dreaming // 5sos

14

Luke

"Dad and Uncle Ashton, the clock says 10 and I am hungry so please can you wake up?"

Gabi's hands were shaking my arm and I opened my eyes, scrunching my face up.

"Sorry angel,"

"Are you okay?"

"My head hurts a bit,"

"I will get water!"

She ran off again and I sighed, putting my head in my pillow. I felt Ash move beside me, and get out of bed, then Gabi returned with water for me in one of her plastic cups.

"Thank you sweetheart,"

"Can I please have something to eat? I am really hungry,"

"Yeah. I am so sorry I slept in,"

"It is okay,"

"No it isn't, I am meant to be looking after you. What would you like to eat?"

"Um, whatever you are going to have,"

"Eggs?"

She nodded, so I sat up, but then I heard Ash already starting to cook in the kitchen.

"I am so sorry, baby. I was up too late last night," I lied, picking her up onto my lap, "I love you so much,"

"I love you too. I had fun with Uncle Ashton,"

"Good. This week you are going over to Julian'a house so I reckon there is lots more fun to follow,"

"I am happy,"

"That is all I ever want to hear," I said, squeezing her tightly, "I am just going to get some medicine,"

She slid off my lap so I went to the bathroom and took painkillers, then went to the kitchen and sat at the table with her, Ash already making eggs.

"Did you guys go to sleep really past your bedtime?"

"I did lots of super big surgeries this week so I think I needed a long sleep,"

"Brain ones?"

"Yes. You know, I helped a guy see again,"

"What?!"

"Yeah. If there is a tumour in the part of the brain that helps you see, and you remove it, sometimes they can see better again,"

"You are really cool,"

"One day, you can be cool too," he said, his eyes widening, "Me and you together,"

She nodded and grinned at me, her legs swinging under the table. In reality, we didn't know if she would even make it to high school. Her health was okay for now, manageable, but I had been told it would continue to deteriorate and they did not know the speed. One day she would need a transplant, or have to live with dialysis, but even then she wasn't necessarily going to grow old. We needed a miracle at some point down the line, that was for sure.

However she really adored what Ash did, so who were we to not let her be interested. I wasn't gonna tell my 6 year old that we didn't know if she would become one. I was never gonna tell Gabi we thought she wouldn't make it, she didn't ever need to hear that. I hoped none of the guys would either. Perhaps it was selfish of me to do, but I wasn't gonna tell her.

After breakfast, Ash decided to go home, so I cleaned up and got dressed. I thought we could go to the park, but Gabi had curled up on the sofa under a blanket when I went back into the lounge, so I got a book and read while she watched tv. I even lit a candle which she loved.