Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 154: Sick and worried

Chapter 154: Sick and worried

"Papa...are you okay?"

A little boy tugged on Knox’s baggy pants, sounding so worried at the older guy who was walking like his head was on the clouds. Knoa noticed his father’s quietness disturbing. Usually, his father would even play with him after he returned home, but today was different.

He grabbed his father’s shirt and tugged on it, asking for a carry. However, Knox just bent down slowly, as if moving recklessly would be dangerous.

Knox then answered faintly while rubbing his temples, "Hm..."

Knoa frowned. His father didn’t want to carry him. Even so, he didn’t let go and touched his father’s arms instead. His eyes widened after realizing something. He shouted in surprise, "Papa...you’re hot."

Knox nodded. He should have asked Shawn and Kayden to stay until Azrael arrived. His head was throbbing so much, and his breathing was short and difficult. It seemed like he was having a bad fever, so he couldn’t carry or come closer to his son.

For this reason, he pushed Knoa away gently and said, "Go away from Papa, Knoa."

The kid’s eyes watered. Knox realized his words and he abruptly crouched, almost losing balance from the aggressive movement and falling on his butt. Luckily, he grabbed on the child’s shoulders and steadied himself.

But before he could explain what he meant, Knoa shouted already, in a voice that sounded hurt. "Why?! Papa doesn’t like me now?"

Knox frantically shook his head and upped the child’s cheek, wiping away the tear that was peeking in the corner of his son’s eyes. He quickly remarked, "No, no. Of course not! Papa loves my dear Knoa the most in the world!"

The kid’s frown slowly disappeared but his shoulders were still drooping. His adorably upset look was somehow giving relief to Knox’s headaches. He turned to the side when he coughed and hid his face in his elbow.

’Oh, God, my headache’s killing me...my body feels so sore...I want to sleep now. But I need to take medicine first,’ Knox thought inwardly as he wiped his nose using the towel on his shoulder.

He cleared his throat and continued, "Papa’s sick. If you stay close to Papa, you will get sick too."

From a disappointed expression, the kid’s face changed to that filled with worry. His bright green eyes wobbled with fear after his little hands touched his father’s forehead. He even acted like he got burned just from the touch.

"Why are you sick?" Knoa asked in a shaky voice.

Knox groaned. The child only became more teary-eyed and fearful after he learned his father was sick. But because he was a kid, his thoughts went out the roof and many things ran in his head, like the ones he watched earlier that day on the screen.

His little hands trembled. Knox didn’t notice the child’s tremor and replied as carefully as possible, afraid to add another worry to his son. "Because I played in the rain..."

Knoa replied, "But I also played in the rain before and I didn’t get sick! Papa, are you dying? Is that why you’re sick? Don’t die! Knoa will be sad!"

Knox chuckled after hearing his old speech slipped. Knoa had considerably improved his speech after spending time with his grandfather. So, it was kind of amusing to hear him speak in the third person’s point of view again.

"I’m not. Who else is going to cook my Knoa his favorite food and bake him his favorite cake? Papa will be okay, soon, so you can’t come here in the meantime, okay?" he steered the kid around and added, "Go and sleep with your Daddy once he gets home. For now, go back and lie in the other room, can you do that?"

Knoa nodded and asked, "When will Daddy be back?"

Knox coughed again. His throat was itchy and he wanted to drink some warm water. He carefully stood as he answered, "Hm...don’t know...call him..." he then wondered why Azrael hasn’t home yet.

He reached for the bedside drawer and searched for medicine; after finding one, he took Knoa out of the room.

’Did the outreach program end late? Does he need to stay until the closing time?’ Knox pondered. He walked to the kitchen, gliding on the wall since he felt like the floor was messing with him, dancing under his feet.

"Papa..." Knoa called out worriedly. He held his father’s hands and walked beside him like a big man supporting his old father.

Knox bent down and flashed a smile at the kid, trying to erase the fear that waved in those little orbs. However, turning to the corner where the wall ended, and the open plan of the combined living room, dining and kitchen came into view, Knox staggered after letting go of the wall.

He thought he could carry his body until he reached the kitchen, got water to drink his medicine, and hit the sack, but his vision went down and the next thing he realized, he was on the floor with a fading consciousness.

In the dimming background, he could hear his child shouting hysterically.

"Papa!"

Knoa shook his father’s unconscious body for a few minutes. When his father didn’t move, he began sobbing until he wailed loudly.

After crying for several minutes, he ran to the door and tried to grab the doorknob, thinking of asking for help, but then he remembered he didn’t know his neighbors so he went back inside.

He caught sight of the telephone on the wall, then his eyes widened in realization. "Phone!"

He searched for his father’s phone and called the first name that came to his sight.

"Uncle Athan..." he unconsciously read as he pressed the call button beside the name. The phone rang and Knoa waited beside his father, while he repeatedly caressed his father’s back.

Clack.

The kid’s face brightened when the phone was answered. He quickly put it against his ears, but Athan spoke first. "Knox, I’m in the middle of—

"Uncle A!" Knoa yelled, his voice echoing in the room. "Papa collapsed! Papa collapsed! Come and hurry home! He’s hot! Papa’s going to die!"

On the other side, Athan sprung up from his seat the chair almost toppled over. He exclaimed loudly, surprising the other people at the table, "What?! Calm down, Knoa! Where is your Papa?!"

"On the floor!"

The panic in Knoa’s voice seeped into Athan as well. He shouted back, "I’m coming, don’t leave the house, okay? Wait for me."

He then turned away, but his arm was grabbed by Althea who looked at him concerningly. She asked, "Athan, what happened?"

Nathaniel who was seated at the head of the table waited for his answer, so Athan looked at him as he answered his sister, "Knox collapsed. Knoa called and cried; there were only two of them in their home. Dad, I have to go."

He then whirled away, failing to see the worry that flashed across his father’s eyes.