7:09 am

Since the moment he caught his father vomiting, Mikeal knew he wouldn't get any sleep. His father woke him up many times, from coughing up a lung to throwing up his empty stomach. Mikeal fed him soup and made him water to ensure he had enough liquid (and food) in his system.

Then, once six in the morning hit, his father woke him again by kicking off the covers. He started complaining that it was too hot. Mikeal went to turn on the fan and lower the house's temperature. But, it did nothing as his father kept saying he was hot.

When Mikeal glanced at his father, he noticed his sweaty skin and flushed face; it finally hit Mikeal that his father had a fever. He slapped his forehead, wondering how he could be so stupid.

He ran out to make a bowl of cold water and grab a small towel. When he returned, he set the bowl on the nightstand and dumped the towel in the water. He squeezed the excess water and wiped his father's face and neck.

Mikeal repeated this a few times until his father calmed down. Then, he folded the towel like a hotdog and placed it on his forehead. He left to grab fever-reducer medicine and cold water for his father to drink.

When he returned, his father looked to have settled down and fallen asleep. Mikeal stared at the medicine and drink in his hand, wondering if he should wake his father. But seeing his father sleep so soundly, Mikeal sighed and set the items next to the bowl.

Since then, Mikeal stayed up, checking on his father while doing chores around the house. Since I cannot sleep, I might as well get everything done.

After cleaning the living room and kitchen, Mikeal started cooking breakfast. When he saw the time on the stove and microwave, he ignored the feeling of missing school. His father was more important than going to school.

As he focused on cooking, Mikeal didn't notice his father stumbling into the kitchen until he heard coughing. Jumping, Mikeal turned around, holding onto the spatula tightly. "D-Did I miss taking you to school?" Geno coughed, his breathing sounding irregular. Geno gripped his tight-feeling chest.

Mikeal set the spatula aside and quickly held onto his father, bringing him to the couch, "Do not worry about school; it is okay." He laid his father on the sofa, touching his forehead. His forehead is still warm but no longer burning hot. Mikeal thought.

"But-"

"It is okay. I need you to rest and get better, okay." Mikeal interrupted. He left and returned with the medicine and water he couldn't give his father before, "Here, take these."

Geno complied and took the medicine. He rested his head on the pillow, closing his heavy eyes.

Mikeal watched his father sleep for a few minutes before returning to his duties. He will be fine.

The afternoon began to hit as Nicholas kept looking at Mikeal's empty seat; this counted as the seventh missed day since school started two months ago. He wondered what he should do about this; more so, Nicholas worried about Mikeal.

Nicholas always wants the best for his students, so when someone who seems bright starts declining, Nicholas starts worrying about their life and future. Glancing at the work he began setting aside for Mikeal, Nicholas wondered if he should stop by to check on him.

All I've been doing is wondering.

Nicholas wasn't the only one staring at Mikeal's desk. Mikeal's 'old' best friend, Lock, did too. He bit his lip as his hand gripped the phone in his pocket. He wanted to text Mikeal and asked why he kept missing school. But he knew Mikeal wouldn't answer.

He cannot remember the exact date Mikeal started to ignore him, but it happened. Lock used to be there all the time, even during the hard few months of Mikeal's mother's passing. But after that, Mikeal started shutting him out. He no longer played or talked to him.

Lock grew frustrated, even trying to hang with others to make Mikeal jealous, but nothing worked. It was like Mikeal entered a new playing field of dimension and decided not to bring Lock along.

Where did you go, Mikeal, and why can't I follow?

4:46 pm

Mikeal felt insane and hopeless. He didn't know what to do, but Mikeal knew he did not want to call the doctor. A deep-seated fear tore through him at the thought of going to the doctor. I don't want to go through it again, never again.

However, Mikeal truthfully did not know what to do. He felt like a chicken with no head.

His father seemed to be doing better, at first, until an hour ago when his health took a turn: his fever returned, he continued to cough, and now his nose started running. Mikeal wanted to cry at this point.

Knock knock!

Hearing someone at the door broke his thoughts. Mikeal moved from his father, setting a new cool towel on his hot forehead. He walked to the door and opened it without thought. It showed how his mind was in shatters as he didn’t check who was there before opening.

