Galen turned and obediently pressed his face against Dominic's hand, remaining motionless. Dominic initially let the child lie on his stomach, then lowered his eyes to look at him. Austin, watching from the sidelines, felt a surge of emotion. He quickly noticed something amiss and stepped forward.

"Mm!" Galen dodged Austin's outstretched hand, afraid of being pulled away. Dominic instinctively wanted to push Austin's hand away, startled by the look in his eyes.

Austin gently pressed his hand against Galen's neck. "Stay still," he said warmly. "Let me have a look." He brushed back the child's hair and pulled down his collar, revealing Galen's neck. Dominic remained still, and Galen, realizing Austin wouldn't pull him away, cooperated.

Austin examined the little one's neck, noticing tiny red dots suggestive of eczema, but not quite. He also saw marks resembling those left by a fever, but finding a definitive diagnosis proved difficult.

"What is it?" Dominic finally asked, his curiosity overcoming him.

"Take a look," Austin replied, his own assessment still uncertain. He moved Galen so Dominic could see. Dominic's initial assessment was that it wasn't severe, but upon closer inspection, his eyes widened. "That's…"

"Do you think it looks like an antibody reaction?" Austin asked tentatively. He'd considered it but remained cautious. The discovery warranted extra precautions. Dominic pondered, lightly rubbing the marks with his fingers. The ticklish sensation made Galen shrink his neck, though he didn't try to escape, seemingly sensing the importance of Dominic's actions.

Dominic rubbed the spot, examined his finger, then leaned closer for a better view. He attempted to grasp Galen's wrist, but the effort proved too much for his tired body, causing him to fall back.

Austin understood his granduncle's intention and quickly picked up Galen, seating him beside Dominic and placing the child's wrist in his palm. "Here, Uncle Dominic. Take a look."

"Hmm," Dominic murmured, gently placing his finger on Galen's wrist. He closed his eyes, appearing to doze. A silence fell, broken only by their breathing. Galen, purely curious, watched with interest, trusting Dominic and believing it to be a game. Austin waited anxiously, aware that Dominic's diagnosis could be a turning point.

The silence stretched. Austin wondered if Dominic had fallen asleep, but then saw his eyes slowly open. "Uncle Dom…" he called out immediately.