WHITE DWARF • THE 100

28

BIRTHDAY BURDENS

A hand pushed down on Cassie's shoulder. She grumbled, turning over onto her side. Her freshly shaved head rubbed against the pillow, the sheer foreign feeling forcing her eyes to groggily open. It was hard for her to remember the events of last night at such an early time in the morning - all she could recall was the loud whirr of the clippers and her head feeling lighter. 

The hand pressed on her once again. A soothing voice accompanied the action, a song to her ears. "Happy birthday, my little star." 

Cassie moaned, spinning on her back and raising a hand over her shuddering eyelids. In front of her, Ryan smiled down at her, his teeth shining brighter than the artificial light brightening the room. Just next to him, Callum was sat in his wheelchair. Despite trying his best to grin at her, Cassie noticed the thin sheen of sweat on his forehead and how he appeared to be grimacing more than anything. She didn't mention anything. 

"Thank you." 

Ryan didn't waste a second rushing forwards, his arms wrapping eagerly around her slender form. Cassie bit back her gasp - her training was taking a severe toll on her body, and she was certain there was no part of her body that didn't scream in pain. He squeezed her tightly - thankfully he took her groan as one of embarrassment. 

"I can't believe you're sixteen!" Ryan gushed, his arms still cradling her. "It feels like just yesterday that we were celebrating your first birthday with us!" 

Cassie forced herself to smile. As much as his words were clearly meant with good intentions, they struck a cord within her. Her biological parents weren't there to see her turn sixteen. A lump formed in her throat, her desperately gulping to bypass it. She tried not to think about them much; what hurt more is that the thought of them hadn't crossed her mind for a while. 

"What do you want to do today?" Callum managed to say, watching as Ryan finally pulled away from Cassie with a glassy coat in his eyes. Cassie's gaze moved towards him, his smile having transformed into something free from pain. 

Cassie shrugged. "I'd like to spend time with you two." 

Ryan's face fell a fraction. She thought she had imagined it as the smile lifted his face back up again, a joyous tone filling his words. "I'm really sorry honey, but I have a shift today." 

She didn't expect much else. He was the only provider for the family, and without them they'd all starve. They were already restricted to two meals a day - she couldn't remember the last time she had breakfast - and Callum's pain medication sometimes came at the cost of rations. Yes, she was disappointed she couldn't spend time with him; she tried not to let it show. He was trying his best. 

"Don't worry about it Dad." Cassie reached over, grabbing a hold of his dangling hand. "This time with you now is more than enough." 

"Besides," Callum grabbed Ryan's other hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Cassie's not going to be alone. We could play piano, read poetry, maybe bring out that old recording of the Wizard of Oz if you'd like?" 

Cassie nodded. Ryan's shoulders visuably relaxed, his face remaining troubled. 

"Come on, we have something for you." 

Cassie frowned. Every year when her birthday came up, she asked her parents to not get her anything. She had everything she needed with the two of them loving her unconditionally, and anything else was just unnecessary. Even when she said this, there was always a small something for her, even if it was something like a piece of fabric or a ratty doll. She hated how the belief that she needed a present burdened them, so each year she made sure she had potential job aspects lined up so she could pay them back. This time her job aspects were just outside the line of legality, but they would lead them to riches they would never have achieved. 

She stretched, sluggishly climbing out of bed and following her parents to the table. She sat down on the cold metal, resisting the urge to shiver, tucking her arms under her armpits as Ryan dashed off to the cupboards. Callum moved himself to his side of the table, directly opposite Cassie. 

"Happy birthday," he whispered, sending her a gentle smile. While Ryan wasn't looking, he slipped a book across the table. "I know it isn't much, but it's all I could get." 

Cassie stared at the cover. The carefully decorated cover pulled at her heartstrings, teasing memories out of her head at the sight. The poems Callum read to her as a child sat before her. She couldn't help it - tears rushed to her eyes. 

"Thank you," Cassie choked out, holding the book close to her chest. Callum sent her a gentle smile. 

"Ah! There it is!" Ryan exclaimed, drawing Cassie's attention away from the man who had been distant in the recent years, but somehow all those years became obsolete in a single heartfelt action. This was why she fought - to bridge the gap between the memories she had and the present. She just wanted her dad back. 

Ryan bounded over to the table, his face brimming with joy. He seemed more excited for Cassie's birthday than she was herself, pushing a wrapped box in Cassie's direction. Carefully, Cassie reached out, fingers delicately unwinding the wrapping from the box. A plain black box revealed itself. 

"Open it." 

Cassie gently tugged the box open. 

And her jaw dropped. 

In the box, there were a pair of silver earrings. They were mere studs, but with the way they gleamed told her one thing - they couldn't afford it. 

"Do you like them?" 

Cassie's mouth opened and closed. All she could do was manage one word - "How?"

Callum raised his brow at Ryan, his gaze burning into him. "Yeah, how?" 

Ryan gulped. He waited a moment before he answered. "I sold my lunch rations for the next two months."

"I can't take them!" Cassie pushed the box back towards Ryan, disbelief written into her features. "Dad, I want you to eat!" 

"I wanted you to have a nice birthday!" 

"And I don't want you to starve! Sell the earrings and get some credits to buy your rations back. I wouldn't want you to suffer for me." Cassie moved the box closer to Ryan. "Seriously, I'd rather have both of my parents than some jewellery." 

Ryan's eyes moved towards the floor, a hand lifting to rub at the back of his head. His voice was small, but it was voluminous in that silent room. "I wanted to get you a nice thing for once."

It was then when it hit her. The present wasn't just the earrings, but the realisation of the sheer number of sacrifices her dad made for the family. She was aware of how much he gave up for Callum, but it never really hit her that he performed similar selfless acts for her. With the way his face crumpled, she knew it meant a lot to him. As much as it ate at her to take the earrings, she had to do it. 

Cassie reached across the table, sliding them back towards herself. She opened the box, looking towards the pair of them. "So who's going to help me put these in?" 

The happiness on her fathers face was the best present she could have asked for. 

The present not only reminded her of how loved she was, but provided her another reason to continue fighting - she needed to lessen the weight on Ryan's shoulders. Even if it meant that the burden shifted to her own.