Parents.. with different treatment

Accident?

It was late afternoon, and the house was quiet. Xander was home from the hospital, still recovering. The doctors had warned that his lungs needed time to heal and that he needed to take it easy. Colby and Valerie had rearranged their schedules to give Xander the care and rest he needed. But despite all their efforts, the tension in the house was palpable. Colby had been under incredible pressure, balancing work, the kids, and his worry for Xander.

That day, Colby was on edge. Every little sound seemed to grate on him, and his patience was worn thin. Xander, still tired and fragile, sat quietly on the couch, clutching his blanket and watching TV. He didn't ask for much; he didn't want to be a bother, but he couldn't help but notice his dad's tense mood.

Colby glanced over at Xander, a strange frustration bubbling up that even he couldn't understand. He wanted to say something comforting, wanted to be there for his son, but his own fears and guilt seemed to twist inside him, making him angry. He didn't even know why, but he felt the weight of the past weeks pressing down on him.

When Xander accidentally knocked his glass of water off the coffee table, Colby lost his cool.

"Xander! Can't you be more careful?" Colby snapped, his voice sharper than he intended. Xander froze, his heart pounding as he looked up at his father. His eyes were wide, scared, not understanding why his dad was so upset. "I'm... I'm sorry, Dad," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

But Colby, lost in a haze of frustration, moved forward, his anger overtaking his usual gentle nature. Before he could even process what he was doing, he reached out and slapped Xander across the cheek.

The sound was sharp, echoing in the quiet room. Xander's eyes went wide, and he stumbled back, clutching his face. He could feel a warm, wet trickle from his nose, his own blood dripping down onto his hands. His cheek stung, throbbing painfully, and his lungs ached from the sudden shock. He could barely breathe, his eyes filling with tears as he looked up at Colby, bewildered and hurt.

The moment his hand made contact, Colby's anger evaporated, replaced by a sickening realization of what he'd done. He froze, his face going pale as he saw Xander's bleeding nose, the fear in his son's eyes. "Xander... oh my god... I didn't mean to..." he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.

Valerie, hearing the commotion, rushed into the room, and her eyes went wide when she saw Xander with his hand over his bleeding nose, tears streaming down his cheeks. She looked between Colby and Xander, quickly piecing together what had happened. "Colby!" she gasped, her voice full of shock and anger. "What did you do?"

Colby took a step back, feeling the crushing weight of his actions. "I... I don't know. I'm so sorry. Xander, I'm so sorry." He reached out, but Xander flinched, instinctively pulling away, his small body curling up in a protective stance.

Valerie knelt beside Xander, carefully examining his cheek and wiping the blood from his nose. "It's okay, sweetheart," she whispered, pulling him close, wrapping her arms around him protectively. "You're safe. I'm here."

As she comforted Xander, Valerie turned to Colby, her gaze a mixture of anger and disappointment. "Colby, he's still healing. He's been through so much. How could you?" Her words hit him like a punch. He felt an overwhelming shame, realizing just how much he'd let