Old Saint Nick
Trina eyed her sister worriedly. Kat's red-rimmed eyes spoke of long hours without sleep.Daniel lay unmoving on a hospital bed, just as he had for the past three days.
"How's he doing, Sis?" She questioned softly as she laid a deli bag next to Kat.
Kat sighed as she held Daniel's small hand in her own.
"His fever's back up. They're trying a new antibiotic since the last one didn't do much."
Trina sat beside her sister."He'll be ok Kat. He's a strong little boy."
"He's already been through so much." Angry tears fell from her eyes, "It's Christmas for Christ's sake.Can't the kid ever cut a break?"
Danny stirred restlessly as if sensing Kat's frustration. She stroked his head gently. "He's been dreaming again. Nightmares. But he won't wake up."
"Why don't you go get some rest. I'll stay here with him awhile."
Kat shook her head."I've got to be here when he wakes up. I promised him I'll always be here for him and I don't intend to break that promise."
"He's been here three days now Kat. You haven't been away from him the entire time. Have you even eaten?" She pushed the brown bag towards her sister who pointedly ignored it.
"I'm not hungry."
"Yeah, I bet. You have to take better care of yourself."
"I'm not important right now. Danny is."
"Wrong Sis. You are important. Especially to Danny. What good will you do him if you get sick too?"
"I won't."
"He's not Jimmy. He won't die. We won't let him. The infection in his lungs is bad, but it will get better."
"I shouldn't have let him go to school. Too many of the other kids were sick. I have never understood why parents send their sick kids to school."
"Sometimes they don't have a choice Sis. Not everyone works from home like you do. Some have to go to work whether or not their kids are ill. And I hate to say it, but there are a few out there who just want the kids out of the house. There are any number of reasons why the kids come to school."
"So they send them off to school sick and make everyone else sick?"
"Look how many people come to work ill. They just can't afford time off."
Kat was silent for a minute. "This flu is bad isn't it?"
Trina hesitated to answer her sister. They had both heard the news reports of deaths caused by this latest bug. "They think it's dying down some. Christmas break is helping. What's bad is when it turns into pneumonia like Danny's did."
There was a soft knock on the door and both women looked up. An older gentleman dressed as Santa entered.He smiled at them as he laid several gaily wrapped presents on the bedside table.
"Look who's here Danny" Trina coaxed, "It's Santa."
"I had to come by and make sure this little one got his Christmas"
Santa smiled. "I couldn't find Danny at home so I started checking around for him."
Kat stroked Daniel's face gently.
"Come on Danny, you need to wake up. You don't want to disappoint Santa now, do you?"
Daniel moaned softly and stirred in the bed, but his eyes remained closed. Santa patted Kat's arm reassuringly.
"He'll wake up for you soon. I know he will."
Kat offered him a thin smile. "I hope you're right Santa."
He waved as he left the room. For a moment he stood quietly outside the door.
"So am I Kathrine, So am I."
Kat turned off the tv in the room and switched off the lights. She couldn't remember ever being so tired. The hospital had kindly provided her with a small cot and she streched out on it with a sigh. Before she knew it she had fallen asleep.
"Mama Kat" a weak voice called from her dreams. Where are you Mama?"
She sat up suddenly as she realized the voice was actually from Daniel.
"Hey Kiddo, You finally decided to wake up." She glanced at the clock as she pushed the nurse call button."11:50...you almost missed Christmas."
"No Mama, Santa came and said I had to wake up. He said you needed me."
She hugged him to her fiercely. "I do Baby. I need you with me so much. I've missed you so."
Trina and Kat watched amused as Daniel tore into his presents.
"Cool, look Mama, skates, books and even a train set."
"There's more at the house Danny. These are just the ones Santa brought you."
"I know Mama." He moved the boxes around and unearthed an envelope. "Hey Mama, this one's for you."
Kat looked quizzically at the overstuffed envelope with her name on it. She opened it and scanned the papers. Trina became concerned as Kat's face suddenly lost all its color.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"No...nothing wrong. I...I don't believe it. It's his guardianship papers. Nick has made me Danny's legal guardian."
"What?!" Trina snatched the papers from her, "We've been trying to pin him down for months now. Where did these come from?"
"I...I don't know. I didn't see them last night."
"There from Santa, Mama." Danny piped in as he opened one of his new books. "He left them here when he came to see me last night."
Nicholas Ballard hung the cheap red suit in the closet of his motel room. Twin tears fell from his eyes as he remembered his young grandson's still body.
"You two need each other." he apoligized to the absent boy. "I'm just sorry I didn't see it sooner."
