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Gordo stared at the blank pattern on the ceiling. Lizzie had been right, he was coming down with something. What, he wasn't really sure. He didn't have health insurance, and wasn't going to allow her to take him into the hospital. Instead, he was allowing her to take care of him. She'd just taken his temperature and left him alone. The silence was thickening, his head was pounding entirely too much to turn on the radio. The desire to plunge his head into a bucket of ice was only repressed by the fact that his limbs felt weighed down by a weight equivalent to a small car.
A sigh passed his parched lips as he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Slowly, he turned his head towards the door. Kneeling, Tori watched him, a mischievous smile tugging at her small lips.
"What are you doing?" he asked, surprised to hear his voice come out in a hoarse whisper.
Tori tilted her head as she smiled then stood up. In her hand she clutched a cup which she held an arm's length away from her as she walked towards him. When she was in reach she stopped and pushed the glass towards him.
With strained effort that he tried to hide from Tori, Gordo gently took the glass from her hands. The familiar clink of a cross between glass and plastic made him smile. His aching arm brought the glass up and placed it against his forehead. Sweet, numb bliss surged through his head as he closed his eyes in pleasure.
A soft giggle caused him to open his eyes again. He looked back over and saw Tori, a smiled plastered on her face. A weary smile tugged at his own lips as Tori giggled again.
"What?" he asked softly.
"You eat the ice," she giggled. "Not put it on your head."
Gordo nodded slowly. "Oh, okay." He smiled at her expectant face as he managed to fish out an ice chip and put it into his mouth. Tori grinned seeing the task was completed and left the room
It was actually upsetting to hear the room fall into silence again and he stared at the empty doorway. The silence was pierced by a thud in the hallway. A weird feeling of apprehension took over Gordo and he encouraged his aching body to sit up and investigate, but before he'd even managed to prop himself up using his elbows, Tori appeared in the doorway again. Her arms loaded with an assortment of books and toys.
"Now what are you doing?" he smiled.
Tori said nothing but walked over to the bed where she deposited her load and after a couple minutes of shifting through the collection, she selected a book. She studied the cover for a moment as he laid back to get more comfortable and watch her.
Satisfied, she placed the book beside him, then laid herself on the bed. Her small leg swung up, then she quickly climbed up beside him. She spread the book across her lap, opened to the first page and looked over at him.
Gordo smiled. "I can't read it." He tapped his throat. "It hurts."
Tori ignored him as she studied the picture of a rabbit in a garden. "See the bunny?"
He nodded as he gently placed his arm around her small body. The simple company and pleasure she was bringing him was undeniable.
"Tori," Lizzie's voice suddenly called as she walked past Gordo's room. She stopped, walked back and leaned against the door. "Victoria, you were just supposed to take him the ice. Come on, let's go make dinner."
"Mommy..." Tori protested, drawing her knees up to her chest.
Gordo instinctively tightened his arm around Tori. "She's fine," he whispered quickly.
Lizzie took a deep breath and tilted her head to the side. "You're not going to bother poor Gordo are you?"
Tori emphatically shook her head and held up the book. "I read to make him better."
Lizzie nodded as came into the room and gently brushed Tori's hair back. She quickly placed a kiss on her head. In a quick movement, she placed her hand on the back of Gordo's head. Biting her lip, she looked from Gordo to Tori. "You'll send her downstairs if she becomes too much?"
Gordo nodded as he took a deep breath. Tori grinned triumphantly and opened the book again.
Knowing she was defeated, Lizzie sighed again and left the room.
Gordo watched her go and felt a familiar pang, he knew she hadn't forgiven him. As his fingers gently traced Tori's arm he thanked her guardian angel for the millionth time. Whole heartedly he believed that auto-mechanics and luck had absolutely nothing to do with her escape from harm. A greater power had known that it wasn't her time to go.
"Listen," her soft voice broke through his thoughts as she pointed stubbornly to a page.
Turning his attention to the page, he smiled. His fingers gently stroked her soft hair and he felt a warm feeling in his heart.
His eyes glanced Heaven ward, Tori certainly was a gift.
