At the beginning of the story, Schatz complains of a headache. When his father tells him to go to bed, Schatz says that he is alright. Schatz repeats this, so at this point, he really does think it is nothing to worry about.
But then the doctor informs Schatz's father that Schatz has influenza (the flu) and that his temperature is 102 degrees. Schatz overhears this. And his attitude changes. When his father returns, asking...
At the beginning of the story, Schatz complains of a headache. When his father tells him to go to bed, Schatz says that he is alright. Schatz repeats this, so at this point, he really does think it is nothing to worry about.
But then the doctor informs Schatz's father that Schatz has influenza (the flu) and that his temperature is 102 degrees. Schatz overhears this. And his attitude changes. When his father returns, asking to read to him, he notices Schatz's dismal demeanor:
His face was very white and there were dark areas under his eyes. He lay still in the bed and seemed very detached from what was going on.
Schatz had learned at school that people with a temperature of 44 degrees (Celsius) or more would die. Schatz does not know that the doctor was giving his temperature in Fahrenheit units. For the entire day, Schatz had been thinking that with a temperature of 102, much greater than 44, he would surely die. This temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit converts to 39 degrees Celsius. When Schatz learns of this miscommunication, he no longer thinks he is going to die. He relaxes at the end of the story. And he starts to cry and worry about the little things, as children tend to do. He's no longer worried about dying.
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