The unwelcome sound of something splattering the tile floor, followed by the noise of a child retching loudly. 3:00 in the morning, woken from a deep sleep. I entered the bathroom to find my older son, Reed, surrounded by chocolate-colored vomit. He must have woken abruptly and tried to get to the toilet, but didn't quite make it. The first scene was a marked splash, covering floor, walls, doors - I scarcely knew where to begin, other than shutting the door to keep the dog from helping in the clean-up efforts. It was like the scene of a crime, the amount of mess overwhelming and disorienting in the middle of the night. Reed continued to be sick at the toilet, which he had somehow also covered. As he emptied his stomach, Chad gathered a garbage bag and paper towels, while I rounded up some bottles of cleaner. Bathroom carpets were thrown in the washer. The shower curtain even had to be taken down to be laundered. We cleaned Reed up with new pajama pants, Chad wiping his bare feet, and sent him back to bed. The two of us spent thirty minutes cleaning that small bathroom to a state that it has likely never seen. We examined every crevice, under doors, behind step stools, and scrubbed each wall. Chad scoured every surface of the toilet. We worked well together, finished off a roll of paper towels, tackled the mess, and finally got back to bed.
Photo: Diego Cervo/Shutterstock
To be woken up again at about 4:00, Reed vomiting up the water he drank - thankfully into his garbage can this time! This made for a markedly easier clean-up. However, it took me a long while to relax and return to sleep.
None of this should have come as a surprise. Days ago, we were astounded at the number of Reed's soccer friends succumbing to this sickness and unable to participate in the scheduled tournament. It could be simply what Reed ate last night, or it could be a virus, lying in wait, ready to attack each of us and ruin our holiday break. Now, we wait and rest, hopeful that the rest of us will remain healthy.
In the meantime, I will not be shocked if I have nightmares of bathrooms covered in remnants of ravioli, spaghetti, and chocolate ice cream. (shivering slightly) I wish you and yours a happy and healthy new year!
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