Live in the Moment - Lashton

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

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Theo sat on Luke's lap, tapping away at his father phone screen at a game Luke installed for instances like this. The tall blonde had one of his legs resting on the kerb in which the car was parked. They were waiting for Ashton to finish up for the day, in his car. The teacher insisted on going to the hospital with the pair.

"How much longer?" Theo whined, aimlessly sliding his finger from side to side, bored of the game he had been playing for a little over ten minutes.

Luke chuckled at how impatient the six-year-old was. "He'll be here soon." He watched the screen of his phone to blackness and suggested, "Why don't we play i-spy? You're a big boy now, we could do it by letter rather than colour!"

"Okay!" Theo agreed proudly, sitting up straight and peering around his surroundings. His eyes settled on a red bin that was a couple of meters away, down the street. Luke smiled to himself, knowing exactly what it was his son was going to say. "I spy with my little eye," the brunette began. "Something beginning with the letter b!"

"B?" Luke said, pretending to be confused, and furrowing his eyes slightly. "What is there that begins with b?" Theo giggled. "It is a bike?"

"No," Theo said happily, shaking his head with enthusiasm.

"Oh. Um..is it a bed?" Luke asked stupidly.

"Don't be silly daddy!" Theo said, his head turning to where the bin stood. "We can't see any beds. Do you give up?" he asked eagerly.

Luke took one last look around and pouted. "Okay, I give up! It's too hard!"

"It's the bin! See? It's right there, right in front of us. It's your go now!"

Luke smiled, pulling his son in closer, content with the moment they were spending together. "Okay. I spy with my little eye something beginning with A."

Theo squinted his eyes looking inside and around the car before seeing his teacher. Although he rarely called him by his first name, the blonde not wanting his son to get into the habit of it and it accidentally slipping out at school, Theo said, "Ashton! Am I right dad?" he asked, with hope in his eyes.

"Wow, you're so clever!" Luke beamed, nodding his head enthusiastically. Luke smiled at Ashton as he sat in the driver's seat.

"Sorry I took so long," Ashton apologised as Luke stepped out of the car, and helped his son climb into his car seat in the back.

"I can do it!" Theo said, taking the belt out of his father's hand and clipping it in.

"It's fine. You really don't have to come," Luke said, sitting beside Ashton and strapping himself in.

Ashton just shook his head, there was no way he was letting Luke take Theo to the hospital alone. Firstly, he was the one who fed his son, therefore, it would make sense for him to hear the information and tell the doctor what had been happening. And he knew Luke would lie about certain things if asked questions regarding himself. "I want to be here to support you." Was all he said to avoid conflict.

-

Luke watched Ashton and his son from afar as they stood at the counter of the small counter located in the reception of the hospital. Ashton had insisted he had a snack as they would not get home till late and needed something to keep him going.

The blonde tapped his foot anxiously, looking down at his thighs that rested on the chair. He didn't know if he had gained any weight recently. He didn't want to know. But, the curiosity was eating him alive. He knew his son was going to have, and there were times where Ashton had managed to get him to have something too and despite the huge amount of guilt he felt afterwards he never got around to getting rid of it.

The pair returned, Theo sat between them eating half of a Kit-Kat, Ashton offered the other to Luke who shook his head profoundly so he ate it instead. "Nothing negative can come out of this Luke. It's all going to be positive," Ashton told the blonde, sensing the tension that was building up inside of him. Theo had gained weight and was eating normally as a six-year-old should. There would be nothing to be concerned about.

Luke just shook his head and continued to look at the floor. Negative had different connotations to him. Not something that the teacher would understand.

"Theo?" the same doctor who had seen them a month prior called, as he appeared around a corner. All three pairs of eyes looked over at him as they began to stand, others were looking at the trio, probably trying to piece together why they were here?

The doctor smiled and made a little small talk as they headed towards his room. Theo held onto his father's hand loosely looking at all the drawing that had been printed onto the wall.

Once they were all sat and the man had flickered over the notes once again he began to talk. "How has everything been?"

Ashton decided to speak, he felt the question had been asked of him as well. "Great! The first week was a little bit of a struggle for Theo as he wasn't used to eating so much. But, he's been eating fine now, like a normal six-year-old. He just had some chocolate, didn't you?"

Theo nodded happily, his legs swinging back and forth from where they did not reach the floor.

"Well it couldn't have gone better," the man said, knowing it was the only way for the young boy to get to a healthy weight again. "No struggle at all?" Ashton shook his head. The doctor looked over at the father who seemed anxious and still malnourished. "Can I ask who has been feeding him?"

"I have," Ashton stated. "I wouldn't trust Luke to do it."

The doctor nodded. "And you don't mind doing it. It's not an inconvenience?"

Ashton shook his head. "I care about them both."

Looking down at his notes again the man began. "This evidently isn't Theo's problem. He's proven that he can eat fine and thus cause of Theo being starved was you, Luke."

"I didn't starve him!" Luke hit back defensively.

"Okay. But he was deprived of enough nutrients for a growing six-year-old. If for some unforsaken circumstance Ashton was no longer able to help you and Theo, would you be able to feed him to level Ashton has?"

"Yes!" he stated, annoyed. Ashton shook his head and Luke caught it out the corner of his eye. "I've kept him alive for six years have I not? I was only doing what was best for his body. You wait, in a years time with the crap you are feeding him, he'll be obese!"

"Luke!" Ashton exclaimed shocked. "Don't be stupid!"

Luke rolled his eyes, irritated. "I didn't come here today for you all to lecture me about my parenting. Just to know my son is okay. I wasn't even necessary to come, I just got a stupid letter about it."

Ashton sighed and looked down at Theo who seemed uncomfortable. The doctor noticed as well and said to the teacher, "Take him out for a little. I'll talk to Luke and I'll call you back in when he calms down."

Luke groaned and slouched back into his chair. "None of this is me questioning into your parenting Luke. I can clearly see you have raised Theo to be a respectable young child. At this point, some doctors may have considered taking him away from you. But, I know this isn't malicious, this is something psychological that you need to deal with. And it's simple, all you have to do is talk to someone."

The blonde just shook his head. "It's not that simple. I don't want to change either."

The man nodded knowing the man was old enough to refuse treatment at this stage but he concluded. "That's fine Luke. But, if you keep acting like this, you'll end up pushing Ashton away, you're already starting to scare your son. And when that does happen, I will have to contact someone to take care of him for you."

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