Teen Dad Series

Cold (Luke & Ruby)

On his day off, Luke planned to sleep. He'd been working extra shifts for the past week and all he really wanted was a break. Some time to hang around the apartment and do nothing. Of course, there was the obvious reality that it wouldn't be that easy. He had a daughter to take care of and she couldn't feed herself. Although she did seem to understand that he needed a break. Ruby wasn't as fussy as she could be on most days. She hardly ate anything that morning and chose to lie on his chest instead of playing, which was unlike her. But Luke wasn't complaining. He fell asleep right with her. 

When he woke up though, it wasn't by choice. Ruby had started whining and whimpering, then it turned into a full on cry and soon she was sobbing and fidgeting around. No matter what Luke did, she just wouldn't calm down. Ruby was constantly moving around as if she couldn't get comfortable anywhere. She was also a lot warmer than Luke had remembered when he'd fallen asleep.

Like in most situations, he called his mom. When she didn't answer, he called Ashton.

"I'm in class." Ashton hissed into the phone, sounding much more irritable than usual.

"Something's wrong with Ruby." Luke said, placing said baby onto the couch and pacing around the room. "She won't stop crying and she just looks really uncomfortable and I think she has a fever but I don't know what to do."

"Why do you always call me? I don't know what to tell you. Call your mom." Ashton mumbled.

"She's not answering." There was a beat of silence and then Ashton muttered, "Of course."

"Take her to the hospital, I'll meet you there." He hung up before Luke could say anything. 

Getting Ruby into her car seat took much longer than it should have. Luke kept talking to her all the way to the hospital, more to keep himself calm than to do anything for her. She was still too uneasy.

When they got to the hospital, Ashton already had a nurse waiting for them.

"You're lucky you have me, Ruby." He said, holding her in his arms while Luke signed paperwork. "Without me, what would your dad do, huh?"

"Yeah, Uncle of the Year, congratulations." Luke muttered in halfhearted sarcasm as he passed the clipboard back to the nurse. They were going to take Ruby to get her temperature taken, but had suggested that Luke stay in the waiting room since he looked like he was about to go into panic mode at any second. Michael and Calum stopped by to check on him before going to pick up a late dinner. By the time they got back, they'd moved Ruby into her own room and Luke was curled up in a chair beside her bed. 

"It's a cold." Ashton explained, standing in the doorway. "But since she's so young, they just want to keep her here for a few days to make sure it doesn't turn into something else."

Michael sighed. "Are we on Luke-duty again?" 

Ashton shrugged. "I told him we'd come back in the morning. He'll probably be okay." They left some of the pizza there for Luke and left after saying goodnight to Ruby. Luke didn't move.

The last time they'd been in a hospital had been when Ruby was born. She'd been so small and fragile that Luke had been scared to hold her. The possibility of breaking her had overwhelmed him. It had been a bittersweet day, with the excitement of Ruby being there and the complete and utter despair that his girlfriend would never be there again. 

Luke didn't sleep, opting to watching Ruby sleep restlessly in front of him. The doctor had tried to assure him that catching a cold was common, and that there was a large chance that Ruby would be find. In the back of his mind was a terrifying thought that he'd be leaving without another family member though.

Luke leant forward, reaching out to touch her hand. Ruby balled her fist around his finger and squeezed tightly. Her forehead scrunched up and she let out a small whimper and then went silent. 

"You're gonna be okay." Luke whispered, more to reassure himself than her. Although, she did seem to relax at his words. Soon, she looked more at ease in her sleep and stopped whimpering every so often. It was a guarantee that the night would be rough, but Luke felt more optimistic about the next morning.