A Christmas Comedy of Errors

It started with a message
That seemed inconsequential:
“One daughter has a stomach bug;
Infection spread’s potential.”
We shrugged it off: “She's on day three
And sounds almost recovered.
We can't wait to get back there
For fun yet undiscovered!”
So back we went and reunited;
Two more days flew by.
And then a message from Janelle:
“Bug's got Gerard and I”.
Uh oh! Now this was serious,
So what were we to do?
Eight of us in that small house,
One bathroom plus a loo!
“I tell you what, we'll move on out;
We must arrest the spread.
If all eight of us succumb,
Our Christmas plans are dead.”
Thankfully some friends came through
And offered us their suite.
We moved into it that same day,
An answer we thought neat.
But oh! Our fall was mighty:
One boy, in grand display,
Demonstrated that the bug
Had come with us to stay.
Plans were cancelled left and right;
Some friends who had flown down
(In part to see us) couldn't see us
While they were in town.
But, washing, scrubbing, disinfecting,
Three days came and went.
“Surely Christmas can be saved;
The bug must now relent?”
On Christmas Eve, we all agreed:
If no one else was ill,
We’d move back in and be together…
What a heady thrill!
The morning dawned, a boy walked in:
“My tummy doesn't feel right.”
“GO TO THE TOILET! QUICK, RUN! GO!
… Well, guess we're here tonight.”
Tomorrow, we decided
(For real, it's Christmas Day!),
We'd move back to our friends’ place—
What sense is being away?
We'd lost four days together,
So, though shunned by all,
We’d celebrate together
In our sucky, sickly pall!
On Christmas morning, cue four hours
Cleaning, washing, packing.
“At least nobody else is ill;
The bug has quit attacking.”
By afternoon we had returned,
And Christmas fun could start.
What sweetness to be all together
After days apart!
(Although we didn't get much time
With host girl number two—
She'd luckily escaped the bug
But caught a different flu!)
On Boxing Day, Janelle prepared
Belated Christmas dinner:
Son two was eating well again;
The timing was a winner.
But as the hour approached, Ben said,
“I think I've caught it too.”
And then Janelle confided
She was getting daughter's flu!
So daughter two ate in her room,
And Ben ate not a bite;
Janelle retired quickly…
We were five by end of night.
Two more days have now gone by,
More plans are still upending…
Please keep your fingers crossed for me:
I'm the last one standing.