Reflections of Light

Poison

Billy was humming a happy tune and chattering to the small green snake wrapped around his arm, his toy car collection parked along the sofa in the living room.

"... An' den, wen I'm older-er, I'm gonna buy a twuck just like dis one, an' den I'm gonna go dwiving all on da roads and all over da uvver cars, smash smash, in my monster twuck! An' you can come too, c'n sit on da dashboard so you c'n see outta da window." He grinned, walking on his knees along the line of small cars, painting out his little fantasy for the small green creature winding itself through his fingers. "An'... I'm gonna dwive over Mummy's car, wif da stupid car seat in da back, dat I don't need 'cause I'm big... Ooh!"

He doubled over, hand going to his stomach as he groaned, before pulling a face and shaking his head. "Dat tea woz hot, hot, hot. Et's all bubblin' an' boilin' in my tummy. Oh, where my twuck go? I dwopped it."

He bent down to pick it up, only to collapse onto his knees with a startled cry; flinging the disgruntled reptile unceremoniously onto the carpet as he went down, curling into a ball on the floor.
"Something's wrong!" He wailed. "Somethings wrong!"

Luci was frustratedly washing up a few stray pieces of cutlery at the sink. Lilith had swept off to God-knows-what part of the apartment, probably to make more plans and conjour more schemes.
Luci didn't even see the point any more. It had all gone to pot so many times already, that in her opinion, the cost now outweighed the result.
But she wasn't exactly in the position to say so.

Suddenly, she felt a familiar presence behind her, and turned on her heel to see the venom-green snake coming at her over the tile.

"Oh, hello..." Luci paused, sensing something was off. Reaching down, she grasped the urgent-bodied reptile, picking it up to her face. "What's going on... William!"

A look of dread painted across the young mothers face, and, serpent still clasped in her hands, she raced out of the room, slamming open the living room door.

With an expression of horror, she raced to her son, scooping him up in her arms. "Shh, it's okay, Mummy's here."

The small boy did not look good. He was barely conscious, burning hot and shaking violently with it, spit frothing in the corners of his mouth as his body curled in on itself with the wracking pain.

"William, can you hear me?" Luci said frantically, giving him a slight shake. "I need you to stay awake, baby. I know it's hard, but you can't fall asleep."

Billy nodded weakly, coughed, and vomited black gunk onto the side of couch.

Luci's heart dropped. But, stealing her nerves, she plucked the blanket off of the clean end of the sofa, wrapping it around him; tucking his small scaly guardian against his chest, where the snake flicked it's tongue over his neck and chin, tasting his pulse.

"Hang on, baby. Hang on." Picking up her son as light as if he were air, she raced into the hallway, kicking open every door in her path as she rushed outside and down to her car, hastily strapping him into the front passenger seat and running around to leap into the drivers seat.

"Okay baby, okay. Stay with me, Sweetheart, I love you."

Well, at least he didn't have to sit in the car seat this time...
I'm sorry, that's awful. Poor little Billy. :(