“These young’uns is got scarlet fever. You ain’t leaving ‘em for this town to deal with. Jist take ‘em on back where you come from.” The sheriff steadfastly refused responsibility for the children.
“But they ain’t mine. I don’t even know their names.”
“Ya married their ma ago ain’t cha? Then they’s yourn! I hate it for ‘ya, but I ain’t gonna letcha leave ‘em here to sicken the whole town. We’ll getcha some provisions to help out, but that’s it. Ya got to git out’a town with them sick young’uns. Pull this wagon out to that mesquite tree ‘n I’ll git ‘cha some supplies.
Morosely, Joe waited on the edge of the sorry town as a wagon pulled up. Shouting at him to stay back, a gimpy old geezer rolled off a barrel of flour, putting a burlap bag of beans beside it, and piling a few cans of milk, a bolt of material, and a few paper wrapped parcels on top of it. He went on his way, leaving Joe to wrestle them into the wagon the best he could, stowing them so they wouldn’t crush the burning children.
Joe felt as low as he’d ever had, pulling up to his rough cabin. He knew nothing about children or the sick. Maybe these poor wretches wouldn’t suffer too long.
Nutsrok 
That’s a twist – scarlet fever. You have to feel sorry for all three of them.
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It was a likely a death sentence for them and anyone who connected with them. Now it’s strep throat.
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Well, I’m hoping the children survive, and the man will figure out how to father them. But we shall see …
Did you mean strep throat in today’s world? I think I’ve had strep throat a time or two, and my son had it along with mononucleosis. He thought he was going to die – but he didn’t. :)
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Yes. If you catch it early, antibiotics knoc it right out. A bit later, the patient flushes bright red. It’s accompanied by terrible sore throat and fever. Your skin can peel, like after sunburn. If the patient doesn’t complete antibiotics course, the bacteria can attack heart and/ or kidneys. That’s cause of rheumatic fever.
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Ahhh, I see. My brother had rheumatic fever when he was young. Rough stuff.
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Yes it is!
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oh, what thinking!
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I love these characters
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I love your writing and now the series. Looking forward to new episodes.
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I really appreciate your letting me know. When I at home writing I hope I touch people’s hearts.
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And that was called the “good old days”. Great story. —- Suzanne
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Can’t wait to keep reading
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Thanks. That keeps me encouraged.
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I really like this and am now waiting to see what happens next? Wow a gripping turn of events for sure
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You do have a gift for making your readers hunger for the next installment. What a fine tale you have going here.
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This one has been worrying me for a while.
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And you say you had it bad. Hugh!
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A come on.He’s going to cuddle those kids and give them water and cold compresses and soon wonder how he lived without them.
Pretty please. Say yes? o_O
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Come back tomorrow.
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I will. :-D
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When I was little we all caught scarlet fever at the same time. We were all laid up in a row, burning up. I don’t know what we ate or what they did for us other than the wet washcloth on the brow. None of us died miraculously.
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We call that strep throat now, and simple shot of penicillin knocks it out. Before that it coul kill or leave people with rheumatic heart disease or kidney damage.
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I didn’t know it was the same however we developed the rashy type and intense fever. Several in our school had come down with it, only all four of us kids got it one right after and simultaneously. What a mess! I have an irregular heart beat, but nothing more and I don’t know that my siblings got anything from it. I later got what was then called the Hong Kong flu in my twenties and I thought I was going to die. It was horrible but not the worst. Have you ever heard of ovarian mumps? That at the same time as glands was just as bad. Soooo painful.
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It’s a gittin’ good
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Hope I don’t disappoint.
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Well, he certainly has his hands full !
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Oh, that wrench of a man!! Is he going to watch them die?
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I am going to try to keep that from happening, but sometimes the characters run away with the story.
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Continuing tomorrow I hope. Good but sad so far.
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I hope things end up well.
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I am trying, but the characters ma grab the story and run.
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