My Heart Beats For You

Vaccine Against A Known Disease

Dean slowly opens his eyes, and the medicine smell hits his nose as he scrunches it. He groans, rubbing his temples.

"You're awake." Dean looks to his right. He saw his mother's worried gaze. He glanced to his left, noticing his father sitting on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling, son?" Dean's throat clogged when he heard his father's gentle voice, tinged with worry. In the past, he never heard his father talk with him with so much softness.

Dean nods his head in reply. He sits up and notices an IV attached to his right hand. His eyes glide over the tube and watch the drops fall one by one. For a second, he thought that he was seriously ill. He does not, however, feel his chest burning or dizzy.

"Do you want to eat anything?" His mother inquired, his gaze fixed on the clock reading 5:35.He shook his head. His mother gave a tender smile while caressing his hair.

Father was sitting quietly and spoke, "What's troubling you? Doc said that you're stressed. You also do not sleep well." He asked while carefully holding his son's hand between his palms.

Dean tried to hold back his tears. His father speaking to him while holding his palm had never happened before. His mother stroked his hair, and he hopes that all these affections are not due to his health but rather to genuine affection for him.

"Do you pretend to sleep whenever I check on you?" His mother asked while holding up a smile and cupping his cheek. Dean didn't mutter anything. After all, it's difficult to lie to the people, you love the most. His lips quivered while his gaze admired the fabric of his shirt.

"Let us know when you feel like it." His father said this while smiling at him. Dean nodded his head while glancing back at his mother. "You need to be careful. This was just a minor situation." Mother informs with a worried expression. Dean nodded his head.

"Ok, you should rest, and this time, you must sleep for real." Mother slaps his shoulder lightly as a playful warning.

"The medicine will help him." Dean's brother spoke as he was standing at the door while huffing.

"I just got off work," Ethan said before Dean could ask anything. Dean chuckled with a nod. Ethan sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm feeling better," Dean replied as he watched his mother peel an apple for him.

"Take a few days off from school." Mr. Rayden said, looking at his wife, who was also nodding.

"But, dad, my kids will--"

"No buts. Your health comes first. You can teach them only when you are fit yourself." Ethan spoke as he got an affirmative nod from his parents.

"Just one day." Dean tries to bargain as he looks at his parents and his brother.

"No, three days," Ethan said with an authoritative voice.

"Half day," Dean will not back down.

"Fine, it will be one day," Ethan said as if he couldn't beat his brother. Dean smiled in victory.

"Two days." This time the elder Rayden spoke. Dean opened his mouth to deny it. "No arguments." There was finality in his father's voice. They agreed because Dean couldn't deny his father.

"How are you feeling, Dean?" A doctor enters the room with a soft smile. The visitors moved aside for the doctor.

"I'm feeling better," Dean replied as the doctor nodded and took his stethoscope to do his check-up.

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"What would Ayan like to eat?" Roman took the boy in his arms. Ayan made a thinking face while looking at the variety of pastries in the bakery. His mouth is watering with the chocolate toppings.