Maxine agreed.

    200%

    She hadn’t nned to call the butler over anyway. After all, a few days off were hard toe by ifor /ithem. They should spend time with their family.

    The Mason family garage housed an array of cars. Maxine picked a sturdy–looking one, nning ito /icoax Brian upstairs to rest before taking Sebastian to the hospital herself.

    Just as Maxine turned around, to her surprise, she saw Brian had already slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Mom, let’s all go together tonight, okay? Tomorrow, I’ll just have the driver pick me up from the hospital,” Brian said.

    Maxine had no choice but to agree with him.

    Struggling a bit, Maxine settled Sebastian into the car and fastened Brian’s seatbelt. “Watch over your dad in the backseat,” she instructed. “Make sure he doesn’t move around too much.”

    Sebastian had just been forced by Maxine to drink a few sips of water and was now bundled up inyers of thick clothing. He was already drenched in sweat from the heat. If Maxine hadn’t warned him, he would have taken off his down jacket long ago.

    Brian gave his dad a slightly disdainful nce, then turned to Maxine with practiced sweetness. “Don’t worry, Mom,” he said obediently, “I’ll take good care of Dad.”

    Sitting in his seat, Sebastian stared listlessly out the window. Hearing their conversation, he managed to pry his eyes open and gave them a weak nce.

    Brian thought, ‘That look definitely wasn’t relief or anything nice! Just wait, tonight, when I get some

    him!‘

    time with Mom, I’m totally going to tattle on

    Maxine drove. The car was silent except for Sebastian’s miserable sniffles.

    Suddenly, Sebastian asked in a low, hoarse ivoice/i, “Where have you been all these years? I even went searching for you.”

    Maxine’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. After a long pause, she said, “I’ve been moving around these past few years, never really settling in one country. While I’m still young, I wanted to see the world… clear my head.”

    Sebastian realized she wasn’t willing to tell him.

    Sebastian thought, ‘She took Jessica with her when she went abroad. There’s no way she could’ve been traveling around with a child in tow. The only exnation was she simply didn’t want to tell me.‘

    Maybe it was the virus in his system acting up, he felt a wave of inexplicable sadness wash over him.

    By the time they arrived at the hospital, it was sote that only an ER doctor was avable to give him a quick examination. The preliminary diagnosis was the flu.

    The specific diagnosis would have to wait until the next day, when the doctors were on duty for further blood tests. After giving Sebastian some fever- reducing medication, the staff let them rest in the hospital room for the night.

    As Maxine supported Sebastian and led Brian into the hospital room, she was startled to discover there was only one king–size bed, big enough to fit several people.

    She paused briefly at the doorway, then set her things down on the table by the door. “Why don’t you two get some rest first?” she said, “I’ll go ask the nurse on duty if there’s ba /broway bed avable for apanion.”

    Just as she was about to turn and leave, Sebastian suddenly reached out and caught her hand. In a hoarse, pleading voice, he murmured, “bStay /bhere tonight. Just this one night, okay?”

    He wasn’t even aware that his voice had taken on a faintly pleading note as he spoke.

    09:15 Tue, 24 Jun

    Maxine gently pulled her hand away. “It’s fine, but three people sharing one bed would be a bit itoo /icramped after all.”

    With that, she turned and walked away from the bed without waiting for Sebastian to respond.

    A minuteter, the nurse at the station replied gently, “We’re very sorry, but our hospital is currently upgrading equipment, so we don’t have any roway beds avable. If you really need one, we can arrange another room for you to rest in temporarily.”

    AD