Galaxy Fam

A Sick Boy And His Mama

Cyrus woke up, sweaty. He wasn't feeling too great, but still wanted to go to school; until his mother stopped him in the hallway and could immediately tell something was wrong. She kissed him on the forehead, and that's all she needed to figure it out. She picked him up, and put him back in his bed, causing him to roll his eyes. "Mom, I'm not Riley. I'm almost 18 and you didn't need to do that." He coughed. Night pulled the comforter over him, and fluffed his pillow. "Nonsense, my little eclipse. No matter how old you get you'll always be my baby boy. I'll be back with your medicine, so hang tight." And she left the room, leaving the feverish sun printed pajama clad teen to stare at the wall. Night returned with liquid Tylenol, water, and an ice pack. Cyrus took the small cap, letting the gross liquid slide down his throat, making a face of pure and utter disgust as it did. He gagged, then grabbed the water from his mother, drinking it greedily. "Slow down, cowboy. You'll choke." Cyrus crossed his arms. "I'd rather choke and die then be given that shit again." Night ruffled his hair, giggling. "Not on my watch, so be prepared for another dose in a few hours."

Cyrus groaned, and blinked. "You're not going to work today?" Night stared at her son blankly. "I knew you were sick since yesterday, my sweet eclipse. Mama's intuition, so I took off. Now rest, okay?" Night left again, and the boy drifted into sweet slumber.

Cyrus woke up two hours later, nauseous. The feeling overwhelmed him to the point where he couldn't even make it out of bed and puked all over himself and his sheets. Night rushed in the moment she heard Cyrus from down the hall and looked at how sickly the boy was. "My poor baby.." she muttered at the sight. Cyrus whimpered, clutching his stomach. Night knew that look. She scooped him up, one arm under his legs, and the other under his upper back, carrying him to the bathroom. There, he threw up in the toilet until the nausea stopped. As he was doing that, Night replaced his bedding, and threw the vomit covered set in the wash. Night re-entered the bathroom to see her son sitting by the toilet, mouth still dripping with vomit. She sighed before wiping his face and starting a bath for him. "Take a cold bath, buddy. I'll go get your pajamas and meds ready."

"Mama, wait..."
Night stopped in her tracks.
"Stay..."
"Okay baby boy, I'll be right next to the shower curtain if you need me."

Cyrus' child-like personality stemmed from trauma, and Night knew that, but the clinginess part of that really shone through when he was ill.

After he stepped into the bath and closed the curtain, the boy allowed himself to begin sinking into the water. Once the bath was over, he wrapped himself up in a towel, and allowed Night to walk him back to his room where she handed him his Funtime Freddy shirt and star print pajama pants before leaving so he could have his privacy. Once Cyrus was changed into his pajamas, he walked into the living room, and put his head on his mother's lap. Night stroked his hair, humming as she did. Cyrus felt drowsy, and allowed his eyelids to droop. Soon, he was out like a light, and Night carried him back to bed, before tucking him in. She knew he hasn't been sleeping right, so she was hoping that trick she had done in the living room would work.

"Get well soon, my little night light." She whispered before closing the door behind her.

Night had been monitoring her son all day, satisfied when his fever finally broke. Cyrus was sitting in his bed when she walked in with another dose of Tylenol  and chicken noodle soup on a tray. "Hey sweet boy, you alright?" Cyrus nodded at his mother's question before taking the Tylenol and drowning the taste in soup.  But she could tell something was bothering him. Night sat next to her son, giving his hand a squeeze. He looked at her. " why did you take care of me today? I'm almost an adult and I can handle myself." He asked, tears in his eyes.

"in the eyes of the law, in the eyes of the foster care system, and even in the eyes of society you may be an adult or almost one, but in my eyes you'll always be my baby boy. In my eyes you are a sick child who just needs his mother's care. Just because you're 17 doesn't mean I'll ever stop taking care of you, baby boy."

Those words caused Cyrus to sob, and Night rocked him.

For years, Cyrus had wanted to find his place in the world, his permanent family. And the moment he turned 16 was when he knew he found it. That was almost 2 years ago, and this moment solidified that he found his true mother.

NightBear15