2. I just want daddy

              Her breathing became labored when she saw Farel's shivering body under the blanket.

"Daddy!"

"Honey, wake up. It's me," Lily said in her hoarse voice. She panicked when she felt the heat around her son's body.

              Farel was still with his eyes closed from his earlier rant. Lily quickly pulled back the blanket and picked up her son's body within seconds. At that moment, she felt a violent shock.

"Auntie! Uncle! Help!" screamed Lily who was already at the doorway.

It didn't take long for a middle-aged woman to emerge from the other room. "What's wrong with Farel?"

"Farel has a fever again, Aunt. He just had a seizure! We have to go to the hospital now."

"Yes, yes. I will wake up your uncle first."

              Now the three-wheeled vehicle that her uncle usually used to earn his daily living was speeding away, carrying Lily, Farel, and her aunt to the nearest hospital. Luckily, the health facility was only five minutes away from their house.

"Please," Lily sobbed as they arrived in front of the emergency room. Her eyes stared wide-eyed at the two medical personnel who seemed to be handling Farel on the gurney.

"Temperature 39 degrees, Doc!" reported one of them.

The man in the white coat with the stethoscope already in his ear nodded quickly. "Get the IV set up right away."

              Lily was at a loss for words as the doctor attending to her son briefly explained what had just happened. She just nodded while looking at Farel's eyes, which were still closed.

"Thank you, Doc," said her aunt as the doctor finished his sentence.

"You're welcome, ma'am. We will observe the patient for the next hour. After that, we will move him to the inpatient ward."

              Again Lily nodded silently in response. Meanwhile, her aunt immediately invited her to sit beside the gurney where Farel lay.

"Farel has already been treated. Don't worry," said her aunt, trying to calm her down. "Uncle went straight home because he had to take his pedicab driver to the market."

"Yes, Aunt. Thank you for helping me," Lily finally mumbled.

"Hey. We're family. So we have to help each other."

              Lily nodded faintly with a bitter smile. She was getting scared that her son would open his eyes. What should she say then? The wish that Farel thought was so easy turned out to be very difficult for her to fulfill.

"If Farel wants to come with Adrian, what should I do?" she asked no one in particular. However, the words were heard by the woman beside her as well.

"What do you mean? Do you want to release your son into a tiger cage? Don't be careless, Lily! If you ask me, I regret approving your marriage to that Adrian. Your uncle is the same. But he can only keep quiet. It happened anyway."

"Auntie," Lily sobbed later.

"I'm sorry, but that's how my heart feels. Your uncle also feels guilty that you, the child of his brother, are suffering now. He doesn't realize that Adrian still hasn't changed. Always living under his parents' armpits. You and Farel are the victims because he can't be independent."

"This is already the course of my life, Aunt. There's nothing to regret. I'm grateful to have Farel. Aren't you?"

Her aunt nodded with a smile. "That's all right. Don't think about it anymore. Farel is still a child. He doesn't understand adult problems. You have to have more patience. He'll figure it out on his own."

              Luckily today and tomorrow are Lily's days off from work. So she didn't have to worry about her salary being cut. She quickly got up when she saw her son waking up.

"We're at the hospital, darling. You had a fever again. Now you've been moved to a normal room," Lily explained at length upon seeing her son's surprised response. "I'm sorry if your treatment is uncomfortable. That means you have to get better so you can go back home."

              Lily's heart ached when she said that sentence. The lowest-class insurance health facility that she was armed with would certainly not provide the full comfort that her ex-husband's family provided. Even so, she had to be grateful for being able to give what she could to Farel.

"I want to go home. It's scary here," her son whined. "It smells of medicine, Mom. I don't like it."

Lily wasn't losing her mind. She stared at the hands of the clock that was still pointing to six. "Your breakfast will be here soon. Then I'll take you to the park. Do the math while waiting for the doctor to come here. How about it, hmm? If you're allowed to go home then we'll get ready."

"You're not lying anymore, are you?" asked Farel, a little hesitantly.

"Honey," said Lily, feeling even more guilty. "I'm sorry about last night." Farel just looked down without intending to say anything.

              Here they were now. The hospital garden was located in the middle, close to the parking lot. Many patients in wheelchairs were breathing the morning air there. Lily held the IV pole with her other hand and stroked her son's hair.

"Let's sit on the long bench over there," she pointed in that direction. Farel did not answer immediately. However, his steps moved as well.

              Farel's gaze, which had been blank, now turned to the man who had just stepped out of a black car. One eyebrow raised with narrowed eyes for a moment. "It's Daddy! Daddy!"

              Regardless of the IV tube still stuck in the back of his hand, the little man sprinted in that direction. Making Lily immediately flinch at the sight of her son's blood dripping on the hospital tiles.

"Farel! Honey, wait!" Lily ran as hard as she could to keep up with her son's rapid movements. Her mouth dropped open when she found Farel clinging to someone's body.

              Just as surprised as she was at the moment. The adult man who knew nothing was silent without saying anything. Nor did he respond by hugging back Farel who was crying out loud. Only then did he gasp when he saw the bloodstained sleeve of his suit.

"Hey, what's wrong with your arm?" he asked later. "You took the IV out by force, didn't you?"

Farel ignored the words. "Where's you been? I miss you."

"Honey, he's not your daddy," Lily murmured cautiously. Her hands tried to release her son's tight embrace. Unfortunately, it was in vain. Farel rebelled.

"I just want daddy," Farel sobbed, still in the same position.

              Lily felt defeated by the situation. She looked at the man her son considered his papa with a sad look in her eyes. "My son is sick. I'm sorry."

The man chuckled with a mocking smile. "Are you guys putting on an act? This isn't funny at all."