Mia's POV
The hospital was quieter than usual, and I was finishing up my last patient for the day when the call came.
"Dr. Walls?"
It was Lia. Her voice, usually controlled, was tinged with panic.
"Mia, I need you to come—Eric… something's wrong. He's burning up, and I don't know what's happening."
I immediately grabbed my medical bag and rushed out, my heart hammering. It was strange, but I could already feel something was different about this.
Lia's tone wasn't one I'd ever heard from her before—she was scared.
I didn't wait for the car; I took a cab straight to their penthouse. My mind raced as I thought about Eric's health—the unexplained bruises, the strange symptoms we'd brushed off.
Maybe I hadn't been paying enough attention. Maybe something was wrong.
When I arrived, Lia was in the living room, pacing with her phone in hand. Eric was lying on the couch, his tiny form covered by a thick blanket. His cheeks were flushed, and his breathing was shallow.
I rushed to his side, immediately feeling the heat radiating from his body. His fever was unlike anything I'd seen in a child. It was dangerously high.
I knelt beside him, pressing the back of my hand to his forehead, my breath catching. This wasn't normal.
"Eric?" I whispered, gently brushing his bangs away from his face. "Can you hear me?"
His eyes fluttered open, but they were dull, clouded.
"Mom…" he mumbled weakly.
Lia immediately rushed to his side, holding his hand, trying to comfort him as I began to assess the situation.
"This isn't just a fever," I muttered under my breath, examining his pulse. It was erratic, as if his body was struggling with something deeper.
I turned to Lia. "We need to get him to the hospital. Now."
Her face paled. "Mia, please. I can't. If anyone finds out—"
"You don't have a choice." I stood up quickly, my voice firm. "If we don't get him the right treatment, he won't make it."
Before she could protest again, a familiar voice cut through the room.
"Is he going to be alright?"
I turned to see Ryan standing at the door, his face tight, his usual composure replaced by a hint of concern that caught me off guard.
Ryan's POV
I wasn't supposed to be here. But I'd received a message from Lia about Eric's sudden illness, and it threw me into a panic. The child was too important to risk. Not just to Lia, but to me. I couldn't lose him—not after everything.
I arrived to find Mia already kneeling by Eric's side, her expression unreadable. Her calm demeanor was a stark contrast to the storm I felt inside.
"Mia," I said, my voice steady despite the unease gnawing at me. "Is he… is he going to be alright?"
Mia didn't look at me. She didn't need to. She was focused on Eric—on saving him.
"I'm not sure yet," she replied, her voice tense. "But his fever is dangerously high, and I think it's beyond just a viral infection."
Her eyes met mine then, but there was something more in her gaze—a hint of understanding, as if she knew there was more to this than just a simple fever.
I wasn't sure if she knew the full truth, but in that moment, it didn't matter. What mattered was Eric. What mattered was that the child was burning up, and I couldn't afford to lose him.
"Get him to the hospital," Mia continued, looking back at Eric. "Now. And I'll prepare what he needs."
Lia and I exchanged a quick, silent look. She nodded, her eyes desperate.
"Please," she whispered, "I can't lose him."