It was getting dark, when his family went away. The most of the visitors and patients already left the hospital and the building was silent, and he was alone with Dewey now. Only one lamp illuminated on the night table, beside the bed, it enlightened Dewey's face. His face was vacant, Hal couldn't belive he suffered. His little, seven years old son, who was laying before him, between life and death. He grabbed Dewey's hand in his palm.
„Please, don't leave us." He whispered.
He was just sitting and watching his son for long minutes.
„Sir!" Hal gave a start when he heard a woman's voice behind him.
„Yes?" He rounded on his heels to the nurse who was standing at the door.
„I'm sorry, but the visiting hours expired, you must go home." She said.
„Of course, of course. I will take to home immediately." Hal replied.
He bent above Dewey and kissed him.
„I love you." He whispered to his ears.
He stood up and walked out the room. At the door the nurse smiled at him commiseratingly.
„Don't worry, i will attend to him all night." She said.
Hal looked at him and nodded with tight lips, then he went right on and disappeared at the end of the hallway.

He toke a taxi in front the hospital to go home. His car was wrecked and he felt sort of that he will never drive again. He was sitting in the back-seat of the taxi silently and gazed into space.
„ Is all well, sir?" The driver looked back with updrawn brow.
„No." Hal shook his head.
The man was still driving, he know his passenger wouldn't like to speak. In ten minutes they arrived at his home. The windows were dark, Hal didn't see light inside the house.
He opened the front door softly. The livingroom and the kitchen were songless. He thought his wife and sons went to bed already. He entered the children's room, Malcolm and Reese were in bed. He floped down on the side of the bed where Dewey used to sleep. His bed was as he left in the morning. His cast pyjamas was on the pillow beside his teddy bear wherewith he was sleeping every night.
„Dad?" Malcolm's voice broke the silence.
„I'm here." Hal turned unto him and he stroked his brown hair.
„Has anything happened with Dewey after we went home?" Malcolm asked trustingly, although he knew his father couldn't say any good.
His father shaked his head.
„But he will come to life, won't he?" They heard Reese's voice.
„Yes, it's sure." Hal replied. His speech was comforting, it didn't show that how much he fear it will never eventuate
„Try to sleep! I promise Dewey will be better." He kissed his two son's forehead. „Never fear, I go to see Mom." He said.
He knew his sons probably won't sleep during the night, neither will he, neither of them.

He guessed he will find his wife in bed too, but he was deceived. Lois sat on the bed, the night lamp was on beside her. It seemed he didn't noticed his husband's arrival. Hal sat down beside her and clasped her.
„Why, Hal? Why exactly him? Why our family suffering always?" Lois asked, but she looked at her husband. „He is just a little kid. Why would we rather?"
„Don't talk like that." Hal said but Lois' voice interrupted him.
„Why he have to take our child from us?" She looked up, tears appared in her eyes. „Hal, I can't hack it. I always expected about myself that I'm strong. But no, I wouldn't sustain, if I lose him. If I lose my little. He might dies in the morning."
She hunched up and started to cry, laid her head on Hal's chest.
Her husband couldn't say anything, his throat was tight, he just stroked Lois' back.
„He will wake up. He will be with us again." he said in a dying voice. The tears ran down his face too. They said nothing. The pair was crying while wreathing each other's arms round them.

It was midnight when the engine of the taxi broke the silence of the street. It was glad and reposeful to see the boarding house for Francis, but now he didn't feel anyting like these. After Malcolm phoned him, he packed up immediately and went to the station. But evening fell by the time he arrived.
„It's interesting. You are the second passenger whom I carry here tonight." The taxi driver said. „Few hours ago a man asked the carriage here too. He was pretty depressed."
„Yep." Francis groaned and reached ten dollar to the driver. After that he grabbed his bag and got out the car. He opened the door with his own key and dropped his luggage on the couch.
„Hi son." Francis gave a start and round on his heels. When he come in, he didn't see his father in the dark.
„Hi." Francis greeted and bent down to hug his father.
„It's good to have you here." Hal said and touched his son's shoulder when he sat down.
„What happened? Is Dewey still in the hospital?" He asked.
„Yes." Hal answered and hung his head. „We had an accident in the morning. Dewey collapsed, the ambulance toke hin into the hospital. They operated on him and they could save his life, but…" His voice broke. Francis grasped his hand.
„He is in coma." He groaned out. „It was my fault. Why did I take him with me." His voive touched with emotion.
Francis was just watching his father for moments, then he embraced him.
„Come now, Dad. You couldn't know it." He consoled him.
Hal's tears fell on his son's cloth.
„If he wouldn't have come with me… he would sleep in his bed now. He would be with us." Hal stammered. „If I knew."
Francis didn't want to cry before his father, he would just break him more. Hal was sustained by that his eldest son was on his side. He flubbed any number of stupidity, he really loved him. He sent him to the military academy with the skin of his own teeth years ago.
„How is Mom?" Francis asked, when Hal calmed down and sat back in the chair.
Hal wiped his eyes:
„She cried. But when I came out, she was just sleeping."
„Malcolm and Reese?"
„I tried to set their fears at rest, well, they were embittered too."
„And what did the doctor say? What's the chance of…" Francis choked up for a moment. „ He survive?"
„He has serious internal injuries. And he is in deep coma. So he boded no good." Hal groaned.
They were sitting dumbly for a while, both of them were lost in their mind. Just the chirping of the crickets sounded from outside.
„I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier." Francis said.
Hal just flicked.
„What matter is you are here."
„Go to the bed, Dad, try to sleep." Francis said gently.
„Okay, at least I trying." His father answered.

Francis was laying on the couch and poring on the dark ceiling. When he went to the military school, Dewey was too young, so he didn't spend with him so much time as his other two brother. After all, when he went home on holiday, Dewey loved him this side idolatry same as Malcolm and Reese. In such case, it was required to watching TV at night so that Dewey was sitting in his lap, attended to one of his stories or had a look at his new toy. But it didn't pickle him. He knew his brother didn't deal with him, so at least he did it. Tears brimmed his eyes when he thought of Dewey may die. His little brother who was playing with his toy car happily under the tree at the last Christmas.
„Don't think about like this. He is going to outlast it." He thought and rolled on his side.

Hal lay down on the bed and turned to his wife. Lois was awake and looking at him. They grasped each other's hand. Hal saw in Lois' eyes what she want to say. At the distance of married time, they understood eaxh other without words: „We are getting through it together."