After dinner, Elisa went upstairs to help Bruce take a bath.
Elisa looked at Bruce’s little body sitting in a bathtub specially designed for children, and her heart couldn’t help but tighten.
She didn’t understand what had happened to a child who was only three years old at that time.
Bruce saw Elisa not talking and looked up at her doubtfully. She took a wide bath towel, wrapped the wet little guy up, and put it on his knee. Then wipe his hair with another small towel.
When it was about to dry, Elisa gave him a squeak with her hand.
Bruce’s body trembled and began to wriggle.
Elisa stabilized his little body with one hand and scratched his armpit and little feet gently with the other. Bruce twisted a few times at first, then his body suddenly stopped moving, and he looked at Elisa with fear, showing a scared look.
Elisa perceived his abnormality and stopped her movements. She was just about to comfort him when she heard Bruce’s piercing screams. William and Dr. Murphy downstairs were discussing the inspection when they heard Bruce screaming.
William quickly rushed upstairs.
Bruce was screaming with a purple face, looking very painful.
“What have you done to him?” William blurted out.
Elisa was stung by his cold tone, but looking at Bruce’s appearance, he was distraught. Elisa said with a trembling voice, “I don’t know what the situation is. He suddenly is like this.”
William glanced at her and returned to the room with Bruce in his arms.
“It’s alright. Dad is here, be good. No one can hurt you, okay?” William held his little body and softly sweet-talked Bruce.
At ordinary times, his lazy magnetic voice was even lower at that time, showing a kind of tenderness that was too thick to melt.
Elisa looked at the back of William, swallowed the slight stabbing pain in her heart, and quickly packed up the bathroom.
Bruce was comforted by William, and his screams gradually weakened. His little face slowly turned white from purple, and his body no longer trembled. William obediently held him.
His little face was buried in the neck of William, and a pair of chubby little arms tightly hugged William’s neck. William patted his thin and immature back with his big hand. “Be good, don’t be afraid. Dad always accompanies you and would not leave you alone.”
William talked to Bruce in such a low voice for nearly an hour before Bruce fell asleep.
He softly changed him into his pajamas and put him on his cot.
Dr. Murphy took advantage of the time to give Bruce a general examination. “The psychological examination would be done when Bruce’s mood is calm. When the report comes out, I’ll come back again.”
“Thank you for your hard work Doc.”
“Mr. Brich, you’re too polite. It’s getting late, so I won’t disturb your rest. Goodbye.”
The housekeeper sent Dr. Murphy away.
Elisa looked at the sleeping Bruce and William, who sat by the bed and kept her eyes on Bruce for a moment, and said, “Sorry, I didn’t know it would happen like this.”
William’s hand slowly rubbed Elisa’s hand. “Was what I said just now made you uncomfortable?”
Elisa didn’t expect him to ask that, so she said slowly, “No.”
“After he met you, he rarely screamed suddenly. I thought he could fully accept you. Unexpectedly, it still won’t work.”
“Could it be that I just did some wrong actions to him, which reminded him of something?”
“What have you done?” William’s face became serious.
“I just gave him a little squeak, and at first, he was hiding. After hiding for a while, he started screaming. Is this something he remembered before, or is it something he can’t accept that can’t be resisted and can only be expressed by screaming?” Elisa said seriously.
“When he had an accident, we were not around. After I arrived at the hospital, he hugged me and cried. From that time on, he could not accept the touch of others and stopped talking.”
“What the hell happened to him?” Elisa asked with curiosity.
She thought, maybe if she finds out what happened to Bruce, she would know why it happened earlier.
“It’s too late today, you rest first, and I’ll tell you later.” William whispered.
Elisa saw that William didn’t mean to continue talking and said, “Then I’ll go to bed. If you need any help, just call me.”
“Hmm.”
Elisa opened the door, thinking of Bruce’s appearance at that time, she still had a lingering fear.
**
The next day.
Elisa got up early, and Aunt Marites was already cooking breakfast in the kitchen.
Elisa knocked on the door of Bruce’s room. Then she stood in front of the door and waited in fear and trembling.
There was a burst of footsteps inside in a short time, and then the door of the room was opened, revealing William’s tired face.
I didn’t have a good rest last night.
“You didn’t sleep last night?”
“I slept for a while.”
“Is Bruce all right?”
“At present, the mood is still not good. You have breakfast first and don’t have to wait for us.”
“Don’t you need to go to the hospital?”
“Going at this time would only make his emotions collapse again, and he can only do psychological counseling when his emotions have passed.”
Elisa White nodded and went downstairs to have breakfast.
**
William walked back to Bruce’s bedside, and Bruce woke up in a daze.
Two seconds later, he suddenly sat up, and his little head turned around. After seeing William, the tension on his little face relaxed. William sat next to him and said warmly, “Is it still uncomfortable?”
Bruce didn’t answer, climbed into William’s arms, and hugged him tightly.
William touched his soft hair and didn’t push him away. As soon as the little guy was scared, he stuck to him so much that he couldn’t live without him at all.
William appeased Bruce for a long time before saying, “Today, the headquarters has an annual summary meeting, so I can’t be absent. Would you like to go with me?”
Bruce’s little body trembled and hesitated to nod.
“Then get up, wash your face and brush your teeth, and then go after breakfast. Mommy is still waiting downstairs.”
The little boy listened to him, he held William, rubbed against him, and didn’t know what to say.
…
Elisa discussed with Aunt Marites whether to bring breakfast upstairs when she saw William holding Bruce in a small yellow duck sweater downstairs.
Elisa hurriedly helped William open his chair and asked, “What do you and Bruce want to eat?”
“I want porridge and get Bruce a yogurt.”
Elisa got up and went to the kitchen to get a yogurt just warmed by Aunt Marites.
William put the spoon in Bruce’s hand.
Bruce ate slowly but never wanted to come down from William and sit by himself.
Elisa looked at her watch and found that it was almost time for her to go to work. “Why don’t I take a day off today? You didn’t have a good rest last night.”
“You go to work. Bruce only sticks to me now, and you have nothing to do at home.”
Elisa thought about it and said, “Call me if you need help or anything.”
At the end of the speech, Elisa picked up her bag and left.