To our little ones || Aonung x Neteyam

Chapter 14: Window

Aonung paced around the house not being able to concentrate on anything but the storm of terrible thoughts crossing his mind.

His day had started while still was dark outside and in the most agitated way. When he had gone to sleep a few hours prior everything was fine, Neteyam seemed to be in better spirits and even asked him if they could read a little before going to sleep.

That made him feel so at ease that he had fallen asleep with a smile on his face, completely unaware of the chaos that would unfold hours later.

He had not expected to be awoken by Lo'ak screaming at his face to get up and run for help while he was holding his brother's body making sure he would not hit or wound his head.

Neteyam was having a seizure.

And once again the situation was the same as it was weeks ago when Lo'ak was banging on the Geljo's door in seek of help, only that this time it was Aonung the one who was five seconds away from collapsing on the doorstep of his home.

Now he only needed to wait for the help to arrive but found doing that difficult when all he could hear from the living room was his father's voice talking to Lo'ak near the stairs.

Tonowari had asked him to wait downstairs for the doctor, saying that he was much too agitated to stay in the room so he must calm himself before his distressed state would affect Neteyam who already was in very rough shape.

He tried to argue but deep down he knew it was best.

Aonung sat down with his elbows on his knees and his hands covering his face. He could feel his hair going down his face since this one was messily half up.

The sounds of the fireplace soothed him but not for long as the emotions started to arise from his chest again. When he woke up he had barely managed to hear Neteyam's choked-up breathing over Lo'aks' frantic shouts, but it was enough to stick with him.

He desperately wished to go past Lo'ak and his father, to barge into the room and see with his own eyes Neteyam's state, but he wasn't sure his heart could manage to see him in such a vulnerable position, so he keep waiting until there was a knock on the front door.

He guided the doctor to the room silently staying in a corner hoping none of them would notice his presence. Of course, they did, but they weren't heartless enough to make him leave.

He watched anxiously every expression the doctor made while checking up on him, partially because he wanted to know ahead of time if it was as serious as he thought, and mainly because he didn't get to courage to look directly at Neteyam weakly lying on the bed.

Eventually, the man sighed with a stern look making them follow him to the corridor to not disturb the young man's rest. Once the door was closed he gave Lo'ak a look none of them could decipher.

"Should we have this conversation in private?"

"It's alright, whatever it is...they can hear." Lo'ak clenched his jaw product of all the tension in his body.

"Your brother's condition will not be getting better any soon, in fact, it most likely will worsen, however, his condition is not lethal...At least not yet."

"Not...yet?" Lo'ak breathed slowly, trying with all his might to maintain his composure and hear whatever that man needed to say.

"It's too early to tell, so it's more a matter of "if" and not "when" And I'm only saying this because I have been to the Luhak's and it saddens me to tell that two of the children had died...So it would be best to prepare for the worst."

"So...so are you saying that Neteyam can...?" Ao'nungs' words died in his throat. He looked at his father to confirm that he had heard right only finding a couple of worried and complicated eyes.