Devour

I remember doting over his perfect face. I remember feeling like nothing could stop us. What was hard to remember was falling away from that. I know I should let it go, you know? Just forgive him and forget about it.

I can't. I love Ville still, I can't let go of what he did. It's gonna take a lot.

I watched Jacob toss and turn. His angelic face contorted and I could tell he was miserable. He was running a fever of 103. I stood up from my seat on the bed and went to the bathroom to get a towel.

I ran the hand towel under ice cold water until it was soaking wet. I rang the excess water out and returned to the bedroom.

He's been sick since the day before yesterday. The fever hasn't broke once.

"Alice, maybe we should run a cold bath for him." Ville said as he rocked Jacob back and forth. He was hurting as bad as Jacob was.

"Yeah, I'll do that. Wipe his face with this." I said then handed him the cloth. I went into the bathroom and filled the tub with cold water.

"Ville!" I yelled when it was full.

He brought Jacob into the room. I moved out of the way, he laid Jacob in the tub and knelt beside him. His small body shivered and shook.

Ville stood up, he placed his hand on his chin and his face twisted from deep thought.

"We should take him to the emergency room. He's ran this fever for too long." He said as he paced back and forth.

I never said anything for fear that I'd break down crying or show some sort of concern. What time Jacob was awake I tried my best to make him comfortable.

I wrapped Jacob in a blanket and carried him downstairs. Ville grabbed the keys to his rental car and followed me out.

----

"He's never been sick a day in his life, doctor." I pleaded as the doctor continued to degrade my parenting abilities.

"Yeah, well you should have known that if someone has been running a fever for three days something is wrong!" He yelled before pausing to order a nurse in what seemed like a foreign language but it was only the voice of the educated.

The doctor turned back to me and opened his mouth to unleash another onslaught of derogatory words.

"Unless you're getting ready to tell us what the hell is wrong with our son I'd suggest you not say a damn word." Ville said. The doctors eyes became huge. He turned around and carried on about his business.

Your parents raised you like a rose from a field where nothing grows.