Their Little Princess

Chapter 21

I woke up to the burning of my chest and my head pounding. It seemed like someone was hitting my head with a metal baseball bat. I felt my legs moving before I had time to register the familiar churning of my stomach. I was thankfully in front of the toilet before it started. I felt the bile leave my body. The burning was almost unbearable. I had nothing left for my body to throw up, yet I continued to dry heave. A few minutes passed and it seemed only to get worse.

"Help-" I cut myself off with another fit of dry heaves. I heard faint footsteps but nothing near the room. "Help!" Again I was cut off by myself. I heard the footsteps move faster and toward the room. Within the minute, Grayson was kneeling next to me, holding back my hair and rubbing my back.

"Of Love Bug, I'm so sorry." Another few minutes had passed and Grayson was getting worried, I felt it. "I'm going to call for Dad, okay?" I just nodded, unable to speak. "Dad! Father! Padre!, James!" By the time he got to James, Dad was next to us.

"What's wrong with my baby!" He said more in a statement than a question. I felt his hand on my back also, rubbing circles.

"She's been like this for like 10 minutes now, not counting before she called me in here." I felt Dad tense and stand up.

"I'm going to go get some of your nausea medication, okay?" I just nodded with my head in the toilet. Only a few moments later, I felt the alcohol pad on my arm and felt the little prick. Almost immediately, I stopped dry heaving and fell into Dad's arms. That took so much energy out of me. He squeezed me in his arms and rubbed my back.

"P-P-Please don't s-s-send me back," I whispered out. As soon as the words left my mouth, I was put into a coughing fit. My throat burned as well as my chest. My head pounded even more. My throat was also raw and dry. I felt a cup at my lips and drank whatever it was greedily. After it was gone, I laid my head back on Dad.

"Oh Love, I'm not going to send you back. However, if it gets worse, I will be forced to take you back. I need you to be safe. Even if you hate me, I need you to be healthy." I sighed and peeled open my tired eyelids.

"I'm sorry about before, Dad. It wasn't fair of me to act like that at the hospital. I'm just scared. I have no idea what will happen. I hate being in the dark. I don't want anything to happen to me. It seems like I finally have a chance at life and now it's not up to me if I live or die. I just want you guys with me if anything were to happen." I felt him squeeze me even tighter.

"You're not going anywhere. I will make sure of it. I just got you back, you're not leaving me. You can control if you live or die. You have to fight Bri. You have to fight with all of your might and never stop. This is your life now, and you're gonna live till you are a million years old." I chuckled with tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry that you're in the dark but we all are. We all are in this with you. We love you more than life and don't you apologize about the hospital conversation. You had every right to feel like that. You are so brave. If I could take this away, I would. I love you Bri." I just stuffed my head into his chest and let a few tears escape.

"I-I-I love you too." I felt his smile before I saw it. He kissed my head and made me look at him.

"You make me so happy to be your father." I smiled at him.

"I'm glad you're my father also." I didn't realize Grayson left so when Dad helped me stand I looked confused.

"Let's get you to brush your teeth and then downstairs. Do you think you could sit at the table or will it upset you?"

"I can sit at the table." He smiled and led me over to his sink. I looked in the mirror and almost screamed. I look like a mess. A flush face with dark circles looked back at me. There was stuff around my mouth and on my cheek. Worst of all, my hair was a rat's nest. "Holy cow!" Dad chuckled and went into his drawer and pulled out an unused toothbrush and toothpaste. He waited while I brushed my teeth to make sure I was okay. Once I was done, I threw the toothbrush out but gave the toothpaste back. I turned towards him and smiled at him. "Can I use your brush?" His face fell a little but he covered it up.