Arriving at her residence, she washed her hands before proceeding to Joe's room.

He lay there, asleep.

But restless.

His damp eyelashes hinted at a previous bout of tears.

Sadness enveloped Camila's face.

She wished the pain could be transferred to her, sparing her son from suffering.

Gently settling beside Joe, Camila lay beside him.

Entering the room with a bowl of warm soup, Rowena whispered, “Drink this before you go to sleep."

Camila obliged, savoring the nourishing soup, before lying down once more.

Rowena exited with the bowl, mindful not to disturb Camila's much-needed rest.

Yet, her sleep remained fitful, repeatedly interrupted by wakefulness.

Waking up for the third time, Camila found herself unable to drift back into slumber. Quietly, she rose from her bed.

Seeing her come out, Rowena sighed.

"Why won't you sleep a little longer?"

Camila's exhaustion weighed heavily on Rowena's heart.

But she couldn't sway Camila's determination regarding Joe's well-being.

If she kept herself occupied, she could perhaps forget about Isaac for a while.

"I must return to the research center," Camila stated firmly.

Resigned, Rowena nodded, aware of her limited influence on the matter.

ALL she could do was diligently care for Joe in Camila's absence.