Gordo stared at the blank pattern on the ceiling. Lizzie had been right, he was coming down with something. What, he wasn't really sure. He didn't have health insurance, and wasn't going to allow her to take him into the hospital. Instead, he was allowing her to take care of him. She'd just taken his temperature and left him alone. The silence was thickening, his head was pounding entirely too much to turn on the radio. The desire to plunge his head into a bucket of ice was only repressed by the fact that his limbs felt weighed down by a weight equivalent to a small car.
A sigh passed his parched lips as he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Slowly, he turned his head towards the door. Kneeling, Tori watched him, a mischievous smile tugging at her small lips.
"What are you doing?" he asked, surprised to hear his voice come out in a hoarse whisper.
Tori tilted her head as she smiled then stood up. In her hand she clutched a cup which she held an arm's length away from her as she walked towards him. When she was in reach she stopped and pushed the glass towards him.
With strained effort that he tried to hide from Tori, Gordo gently took the glass from her hands. The familiar clink of a cross between glass and plastic made him smile. His aching arm brought the glass up and placed it against his forehead. Sweet, numb bliss surged through his head as he closed his eyes in pleasure.
A soft giggle caused him to open his eyes again. He looked back over and saw Tori, a smiled plastered on her face. A weary smile tugged at his own lips as Tori giggled again.
"What?" he asked softly.
"You eat the ice," she giggled. "Not put it on your head."
Gordo nodded slowly. "Oh, okay." He smiled at her expectant face as he managed to fish out an ice chip and put it into his mouth. Tori grinned seeing the task was completed and left the room
It was actually upsetting to hear the room fall into silence again and he stared at the empty doorway. The silence was pierced by a thud in the hallway. A weird feeling of apprehension took over Gordo and he encouraged his aching body to sit up and investigate, but before he'd even managed to prop himself up using his elbows, Tori appeared in the doorway again. Her arms loaded with an assortment of books and toys.
"Now what are you doing?" he smiled.
Tori said nothing but walked over to the bed where she deposited her load and after a couple minutes of shifting through the collection, she selected a book. She studied the cover for a moment as he laid back to get more comfortable and watch her.
Satisfied, she placed the book beside him, then laid herself on the bed. Her small leg swung up, then she quickly climbed up beside him. She spread the book across her lap, opened to the first page and looked over at him.
Gordo smiled. "I can't read it." He tapped his throat. "It hurts."
Tori ignored him as she studied the picture of a rabbit in a garden. "See the bunny?"
He nodded as he gently placed his arm around her small body. The simple company and pleasure she was bringing him was undeniable.
"Tori," Lizzie's voice suddenly called as she walked past Gordo's room. She stopped, walked back and leaned against the door. "Victoria, you were just supposed to take him the ice. Come on, let's go make dinner."
"Mommy..." Tori protested, drawing her knees up to her chest.
Gordo instinctively tightened his arm around Tori. "She's fine," he whispered quickly.
Lizzie took a deep breath and tilted her head to the side. "You're not going to bother poor Gordo are you?"
Tori emphatically shook her head and held up the book. "I read to make him better."
Lizzie nodded as came into the room and gently brushed Tori's hair back. She quickly placed a kiss on her head. In a quick movement, she placed her hand on the back of Gordo's head. Biting her lip, she looked from Gordo to Tori. "You'll send her downstairs if she becomes too much?"
Gordo nodded as he took a deep breath. Tori grinned triumphantly and opened the book again.
Knowing she was defeated, Lizzie sighed again and left the room.
Gordo watched her go and felt a familiar pang, he knew she hadn't forgiven him. As his fingers gently traced Tori's arm he thanked her guardian angel for the millionth time. Whole heartedly he believed that auto-mechanics and luck had absolutely nothing to do with her escape from harm. A greater power had known that it wasn't her time to go.
"Listen," her soft voice broke through his thoughts as she pointed stubbornly to a page.
Turning his attention to the page, he smiled. His fingers gently stroked her soft hair and he felt a warm feeling in his heart.
His eyes glanced Heaven ward, Tori certainly was a gift.