Playing a Little

by Breanna Hayse

“Excellent. I don’t want my fiancée suffering anymore nasty attitude from the press. They have already hurt her so much, as you know.”

  Camille stared at him. Fiancée? Trust him, you little fool! He is protecting your reputation! she scolded herself.

  “I thought we were going to keep quiet about that,” she said quietly, figuring to help him in the illusion.

  Erik stroked her hair. “He is the only one who knows, honey. If this got out, we would know who shared the information.”

  Camille nodded, understanding. Erik just ensured them their privacy. Smart man, she thought with adoration, leaning against his arm. Too bad it is a ploy.

  “As I told you, Mr. Renault, my patient’s privacy is of utmost import. I can’t promise that a passerby won’t say anything. Truthfully, I did not recognize Miss LeCroix, so I do believe that she would be safe from speculation.”

  “Thank you. May I take her home now?”

  “Yes. Let me process the paperwork and I will send a nurse in here to discontinue her IV. Miss LeCroix? No more ice baths for you. Doctor’s orders.”

  “I won’t, I promise.”

  “Good. I am going to send some equipment home with you,” he turned to Erik, “and here is my cell number. This is not regular practice, but given your situation, it might be easier to get through to me if you have any questions or concerns.”

  “Thank you very much,” Erik said gratefully, putting the paper into his wallet. “Is there anything you need from me?”

  “Just an invite to the wedding,” the doctor smiled, patting the top of Camille’s head. “Take good care of this girl and try to keep her out of trouble.”

  “Your first request is very reasonable, Dr. Gaidry. The second… I don’t know. Trouble seems to follow this little one way too often.”

  “Please call if you need me. Good luck, you two,” he said, shaking Erik’s hand firmly before leaving the room. Camille lowered her face as Erik turned to her.

  “Are you ready to go home, Cami?”

  “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered, worrying the sheets. “Am I in bad trouble?”

  “For going onto the black ice after being told not to? I would think so.”

  “But I was looking for you and you didn’t answer me.” Camille looked up at him pleadingly.

  He kissed her lips. “Yes, I know. I will think about it. I am just so grateful that you are alive. That is what matters most to me. Here is the nurse. No complaining,” Erik ordered, stepping back to allow the purple-scrubbed woman to see to Camille’s needs, hand over a bag of her personal belongings and equipment, and to give final discharge instructions. The nurse stood back, watching as Erik dressed the young woman in thick, soft sweats and snow boots, then lovingly brushed her long hair into a high ponytail which he tucked under a fur-lined cap. He lifted her easily and carried her snugly in his arms, following the woman to the employees’ elevator and down to the garage. The nurse was teary-eyed when they parted, telling Camille that she had never seen a man so caring in her life and commented about how lucky she was to have someone who loved her so much.

  Camille nestled under Erik’s arm as he unlocked the Volvo SUV for her. “She was right, you know,” Camille said quietly. “She was so caught up in how you took care of me that she didn’t even notice that it was you. I am so sorry I doubted your sincerity, Erik. If everything you have done for me has been an act… that would mean that there is no love to exist in this world. The way you look at me is so different than how you looked at the women on the screen. Even stupid old me can see that.”

  “You are not stupid, baby. You have bought into a lie made up by petty, jealous people. This is also the first role I have played that allowed me to be myself. And who I am, as your lover and your daddy, is who I was meant to be. And Cami?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I am serious about making you my wife one day. Just wanted to throw that out there,” Erik commented, starting the car. “It will give you something to think about besides the spanking I owe you.”

  “You wouldn’t! Not after all this!”

  “Don’t tempt me. Camille? I love you. Don’t take that away from me.”

  “I’ll try not to. I love you, too.”

