Galen was in stable condition. His fever had subsided, and the little boy seemed unchanged. Alexander didn't mention the symbiote to Austin; he was still perplexed by it himself. Besides, Dominic might bring it up upon regaining consciousness, so Alexander wasn't in a hurry.
He carried Galen back to the room and laid him on the bed. After removing Galen's clothes, he wrapped him in a blanket. Subtly lifting Galen's sleeve, he carefully examined his arms, then his chest, back, and private parts. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He saw nothing like Dominic's arm markings on Galen. He hoped Dominic was a unique case and that Galen would remain unaffected. Still, Alexander felt uneasy.
Lately, he'd had little time with Galen. He'd placed Galen under Dominic's care for safety, but hadn't anticipated accidents happening here. If anything worse had befallen Galen, Alexander didn't know if he could bear it.
In that moment, he understood Mike's declaration of doing anything for his son. Only those in similar circumstances could truly comprehend such devotion. Alexander would willingly sacrifice his life for Galen's safety and well-being.
He held Galen's tiny hand, hoping for a swift recovery. He prayed Galen's illness was simply a common fever, not something viral, symbiotic, or extraterrestrial.
After a while, Alexander tucked Galen's hand back under the blanket and felt Galen's forehead. It felt normal, so he left and went to the balcony.
Austin had previously destroyed the balcony of another room during his infection; Dominic later had it repaired. The balcony was now enclosed, offering no breeze even while standing there. The warmth from beyond the glass was noticeable on sunny days, but today's overcast sky and heavy clouds cast a gloomy pall. Alexander retrieved his phone and made calls to address his company work, then called Mike.
Mike answered promptly. Initially surprised, he quickly grasped the reason for the call. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of—"
"Mike," Alexander interrupted.
Mike was startled. "Yeah?"
"Have you heard any news about your son?" Alexander asked abruptly.
Mike was momentarily speechless, then replied in a low voice, "Not yet."
"I have some news. Want to hear it?" Alexander held his phone in one hand, the other pressed against the window, leaning back, his eyes narrowed.
"What news?" Mike's voice was thick with emotion. "Did you find him? Where is he? Do you have enough people to rescue him? I'll send my men—"
"I just heard something. Do you want to hear it or not?" Alexander rubbed his temples. He'd anticipated Mike's emotion, but not this intensity.
Throughout Alexander's acquaintance with him, Mike had been calm and rational, decisive in his actions. Their collaboration had been exemplary. Yet, Mike's emotional responses seemed to intensify daily. Children certainly had a profound impact on their parents.