Post by angelenia100 on Dec 22, 2010 17:00:55 GMT -5
I got to thinking that Mr. Kelly would make a good daddy. So here ye go.
Daddy’s Little Angel.
I was on my first tour with Celtic Thunder. My six year old daughter was back home with my mother and father. I missed her and she missed me from what mom had told me. I was on skyp with my mother when she brought up Cassie. I always called Cassie my baby angel.
“Ryan.”
“Yes mother.”
“Why don’t you let your brother fly out with Cassie so she can be with you?”
“None of the guys know that I have a daughter. What would they think if they new I had a little angel with no mother at all?”
“They would love her anyway I am sure. She is just like any other girl even though her mother in home with her creator now. She misses you an awful lot. She cries for you every night and asks if your home yet every morning and cries when we tell her not yet. Ryan your torturing your angel by not talking to her and not letting her be with you.”
“Alright mom I’ll tell them all about Cassie and talk to her.”
“Cassie honey come here daddy want’s to talk to you.”
“Daddy?”
Cassie ran up to mom when mom picked Cassie and sat Cassie in her lap.
“look at the computer honey. See there’s daddy.”
“Daddy!!”
“Hi. How’s my baby angel doing?”
“Okay.”
“That’s good.”
Cassie got a really sad face when she asked.
“When are you coming home daddy?”
“Not for a while honey.”
“But I miss you daddy.”
“I miss you too baby.”
“Don’t you love me any more daddy?”
“Well of course I still love you honey. But I have to make some money so we can have something to eat.”
“Oh.”
“Hey daddy has to go now honey, but I’ll talk to you soon okay?”
Cassie started to cry when I told her that I had to go.
“Cassie honey don’t cry.”
“But I miss you and I want you to come home!”
“I miss you and I want to be home with you too baby girl. You’ll see me before you know it. You dry those eyes and go have some fun with the cousins okay.”
“I only want you daddy!”
“I know. Go bake some sugar cookies for me with grandma. Your gonna see me soon.”
I hated to see how much I had hurt my Cassie by leaving her with mom and dad.
“Sharron!”
“In here Ryan.”
“Oh there you are. I need to talk to you.”
Sharron looked up from what she was doing with a worried frown on her face from the way I told her I needed to talk with her.
“Well come in. what seems to be the problem?”
I stepped into the room she was using as an office, shut the door behind me, and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk.
“I just got off skyp with my mother and daughter. This is the first time I have talked to Cassie since I left about a month ago. Mom tells me Cassie cries for me every night and asks if I am home ever morning then cries when they tell her not yet.”
“Aw the poor little thing!”
“I was wondering if it would be okay if I had my brother fly her out to stay with me the rest of the tour.”
“Certainly! Like I said before, I don’t want this job to get in the way of your family. Cassie will be more them welcome to come along. My three children plus Damian will love to have another play mate along. How old is she?”
“She’s six.”
“Such an adorable age.”
“Yes. She can be a real joker sometimes. She does have a brace on her right hand though.”
“What from?”
I almost choked on the lump in my throat.
“The car accident that killed her mother when Cassie was only eighteen months old.”
A few tears slid down my face from the pain of the memory. Sharron stood up and came around the desk. She lay her hand on the back of my right shoulder.
“I’m very sorry Ryan. I’m sure you miss Cassie’s mother an awful lot.”
“Yes I do. Cassie is like her mother in a lot of ways. Her eyes are just like her mothers. Big and blue. The most interesting shade of blue, with a ting of emerald in them.”
“She sounds like a very beautiful little angel.”
“She is. I can’t wait till she’s back with me again. But what will the others say or think when they know I have a daughter and no wife?”
“You leave that to me. You just get ready for her and you brother to fly in. We will be here in New York for about a week.”
“Great I will get them here soon as I can! Thanks a ton Sharron.”
“Your welcome Ryan. What’s wee Cassie’s favorite creature to look at pictures of?”
“Angels, thus the name my baby angel. Why?”
“So I can make a blanket for her as a welcome present.”
“She will love that. I wish I could buy her more of the things she needs as well as a lot of the things she would like to have. But I hardly make enough to feed her each day. Often times I go without so she can eat.”
