Liam now seemed at a loss for words and he just seemed to sob harder instead. Daphne just continued to stroke his hair and his back, the way she always did to try and calm Nigel down, and she hoped it worked the same for little boys as it did for her baby.
The boy quieted a bit as he nodded at her suggestion to lie down before popping his thumb into his mouth and calling softly for his Daddy. She knew Miles had gone to go close the store, but she didn't expect it to take him this long. Trying not to grunt at the growing boys weight on her still somewhat frail body, she stood with him in her arms, his head laying rather limp against her neck and shoulder. She looked to Zorbin, who was standing nearby with a rather frazzled look on his face, and asked him to meet her in Liam's room with a Pepper Up Potion and a cool face cloth, and the house elf just nodded before disappearing.
Daphne took Liam up to his room, laying him down softly on his bed. The boy looked rather pitiful, and her heart sank even further as she noticed how red his skin was getting. His shirt had been pulled up while she had carried him upstairs, and she could see that his tummy was irritated, and would likely break out in spots soon. Daphne tried not to let her worry show too much, even if Liam wouldn't likely be able to make out her facial expression. She didn't even want to think about that.
Zorbin arrived moments later with what Daphne had asked for, and she made Liam drink the potion, hoping it would calm his fever before placing the cool cloth on his forehead. She waited patiently with him until he cried himself to sleep before leaving Zorbin and heading back downstairs to try and owl Miles. She didn't even make it to the study when she heard him return, though, and she moved towards the foyer to meet him and tell him what was going on.
Daphne really hated to be the bearer of bad news...