The only ones who usually came to their door were deliverers and mail carriers with packages, and they hadn't ordered anything, so there should be no one at their door.

At the door was Mikeal's teacher, Nicholas Raven. Mikeal blinked a few times, wondering why his teacher was here when he saw the papers in his hands, "Hello, Mr. Raven, is that the work I missed?" Mikeal reached out his hand for his work.

"It is," Nicholas stated, handing the work over, "I am also checking up on you as this is the seventh time, in two months, that you missed school. The school year has just started, and I am worried about you continuing down this path."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Raven. Something came up, but I promise it will not be like this." Mikeal reassured as he grabbed his work. His promise felt empty to him because, with his father, everything is unpredictable.

Nicholas opened his mouth to respond, only to hear someone curse, with the sound of vomiting falling right after. Mikeal, not caring that he left the door open, quickly ran to his father, "Dad!"

Nicholas stood at the door, debating on 'breaking in' or leaving, but the way vomit sounds resonated made Nicholas mentally apologize as he walked into the home. At least he shut the door behind him.

Mikeal sat on the ground near his father as he rubbed his back, letting him throw up on the ground. Luckily, the floor was hardwood and not carpet. "It is okay, it is okay, let it all out," Mikeal muttered.

Nicholas came over but kept his distance, not wanting to set anyone off, "How long has your father been like this?"

"Since the middle of the night," Mikeal answered, not wondering nor caring that his teacher was in his house. He wasn't thinking logically: his father's health was deteriorating, and Mikeal barely slept; how could he have a sound mind?

"He needs to go to the doctor, I can drive-"

"No!" Mikeal yelled, jumping up so fast. He was breathing hard and looked crazed, "We are not going to the doctor. My father is fine here; anything but the doctor."

Nicholas stepped forward, only to stop as Mikeal resembled a caged animal. "Mikeal, your father doesn't look well; he needs a doctor."

"No, please," Mikeal begged, feeling his world crashing around him, anything but the doctor; anything but that.

Mikeal could not understand where everything went wrong. One second, he was laughing and dancing with his mother, and next, his mother was on the ground, barely breathing. "Mom, mom!" He screamed and shook her still body. He wished he had known that his life would change forever.

Mikeal crumbled to the floor, feeling like someone stole the surrounding air. He kept muttering 'no' without stopping.

He sat on the chair near his mother's hospital bed. His little hands combed through his mother's dull hair, wondering when the color began to change. Or maybe it was him because nothing seemed bright anymore.

The first few days, his mother lay awake, giving him smiles while saying everything would be okay, but he should have known it was a lie. As time went on, his mother got worse and never better. Now, she lies asleep, barely waking while a tube fills her mouth. Her skin has lost color, and her face has sunken. She no longer looked like the mother Mikeal knew.

He could barely hear the voices calling out to him, nor the strong hand holding him and the trembling one wiping his face. Mikeal could hardly remember how to breathe.

Mikeal walked back into the hospital room, holding the snacks his father asked him to get. Once he entered, he saw his father clutching his head while the doctor spoke, "There is nothing we can do." Before Geno could respond, Mikeal dropped his snacks, asking, "What do you mean?"

Geno quickly looked up, sorrowfully glancing at his son. He stood up, softly pushing Mikeal out of the room, "Wait for me out here."

"What," Mikeal protested, trying to look inside, trying to glance at his mother. He felt he would never see his mother again if he did not see her now. "What does that mean?" He asked again, only for the door to shut on him. Mikeal knocked, no bang, on the door, repeatedly asking the same question.

"Mikeal, follow my voice: breathe in and out." The strong voice started to break through, causing Mikeal to follow unconsciously. He started inhaling and exhaling, feeling like someone returned air to his lungs. His blurry vision slightly cleared, and his hearing started tuning back to reality.

Then he heard another voice, this one weak, saying, "Son, it is okay. Let's go to the doctor. I promise everything will be okay."

Mikeal turned toward the weak voice with shedded tears, "You promise?"

Geno weakly smiled, "I promise."