Casey Jones
Little toes attached to small feet dug into my side, waking me up from a deep sleep. Yawning, I stretched my arms out and felt the empty space where Jane should have been. For a brief second, I wondered where my love had gone but then I remembered that Jane had kissed me goodbye before lugging a suitcase out the door earlier that morning on her way to the airport. As I stock of the empty space, something struck me as odd. The little body that was curled up against me radiated an unfamiliar heat and the sudden realization that I wasn't alone caused me to push up onto my elbows. But something was different. This time something didn't feel quite right.
Since I had come to live with them, there had been many mornings when I had woken up with the same pressure of a little body pressed against me, but something was off this time. My eyes surveyed the flushed face and sweaty curls that stuck to Isa's forehead and my heart began to race.
"Dada..." Isa sighed as she looked up at me with glassy eyes.
"Izzy, what's wrong?" I asked as I pushed her sweaty hair away from Isa's unfocused eyes. Isa shook her head and reached up to touch my hand. Her cheeks were rosy with a fever and sweat continued to bead along her forehead. "Tell me where it hurts." I continued to stroke the sticky hair, pushing it away so I could see Isa's eyes better.
Isa touched her head and then her stomach. "Here..." she whimpered and then squirmed slightly.
In an instant, the almost tranquil moment between us turned into something that I hadn't expected as vomit hit me in the middle of the chest and Isa began to cry.
"Shit..." I looked at the mess dripping down the front of my shirt.
"Sorry...dada..." Isa said between whimpers as tears started to roll down her pink cheeks.
"It's okay." I said as I scooped Isa up in my arms and rushed towards the bathroom. "Dada's got you. Shit..." I cursed under my breath again when I almost slipped on the tile's in the bathroom as vomit continued to drip off my shirt onto the floor. "Let's wash up." I tried to soothe as I carried Isa to the shower with me.
Turning on the shower, I waited until the water was lukewarm to step in, pajama's and all. I let the water wash over my head as I held Isa close. But even though the water was warm, Isa started to shiver in my arms, so I tried to wash off what was left of the sickness that coated the front of my shirt and covered Isa's small body. As quickly as I could, I peeled off the wet pajamas with the white bunny rabbits before stepping out of the shower to grab a warm fluffy towel to wrap the shivering girl in.
Isa snuggled into the soft wrap, her eye's half open and slightly dazed. "Don't feel good..." she whispered as I carried her back to the bedroom, trying my best to dodge the droplets of vomit that still covered the floor.
"It's okay Izzy." I sighed as I laid Isa down at the end of the bed, away from the mess that still coated the sheets and pillows. As quickly as I could, I stripped out of my wet clothes and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a clean t-shirt over my wet hair. After running my fingers through my hair, I frowned at the realization I would need to take another shower when I had a chance. When I was done, I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and scooped Isa up again, leaving the mess behind to take care of later.
With Isa tucked against my chest, I went into the little girl's room to grab some clean pajamas, so she could put them on to stem the shivering that continued to come from the small body in my arms.
"Dino it is." I said as I grabbed the first pair of pajamas I could find from the miniature white dresser with pink glass knobs. With Isa and the pajama's in hand, I turned to leave.
