Friends and Family always Care

The sound of the pulse-monitor’s sickly song echoed through the silent room, a little boy around the age of nine lay in the bed, hooked up to the monitor, an oxygen mask and an IV. His silver-white hair was tenderly brushed flat to his pale head save for one part on the left side of his head that stuck up naturally, his green eyes were unseen due to being hidden under pale lids, the boy was Roberto Samuel Elante and he was in a coma due to an allergic reaction caused by ingesting eggplant.

(((Several Hours Earlier)))

Roberto laughed happily as he and his friend Geovanni played the newest game that had just come out of the Wii, Geo was really good at the game (due to the fact he’d played the game long before Roberto had come over) but he showed Roberto a few tricks he’d come up with to beat certain levels and to rack up plenty of points before your opponent even knew what was happening. Around 6:00PM Geo’s mother called the boys to the dining room for dinner, a feast greeted the boys as they enter and they quickly heaped their plates full.

However, Fate would test the boys that night without either of them knowing.


Roberto was enjoying the cookies & cream gelato that Geo’s mother had given them when his body felt strange, his breath caught in his throat and he found it difficult to take in air. He gasped out to his friend that he couldn’t breathe, panicked, Geo called for his mother and screamed for her to get help because something was wrong with Roberto.

The boy never knew it however, he collapsed to the floor and lost consciousness immediately after telling Geo he couldn’t breathe. The parents dialed the hospital and they sent paramedics to the house where they found Roberto choking while unconscious, they stabilized him as best they could and rushed him to the hospital while Geo’s mother called Roberto’s parents, Cassie and Illyich, in a state of frightened hysteria.

(((Present time)))

It turned out that Roberto had a severe allergic reaction to eggplant that was in the lasagna served at dinner. The cook had no idea of the boy’s allergy and served it without saying what was in it, the eggplant was also chopped very fine so there was no way of knowing. The doctors who awaited the ambulance at the hospital immediately ordered a stomach pump and did everything they could to keep the boy alive. Cassie and Illyich arrive a minute after their little boy was rushed into the ER, Cassie sat in a chair in the waiting room wringing her hands in fear and praying tearfully that her little baby boy would be alright. Illyich, though a little calmer than his wife, paced restlessly about the floor. His own worry had him contacting the family to be there when the little boy woke up or in case the worst should happen.

Now the little boy had been moved to the ICU for observation, Cassie and Illyich sat at his bedside for a long time. Around 10:30 that night Illyich stood up from his chair, slightly startling his wife.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going get some coffee and some food for us, it may be awhile and you haven’t eaten since noon.”

“I’ll be fine Illy, I…I don’t want to eat until I know our baby’s okay.”

“Mia amata, you know it could be hours before Roberto wakes. You need to eat something to keep up your strength. After all you are the one that gave blood for him.”
Illyich indicated the blood pack that was wired to his son’s left arm, it was indeed his mother’s A⁺ blood that was currently flowing into him. Cassie looked at it and nodded her head.
“Alright, but…I’m staying with him. I don’t want to leave him…”

Illyich nodded his head

“Alright, I’ll get you some food and you can stay with him. If something happens you call me, alright?”

“Okay, don’t be too long.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

Saying that, Illyich left the room and made his way down the hall to the elevator, the silent hall of the 4th floor made him shudder involuntarily, his son was fighting for his life and he couldn’t do anything about it. He was the boy’s father of God sake! When he arrived at the cafeteria he found his sister Ilya and her husband Vincent drinking coffee at a table, seeing her brother Ilya stood up and went to him.


“Any news Illyich?” she asked to which her brother shook his head sadly.

“No, I came to get Cassie some food and a coffee...” he ran a hand through his hair “it’s been a long night…” Ilya nodded and hugged him as if to tell Illyich that it’d be okay, she felt the left shoulder of her shirt becoming wet and held her brother tighter.