“Ryan, you need not worry about such things like that any more we are all here to help.”
“Thanks Sharron.”
“Your welcome.”
The day that Cassie would fly in with my brother finally came. They got off the plain when I saw them. Since very few people were in the air port that day my brother let go of Cassie’s hand and let her run to me as I knelt down on floor. Cassie leaped just before she got to me and threw her arms around my neck. I grabbed her in a mighty hug as I stood up. She was crying now that she was really back with me.
“Aw baby don’t cry your with me to stay. I’m not sending you home you are going to stay with me on tour. How do you like that?”
“You mean I get to stay with you and not go home till you go home?”
“Yes honey that’s what I mean.”
“Okay.”
“Hey I got something for you but you have to dry those tears before I can give it to you.”
I brushed the tears from her face. She calmed down when I pulled a white angel bear out of my back pack and handed it to her.
“An angel teddy! Thank you daddy!”
I kissed Cassie’s forehead.
“Your welcome honey.”
“I love you daddy.”
“Oh I love you to honey. Hey I want you to meet some friends.”
“Okay.”
George, Paul, and Keith gave her big hugs hello as I introduced Cassie to them. Then I knelt down again so she could meet Damian, Donathan, Sally, and John. They all gave her warm welcomes. I stood up again with Cassie in my left arm when Sharron came up.
“So your the adorable little girl your daddy’s been telling me all about.”
“Yep this is my Cassie.”
“Hello Cassie.”
“Hi.”
Sharron pulled the blanket she had made for Cassie out of a gift bag and handed it to Cassie, it was a tie throw.
“Here lassie I made this for you to say welcome aboard!”
Cassie gave Sharron a shy smile as she dropped her head to my left shoulder.
“What do you tell Sharron honey?”
“Thank you.”
“Your welcome dear.”
“You ready to go see where I’ve been working?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Looks like bro got your bags so lets go.”
I got Cassie wrapped in the blanket that Sharron had made and given to her covering her from head to tow. I got her in the car seat and bulked in. Damian crawled into his car seat next to Cassie’s. we got to the venue where we would be doing a show that night. Even though Cassie was six almost seven years old she was about the size of your average two year old. Once we got to the venue I took her back stage and set her down on the love seat. Sharron gave her permission to get up and walk around and have a look at things. One of the times I ran back stage Cassie was sitting on the floor where she had been knocked over crying. I ran over to her and picked her up.
“Hey what’s wrong with daddy’s little girl?”
“Some big mean man came in with a huge rock and ran me over!”
I lay the palm of my right hand on the side of Cassie’s head as she rest her head on my left shoulder.
“I’m sorry honey. I’m sure he did not mean to run you over. He just might not have seen you because you are so small.”
We had all finished rehearsing for the afternoon. The crew was just finishing the stage set and Jack had not seen Cassie because she was so small. Jack came backstage to see me holding a crying Cassie.
“What’s wrong with the little angel?”
“Some one was carrying a huge rock for the stage set and ran her over not knowing she was there because she is so small.”
“I’m sorry, I though it was just a back pack or something when I tripped over her. Had I known it was her I would have stopped to see if she was okay.”
“It’s okay. She is hard to see because she is very small for her age.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine I think you manly just scared her.”
Jack walked up to where I stood holding Cassie and put his right hand on her back.
“Hey I did not mean to run over you Cassie. I’m sorry girl.”
“Did you hear that honey? He’s sorry he did not mean to run over you.”
“I must of caused her to run into something when she fell she has a cut on her forehead.”
I pushed Cassie’s head back from my shoulder to look at the cut along the hair line above her left eye brow.
“I don’t think it’s bad enough for a doctor I’ll just clean it.”
“Did I cause you to hit your head Cassie?”
Cassie just nodded her head yes.
“If daddy kisses it will that make it all better baby girl?”
“Uh-huh”
I kissed her forehead where she had hit the corner of the table and cut it a little.
“There all better. Stop crying now honey, it’s okay your fine.”
“I really am sorry for running her over. I’ll warn the rest of the crew to look out for her while they work.”
