The Runaways

Chapter Forty-Six - The Want For a Parental Figure Grows Stronger

Corban

I woke up early the next morning to the sound of the baby crying. I opened my eyes and sat up seeing that he sun had just started rising.

"OW FUCK— Oh Jesus Christ..."

I looked over to see Warren bent down in pain after standing up to take care of the baby.

"Are you okay?" I whispered.

"I think I messed up my back." Warren grimaced as he slowly stood up straight, "Oh boy okay..." I heard Warren crack his back before he very slowly and carefully bent down to pick up the baby, "Corban grab his food for me please," Warren whispered as he very carefully stepped over everyone who was sleeping on the floor and made his way over to the door.

I immediately got up doing exactly what he said, taking the bowl of baby food and walking out the door behind Warren and very quietly shutting it behind us. The baby continued to cry as Warren and I sat down on the door step with him. While Warren was trying to get him to calm down enough to where he could eat he froze up for a second. I watched as Warren examined the side of the babies head, the bruise was now dark and very easy to see, expanding underneath the babies thin light brown hair covering a good portion of the side of his head. Along with the bruise darking the side of his head was noticeably more swollen.

"Warren..?"

"I know what you're going to ask my answer is it could either be just from the bruising or it can just as well as be a bigger issue. There's no way we can tell for now except with time." He said as he sighed, "Anyways let's try to see if he'll eat, if he's crying because he's in pain we'll be here for awhile."

I nodded and scooped up a small amount of the apple sauce textured food and held it up to the babies mouth while he cried as Warren held him. He seemed to have no interest at all in the food. I tried scooping up some more and holding it closer to the babies mouth but yet again still the same thing. No interaction with the spoon, he just sat there crying.

"I don't think he's hungry." I sighed.

Warren frowned as he lifted the baby up off his lap and held him up against his shoulder, "I know buddy. I know it hurts..." Yet despite Warren doing everything he could to calm the baby down he still kept on crying. Warren still looked very upset and sad about the baby, I knew he was thinking about the worse that could happen and every single way he could try to help. I wish there was something I could say to help him, I didn't really know what to say. I could ask him about his daughter and what she was like but that might make him miss her and get even more sad.

"I can take care of him out here if you want to go back to bed. I know you're tired and like super stressed out right now." I offered shyly.

Warren sighed, "Thank you, Corban, but I'm okay. I need to keep an eye on him, if he really is in pain I need to know how bad it is so I can figure out if there's a bigger problem at hand here. If you want to go back inside you can."

I felt conflicted, I was tired yes but I needed to prove myself to Warren still, but then again I didn't want to bother him if I stayed or make it awkward since there was nothing to talk about, "Are you sure theres nothing I can help you out with?" I asked.

Warren shook his head, "No, besides you've helped me out a ton already. I don't want to keep bothering you."

"It's not bothering me at all! I want to help you out." I blurted out. Realizing how creepy and weird i was acting I looked away nervously out of fear I was embarrassing myself, "Like n-not in a weird way y-you just seem like one of the first genuinely nice people of come across in a long time."

"Well thank you Corban I appreciate that." Warren said over the crying baby, "but I'm serious if you want to go back to bed don't let me stop you from doing so."

"No it's okay really, I want to be out here." I said, "Unless like, if you wanna be alone thats fine too."

"Oh I'm not trying to get you out of my way. I just feel guilty and I don't want you thinking you're obligated to help me." Warren clarified.

"Yeah I understand. I like hanging out with you so don't feel bad about it."

Warren gave me a little smile and nodded. We sat there in an awkward silence for a couple seconds while the baby continued to cry while Warren hushed him the entire time. I sat there twiddling my thumbs trying to think of what I should say and even if i should say anything. Like if Warren needs to pay attention to only the baby right now and examine his behavior I don't want to distract from that. If he's doing something important I don't want to annoy him with stupid questions that could be asked later. But if Warren was doing something important he would tell me. But what if he forgot or assumed I understood what he was doing was important? I wanted to pull my hair out. I knew I was psyching myself out but I'm just so constantly worried about Warren thinks of me. God thats creepy. What if Warren thinks I'm creepy? I'm not trying to be creepy. I just really really look up to Warren, he's the closest thing I've had in years to a parental figure. I really want to have a bond with Warren that Cleveland has, how Warren basically acts like his father since I'm guessing when Clevelands parents died and Warren took him in. That kind of relationship is something I didn't realize how badly I wanted it until we met Warren and Cleveland. Sure I've always known I missed my dad and wanted to go find him, but I never knew how badly I wanted validation from any mature adult. I like to think sometimes that I'm not a kid anymore but in a lot of ways I still am. I wouldn't be surprised if parts of me haven't fully matured to be a normal seventeen year old due to all the trauma I've faced. Is that why I want Warren to be a parental figure to me? Or is this a real issue normal teenagers go through?

Would Warren even want to take me in the first place?

The baby began to calm down and his crying was reduced to whimpers. Now. Now is a good time to make conversation.

"Hey Warren?" I asked shyly.

"Hm?"

"W-whats your daughters name?"

"Her names Norah." Warren replied as he stared at the baby who was becoming quite, a part of me wanted to believe his tone changed to a slightly happier one now that someone was asking about his daughter, but it could've easily been hopeful thinking.

"Whats she like?"

No response.

"Uh Warren?" I asked as I craned my neck over to look him in the eye. He just sat there staring at the baby in confusion, I couldn't tell what was going on. The baby just calmed down and was sitting there in his arms, there didn't seem to be an issue.

Warren sat there for another few seconds in silence, he just stared at the baby thinking. I moved up closer to get a better look, but looking closer there was nothing out of the ordinary, until I watched the baby's eyes start to repeatedly roll to the back of his head.

"Oh my God..." Warren breathed.

"What? What's going on?"

"I think he's having a seizure."