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true_writers Love a child
Nov. 22nd, 2008 02:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
call_me_snake5. Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back. - John Ruskin, The Crown of Wild Olive, 1866
Snake had crawled home, literally and figuratively. He couldn't remember completely how he'd got here though there he had distinct memories of passing out behind the wheel more than once. He managed to get into the house without stirring the family. It seemed like everyone was asleep and the house was dark. He was thankful for that. Bria would kill him for being like this. Evie would probably do worse. He needed to be quiet but the vomiting spells kept coming. He'd already emptied his stomach but still his body was trying to force it out of him.
His whole body shook as he sat on the cold tile floor leaning on the toilet. Sweat was rolling down his face mostly from the exertion of trying to vomit when he couldn't. Swallowing was hard because it felt like his stomach was sitting somewhere behind his Adam's apple. Taking a deep breath he attempted to stand. He was thirsty and anything that might remove the bitter, burning taste in his mouth was worth trying to get to. As soon as he moved the heaving came back. His body was trying to wretch so much that every push from his gut pushed black flashes into his vision.
The wave of nausea passed and Plissken tried to ease to the floor. Moving back down turned his stomach and brought horrible pain. It hurt to vomit like that feeling in your eyes when you've cried too much or your throat from screaming too much. It possessed the same sharp, needling pain. Snake leaned back against the wall panting from just the little movement. He was starting to feel tired but the idea of sleep terrified him. Plissken pressed his eye closed tight against the pain before he was back over the toilet again. This time acid was coming up, burning.
"Daddy!" The voice was so high pitched, almost a shriek of fear. The sound caused Plissken to rock from the shakes of being startled. Instantly he crumpled up on the floor. The words didn't come when he attempted to speak. He knew who was there with him even if his vision wasn't perfect at the moment.
"Sweetie?" His voice was weak as he called to the girl hiding at the door. She was by the frame. He knew it from the sound earlier and he could imagine it. That was how she was. Quiet followed. All he could hear was his own breath and his heart pounding a fast beat that gouged at his eye.
More nausea was coming and he struggled to right himself. He needed to get back up. Even if he was well aware of the fact there was nothing left to bring up instinct didn't recognize that fact. Plissken grabbed at the seat to pull up but his body was tired of responding. It needed rest. He tried again but this time little hands gripped his arm pulling with all the strength a ten year old could muster. Snake hung there leaning on the bowl and seat. He was getting too tired to heave anymore.
"Are you sick?" She sounded afraid. He figured she would be. No one had seen him ill, not this far anyway. It had to be terrifying for a child to see their father ill for the first time.
Snake tried to answer; twice, three times. He gave up and nodded. She pulled back his hair. He felt it. The way she brushed his hair back was just the way he did Bria's when her morning sickness was bad. Plissken wanted to laugh at the thought but he just couldn't. He had to sit back again. As he did she tried to help. It did for his confidence if nothing else.
"dad...get... water." Snake was out of breath but the thirst was raw and itchy in his throat. Cassie nodded and got her little step to reach the faucet. Soon he had a glass in front of him. He tried to reach failed and then finally made his hand around the cup. It was too heavy for his grasp. He already knew. Worse than his own weakness were the big eyes full of worry that watched every breath. Cassie helped him get a drink though most of the water slid down his chin. He still couldn't swallow right. She took it away and stood there terrified before dashing back out of the room. Plissken wanted to call her but exhaustion left no energy to do so.
He thought a few seconds passed, maybe it was a minute or more. Slowly he slipped sideways along the wall with his back pressed to it. The arch led him to the floor where his body contacted the cold tile. Plissken shivered but he couldn't move if he had to. He had barely settled on the idea of forgetting about moving when the fleece covered him. Snake forced his eye open to see Cassie spreading a blanket over him. Again it was something he knew she'd witnessed just not in this context.
"Swee..." The rest wouldn't come out.
"Are you ok daddy?" Big worried eyes met his while she shook his arm.
Plissken nodded once more. "Poi...so... someone...made..da.. sick." Plissken had to fight with his body to form words from what he thought.
Cassie tugged at his wrist but Plissken couldn't budge.
"Tired." Snake mumbled. "Can't."
She left. For a long time while lost in his own world that had a time stream all its own Plissken thought he'd been left. He wondered if she was going to tell Bria. Bria'd kill him for sure if she found out Cassie found him like this. Plissken's head started to swim. He quickly comprehended the softness under his head. She had brought him a pillow.
"Daddy?" She shook him again but spoke more softly.
"Hmmmm...." Plissken let it trail off like his mind was.
"Can I stay here and make you better?" She didn't know what else to do. He could hear it in her voice even if his eye was barely remaining open.
Snake nodded. She immediately curled up on the blanket and rested her head on his shoulder. She was crying and worried. He wanted to hug her but there wasn't enough strength left. Instead he took her hand in his as he lay there on the floor in the bathroom. The dread of suffering alone passed and let him drift off to sleep he so desperately needed.