“That is not a bad idea. She’ll be fine soon as I get some food in her. Her blood sugar must be getting low because she is looking a bit pail.”
“She diabetic?”
“No, she’s hypoglycemic.”
“Oh. Neither one is very fun.”
“Nope. Hey Cassie what do you say we go get some food for that little tummy of yours huh? Does that sound like a plan to you?”
She just nodded her head yes so I grabbed her angel teddy and her angel blanket to go find the rest of the group. George found us because Cassie was crying so hard after being run over by Jack. George lay his right hand on Cassie’s back.
“Hey now what’s the matter there lass?”
“A big old man with a big rock ran over me and I hit my head on a table.”
“Aw I’m sorry. Come here Cassie.”
I handed Cassie over to George so he could hold her. Cassie clung to George’s coat as he covered her head in the blanket so we could walk outside. The small buffet we would be having lunch at was just a few blocks down the road from us. Cassie really liked George so it was not to hard for him to get her to calm down as we walked. Once we got seated he sat her in his lap. She curled up in his lap and he cuddled her close partly to keep her warm and just to let her know he loved her. Cassie snuggled up against him because she could tell that he loved her in his own way and we could all see it.
“There that better honey?”
She nodded her head yes again.
“Now what does our Cassie want for lunch? Shall we go see what there is?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you cold Cassie?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Ryan do you have a sweater or something for her?”
“Sadly no. I have not had the money to get her one yet. I am barely able to feed her each day and often go without eating so she can eat.”
“I had no clue that your situation was that bad. I’m sorry buddy I’ll do what I can to help you out.”
“Thanks. For now lets just get Cassie something to eat.”
“You bet. Come one Cassie lets go get you some thing to eat okay?”
“Okay.”
George stood up with Cassie to go get her some thing to eat and came back with a bowl heaping with macaroni and cheese and bits of ham mixed together. Then his plate of food with it. He sat down with Cassie in his lap.
“Cassie honey why don’t you come sit in daddy’s lap and let him eat then you can sit in his lap again.”
“No I want to stay here!”
“You don’t tell me no you hear me!”
Cassie got a sad face like she was about to cry again because I reprimanded her.
“Sorry daddy.”
“It’s okay your probably tired from the flight.”
“If she wants to sit in my lap and eat her lunch Ryan I don’t mind.”
“Okay. I just don’t want to be unloading her on you guys or anything.”
“Your not unloading her I love spending time with children.”
That’s when Cassie started to cry again because she had gotten in trouble for telling me no. so George started talking to her.
“Aw don’t cry honey.”
“But daddy’s mad at me.”
“No your daddy is not mad at you but you should know that you never tell your daddy no.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hey it’s alright how about we just eat our lunch then get you back to the venue so you can take a nice long nap. That sound good?”
“Uh-huh.”
George took Cassie’s fork and put some of the mac and cheese on it then put it up to her lips. She took it and finished eating her lunch. Once Cassie was done George turned her around so she could berry her face in his chest. She leaned her face against him looking to her left his right and he pulled her blanked up tucking it in around her shoulders to keep her warm.
“We’ll hurry and eat so we can get you back to the venue and get you to bed so you can sleep while we rehearse.”
“Okay.”
“Ryan she looks awfully pail. I hope she is not coming down with something.”
“That would explain the telling me no thing.”
“Huh?”
“Well George she never does what she is not supposed to unless she is coming down with something.”
“Oh okay. She is one of those kids that always does as she is told unless she is not feeling good then you know they are not feeling good.”
“Does she feel warm?”
George put the inside of his wrist to Cassie’s forehead.
“She feels a little warm but not to bad.”
“Poor Cassie just get to be with us and get sick. She has a rather weak immune system.”
“You better have James look her over just to be sure.”
“I will. Soon as she wakes up I’ll have him look her over.”
“At least you don’t have to pay for it. But he may seem a wee bit intimidating to her because he is a big man.”
“I am sure she will be a bit shy but so long as I am there she should be fine. At least he is a nice guy and not rough like some I’ve seen.”
“Very true.”
