“Sean…” Emily’s voice was barely audible, her eyes cast down.
“I’m sorry if I seem too pushy,” Sean said, his voice mixed with a hint of resignation. “I will wait for you, until you can open your heart to me. This is the last time I’ll ask. Forgive me.”
Emily bit her lip, guilt gnawing at her heart. She wanted to tell Sean that she would try, to give him a chance. But Sean had cut her off, making her hesitant to express the swirling thoughts in her mind.
Throughout the journey, they were both silent, each lost in their own thoughts. When Sean’s car stopped in front of Emily’s house, he helped Emily out of the car.
“Let me help carry Grace,” Sean offered, his gaze fixed on Emily’s face.
Emily stepped out of the car and opened her front door. Afterward, she accepted Grace from Sean’s embrace. The little girl was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling regularly.
“Thank you for today, Sean,” Emily said softly.
“No problem. Go in,” Sean replied.
Emily nodded and entered her house, leaving Sean still standing on the porch. He watched Emily disappear behind the door, a sigh escaping his lips. “So this is what heartbreak feels like,” he muttered.
Inside the house, Emily gently placed Grace on the bed, her fingers tracing the delicate lines of her daughter’s face. She bent down and kissed Grace’s forehead before leaving the room.
Emily felt her head throbbing slightly and her body felt slightly cold. She immediately searched for medicine in her bedroom drawer. There, she found a box of medicine she usually took to relieve headaches.
She took a pill and swallowed it with a glass of water. After that, she decided to sleep, hoping the medicine would alleviate her headache and the shivers in her body. She wrapped herself in a thick blanket, hoping the warmth of the blanket would stop the spreading coldness in her body.
Feeling slightly more comfortable, Emily closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep soon and wake up refreshed.
The next morning, Emily woke up feeling as if she were burning up. Heat spread throughout her body, burning from within. Her head felt heavy and pulsating. Her breath was labored, hot and fast. Unlike the night before, when her body felt cold and shivering, this morning she felt her body weak, as if all her energy had been drained.
Emily forced herself to get up from her bed. Her body felt heavy, every movement felt like it drained all her energy. With unsteady steps, she walked to Grace’s room.
“Grace, wake up…” Emily tried to wake her daughter, her voice hoarse and weak.
The morning light seeped through the curtains, gently illuminating Grace’s face. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her gaze focused on her mother’s pale face.
“Mom, are you sick?” Grace asked, her voice filled with concern.
Emily forced herself to smile, but her smile felt bland and forced. “No, dear. Let’s get up. You have to go to school.”
“But Mom, your face looks very pale,” Grace insisted, her eyes welling with tears. She reached for Emily’s hand and gently stroked it. “What’s wrong, Mom? Are you sick?”
“Mom’s hand is very hot,” Grace exclaimed, her voice panicked.
Emily tried to hold back. She didn’t want to worry Grace. “Mom is just a little tired, dear. Mom is fine.” She tried to smile again, but it felt like a mask, hiding the increasing pain throughout her body. She could feel her body getting hotter, her head pulsating.
Emily took Grace to the bathroom to bathe her. Grace watched Emily, her forehead furrowed with worry. She observed how Emily winced every time she moved, how she endured the pain. But she continued to smile so Grace wouldn’t worry.
“Mom, let me bathe by myself,” Grace said, her small hand holding Emily’s hand.
“No, dear. Mom will do it. I’m fine, don’t worry,” Emily replied, her voice weak and breathless.
After preparing Grace for school, Emily began preparing breakfast. Every step felt very heavy, like a struggle against the increasing weakness. Suddenly, the world around her blurred, and a wave of darkness hit her. She fell, her body limp on the kitchen floor.
“Mom!!” Grace cried out, her voice filled with fear.
She ran to her mother’s side, her small body trembling with fear. Tears streamed down her face as she saw Emily lying motionless with her pale face. She didn’t know what to do. In a panic, she reached for her phone, her fingers trembling as she pressed the button.
“Hello,” a man’s voice answered the phone.
“Uncle Daniel, please… Mom… ” Grace choked up, her words barely audible amidst her sobs.
Daniel, who was sitting at the dining table, was stunned to hear his daughter’s desperate cry.
“Grace, what’s wrong?” Daniel asked, his voice filled with panic.
“Mom… she… she won’t wake up…,” Grace stammered, her words barely audible amidst her sobbing.
Daniel jumped from his seat, his heart pounding in his chest. “I’m coming there right away,” he said firmly.
Grace hung up the phone and shook Emily’s body. “Mom, wake up! Please wake up!”
While waiting for Daniel’s arrival, Grace felt an immense fear. She was still young, and her mother needed help. She didn’t know what to do; all she could do was pray for her mother to wake up soon.
Daniel hurried to Emily’s house. Upon arrival, he found Grace still sobbing next to Emily, who was unconscious.
“Grace, let’s go to the hospital,” Daniel said, his voice gentle, his eyes filled with love and care.
Daniel immediately took Emily and Grace to the hospital. At the hospital, Emily was immediately examined by a doctor. After the examination, the doctor explained to Daniel that Emily had dengue fever.
“Dengue fever?” Daniel asked, sounding surprised.
“Yes, dengue fever,” the doctor replied, looking at Daniel with concern. “However, in Mrs. Emily’s case, there appears to be a significant drop in blood pressure. This is a serious complication. Fortunately, Mrs. Emily was promptly treated.”
“Mrs. Emily will receive the best care here. We will provide intravenous fluids to replace lost fluids and medications to relieve her symptoms. She will need to be hospitalized for a few days to receive intensive care. We will closely monitor her blood pressure and body condition.”
Daniel nodded, his eyes on Emily lying weakly in the hospital bed.
After the doctor left, Daniel saw Grace looking sad, sitting next to Emily.
“Don’t worry, Grace. Your mother will recover quickly,” Daniel said, his voice soft, his eyes looking at Grace with love and care.
“When can Mom come home?” Grace asked, her voice slightly trembling.
“We don’t know yet. But your mother will recover quickly. We can visit her every day,” Daniel replied, his voice calming.
Grace nodded, her eyes looking at Daniel with hope.
“Uncle has asked Uncle’s friend to take you to school,” Daniel said, his voice soft, trying to calm Grace’s troubled heart.
Grace shook her head, her eyes teary. “I don’t want to go to school. I want to stay with Mom here.”
“Grace, your mother will be very sad if you don’t go to school today.”
“But…” Grace sobbed. “I’m afraid Mom will be alone.”
Daniel pulled Grace into his arms, feeling the tiny body trembling. “I will always be here with your mother. You go to school, and I will take care of her here.”
Grace still hesitated, her eyes still on her mother lying weakly. Daniel knew, it was difficult for Grace to leave her mother in this condition.
“I promise. I will take good care of your mother,” Daniel repeated his promise, his voice gentle, hoping to reassure Grace.
Grace remained silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Promise me, Uncle?”
Daniel smiled faintly, trying to reassure Grace. “Mmm, promise.” He gently stroked Grace’s head.
“Thank you, Uncle,” Grace said.
After a while, Richard arrived at the hospital to take Grace to school. Grace still looked hesitant, but she knew she had to go to school.
“Mom, I’ll go to school first. Bye, Mom,” Grace said as she kissed Emily’s cheek.
“Bye, Uncle,” Grace said before leaving Emily and Daniel alone in the room.
Slowly, Emily opened her eyes and looked around the unfamiliar room. The bright white light made her squint.
“Where am I?” Emily murmured, her voice weak.
“In the hospital,” Daniel replied.
Emily was surprised to find Daniel looking at her now. “Daniel?”