The End for now.
Trina eyed her sister worriedly. Kat's red-rimmed eyes spoke of long hours without sleep.Daniel lay unmoving on a hospital bed, just as he had for the past three days.
"How's he doing, Sis?" She questioned softly as she laid a deli bag next to Kat.
Kat sighed as she held Daniel's small hand in her own.
"His fever's back up. They're trying a new antibiotic since the last one didn't do much."
Trina sat beside her sister."He'll be ok Kat. He's a strong little boy."
"He's already been through so much." Angry tears fell from her eyes, "It's Christmas for Christ's sake.Can't the kid ever cut a break?"
Danny stirred restlessly as if sensing Kat's frustration. She stroked his head gently. "He's been dreaming again. Nightmares. But he won't wake up."
"Why don't you go get some rest. I'll stay here with him awhile."
Kat shook her head."I've got to be here when he wakes up. I promised him I'll always be here for him and I don't intend to break that promise."
"He's been here three days now Kat. You haven't been away from him the entire time. Have you even eaten?" She pushed the brown bag towards her sister who pointedly ignored it.
"I'm not hungry."
"Yeah, I bet. You have to take better care of yourself."
"I'm not important right now. Danny is."
"Wrong Sis. You are important. Especially to Danny. What good will you do him if you get sick too?"
"I won't."
"He's not Jimmy. He won't die. We won't let him. The infection in his lungs is bad, but it will get better."
"I shouldn't have let him go to school. Too many of the other kids were sick. I have never understood why parents send their sick kids to school."
"Sometimes they don't have a choice Sis. Not everyone works from home like you do. Some have to go to work whether or not their kids are ill. And I hate to say it, but there are a few out there who just want the kids out of the house. There are any number of reasons why the kids come to school."
"So they send them off to school sick and make everyone else sick?"
"Look how many people come to work ill. They just can't afford time off."
Kat was silent for a minute. "This flu is bad isn't it?"
Trina hesitated to answer her sister. They had both heard the news reports of deaths caused by this latest bug. "They think it's dying down some. Christmas break is helping. What's bad is when it turns into pneumonia like Danny's did."
There was a soft knock on the door and both women looked up. An older gentleman dressed as Santa entered.He smiled at them as he laid several gaily wrapped presents on the bedside table.
"Look who's here Danny" Trina coaxed, "It's Santa."
"I had to come by and make sure this little one got his Christmas"
Santa smiled. "I couldn't find Danny at home so I started checking around for him."
Kat stroked Daniel's face gently.
"Come on Danny, you need to wake up. You don't want to disappoint Santa now, do you?"
Daniel moaned softly and stirred in the bed, but his eyes remained closed. Santa patted Kat's arm reassuringly.
"He'll wake up for you soon. I know he will."
Kat offered him a thin smile. "I hope you're right Santa."
He waved as he left the room. For a moment he stood quietly outside the door.
"So am I Kathrine, So am I."
Kat turned off the tv in the room and switched off the lights. She couldn't remember ever being so tired. The hospital had kindly provided her with a small cot and she streched out on it with a sigh. Before she knew it she had fallen asleep.
"Mama Kat" a weak voice called from her dreams. Where are you Mama?"
She sat up suddenly as she realized the voice was actually from Daniel.
"Hey Kiddo, You finally decided to wake up." She glanced at the clock as she pushed the nurse call button."11:50...you almost missed Christmas."
"No Mama, Santa came and said I had to wake up. He said you needed me."
She hugged him to her fiercely. "I do Baby. I need you with me so much. I've missed you so."
Trina and Kat watched amused as Daniel tore into his presents.
"Cool, look Mama, skates, books and even a train set."
"There's more at the house Danny. These are just the ones Santa brought you."
"I know Mama." He moved the boxes around and unearthed an envelope. "Hey Mama, this one's for you."
Kat looked quizzically at the overstuffed envelope with her name on it. She opened it and scanned the papers. Trina became concerned as Kat's face suddenly lost all its color.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"No...nothing wrong. I...I don't believe it. It's his guardianship papers. Nick has made me Danny's legal guardian."
"What?!" Trina snatched the papers from her, "We've been trying to pin him down for months now. Where did these come from?"
"I...I don't know. I didn't see them last night."
"There from Santa, Mama." Danny piped in as he opened one of his new books. "He left them here when he came to see me last night."
Nicholas Ballard hung the cheap red suit in the closet of his motel room. Twin tears fell from his eyes as he remembered his young grandson's still body.
"You two need each other." he apoligized to the absent boy. "I'm just sorry I didn't see it sooner."
The End for now.