Literally the shittiest night!

3am and I’ve just finished proofreading my script before pressing send and submitting… Ahhhhh, yes! That sweet feeling of relief… At least for a couple of days until the execs spin back around with notes…

I close my laptop, turn off the office light and slowly tiptoe towards my bedroom, popping my head into the girls’ room to check them on my way past – they’re sound asleep! I smile as I throw myself onto the double bed; I’ve got it all to myself for the next few hours because the Mrs is away for work, so I’m starfishing it tonight…

After pulling two all-nighters to meet my deadline, I’m so tired I drift off within seconds. I know I’m asleep because I can fly, well, not fully fly but like flap my arms, take a running jump and soar high from building to building…

‘Mummy! Where are you?’ I jump up out of my sleep and rush to the girls’ bedroom – I’m on high alert… Usually, I’d hardly stir and let my wife answer middle of the night calls, but she’s selfishly not here.

My eldest is sat up, eyes wide, in her top bunk. Panicked, I rush over and ask what’s wrong. ‘Mummy, I need the loo.’ Fucking brilliant, I think to myself in an overly sarcastic tone. Outwardly, however, I‘m wide smiles and praise her for being such a good girl and not wetting the bed…

I walk her downstairs to the toilet continuing with the utmost praise… Inside I’m cursing the fact that we don’t have an upstairs bathroom! She jumps on the loo, holds her stomach and whimpers, ‘Mummy, my tummy!’ Seconds later, her bowels erupt and good lord the smell!

I quickly rub her back as she fills the toilet bowl, in floods of tears – my poor baby is in agony and out of nowhere begins projectile vomiting over the bathroom floor. No lie, it was like something out of The Exorcist!

An hour later, after quite an episode, I carry her back upstairs. She’s showered, has fresh jammies and a sick bowl… I lay her in my bed and stroke her hair until she falls asleep… The minute she does I creep back downstairs to bleach the bathroom.

As I mop the last bathroom tile, I hear crying upstairs… My youngest daughter is throwing up over the side of her bottom bunk. I rush to her aid, attempting to help my poor little boo. Simultaneously, my older daughter calls from my bedroom, her sickness restarts!

If I told you that night was horrific, that would be an understatement. I, too, had a funny turn, so as well as looking after my girls I was in a terrible way myself… Turns out my wife also had norovirus and was up and down all night in her hotel bathroom!

It’s actually funny looking back; at the time, not so much. Still, the reason for this little anecdote was to answer the question, what do I value in the natural world? The top answer will always be my little family! Nothing else matters so long as I have them! Even in literally the shittiest times, they are all I need, my everythings – who I work so hard for.

Isis Davis

Isis Davis is an actress and writer.