CHAPTER THREE

"Look Daddy! Cookies!"

Sebastian shrieks in excitement as he points at the food isle, at the shelves full of varieties of cookies and other pastries while trying to free himself from his father's grip but of course Owen didn't let go. It's already half past 9 and also way past the child's bedtime but he couldn't risk little Sebbie contracting Samuel's fever that he came down with just after dinner earlier.

Owen took his temperature to make sure and the thermometer confirms that his son has indeed came down with fever as his temperature read 38.5°C. So with Ezra taking care of Samuel while also making sure he won't go near the baby in the meantime while Owen brought little Sebastian with him to the nearest drugstore to buy paracetamol for his other son.

It only took a fifteen minute drive to reach the nearest drugstore which was the Xu-Wen store that was a cute combination of a drugstore and a grocery store.

"Sweetie, remember what we came here for," Owen said with a smile as he softly tugs Sebastian away from the pastries and sweets, the child pouted but did not complain.

They wander around the store, Owen having to pull his son away from the foods section a couple times more because they really need to buy Samuel's medicine first. Owen sighs in relief as they finally came upon the counter where a handsome man greets them with a smile and his nametag read 'Justine'.

"Good evening Sir and little gent" Justine continues to smile as Sebastian giggled and greets the pharmacist back. "What can I do for you?"

"Uh my son come down with a fever an hour ago and we already ran out of paracetamol. Uhm this is what his pediatrician prescribed last time he had a fever. Here," Owen hands the handsome pharmacist the prescription and Justine briefly reads it before nodding his head.

"We still have this, wait here and I'll go get them for you." With another smile, Justine left and Owen sighs in relief again.

Had it been a regular paracetamol then there would be nothing to be worried about because it can be bought at any drugstores but Samuel's prescribed paracetamol was far different from the regular ones and it also has a higher dose content. At the age of 3, Sebastian was diagnosed with Leukemia and as he battles the illness, his immune system weakens making even the simplest of colds fatal to him.

When Sebastian won the fight against cancer at age 4, his immune system remained weak and only through medications and weekly checkups was he able to maintain a healthy living. Now three years passed and Owen thanked the heavens that his son hasn't relapsed and the chances of the illness reoccurring was now low and continues to lessen as years pass.

Still there was Sebastian's weak immune system and Owen panicking when the child came down with the fever was an understatement. He didn't want anything bad to happen to his eldest son again. If a cold is considered fatal for his son's weak immune system, how much more if it was a fever.

His phone buzzing on his pocket snaps Owen out of his thoughts, he sniffles and felt embarrassed as he realized he was almost crying in the middle of the drugstore. Owen momentarily lets go of Sebastian's hand and fished out his phone from his pocket while wiping a few tears that managed to escape.

Ezra had texted and for a moment Owen felt panicked, thinking that something bad happened, he quickly opens the message and felt a huge relief wash over him on what he read.

SmolGodson

Sammy's fever already went down. Still buy the paracetamol though, just in case.

Still smiling, Owen types in a reply before shoving his phone back in his pocket just as Justine returns with the medicine. Justine made the older recheck the medicine from the prescription and when it was a match, Owen took his wallet out of his bag and paid for the medicine. Justine then hands him the medicine in a paper bag with his change. They bid each other goodnight.

"Okay sweetie, we got your brother's medicine. Now let's get you some–" Owen wasn't able to finish and panic struck him when he turns around and the child was no longer standing beside him.

Owen frantically looks around in hopes that Sebastian didn't wander far but felt his heart drop when he didn't see the child anywhere. Owen felt himself began to tear up as a worried looking Justine came to his side. Owen told the pharmacist what happened and the latter immediately alerted the bodyguards. Justine lead the panicking and near to tears blonde male to the front desk where another bodyguard sat with a microphone beside him.

Owen sat down and was asked to describe Sebastian so that they could broadcast it to the whole store to make the search easier.

As Owen describes to the officer what his son was wearing and what he looks like, one thought was running through his mind and that is he's never going to forgive himself if something bad happens to his baby Sebbie.

.....................................

Damian had just paid for the boys' medicine when Diego began squirming in his arms meaning he wants to be set down and Damian sets him down, making sure he was going to stay close and not wander off. The store was quite big that a small child like Diego could easily get lost into and that’s the last thing Damian wants.

After dinner, the family went to the nearest drugstore to buy the boys' medicines and other necessities. Luca stayed in the car with Maverick who has already fallen asleep. Poor child, his rhinitis started acting up because of the cold weather. Diego was becoming whiny and fussy, partly because it was already past his bedtime. So to spare Luca and himself a tantrum fit, Damian brought his five year old son with him into the store.

When he was given the medicines in a paper bag, Damian bid the pharmacist, whose name was Jamie, a goodnight and held Diego's hand as they left to the food isle to buy juice boxes for the two little boys and vitamin drinks for his teen son. When they arrive at the beverage sections, Damian lets go of his son's hand to open the big fridge and started putting the selected items in the shopping cart.

When done, Damian shuts the fridge door close and turns around, opens his mouth to speak but paused when he didn't see Diego beside him anymore. Panic immediately sets in and Damian began searching through the food isle with slight haste.

Minutes that passed with still no sign of his son, Damian's panic heightens and he decided to ask help from the staff but before he could actually do so, he walks past a fruit stand and hears his son's voice.

Damian walks back and walks around the fruit stand, a big relief washes over him as he found his son sitting on the tiled floor with a half-eaten banana in his hands, but his son was not alone because sitting beside the child was another child, about the same age as Diego and Damian had to resist cooing at how adorable the second child look. His chubby cheeks all shiny and round as he munch on a peach fruit.

Just then Diego notices his father standing next to them and he smiled a toothed smile with bits of banana on his teeth and again Damian tried not to coo out loud.

Suddenly an announcement came from the intercom and Damian felt himself froze for a moment.

"Good Evening customers. We have a parent here who lost his child in the store. If any of you had seen the child, please bring him to the front desk where his parent is waiting for him. The child is wearing a pastel pink sweater, blue jeans and white sneakers. He's 5 years old, brunette with chubby cheeks. Thank you."

Damian listened carefully and his eyes widens in realization as he stared at the second child who didn't seem to even have heard the announcement as he was busy eating his peach fruit.

His son's new best friend is the missing child from the announcement.