I jumped up as I heard more coughing so I got up and ran into the triplets' room picking up Markus and cuddling him tightly his head burning up and his coughing getting worse

"What's wrong?" Eliza asked as she came around the corner

"Markus is coughing again" I sighed

"I think we might need to go get him some medicine," she says

"I think so too, we need to take him to the pharmacy in the morning" I sighed

"Come on Markus, You can come sleep with me and Alaki" she smiled taking Markus from me and going back to bed

"I didn't agree to this" I complain

"well I said so" she smiled so I went back to bed sitting up as Eliza sat up against the headboard with Markus wheezing asleep on her chest his little hand hugging the lace on her nightie I smiled and gave his head a little kiss running my hand down his back trying to get him to sleep

"What if he really is sick Eliza?"

"Of course he's sick what you think he's doing it for attention" she smiled

"Not like that... I mean what if he is seriously sick?"

"Hey, it's okay Baby's get fevers Alaki, I'm sure you cosied up with your mummy when you where a sick little baby" she smiled "He'll be okay"

"Your right" I smiled "You're Always Right" I smiled giving her head a kiss

"Because I'm a lady" she laughs "Come on Mr, You need your rest too" she smiled pulling me so I rested my head on her shoulder my hand still on Markus as he slept on Eliza's chest him wheezing and coughing through the night,

Once we were up properly we sorted the pram having to sit them all together kiki of course trying to escape again, going out into the town as it began to get busy bustling with people and sellers as I shoved the pram through the cobblestone streets, Eliza, beside me helping where she needed too where the wheels would get stuck between the irregular cobbles. I tried to avoid the eyes of people mostly the women on the street with prams and young children who glared at us,

"Aren't you two a little... Young?" A prim and proper lady asked as she crossed us

"Ignore them, Come on just a little farther" Eliza smiled I nodded and pushed the pram along spotting the pharmacy on the corner, the beautifully intricate painting on the windows about medicines, Deals and of course the word Pharmacy, The glass was beautiful arches as was the doors so Eliza pushed them open for me as we heard the clang of the customer bell as I pushed in the pram to the empty shop the counter glass full of bottles and pills about all sorts of things a man behind the till with a thick pair of glasses

"Ohh Good Morning, Who may I say is this?" He asked offering taking Eliza's hand

"Miss Eliza" she answered

"Miss Eliza, you are blossoming into a very beautiful lady" he smiled "Now what seems to be the trouble? female Hysteria?"

"No, Little Markus has a fever and a cough thats been keeping him up," she says taking Markus from the pram to keep him close to her

"Well, my dear... your not telling me this uhh this young boy is yours?" He asked, "Your far too young!"

"Actually sir, He's My little brother," I told him taking Markus from Eliza as she went to care for the others in the pram "Eliza just helps me out"

"My dear boy you are to tell me Miss Eliza and yourself care for an infant child together?" he asked and I nodded

"Three actually" I shrug

"My god boy where are your parents?"

"My dad ran off and... my mother isn't with us anymore," I said sadly

"These children need to go into a home, Yourselves too before your very much older," he says

"Look are you going to help us or not?" I asked getting annoyed with him

"Of course, I'm not going to leave a sick child," he says taking Markus from me "come with me sir into the other room to check him over," he says

"Okay, Eliza you stay here with Kiki and astrix," I told her and she nodded as we went into the back room as he checked over Markus

"How long has it been like this?" he asked

"Since they were born, our mother died during childbirth for the triplets" I explained "and... my dad ran off not long after"

"so all this time you've been caring for these children alone?"

"Well not alone, I've had Eliza the last few months"

"How did she come into it then?"

"she ran away from home," I said and he looked shocked "Her father and uncle they... they did horrible things to her, she didn't have anywhere else to go so she came and stayed with me"

"So the two of you? work and care of these children?" He asked

"well she does... I lost my job recently" I sighed "so I've been staying home with them"

"The children would be safer and better fed in homes," He says "This boy is malnourished extremely so"

"No," I said "I know... it would probably be better for them for all of them" I sighed "But I can't I promised my mother before she died that... we'd stay together, we go into the system... I'll end up in a workhouse or a factory, the triplets will be driven up to all different families, and I don't even want to imagine what would happen to Eliza, We have to keep ourselves afloat... Or we'll never see each other again"

"I understand" he nodded sorting Markus giving him a little tablet "All done," he says handing me Markus

"Haba!" Markus giggled as I held him close and we went back out to Eliza and the others

"How is he?" she asks giving him a cuddle

"I believe its a Lung infection of some sort, I've given him a little tablet and that seems to have cleared his airways at least, for now, he'll need more of them and a course of anti-Biotics" he explained "that together comes to Ten Pounds Nine shillings"

"ten pounds?" I asked in shock

"Alaki thats all our money," Eliza says quietly

"Isn't there any way you could do it a... little cheaper?"

"I can do it for you two Eight pounds thats as low as I dare go," he says

we took that and gave him most of our money and he gave us the pills so we tucked Markus back in the pram with kiki and Asterix so I opened the door and helped her push the pram out

"Alaki... if I hear of any jobs going you'll be first on my list," He says

"Thanks" I smiled