We got her back to the venue and I lay Cassie down on the twin bed in my dressing room to let her sleep for a while. She slept two whole hours and that was not like her. Once she woke up I took her out to James’s bus to let him have a look at her.
“Hey Ryan what’s up?”
“I think Cassie is coming down with something and she needs her shots for coming into the country for the tour.”
“Okay come on in and I’ll get things set up in the back.”
“Okay thanks.”
I walked into his bus with Cassie in my arms and sat down on the couch in the front of the bus. James was in the back room which was set up like an emergency room getting things ready for Cassie.
“Okay you can come on back now and I’ll see what I can do for Cassie.”
I stood up and carried Cassie back to the back room and just as I was setting her down on the high table she got scared.
“No daddy I want to stay with you!”
She had a death grip on my coat.
“Honey its okay I’m right here.”
That’s when James spoke to Cassie.
“Hey Cassie its alright I’m just gonna look you over to see why your sick. I’ll let your daddy stand right next to you the whole time so you wont be scared, okay?”
“Okay.”
I sat Cassie down and took her right hand so she would not spas out. James did all the usual things, checked her lungs, heart, blood pressure, and listened to her chest.
“Will you lay down for me Cassie? I wont hurt you I just want to look at your eyes is all.”
“Daddy?”
“Lay down like he asked you to Cassie. I’m not going anywhere I’m right here.”
James lay his hand on Cassie’s back to help her lay down then he took a tiny flash light from his coat pocket and turned it on.
“See honey its just a small light. I’m just going to shine this in you eyes to make sure they are working like they should be, okay?”
“Okay.”
He shined the light in Cassie’s eyes then he got a different light that he used. It had a magnifying glass in one side. He put that side to his eye then got really close to Cassie’s face to get a close look in here eyes when she got scared.
“Relax honey your daddy is right next to you. This wont hurt I’m just going to get a close look at your eyes is all.”
Cassie settled down for him to get a closer look then he stood up again and looked at me.
“Well here eyes check out okay, her blood pressure is normal as well as her pulse. All I can thing of is running a blood test to see what she has. Her lungs sound a little inflamed I would like to put her on a Z pack and a steroid for three days and see how she feels.”
“Okay what ever you say you’re the Doc.”
“Thanks pal but we do mess up some times you know.”
“I know but not often.”
“True.”
He was getting ready to take a blood sample on Cassie to run full blood work up to see what all it was she was down with. Cassie watched him take the blood draw then he got three other needles with the immunizations she would need for being on tour with us.
“ I think it would be better if you sat down with Cassie in your lap when I give her these shots. She’s not going to like them when I give them to her in the leg.”
“Okay that sounds like a good plan.”
I picked Cassie up and walked over to a chair where I sat with Cassie in my lap facing me as she startled my legs. James came over with all his things and pushed Cassie’s dress hem out of his way as I talked to Cassie hoping I could distract her from what he was doing so she would not feel the needles when he gave her the shots. James pinched the upper leg muscle of Cassie’s left leg then soon as he gabbed the needle in she screamed and began to cry. I began rubbing her small back and talking to her as James gave her the last of the shots. Once he was done I said.
“There now Cassie he’s all done. Don’t cry baby girl daddy hates to see his little angel cry.”
Between sobs she said.
“My leg hurts daddy!”
Holding her closely to comfort her and rubbing her back I said.
“Oh I know honey shots never feel good, but if they keep you from getting sick wont that be good?”
She just nodded her head yes as I stood up with her in my arms. I held Cassie in my left arm as she hid her face in my left shoulder and cried harder then I had ever heard her cry before. James handed me a bottle that had the three steroid tablets he wanted me to give Cassie for three days. I grabbed Cassie’s blanket and wrapped her back up as I headed for the door to go back inside the venue. Once in George came running when he hear Cassie’s sobs. With a worried look on his face he asked.
“IS the poor lass alright?”
“She’s fine. Her leg just hurts from the shots that James had to give her for being with us on tour.”
“The poor lass. I bet that did not feel very good to her. She is such a tender little thing.”
“I know. I hated making her get them but I had no choice rules are rules and they have to be followed.”
