A Long List of Nevers - 11. Chapter 11

Keith woke up to small fingers pulling at his hair. He raised his head up from where he had perched it on the side of the bed and smiled at Caz.

“You okay?”

“Bored.” Caz murmured. She had been let off the ventilator but the doctors still want to monitor her for at least another two days. Their main concerns were the effects of the toxins on her circulatory system. Caz’s heart was still a bit weak.

“Your dad’s gone home to get some books and toys.”

“My pastels?”

“Yeah. Your pastels too.” Keith smiled, relieved that the experience hadn’t changed her resolve to paint in the least. When she first woke up she was frightened and exhausted at the ordeal but she didn’t blame the snails. She still wanted to paint them but promised not to hurt them this time. Keith had to marvel again at the resilience of children.

“Where’s Kat and Miri?”

“They’ve gone home to get some sleep, Caz.” Keith replied, yawning. “They’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

“They didn’t eat all the chocolates that John and Brett gave me, did they?”

Keith laughed again. “No. They tried but Carl scared them off.” He glanced back towards a corner of a room where Carl was curled up awkwardly against an armchair, fast asleep.

“Can I have some?”

“Sure.” Keith got up and walked over to Carl’s sleeping form. He still couldn’t get over how beautiful the big guy was. He stood over him for a moment, a half-smile on his face as he watched him sleep. Carl didn’t need to be here, but he was. They hadn’t opened the bookstore today, and Carl said they wouldn’t until Caz recovered. That says a lot for the guy who had after all, only known them for a week and then some.

Keith almost reached out to caress that stubbled jaw, before catching himself. Instead he reached towards the small backpack Carl was using as a pillow and pulled out the crumpled bag of chocolates. He did it carefully, so as not to disturb him.

He glanced one more time at Carl’s masculine profile, softened by sleep, before walking back towards Caz. He handed the bad of chocolates to her and watched her happily dig into it.

“He saved me, you know.” Caz said matter-of-factly, biting daintily into one end of a small chocolate bar.

This was the first time she had indicated that she was aware at all during the ordeal, and Keith’s chest constricted.

“I couldn’t breathe. I tried, but it didn’t work. I couldn’t move.” Caz said softly. “He saved me.”

“Oh Caz.” Keith blinked back tears as he hugged her for the hundredth time this day. The knowledge that she had been fully aware the entire time that was happening horrified him. That must have been a harrowing experience, especially for a child.

Caz squirmed away from Keith’s grasp. “It was scary, but I’m not a baby anymore.” She glared at Keith.

Keith smiled. “Yeah, you’re not, so don’t do anything like that again, okay?”

“I’m not stupid.” She sighed in exasperation and went back to nibbling on the chocolate.

Keith grinned. He reached for the bag of chocolates and took one for himself.

“Are all snails angry like that?”

“No, Caz. Only those cone-shaped ones. Don’t worry, Sean will put up some signs so you will know what to avoid next time. And Carl’s buying some books on dangerous things around these parts.”

“Are you going to marry Carl?” She asked innocently after she finished her chocolate. She picked up a glass of water on the table beside the bed. She looked expectantly at Keith as she took a sip.

Keith almost choked on the piece of chocolate in his mouth. He blinked at Caz, not knowing what to say. Were they that obvious?

“Are you marrying him or not?” She demanded, louder this time. Keith had to shush her quickly.

“I don’t know.” He laughed. “Why would you ask that?”

“You like him and he likes you and that way he’ll be my new big brother.” She explained slowly, as if she thought Keith was the dumbest person ever for her to have to explain that fact to him.

“Only boys and girls can marry in Australia, Caz.”

“That’s stupid.” She frowned.

“I know.” Keith had to stop himself from laughing out loud at her fierce expression.

“But what about Kat and Miri, John and Brett, Uncle Wazza and Uncle Pat? Aren’t they married?”

“Well… you could say they are…” Keith replied thinking about civil unions.

“So? You and Carl can too!”

Keith scratched his head. “How do you know if he even likes me? He could just be pretending.”

Caz rolled her eyes and let out another loud sigh of exasperation. “I’m not stupid!”

“But how do you know?” Keith insisted, hoping she’d forget about it and ask something less difficult to answer. Like what space-time was or why black holes don’t emit light.

“Keith.” She looked at him straight in the eye with one eyebrow cocked. A mannerism she had learned from Keith’s Mum.

Keith sighed. “Okay, I give up.” He shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Come on. Will you marry him or not?”

“I don’t know. Shouldn’t you be asking him too?”

With that Caz started to lean past Keith, intending to wake Carl up and ask him too. Keith hastily pulled her back and shushed her, stifling giggles.

“What?” She glared. “Are we going to ask him or not?”

“No.” Keith sputtered. “I mean… no. He’s tired right now.“ He lowered his voice. “Better yet, don’t ask him or… or he might get mad.”

Caz twisted her mouth, obviously not believing him. “So answer me.”

Keith sighed heavily, in an even quieter voice he replied, “If he wants to… yes. I thought I hated him, but… I kinda like him now.” Keith blushed. He actually blushed! He thought to himself in disbelief. Strangely enough, he didn’t feel like kicking himself for feeling giddy like a teenager in love. He liked this feeling. “Yes, Caz.” He finished quietly.

Caz grinned in triumph. “Good.” With that she returned to her chocolates and asked Keith to tell her a story. Keith obliged with obvious relief, glad that she finally dropped the subject.

Unseen behind them, lying on the armchair pretending to still be asleep, Carl smiled.