Probation [edit: or release]

If hospital is a prison, Kenji is out on probation.

"Why is papa coming home just for one testing night? I want him to be home 
for lots and lots of nights." Little Brother speaks up his mind. And apparently there are many why's on his mind. "Why are grandpa and grandma coming? 
Why does papa need to go back to the hospital? What is happening tomorrow?"

I explain that papa and mama have an appointment with the doctor. Maybe we can convince him to let papa return home. "Can I come too?", Big Brother asks. "And me?", adds Little Brother. Our two mini diplomats would be more than happy to plead papa's case.

"It is grandpa and grandma time already?" Little Brother cannot shake off the feeling of having to say good-bye to papa again. Neither can the rest of us. I sense how my calm could benefit us all: being fully in the present moment and celebrating the reunion of our family, instead of anticipating tomorrow's events. Little Brother gets his first lesson in mindfulness; I tell him to focus on "now" only.

Yet at night I lie awake. A heavy brick of fear is pressing on my chest: "What is happening tomorrow?"

[Edit] I handed in the boys' petition and the doctor accepted it with a smile. After an intense hospital month in which Kenji showed über magnificent fighting skills, Kenji was discharged for real this afternoon. Even though we're nowhere near recovery, I want to shout the news from the rooftops: Kenji is home! HOME!