Father: A Sanders Sides Story

A Horrifying News

Logan remembered that day very well. As usual, he was working in office in his apartment. It was initially a spare room that he never used and eventually he had the idea to turn it into an office. Logan liked working. He worked in the research team for NASA and he made good money doing it. He was even able to help his father pay for his brother's college tuition with his job. Sure, he didn't always get along with his father, but he would help. If only for Virgil.

It was still early when the call came. Logan was reviewing on his team's discovery on Burçin's Galaxy a few weeks earlier, led by Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil. His peace was broken when he heard his phone ring, interrupting his work. He reached for his phone that sat next to the cup of coffee on his desk and saw an unfamiliar number. 'This better be important.' Clicking the receive-call button, he greeted the person on the other end of the phone.

"Hello, Logan Fulgencio speaking. How may I help you?" Logan didn't actually have to be formal all the time. He knew this. However, he liked keeping a professional aura so people knew to take him seriously.

"Yes, I am doctor Corwin from Sanders National Hospital. Do you know or in any way related to Dante Fulgencio?" The voice of a man could be heard through the phone. He sounded rather frantic.

"Yes, I'm his son. Is there anything amiss?"

"This is an emergency. Your father had driven to the hospital on his own and only managed to give two phone numbers to the receptionist before he collapsed." Doctor Corwin explained. "We called the first number, but no one answered. As of now, we haven't made any diagnosis, but it seems very serious. I recommend you come to the hospital right away."

"Alright, thank you doctor." Logan hung up the phone. Despite never knowing his father very well, Logan was still concerned as any son would be if their parents were ill. He blamed himself for not paying more attention to his father that he doesn't even notice something was wrong. From the brief phone call he had with the doctor, whatever his father had must be bad. It could, in fact, be very bad. Logan tried to stay optimistic. 'He will be fine.'

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"Virgil, can you come to the hospital? Right now."

"What?! What's wrong? Are you okay, Lo?"

"I'm fine. It's father. I think the hospital tried to call you, but you didn't answer."

"Of course, I didn't. You know I don't answer unknown numbers."

After hanging up the call, Virgil got up from his couch. As usual, he was watching Doctor Who in his small apartment before Logan called him to come to the hospital. He actually preferred to live with Logan in his brother's apartment, but it would be farther away from his campus. So, Logan managed to rent him a small apartment near campus. It wasn't too bad, if he had to say so himself.

As he took his wallet from his room and pocketed his phone, he wondered how he didn't realize how his father had been sick. As far as he know, his father was a very healthy man. Rarely drinks, never smoked once in his life. So, what made him sick? He didn't know if it was a serious illness or not, but he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. 'Well, when have I ever feel good?'

Once he arrived at the hospital, Virgil texted Logan to ask where he was. A few minutes later, the Fulgencio brothers were told to wait in the waiting room. As they sat side-by-side in silence, they both quietly wondered what could have been happening that it was so serious. How did they not notice that something was wrong with their father? They both felt like they were not good enough as children—though, for different reasons.