“I know. Sharron wants you on stage to rehearse your songs. I’ll stay back here with Cassie and see if I can’t get her cheered up a bit”
Daddy’s Little Angel.
I was on my first tour with Celtic Thunder. My six year old daughter was back home with my mother and father. I missed her and she missed me from what mom had told me. I was on skyp with my mother when she brought up Cassie. I always called Cassie my baby angel.
“Ryan.”
“Yes mother.”
“Why don’t you let your brother fly out with Cassie so she can be with you?”
“None of the guys know that I have a daughter. What would they think if they new I had a little angel with no mother at all?”
“They would love her anyway I am sure. She is just like any other girl even though her mother in home with her creator now. She misses you an awful lot. She cries for you every night and asks if your home yet every morning and cries when we tell her not yet. Ryan your torturing your angel by not talking to her and not letting her be with you.”
“Alright mom I’ll tell them all about Cassie and talk to her.”
“Cassie honey come here daddy want’s to talk to you.”
“Daddy?”
Cassie ran up to mom when mom picked Cassie and sat Cassie in her lap.
“look at the computer honey. See there’s daddy.”
“Daddy!!”
“Hi. How’s my baby angel doing?”
“Okay.”
“That’s good.”
Cassie got a really sad face when she asked.
“When are you coming home daddy?”
“Not for a while honey.”
“But I miss you daddy.”
“I miss you too baby.”
“Don’t you love me any more daddy?”
“Well of course I still love you honey. But I have to make some money so we can have something to eat.”
“Oh.”
“Hey daddy has to go now honey, but I’ll talk to you soon okay?”
Cassie started to cry when I told her that I had to go.
“Cassie honey don’t cry.”
“But I miss you and I want you to come home!”
“I miss you and I want to be home with you too baby girl. You’ll see me before you know it. You dry those eyes and go have some fun with the cousins okay.”
“I only want you daddy!”
“I know. Go bake some sugar cookies for me with grandma. Your gonna see me soon.”
I hated to see how much I had hurt my Cassie by leaving her with mom and dad.
“Sharron!”
“In here Ryan.”
“Oh there you are. I need to talk to you.”
Sharron looked up from what she was doing with a worried frown on her face from the way I told her I needed to talk with her.
“Well come in. what seems to be the problem?”
I stepped into the room she was using as an office, shut the door behind me, and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk.
“I just got off skyp with my mother and daughter. This is the first time I have talked to Cassie since I left about a month ago. Mom tells me Cassie cries for me every night and asks if I am home ever morning then cries when they tell her not yet.”
“Aw the poor little thing!”
“I was wondering if it would be okay if I had my brother fly her out to stay with me the rest of the tour.”
“Certainly! Like I said before, I don’t want this job to get in the way of your family. Cassie will be more them welcome to come along. My three children plus Damian will love to have another play mate along. How old is she?”
“She’s six.”
“Such an adorable age.”
“Yes. She can be a real joker sometimes. She does have a brace on her right hand though.”
“What from?”
I almost choked on the lump in my throat.
“The car accident that killed her mother when Cassie was only eighteen months old.”
A few tears slid down my face from the pain of the memory. Sharron stood up and came around the desk. She lay her hand on the back of my right shoulder.
“I’m very sorry Ryan. I’m sure you miss Cassie’s mother an awful lot.”
“Yes I do. Cassie is like her mother in a lot of ways. Her eyes are just like her mothers. Big and blue. The most interesting shade of blue, with a ting of emerald in them.”
“She sounds like a very beautiful little angel.”
“She is. I can’t wait till she’s back with me again. But what will the others say or think when they know I have a daughter and no wife?”
“You leave that to me. You just get ready for her and you brother to fly in. We will be here in New York for about a week.”
“Great I will get them here soon as I can! Thanks a ton Sharron.”
“Your welcome Ryan. What’s wee Cassie’s favorite creature to look at pictures of?”
“Angels, thus the name my baby angel. Why?”
“So I can make a blanket for her as a welcome present.”
“She will love that. I wish I could buy her more of the things she needs as well as a lot of the things she would like to have. But I hardly make enough to feed her each day. Often times I go without so she can eat.”