Words: 1082
Snake had crawled home, literally and figuratively. He couldn't remember completely how he'd got here though there he had distinct memories of passing out behind the wheel more than once. He managed to get into the house without stirring the family. It seemed like everyone was asleep and the house was dark. He was thankful for that. Bria would kill him for being like this. Evie would probably do worse. He needed to be quiet but the vomiting spells kept coming. He'd already emptied his stomach but still his body was trying to force it out of him.
His whole body shook as he sat on the cold tile floor leaning on the toilet. Sweat was rolling down his face mostly from the exertion of trying to vomit when he couldn't. Swallowing was hard because it felt like his stomach was sitting somewhere behind his Adam's apple. Taking a deep breath he attempted to stand. He was thirsty and anything that might remove the bitter, burning taste in his mouth was worth trying to get to. As soon as he moved the heaving came back. His body was trying to wretch so much that every push from his gut pushed black flashes into his vision.
The wave of nausea passed and Plissken tried to ease to the floor. Moving back down turned his stomach and brought horrible pain. It hurt to vomit like that feeling in your eyes when you've cried too much or your throat from screaming too much. It possessed the same sharp, needling pain. Snake leaned back against the wall panting from just the little movement. He was starting to feel tired but the idea of sleep terrified him. Plissken pressed his eye closed tight against the pain before he was back over the toilet again. This time acid was coming up, burning.
"Daddy!" The voice was so high pitched, almost a shriek of fear. The sound caused Plissken to rock from the shakes of being startled. Instantly he crumpled up on the floor. The words didn't come when he attempted to speak. He knew who was there with him even if his vision wasn't perfect at the moment.
"Sweetie?" His voice was weak as he called to the girl hiding at the door. She was by the frame. He knew it from the sound earlier and he could imagine it. That was how she was. Quiet followed. All he could hear was his own breath and his heart pounding a fast beat that gouged at his eye.
More nausea was coming and he struggled to right himself. He needed to get back up. Even if he was well aware of the fact there was nothing left to bring up instinct didn't recognize that fact. Plissken grabbed at the seat to pull up but his body was tired of responding. It needed rest. He tried again but this time little hands gripped his arm pulling with all the strength a ten year old could muster. Snake hung there leaning on the bowl and seat. He was getting too tired to heave anymore.
"Are you sick?" She sounded afraid. He figured she would be. No one had seen him ill, not this far anyway. It had to be terrifying for a child to see their father ill for the first time.
Snake tried to answer; twice, three times. He gave up and nodded. She pulled back his hair. He felt it. The way she brushed his hair back was just the way he did Bria's when her morning sickness was bad. Plissken wanted to laugh at the thought but he just couldn't. He had to sit back again. As he did she tried to help. It did for his confidence if nothing else.
"dad...get... water." Snake was out of breath but the thirst was raw and itchy in his throat. Cassie nodded and got her little step to reach the faucet. Soon he had a glass in front of him. He tried to reach failed and then finally made his hand around the cup. It was too heavy for his grasp. He already knew. Worse than his own weakness were the big eyes full of worry that watched every breath. Cassie helped him get a drink though most of the water slid down his chin. He still couldn't swallow right. She took it away and stood there terrified before dashing back out of the room. Plissken wanted to call her but exhaustion left no energy to do so.
He thought a few seconds passed, maybe it was a minute or more. Slowly he slipped sideways along the wall with his back pressed to it. The arch led him to the floor where his body contacted the cold tile. Plissken shivered but he couldn't move if he had to. He had barely settled on the idea of forgetting about moving when the fleece covered him. Snake forced his eye open to see Cassie spreading a blanket over him. Again it was something he knew she'd witnessed just not in this context.
"Swee..." The rest wouldn't come out.
"Are you ok daddy?" Big worried eyes met his while she shook his arm.
Plissken nodded once more. "Poi...so... someone...made..da.. sick." Plissken had to fight with his body to form words from what he thought.
Cassie tugged at his wrist but Plissken couldn't budge.
"Tired." Snake mumbled. "Can't."
She left. For a long time while lost in his own world that had a time stream all its own Plissken thought he'd been left. He wondered if she was going to tell Bria. Bria'd kill him for sure if she found out Cassie found him like this. Plissken's head started to swim. He quickly comprehended the softness under his head. She had brought him a pillow.
"Daddy?" She shook him again but spoke more softly.
"Hmmmm...." Plissken let it trail off like his mind was.
"Can I stay here and make you better?" She didn't know what else to do. He could hear it in her voice even if his eye was barely remaining open.
Snake nodded. She immediately curled up on the blanket and rested her head on his shoulder. She was crying and worried. He wanted to hug her but there wasn't enough strength left. Instead he took her hand in his as he lay there on the floor in the bathroom. The dread of suffering alone passed and let him drift off to sleep he so desperately needed.
Words: 1082
