New Beginnings Karl Hoffmeister

Not Feeling Well

It was hot, really hot. You could feel yourself sweating. Your eyes opened and you could see Otto still cuddled against his fathers side, both of them lightly snoring. It made your heart soar but then you felt a sudden wave of nausea hit you. It made you jump to your feet and run to the bathroom. Dropping to your knees you emptied your stomach into the toilet. You were breathing heavily as you rested your head against the side of the toilet. You felt another rush of nausea hit you and as you sat up to throw up again you felt Karl behind you holding your hair. Before you had time to say anything you emptied what was left in your stomach into the toilet in front of you.

You were panting and Karl didn't say anything he just grabbed a cup and filled it with water letting you rinse your mouth out. After you finished he put the cup back and sat with his back against the wall and motioned for you to sit with you back against his chest. You silently obeyed and sat on his lap, your back against his chest and your head against his shoulder. He didn't say a word for quite a while he just let you get your bearings.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked after a few moments had passed and you caught your breath. You nodded tiredly and turned your body so you could sit across his lap with your arms around his shoulders and your head against his neck.

"Mm." You groaned, still not feeling all that well.

"Awe my sweet. I'll call for a doctor." He whispers not wanting to be too loud knowing you had both just woken up and Otto was still asleep only a few yards away.

"No, no it's okay. It's already passing, I think it was just something I ate." You waved him off.

"Are you sure. It's no trouble darling, the doctor could be here in an hour."

"Yeah it's okay. If it's not better in a couple days then we'll call a doctor. I'm prone to getting sick for a couple days then get better on my own." You told him.

"Okay but if you don't start getting better tomorrow I'm calling the doctor. I would prefer you stay in bed today while I talk to Lotte and Friedrich." He replied, mindlessly playing with your hair.

"I want to be there when you talk to them. I don't trust them." You argued, but you were so fatigued that you let out a yawn right after.

"No darling, you need rest. If you're feeling better by the time they come over then you can be there when we talk but I want you well rested and feeling better." He picked you up and carried you back to bed. He placed the trash can next to you and in case you had to vomit again then he picked up Otto.

"I'm gonna take him to his room to sleep, you get some rest." Karl said.

"Please don't go. I don't like being alone." You had always gotten very clingy and child-like when you were sick. You didn't like being alone and you always wanted to be held. It was your parents fault being as they would coddle you and constantly be by your side every time you were sick. The main reason for it was because you had gotten deathly ill when you were only 5 years old and you almost died. So from that point on anytime you got sick you had your parents constant attention. They made you feel like if you were left alone while sick you would die.

"I'll be back, little dove I promise." He assured you, taking Otto to his bedroom then returning like he promised. He climbed back under the covers and spooned you from behind so if you needed to be sick you could easily remove yourself from his grasp.

He wasn't able to go back to sleep knowing you weren't feeling well. This was the first time since he's known you that you have been sick and he was worried. He really wanted to call the doctor just to make sure everything was okay but he would respect your wishes and your knowledge of your own body. He could see how fatigued you were just by the way you were laying and how fast you had fallen asleep. He held you just a little tighter, wanting you to be able to feel his presence through your deep sleep.