In his sister’s embrace, Illyich wept.

~~~~

What seemed like an eternity later but was really only a few minutes, Illyich felt his phone buzz with a text, he handed it to Vincent, not daring to look at what it said. Vincent read the message and gave a cry, startling both Elantes.

“It’s from Cassie! Robbie’s alive! He just woke up!”

Forgetting all about the food or his coffee, Illyich released his sister and ran up to the fourth floor and to his son’s room, throwing open the door, he saw a gift from God. His son’s eyes were open and looking at him, the boy’s hand was held by his tearful mother who had a look of utter relief on her face. Illyich snapped back to reality when his son called to him.

“Dad, what am I doing here? What happened?”

Illyich went to his son’s side and gently kissed his forehead before sitting down beside his wife.

“Son, you had an allergic reaction. You ate something with eggplant and…” he shook his head trying not to break down. “Did Geovanni know? About your allergy I mean?” Roberto nodded and then his face took on a thoughtful look. “Although I don’t think the cook did. See, Geo told his mom and dad that I can’t have eggplant but they might’ve forgotten. It’s not their fault dad, I should’ve told them.”

Illyich shook his head, “I’m not mad at them son, I was just so afraid we lost you. Your mother and I have been here since you were admitted; we’ve never left your side. Your aunts, uncles and grandparents are here too, Aria and Alyssa were here as well but we took them back to the house to sleep for the night, they were so worried about you.” He held his sons hand and fought back tears, Roberto noticed.

“Papa, I’m alright. I’ll never leave you and Mama until I find the girl of my dreams and we marry. But that’s not going to be for another ten to fifteen years from now. I’m not going anywhere, except home, once I’m better and can be let outta here.” Illyich laughed through his tears at what his son had said. The little boy was so strong for his young age, he looked at his wife who was laughing too and he knew then that everything was going to be alright.

~~~~

((Three Days Later))

Roberto stood outside in the sprawling back yard of the mansion where he lived  with his parents, watching his family and several business people including the doctors and nurses from the hospital that helped him recover talk and eat snacks, no one knew that the boy had come down to the party excepted his parents. He took a microphone and spoke into it.

“Excuse me everyone,” the entire crowd of guests stopped talking and turned to see Roberto standing there, dressed in his formal attire and smiling. “I’d like thank all of you for coming and for your well-wishes to me and my family during our difficult time, I’d most like to thank the doctors and nurse that are here today for taking care of me during my stay at the hospital.” He applauded the doctors and nurse along with the rest of the people, before grinning “Okay, enough of me talking. Let’s enjoy ourselves today.” The crowd cheered and many came up to congratulate Roberto on his speedy recover or tell him how much he’d been missed, the boy thanked them each in turn until he saw Geovanni and his parents standing away from everyone. The family seemed nervous and a bit sad, Roberto walked over to Geovanni and smiled.

“Nice of you to make it.”

“G-Glad to be here.”

Well that conversation starter went nowhere, Roberto saw his parents nearby and beckoned them over before turning back to his friend.

“Geo, I don’t blame you or your parents. Neither do mom and dad, can’t we put this thing behind us?”
The other boy looked at Roberto as if he’d grown another head, “How can you forgive me for almost killing you? I’m the worst friend ever for not remembering your allergy! How can you forgive me like that?!”

Roberto shook his head and hugged his friend “It’s because I don’t blame you at all, we’re friends and friends don’t look at each other in a bad way. Geo, I’m here because you called for your mother and she and your dad got me help fast enough so I survived. I thank you mi amico.” Geovanni hugged his friend back and suddenly the cameras of the friends and family flashed at the sweet scene of two friends reconciling.

~~~~
That night at bedtime, Cassie tucked Roberto in bed and his father kissed him good night, the boy then sat up in bed.
“Mom, Dad, are you mad at Geo and his parents?”
Cassie laughed softly and shook her head, Illyich patted his son’s head.
“Son, we’re not mad at them at all. True we were upset with their cook for not asking about your allergy but they are not directly to blame for that. So no, were not mad at your friend.”

Roberto nodded and laid back down in bed, before his parents left the room and closed his door he called out to them. “I love you mom and dad.”

And he meant it.