The Troubles began when some Salmon Woods locals found themselves sick with a terrible disease known as Burning Sim; It was a small group of people at first so Maggie-May and her husband brushed it off as something that would pass. It truly felt like a golden time as Clifford continued to grow up in a time of peace and prosperity and even got to know his cousins since Emma visited often with her kids and vice versa.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49359010112_03da6b744a_c.jpgThey were even pregnant with baby number two at the same time.
"There must be something in the water," Emma joked on one visit.
"Or perhaps our twin connection extends to our bedroom habits," Maggie-May joked back.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49358806996_671e53a663_c.jpgIt wasn't long after that visit that Maggie-May and James's second son was born. It was an easy birth that both Maggie-May and her son came
out of healthier than ever. She and James named the boy Henry Joseph Nolan.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49359009922_356c3ed8e6_c.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49358345733_63c629411e_c.jpgTheir fortune reversed mere weeks later when the disease closed in around the Nolans. Late that spring Maggie-May's mother was diagnosed with Burning Sim. One day a letter arrived with a request enclosed. Ruth wanted to meet her grandchildren before she passed, something Maggie-May had neglected to do because of the bridges she burned between them. Despite the very real risk of Maggie-May or one of her children contracting Burning Sim she granted Ruth's final request. On Ruth's last good day before she was completely bedridden, Maggie-May invited her mother over.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49359025782_cc477f6927_c.jpgShe met the boys and Maggie-May made peace with her mother.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49358821936_51eddde955_c.jpgNot long afterward Ruth was gone, and Clifford started to show symptoms of the disease. Baby Henry followed with the same symptoms. Within a week Clifford was bedridden, Henry was not much better off. If they didn't find a cure of some sort Maggie-May and James would have to bury their two sons. The loss of her mother and the sickness of her boys drove her to write her next book LOVE IN THE TIME OF BURNING SIM.
She was passionate about the project but more than anything the Nolans but all their energy into prayer and the search for a cure. During their search, mostly using gossip and James's political connections they found out about a doctor who swore up and down that he had the cure for Burning Sim, all it would cost was 5000 simoleons for each inoculation. They only had enough for one cure, so they took Clifford with them to the hospital since he was older than Henry and had a better chance of survival.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49359009352_1d4e34bc52_c.jpgAfter he got the inoculation they returned home. At first, there seemed to be no change and James began making arrangements with a local funeral director just days before Henry's first birthday. It started out as a grim occasion with only a cake, half-hearted decorations, and no guests. Things looked grim, but for Henry's sake James and Maggie-May put on brave faces. If this was to be the last party they had as a family they'd try to make it a good one.
However, just as Henry was blowing out his candles Clifford rushed down the stairs into the living room, a big smile on his face. He'd even gotten dressed for the occasion.
Relief washed over Maggie-May and Henry aged up to a toddler with his whole family around to celebrate with him.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49358361558_94fd0e5e88_c.jpgAfter that Clifford walked over to his little brother and gave him a big hug. "Happy birthday little brother! I'm gonna teach you a lot of really fun stuff and we're gonna be best friends!"
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49358822021_a74f8f6e26_c.jpgMaggie-May's heart sank, there wasn't another cure for Henry, they would still have to bury a son and Clifford's heart would be broken. For Clifford's sake, Maggie-May held her tears back until she and James went to bed that night. The moment they closed their door she let her tears fall.
"Henry is in the Lord's hands now, all we can do is pray," James said.
His words rang hollow, but still, Maggie-May prayed. She bore her soul begging the Lord not to take her son yet, tears in her eyes. Eventually, she cried herself to sleep.
The next morning Maggie-May was roused by a light tapping on her door before the sun was all the way in the sky. Curious, she opened the bedroom door to see Clifford in the doorway.
"I hate to wake you Mama, but could you bring Henry in here, he's crying really loudly," her oldest son said.
"Of course, Sweetie," she said.
She walked into the bedroom her sons shared and picked up Henry. To her surprise, his skin no longer blazed with heat and he was far less pale as if his fever had broken and the disease had subsided. She was too afraid to hope but told James everything. Immediately he called into work and the two of them headed to the doctor's office. A few tests later the doctor confirmed that Henry was on the road to recovery. Right then it was as if a weight had been lifted from Maggie-May's shoulders. She had to stop herself from falling to her knees right there to thank whoever had been looking after her family. For now, it seemed as if she and James's misfortune had reversed. For the first time in a long time, the future once again looked bright.
Author's Note: Gameplay-wise Ruth actually died of old age, but I changed it to Burning Sim because I thought it fit the story better. Also, I highly recommend trying out the Vector mod(where I got the Buring Sim), especially if you're doing a challenge like this that is loosely based on history; illnesses were quite a common place before the medicine and such we have today. Heck before the late 1840s people didn't even know about germs. Anyways the Vector mod was a fun thing to try. Fair warning though if you don't want to use the Virologist(how diseases caused by the Vector mod are cured), the diseases are really hard to get rid of, even the common ones like Influenza. Happy Simming everyone!
