felt with his forehand Roger's chest. "Yep, it's congested. It's hot." Roger watched in consternation and embarrassment as his father scooped up a glob of vapor rub and brought it into contact with his young son's chest.
Roger winced as Jack spread the thick consistency across his chest in a gentle motion until it was rubbed in. The strong menthol aroma stung Roger's eyes and nose. "There, do feel better?" Roger gave a firm nod with a matching smile, although Jack still seemed to be oblivious to the agitation of not getting what was expected from Roger.
"Oh, and I have one more thing for you..." Jack poured some medicine on to a big spoon and held it in front of Roger much to his horror. That spoon is bigger than the mixing one mom uses! Roger thought.
But Jack was insistent on wanting to give Roger the medicine. "Come on Rogie, open for the choo choo train." He babyishly cooed. Roger's cheeks blushed. But before he could speak, Jack shoved the accursed medicine into his mouth with the gargantuan spoon into his 'train tunnel'.
Roger harshly swallowed the scheduled consequence of his lie. "There, right into the tummy station." Jack patted Roger's tummy gently. Roger felt so infantile by that.
Jack stuck a thermometer into Roger's mouth. Roger became panicky as his fake fever was starting to fade, so out of desperation, he blew hot air inside so as to continue the lie. It worked, so when the thermometer was finished taking it's reading, Jack took it out and still looked concerned. Roger felt a sense of serenity befall him as he had played his father's compassion like a violin in an orchestra.
Jack pressed a gentle kiss to his son's cheek and tucked the blue colored covers around him with a gentleness and excused himself to grab more quilts of different colors to cover his Roger to fend off from the cold. "Hmm!" Roger could barely talk from all the covers that swallowed him. Sweat dripped from his face and all over his body from the heat that built up.
"You just rest. I'll bring you some hot soup and orange juice." Jack said while fluffling Roger's pillows. "Get better, I love you." He said before smooching Roger's sweaty cheek. Jack went downstairs and prepared a freshly made broth for Roger, with fresh cut carrots, celery, cheese and chicken.
And then with some freshly poured orange juice into a cup, lunch was ready for Roger. Jack took the smorgasbord of broth, orange juice and a bowl of fresh cut strawberry slices up to Roger's bedroom.
Roger eventually freed himself from the quilt prison, and started to read some comics hidden under his mattress. "Roger, lunch is served." Jack said setting his lunch down on his desk. "You're supposed to be sleeping, not reading right now." Jack clasped the comic and set it aside. "Eat up bud." He tied a bib made from a napkin around Roger, much to his dismay.
Jack noticed Roger hesitate to eat the soup prepared for him, so Jack took the spoon full of the chicken noodles and led it to Roger's mouth. It wasn't until Jack practically made him open his mouth to taste the delectable meal Jack had made especially for his ailing son.
Although Jack underestimated how much Roger hated being treated like a baby to the point of Roger wondering if his father had caught on to his little charade and was purposely babying him. But what if Jack really was that unheeding to his little man's annoyance of his constant overbearing hold he had onto Roger's cosset baby years, a picture of the little bambino wearing his small white fluffy diapers and sucking his thumb was permanently burned into his brain and it wasn't something he was about to let go of that easily.
So he fostered it much to the concern of his wife, the relief of his daughter and the resentment of his son. Jack thought it was cute, Roger did not. Period.
Roger had thought the soup had tasted delicious but was still desperate to keep up this mind over matter until the school day ended. After lunch, Roger was put straight to bed to rest and enjoy some comics. "I'll check on you later champ." Jack leaned down and pressed a smooch to Roger's cheek. "Please rest up Roger....I love you." He said softly with disquietude, which made Roger rethink the whole situation and the tricks he was playing. Maybe dad really was sincerely concerned?
Jack pressed another kiss to Roger's cheek this time a little longer than before, adjusted the light and left the room quietly, looking back with deep worry.
Roger sunk in his bed feeling deep regret with how he treated his father. Making him worry himself with agony, giving him undeserved and undivided attention and affection and was by his bedside catering to his every cough and sniffle and cries about pain and discomfort.
Roger thought about coming clean, but decided against it and then fell asleep. He woke up to the sound of his mother and sister's voices that echoed through the living room and were about to enter his bedroom.
"Sweetie?" His mother's voice sounded with a knock on the door. Alice entered the room with Susan who rushed to his bedside. "How do you feel honey? Was doctor dad nice to you?"
Roger gave an roguish smirk and fluttered his eyelashes. "Yeah, he made me soup and let me read my comics." Alice smiled before kissing Roger's forehead. "I was so worried about you all day. I called Jack and asked how you were feeling and I brought you something."
Alice pulled out a toy car for Roger. "Here you go sweetheart." Roger's eyes grew wide as he looked on with exhilaration looking at the shiny dark cherry red car that was deluxe. "Thanks mom!"
"I made you something too Rog." Susan said pulling out a toy robot from her backpack. "We made it in shop today." Roger's smile grew wider. "Thanks sis." He said giving Susan a big hug. Jack came in shortly and scooped Roger up and gave him a big hug. "Oh Roger, mommy, daddy and Susan were all worried about you." Alice placed a sweet hand under Roger's chin and kissed his nose.
"I think I feel better now." Roger said. "Well now wait a minute sport, we wanna make sure you are all better so I think tomorrow you should stay inside." Jack suggested. Alice nodded in agreement.
"But it's okay because you'll have me and your mom to keep you company and we'll play with you."
Roger looked with sudden repentance and fear. "Lucky me." He said swallowing another hard lesson: Be careful what you wish for.
