A case of the pukes, and night terrors.

[brigid]

I came out of the bathroom, post shower, the other day and Niko was huddled in the corner of the couch with a blanket pulled over him, looking weak and wan. I asked if I could get him anything and he asked for a carrot and some orange juice and some other things. I brought him that stuff, got dressed, sat down near him with a book. He drank some OJ and started making disgusting noises and then puked. I scrambled up, got a napkin, held it for him as he puked some more. We cleaned him up and he started freaking out because he had vomit on his clothing and WAS NOT CLEAN OMG EW OMG EW OMG and I got him into clean, dry clothing. He was already looking a little better, but his main interest was still in sitting quietly on the couch, watching tv. And eating dry cereal. I know standard care after barfing is to limit food, but in the past he’s puked from being too hungry and bringing up stomach bile is painful, so whatever. I let him eat. If he’s going to puke, he’s going to puke. He was pretty perky by the end of the day, jumping around and yelling, but continued to have some lower intestinal tract excitement for the next few days.

I hate vomit so much. I really do.

Last night he woke up around midnight, screaming, incoherent. This went on for about fifteen minutes, just fifteen minutes of screaming and sobbing and flailing and garbled talking and fluttering eyes. He’d respond to questions, more or less, but wasn’t quite THERE. He insisted he was hungry and ALL he WANTED was a CARROT. Nesko started peeling him a carrot while I held him, and Niko turned his head toward the kitchen, in the direction of Nesko, and said “I really wish I was eating that carrot right now” and because I am a bad, terrible person I started laughing. Because it was a ridiculous situation! He was going to get that carrot in SECONDS. Niko got angry at me and yelled at me for being mean and kicked me out of his room. “You shouldn’t laugh at me!” which is true, I shouldn’t, but good Christ you’ve been screaming for fifteen minutes over the most absurd thing. Nesko brought him the carrot and Niko started screaming again, this time because the carrot was TOO COLD!!!! Nesko held it for him while Niko took little nibbles of it, coughing the whole time. I don’t think he was really awake. I got him some milk figuring if he WAS hungry milk would help fill his little tummy up. He started screaming again, this time that he had to pee and poop. Nesko took him into the bathroom, helped him with his pants, sat him down on the seat. More screams. The toilet is cooooold! It’s tooooo cooooooooolllllld! He peed a bunch and then… launched a volley of farts. A tremendous one. I assumed, at the time, he was unleashing more than just wind but no. It was all gas, sound and fury signifying nothing… or maybe just signifying stomach pain, I don’t know.

Nesko chivvied him back into bed, tucked him in, snuggled with him a bit, and Niko fell back asleep. He slept pretty late, until 9-ish, woke up cheerful and energetic, slipped into bed next to me. I started to get up and he insisted no, no, he wanted TATA to take care of him that morning! I asked him what had happened the night before, and he had no idea what I was talking about. Didn’t remember the crying, didn’t remember the carrot, nothing. He was excited to eat the rest of that carrot for breakfast, though, and drink up the rest of his milk, and has been capering and happy all day.

That’s the one saving grace, I guess. Whatever’s going on at night, he doesn’t remember it in the morning.

Mirrored from Now Showing!.