(no subject)

[guppy_sandhu]

[oom: Sometimes, Guppy wishes his family life was less complicated. Minor violence and swearing.]

Guppy has a look of grim determination in his eyes as he enters, a little bundle wrapped and held carefully in his arms.

Whispering reassuringly to the bundle, he limps over to the nearest couch and sits down slowly.

"Sorry sweetheart, I tried to wait for mum, but she's been gone for hours." He lowers her gently onto the sofa, revealing a small quantity of dried blood on his shirt. "I need to get cleaned up... when I can move."

He winces and sits back for a moment, forehead creased in a worried frown.

Where the hell is she?

Comments

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

(ooc: mild slowtime for working in the kitchen, but Kate wanted to lend a hand

)

She was downstairs waiting to head back to New York with Will when she noticed Guppy limp in with a bundle cradled in his arms.

"Guppy?" Kate immediately got up and went over to help.

"Are you hurt? What happened?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"A bit." He admits. "And to be completely honest... I don't have the faintest idea."

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

Kate walked closer, and saw a tiny fist emerge from the bundle flailing slightly.

"Is that a baby? How bad were you hurt? Here, let me see," She went to see about getting some bandages and antiseptics before she got closer.

[guppy_sandhu]

"She's my sister. Six hours old and already abandoned after a family argument." he says, with a hint of anger, but reaches to tickle the baby gently.

Then he glances around to check nobody's paying attention, then lifts his shirt. The blood has been coming from where the skin has been lacerated, scraped with one of the kicks over a rib. There's a number of large bruises running from ribs to abdomen.

"It looks worse than it is. I overacted as much as possible at the time so he'd get more satisfaction from a softer kick."

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

Dark frown at that, and she helped him see about getting the bleeding stopped with some clean gauze.

"Poor dear, does she need anything?"

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy winces at the touch. Clearly it hurts more than he wants to admit.

"I've fed her, and I've got a baby basket thing for her to sleep in. Picked up some nappies on the way home..."

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

"You should stop by the infirmary. You know that, right? Or you should." Brief look given to him.

"We can look after her there until you're patched up."

[untraitor.livejournal.com]

There's a very small, dark-skinned person close by who witnesses Guppy's entrance. Dressed in loose-fitting cotton clothing, it's impossible to tell this person's gender -- seemingly the face is too round for a man's, but the body is built more stockily than a woman's. He approaches Guppy with silent directness -- he's the sort of person one could stand beside and never notice until he spoke. When he does speak, the voice is as genderless as the body, neither clearly male nor female. If anything, the only clear indicator of gender MIGHT be the long black hair.

"Is that an infant?" he asks. "Are either of you hurt?"

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy looks up, then nods.

"Yes, she's... a baby. Doesn't have a name yet."

Forced smile. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. She isn't hurt, she wasn't caught up in it and I've checked her over."

[untraitor.livejournal.com]

Therem regards Guppy with an unreadable expression, his eyes almost black.

"Let me tend to the infant. You are bleeding. It's not good for him."

Therem does indeed call the baby him, apparently ignoring or not noticing Guppy's pronoun use. Therem himself is under five feet tall, but there's an air of authority about him. He's a person who Knows What He's Doing.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Her, she's a girl." Guppy picks up the baby protectively. "She's fine, I stopped bleeding a couple of hours ago, I just... couldn't get my shirt off on my own. Who are you?"

[untraitor.livejournal.com]

Therem's expression shifts subtly to something that is, for a moment, close to confusion. "Oh. I had forgotten they are born that way on other worlds. Forgive me. I am Harth. Therem Harth, previously of Karhide, on Gethen. Does... she... require feeding?"

[guppy_sandhu]

Blink. Blink.

"No, no, my mother had her, I'm her brother. And no, I already fed her as best as could be done without her mother coming back. Which she hasn't yet."

Slightly wary look. "I'm Guppy, nice to meet you Harth."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

Knox sees Guppy with a baby, figures it's a kid from the hospital, and goes over to be snarky (as is his way). Then he sees the blood. Which is not unusual, but makes Knox put two and two together enough not to make any snide (if friendly) comments.

"Whose kid? And what happened?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"My mum's. Got my arse kicked." Guppy says, glancing up. "I'll be okay."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"By your mum?" He can't quite say this word like a Brit can. "So he...she...is your half-sib?" Why does he get the sense that congratulations are not in order?

[guppy_sandhu]

Small laugh then wince.

"No, my mother's never hit me. And even I could hold her off if she was so inclined."

He reaches over and runs a gentle hand through the baby's hair. "She. And yes, possibly, or maybe whole sibling. I was too busy groaning to catch the explanation."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

Knox had a decided look of confusion. "You don't know...you have a new sister more than 20 years younger than you. And you don't know for sure who her dad is...

"Doc, are you sure you aren't from Gotham? Because this would be page two material in the tabloids."

[guppy_sandhu]

"The only thing I know is that she apparently isn't my stepfather's, because she's turned up far too early. And yes, it is all bizarre and embarrassing enough for that."

[ostro_goth]

"Greetings," Teja says. "You seem forever saddled with babies. The women in your world must be quite strange."

But he says it without rancour or contempt, almost amused, even...

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy winces.

"You did tell me to stand by my sister."

[ostro_goth]

"Oh, that is her already?" Teja says, looking at the bundle once more. "Has she been named yet?"

Pause.

"A man of my people would try and find a woman to take care of such a child, but among yours, it seems customary for men to do it themselves; and yes, if that is so, then you are doing the right thing in standing by her in the way of your people."

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy shakes his head.

"I think mum wants to call her Anita. Not that she's bothered to come back yet. And I think I'm an exception rather than the rule, but most men will look after babies if they have to."

[ostro_goth]

"Where has she gone, and why would she abandon such a small thing?" Teja asks, looking at the little girl again.

It is a fully formed human, apparently, only exceedingly small.

[guppy_sandhu]

"She had a fight with my stepfather. He ran off, she followed."

He winces and gently pushes the blanket back so Teja can get a better look.

"I was too busy getting my arse kicked to hear the explanations."