I Am Not A Poor Daddy

20

Sara woke up in the middle of the night feeling restless. The room was quiet, but suddenly a weak groan came from Dinda's room. Her instincts immediately told her to get up and check on her daughter. With quick steps, Sara headed to Dinda's room, and when she approached the small bed, she saw Dinda's face sweating and looking restless in her sleep. 

 "Dinda?" Sara called softly, trying to wake her daughter who looked disturbed in her sleep. 

 However, Dinda only groaned softly, her small body writhing restlessly. Sara felt her heart sink in worry. When she touched Dinda's forehead, she was surprised to find her daughter's body very hot. The heat was so high that Sara pulled her hand away quickly as if stung. 

 "Oh my God ...," Sara muttered, her heart pounding. Panic immediately surged in her chest. She knew this was no ordinary fever. Without thinking, she immediately grabbed her cell phone, called the driver to get ready, and carefully carried Dinda, whose body felt increasingly heavy. 

 "Come on honey, let's go to the hospital," Sara whispered, trying to calm herself as she rushed out of the house. 

  On the way to the hospital, Sara couldn’t stop thinking about what could have gone wrong. Dinda was everything to her, and seeing her daughter sick like this made guilt creep into her heart. Was she too busy with her plans with Rendy that she neglected Dinda’s health? Those questions swirled in her mind, but she tried to stay calm. 

 When they arrived at the hospital, the nurse immediately took Dinda to the treatment room. Sara could only stand aside, watching the medical team work quickly, while her heart felt like it was breaking every time Dinda groaned weakly in bed. 

 “How is she, Doctor?” Sara asked with a trembling voice when a doctor approached her. 

 “We’ll run some tests, Ma’am. It looks like Dinda has a high fever due to an infection, but we’ll confirm the diagnosis,” the doctor answered calmly. 

 Sara could only nod, feeling helpless at times like this. She sat on a chair in the waiting room, hoping and praying that everything would be okay. 

 Sara sat in the hospital waiting room with a feeling of anxiety that continued to gnaw at her. Her heartbeat felt faster than usual, and her gaze occasionally shifted to the door of the examination room where Dinda was being examined by the doctor. Time seemed to slow down, every minute felt like hours. 

 Not long after, the doctor came out of the examination room, and Sara immediately got up, looking at him with both hope and fear. The doctor walked over, wearing a calm and professional expression. 

 “Mrs. Sara?” the doctor asked, making sure that he was talking to the patient’s parents. 

 “Yes, Doctor. How is Dinda?” Sara asked quickly, her tone full of anxiety. 

 The doctor smiled thinly, trying to reassure her. “Dinda has a high fever which is most likely caused by an infection. We have given her medicine to reduce her fever, but we need to do some further tests tomorrow morning to determine the exact cause.” 

 Sara felt her body shaking slightly, but she tried to calm herself down. “So… what should we do now?” she asked, her voice shaking. 

 “We recommend that Dinda be hospitalized tonight so that we can monitor her condition more closely and prepare for tomorrow’s examination. This will also ensure that she gets the best care if there is a sudden change in her condition.” 

 Sara nodded quickly, even though her heart felt heavy. “Okay, Doctor. Whatever is best for Dinda.”

 The doctor smiled softly again. “We will prepare her room. You can stay with her all night, and our team will be on standby if you need anything.”

 After the doctor left, Sara sat back in her chair, waiting for Dinda to be transferred to the inpatient room. Her mind wandered, imagining the worst possibilities, even though she tried her best not to get carried away by fear.

 When Dinda was finally taken to the inpatient room, Sara walked beside her daughter’s bed, holding Dinda’s small hand that felt so weak. Seeing her daughter lying with an IV line in her arm made Sara’s heartache. She felt guilty as if she had neglected something important.

 She sat on the chair beside the bed, her eyes continuing to watch Dinda who was still sleeping soundly after being given a sedative. Tears slowly welled up in the corners of her eyes, but Sara quickly wiped them away. “I can’t cry in front of you, Dinda… I have to be strong for you,” she whispered softly.

 That night, Sara decided not to close her eyes even a little. She will remain guarded by Dinda's side, waiting until morning comes and hoping for good news from the doctor.

 The night was getting late, and the hospital room felt so quiet, only accompanied by the soft sound of the monitor machine monitoring Dinda's condition. Sara, who was sitting beside her daughter's bed, continued to watch anxiously. Dinda's small body occasionally shivered under the thick blanket, and cold sweat still wet her forehead.