Butterflies, Unicorns, and Chocolate Ice Cream
One Shot response to Ginger's elevator challenge
These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home
"8th floor, stockings, hats, buffalo's and snow globes."
Jenny giggled, "Your silly Uncle Johnny."
Her smile was contagious and he returned it readily.
"7th floor, earrings, potato chips and dinosaurs with 5 legs."
"5 legs?" She doubted that one for sure.
"Of course 5 legs. Those are the special ones that run the fastest."
She giggled again. "My turn now."
"Okay Jen, you're turn." He stood back and put his hands behind his back.
"6th floor, butterflies, unicorns, and chocolate ice cream."
He raised his eyebrows with a mischievous smile, "I think I want this floor then."
She beamed with pride.
When the elevator lurched then fell quickly instinct had him grab her and cradle her body close to him. Her tiny scream was muffled by the metal scraping of the elevator against wires. When they came to a sudden stop he was between the floor and Jenny protecting her from hitting the floor hard. He pulled her back with almost frantic worry. His hands moved up and down her arms and legs, then checking her head. "Jenny are you hurt?"
She kept crying but shook her head 'no'.
Okay, deep breaths and assess the situation, he told himself. The lights had gone to emergency level leaving them just a little glow to see by. Still holding her tight and constantly reassuring her they were fine he reached for the phone.
"Operator."
"Uh yea, we are stuck in the D elevator."
"Yes sir. Is anyone hurt?"
"No, we're okay."
"What floor did you get on the elevator?"
"8th floor, but I don't know where we are now."
"Engineering is on the way. Please stay calm and we will get you out."
"Thanks."
He pulled Jenny away from the tight grip she had around his waist. "Hey, hey there. We're okay, right?"
She shook her head, wrinkled her brow and was prepared to protest the 'okay' part. "What happened?"
"Just a bit of elevator trouble. No biggie. They'll get us out soon."
He stretched out his legs and sat her on them. "Now," he said with a bit of drama. "What shall we do to pass the time?" Her tears were drying up so he knew he was distracting her from the fear of the situation.
"I know," he said. "Let's play hide and seek."
She looked and him and laughed. "There's nowhere to hide here silly."
He pretended to look all over the elevator. "I guess you're right. What about jump rope?"
"I don't have a jump rope, do you?" She sounded pretty serious about it.
"Left mine in the Rover." He smiled at her. "You pick then."
She thought for a minute. "Let's play favorite job."
That one he wasn't familiar with. "Okay, how do we play?"
"I say a job, and then you say one."
"Any job?"
"A happy job."
Johnny figured he could play this, "Okay, you go first."
"Cook."
"Fireman." He smiled at that one of course. Oddly she didn't.
"Store man."
"Paramedic." That one elicited a tiny subtle frown.
"Doggie doctor."
"Rescue man."
"You're not playing right," she declared with crossed arms and a scowl.
"I'm sorry Jen. I thought I could pick any job." He sensed something was amiss.
"They have to be happy jobs Uncle Johnny."
"Well Jenny, those jobs make me and your daddy happy."
"No! A happy job is where nothing bad happens."
Now he was getting somewhere. "Jen, you know your daddy's going to be okay right?"
She started to tear up, "it's not fair."
He pulled her closer and gave her a big hug. "Accidents can happen anytime, even at 'happy' jobs. I know it scared you, but he's going to be fine."
"I don't like it when he gets hurt being a fireman."
"I know you don't Jen, neither do I. But your daddy is a very good fireman and he has lots of people at work that help to take care of him and keep him safe."
"Like you Uncle Johnny?"
"Yep, like me and Hank and Mike and Marco."
"And Chet too?"
Johnny chuckled, "yes even Chet."
She looked down and twisted her lips as she thought. "Then why did you let him get hurt?"
Johnny sighed. It had been a full alarm fire in the middle of the night. "Well I didn't let it happen. You see your daddy was in a building that was on fire and he heard a little girl cry."
"A little girl like me?"
Johnny smiled, "yep, just like you. And your daddy was so brave that he rushed to save her and bring her out of the fire." She was intently listening. "But sometimes things happen even when we try so so hard to always be safe." Anxiety still gripped his heart at recalling the nightmare.
Her voice was soft, "what happened?"
"A part of the building fell down on him and you know what?" He tried to keep his voice from breaking.
"What?" She said wide eyed.
"Your daddy held onto that little girl and kept her from getting hurt!"
"Wow. Just like you held me when we fell."
It was his turn to smile, "yep, exactly like that."
She returned to thinking for a moment.
"Those things by his bed scared me."
"Well remember how I told you about how they counted his heart beats and help him take nice deep breaths?" She nodded. "So they're not scary, they're helpful to Dr. Joe." She seemed to accept that.
"When can he come back home with us?"
Her little sad face hurt his heart. "Soon Jenny bear, soon. Dr. Joe said a couple of weeks. So you and I will be strong and brave for him okay?"
She nodded but it wasn't very convincing to either.
"Tell you what, when we get out of here we'll go get him the best balloon ever and bring it back to him."
She beamed at that.
"Now, that's better. Okay, what would you like to play now?"
"Can we play jobs again?"
He wasn't so sure this time. "Are you sure?"
"Yep."
"Okay, you go first."
Taking her finger she ran it down the side of his face and smiled the sweetest smile to him.
"Fireman, because they are the bravest and strongest and bestest ever."
With a big hug he struggled to hold back the tears and felt such pride.
When they heard someone trying to open the doors he looked serious. "I'm hoping for butterflies, unicorns and chocolate ice cream, what about you?"
With a giggle and a hug she kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Uncle Johnny."
"I love you too Jenbear."