Hunger Pangs

“Come on, Rett, you need to eat…”

Gath picked the tiny youngling up from his massive pile of plushies and pillows, then delicately placed him inside his high chair at the table. It had only been three months, but already, baby Rett was very active and constantly wanted to move about. He still couldn’t eat solid food, but he had been eating somewhat normally. That was, until that morning, when Rett suddenly decided he didn’t want to eat the nutrient paste Gath had prepared for him.

Now, sitting in his high chair, Rett was beginning to whimper, prodding at his bowl of food with his little fingers. The little straw that Rett used to feed flew towards Gath and landed on the floor. Although Rett was only three months old, like most young Rethans, he was developing very quickly. Not quite quickly enough to use a spoon, but he had enough dexterity to hold a straw in both hands and suck from it.

“Dear, please, you are making this hard for both of us…” Gath muttered, picking the straw up and throwing it in the sink. He then headed to one of the draws and fetched both a fresh straw and a spoon. “Do you want me to feed you?”

Rett shook his head. Already, Gath’s kid could understand what was being said, even if he could not reply. The fact that Rett was mentally developing far faster than a normal kid bothered Gath a little, but at least that probably meant he’d be able to speak before the age of two. What was more curious though was how Rett was completely normally sized for a baby of his age, and not… huge, like Gath was.

Sighing, Gath rummaged in a nearby cupboard, looking for a different flavour of baby food. As he did so, he reached into the fridge and pulled out a cooked sausage to nibble on. Gath had been trying not to neglect himself, but between full time parenting and remote work, he tended to forget.

After finishing the first sausage, Gath went and grabbed another. However, as Rett saw Gath pacing back and forth, he began to gurgle and giggle, waving his hands in the general direction of Gath. Curious, Gath grabbed a third sausage and held it in front of Rett. Immediately, Rett perked up, trying to bite the end despite his lack of teeth.

“Oh. Well… you are not quite old enough yet… but… let me whizz it up for you, alright?” Gath smiled as he grabbed a second sausage, some leftover vegetables and some mash, then chucked all of it into the nearby food liquidizer. He covered the whole thing with a kitchen towel to dampen the noise, then turned it on, letting it run, turning his attention back to Rett.

The most amazing thing about Gath’s kid though was his colouration. As he’d grown, his skin had turned dark blue, nearly identical to Gath’s. But he seemed to have grey, nearly black ‘gloves and socks’ running up his lower arms and feet. Rett’s plating though was… silver. Literally silver. It wasn’t made of metal but it certainly looked metallic. Apparently it was nothing more than an unusual genetic quirk, only seen in a very small handful of beings. Including the one Rett had been named after.

The liquidizer fell silent, snapping Gath back to reality. He’d accidentally leant on the switch and turned it off. Didn’t matter though, the mushed up concoction was done. Gath grabbed a clean bowl and straw, then poured the mixture in. He then placed the food in front of Rett and waited.

Rett sniffed the dish, then giggled, sticking his hands into it and licking the food off. He was making an awful mess, but Gath didn’t care. He was just happy to see Rett eating.

“That is one less thing to fret about…” Gath sighed as he took another sausage from the fridge, then sat down next to Rett and started eating.