Keeping Fantasia: The Third Book of the Fantasia Series

Chapter 121: I Wanna Be Like You

Chapter 121: I Wanna Be Like You

Gwen cracked open the door.

"Hello?" she called, listening for adults. "Anybody up?"

Nothing.

The coast was clear.

Gwen went straight to the refrigerator. She grabbed the last piece of leftover pizza and devoured it on the living room sofa. The crust was stale, the cheese was cold and clumpy, but Gwen would have eaten an entire pie. However, since the box was empty, she scraped cheese from the cardboard corners and devoured that instead.

The pizza was followed by a sudden wave of exhaustion. Gwen sunk into the cushions. Normally this would have been an ideal night to study. Tomorrow was Friday. Michaleen was in bed. The adults were asleep. But Gwen's mind and body were depleted. She didn't even have enough energy to check her phone.

Moreover – Gwen nestled into her backpack, using it as a pillow – she had to meet Jak in a few hours. He was going to teach her to fight....so...she had better...get some...shut eye...

Gwen drifted asleep.

She awoke to the sound of crying.

"Gwe-ny....Gwe-ny..."

Michaleen.

Snap. Like lightening, Gwen jumped over the sofa and darted to Michaleen's room. She moved so fast, she didn't notice the threshold light appear in the guest bedroom.

Michaleeen was in bed, holding his  tummy. His stomach was bloated. His pillow case was sweaty, and the sheets were twisted between his knees.

Gwen immediately understood. Michaleen's digestive system was obstructed. His body couldn't process the fats and sugars in all of Peter's sweets, so the fecal matter was stuck somewhere along the tract.

Knowing he had to void, Michaleen had tried to climb out of bed, but his leg muscles were completely seized from not doing his exercises.

"Sorry." Michaleen cried, already knowing his mistake. "I'm sowwy."

"Shhh. Shhh." Gwen untangled the sheets. Grabbing a fistful of comics, she carried Michaleen to the bathroom.

He was so small. He fit right over the nook of her shoulder. Gwen could feel his wet cheek against her neck as she flicked the bathroom light.

"I'm sowwy." Michaleen kept saying as Gwen lowered him on a training seat. "I'm sowwy."

"It's not your fault." Gwen assured, putting a squatty potty under his feet. His muscles were tight. Alarmingly tight. "Michaleen it's okay, it's not your fault."

Michaleen squirmed as she planted his legs. Fat tears eeked from his eyes.

Gwen crouched before him. Bracing his shins with one hand, she rubbed his tummy with the other.

"Shhh. Shhh. It's okay. Come on little man..." She tried to sound uplifting. "Don't cry."

Michaleen cried harder. "My lwegs..." he whimpered, thighs shaking, "My tummy..."

"I know. I know." Falling back on her medical training, Gwen rubbed along his intestines, hoping to move things along. She palpated his lower abdomen. It was hard as a rock.

"Keep trying," she encouraged. "I know it hurts...but it'll feel better once you go. I'm right here.  I'll stay with you."

Michaleen hiccupped. "I'm sowwy."

"Aw." She tickled his side. "Why do you keep saying sorry?"

"You towd me no fwench fwies. You told me no candy." Michaleen's speech impediment became worse. "I didn't do my exewrcises wike you said."