“Ryan, you need not worry about such things like that any more we are all here to help.”
“Thanks Sharron.”
“Your welcome.”
The day that Cassie would fly in with my brother finally came. They got off the plain when I saw them. Since very few people were in the air port that day my brother let go of Cassie’s hand and let her run to me as I knelt down on floor. Cassie leaped just before she got to me and threw her arms around my neck. I grabbed her in a mighty hug as I stood up. She was crying now that she was really back with me.
“Aw baby don’t cry your with me to stay. I’m not sending you home you are going to stay with me on tour. How do you like that?”
“You mean I get to stay with you and not go home till you go home?”
“Yes honey that’s what I mean.”
“Okay.”
“Hey I got something for you but you have to dry those tears before I can give it to you.”
I brushed the tears from her face. She calmed down when I pulled a white angel bear out of my back pack and handed it to her.
“An angel teddy! Thank you daddy!”
I kissed Cassie’s forehead.
“Your welcome honey.”
“I love you daddy.”
“Oh I love you to honey. Hey I want you to meet some friends.”
“Okay.”
George, Paul, and Keith gave her big hugs hello as I introduced Cassie to them. Then I knelt down again so she could meet Damian, Donathan, Sally, and John. They all gave her warm welcomes. I stood up again with Cassie in my left arm when Sharron came up.
“So your the adorable little girl your daddy’s been telling me all about.”
“Yep this is my Cassie.”
“Hello Cassie.”
“Hi.”
Sharron pulled the blanket she had made for Cassie out of a gift bag and handed it to Cassie, it was a tie throw.
“Here lassie I made this for you to say welcome aboard!”
Cassie gave Sharron a shy smile as she dropped her head to my left shoulder.
“What do you tell Sharron honey?”
“Thank you.”
“Your welcome dear.”
“You ready to go see where I’ve been working?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Looks like bro got your bags so lets go.”
I got Cassie wrapped in the blanket that Sharron had made and given to her covering her from head to tow. I got her in the car seat and bulked in. Damian crawled into his car seat next to Cassie’s. we got to the venue where we would be doing a show that night. Even though Cassie was six almost seven years old she was about the size of your average two year old. Once we got to the venue I took her back stage and set her down on the love seat. Sharron gave her permission to get up and walk around and have a look at things. One of the times I ran back stage Cassie was sitting on the floor where she had been knocked over crying. I ran over to her and picked her up.
“Hey what’s wrong with daddy’s little girl?”
“Some big mean man came in with a huge rock and ran me over!”
I lay the palm of my right hand on the side of Cassie’s head as she rest her head on my left shoulder.
“I’m sorry honey. I’m sure he did not mean to run you over. He just might not have seen you because you are so small.”
We had all finished rehearsing for the afternoon. The crew was just finishing the stage set and Jack had not seen Cassie because she was so small. Jack came backstage to see me holding a crying Cassie.
“What’s wrong with the little angel?”
“Some one was carrying a huge rock for the stage set and ran her over not knowing she was there because she is so small.”
“I’m sorry, I though it was just a back pack or something when I tripped over her. Had I known it was her I would have stopped to see if she was okay.”
“It’s okay. She is hard to see because she is very small for her age.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine I think you manly just scared her.”
Jack walked up to where I stood holding Cassie and put his right hand on her back.
“Hey I did not mean to run over you Cassie. I’m sorry girl.”
“Did you hear that honey? He’s sorry he did not mean to run over you.”
“I must of caused her to run into something when she fell she has a cut on her forehead.”
I pushed Cassie’s head back from my shoulder to look at the cut along the hair line above her left eye brow.
“I don’t think it’s bad enough for a doctor I’ll just clean it.”
“Did I cause you to hit your head Cassie?”
Cassie just nodded her head yes.
“If daddy kisses it will that make it all better baby girl?”
“Uh-huh”
I kissed her forehead where she had hit the corner of the table and cut it a little.
“There all better. Stop crying now honey, it’s okay your fine.”
“I really am sorry for running her over. I’ll warn the rest of the crew to look out for her while they work.”
“That is not a bad idea. She’ll be fine soon as I get some food in her. Her blood sugar must be getting low because she is looking a bit pail.”
