apology

The dim white light of the lamps cast a cold glow over the hospital corridors, where the father and mother stood in anxious silence, waiting for any news about their son. Quick footsteps echoed on the tiles, and the father lifted his head to see a tall man, seemingly in his late forties, wearing a medical coat and glasses. His face reflected experience and exhaustion, but in that moment, it was filled with astonishment and concern as he saw his nephew lying in the hospital bed.

"What happened?!" the doctor asked in a trembling voice as he quickly approached the bed.

This wasn't the first time he had seen a critically ill patient; he was used to traveling between villages to treat the sick, but seeing his nephew in such a condition was a shock he wasn't prepared for.

He quickly moved to his side, placing his hand on Aurelius' forehead and feeling his high fever. Then, he took out his medical tools from his bag and began examining him. He glanced at his brother, as if asking for an explanation, but the father couldn't find the words.

"High fever... It's due to exposure to cold and exhaustion, but don't worry, I'll take care of him," the doctor said firmly, trying to reassure Aurelius' parents, despite his own intense concern.

He wasted no time, ordering the nurses to bring some medications and fever reducers, then began preparing intravenous fluids to help rehydrate the boy and restore his balance. The minutes passed slowly as the parents watched him work, breathing slowly, as if they feared that any sound would break the doctor's concentration.

After an hour of meticulous work and observation, the doctor finally sighed, removing his gloves, and turned toward Aurelius' parents, speaking in a calmer voice this time:

"His condition has stabilized... He's very tired, but he'll be fine. He just needs rest and proper care."

The mother couldn't hold back her tears, covering her face with her hands as she whispered, "Thank God..." She then looked at Vitus, who was still standing in the corner, seemingly motionless since they arrived at the hospital. His eyes were swollen from crying, and his thin clothes clung to his cold, trembling body, but he didn't care about any of that. All that mattered was Aurelius.

The mother approached him, gazed at him with warm eyes, and said tenderly, "Thank you, Vitus... You brought him home just in time. You were so worried about him, weren't you?"

Vitus nodded silently, his eyes still fixed on the sleeping Aurelius. He couldn't reply; he didn't know what to say.

As for the father, he looked stunned when he heard his wife's words. He looked at Vitus, the boy he had blamed for so long, and couldn't believe it was him who had brought Aurelius home. It was him who had saved him. A wave of guilt swept over him, and he took heavy steps toward Vitus.

The silence between them was thick; the father didn't know how to begin, but he sighed deeply before saying quietly, "I... I'm sorry, my son."

Vitus looked at him, his wide eyes filled with unexpected astonishment. He never expected to hear those words from the man he had despised moments ago. He didn't know how to respond, but he felt a great weight lift from his chest.

After a moment of hesitation, the father took off his coat and gently placed it over Vitus' shoulders. "Wear this, it's cold, and your clothes... are torn."

Vitus looked at the coat, then at the father, and couldn't stop the tears from falling again. But this time, they weren't just tears of fear.

Before he could say anything, the mother gently took his hand and said, "Come with me, you need to eat something and drink something warm."

She led him away from the room, leaving the father standing by his brother's side.

The doctor stood silently for a few moments, then turned to his brother and said calmly, "This boy is kind, but I'm really angry. How could Aurelius have been in such a condition? What neglect!"

The father didn't respond, but he knew deep down that he had been wrong, very wrong.

Then, he spoke, "Luckily, you were here, my friend. Skilled doctors are truly a blessing."

The doctor chuckled, "I left my other patients to attend to this. You can't imagine how ashamed I feel. After all, family comes before my other cases. Let's not waste any more time and take care of our little prince."

Meanwhile, in another corner of the hospital, one of the doctor's acquaintances was receiving a message from Aurelius' father, telling him to go to Vitus' house and reassure his parents that their son was safe, with them at the hospital.

There, the mother sat with Vitus, trying to comfort him, hoping he would forgive them. But he wasn't angry; he was happy. As long as Aurelius was fine, everything was fine.

The mother approached him to adjust the large coat he was wearing, patted his hair, and said, "I love you, Vitus. Please always be with Aurelius."

Vitus smiled and replied enthusiastically, "Of course," while sipping his warm cocoa.

Then they received a call from Aurelius' father, and when the mother answered, she was overjoyed. Their little one had woken up and was in good condition. They hurried to meet him.

As they rushed through the hospital corridor, Vitus asked, "Madam, what is this device, and how are you talking to someone who's not here?"

The mother laughed and said, "Let's leave the explanation to Aurelius. He'll be happy to explain what this device is to you."

They reached the room, and the mother gently let go of Vitus' hand, rushing toward her son to kiss and hug him. Meanwhile, the father sat on the bed. Vitus stood by the door, watching without taking a single step inside. For the first time, Vitus felt a pang of jealousy as he remembered the day he was sick, and his mother scolded him for being careless, while his father was indifferent. But today, when Aurelius was sick, his mother was so worried, and his father wasn't blaming him. He wondered why, when he was sick, he was the one blamed, but when Aurelius was sick, no one blamed him.

Before he could finish his thoughts, he heard Aurelius calling him weakly, "Vitus, are you here?" A welcoming smile appeared on his face.

The parents agreed that Vitus could join them. "Come on, Vitus, your friend is fine, as you can see."

Vitus happily joined them, and laughter filled the room.