When I arrived at the hospital room, I asked the nurse for a set of cleaning supplies and knelt on the floor, scrubbing it piece by piece. Alf was too young to be exposed to any bacteria. I busied myself to numb the pain, cleaning the floors, windows, and tables. I even mopped the entire floor of the ward.

Beyond that, I didn't know what else to do. After an entire day and night of this relentless work, I finally felt a twinge of exhaustion, sitting by Alf’s bed with my head bowed, gasping in distress.

At that moment, two people walked in. It was Ethan and Hannah! Lara had...