(no subject)

[guppy_sandhu]

"Optic nerve is responsive to light." the doctor confirms, giving Guppy a smile. "And he's got Dad's eyes by the looks of it."

Guppy smiles at his little boy, most relieved that first signs are that he's not blind. Alexander sucks his thumb and looks up at them all, though he's not able to see far enough to focus on his father's face.

It feels like it's been a long two weeks for them all, but they can only hope that the longer he keeps going the better his chances are.

Oblivious to the drama around him, the infant sleeps.

Comments

[gorgonfondness]

When Guppy comes back to the room, Mia is with him, quietly following.

"Is it okay if I take a picture of him with my camera?" she quietly asks.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Sure, but no flash please. And make sure you don't get any other babies in the picture."

Guppy washes his hands.

[gorgonfondness]

Mia makes sure that the flash is off and goes up close to Alexander.

Click!

"He is a dear."

She puts her camera away and goes to wash her own hands.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Thanks." Guppy sits next to his son and offers the baby his finger, which the little boy accepts.

"Mia's come to see you today." he says gently. Then to Mia he adds. "If you want to offer your finger to his other hand he can hold two. He seems to quite like that."

[gorgonfondness]

Mia gives her finger to his other hand.

"Strong grip. Just wait until you're big enough to visit my home. I bet nothing will stand in your way then."

It's talk to reassure her about the tubes.

This is good. This will make him strong. So don't freak out.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy, getting the feeling she's not at all sure about what's happening, explains what the different tubes and wires are.

"He's just started on feeding into his stomach." he says. "Before he was having nutrition directly into his blood because he wasn't able to digest his food on his own."

[gorgonfondness]

It does help.

Immensely.

"I wasn't sure. The last time I saw something like this, it was very different. Nothing that belonged in a hospital."

[guppy_sandhu]

"He is actually breathing on his own." Guppy says. "But that tube makes the air at a higher pressure and with more oxygen. It's like keeping a balloon fully inflated."

[gorgonfondness]

"You sweet thing," Mia says, rubbing Alexander's hand with her thumb.

Then, to change the subject.

"Alexander. I should tell my friend Alex, even if he's not a namesake. It would still make him turn red."

[guppy_sandhu]

"If that's Knox, he already knows. My Alexander is actually named after an eccentric great uncle of my wife's, who used to keep fish."

[gorgonfondness]

"Oh no, I meant my friend Alex from home. Dragonmaster Alex. Three years after the war is a little soon to be naming children after the Five Heroes."

[guppy_sandhu]

"I guess Alex is a pretty common name." Guppy agrees. "Partially why we chose it. We chose Jefry so that if he wants to he can follow the aquatic nickname theme in the family."

Moving his hand to place on the little boy's back.

"As in shortening Jefry to Fry, meaning little fish. Since a Guppy is a type of fish we thought that would be sort of fun. But we didn't want to give him a weird name in case he got teased at school."

[gorgonfondness]

"Good thinking."

Says the woman destined to name at least one child Scorpius.

"Fry. I like that. And if he ever became a hero in my world, he could be Dragonmaster Fry so they wouldn't get confused."

[guppy_sandhu]

"He can persue any career he likes as far as I'm concerned." Guppy says. "So long as it's legal and he finishes school."

[gorgonfondness]

"If he's ever interested in learning about magic, there's always a place at the Magic Guild. For that matter, we take students at all ages."

Essentially, it's an invitation for the entire family to visit.

"Traditionally, it's a boarding school, but we are setting up correspondence courses."

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy glances around at the nurse, who is trying not to give them a funny look. Then removes his hand from the baby's back in order to sneakily scribble a note.

"He might like to be a magician, who knows? Thanks for the offer." he says, at the same time as turning the note around to show her.

'No magic in this world, careful of nurse'

[gorgonfondness]

Mia eyes the note and just smiles.

"Are you sure you should be thanking me? Just imagine it, your money spent on more top hats and capes than you'll ever wear, your house covered in playing cards and scarves, doves and rabbits living everywhere. You'll tell him his next trick better be making it all disappear or you're going to make it disappear in the trash."

There might not be magic, but surely there are magicians.

"Hopefully all he'll want to do after spending time with me is make a coin appear from behind your ear."

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy nods and smiles, glad she's caught on.

"I think there are far worse things he could do."

[gorgonfondness]

"Oh, you say that now, wait until he tries to saw your leg off. 'Honest, Dad! I know how to do this illusion, I just need to practice on a person!'"

Once the nurse is out of sight, Mia says, "Well, good thing I didn't talk too much about dragons. I surely would have been admitted."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Could have been a type of lizard." Guppy says with a grin, putting his hand back on the baby's back as the infant begins to make a tiny little cry. Alexander settles when the hand is replaced, then opens his little blue eyes and looks in their direction.

[gorgonfondness]

"Gets a little harder to explain it that way when you talk about them in the context of Dragonmasters. And it can be hard to remember this place doesn't have them. When you grow up around heroes, heroes are what you talk about."

A big grin, and then, "Awwww, what pretty eyes. This one is going to be a heartbreaker when he grows up, just watch."

[guppy_sandhu]

"I know, little sweetheart aren't you?" Guppy smiles fondly at his son. "He can't actually see as far as us yet." He adds. "But the doctor checked his eyes this morning and it looks like they're in working order."

[gorgonfondness]

"He knows we're here. That's the important part."

A very gentle squeeze to the baby's hand.

"And besides, maybe that's a good thing in case he won't like the green octopus clothes."

[guppy_sandhu]

"I'm sure he'll love them, it's warmth and softness that's important. Babies as small as he is can't regulate their own body temperature like we can."

[gorgonfondness]

"I should keep that in mind, considering my specialties."

[guppy_sandhu]

"You keep things warm or soft?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Well, I can certainly keep things warm."

[guppy_sandhu]

"He was wrapped in bubble wrap when he was born." Guppy says. "He was so tiny. He just popped out, right into my hands. The nurse had run for the team but they didn't get there in time."

[gorgonfondness]

Blink.

"He was wrapped in what?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"It's sort of plastic with air pockets in. Good insulator."

Beat. "Not at birth, that's what the doctor wrapped him in. And not his head."

[gorgonfondness]

"Oh."

Beat.

"Earth is quite strange sometimes."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Yes, but it did its job."

[gorgonfondness]

"True."

She gives Alexander the chance to tug at her finger.

[guppy_sandhu]

Alexander takes it, providing it's placed in his palm. It's more of a reflex than a sign of affection.

[gorgonfondness]

That doesn't stop Mia from smiling at him.