Drew and you were lying in bed. It was already past midnight. You were both exhausted from the long day because Liam, your 4-year-old son, was sick with the flu. But now you could finally try to fall asleep. Drew’s arm was draped over your waist, your head resting under his chin like every night. The feeling of warmth and safety wrapped around you.

Drew was asleep, but you were only half-asleep. Even after the exhausting day, you still wanted to take care of Liam. You were worried about him because of his flu.

Eventually, you drifted into a light sleep. Your mind was still ready to go to Liam if he needed anything. Then you woke up because of a soft whimper you heard through the baby monitor.

You got up and made your way to Liam’s room. When you opened the door, you saw his small frame, but when you turned on his night lamp, he looked at you. Not like usual, but as if he was feeling something he couldn’t quite understand.

You reached out to touch his forehead to check if his fever had risen. And it had. His forehead was warm and sweaty. Something felt very wrong. You called for Drew to come. As he approached the doorframe of Liam’s room, something happened.

Liam’s whole body suddenly went stiff, completely. Every muscle in his body tensed. Drew came immediately to you and knelt down beside you. A wave of shock ran through your bodies.

“Liam?” you exclaimed in a panicked voice. You wanted to touch him, maybe comfort him, but you held back and waited to see what would happen next.

And just like that, Liam’s entire body began to shake. Every muscle contracted and relaxed rapidly. His eyes were open but staring blankly. You tried to speak to him, but he didn’t respond. You wanted to touch him, but you knew it could only make things worse.

Tears filled your eyes. Drew tried to comfort you, but it didn’t help. Your full focus was on Liam, hoping the shaking would stop.

After a few minutes, it ended. Drew checked Liam’s breathing. You tried to bring him back to reality.

“Where am I?” he asked in a weak, quiet voice. “What happened?”

You tried to explain what had just happened, but he didn’t seem to understand. He didn’t recognize anything about his seizure. But Drew and you knew exactly what had occurred.

“Hey, bud. Everything’s alright. You’re safe,” Drew answered. His voice still carried a hint of fear, though he tried to hide it.

Liam lay back in his bed, very tired, and soon drifted off to sleep, his breathing slow but uneven. You sat on the edge, hands trembling, while Drew knelt beside you.

“I can’t believe that happened,” you whispered, tears rolling down your cheeks.

Drew squeezed your hand. “We can’t worry so much. We’ll take him to the doctor tomorrow. He’s safe now.”

You leaned against him, all three of you silent, fragile and exhausted, bound by fear and love.