----
"Egypt... sweetheart, does it still hurt?"
I asked softly as I helped her lean back against the bed.
She shook her head faintly, but I could see the struggle in her eyes. She was trying to be brave, but the pain was written all over her face.
"Don’t worry, sweetheart. Your Aunt Amie is on her way. She’ll help us take you to the hospital."
Egypt’s condition wasn’t improving at all. In fact, it seed to be getting worse. I had only stepped away for a short while, yet her temperature suddenly spiked so high that I knew I couldn’t wait any longer—we had to take her to the hospital.
"Mommy... is Egypt going to be okay?"
Paris’s worried voice pulled back.
I reached out and gently placed my hand on her head. Her little face was tense with fear, and I understood why.
Between the two of them, Paris had grown up always seeing Egypt fall ill. She had been so sickly as a child until she turned five, and only recently had her body grown stronger.
But now, with the ti of year approaching when Egypt always seed to get sick, it felt like everything was repeating again. I had hoped she wouldn’t fall ill this ti, but here we were.
"Don’t worry, sweetheart," I whispered, forcing a reassuring smile. "Egypt will be fine. We’re taking her to the hospital so she can get better soon."
Not long after, I heard a knock at the door.
I rushed to open it, expecting Amie. But instead, it was Alpheus standing there with Amie beside him, her eyes cast downward, unable to et my gaze.
"Uhm... I’m sorry, Sylvia," Amie began, guilt heavy in her voice. "I couldn’t stop Sir Alpheus when he sa—"
"It’s not Amie’s fault. Bla ."
Alpheus quickly cut her off.
"I was worried about the twins. You weren’t answering my calls or texts, and I couldn’t stop thinking sothing might have happened. That’s why I insisted Amie bring here, to check on the kids. I’m sorry—"
"Save your sorry for yourself." I snapped, cutting him off before he could continue.
I didn’t have the ti or energy to argue with him—not with Egypt’s condition getting worse by the second. Turning to Amie, I gripped her arm urgently.
"I really need your help right now, Amie. Egypt’s fever is too high."
"You have your car, right?" I asked the two of them.
They both nodded.
"Good. I’ll be back in a second."
Without wasting ti, I rushed into our room and carefully carried Egypt into my arms. As soon as I stepped out, Alpheus was already there to support . He gently took her from , his expression tightening when he felt the heat radiating from her body.
"She’s burning up..." he muttered in disbelief.
"Y-yeah... and I didn’t know what to do. Please... help get her to the hospital," I pleaded, my voice breaking as weakness washed over .
Amie quickly moved to steady . "Okay, let’s get her to the hospital, alright? She’s going to be fine once we’re there."
Paris, who had quietly been preparing all of Egypt’s essentials, handed the bag to Amie.
*******
At the hospital....
"How is she, doc?"
I asked anxiously the mont the doctor stepped out of Egypt’s room.
The doctor was about to answer, but then pause when his eyes landed on Alpheus standing beside .
"C–Chairman... what are you doing here?" the doctor asked nervously.
"That’s not what’s important right now. Tell us Egypt’s condition."
I wasn’t even surprised by the doctor’s reaction. This wasn’t an ordinary hospital. Alpheus had taken us straight to his family-owned hospital, and the mont we arrived, every nurse and doctor we passed had been unusually attentive.
The doctor quickly adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat before turning back to .
"Ehem... her condition is no longer as severe as it was earlier. Her fever has already gone down a little, but we will continue to monitor her closely in case it spikes again. For now, you can rest assured that she’s stable."
Amie, who had been clutching her chest the whole ti, asked. "What exactly is her condition, doctor?"
"She’s experiencing a fever, most likely due to exhaustion. And based on what Miss Sylvia told —" He paused before looking at . "You were right to assu it’s a type of seasonal flu. You ntioned she often develops a fever around this ti of year, whenever her birthday is near. Cases like this aren’t unusual; sudden weather changes can easily strain a child’s immune system. And children with weaker bodies, like her, are usually the first to be affected..."
Right now, her body is responding well to the treatnt we’ve given, but she still needs plenty of rest and proper hydration. If she pushes herself too much again, the fever could return or even worsen. So for the next few days, make sure she gets complete rest and continues the prescribed dication."
"Thank you, Doc..."
