Nathan's POV
After telling my parents all the details Dr Leichh had given me, I could see the shock, heartbreak, and horror on their faces. Mum covered her mouth as she let out a cry, tears streaming down her face. My dad quickly pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back soothingly as she continued to sob.
I sat beside her and rubbed her arms, trying to comfort her."It's alright, Mum. We'll figure it out. We'll make sure Melly gets into that clinical trial. We'll sort out the cost—it's not impossible."
She let out a gut-wrenching scream, the kind only a parent could make when their child is suffering."Where are we going to get that kind of money so soon? How can she only have a few months left? She looked so healthy when I saw her on Thursday! Why is this happening to my precious little girl? All I wanted was for the both of you to be healthy. Why didn't this happen to me?"
Dad tried to hold back his tears but failed."It's alright, love. We'll make sure everything gets sorted. Our little girl will be okay, and in a few years we'll look back on this as a distant memory. It is a lot of money, but we'll go to the bank about a loan. I'll also speak to my parents again to see if they can help."
Looking into his eyes, I could see he didn't believe his own words. My stomach turned. My grandparents hadn't helped when Melly was first diagnosed. We hadn't seen them in years, and they never reached out either. They weren't obscenely wealthy, but they owned several properties and had substantial savings.
When my dad finally set aside his pride and begged them for help, they turned him away. Even then, he hadn't shut the door on them. He'd asked if they still wanted to stay in contact with Melly and me—but they declined. We'd never been close, but we'd seen them during holidays.
All I could think about was that day: Dad bowing down to them on the cold brick path, begging, while I did the same, scraping my knees and palms. Their expressions only twisted in disgust as they turned their noses up at us. I suppose they saw us as failures—not worth the investment. Dad's older brother was a C-class esper, poised to inherit the family business. They had already given up on Dad.
My heart ached at the thought of them having to grovel again. Though we were related by blood, I truly believed I had no grandparents.
I cleared my throat and said, "It'll be alright. I'll go see if I can get a loan now. Working at the Association boosts my credit score, and I get a discount on the interest as well."
Dad cried out, panic in his eyes."No! We don't want the debt in your name. You've already been helping us pay off ours. If you take on more, your life will be as good as over! At least if the debt stays with us, it dies with us."
Mum, still crying, nodded in agreement."Do not get a loan. I swear to God I'll die of shame if you go into debt. You won't be able to pay it off, and it'll follow you for the rest of your life! We're older—if we die, the debt dies with us. You are NOT allowed to take it on."
Seeing the desperation in her eyes, I tried to reason with her."Melly's my sister too. There's a chance she could be permanently cured! How can I just do nothing?"
She grabbed my arms tightly, her voice cracking with desperation."You have no savings. Everything you make goes to help us pay off debt and rent. You should be enjoying your youth, going to uni, having the time of your life—not doing hard manual labour from the moment you were able to work. My heart has already broken several times... please don't let this be another. Please, promise me."
I hugged her, tears spilling down my cheeks."I promise," I whispered, my voice choked. "But helping has never been a burden. I love my family more than anything, and I'll always do whatever I can."
Dad looked heartbroken and guilty but relieved. He gave me a soft smile and patted my head."We love you so much. We've been terrible parents the last few years, relying on you far too much. This one thing—passing the burden of loans onto you—it would destroy us. You deserve better parents, and a better life... not this."
He glanced around the small, worn-down apartment. I smiled."It doesn't matter where we are. Home is where family is. I wouldn't trade having amazing parents for anything. We'll make it through this."
We stayed in that hug for a while, letting out all the emotion that had been bottled up.
Eventually, cried out and with my eyes sore from all the tears, I stood up from the couch."I think we should see how much more the bank could offer on top of your current loan. I won't get one myself, but I can help pay it off. Honestly, Dad, I don't think your parents are going to help. Might be best not to try."
He looked disappointed, but I could see he already knew.
"We still have some time," I continued. "Let's look at different banks too, see if we can refinance or get a new loan altogether. But absolutely no loan sharks—we can't add fear on top of all this stress. I'll also check if I can take on extra shifts at the Association. That should help a little."
They nodded, and Mum added tearfully,"But promise you won't work yourself into an early grave. We won't make any decisions without telling you. No rushing into anything."
Feeling a bit lighter, I nodded."I'll tell the doctor we're going ahead with the trial—we just need time to pull together the money."
With the decision made, we all felt a little calmer, like we finally had a direction. We returned to the familiar rhythm of our lives, cooking dinner together in the kitchen. It wasn't quite like when I was a kid—cabbage was more frequent now because of the price, and meat was too expensive—but it was still a home-cooked meal. To me, it tasted like the best food in the world.
I was happiest when I was with my family. They were amazing and hard-working—willing to make any sacrifice for their children. But they couldn't help tearing up whenever someone made a sacrifice for them.