“She diabetic?”
“No, she’s hypoglycemic.”
“Oh. Neither one is very fun.”
“Nope. Hey Cassie what do you say we go get some food for that little tummy of yours huh? Does that sound like a plan to you?”
She just nodded her head yes so I grabbed her angel teddy and her angel blanket to go find the rest of the group. George found us because Cassie was crying so hard after being run over by Jack. George lay his right hand on Cassie’s back.
“Hey now what’s the matter there lass?”
“A big old man with a big rock ran over me and I hit my head on a table.”
“Aw I’m sorry. Come here Cassie.”
I handed Cassie over to George so he could hold her. Cassie clung to George’s coat as he covered her head in the blanket so we could walk outside. The small buffet we would be having lunch at was just a few blocks down the road from us. Cassie really liked George so it was not to hard for him to get her to calm down as we walked. Once we got seated he sat her in his lap. She curled up in his lap and he cuddled her close partly to keep her warm and just to let her know he loved her. Cassie snuggled up against him because she could tell that he loved her in his own way and we could all see it.
“There that better honey?”
She nodded her head yes again.
“Now what does our Cassie want for lunch? Shall we go see what there is?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you cold Cassie?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Ryan do you have a sweater or something for her?”
“Sadly no. I have not had the money to get her one yet. I am barely able to feed her each day and often go without eating so she can eat.”
“I had no clue that your situation was that bad. I’m sorry buddy I’ll do what I can to help you out.”
“Thanks. For now lets just get Cassie something to eat.”
“You bet. Come one Cassie lets go get you some thing to eat okay?”
“Okay.”
George stood up with Cassie to go get her some thing to eat and came back with a bowl heaping with macaroni and cheese and bits of ham mixed together. Then his plate of food with it. He sat down with Cassie in his lap.
“Cassie honey why don’t you come sit in daddy’s lap and let him eat then you can sit in his lap again.”
“No I want to stay here!”
“You don’t tell me no you hear me!”
Cassie got a sad face like she was about to cry again because I reprimanded her.
“Sorry daddy.”
“It’s okay your probably tired from the flight.”
“If she wants to sit in my lap and eat her lunch Ryan I don’t mind.”
“Okay. I just don’t want to be unloading her on you guys or anything.”
“Your not unloading her I love spending time with children.”
That’s when Cassie started to cry again because she had gotten in trouble for telling me no. so George started talking to her.
“Aw don’t cry honey.”
“But daddy’s mad at me.”
“No your daddy is not mad at you but you should know that you never tell your daddy no.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hey it’s alright how about we just eat our lunch then get you back to the venue so you can take a nice long nap. That sound good?”
“Uh-huh.”
George took Cassie’s fork and put some of the mac and cheese on it then put it up to her lips. She took it and finished eating her lunch. Once Cassie was done George turned her around so she could berry her face in his chest. She leaned her face against him looking to her left his right and he pulled her blanked up tucking it in around her shoulders to keep her warm.
“We’ll hurry and eat so we can get you back to the venue and get you to bed so you can sleep while we rehearse.”
“Okay.”
“Ryan she looks awfully pail. I hope she is not coming down with something.”
“That would explain the telling me no thing.”
“Huh?”
“Well George she never does what she is not supposed to unless she is coming down with something.”
“Oh okay. She is one of those kids that always does as she is told unless she is not feeling good then you know they are not feeling good.”
“Does she feel warm?”
George put the inside of his wrist to Cassie’s forehead.
“She feels a little warm but not to bad.”
“Poor Cassie just get to be with us and get sick. She has a rather weak immune system.”
“You better have James look her over just to be sure.”
“I will. Soon as she wakes up I’ll have him look her over.”
“At least you don’t have to pay for it. But he may seem a wee bit intimidating to her because he is a big man.”
“I am sure she will be a bit shy but so long as I am there she should be fine. At least he is a nice guy and not rough like some I’ve seen.”
“Very true.”
We got her back to the venue and I lay Cassie down on the twin bed in my dressing room to let her sleep for a while. She slept two whole hours and that was not like her. Once she woke up I took her out to James’s bus to let him have a look at her.
