A Birth day

"Jess, the beds are here. Get Jack and Jessie to get their butts back here and get them. The drawstring bags are the beds and nightstands and chairs. The blue cubes right next to them are sheets and blankets and pillows. The white cubes have extra linens. Get them to take some of them too. Doublecheck your notes on that. They're in the equipment storage room up on the next floor up. We don't need to pay a supplier when I have them. Send the damned rented beds back and take the ones we already own. Angus has a source for good used medical equipment, so if those aren't the used ones from the source he has, let him get the dividers and the overbed tables at a much cheaper price. Give him just a minute to get them ordered."

Angus found a beautiful long antique worktable and two small ones. he bought all four, wanting them for himself when this was all overwith. He ordered them to be delivered. Marcus had ordered office supplies, toys, books, puzzles, games, and stuffed toys. He'd also ordered some enchanted nightlights for the kids and also so that the lights could be turned down at night and would still allow nursing staff to see to do patient care. He ordered some small flowering potted plants to be able to leave one on some of the nightstands to give a little hope and some life. He ordered some little beta fish in some unbreakable glass jars so the kids could see some movement and life on their nightstands.

Angus found the divider screens, but there were only enough to put a screen between every two beds. He did a sketch to show Jess how to place the screens. Angus felt that would be alright, and besides, patients might be a little less claustrophobic if they could see someone next to them, rather than keeping a screen between each and every one. He ordered some plastic thermal mugs with lids to be able to give one to each patient to keep their drinks icy cold, knowing it would help their swollen faces and their throats.

Rosaria sent Carlo to the main house and the cabin with some marvelous submarine sandwiches, with homemade potato crisps, homemade cookies and cold sodas for lunch for everyone. Then they took some over to Angus and Marcus.

Jess heard Robert she looked at her notes " your right" She wrote a note then sent it to Jack who returned with Jessie "drawstring bags are the beds and nightstands and chairs. The blue cubes right next to them are sheets and blankets and pillows. The white cubes have extra linens there on the floor up from here in the far back of the storage room, grab as many as you can and send over men for the rest, send the rented ones back." she said Jack nodded as did Jessie who walked with Jack. She then looked back at Robert hoping she corrected her mistake in a timely manner she then heard him talk about Angus organising the rest of the equipment and nodded. " I informed him of the situation ." she said " I'll head back to the duplex and see how he's doing" she said.

Leaving Robert she headed to the duplex and entered " okay, we have the right beds and sheets, night stands and chairs, Jack and Jessie are setting those up, rented beds are being returned, sorry its been along time since I did field work, we just need the medical equipment and the kitchen equipment, how's that going?" she asked .

"Take a minute and sit down and grab a sandwich. Rosaria is Edward's cook from Tuscany. She made a bunch of 6 inch hot pizza subs and some homemade potato crisps and some cookies. Tuck into some lunch. Sit and eat while we talk."

"I'll get you a cold soda," Marcus told her. "The pizza sauce is authentic Tuscan pizza sauce with some real Italian cheese. It's wonderful."

"I ordered the med equipment, and its coming," Angus told Jess. "I bought three antique worktables. I bought those myself because I really liked them, so when this is over, those are definitely mine. Oh, and so are the armoires. They're oversized, and they have both doors and drawers, so you should have plenty of space. Freezer and Fridge is ordered. Marcus has ordered toys and games and such, and he will be placing the order for groceries. I gave him that list to order, and I'm working on the kitchen equipment."

"Oh, and I did something extra. I ordered some little flowering plants for the adults' nightstands, and I ordered some little beta fish in unbreakable glass jars to help entertain the kids a bit. Some signs of life will help inspire some hope. Or at least it always does for my kids when they're sick," Marcus said.

Jess listened to Angus then she took a deep breath in and looked to Marcus " thank you that would be great" she said and sat down facing Angus as he continued . Taking the soda she opened it and took a drink feeling it calm her and slow her mind down to a manageable pace. Listening again she nodded " all right so those stay once everything is finished and I do hope it will be soon." she said knowing inside it may take some time.

She smiled hearing about the unbreakable fish bowls with beta fish in and chuckled " they will probably make their day seeing those swimming around inside. Accioing some food she sat and ate the pizza subs and homemade potato crisps as she listened to Angus. It was now a note came from Jack saying the kitchen equipment had arrived and they were in the process of installing it. She handed Angus the note. " seems the kitchens being done." she said finishing her soda.

"Good," Angus said, "so we're moving right along. That's good." Pip fluttered in and landed on Marcus's shoulder with a note.

"Angus," Marcus said, "your antique dealer found you three matching small bookcases. I told him you'd take them for the toys and games and books. I ordered a bunch of plastic baskets for all sorts of things, so those will help on those bookcases. They'll be delivered with the armoires and the worktables."

"Remind me to send him some homemade jam. The more jam I send him, the more he does me little favors like that," Angus said.

"Jam...." Marcus said automatically, making a note. "You should send some over to the cabin. Homemade jam would be a nice treat, especially if someone there makes some fresh scones."

"Ok. Well, yeah. I have plenty, so we can send some over. There. Kitchen equipment ordered, and grocery order placed. Wait. What's this, a big bunch of nightlights?"

