Baby • mashton [complete]

[11]

Chapter Eleven (Edited July, 2021)

Michael fussed against Derek's arms, briefly pausing to release a string of raspy coughs that hurt his throat. The boy cried, avoiding the tiny cup Derek was holding in his hand. Derek struggled to hold Michael in his arms, almost dropping the boy and the cup multiple times.

"You aren't going to get better if you don't take your medicine," Derek calmly said, trying to still
Michael again

"No want! No want!" Michael cried, his voice almost gone. He spluttered up a few coughs, crying loudly. Stiles came walking quickly into the room, holding a bottle of warm honey water. He quickly unscrewed the lid and gestured to Derek. Derek got the hint, quickly and sneakily pouring the medicine into the water. Stiles placed the lid back on and shook it up before sitting on the couch with the two. Michael fussed, coughing then crying every few seconds.

"Here munchkin, no yucky medicine, just drink your baba," Stiles said softly. Michael sniffled, his sobs dying down a little as he crawled into stiles' lap, laying himself against the man's chest as he tentatively grabbed his bottle and started suckling down the warm water. Once the familiar, disgusting taste of cherry medicine mixed with honey water hit his tongue, Michael started wailing again, throwing the bottle across the room. Derek and stiles sighed in exasperation, staring at the wailing boy.

"Okay Lovebug, let's take your temperature again. Sit up for me," Derek said as he grabbed the thermometer from the coffee table. Michael hiccuped and sniffled as he sat up stiles' lap, opening his mouth. Derek placed the tip of the thermometer under Michaels tongue and waited for it to beep. When it did so, Stiles and Derek expressed worried faces.

"Der, it's been going up to 104 for three days, I think it's time," Stiles said. Derek nodded, sighing
as he put the thermometer down.

"Mikey babes, we're gonna go for a drive, okay?" Derek asked. Michael sniffled as he picked his head up. The first thing that popped into his mind was going to see Ashton. Maybe Derek and Stiles were taking him to see him. With this thought in Michaels head, he nodded.

Stiles ran upstairs and grabbed Michaels favorite blanket and his stuffed kitten. Stiles wrapped the blanket around Michael and picked the little boy up, cuddling him close as the three walked out to the car. Michael sniffled and whined in pain as he was strapped into his car seat.

Derek got into the drivers and soon they were on the road. Michael was whining as his head pounded with a headache and his stomach churned. Michael could feel himself slipping in and out of his headspace. He did this every time he was sick and only when he was sick. He hasn't been 'big Michael' since the beginning when he first started regressing, he didn't like his 'big' headspace, it was too dark, too messy.

"Derek," Michael whined in a stronger and much less childish voice. Stiles looked back, then forward, then back again. Derek and Stiles have only been together for three years and they started dating when Michael was already deep in his headspace and never really came out of it. So Stiles had never formally met 'big Michael'.

"Michael?" Derek asked tentatively. Michael would either give a shy and quiet response or he would still be in his headspace and he would pout because Derek said his name and not a cute nickname.

"Yeah," The boy whispered.

"It's alright Mike, we're taking you to the doctors so you can feel better," Derek comfortingly explained. At the mention of the doctors, Michael slipped again, his eyes going wide with tears.

"No Dee, no hospibal!" Michael screamed, thrashing in his seat. Derek muttered curse words under his breath as Stiles unbuckled his seat belt and jumped into the back, tightly wrapping his arms around Michaels body, hushing the boy softly.

"Shh munchkin, don't cry. They're just gonna make sure you're alright. Derek and I will be with you the whole time," Stiles tried to comfort the boy but Michael was not having it. He shook his head and thrashed in his seat, thinking, 'daddy wouldn't do this to me', so as Derek was pulling into the hospital parking lot, Michael screamed;

"Daddy! Want daddy!" The boy sobbed as he thrashed. Derek swerved at the sudden demand, his hands scrambling to get ahold of the wheel again. When the man safely parked his car, he turned back to a still sobbing Michael.

"Damien?" Derek asked, the name of their father rolling painfully off of his tongue. Michael thrashed some more as he violently shook his head.

"No! He not daddy. Ashy daddy! Want daddy! Want daddy!"