It has been MONTHS since I last updated. Like, I swear, I thought I updated this two weeks ago and it has actually been about two-almost-three months. And there are other reasons for that too which I will sort of delve into at the end for the people who actually care.

Anyways, enjoy this sweet chapter :)


Photo #108: Dr. Kaden

It takes Eadlyn a second to think on this next photo because she doesn't believe that it actually happened. It has her father lying in his bed but sitting up against the bed frame. He looks sick which is the part that Eadlyn can't believe. She doesn't remember the day in the photo nor does she even remember a day where her father was sick. She didn't think her father took sick days simply because he was her father. She has seen him burnt out, yes, but never sick with something like the cold or flu.

Which begs the question as to why there's a photo of his one sick day on the wall? Was it to acknowledge the one day her father was sick? That's a sadistic reason but it completely makes sense. Might as well show that it's actually possible.

Then, Eadlyn looks and sees a small Kaden at his father's bedside, dressed like a doctor and pretending to heal their father. Seeing that makes Eadlyn's heart melt. Her brother was so cute back in the days when he was pretending to be different careers. Kaden could be anything he wanted to be and, at that moment in time, he wanted to be a doctor.

-o-

Kaden places a toy stethoscope on Maxon's chest and listens to a heartbeat. To play along with his son's gag and to avoid a 'no found heartbeat you're actually dead' situation, Maxon taps the side of his ribcage away from Kaden so that he will at least hear some faint sounding vibrations. Kaden nods, removing the stethoscope from his head and scribbling something down on a notepad with a bright crayon.

"I think you're getting better," Kaden states happily.

"Nice," Maxon replies, coughing a little.

Kaden looks up from his notepad with concern on his face. "Did you gargle the salt water I told you to?"

Maxon nods. "I did."

"And?"

"I felt like I was drowning in the ocean."

Kaden laughs a little which makes his father happy. Maxon could even tell by the crinkles in the corners of Kaden's eyes that he's smiling underneath his doctor's mouth mask. Despite the castle's medical staff actually visiting Maxon and giving him checkups and medicine, he likes it when Kaden actually makes an effort to try and heal him. He loves seeing Kaden's interest in medicine and helping people, especially with his small attempts at actual medical practices.

Then, Kaden takes out a small plastic hammer from his little medical bag and starts to tap his father's elbow. Maxon's eyebrows wrinkle a little out of confusion, making wonder if he called Kaden's medical practices well too early. He doesn't remember his actual doctors using this nor does he really see the point of this test. Maxon should've questioned the toy hammer first, but is glad that Kaden isn't using a real hammer.

"What's that for?" Maxon asks.

Kaden shrugs. "That's what the doctors in my cartoons do. Apparently, their arms are supposed to shoot out."

"You mean like this?"

Instantly, Maxon leans forwards and stretches out to tickle Kaden. Kaden squirms and squeals which is a sound that brings Maxon the most joy ever: the sound of pure and innocent child amusement. Those who say laughter is the best medicine have nothing against pharmaceuticals when it comes to this type of remedy.

Then, Maxon and Kaden simmer down, prompting Kaden to go back to being the role of a doctor.

"Good news, Daddy, you won't be needing any acupuncture," Kaden says.

Maxon is taken aback for a second, unaware that acupuncture was even an option for this appointment. There would have been way more questions if Kaden pulled out some needles, regardless if they're toys or not. If they were real and Maxon actually needed acupuncture, that would've been an even bigger problem.

Maxon actually sighs out of relief. "Thank god."

"I think that will be all for today's appointment."

"Well, thank you, Dr. Kaden."

"Wait, I'll write you a prescription first."

Kaden takes out a small sheet of paper and starts scribbling on that with a crayon. Maxon waits patiently for Kaden to finish and takes the prescription when Kaden rips it from the stack. Maxon looks at it and first notices that it somehow has Illéa's official royal seal at the bottom. Unsure of how that got there, at least Maxon knows that this prescription is legitimate.

Kaden is only six-years-old and his penmanship isn't the best, but at least it matches the 'doctors can't write neatly' cliché.

"Give hugs, not drugs," Maxon reads on the prescription paper.

When Maxon looks up, Kaden climbs on his father's bed and gives him a hug. Maxon hugs him back tightly before releasing him. Despite Kaden wearing a doctor's mouth mask, he doesn't want to spread his sickness onto him.

"Here's your reward," Kaden says.

Kaden sticks a lollipop in Maxon's mouth. Not expecting that, Maxon muffles a thanks as Kaden makes his way out. On his way, Kaden walks by his mother who stands at the doorway with Maxon's camera in her hands, ruffling his hair on the way out. She definitely caught this moment but Maxon's curious as to how much of that she saw.

"What did the doctor say?" America asks as she walks in the room.

Maxon opens his arms for a hug from her. "Give hugs, not drugs." He waves her over. "Doctor's orders."

Tempted by the offer, America shakes her head. "Sorry, dear, gotta stay healthy."


You don't have to read the postface below. It's just me explaining myself.

As much as I love writing this story, it's hard. Unlike my other stories, this one has no real plot but a premise. You'd think that it'd be easier to write a one-shot collection but it's really not. The thing is that I have so many ideas for this story. Looking at my list right now, I have around 50 ideas. And I do plan to write them but, sometimes, I'm just not in the mood to write the idea that is at the top of that list or any idea on the list in a given moment in time. That's one of the reasons why I removed the 'stay tuned' part at the end of the chapters because I don't even know what chapter will be next and I don't want to force myself to write a certain idea because then it will be awful. For instance, this chapter was supposed to be one about America's pregnancy because, at the time I wrote that idea down, I was in a pregnancy writing mood. But then, I wasn't. Even for this chapter, I planned out the scene a long time ago and whatnot but lost interest for a while.

There are more reasons why I haven't been updating like my other stories and school, but the one above is the main reason pertaining to this story.

So, thank you to the people who are still here or who just got here. I have all of the ideas you guys gave me somewhere on my list or in my collection of memo notes. Continue to give me ideas if you have any or just tell me how you all have been if you want.

And thanks to the people who actually read what I wrote above :)