Typhoid Tried. And Failed.

The older more ladylike sister of Katherine Pul- Plumber. Sorry, sis. Still not used to the byline. [Indie RP account] FC: Laura Benanti

[lesterjacobs-deactivated2018061]

(Lucille) ✺

David was fast asleep when he heard someone knocking on the apartment door, he yawned and more or less rolled out of bed. Who would even come here at this hour he thought, he made it to the door and undid the lock, opening the door and peering outside. He yawned again, blinking a couple of before even registering who it was. “You know what time it is? He said, groggily.

[lesterjacobs-deactivated2018061]

He led her down the stairs of the apartment building, once they were outside he turned to her. “Where have you already looked?” He asked, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. The weather outside wasn’t too bad, but it was bad enough to make David shiver from the cold winds and feel a tad uncomfortable. He knew he asked Lucille earlier, but at that time he was still half asleep. “We’ll find her don’t worry.” He gave her small smile, as if to reassure her.

[theotherpulitzer]

"Her apartment, The Sun's offices, the lodging house, Jacobi's- all her usual places. Jack and Bill and Darcy and several of our colleagues are out searching Manhattan. I don't think anyone's made it out to Brooklyn yet..." She was so worried about her baby sister, even David's smile couldn't seem to help. "I know she's almost an adult now, but I can't stop worrying, not knowing if she's safe..."

[theotherpulitzer]

It is now 4 PM on December 31, 2014. It has been 117 years since Lucille's unfortunate death of typhoid.

RIP.

[theotherpulitzer]

So today is December 31st, otherwise known as the historical Lucille died of typhoid.

Mun is distraught and muse- well technically for today she's dying

[pseudonymizeda]

The room darkened by closed curtains, she is grateful for the sombreness, as much as she regrets the loss of Jack’s temporary presence. Medicine has finally eased her stomach, pulling her into heavy grogginess —- a side effect, but not amongst the worst. Breaths come slightly easier, and chest falls and rises, shuddering and slow as she nestles deeper into the warmth of her blankets.

Honestly, there’s several dozen things that she would like, but none strike her to be within her sister’s capabilities. So she  settles to remain wordless, nodding almost imperceptibly as she rests. Meek and feeling childish, the comfort of spoken word is craved, something to distract the girl and to lull her to sleep.

  ❝  —- Please. ❞  

[theotherpulitzer]

Her sister in nestled close, Lucille reached over the side of the bed to a large story book they had kept hidden there throughout the years .

❝ Would you like Cinderella or something different tonight? ❞ 

The former was always something she had enjoyed when they were younger. Maybe it would help her feel the slightest bit better. 

[lesterjacobs-deactivated2018061]

(Lucille) ✺

David was fast asleep when he heard someone knocking on the apartment door, he yawned and more or less rolled out of bed. Who would even come here at this hour he thought, he made it to the door and undid the lock, opening the door and peering outside. He yawned again, blinking a couple of before even registering who it was. “You know what time it is? He said, groggily.

[lesterjacobs-deactivated2018061]

Where could Katherine gone off too that even her sister couldn’t find her? He thought he'd lost Les multiple times in crowds or when he looked the other way for a split second, but he could always find him, for he usually didn’t wander far. He looked at Lucille with a somewhat nervous expression on his face. He knew how she felt and he didn’t expect her to act any different, then she was now, but just seeing her beginning to cry made his heart sink. He grabbed his coat off the coat rack and started putting it on. “Come on. We'll go look for her.”, He said.

[theotherpulitzer]

She squeezed his hand tightly in gratitude. The more people that were out looking, the better chance they had of find her. "David, thank you..." Now all there was was keeping herself together long enough to find Katherine and give her a giant bear hug as soon as she found her. Please Lord, let her be okay...

[pseudonymizeda]

While nausea fails to subside, she’s at least spared from the burn of rising bile —- a close call. Retching shifts into slow gasps for breath, and unable to keep herself upright for any longer, she falls to lean against her sister, weary eyes closing and body shuddering with the tremors of a fever.

  ❝  No. ❞  

Don’t misunderstand her refusal —- of course she wants Jack with her now, at her bedside and holding her hand. But she’s a sight for sore eyes, and hardly in any state for company extending past family and doctors. Her sweetheart will have  to wait.

  ❝  Will you stay with me though ? Please ? ❞  

[theotherpulitzer]

Lucille is careful to lay Katherine down back on her side so that she can rest a little more comfortably. With delicate hands, she swipes away her sister's fever damp bangs. She isn't sure if her heart melts or breaks when she hears the request, but she will most certainly fulfill it. She would do just about anything to relieve her sister's suffering.

❝ Of course. Let me shoo Jack off. Then I'm all yours.❞ 

Jack understands. He is a bit sad to be told to go away when she's so ill, but he understands. Soon enough, the dark curtains are drawn again; and she's laying next to her sister in bed.

❝ Would you like anything? Maybe a story, like we used to?