  Camille quietly watched the breaking of the early morning sun over the snow-covered trees as they drove back to the lake house. His wife? She could barely get through a day being his little girl without getting into trouble; how could she function as a wife? Despite her doubts, she felt a smile lighting her lips and she snuggled into the seat. Mrs. Camille LeCroix-Renault did have a nice ring to it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Erik’s hands tightly gripped the steering wheel as he fought to control the onslaught of emotions that flooded through him. He had been running on adrenaline all night long waiting for the doctors to clear Camille from danger. She had suffered a close call after swallowing so much of the icy water and being submerged under a layer of ice for nearly ten minutes. He had seen the other man fish her out and had to carefully maneuver the breaking ice to get her to the lake’s edge. He had called an ambulance on his cell and brought her into the house to strip her of her wet clothes and to start rewarming her body.

  His mind raced with first aid instructions for hypothermia as he removed her icy garments and covered her with layers of blankets. She had vomited up so much water that he was afraid she was going to aspirate and inhale it into her lungs, so he tried to keep her on her side. Her breathing was slow and shallow and he could barely feel her pulse. Her hands and feet were blue, but he remembered not to massage her limbs because it would push cold blood back to her heart. He urged himself to keep calm as the minutes ticked by waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

  He recalled about sharing body heat and quickly removed his shirt to pull her naked, cold body close to his, covering both of them in blankets. She was completely nonresponsive, not giving him any indication that she either heard his voice or felt his touch. Fear and helplessness shook his heart and tears began to seep down his face as he rocked and softly sang to her.

  This was how the paramedics found them. They gently pried Camille from his arms to assess her and start a warm saline IV drip. As they bundled her on the gurney, Erik retrieved a change of clothes and her stuffed panda bear, and followed them to the hospital. He was grateful that the emergency room was quiet that evening. The last thing he wanted was to be bombarded by fans and being forced to pretend that he had it together. He hoped the old fishing jacket and hat would help disguise him because he did not have the energy or desire to give anyone a show. He felt as powerless and frightened as he had when Arthur had his heart attack, and so utterly useless. He sat, face buried in his hands, and waited.

  And waited.

  A tap on his shoulder caused him to look up into the face of an old woman. She held in her hand a cup of coffee.

  “Here, son, it looks like you could use this,” she said kindly. Erik nodded his thanks, accepting the beverage with shaking hands. She sat next to him. “This is the fourth time William has been here this month. I don’t think he will be coming home with me this time.”

  “Your husband?” Erik looked into the sad, watery blue eyes.

  “Yes, of sixty-seven years. We had so many good times together. Some not so good, but the hard ones made the good ones even better. We learned very early not to take a moment for granted.”

  “I am so sorry. I didn’t get your name.”

  “Mildred. And you?”

  Erik was momentarily surprised. No one had asked him his name for the last twenty years. “Erik. My girlfriend fell through black ice.”

  “Oh honey, I am so sorry. They are very good here. If anyone can bring her back, this group can.”

  “I just feel so helpless. I hate not being able to do something.”

  “You can pray. Whether or not you believe in anything, prayer can help soothe your pain when nothing else works. Can’t hurt to try. I… Excuse me,” Mildred said, seeing the physician come through the door
with a nurse by his side. Erik watched as the doctor placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. His heart lurched as the kind old woman hunched over in tears, sobbing in the nurse’s arms. Tears fell silently down his cheeks as they led the weeping woman through the doors to say her last goodbye to her loved one. He realized that he would not know what to do if that had been him receiving the same news.

  Erik stared down into his coffee, filled with shame. He had witnessed the truest form of selflessness. Even in the midst of her own fear and grief, the poor old woman had reached out to comfort him. She told him to never take any moment for granted and he felt obligated to follow her counsel in honor of her kindness. He bowed his head and began to pray.

  Camille remained in critical condition until after 4:00 a.m. when the physician on call announced her as stable. During that time, Erik experienced more feats of kindness than he had ever known existed. It started with a pregnant young mother who came into the emergency room after her husband had been in a serious accident. On her heels was a cranky four-year-old who had been wakened from his sleep, and in her arms was a baby of eighteen months. The night nurses played with the children while the mother went down to get food from the cafeteria. She handed Erik a sandwich, smiling gently through tired eyes.

