Chapter 24

Fahnareeh wiped her tears with the back of her tiny hand, her breathing still shaky as she slowly loosened her grip around Becky’s neck. Becky gently set her down on her feet making sure her daughter was steady before letting go.

“Good girl,” Becky whispered softly brushing Fahnareeh’s hair away from her damp cheeks. “Mommy is right here.”

“Rox…” Becky called him gently. “Look at Mommy.”

He slowly lifted his face. His eyes were red and glossy, his eyelashes clumped together from tears.

“Mommy…” his voice broke. “I don’t want to get prick. Mommy, can you replace me?”

“No.”

Fosbein looked at Freen. “Daddy, can you replace me?”

Freen crouched beside Becky. She wiped Fosbein’s cheeks. “”Daddy can’t replace you. It’s for little kids like you.”

“I’m a big boy.”

“Okay. Then, prove to daddy and mommy that you are a big boy. Go to the doctor to get a prick.”

Fosbein pouted his cheeks.

Becky chuckle. She seemed to see Freen’s sullen reaction with pouted cheeks.

“Mommy, don’t laugh at me!,” said Fosbein.

Fastian was still standing while hugging Freen. He just keep himself silent.

“Freen, take Fosbein to the doctor. I’ll handle them both first.”

“Okay,” Freen then kissed Becky’s cheek and handed Fastian to her. “Stay with your mommy. Daddy need to handle your phi.”

Freen took Fosbein, who had started crying again, to the doctor.

“Hold him tight, Freen,” said Becky.

The soft sound of the medical wrapper being torn open made Fosbein flinch instantly. He buried his face into Freen’s stomach.

“No… no… no…” he mumbled repeatedly, shaking his head harshly.

Becky’s heart squeezed painfully at the sight. She wanted to protect him from everything in this world  even from something as small as this. But she knew this was part of the triplets growing up.

“Rox,” Freen said gently but firmly, placing her hand on his cheek and guiding his face up again. “You said you’re a big boy, right? Prove it to daddy and mommy now.”

He sniffed loudly.

“Big boys can be scared,” she continued softly, wiping his tears with her thumb. “But they still do it anyway. Are you a big boy or still a baby?”

“I’m a big boy,” Fosbein lips trembled again.

“Turn your face to the doctor,” said Freen. Fosbein looked up at the Doctor’s face. “It’s scary.”

Freen decided to close his eyes with one hand. “Daddy will close your eyes. Imagine you are not here but in a fun place,” Freen persuaded him with words.

Fastian and Fahnareeh were watching silently now. Dr. Sea approached gently.

“Okay, brave boy. Just one quick poke.”

Fosbein shook his head rapidly. “No! It will hurt! I don’t want to die! I want to stay with mommy and daddy!”

“You won’t die,” Fastian suddenly said from behind Becky, he trying to sound wise. “Doctor didn’t kill you. Doctor save us.”

Becky almost laughed when heard Fastian said it.

Dr. Sea cleaned his arm with cotton. The cold alcohol made him gasp.

“It’s cold!” Fosbein squeaked.

“Just cold. Not pain,” Freen reassured,

“On three,” Dr. Sea said calmly.

“One…”

Fosbein squeezed Freen’s hand so tightly her knuckles turned pale.

“Two…”

His eyes shut tightly.

“Three.”

A sharp cry pierced the room.

“Daddy!!”

His body jerked slightly but Freen held him steady. Becky immediately stepped closer, stroking his hai and kissing the top of his head.

“It’s done. It’s done. Rox, it’s done,” Becky said quickly.

But he was still crying, more from shock than pain.

“It hurts! It hurts! I don’t like it!”

Dr. Sea placed a small plaster over the injection spot and smiled gently. “All finished.”

Freen looked down at him. “See? Daddy didn’t even let go of you and your mommy beside you when you in pain.”

Fosbein slowly opened his eyes, tears still streaming down his cheeks.

“Finished…?”

“Yes,” Becky nodded firmly, kissing his forehead again. “You amazing, my boy.”

He blinked.

Then, after a few seconds, his crying softened into sniffles.

He went towards Fastian. “Look, I’m a strong boy.”

“Shut up!,”

Fahnareeh approached Fosbein. her tears forgotten for a moment. “Pain?”

Fosbein pouted dramatically. “Little bit.”

“Next?” Dr. Sea asked while look at Fastian and Fahnareeh.

Fastian and Fahnareeh froze at the same time.

“Round two was coming,” Becky murmured.

“Let me handle them all,” said Freen. “All this time you’ve been handling their drama when checking up.”

“You will not be able to handle our daughter.”

“You underestimate me,” Freen replied in a calm.

