"Mummy, look what I got!"

"That's very nice, Cara, where did you get it?"

"They were handing out prizes at school today for kids who had perfect attendance. And I got a pinwheel."

"That's wonderful, love. I'm sure Ross would have gotten something too if he hadn't come down with this flu."

I smell sick. I smell germs. I can smell the little boy covered in medicine. The woman is here too by his bed. And the little girl! It's a whole party in here! I wag my tail. I feel a couple hands petting me. 

"That's quite a cough you have, son."

"Mummy, I don't feel well."

"I know, love. You just rest in bed and I'll call the school tomorrow."

Who's sick? Why does it smell so bad in here? It smells like a cold sweat and illness. Some sort of topical ointment the humans use. I wrinkle my nose. Eugh! It's filling the whole room! I have to stumble my way out of here! If I wasn't blind before I sure would be now!

"Take it easy, Charlie! A little Vicks won't kill you!"

I get out of that room as quick as I can and hack and retch down the hall. The man used to put some on himself when he had a cough. I don't want that woman putting any on me so I hack as quietly as I can. 

**********

"Here you are, Ross. It's still hot."

I smell soup. Delicious soup. The humans never really give me their soup, only a sort of plain broth. But I love it anyway. I hope the woman thought to make some for me. I wait patiently at what I think is the table. I smell the soup coming from the couch. The little boy is sitting there. 

"Am I going to get sick, Mummy?"

"I hope not. I hope none of us get what Ross has."

I follow the scent of the soup and sniff around the couch. That horrible cream smell is gone and I can focus on the soup. "This is mine, Charlie."

"Charlie! Come here!"

I smell plain broth. It smells warm. I slowly limp away from the couch and go back to the table where the woman has set a bowl down in front of me. I lap and lick. It's delicious! Why can't we have this every day? 

"Mummy, can I have some?"

"Yes, but you have to eat it at the table."

I have broth all over my muzzle and I don't care. I know I'm making a huge mess. But I have no qualms about cleaning it up. I lick my bowl and the floor and my chops. I'll get it all for you, don't worry! 

**********

"Does Charlie have the flu?"

"No, he just coughs sometimes. It's part of getting old."

Goodness, that was a big one. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I'm not coughing up hairballs like I've seen stray cats do. Can you imagine? A huge ball of fur working its way out of your stomach and into your throat where you hack it up for humans to step on? I maintain that dogs are far superior to cats. Everything goes out one end. 

Well, almost everything...

"Can we get a cat, Mummy?"

"Well....maybe someday. But right now it would be too much for Charlie to handle."

I shudder at the thought of my owners getting a cat. Maybe if I were younger I could chase it around but I don't have the energy for that anymore. The thing would just get in my way and scratch my nose! It would take up the entire bed and there would be no room for me! 

"Can we get two dogs?"

"Maybe someday."

What about another dog? I don't mind dogs when they don't mount me or sniff too closely or get in my personal space. But they can be great fun to play with! They can run and chase and wrestle! But again, I don't have the energy anymore. My owners would probably end up loving it more than me anyway. It would be young and fit and I'm old and crusty.

No, my humans would never do that.

The man would never. 

**********

"You seem to be much better today, Ross. No fever or anything."

"Mummy? I don't feel well...."

I smell more sick and germs. I smell it on the little girl. Oh no, now she's sick! The woman will put that horrible cream on her for sure! I've got to get out of here!

"Come here, Cara....you feel kind of hot....I think you'd better stay home for a few days..."

Keep that cream away from me! Run, little boy, run!