(no subject)

Work has been tense.

Dr Sharpe, master of all things budget, was quite livid at the discovery that someone has managed to steal several hundred pounds of drugs from the department. He made everyone subject to a search - technically illegal, but everyone gave in because it was easier than dealing with him.

He harangued three members of staff, including Guppy, for having medication on them. All of them managed to prove that it was on prescription. This didn't make Dr Sharpe any happier, somehow. He was clearly looking for someone to fire.

Guppy has to wonder who is doing this. According to Dr Sharpe, someone has managed to smuggle some very expensive medication, usually kept locked up, out of the department on a regular basis. How in the world it was done? It has to be an inside job, because they really aren't that lax.

He gets home to another battle. Alex is crying on the naughty bench, where he was put for throwing his dinner on the floor. Frogspawn faces him.

"You were put on the naughty bench for throwing your dinner on the floor. You have done your two minutes, now say sorry."

"Sorry."

"Good boy. Now why did you throw your dinner on the floor?"

"Don't like peas!"

"You don't have to eat them if you don't want to, but you mustn't throw your dinner on the floor." Frogspawn says firmly. "Let's go and eat dinner."

Guppy puts his coat away as she takes him back to the table. He watches her serve him some more dinner. Alex looks at it, then grabs the plate. Guppy gets there just in time to save it from the floor.

"Alex, no! Why are you doing that?"

"Don't like carrots."

"You must not throw your plate on the floor." Guppy pauses, for a moment, and thinks. When they get stuck in this sort of behaviour, sometimes they have to remember to step back and ask 'why'.

He sits next to Alex.

"You ate your carrots yesterday." he says. "So I think you do like them."

Alex makes an exasperated noise.

"Yesterday Friday. Today Saturday. Don't like carrots on Saturday."

Guppy mentally facepalms. What kind of logic is that?

"Mummy told you earlier what you were having for dinner. She said it's chicken, mashed potato, peas, carrots and gravy."

"Saturday is tickin, mash potato and coffylower." Alex protests.

"I'm sorry Fry, the cauliflower went mouldy." Frogspawn says.

As Alex opens his mouth to scream again, Guppy tries to continue negotiations.

"Alex, you don't have to eat your carrots if you don't want to. You can eat the chicken and mash. But you will not throw your plate on the floor."

It takes another five minutes of negotiations before Guppy realises that Alex just wants the carrots off the plate because they don't belong there. Then, with angelic expression, the little boy eats what's left of his dinner without the slightest fuss.

After dinner, while Alex sits and plays with his animals, Guppy and Frogspawn remain in the kitchen to talk about what just happened, in order to work out a plan as a united front. It will only confuse the kid if they do different things. The decide to try having a seperate plate Alex can put things on if he feels they shouldn't be there, and then to offer him that afterwards.

While Coral is being breast fed, Alex comes up to the baby gate into the kitchen and looks at his parents.

"Hey there Alex." Guppy says, smiling at him. Alex leans on the baby gate.

"Mummy and Daddy?"

"Yes?" Guppy says.

"Want to be Fry."

"You are Fry." Guppy says. "It's your nickname. But you'll have to be Alex for some things because that's your real name."

"Call me Fry." Alex says. "For the not some things."

Guppy laughs. "Okay, we'll do our best. It's going to take some time though."

But he gets up, takes Fry's hand, and leads him up the stairs to his room. There, on his door, he takes the piece of paper with 'Alex' off and turns it over. With a black marker he writes 'Fry' on it instead.

"There, that says Fry. F r y."

Fry traces his fingers along the word, smiles contentedly, then goes into his room.