章 5: New Living Arrangement
"Hello Nurse Ashley."
"Hello there handsome! It's good to finally see a lovely face around here."
Liam smiled at her. "Is she sleeping?" He asked.
"She's awake. Your father is inside with her."
"Cool." He nodded at the elderly nurse before going to the private room where his parents were.
He could hear his mother laughing even before he opened the door and entered inside.
"Look who we have here!" Elizabeth chimed.
"Hi dad." He greeted before he joined his mother on the small bed and kissed her cheek. She kissed him back and tried to create more space for him to fit in.
"How was school?" Henry, his father asked.
Both his parents were in their late thirties and looked quite young. His father had been 20 years old and his mother 18 when they had him. They had gotten married a month before he was born. His mother was a nutritionist so she always prepared the right meals and made them do the right exercises to keep the whole family in shape. That was why they looked quite younger than their age and people hardly believed they were his parents. Boys his age flirted with his mother while girls he was even older than had a crush on his father. His father was a senior lecturer in a university outside town so he had more cases of young ladies flocking around him. It was never a problem since both his parents were used to it and knew how to handle it. They were also really good looking and that was how he had gotten his looks.
Despite his mother's conscious effort to keep them healthy, she still fell sick unfortunately.
"School was okay. How are you mum? What did the doctor say?" He asked hopefully.
"I need to run now. Have a seminar to prepare for. I may be back late." He kissed his son and wife on their foreheads before he disappeared.
"So? What did the doctor say?" He asked his mother.
"Well..."
He could tell she didn't want to talk about it but he wasn't going to let her do so.
"The truth, please" He pleaded.
"I need to be transferred to a bigger hospital outside of town."
His face paled immediately.
"Hey! It's nothing serious. This is a small town so you don't expect this hospital to have everything. Need to run more checks in a better hospital and I'll be fine."
"How... long is it going to take? And when are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow. I'm leaving tomorrow—"
"TOMORROW?!"
"Yes. And I don't know how long it's going to take to run all the tests and start treatment."
"Mum..."
"It's not a big deal."
"It is a big deal! You are getting really thin and you've been in pain for a while. What if it's something serious?"
She smiled warmly at her son. He always acted like he was tough but he was really soft.
"Trust your mother. I know my body best and can assure you it's nothing serious."
"If it's not then you wouldn't have to transfer to another hospital! I have to go with you."
"No! You have school."
"Then you are just going to go alone?" He asked in disbelief.
"Your dad is going to come visit me often."
"You need someone to stay there with you. To be there with you even at nights!"
"Well, you aunt offered to stay with me for sometime. Her husband is out of town and won't be coming back until next month. But someone needs to look after Cindy. You know how she is."
Cindy was his 6 years old cousin. She didn't like to leave her home neither did she like to see strangers. Thankfully, her father was rich so she had been homeschooling. It had been difficult getting her acquainted with her teacher but she couldn't stay with a nanny so his aunt took care of her daughter by herself.
Liam sighed. "There has to be a way. It's either I take a break from school and go with you or Cindy come live in the house with dad and I."
"You know Cindy won't."
"Then I will come with you."
"Do not be stubborn."
"What if I go stay with Cindy then?"
Elizabeth wanted to retort but she paused and thought about it. That was going to be the only way. Cindy liked Liam so there was no doubt she would be able to stay with him.
"I'll have to talk to your aunt and she'll have to speak with her husband. I cannot guarantee anything now."
He heaved a heavy sigh and placed his head on her shoulder.
"I just want you to be fine."
"I know." She began to gently run her hand over his hair.
"So tell me, what happened in school today?"
"Nothing." He spat out.
"Oh! I know that tone. Did something bad happen?" She asked, sounding concerned.
Liam didn't want to remember it but it was too late. "I received a love letter."
"Aww.."
"Don't 'aww'. It was from a boy."
"Oh! Do you... know him?"
"I'm glad I don't. He would have been in the hospital by now."
"You'd have brought him to come see me?"
"Eww! No! He would have been the one receiving treatment."
"What? Why?"
"What do you mean 'why'?" He sat up to look at her face with a frown.
"It was a boy! Why would a boy be attracted to another boy? It's... yuck!" He grimaced.
"Do not say that. I had a friend back in high school who was gay and he was the sweetest soul ever. You can ask your dad about him."
"I don't want to talk about this." He hissed.
"Fine. What else happened?" She asked.
He remembered the new boy. The strange new kid whose name was Oliver.
"Nothing significant." He murmured.
"Mum?"
"Yes honey?"
"Please be fine. I am really worried." He said quietly.
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