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[theotherpulitzer]

"He wanted to do you a favor, for even he can see what a great guy you are." Neither of them knew it was part of PR, but ignorance is bliss.

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

Crutchie laughed. “A great guy, huh?” He asked, wry. “A great sleepy guy….”

[theotherpulitzer]

"You're supposed to be sleepy after all that." Lucille kissed him on the head. "Get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[heirtothetribpast]

She smiled and explained it to him again. It was about to be a long afternoon…

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

Crutchie yawned, clutching at his blankets. “Why’d your fathah do this fer me, again? I ain’t…ain’t nevah even met…met ‘im really….”

[theotherpulitzer]

"He wanted to do you a favor, for even he can see what a great guy you are." Neither of them knew it was part of PR, but ignorance is bliss.

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[theotherpulitzer]

"Obviously." Lucille gave him a smile. "Why don’t we just take a nap for now, hmm?"

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"No," Crutchie insisted. "I…I can’t. There’s too many things…things goin’ on. What did they do to me, again?"

[heirtothetribpast]

She smiled and explained it to him again. It was about to be a long afternoon…

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[theotherpulitzer]

Lucille dodged at just the right time. “Woah there, settle down, Crutchie…. what kind of drugs did they give you?”

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

Crutchie calmed down for a moment and shrugged. “I dunno. Stuff.”

[theotherpulitzer]

"Obviously." Lucille gave him a smile. "Why don't we just take a nap for now, hmm?"

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[theotherpulitzer]

"And what?" she teased, helping settle him.

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

Crutchie sprang up, flinging out his fists so that they nearly hit Lucille in the face. “An’ thank ‘im!!”

[theotherpulitzer]

Lucille dodged at just the right time. "Woah there, settle down, Crutchie.... what kind of drugs did they give you?"

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[theotherpulitzer]

"You’ll feel it, but it should feel better in a few weeks…" Lucille said, sitting next to him on bed, rearranging the blankets. "Only if you rest though."

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"I don’t wanna rest," Crutchie complained. "I wanna…I wanna…I wanna get Pulitzer. I wanna get ‘im an’…an’…."

[theotherpulitzer]

"And what?" she teased, helping settle him.

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[theotherpulitzer]

"They took out some of the dead parts of your leg to make it easier for you to walk," Lucille explained, not surprised he didn’t remember. When she had surgery at 14, she remembered very little.

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"But my whole leg is dead," Crutchie argued. "Is it gonna look diff’rent now? Am I gonna feel it?"

[theotherpulitzer]

"You'll feel it, but it should feel better in a few weeks..." Lucille said, sitting next to him on bed, rearranging the blankets. "Only if you rest though."

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[theotherpulitzer]

Lucille smiled. The medicine was still in effect. After an operation like that, she was glad he wasn’t feeling anything. “A few days indeed.”

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"What did they do again?" Crutchie frowned. "I can’t remember," he added for the fifth time that day.

[theotherpulitzer]

"They took out some of the dead parts of your leg to make it easier for you to walk," Lucille explained, not surprised he didn't remember. When she had surgery at 14, she remembered very little.

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[theotherpulitzer]

"A few days while your leg his healing up," Lucille said, smoothing back his hair. 

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"A few days?!" Crutchie cracked a smile, starting to laugh. "You’re stuck with me! You’re stuck with me, Lucille. For daaaaaaays."

[theotherpulitzer]

Lucille smiled. The medicine was still in effect. After an operation like that, she was glad he wasn't feeling anything. "A few days indeed."

[atoughlittleguy-deactivated2015]

"There you go, Crutchie. All comfy." Lucille had given him his medicine, covered him in a blanket, and made him all around as comfortable as he could be in the moment. She was just hoping for a pleasant afternoon.

Crutchie leaned his head back against the pillow, and then looked over at Lucille. “How long do I gotta stay ‘ere?”

[theotherpulitzer]

"A few days while your leg his healing up," Lucille said, smoothing back his hair. 

[pseudonymizeda]

Ooh, tempting. Damn tempting. A whine highlights her distress, frustrated with the offered ultimatum. She squints at the silver spoon, eyeing the wretched liquid like a condemned man an executioner’s blade.

  ❝  If I swallow that, I’ll throw it up, I promise you. ❞  

No, she doesn’t make the most cooperative patient, dangerously ill or otherwise. But the damn spoon won’t be going anywhere until its been shoved into her mouth, she knows, so she musters up her final unwilling shred of courage and energy to shift  forward and take the mouthful.

She regrets it as soon as she swallows.

  ❝  I’m gonna be sick. I … think. ❞  

[theotherpulitzer]

Lucille has come to expect this. It's happened just about every time she's had to deliver the medicine. Quickly, she turns to the bathroom the connects their bedrooms and returns with a small trash can.

"There you go."

She rubs her baby sister's back, trying to relax her, get her to keep the medicine down. She wasn't going to get any better if she couldn't let the medicine do it's job after all. 

"Do you want me to let Jack in?"