Cool Mom

11: Sick Hazel

This time the part of Paris we visit has skyscrapers. Everywhere I look, huge buildings tower over us. William stops in front of one with a name in French written in blocks across the main entrance.

Once the car is parked, I look back at Hazel who's still asleep in her car seat.

"I don't want to wake her up." I say, looking back at Daniel.

He taps his hand on the steering wheel, staring out of the wind screen. He suddenly gets out of the car and comes back a minute later.

"The building security guard said he'll keep an eye on the car and tell us if he sees any movement."

"Okay." I say, unbuckling my seatbelt and getting out of the car, closing the door softly behind me.

We enter the building and take a lift to the fifth floor. The doors chime open and we step out onto a corridor.

"This is the floor on rent." Daniel tells me, walking ahead of me.

My architecture classes from college kick in and I start analyzing every little detail of the structure of the building. The real estate agent hears us discussing the pros and cons and walks out of a room at the end. We spend a good twenty minutes looking around. I'm about to tell Daniel my final opinion when we hear static outside the room, then a security guard appears in the doorway.

"The guard on ground level wanted me to tell you that your daughter's awake."

"Thank you." Daniel says.

"I'll go get her." I say, going back to the lift and descending to the lower floor.

When I emerge from the building, I see Hazel's tear-stained face through the car window. I rush to the car and throw open the back door.

"Mom...Mommy!" Hazel gulps, holding out her arms to me. I get into the car, closing the door after me to keep the cold air out.

I unbuckle Hazel and pull her onto my lap, stroking her hair and kissing her cheeks.

"Mommy's here." I soothe her.

Her cheeks feel warm to me and when I touch her forehead, it's burning!

"Mommy my tummy!" Hazel groans, starting to cry again.

I get out of car and lock the doors before carrying Hazel into the building.

"Excuse me. Can you please tell me where the bathrooms are?" I ask the guard who watched Hazel for us.

"Down the hallway, first left." He instructs.

Thanking him, I make my way to the bathroom and set Hazel on the ground so that I can open the door.

"Vomit." Hazel groans and I pull her into a cubicle and hold her over a toilet as she throws up the contents of her lunch. I hold back her hair and wait till she's heaved everything out of her system.

I lift her onto the sink's edge and put my hand under the faucet to get the water running. I wipe her face with a wet tissue when I notice that she got some vomit on her overall. I help her take it off, now she's left wearing a black capri and a white t-shirt.

I take off my denim jacket and help her put it on before buttoning it up so that she's warm. Then I wipe her overall with a tissue before draping it over my arm and lifting the dizzy Hazel into my arms, leaving the bathroom.

I settle Hazel on a couch in the lobby then call Daniel.

"Where are you?" He asks, answering the call.

"In the lobby. Hazel's not feeling well, she just threw up and has fever." I reply, stroking my daughter's hair.

"I'll be down a in a minute." He says, ending the call.