"I don’t... know..." he said, his voice so small that Karl leaned in to hear him better. "I guess... it was there for a long time? I always feel tired when I work a lot." His lashes fluttered as he struggled to explain. "Sometimes... I do too much... then it’s like... my chest feels heavy... and I can’t get all the air."
Ruby’s eyes softened even more, her chest tightening at how innocent he sounded — as if he’d always thought it was normal to feel like that. "And you didn’t tell us?" she asked, trying not to sound sad but failing a little.
Milo shook his head shyly, his hair brushing the pillow. "No... because... I thought it was just me being weak... I didn’t want to trouble you. You all... work so hard already."
Julian let out a small, shaky breath from where he stood behind the bed. He reached over and squeezed Milo’s hand, his thumb brushing over the tiny bandage on Milo’s wrist from the check-up. "You’re never a trouble, Milo," Julian said softly, his eyes a little glassy. "Next time... you have to tell us. We want to take care of you too."
Karl sniffled loudly, wiping under his nose again. "That’s right! Stupid Milo... if you can’t breathe, just say so! Then we’ll do all the work, and you just sit pretty, alright?" He tried to grin, but his lips wobbled too much to hide his watery eyes.
Milo’s smile grew shy but warm. He squeezed Julian’s fingers back and peeked at Ruby, who leaned in close and kissed his forehead. "No more hiding when you’re hurting, okay?" she whispered.
"Okay..." Milo breathed out, his voice sleepy but gentle. "I’ll tell you next time."
Karl, who had been sniffling one minute and rummaging through the bag the next, suddenly lit up when his hand brushed against the cloth bundle. He pulled it out proudly and unwrapped it right there on Milo’s blanket — inside were the warm, soft buns Kenji had sent with them that morning.
"Look!" Karl said with a grin, pushing the little bundle closer to Milo’s hands. "Kenji made these for us! He said they’re soft and easy to eat. Good, right?"
Milo’s eyes widened when he saw them, his tired face lighting up with the softest smile. He reached for one with careful fingers, glancing shyly at Ruby for permission. She nodded and laughed under her breath, her eyes warm.
"Eat slowly, okay?" she said, tucking the blanket more snugly around his lap as he took a tiny bite.
Julian sat beside him on the bed’s edge again, watching him like he was the most precious thing in the room. Adrian, who hadn’t said much, finally relaxed his shoulders a little, his eyes softening when Milo let out a happy little hum as he chewed.
"They’re really good..." Milo murmured, his voice muffled by the bite of soft, sweet bread. He held the bun close with both hands, almost like a little child with a treat he didn’t want to drop. "Thank you... for bringing them."
Karl puffed up his chest dramatically. "Of course! It’s my job to bring you tasty things when you’re stuck here!" He sniffed again, but this time he was smiling too.
Milo finished his little bun in small, careful bites, then leaned back against his pillow, a shy grin on his lips. "The healer said..." he said softly, glancing at them one by one, "they’re going to make a special diet for me now. So I don’t eat anything that’s bad for my heart. So I can get strong again."
Ruby reached over and brushed crumbs from his cheek with her thumb. "That’s good, sweetheart. You’ll get stronger, and we’ll make sure you get only what’s best for you."
After they talked and ate the warm buns together, the room felt softer somehow — not like a hospital room, but like a quiet corner of home. Ruby sat on the edge of Milo’s bed, her hand resting gently on his knee over the blanket. Julian leaned against the wall beside the window, arms crossed but his eyes full of calm warmth. Karl sat on the floor, legs crossed, picking at crumbs while Adrian stood quietly near Milo’s head, ever watchful.
They started talking about what to do next — about how Milo shouldn’t be alone, not for a single night, until he was stronger.
"We’ll take turns each day," Ruby said, and everyone nodded in agreement. Milo felt touched, though he didn’t want to trouble anyone because of him.
"Wife..." he said softly, his voice a little hoarse but firm. "Brother Adi and you... you both have so much work. You can’t waste your time staying here for me. I’ll be fine..."
Ruby’s chest tightened at how honest and thoughtful he was, even while lying in a hospital bed. She leaned closer, brushing a bit of hair from his forehead. "It’s not a waste of time, Milo," she said gently but firmly. "You are my family. You are our heart. Nothing is more important than you right now. Not my work. Nothing."
Adrian let out a quiet breath, his deep eyes turning softer. "She’s right," he said, voice low but serious. "We can handle work. You need us more."
Karl, never good at staying quiet, crawled closer to the bed and grabbed Milo’s hand, squeezing it dramatically. "Stop saying silly things! It’s not wasting time! We’d sit here all year if we had to — you dummy!"
"No! Wife and Brother Adi, you’re not going to stop working because of me..." Milo said, his breathing turning messy, and everyone panicked.
"Milo—" Adrian was shocked.
"No..." Milo almost looked like he was about to cry. "Don’t stop work for me or else I’ll feel like a burden..." he said, and finally Ruby and Adrian nodded their heads.
"But at least we can take care of you, right?" Julian asked gently, looking at Milo. "Me and Karl will stay with you and take turns, okay?" he asked with a warm smile.
Milo finally nodded, and because of the medicine they’d given him, he felt drowsy and drifted off to sleep.
—To be continued...🪄