Frederic saw how sleepy and sick Karen was and he desired to cuddle her, but his want to take care of her trumped that wish and he went into the kitchen to start cooking. As he set the pot on the stove about a half hour later, he wiped his brow and looked out the window. It was snowing. He put a few more logs on the fire in the hearth to keep the house warm and then went to check on Niamh and Harold Jr. Both were asleep, and he smiled fondly at the babies for a moment before poking his head into Karen's room. He hoped she was still resting.