Mummy, My Tummy Hurts

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"Mummy, my tummy hurts."

The sound of my daughter's voice next to my ear wakes me from a deep sleep. I pull the duvet back as she crawls inside, curling her body into mine. A guttural sob escapes her mouth, and she crunches forward. 'Mummy, it hurts". 

I lean in close, kissing her cheek and combing her hair with my fingers. "Do you want some Calpol?" 

Dragging my body out of bed, I glance up at the clock. It's 3 am. Creeping downstairs, I try to not wake the dog. Barking would wake the house, and it's far too early for that. As I enter the kitchen, the stair gate creaks close behind me. I tiptoe to the cupboard door.

The sticky syrup pulls into the syringe filling my nostrils with its nostalgic childhood smell. Comforted, I yawn and push the door closed. The medicine will make her feel better, and then we can all go back to sleep. 

Her tears are falling down her cheeks when I arrive back to the bedroom. Her eyes are wide with fear. "It hurts, it hurts. Make it stop" My stomach clenches, and my heart drops. She seems in a lot of pain. I stroke her hair. I need to call for help.

                                                                                *********

My daughter woke me in the middle of the night with a severe stomach ache last Friday. We gave her Calpol, but it didn't help. When the pain got worse, we called for advice and took her to the hospital in case of appendicitis. Thankfully it was nothing serious, and after a long, difficult night in hospital, she came home feeling much better. 

We spent the next day under duvets cuddling and watching films. She seems fine now, but the experience has sat heavy with me. Life is so fragile. Anything can happen with a moments notice that can change the course of our lives completely. 




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