Vik pressed his hand down, signaling the boy to keep quiet, before speaking.
"She's asleep..."
David burst into the clinic, nearly tripping over himself. His arms flailed before he finally came to a stop.
He bent over, bracing his hands on his knees as he gulped for breath, then looked up, face flushed.
"Arthur... you're here too..."
"Good... you little brat... Maybe one day you'll run yourself into the ground and save everyone the trouble."
Arthur muttered casually, giving his hand a shake.
"Come on, Arthur... I just... got too excited. My mom woke up."
David scratched at his spiky punk hair with a sheepish grin.
Arthur finally pieced together what had happened. He stood, glancing toward the back of the clinic.
That was where Gloria's MedPod had been.
"Where is she now?"
He'd been in the clinic for nearly an hour and still hadn't seen the lady once.
"Hahaha..."
Vik slowly rose to his feet, his trademark deep chuckle following.
"She's still... like a one-year-old 'little girl,' and right now she's in deep sleep."
With that, Vik walked toward the back of the clinic.
Where the MedPod had once stood in the shadows, a steel cot now rested on the floor.
Gloria lay quietly on it, her red hair streaked with strands of white.
Vik pressed a finger to his lips, signaling silence. The others only gave quick glances before stepping away from the quiet space.
Once their voices could no longer disturb her, Vik continued.
"As you can see, she's awake, but her nervous system is still recovering. Right now, she needs plenty of sleep."
No sooner had his deep voice faded than David stepped forward eagerly.
The boy rocked on his toes, restless even as he spoke.
"Doctor Vik, um... why does my mom have so much white hair?"
Worry covered his face and ran through his whole body. The more anxious he got, the more he fidgeted.
With a resigned shake of his head, Vik patted his shoulder.
"Relax, kid... she's fine.
She pushed herself too hard, and her body built up too many hidden problems—latent injuries. For some reason, she kept suppressing them. They didn't show on the surface, but once they erupted, they could have been fatal.
This coma turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As her nervous system regenerates, those hidden injuries in her organs are slowly healing. She may look more frail now, but it's actually a good sign."
At Vik's explanation, the worry lifted from David's face, replaced with a wide, relieved smile.
"That's great... thank you... really..."
His words stumbled out, but the way he bounced on his feet said it all.
Tears streamed down his face, unnoticed beneath his smile.
"Take good care of her. Looking after a kid isn't easy... especially one this grown."
Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light shake. He nodded slightly, congratulating David.
For teenagers, the fire of youth and the vast unknown world ahead consume nearly all their thoughts.
Caught between immaturity and maturity, they brim with energy but are often blinded by impulsiveness.
Everything feels larger than life to them, while the things they overlook seem to disappear completely.
And what they neglect is often the most important thing of all.
Just months ago, David's whole world was filled with bullying at school and the weight of life's hardships.
Family—the most vital thing to him—he had trampled over, using it as a crutch to push forward.
Until it suddenly slipped away—and he didn't even realize at first. A piece of his world beyond his sight had been hollowed out.
Time eventually brings clarity, but that's the hardest part. When you finally realize it, when grief finally takes hold, you find it's already far, far away...
Arthur understood that deeply. Looking at the boy in front of him felt like looking into a mirror.
...
He had once had a son... who died. Arthur's memories of him were faint.
All he really knew was that he'd once had a son.
And he hadn't deserved him.
...
"Mmm... Waaa..."
Maybe the noise had been too much. From deeper inside the clinic, the "big kid" stirred, letting out strange but not unpleasant cries.
That familiar yet distant sound froze the boy who had been bouncing around in joy just moments before.
Through the blur of tears in his eyes, David stared toward the sound...
Vik chuckled, shaking his head, and pointed toward the back of the clinic.
"I can't very well be the one to take care of her... not exactly convenient.
Come on, lad, go see for yourself."
"Oh... oh—right, I'll go!"
Like waking from a dream, David rushed off again.
"Remember, Mrs. Gloria is considered recovered.
All you need to do is take care of her. Soon enough, you can bring her home."
Vik called after him, smiling warmly as he withdrew his gaze.
It was clear he was in high spirits. Closing the gap between life and death was what every true doctor strived for.
Though Vik always claimed he wasn't a real doctor, he took genuine joy in every person who recovered under his care.
"He's got his work cut out for him. Looking after kids isn't easy."
Arthur sighed from the heart.
"But some things, though difficult, bring a joy that comes straight from within."
The group moved closer again. Some sights, after all, might only come once in a lifetime.
The woman clung to her son, sobbing.
David, standing by the window, flustered and helpless, didn't know what to do.
It had been so long since he'd held his mom like this...
"D-don't... don't cry..."
Glancing awkwardly at the others, David turned back and hugged her tighter.
"Hey! Mom, don't be like this..."
The boy himself was on the verge of tears.
...
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