Not going to make it through the summer. Through the summer. It was
already the end of June! Mathew wouldn't be ready to let go of
Kumajiro in a few months. He was his son; he would never be ready to
let him go!
"Does he know?" he asked, fighting back tears.
The doctor shook his head. Matthew sighed and began to wipe off tears.
The doctor, feeling sorry for the young father, tried to give him some
hope.
"You should bring him to Nunavut, he'd be safer there. If he can
survive until next winter he'll be fine."
Mathew nodded, wiped his eyes and entered the room they had placed
his son in. He wrapped his arms around his son and held him tight to
his chest.
"Dad!" exclaimed the boy who appeared to be twelve years old.
"You scared me." whispered Mathew.
"I'm sorry." mumbled his son.
Mathew could tell that his son was embarrassed but he didn't care! All
that mattered was that his Kumajiro was here with him now and he decided
that he would do everything he could to keep it that way.
"Let's go home."
The nurse set Kumajiro up in the back seat of the car, wearing only
his boxers, and covered him in ice. The boy was blushing the whole
time. Mathew would have teased him about it but he was too exhausted.
After putting his son to bed, Mathew cried himself to sleep.