The next day, I was awakened by the loud voices of two people arguing just outside our room. The closed-door did little to muffle their heated discussion, which clearly involved Jonah, as his name came up several times. This indicated that the people arguing were his parents. I had observed this behavior before, only from his father. His mother was usually more understanding and amorous towards her son.

Abruptly, the door swung open, completely disregarding the presence of anyone else in the room.

"Jonah! Mommy is here!"

Nurse Angela entered shortly after them, her cheeks colored with embarrassment due to the thoughtless actions of Jonah's parents.

"Would you please be considerate of the other kids? They're still asleep!"

Jonah's mother spun around to confront Angela, casting a disdainful glance at the nurse before proceeding to Jonah's bedside. Jonah's father remained by the room's entrance, casually leaning against the door frame.

"I'm here, just so you're aware," he said, beginning to bite his fingernails while casting a cryptic glance in my direction.

Feeling a sudden urge to visit the bathroom, I signaled to the nurse for assistance to get out of bed. She quickly came to my aid, her gaze still fixed on Jonah's parents, alert to their every move.

"I would like to try and walk, Miss Angela."

"That's great! It will be a good start for your therapies."

She assisted me to my feet, and after I took three slow, successive steps, my legs started to shake. "I'm right here behind you, Sammy; there's no need to panic."

With a gentle firmness, she lifted me, as if I were as light as a feather, placing me by the bathroom rails.

"You got it from here?"

"Yes, Thank you."

As I steadied myself, the sound of Jonah's parents arguing near his bed filtered through, each pointing fingers at the other for their absence the previous night. This echoed the transformation of the skeleton king into the image of Jonah's father in his nightmare, a figure Jonah vehemently denied as his real father. Whether or not the accusations held any truth, my only wish was for my friend's swift recovery. I hoped he wouldn't miss the fall festival, which was set to begin today.

After pressing the call button on the wall for assistance, I awaited the response. Soon, there were two gentle knocks on the door, signaling that help had arrived. The door swung open, and my father stepped into the bathroom to support me.

"Hey son, I hope you are feeling better."

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"Hi, Dad. Can you hold me while I try to walk?"

"Absolutely."

The recent adventures with my friends altered my perspective on life. Aware of the limited time I had, I no longer let it weigh me down. Instead, my focus shifted to recovering and spending as much quality time as possible with my friends.

After my father helped me back into bed, my mother came over to me. "Good morning, Sammy. What happened to your friend last night? I've heard the nurses talking about him."

"He suddenly fell ill."

She leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a whisper, "I've heard his parents might be causing trouble."

Her comment sparked my curiosity. "What exactly you hear?"

"There are just rumors, sweetie. Nothing you should worry about."

"Jonah's parents left?"

"The nurse had to intervene with them. It's related to the incident involving your friend last night."

Compelled by their concern, I decided to share Jonah's feelings towards his stepfather. "Jonah doesn't get along with him, with his father."

"That's unfortunate. However, those are matters for Jonah's family to address. Your focus should be on your upcoming therapy sessions and enjoying the festival."

I gazed at Jonah's bed, observing him as he slept peacefully. While my parents were getting my wheelchair ready, a nurse came into the room, bringing our breakfast. Recalling how Jonah's stepfather usually stayed close to him around this time, I reached out, grasping my father's hand and drawing him nearer. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything for you, son. What's bothering you?"

"If Jonah's parents come back, can you keep an eye on his stepfather for me?"

"Why? Is there anything wrong?"

"Could you just do that for me? Please?"

"Of course, I will."

The nurse set up a foldable table beside Jonah's bed, placing his breakfast on it before doing the same for Ashley and me. Just as I had anticipated, Jonah's parents returned to his bedside shortly afterward. I tugged at my dad's sleeve as a reminder for him to watch Jonah's stepfather closely.

That's when I saw her for the first time,

As she entered the room, guided by Nurse Angela, she dragged a teddy bear behind her. Her blonde hair and blue eyes cast an almost angelic aura around her. Nurse Angela led her to Jonah's bedside, where she looked upon him with eyes brimming with sorrow, gently taking his hand in hers.

Caught off guard by her presence, I was momentarily lost for words as she navigated the space around Jonah's bed to come closer to me.

"Hi, I'm Amanda. I used to be in the bed you're now using. Jonah is a good friend of mine."

It took a moment for me to collect my thoughts, her smile sparking a whirlwind of emotions inside me. Eventually, I found the courage to respond. "I'm Samuel, and you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

My father, caught off guard by my bold statement, quickly intervened. "He's been a bit out of sorts, especially after what his friend went through. Please, excuse him."

"Why?" Amanda said, "I found his comment flattering. Does he have a date for the festival?"

Without hesitating I immediately agreed. "This afternoon?"

She smiled and immediately replied, "I will be fetching apples. I'll wait for you there."

"You have a deal."

"Amanda, you've made quite the impression. Now, it's time for you to head back to your room." Amanda looked back at me, offering an angelic smile that lingered in my memory. She waved goodbye as she exited our room, leaving a lasting impression.

My father, clearly surprised by the interaction between Amanda and me, shared his perspective. "Son, don't you think you're a bit young to be thinking about dating?"

Entering the discussion with a light tap on my father's arm, my mother interrupted. "Ray! Let him enjoy the company of his new friend. I'm perfectly fine with him going on a date with a girl his age."

What I felt that morning was beyond words. A smile would spontaneously appear on my face whenever I thought about her, filling me with an indescribable sense of happiness.