Parents.. with different treatment

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The Month Xander Was Sick

It was a quiet morning in early November when Xander woke up feeling different. His body felt heavy, like he was dragging himself through water. His throat ached, his head throbbed, and he could barely muster the strength to get out of bed. At first, he thought it was just a cold—nothing out of the ordinary for a six-year-old. But as the days dragged on, Xander's sickness only got worse.

Valerie noticed the change immediately. "You're burning up," she said, brushing her hand over his flushed forehead. "Colby, we need to take him to the doctor."

Colby had been busy getting Xavier and Victoria ready for the day, but he paused, his brow furrowing with concern as he glanced over at Xander, who lay motionless on the couch, wrapped in blankets.

"Yeah, we'll go right after breakfast," Colby agreed, giving a quick look at Xavier, who was already bouncing around the living room, oblivious to Xander's discomfort. Victoria sat in her high chair, babbling as usual. The house felt like its usual whirlwind of activity, but Xander was trapped in his own slow-motion world, unable to keep up with the pace.

At the doctor's office, Xander barely registered the words being spoken around him. Valerie and Colby exchanged worried glances as the doctor examined Xander, running tests and asking questions. "It looks like a virus," the doctor said after what felt like hours. "His immune system is just taking its time fighting it off. He's going to need plenty of rest and fluids. This could last for a few weeks."

A few weeks. Xander's heart sank. A part of him wanted to cry, but he was too tired to even do that. All he wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep, hoping to wake up when everything felt better again.

For the next several days, Xander was confined to his bed. The fever came and went, leaving him drenched in sweat and shivering beneath layers of blankets. Valerie would bring him soup and tea, sitting beside him with a concerned expression, but she couldn't stay long. Victoria needed her, and Xavier was constantly running around the house, needing attention too.

Xander felt alone, even more than usual. He would wake up to hear Xavier's loud laughter echoing through the house, or Victoria's high-pitched giggles, and the sounds felt distant, like he was eavesdropping on a world he didn't belong to. His room became a small island of silence, where time seemed to stretch on endlessly.

The worst part was the exhaustion. His body ached constantly, and the energy that had once bubbled inside him like a fire was completely snuffed out. His ADHD, which usually made his mind race, seemed to be overtaken by the thick fog of sickness. He could barely focus on anything, not even the books or toys he usually liked to play with.

Every now and then, Valerie or Colby would check on him, offering comforting words or a quick hug. They told him they loved him, that they hoped he'd feel better soon. But it was clear that their attention was split—Xavier's loud demands for attention couldn't be ignored, and Victoria, still so little, needed constant care. Xander didn't blame them. He knew they were doing their best. But as the days turned into weeks, the isolation gnawed at him.

He longed for someone to just sit with him, to really be there. Someone to lie beside him and ask how he was feeling—not just about his body, but about everything. He wanted to talk about the things that swirled in his mind, about how lonely he felt, how tired he was of always being the one left out. But those conversations never came. Instead, the house hummed with the sounds of Xavier and Victoria, while Xander remained in his room, watching the world move on without him.

One evening, after nearly a month had passed, Xander woke up from a nap, drenched in sweat. His fever had finally broken, leaving him exhausted but feeling just a little bit lighter. He blinked in the dim light of his room, trying to adjust to the quiet. He could hear the faint sounds of the TV from downstairs, Xavier's voice cutting through the noise, demanding his parents' attention once again.

With shaky legs, Xander slipped out of bed and padded toward the door. He stood at the top of the stairs, peeking down into the living room. There, as usual, was Xavier, bouncing around with all his usual energy. Victoria was in Valerie's lap, her chubby hands reaching for toys scattered around her. Colby was sitting on the couch, his arm draped over Valerie's shoulder, watching the scene unfold.

For a moment, Xander just stood there, his heart heavy. He felt like a ghost in his own home. It wasn't that his parents didn't love him—he knew they did. But their world seemed so full without him. Even when he was sick, they had Xavier and Victoria to care for. And now that he was getting better, he wasn't sure how to fit back into that busy, noisy world.

Later that night, when everyone had gone to bed, Xander lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The month of sickness had taken so much out of him, not just physically, but emotionally too. He'd spent so many days alone, waiting for someone to notice him, to see beyond the illness and recognize that there was something deeper going on. But the world kept spinning, and no one seemed to realize just how lonely he had been.

It was during this time that Xander began to understand something painful but true: sometimes, even when people love you, they don't always see you. Not in the way you need them to. And that realization sat heavy in his heart as he drifted into a restless sleep.

The next morning, when Valerie peeked into his room to check on him, Xander forced a small smile. "I'm feeling better, Mom," he said quietly. He didn't want to be a burden anymore. He didn't want to add to the list of things his parents had to worry about. But deep down, he wished someone would see past the surface and ask the questions he couldn't bring himself to say out loud: What about the loneliness? What about me?

For now, though, Xander got up, ready to rejoin the world, even if he still felt like a ghost moving through it.