Our Little Hero

𝐬𝐢𝐱 | "𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬"

Callie had successfully made it through a couple doses of her chemotherapy treatment at the hospital. But, after about a week, things were starting to change for the young girl, and they were changing rather quickly, at that. Callie, Jay, and Hailey were all still inpatient at the hospital. Callie's oncology team decided it was best for her to be inpatient for at least the first round of her treatment. After that, hopefully she'd be able to be discharged, and only have to go to the clinic for her chemo everyday.

However, this day, was different. Extremely different. Callie had began her morning with a stomach ache. She was very nauseous, and ended up vomiting multiple times. "I don't feel good, daddy" Callie told her father, while it was just the two of them in her hospital room. "Let me press the call button, maybe we can get you some medicine for your tummy? Does anything else bother you, Cal?" Jay asked his four year old daughter. "My head hurts too, daddy" she told him, as Jay reached behind his daughter, and pressed the call button on the side of the bed, to inform the nurses that they needed their assistance.

Only a few short moments later, and one of Callie's favorite nurses had arrived to her room. Callie managed to muster a small, sweet smile to the nurse, and a tiny wave to her, as well. "What can I do for you guys this morning? Juice? Water? Anything specific?" The nurse asked. "Callie's not feeling too good this morning." Jay told her. "She's pretty nauseous, she's thrown up a few times now, and she told me she's got a headache." He added. "Well that is no fun, right, Callie?" The nurse asked, as the four year old gave her a little nod.

Nurse Mallory was Callie's favorite. She was very sweet, kind, compassionate, and more towards not only Callie, but her parents as well. She had a very friendly demeanor, and it was evident she was in the correct profession for a person like her, even though it was hard. Nonetheless, nurse Mallory was quick to answer each time the call button was pressed. Callie looked forward to the morning shift change, because she knew that nine times out of ten, she'd end up having Mallory for the day. 

Mallory had soon returned with some Zofran to attempt to help with little Callie's nausea, along with some Tylenol for Callie's headache, and any other aches, pains, or fever. "Let me just grab your vitals super fast, sweet girl" Mallory told the little girl. Callie willingly let her check her pulse, blood pressure, oxygen, and temperature. "She does have a slight fever, dad" Mallory told Jay. "It may be due to her chemo, or it may be because her body is trying to fight off some sort of infection. But, since it isn't very high, we'll just keep an eye on her temperature. The Tylenol should help lower her fever, too." She added, as she gave Callie the juice box she had brought with her.

Mallory soon left the father and daughter in the room. Callie appeared to be rather lethargic that morning, but the oncologist had warned them that that, along with fatigue, general tiredness, aches, pains, nausea, vomiting, all of it were simply side effects to the chemotherapy that Callie had been receiving. It didn't surprise either of her parents that she had finally begun to experience the side effects. Since Callie was mainly just tired, she had no energy or wish to sit up. She didn't want to play with the toys Hailey and Jay had brought for her stay. Callie didn't even want to eat anything. Luckily, Jay had managed to get some juice into her system, to hopefully keep her hydrated, if only a little amount. In reality, all Callie really wanted to do was lay down, watch movies, and snuggle with her father. And that was exactly what they were going to do.

Jay allowed Callie to pick the movie. And every movie after it, too. Callie chose Encanto to watch first. Normally, Callie would sing the songs, and dance around to the music, even if it was just her swaying her hips side to side, or bopping her head along to the beat. But now, she didn't. She simply stayed on her fathers lap, facing the television, with her head laid down on his chest, and Jay had his arms wrapped around Callie's small frame, to hold her up, and keep her from falling to one side, just how she always liked it to be.

Around eleven that morning, Hailey had finally shown up to the hospital. Jay and Callie both greeted her as she entered the four year old's hospital room, as Hailey made sure to give each of them a kiss, before sitting her stuff down. Jay gave Hailey the run down of the previous night and the morning. And, of course, Hailey wasn't surprised at all. She just hoped that Callie would start to get over the side effects soon.

Lunch time rolled around after Hailey's arrival. Jay and Hailey both ordered some food for themselves, along with a few things that Callie typically enjoyed, in an attempt to hopefully entice their four year old to eat something. Even if it would only be one, maybe two bites, they wanted her to at least have something. Callie saw the food on the tray, as she looked at it. The tray had strawberries on it, along with some mashed potatoes, and some noodles with butter on them, which were three of Callie's all time favorite food items. And, of course, Callie had juice too. Callie mostly just picked around at the tray, however she did eat a couple of her strawberries, and she had a couple of noodles. The mashed potatoes remained untouched on the tray, though Jay and Hailey didn't even complain. They were simply happy that Callie ate a little bit of her food.

The three of them proceeded to spend the remainder of the day watching movies. Well, Callie actually ended up sleeping through the last half of Frozen, but Hailey and Jay just let whatever movie queued up next play. Callie was sleeping, and they were satisfied. Hailey and Jay spent their time talking with each other, as Hailey shared updates and things on baby Cosette from the morning. The parents ate their dinner together, all before Hailey was headed back home. Even though Callie was still sleeping, Hailey still gave her a kiss, as she told her "Goodnight, baby girl. Mommy and Cosy love you so much." With that, Hailey headed home for the night.

It was evident that Callie was most likely going to continue to sleep through the remainder of the night. Jay absolutely hated to watch his daughter suffer this way, but he knew what would come from it, one day. Jay eventually got himself ready to settle down for the night, but not before Callie had woken up. The four year old turned to her father, who had been sitting on the couch, which folded out into a bed for him. "Daddy?" Callie asked, as Jay looked at his daughter. "Yeah, Cal?" He answered. "Will you sleep with me? I want snuggles and to sleep with you" Callie told him. Jay gave Callie a nod, and said, "Of course, baby girl. I'll lay with you all night, and give you all the snuggles you want, okay?" Callie gave him a smile, "Okay daddy, I love you" the four year old said, as Jay climbed into the hospital bed with her. He gave her a kiss on her forehead, "And I love you, buttercup. Now, get some sleep, okay?" He told her, as he snuggled and held his four year old, as she soon drifted back off into sleep. Jay proceeded to run his hand through Callie's hair, like he always would do. But, what he witnessed when he brought his hand down, broke his heart into a million tiny pieces, yet again. The one thing the oncologist told the parents would happen, had made its appearance.

Callie's hair had began to fall out.