The doctor gave a small nod.
"So... are you saying she’s really going to recover? Are you sure her condition isn’t a sign of sothing worse? What if this is just a symptom of a more serious illness—?"
I gently placed a hand on Alpheus’s shoulder before he could continue worrying. From the mont we rushed Egypt to the hospital, concern had never left his face.
The way he watched over her reminded of a restless father who couldn’t bear to see his child in pain. I understood his fear, and I appreciated his concern, but right now he didn’t need to tornt himself with ’what ifs.’
Because I knew that Egypt’s condition wouldn’t worsen any further.
"Egypt will be okay. I believe she will be okay."
Alpheus fell silent at those words, the worry on his face slowly easing.
"Doctor, can we see her now?"
"Uhm... yes, you may visit her." the doctor replied with a small nod.
We imdiately entered the room and found Egypt peacefully sleeping, her breathing calm and steady.
I hurried to her side and gently held her hand. The color in her body was slowly returning, no longer as pale as before.
My chest loosened with relief. I believe she will be better soon... I hope.
******
anwhile, at the twins’ school....
"What is this? You’re all here again?"
Alfonso’s brow arched the mont he entered his office.
He had just co from a company eting, planning to check on the twins after they missed school yesterday.
But to his disappointnt, they were absent again today. And now, what greeted him was the all-too-familiar sight of his friends lounging comfortably in his and Alpheus’ office as though it were their own ho.
Just like yesterday, when they were waiting for the twins.
"Do you have any news why the twins didn’t show up today either?" Calyx asked, sprawling lazily across the sofa. "They were absent yesterday and now today as well. Don’t you think... sothing bad might have happened to them?"
Ro shot him a sharp glare, still dressed in his bear costu, though the headpiece had already been set aside. Beside him, Dave looked equally bored, slouched in the sa sofa.
"Don’t say things like that. It’s bad a luck." Alfonso warned.
"What? I’m just pointing out the possibilities. Sylvia hasn’t been answering any of my ssages—nor my calls." Calyx complained.
" neither" Dave admitted with a sigh.
"Maybe she knows it’s you, that’s why she’s ignoring you both." Alfonso said casually.
"Yeah... maybe she’s just getting annoyed with us, that’s why she never replies. How about you, Ro? Do you have any news about Sylvia—"
"Don’t ask about her."
Ro’s voice suddenly turned cold, cutting him off.
The sudden shift made everyone fall silent, their brows knitting together as they turned their eyes toward him.
"Then why are you even here?" Dave asked bluntly.
"I ca here only for the twins. Nothing else."
Ro leaned back against the sofa, his expression unreadable. The heaviness in his tone made Alfonso and Dave exchange a quick, uneasy glance.
"Ahem... anyway, Alpheus has been gone for a while now," Calyx interjected, breaking the tension. " Maybe he’s the one who knows sothing about the twins by now, since he’s still not here..."
Ro and Dave exchanged looks at that, then almost at the sa ti, both reached for their phones.
"I’m going to call Alpheus" Ro muttered.
"I’ll ssage him." Dave replied, already typing.
Alfonso let out a quiet sigh before sinking into the sofa with them. After a mont, he too picked up his phone and opened a ssage thread with Sylvia. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a mont before he finally typed.
’ I miss the kids already. Are they okay? I promise I won’t bother you anymore if you’ll just tell they’re fine.’
He was about to lower his phone, not expecting a reply—when suddenly, a notification popped up. Alfonso’s eyes widened slightly as he read the short but relieving ssage that appeared on his screen.
’She’s okay now. Thank you for worrying about her.’
*********
"Uncle, what are we doing here?"
Asked the boy’s voice as he gazed out the car window, his eyes wandering curiously over the unfamiliar backstreet neighborhood where they had stopped.
"Is this the place you were talking about—the place where we’re supposed to et Mom?" he asked innocently.
"Yes" the man replied shortly, before reaching out to pat the boy’s head.
The boy pouted in protest.
"Eh... but what are we doing here then? It’s not like Mom is living here~ I’d rather we just go to your restaurant instead of this place."
The man stared at him for a long mont before gently pinching his pale little cheek, which was beginning to lose color again. Then he turned his gaze out the window.
"Your mom is living here," he said quietly. "However... it seems she’s not here today."
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