“Hey Ryan what’s up?”
“I think Cassie is coming down with something and she needs her shots for coming into the country for the tour.”
“Okay come on in and I’ll get things set up in the back.”
“Okay thanks.”
I walked into his bus with Cassie in my arms and sat down on the couch in the front of the bus. James was in the back room which was set up like an emergency room getting things ready for Cassie.
“Okay you can come on back now and I’ll see what I can do for Cassie.”
I stood up and carried Cassie back to the back room and just as I was setting her down on the high table she got scared.
“No daddy I want to stay with you!”
She had a death grip on my coat.
“Honey its okay I’m right here.”
That’s when James spoke to Cassie.
“Hey Cassie its alright I’m just gonna look you over to see why your sick. I’ll let your daddy stand right next to you the whole time so you wont be scared, okay?”
“Okay.”
I sat Cassie down and took her right hand so she would not spas out. James did all the usual things, checked her lungs, heart, blood pressure, and listened to her chest.
“Will you lay down for me Cassie? I wont hurt you I just want to look at your eyes is all.”
“Daddy?”
“Lay down like he asked you to Cassie. I’m not going anywhere I’m right here.”
James lay his hand on Cassie’s back to help her lay down then he took a tiny flash light from his coat pocket and turned it on.
“See honey its just a small light. I’m just going to shine this in you eyes to make sure they are working like they should be, okay?”
“Okay.”
He shined the light in Cassie’s eyes then he got a different light that he used. It had a magnifying glass in one side. He put that side to his eye then got really close to Cassie’s face to get a close look in here eyes when she got scared.
“Relax honey your daddy is right next to you. This wont hurt I’m just going to get a close look at your eyes is all.”
Cassie settled down for him to get a closer look then he stood up again and looked at me.
“Well here eyes check out okay, her blood pressure is normal as well as her pulse. All I can thing of is running a blood test to see what she has. Her lungs sound a little inflamed I would like to put her on a Z pack and a steroid for three days and see how she feels.”
“Okay what ever you say you’re the Doc.”
“Thanks pal but we do mess up some times you know.”
“I know but not often.”
“True.”
He was getting ready to take a blood sample on Cassie to run full blood work up to see what all it was she was down with. Cassie watched him take the blood draw then he got three other needles with the immunizations she would need for being on tour with us.
“ I think it would be better if you sat down with Cassie in your lap when I give her these shots. She’s not going to like them when I give them to her in the leg.”
“Okay that sounds like a good plan.”
I picked Cassie up and walked over to a chair where I sat with Cassie in my lap facing me as she startled my legs. James came over with all his things and pushed Cassie’s dress hem out of his way as I talked to Cassie hoping I could distract her from what he was doing so she would not feel the needles when he gave her the shots. James pinched the upper leg muscle of Cassie’s left leg then soon as he gabbed the needle in she screamed and began to cry. I began rubbing her small back and talking to her as James gave her the last of the shots. Once he was done I said.
“There now Cassie he’s all done. Don’t cry baby girl daddy hates to see his little angel cry.”
Between sobs she said.
“My leg hurts daddy!”
Holding her closely to comfort her and rubbing her back I said.
“Oh I know honey shots never feel good, but if they keep you from getting sick wont that be good?”
She just nodded her head yes as I stood up with her in my arms. I held Cassie in my left arm as she hid her face in my left shoulder and cried harder then I had ever heard her cry before. James handed me a bottle that had the three steroid tablets he wanted me to give Cassie for three days. I grabbed Cassie’s blanket and wrapped her back up as I headed for the door to go back inside the venue. Once in George came running when he hear Cassie’s sobs. With a worried look on his face he asked.
“IS the poor lass alright?”
“She’s fine. Her leg just hurts from the shots that James had to give her for being with us on tour.”
“The poor lass. I bet that did not feel very good to her. She is such a tender little thing.”
“I know. I hated making her get them but I had no choice rules are rules and they have to be followed.”
“I know. Sharron wants you on stage to rehearse your songs. I’ll stay back here with Cassie and see if I can’t get her cheered up a bit”