It has only been since October 24^th of last year, a mere 3 months, since Louis’ beloved Finch passed away. The wound is still fresh for him. He has a little harem of girls that he lives with now. There is his grandmother Trinity, his great Aunts Nicki B. and Luna and of course the Poopy Crew, Venus, Serena, Chessie and Baybay. He is a good Rooster to all of his girls, but he seems to have a special fondness for Baybay. She is the smallest. If you remember, Finch weighed only about ¾ of a pound. She was easily the tiniest bird we have ever had. So Baybay at just 1 pound appreciably resembles her in stature. They also shared many personality traits. Both girls carried themselves with a certain demure elegance and had a special glint in their eye when they looked at him. So it was no wonder that after Finch’s passing, Baybay became his new favored companion. Even in times where he would have to be away from his girls to convalesce, Baybay was always the first to exuberantly greet him upon his return. If you have seen the video Louis Takes A Walk, then you know what I mean.
Yesterday Baybay took ill. She has always had problems with her feet. She had a severe scale mite infection on her feet and legs when she first arrived here and they never completely healed. In fact she has already lost one toe from it and stands to lose another one. That is if she survives what she is ailing from. At first we thought she was having trouble walking because her feet hurt. She has the ability to stand, but scarcely the strength. We are terribly worried about her. But apparently we are not the only ones. Baybay is in a little soft covered cat bed surrounded by fleeces atop a pillow on the couch. Louis has not left her side since we placed her there. He has not returned to the rest of his flock. He waits until we bring Baybay food and water and partakes of the offerings, but he has not left her for any reason.
This morning, as I sat typing away about 8 feet away, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned my gaze toward them and got a truly unique glimpse into their little world. Baybay had recently awakened and sleep still hung heavy in her eyes. Louis quietly sidled over to her little sick bed and cooed softly to her. Then with his beak, he tugged ever so gently on the hood of the bed rocking it tenderly. He is aware she is ailing, but he needed to inquire in his own way if she was alright. He sat down next to the bed and lay his head on the fleece aside to her little body. He looked at her with sad eyes and then to me as if to say, “Can’t you do something?” I had to look away, I couldn’t bare it. I had no answer for him. I had already administered her morning medicine, now all that could be done was to wait.
Now, 12 hours later, he still sits with his special girl, offering comfort and moral support. Only time will tell if Baybay pulls through, but I will say, win or lose, I am immeasurably proud of my little man for staying by her side in her time of need.