Redhawk Caldera you promised that you'd never leave

Daddy didn't respond to him, and Eljay wasn't sure what to do to make things right again. He wanted so badly to feel better and to not be such a sore disappointment to everyone, but somehow he just couldn't manage, because, well, that was just who and how he was. And thinking of mommy brought ache to his heart every time all over again.

He blinked tears from his eyes when Raven asked him if it hurt. Everything hurt. Eljay wasn't sure how he would ever even get himself healthy again. He wasn't sure how he would be able to keep himself warm, and frankly, he wasn't sure he wanted to anymore. He was just taking up the pack's resources, and they deserved those for everyone else — he was just pulling them down with him if he took them.

"I want mommy," he hoarsely brought out, the words spoken so strainously that it was clearly he was holding his emotions back. "I d-don't want to be a bother anymore..." He looked away as he spoke those words, to the ground, and submissively licked his lips because he knew it might make daddy upset to say such a thing. But every word spoken was genuine, and Eljay was nothing if not honest.