“It’s most important to get JT’s fever down. Children usually fight off these things better than adults, but the fever can still burn his brain and leave him blind or deaf. You must be vigilant to bring it down. Use the willow bark tea; that will help. I’ll show you how much to use for someone his size. Come with me to the kitchen.”

Gloriana followed Abigail, hesitant to leave her little brother. He was already sleeping, but she didn’t want him to be alone. It was terrifying to be sick and not know what might happen. She didn’t want him to be afraid.

Abigail showed her the exact amount to use in JT’s tea and told her how often to use it, but Gloriana wanted only to return to his side. She was so thankful that Sally was content to play in her crib. The baby’s brand-new trick was sitting up. It wouldn’t be long until she was pulling up and then walking. Gloriana decided to put Sally’s crib in her father’s old room so Sally would be closed off from the rest of the house.

Once Abigail was gone, Gloriana found a piece of brown paper and some burnt wood. The charred pieces would make nice black lettering. She wrote the word quarantine, then set the paper aside to make a flour-and-water paste. Once this was complete, she plastered the sign to the front door.

Poor Luke. She hoped he’d already had the measles.

Then it dawned on her that they were to have been married that evening. “Oh, grief!” She sighed. What if this caused problems for them with the baby? What if Luke’s father was somehow able to get the edge because they hadn’t yet wed?

She tried not to think of her disappointment in having to forgo the wedding she’d been anticipating with great joy. Such thinking was selfish. Her little brother was sick—possibly on death’s door. How could she worry about something such as getting married?

Taking the willow bark tea and a pan of tepid water, Gloriana made her way back to the bedroom. JT was sound asleep, but she had to do what she could to bring down his temperature.

“JT, I need you to wake up and take some medicine,” she said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. She shook him gently and waited as he opened his eyes. She smiled down at him. “I have some tea you need to drink. It’ll help with the fever. After you do that, I have to wipe you down with vinegar water. It smells terrible, but it will help with the fever too.”

“Do I have scarlet fever again?”

“No, this time it’s the measles.”

“Oh, I remember you saying that. Billy and Matt have been sick too, and Teacher said it was measles.”