A picture book · for small readers

FEVER BREAKSAT DAWN

The long night ends in light

Before dawn the windows
were the color of ash.

◎

Still fevered

The kitten’s breath came quick. The children kept the cloth cool and their voices cooler.

They had given the tonic
hours ago.

﹢

Trust the dose

Waiting is part of nursing. The clock agreed, reluctantly.

Then — a change
too small to name at first.

–

The turn

Ears cooler. Eyes clearer. A stretch that meant the world was interesting again.

“Feel,” whispered the boy.
“She’s coming back.”

✦

First light

Gold found the sill. The fever, outnumbered by morning, packed its bags.

They opened the curtain
a careful inch.

⌢

Day shift begins

Birdsong replaced the night watch. The patient demanded breakfast like a general.

So ends the siege
of a small hot night.

THE END

Told for the picture house · dawn as medicine

More stories open on this shelf each month.