“No. It’s a fact,” said Becky. She took Fastian and handed it to Freen.”Be careful with his hands, Freen.”

Freen was surprised at how quickly Becky handed Fastian to her without Fastian rebel.

“No,” Fastian whispered weakly, his voice trembling near her ear. “I don’t want.”

Becky stroked his back slowly and reassuringly, her palm moving in gentle circles as if she could physically smooth away his fear. “You were the one who told your phi that the doctor won’t kill him,” she reminded him softly.

Fastian froze at that, his body stiffening as his own brave words came back to confront him.

Fosbein crossed his arms proudly, the tiny plaster on his arm still freshly pressed against his skin like a medal of honor he had just earned. “Yes,” he declared confidently. “You say doctor save us.”

Fastian shot Fosbein a sharp glare “I was helping you,” he muttered defensively.

Fahnareeh tilted her head slightly, her expression innocent but her words sharp. “Now help yourself.”

Becky had to press her lips tightly together to stop herself from laughing at the perfect timing of that comment, her shoulders trembling just slightly.

Dr. Sea who had remained incredibly patient throughout the entire emotional rollercoaster adjusted his gloves carefully and offered a warm, understanding smile. “Who’s next?” she asked gently. “The wise one?”

Fastian immediately buried his face deeper into Freen’s shoulder as though hiding might somehow make him invisible.

Freen stepped forward without hesitation and cradling him securely against her chest.

“No!” Fastian protested at once, his fingers grabbing tightly onto Freen’s shirt. “Daddy! I don’t want! Do you don’t love me anymore?!,” Fastian crying hardly.

“Daddy love you. It’s not that hurt, Tian. You already saw your phi did it. Don’t lose to your phi,” explain Freen.

Freen settled down into the chair and positioned Fastian carefully on her lap. She wrapping her arm around his back while holding his small arm steady with the other. She ensuring he felt supported rather than restrained.

Fastian was trembling visibly now, his small body shaking despite his efforts to appear composed.

“Look at me,” Freen said softly, lowering her face slightly to meet his.

He refused at first, stubbornly pressing his lips together.

“Fastian,” Freen called again, this time with quiet firmness.

Slowly and reluctantly, he lifted his watery eyes to meet hers.

“Be a brave boy,”said Freen.

His lower lip began to quiver uncontrollably.

“I don’t want pain,” he whispered, his voice barely steady.

“It will be fast,” Freen assured him calmly. “Faster than your running when mommy calls you for shower,”she tried to make Fastian laugh.

“That’s not true,” Fosbein muttered from the side, still holding onto his pride.

Dr. Sea gently cleaned Fastian’s arm with cotton soaked in alcohol and he flinched immediately at the cold sensation.

“It’s cold!” he gasped.

“Just cold,” Becky reassured him from beside Freen, her fingers brushing gently through his hair in slow.

Fastian looked between both of his parents, searching for reassurance in their eyes.

“On three,” Dr. Sea announced calmly.

“No counting!” Fastian’s tears fell more than before.

Freen almost smiled at that.

“Okay,” Dr. Sea agreed kindly. “No counting.”

Fastian’s breathing became uneven and shaky, and he squeezed Freen’s shirt so tightly that the fabric wrinkled under his tiny fists.

Freen leaned down closer and whispered near his ear, her voice low and steady. “Focus on daddy’s voice. Not the doctor. Just listen to me.”

Fastian gave a faint nod.

“Ahhhh!! Daddyyy!!”

Fastian cry pierced through the room, louder and more desperate than Fosbein’s had been.

Becky immediately leaned in to look at Fastian’s face. “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s done already,” she repeated quickly.

“It hurts!” Fastian cried, tears spilling down rapidly.

Freen murmured softly, holding him close and rocking him gently. “But you did it. You didn’t run.”

Dr. Sea placed the small plaster carefully over the injection site. “All done.”

Fastian continued crying, though it was no longer dramatic.It felt more like wounded pride than unbearable pain.

He sniffed heavily.

Fosbein walked closer and examined the plaster curiously. “Same like mine,” he commented.

“Don’t touch!”

Fahnareeh stepped closer too, her large eyes observing everything carefully.

“Pain?” she asked softly.

Fastian looked at her seriously. “Little bit,” he admitted honestly.

Becky smiled gently at his honesty.

Freen kissed the side of Fastian’s head. “You did better than daddy expected.”

Fastian blinked slowly. “Really?”

“Yes,” Freen nodded firmly.

Gradually, his crying softened into quiet sniffles.

Dr. Sea then shifted his gaze toward the only one left.

Becky saw Doctor Sea’s gaze towards Fahnareeh. “Freen, are you sure you want to handle Nareeh?”

“I can handle it. I don’t think she is not that hard to handle.”