"I did that," Marcus said. "It will let the staff darken the rooms so the patients can sleep, and the nightlights will reassure the patients and let the staff still be able to see their patients to care for them."

"Oh. Good idea," Angus said. "Jess, if you don't mind, I'll send Ruby and Aria and Simone to look for pictures for the walls and some plants and a few knickknacks to make it more friendly. What are we forgetting?"

Jess chuckled hearing about a supplier who liked Jam. " he has a sweet tooth I take it?" she said then chuckled again as Marcus mentioned some one making scones knowing he meant Angus " oh they are so nice" she said smiling " haven't had those in a while" when he spoke of sending Aria, Ruby and Simone over she nodded " many hands make light work and Simone has great taste in paintings" she said sending her plate to the kitchen.

At the cabin Jessie and Jack placed and blew up the mattresses while Ruby made them along with Aria. Soon the long tables arrived with book cases and two smaller tables . Jack told the men where they were to go while he made up the beds along with Ruby and Aria. Jessie slid the dividers between every second bed per Roberts addition to Angus's drawing. Soon the book cases arrived and Yu and Chris placed them on some colourful mats close to the nurses desk and began filling baskets with toys that had arrived soon the room looked like a kids ward in a hospital but a little less formal.

"He does indeed," Angus smiled. "The first year I worked for Brian, Brian bought a lot of antiques from him, so that Christmas, Angus asked me to just send him some sort of a nice homemade gift. I made him some fresh loaves of bread and tucked in some French butter and some of my homemade jams and jellies, and he's never forgotten."

"Angus, I hate to ask the obvious," Marcus said, "but where did Abbey go?"

"Oh. Sorry. I should have told you," Angus said. "When she got bored with coloring, she went over and made instant friends with Rosaria and Carlo. Those two do not need to know English when there's a little one around. And I have no doubt whatsoever that she wanted to help Rosaria make lunch."

"Well, Rosaria was probably surprised to see how much help she can honestly be in the kitchen," Marcus said.

"When I was little, Rosaria used to give me pie dough to play with. I used to try to roll it out and use some little tiny cookie cutters. Unfortunately, I wasn't very good at it. Abbey is far better at it than I was," Angus said. "I'm guessing Abbey might be fiddling with some pie dough just for the fun of it."

Marcus got up and walked over to look into Edward's kitchen. He motioned to Jess and Angus. Angus managed to walk over to the door. Abbey was trying to tell Rosaria how to roll out pie dough and how to properly use a cookie cutter. Rosaria did honestly look rather impressed at just how much Abbey could do, even if Rosaria didn't understand Abbey's chatter. Marcus was trying hard not to laugh out loud. Angus smiled, proud of her, and he went back and sat down and kept working on his list.

Jess chuckled as Angus talked about the man who Brian bought antiques from " oh I remember him , nice guy" she said then heard Marcus mention Abby and looked around the room . Hearing Angus again she relaxed. It was only a moment when Marcus motioned for her to walk over to him. Standing she walked over and poked her head around the door frame to watch Abby and Rosaria she smiled. " awe , if that's what you wee like as a kid , you must have been so cute" Jess softly said chuckling as she moved back into the duplex.

Jack and Jess quickly had everything done including painting the basement. Jack did one last check straightening out beds and placing medical items in the armours that had arrived soon after the tables. Now with everything ready he made one last check and walked down to Chris " so Chris all good on you side?" he asked and saw him smile and nod Yu stood just behind him and nodded as well. " that's great I'll report to Robert and let him know we're ready, thanks guys" He headed over to the main house and down to Robert and knocked on the door.

"Edward said I was cute," Angus laughed. Marcus went in and picked up Diamond and took her for Jess to see.

"It's been awhile since you've seen this one, so I thought you might like to see her," Marcus said to Jess. "Look at how well she's filling out. She's gained three pounds already, and she's definitely improving developmentally. She's not shy about telling us what she wants, and she does not shy away from squabbling with Caprice. And, she's getting several of her teeth in. I don't think Angus and Ruby will have any problem proving that with proper care, she is far better off."

Robert apparated back to Brian's for a few minutes to get some sodas and some beers. He was packing them into a cooler when Jack came in.

"How's it going?" Robert asked, seeing how many more beers he could put in the cooler. "My work crew is thirsty, and I'm out of soda and beer. So I just stopped back to get some more."

Jess chuckled and watched as Marcus picked up Dimond she was surprised that she was looking so well " wow , your doing really well with her, she almost looks like a normal baby now still a little under weight but that will improve" she said reaching out to brush some hair off her face she watched as Dimond turned away and cuddled into Marcus and she smiled " just as I expected her to react, doesn't trust strangers, that's a good sign too"

Jack heard Robert and walked in with notes he had done and he floor plan that was pretty much as he had suggested. " everything's ready the cottage is kitted out as a makeshift hospital, all surfaces are sterile and we have all the beds up and made ready for patient's." he told him " Ruby and Aria along with Simone have filled out the kitchen ready for people to cook in, I wondered if Angus could make a menu for them to make up?" he asked him.