The Apple of My Eye -Kaz Brekker (Complete)

Chapter Seven

FAMILY

Usually, Kaz Brekker would've been awake at three in the morning, but in one of the most important days of his life, he was asleep and woke up with a start when a hand touched his face in a familiar way; soft, careful, surprisingly mature to a child.

The Shu shaped eyes looking back at him went smaller when Jordan smiled at him through the dimly lit room with three different thick candles burning.

"Hey, Dada," she whispered.

Her voice was still hoarse, but most likely through the lack of use, still Kaz hoped deep inside of him that her voice would not get any close to what his voice had become. He'd think it beautiful either way and the fact that she was speaking at all after all the coughing and vomit was already a victory, but he wished her to have a normal life and forget that hellish week they had.

"Jordan," he whispered back, looking at the sleeping Laura. His gloved hand touched Jordan's face in return. Though he loved her and wished nothing more than to hold onto her, he didn't feel ready to go back to feeling the pus under his fingers or the hot feverish skin. "Are you feeling better?"

"My throat hurts," she complained.

"I know," he said. "Are you hungry?"

"Thirsty," she answered.

Kaz moved quickly. The cane was in his hand and he was standing on the other end of the bed putting water into the cup and then moving back to his daughter, he gave her the cup and sat on the edge of the bed.

The movement on the bed woke Laura, who opened her eyes to see Kaz sitting and Jordan reaching out for him, asking for help to sit down as well. She sat down so quickly that her vision went dark for a moment.

"Baby?" called Laura.

"Mama, hi," said Jordan as if nothing had ever happened.

Laura's eyes filled with tears. "Hi," she answered, voice wavering. "I'm so glad you're feeling better, baby. You got sick."

"I know, Mama, I remember," she said. "I had bad dreams and I couldn't wake up. I knew I was sick, because you always wake me up when I'm having bad dreams. I thought I would never wake up again!"

Laura muffled a sob as she carefully held her daughter in a hug. How awful of a mother she felt! She couldn't even wake up her daughter when she was stuck in nightmares, probably begging to wake up in her mind. Jordan had thought she would've died, that her mother and father had failed to protect her.

"Here," said Kaz, giving the cup into Jordan's hand and helping her get it to her mouth. "Slow now or you'll throw up again."

Jordan obeyed, sipping small as she drank the water and stopping before she even got to the middle of cup, turning her face and pulling her hand away. Kaz pulled the cup back and watched as Jordan kept breathing, though the breathing was a bit strained, she looked better and there was some colour on her cheeks.

"Dada, light," she said.

Kaz moved to turn on the lights quickly. Laura put her hand on Jordan's forehead, testing her fever and protecting her eyes from sudden light. She took the hand out after a moment and Jordan looked around.

"Are you alright?" Kaz asked, still standing near the door where the light switch was.

"I thought I dreamed," she said, "but this room is real."

"Yes. Do you remember coming here?" Laura asked.

"I remember you crying, Mama," she said. "And I remember Dada watching me sleep. He would get very close to me and put his hand near my mouth, like this," she demonstrated, hand over her mouth, finger near her nose.