Scientific Crescendo - Book 1: The Seahorse Experiment 🪼✔

16 - Everything Is +Not+ Fine

The weeks went by and things were starting to settle down with Sim going to school and everything and I was starting to get into thinking about my science project again but there was a pain in my side. It didn't seem to let up no matter what I did. Every time I moved it would pull and I would get a hitch in my side. It was horrible to sleep and trying to do the simplest things seemed to pull on it and make me hiss in pain. I also was starting not to eat very much and sleep all the time, though Tarot seemed not to notice too much.
Sim was more in tune with me being different than his uncle was, considering that I caught Sim staring at me in concern a lot of the time. He seemed to be watching me all the time and always had a look of worry on his little face. He would always ask me if I was alright and if he could get me anything. If nothing else, my son was considerate.
After a while, Tarot seemed to notice it too and decided to ask me.
"Dex, are you alright? You haven't been acting like yourself."
"I'm fine, I promise. I'm just tired." I said, running my fingers through my hair.
Sim gave me that concentrated look again and I smiled at him to reassure him that things were alright. He gave me a smile back but I could tell that he really didn't believe my smile. I didn't feel like it either but I had to keep his concerns at bay.
"Well you can't exactly fool us for very long with that 'nothing' spill. If something's wrong then you need to tell us."
"Really, there's nothing terribly wrong. I think I just caught a cold or something. I mean, my bronchitis can still flare up at times."
"True but bronchitis really doesn't have to do with not eating. You make us food but I have hardly seen you eat anything and even when we go out to eat you don't get very much to eat. The last time we went out, you ordered six cheese sticks and only ate two of them."
"I wasn't very hungry."
"Yeah, but you threw them up when we got home. The only thing that I've seen you intake consistently is Red Bull."
"They're tasty and very nutritious. Read the label." I said, pointing to the Red Bulls that were sitting on the counter.
"I know they're nutritious, Dexter. Stop lying to me and tell me what's wrong." He growled, putting his hands on the counter.
He had backed me into a corner and if I didn't know how much he loved women, this could have been taken very wrong.
"Tarot, please leave me alone. Plus, you're getting into a bit of a um... zone here."
He sighed, pulling back but glaring at me with those eyes of his.
"I'm not playing around, Dex, if there is something that's wrong with you and you're not telling me, if you don't die then I'll still kill you... Besides, you don't even sound right!"
"You don't sound good, Daddy." Sim said, walking up to me with a piece of paper in his hand. He handed it to me and I saw it was a picture of me with a sad face and a red face. "You are sick..."
I glared at Tarot for putting even more thoughts into my son's head.
"Tarot, keep your opinions to yourself. I don't appreciate you putting thoughts into Sim's head. It'll only make him lose his concentration for schoolwork."
"Uncle Tarot's not doing it... I'm not dumb, Daddy."
"Of course you're not, bud, you're my son. But Daddy's alright and I'm not lying. I'm just a little under the weather and not hungry." I said, touching his face. "I promise."
"Like the sun and the moon?"
"As the sun rises and the moon shines."
Sim still didn't look convinced but nodded.

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More weeks went on and it seemed like things would never let up. My side was hurting horribly and I couldn't even sleep sometimes for the pain. I never let on about it when I was around Tarot or Sim so that I could keep up the act but they seemed to be on the scent. I even noticed in myself that I was becoming pale and not looking very well. I really did try to eat so that I didn't look so bad in front of the two but I guess I wasn't doing it very well.

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Tarot
I was asleep though I was really worried about Dexter. He just wasn't himself and if even Sim noticed it, it was pretty bad. I felt uncomfortable for a moment and opened my eyes, looking over my shoulder. I jumped and turned the light on, sighing when I realized it was Sim.
"Sim-Sim, what are you doing? Don't sneak up on people in the middle of the night."
"I had a bad dream..." he said, though I could see tears in his eyes.
I sat up and he walked to me.
"You did? What was it about? Why are you almost crying?"
"Daddy died!" he cried, sobbing onto my leg.
I gathered him into my arms and pulled him onto the bed.
"Daddy's not going to die. Do you want to go and see? He'll be in there sleeping."
He nodded and I pulled him into my arms to take him to see Dexter. We walked down the hallway to Dexter's room when I stopped in the hallway. Something didn't feel right... Dexter's light was on. It was 1:30 in the morning.
"Sim, stay here for a moment."
I put him down and walked toward Dexter's room. I opened the door to his room and found him asleep with his head back on all the pillows. That wasn't right either; Dexter always slept on his side. I walked over to the bed and gasped, grabbing Dexter by the shoulders.
"Dexter! DEXTER!"
When I pulled him, he seemed to come alive and then he let out this yelp. He moved and put himself in a ball, yelling in pain.
"Dexter, what's wrong? Dexter! You have to talk to me!"
"It hurts! It hurts!"
I hears Sim walk in and I turned to him.
"Go dial 911. Your daddy's in pain. Now, Sim!"
He nodded and ran, though he was shaking all over.
Dexter was yelling in agony and I grabbed him, picking him up as he clutched my shirt, keening. The ambulance seemed to be taking a little longer than what I wanted. I met Sim at the kitchen where he was just crying.
"Did you call?"
He tried to answer but all he did was stutter over his words. I didn't pay any mind to that since the poor kid was going through his worse, literal, nightmare. He dreamed his dad died, and now it seemed as if it was coming true.
"Come on, Sim-Sim, and we'll get to the car. You stay back in the back with our daddy, alright? Keep him safe and make him comfortable."
He nodded and followed after me.
By the time I got Dexter to the care, he was literally screaming, scratching me as he tried to alleviate the pain even just a little. I put him in the back of the car and jumped into the driver's seat. Sim stayed with his dad and I put the car in reverse, calling Miller up.
"Don't you dare die on me, Dexter Leoda. There's too much at stake here."