“Hey, Daniel, cut the act…”
Elaine checked his pulse, noting his temperature was a bit high. Impatiently, she called out to Lyra, “Get a doctor up here for him, will you? I need to find Ludwik…”
But before she could get up, Sammy clung to her weakly, whining, “No, I want mommy to stay with me!”
Elaine looked at him with disdain. This behavior was nothing like Daniel’s typical reticence.
Something was definitely off with this kid.
But she didn’t have time to ponder, as she pried his small hands away.
Sammy, undeterred, cunningly threatened, “Mommy, if you leave me sick like this, wait till daddy finds out. You remember, it was your excuse of my being sick that got me brought to South City in the first place!”
Elaine felt a knot in her stomach, her face turning a shade paler with hesitation.
She couldn’t tell if the kid was really sick or just faking it to mess with her.
But she and Ludwik had been on edge lately over the kids, and leaving Sammy now would only give him more ammunition.
With a sigh, she picked up Sammy, “So you decide to lay on the cold floor? Get on the couch. Lyra, call a few doctors up!”
Sammy smirked, making his way to the living room couch.
Through his earpiece, he heard Danny’s voice, “Sammy, I saw dad carrying mom into their room. They’ve been in there for like ten minutes!”
Although the idea of his deadbeat dad hugging mom irked the protective Sammy.
But if dad was trying to make amends, who was he to interfere?
“Ouch, my stomach suddenly hurts so much!” Sammy began to roll around again in feigned agony.
Elaine, standing by the door, overwhelmed and annoyed, called for the servants, “Quick, hold him down!”
In the other earpiece, Danny’s voice grew anxious, “Sammy, it sounds like dad and mom are fighting in there?”
Sammy paused, confused.
And Danny, crouched by the hotel room door, felt helpless as he could swear he heard mom calling dad ‘shameless’ amid the clatter of items being thrown.
Afraid mom was being hurt by dad, he stood up, unsure, “Should I barge in?”
Of course! Mom might know some moves, but against dad, she stood no chance.
But Sammy couldn’t respond.
Danny, getting no reply, pondered for a moment, “Never mind! Let them fight it out. They say make-up sex is the best, though I don’t get how that works. Best we keep out of grown-up stuff, right? Sammy.”
“…” Sammy was speechless.
Darn Danny, always siding with dad.
He just hoped mom would show dad who’s boss.
Sammy thought bitterly, closing his eyes to continue his wailing.
The doctors, unable to diagnose anything specific, watched as Sammy alternated between dizzy spells and stomach cramps, making a fuss till midnight. Elaine, frustrated yet unable to leave, had Lyra send for Ludwik.
But by dawn, there was still no word from Lyra.
Exhausted, Elaine finally succumbed to sleep in her chair.
Sammy, on the other hand, cracked an eye open, pleased with the chaos he had wrought, especially seeing Elaine worn out. Having sneakily taken a nap earlier, he was now full of energy.
Quietly slipping out of bed, he pressed the earpiece, “Danny? What’s the status with dad and mom?”
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