"Are you lost, child?"
Silas had to resist the urge to scowl as the small boy looked up at him, hugging his old stuffed rabbit tighter.
Just his luck to run into a lost child.
He had been on his way to meet up with Neiro in the cafe downstairs and had decided to take a shortcut through the old living quarters.
A quick movement in his peripheral jolted him up from his papers. It was one of the old sectors, laden with dust what with the lack of use. Still, behind a half open door was a child, no older than 5 at the most.
The brunette had made to leave, but sighed. The child looked lost.
No harm would come to him surely should he walk away, but he heard Neiro's own concern echo in his mind. How troublesome. Nothing would happen to him if the man chose to leave him be.
But what if?
The negligence of his caretaker shouldn't be at the child's expense, and neither should their folly. Should it serve to help another, no task lay beneath him, or so Neiro would likely say. Still, it didn't make it any less tedious.
Silas glanced at the time.
"If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late."
He was going to be late.
And so things come back to the present where he stood before the astray child, who in turn simply stared at him, blinking owlishly.
"Pappy?"
Silas felt his smile freeze, "No, I'm afraid you're mistaken."
The kid looked him over, "You're not Pa."
For once, in the presence of children, he was glad that Neiro was absent. The albino would get a kick out of that, "If you've lost your Father, I can show you where Security is."
No response.
"Where are your parents? Did they tell you to wait at the Nursery for them?"
Still nothing, and Silas had to fight from falling back into his usual monotone.
With a grunt the invalid knelt down, his body protesting as he did so, and filtered out his displeasure. In a kinder voice, he tried again, "Are you waiting for someone?"
"Mummy and Pappy went to town to buy food." the voice was almost as small as its speaker.
Finally. Although the brunette felt his brows arch up. No one really went to the nearby town to buy food, what with the closest city being a good 10 hr. flight away. Provisions, if not provided for or synthesized by the Academy itself, were flown up.
But what the boy said next made less sense, not just for the rabbit that he held up, a muffler and safeguard that children felt most prominently. "They said they'll be back before I know it." And suddenly the youth perked up, "But I--I can't find the jar." He seemed frightened, and on the verge of panicking, "I was supposed to hold onto it and I don't know where it is, I have to find the jar, Mum said it was really important. I have to get it back and, and-"
Silas raised a hand to placate him, "We'll find it, okay?"
The boy nodded meekly, staring up at him from behind his rabbit.
"Come, we'll wait for them at Security." with a groan he stood, flipping open his phone and sending a message to Neiro.
"Mum told me to wait here."
"Well, your parents will have an easier time finding you at the nursery" At the continued silence, he went on, "I promise you that the people there are very ni-"
The brunette blinked, his face contorting from surprise to annoyance. Grimacing he turned and headed downstairs.
What a nuisance. The moment he turned his head, the child had vanished. This time he shoved away the kindness that didn't belong to him. He had done his part.
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