Small But Mighty (Age-Regression)

No Rest For Kai

Malikai POV:

Ever since we got home from the emergency room, Mila's been crying her little head off. I tried to go back to sleep but the noise is practically echoing in this huge house. Theo and Hazel are trying to calm the baby down but she's not having it.

Sleep doesn't sound like a thing I'll get today. Tossing the blanket off my body, I sit on the edge of my bed and put my feet down on the cold floor. After rubbing the palm of my hand down the length of my face, I stand up and make my way to Hazel and Theo's bedroom.

The door is cracked and I can see Hazel sitting on the bed looking frustrated. She looks ready to cry as she tries to calm Mila down. Knocking gently on the door, I wait for them to tell me to come in. Maybe I can calm Mila down? It's worth a shot.

"Come in." Theo shouts. His voice is tinged with frustration and exhaustion. I'm used to not getting much sleep so maybe they'll let me watch the baby while they catch up on sleep.

I slide into the room and awkwardly stand near the door. In all honesty, I really don't know what to do from here. Do I sit down on their bed? Do I ask to take the baby? My thoughts swirl around in my head and I bring my thumb up to my mouth, biting down on the already wrecked nail.

"Uhhh, I was wondering if I could try to calm the baby down?" I mumble.

"Sure, it's worth a shot. You can come sit on the bed." Hazel says while pushing her messy hair off her forehead.

She's wearing a white tank top and I can see dark circles around her breasts. My cheeks turn red and I scramble to Theo's side of the bed. Mila's still screaming and wiggling around in Hazel's lap, so I scoop her up and hold her the way Hazel taught me.

There's snot pouring down her nose and her eyelashes are crusted from dried tears. She also still feels extremely hot. Poor thing is really, really sick. "You can try skin to skin with her, Kai. It helps Mila calm down and it also might stop the tears." Theo comments from in front of me.

I have no idea what skin to skin is. It honestly sounds really weird. My confusion must be showing on my face because Hazel says, "It's when you take off your shirt and hold a baby up against your bare skin. It helps with bonding and makes the baby feel safe and secure."

If I take off my shirt right now, Theo and Hazel will see the bruises and scars I got from my father. I weigh my options in my head and finally give a hesitant nod.

Laying the crying baby down on the bed, I strip off my shirt while Theo strips off Mila's damp pajama shirt and bottoms. When he goes to pass me back the baby, a large gasp leaves his mouth as he looks down at my bare chest.

I cross my arms subconsciously over my body and take a look down at myself. There's scars cross crossing my lower abdomen from my dads belt and faded yellow-green bruises on my upper chest. I'm pretty sure I look like a smorgasbord of abuse.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." I reply flippantly as I take Mila from Theo. I hold her against my bare chest and gently pat her hot back.

Mila presses her chubby cheek against the left side of my chest and balls her fists up near my shoulders. Her loud cries turn into soft sobs as I begin to sing a song I wrote a while ago.

Music was my only escape from the abuse I was suffering and I channeled a lot of my hurt and pain into it. I would write songs in my head and play them on the piano at school whenever I had free time.

"Who sings that song, Kai? I would love to add it to my music library on my phone." Hazel says while grabbing some weird item out of her nightstand drawer.