A wide grin spread across Luke's face as he ran to his uncle and hugged his waist.

Lavinia smiled sadly hoping that prayers and love would do he trick.

The vet just nodded, putting the syringe awa and giving feeding instructions to them.

"It'll need to be bottle fed...keep the wound clean...keep it warm...call if...if you change your mind," he said eyeing Jesse as he left.

Jesse nodded softly, thanking the vet silently as he hugged Luke back. Waiting until the vet left, he pulled Luke away from him and knelt down, looking into his eyes and saying seriously.

"Luke...you heard what the vet said...if you want this little thing t'survive son you gotta look after it...you gotta make sure its warm, you gotta make sure its kept fed..."

"I will...I will...I promise..." said Luke adamently.

Jesse nodded and stood up, getting the bottle from the side and sitting on the floor with Luke

"Let's see if he'll feed some..."

Luke nodded sitting cross legged on the floor with his uncle gently petting the little fawn. "Are ya hungry? I bet ya are.."

Jesse smiled a little as he listened to Luke, sighing softly before suggesting softly.

"If I hold the bottle why don't you hold his head up so he don't choke on the milk..he dont have the strength t'hold it up himself..."

"Kay Unca Jesse" said Luke waiting as his uncle lifted the bottle before gently lifting the fawn's head to the bottle.

"He's drinkin!" whispered Luke as the fawn hesitated before sucking on the bottle.

Jesse nodded with a small smile, the test really was how much the little thing would drink and if it would be enough to sustain it through the night.

"Luke...I dont want ya gettin' yer hopes up son...its very weak...you gotta understand that although we may do everything we can...it still might not make it.."

Luke shook his head. "It'll be alright...I know it..."

"Lukas ya ain't hearin' what i'm sayin'...you don't know fer certain an' you can't pin yer hopes on it right now alright...you understand?"

Jesse asked, trying to distance Luke a little so that if the fawn did pass on over night, Luke wouldn't be so upset the next morning.

Luke's lip quivered though his eyes showed a fierce determination. "No... he's gonna live...he will.." With that he caressed the tiny deer's ears speaking softly into them.

Jesse sighed again low in frustration, shaking his head a little. There was a fighting chance, however slim, that the fawn might survive...but the chance was greater that it wouldn't and Jesse would rather he was prepaired for that event than just letting him carry on as he was and end up being hurt again.

The fawn soon drank what little of the formula it could and tiredly rested its head on Luke's lap.

Luke caressed it gently. "Unca Jesse? Is it a boy deer or a girl deer?"

Jesse stood up and tipped the rest of the formula away, going to wash up the bottle.

"I dont know Luke I ain't looked."

"Well...will ya look...I wanna know what to name it...an I don't wanna call him a her name if he's a boy..." answered Luke quietly.

Jesse sighed and shook his head.

"No Luke I ain't gonna look yet an' you ain't namin' it yet neither."

Luke frowned a little, but his sadness didnt last long. Instead, he reached for one of the unused blankets, carefully covering his fawn with it, before kissing the top of its head softly. "Sok...you sleep...I'll stay here..."

Jesse shook his head as he headed into the lounge with Lavinia, sitting down on the couch next to her where he could also keep an eye on Luke.

"He can't sleep there tonight.."

Lavinia shook her head. "No...but I dont wanna be the one to tll him that."

Luke, meanwhile, was talking softly to the fawn. "I don't have a mama neither...or a daddy...I got an auntie...and an uncle...we's both orphans..."

Jesse shook his head

"Well neither do I! I's already been the bad guy tonight!""

It wasn't long before both Jesse and Lavinia could hear Luke's small voice singing the lullaby he remembered his mama singing to him to the little fawn.

The fawn, as if understanding, closed its eyes falling to sleep with its head on Luke's lap.

Jesse closed his eyes too in frustration, running a hand down his face.

"So much for him not gettin' attatched..."

Lavinia too shook her head. "He sure has a tender heart when it comes to critters."

"He gets that from you..."

Jesse commented back, looking up when a baby wail could be heard from another room.

"Sounds like Bo feels left out..."

Lavinia nodded before getting up to see Bo. "Well ya woke from your nap didja?"

Luke kept up his song, stroking the fawn gently.