  “You look like you could use this. I’m Kelly.”

  “I… Wow, thank you, I am Erik.”

  “I know who you are. You need to work a little harder on your disguises. Are you all right? I am a mom. Makes me a pretty good listener if you want one.”

  Erik stared at her. Instead of wanting an autograph or invading his life, she offered him a sandwich and a shoulder. He swallowed back tears. “My girlfriend was in a near-drowning accident and we are still waiting. How is your husband?”

  “He will be fine. We spend way too much time in this place. He knows that he has too much to live for to give up now,” she said with confidence, patting her swollen belly. She turned to the sound of screaming and rolled her eyes. “That boy is driving those poor nurses crazy. Excuse me.”

  “Wait! Do you mind if I read to him? Please?”

  “The little monster won’t sit still, but you can try,” Kelly smiled. “Thanks.”

  Erik threw himself into the children’s books, unaware that he had the nurses listening as closely as the little boy. They brought him cookies and coffee, a hot pack for his back, and more books. He was both relieved and saddened when Kelly emerged with her husband by her side in the wheelchair. He did not want to be sitting alone, waiting.

  “I can walk, damn it,” the man grumbled.

  Kelly kissed his cheek, not pointing out that his left leg was in a long cast. “Of course you can. But don’t you think your sons would have fun riding with you?”

  The man grinned as the four-year-old jumped aboard his lap and he was handed the sleeping baby. Erik stood up to shake his hand and say goodbye to Kelly. He tossed the giggling youngster in the air and told him that his mama would need lots of help in looking after his daddy, and received a promise to do so. When they left, he had a strange sense of emptiness.

  Erik had discovered something about human nature that evening. Tragedy brought people together and there was no room for putting on airs. He had witnessed strength and faith, in a life lost and a life saved. He saw childish innocence in all its glory. He saw grown adults being drawn into a world of make-believe and innocence, even when surrounded by pain, fear, and loss. He had read to the little boy as much to help himself as he did for the child, and he felt humbled in how it had affected all those people around him.

  And Kelly. A woman who knew his identity had only cared that he was fed and comfortable, and that he had someone who would listen to him if he needed it. As exhausted as she was, she still was concerned for him, the man. Arthur always taught him the importance of paying it forward, and to give to others as others had given to him. He went to the front desk and asked if there was a way he could pay the family back for what they had taught him. The nurses looked at each other and nodded, relaying that Kelly’s family had no medical insurance and would be struck with a very large bill on top of multiple other hospital expenses. Erik informed them that this was a thing of the past and that he wanted all future medical expenses charged to his personal account, including those incurred with the birth of their baby. He also requested to remain anonymous, surprising the nurses even more with his generosity.

  The clock read 4:25 a.m. when the resident physician beckoned for him. After assuring him that Camille would recover completely, he ordered Erik to grab something to eat before coming to see her. Erik laughed joyfully, glancing back at the grinning nurses, and admitted that he was been stuffed with food all night long. With a nod, the resident led Erik to Camille’s room and left him in the care of Dr. Gaidry, the attending physician.

  Now on their way home, Erik contemplated his next step. He had already decided not to punish her for going onto the black ice. She had already suffered enough for that. She would, however, learn what it truly meant to be his little girl. His very little girl…

  * * *

  “Up you go, little one,” he cooed as he carried Camille into the house.

  “What time is it?” she asked as she squinted her eyes to the sunlight, lifting her hand to cover her face.

  “It is 7:30, baby girl. I am going to make you a nice warm bath and then put you in your pjs for bed. You are not to leave this room for any reason over the next three days, and only if I carry you.”

  “But Erik…”

  “Young lady, are you going to mind me or will I need to take extra measures to be heard?”

