Farhan was shivering on the bed. His body was burning up, yet both his hands kept trembling. His face was pale, and his breathing sounded irregular.
“Mom...” Farhan called weakly.
Lastri, who had been sitting beside him, immediately panicked. She pressed her palm to her son’s forehead.
“Oh, God. He’s burning up.”
Yasmin moved closer too. Her expression immediately turned worried when she saw Farhan’s condition.
“Mom, we need to take Farhan to the clinic now.”
Lastri didn’t waste any time. She quickly grabbed a jacket for Farhan, then helped him get up. Farhan’s body felt weak, so Lastri had to support him as they walked.
“I'm cold, Mom...” Farhan mumbled through his shivers.
“Hang in there, sweetheart. We’ll see the doctor first, okay?”
Lastri reached for her wallet on the table. She opened it and counted the money she had left. Her husband had left only one million rupiah before leaving the house. That money was supposed to cover their needs for the next few days, but seeing Farhan’s condition, Lastri had no other choice.
She took several bills from her wallet and put them in her bag.
“I hope it’s enough,” she murmured.
Yasmin quickly helped support Farhan as they left the house. The area around the house was fairly quiet that night. Lastri hurried toward the clinic, which wasn’t far from their home, her mind filled with worry.
“Yasmin, hold on to Farhan properly.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Farhan began shivering between them again.
“Mom... I’m cold.”
Lastri looked at her son’s face and tried to hold back her panic.
“Don’t be scared. Mom’s here. We’ll be there soon.”
But Lastri’s pace grew faster. She could only hope the doctor would examine Farhan soon and find out what had caused his body temperature to rise so high.
The doctor looked over Farhan’s examination notes again before handing the prescription to Lastri.
“For now, give Farhan this medicine as directed, ma’am. Make sure he drinks plenty of fluids, and try to keep him eating, even if it’s only a little.”
Lastri nodded as she studied the prescription in her hand.
“What if his fever is still high, Doctor?”
“If the fever doesn’t go down within three days, Farhan will need further examination. We’ll need to do a blood test to determine what’s causing the fever.”
Lastri immediately looked worried.
“A blood test, Doctor? Does that mean his condition is serious?”
“Not necessarily, ma’am. Don’t jump to conclusions. There are many causes of fever in children. Let’s see how he progresses over the next few days.”
Lastri nodded slowly.
“All right, Doctor. I’ll keep monitoring him.”
The doctor then looked at Farhan, who was still lying there weakly.
“Yes, Doctor,” Lastri replied quickly.
Yasmin, standing beside her mother, also watched Farhan anxiously.
Lastri gently stroked Farhan’s hair.
“Let’s go home for now, okay? Take your medicine and get plenty of rest.”
Farhan could only nod weakly.
Lastri let out a long breath. She hoped her son’s fever would truly come down before three days passed. She didn’t want to see Farhan grow even weaker, let alone have to undergo further tests.
Not long afterward, a clinic staff member called Farhan’s name.
“Farhan?”
Lastri immediately stood up and helped Farhan rise from his chair.
“Yes, miss.”
“That’ll be two hundred thousand rupiah, ma’am.”
Lastri nodded. She opened her wallet, took out two red bills, and handed them to the staff member.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
After receiving the medicine and paying for the examination, Lastri immediately took Yasmin and Farhan home. Farhan was mostly silent during the trip. His body was still weak, and every so often he leaned against Lastri.
As soon as they arrived home, Lastri took Farhan to the bedroom. She helped him lie down, then fetched a glass of water for him.
“Drink this first, sweetheart.”
Farhan took a few sips of water, then looked at Lastri with eyes that still appeared tired.
“Mom...”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
Farhan fell silent for several seconds. His lips trembled before he finally said something that made Lastri stop in her tracks.
“Farhan wants to see Dad.”
Lastri fell silent.
The hand holding the glass stopped immediately. She knew Farhan was sick and probably missing his father terribly.
“Why do you suddenly want to see Dad?” Lastri asked softly.
“Farhan misses Dad...” Farhan answered faintly. “Farhan wants Dad here.”
Yasmin, standing near the door, lowered her head too. Lastri could only stare at her son with mixed feelings.
“Get some rest first, okay? I’ll try to contact Dad later.”
“Really, Mom?”
Lastri nodded, even though she herself wasn’t sure whether her husband would come.
“Yes. Tomorrow, I’ll go to Dad’s house so he can come see Farhan.”