Turning away from his stepfather's concerned scrutinizing, Craig didn't immediately respond to the man's question.
Running his hand across the teen's face, Joey's concerned tripled as the boy failed to respond. "Craig?"
"I'm okay, Joey." The teen finally replied, still not looking at his stepfather.
Calmed slightly at the reassurance, the man leaned back an extra few centimeters before addressing his stepson again. "Then why…"
As his stepfather's voice drifted off, clearly displaying his inability to express his thoughts, Craig finally looked over at him. He softly mumbled to the man. "I'm not a little kid. I don't need you clinging to me."
Dumbfounded, Joey began to laugh. Watching his stepson's face turning increasingly hard, Joey knew that laughter was not the appropriate response. Craig was sick, tired and scared. He didn't need his stepfather laughing at his pride.
Attempting to draw in his chuckling, Joey couldn't help but continue to smile. Sure, he knew Craig was being serious. And that this wasn't exactly a funny situation. And, really, it wasn't as if the teen's show of independence was a positive sign. But looking down at the sick, pouty boy as he attempted to assert his self-reliance, the absurdity of the situation was comical.
Shifting away from the man, Craig couldn't help but feel more than a little bitter about his stepfather's treatment. Especially when the man took it upon himself to totally disregard Craig's request for independence and once again leaned over to pull him into yet another unwanted hug, triggering another short coughing bout.
"Sorry, kiddo." The man told him unapologetically. "'Fraid I'm not buying that argument. Like it or not, this little trip has proven how much you do need me."
Giving his stepson a final squeeze, Joey finally relented and laid him back on the bed. Looking down at the boy, he continued his diatribe. "Craig, you might not be a 'little kid' anymore but that doesn't mean you're an adult either. It isn't your job to protect me. Or to take care of your sister. Or even yourself, for that matter. It isn't up to you to keep our family running."
"I just..." Craig attempted to reason with the man. "I know it's your family, Joey. I just...I don't want you to think you have to, you know, take any extra. I don't expect you to. I just mean."
"You don't want to be any more of a burden on me than you already are?" The salesman finished the thoughts Craig couldn't quite put into words. "Letting you live in my house is all you think I should be doing for you."
Looking up at the man, Craig was briefly stunned. Joey had expressed his feelings to a tee. It wasn't as if he didn't know that what his stepfather was saying was 100 true. It was just so harsh to hear it spoken aloud.