  “Yes, Daddy,” Camille cowed. She knew it was not the time to argue with him. Besides, she still felt very weak and achy, like every muscle in her body had seized up. Erik nodded, hanging the bag from the hospital on his wrist as he brought her into the house and then the nursery. She frowned as he set her on top of the big, flat dresser.

  “I don’t like it up here. It’s too high.”

  “No whining from you. As of this moment, you have lost all privileges of a five-year-old. You are now two,” he stated, pulling off her boots.

  “But…”

  “Nineteen months?”

  “Daddy!”

  “Sixteen months.”

  Camille clamped her mouth shut. Erik watched her struggle and raised his eyebrow. “This means some changes in your wardrobe as well as in your activities. To start with…”

  “No!” Camille looked horrified as he produced a diaper with little yellow ducks on it.

  “Oh yes. Now, if you are a good girl, I will only have you wet this. Anything more, you can use the potty.”

  “This is so humiliating,” Camille grumbled.

  “I suppose it is. Arms up,” Erik announced, pulling the sweatshirt from her, followed by the pants. Naked except for her socks, Camille shivered. After wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, he pushed her back on the changing table and looked down at her.

  “I love you and this is for your own good. Dr. Gaidry said I had to closely monitor your core temperature and gave me this to use.” He produced a small box with a long probe attached to a cable. Camille’s eyes widened, realizing that it was a thermometer and what his words meant.

  “Oh no, you don’t. You are not sticking that thing up my ass! Oowowwwsss!” she cried out as Erik lifted her legs into the air and briskly smacked her bottom and upper thighs.

  He held her legs high in place and looked at her firmly. “Would you care to repeat yourself?”

  “Noooo,” Camille whimpered, squirming on her back as she tried to wiggle some of the sting from her bottom.

  Erik lowered her legs and read the instructions given by the doctor. “It says that while you are awake and active, we can take your temperature every two hours as long as it remains normal, and every hour if it drops below 98.2. While you sleep, it is supposed to be ongoing and will alarm if there is any significant drop or elevation. Hmmm, I wonder… Oh, this will work ni
cely,” Erik stated, pulling out a long, flexible tube that had a bulb attached. He squeezed the bulb several times and watched the base of the tube swell.

  “What is that awful thing?”

  “An inflatable butt plug. It will hold the temperature probe in place while you sleep.”

  “Oh God,” Camille groaned, “you should have just let me die.”

  “You take that back or, I swear, I will get the hairbrush.” His eyes were dark with anger at her careless words.

  “I’m sorry! It was just an expression!”

  “Camille, if you had seen what I did last night, you would never say anything like that again.” He told her what had happened and Camille bit her lip, apologizing again.

  “I don’t hafta like it, do I?”

  “No, but it won’t change what needs to be done. Lift your knees to your chest.”

  “Noooooo, please? Owie!”

  “Camille Loren, you will let me take your temperature either with or without a sore bottom. It is digital and will only take a few seconds.”

  Camille whimpered as she slowly pulled her knees up, stretching her bottom hole to his view. She closed her eyes tightly as she felt him smooth lubricant over the tight area and then the hard, plastic probe pushing past her tight sphincter. He made certain to insert it to the line, which felt, to Camille, like it was ten inches long instead of four. To add to her discomfort, Erik leaned across her knees to pin her legs to her chest while he held the probe between his index and middle finger, hand flat across her bottom. Camille held her breath, waiting for the ding. Finally!

  “You are still a little low, so we need to repeat this in an hour. That wasn’t so terrible, was it?” Erik asked, tossing the probe cover in the trash as Camille groaned loudly in protest while nodding. Her humiliation grew as he secured the diapers around her bottom parts after tenderly applying powder to her skin. He then lifted her leg and slipped on a one-piece pink sleeper with snaps on the insides of the legs to give him access to her diapers without having to completely undress her. Despite her protests, Camille snuggled into the thick, soft fleece, knowing it would guarantee ongoing warmth to her still slightly chilled body.