I was a bit stunned, but I grasped her meaning. She suggested that once Loak fully recovered, she would take over caring for my father.

Anya quickly explained, "I've taken care of Mr. Rory before. I can handle it, and I want to take care of him."

Grateful, I squeezed her hand and nodded. "Of course. When Loak gets better, you'll look after him, but you still need to keep up with school."

Anya nodded earnestly. "I will."

Loak, though still pale, smiled sincerely.

"Let's take a moment before going in. Don’t exhaust yourselves too much. I’ll just go in and check on my dad first,” I informed the doctor.

Then, accompanied by Lauren, I entered my father's room. He was already awake, with a nurse checking his blood pressure.

As he saw me enter with Lauren, he greeted her with a smile, "Hello."

Lauren quickly walked to the bedside. "Hello, Uncle Rory."

After the nurse finished, I gently rocked my father's bed. He sat up slightly, looking at us.

"Dad, this is my best friend, Lauren. S