milliways_bar | (no subject)

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guppy sandhu

(no subject)

[oom: Knowing which way to look. Warnings for medical stuff for babies.]

It's been a rough couple of days.

Gil went into surgery again today; at very least that went well, and Guppy is now in one corner of the bar, trying not to fret, taking a break from sitting next to his cot.

One of the waitrats has brought some sandwiches and keeps prodding his arm, but he's mostly staring through his iPad.

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"My son", Cadfael says gently, approaching. "I think the rat would like you to eat something."

Edited 2015-03-06 23:19 (UTC)

Guppy looks up, and blinks slightly, because sleep wasn't really a thing last night.

"Oh." he looks around and picks up the sandwiches. "Thanks, sorry, miles away."

"Is everything all right?" he asks with warm and real concern.

"I... no, not really." Guppy admits.

"I'm sorry, I can't remember your name."

"Brother Cadfael", the older man tells him. "May I sit with you?"

"I'm Guppy. Sure... I'm sorry, I'm not good company tonight." Guppy says.

"Sometimes those are exactly the times when one needs someone there." He looks Guppy over. "Do you want to talk?"

Guppy hesitates.

"Only if you don't mind." he says quietly. "I'm not, like, Catholic or anything."

"You're a man in need. And I'm not qualified to take confession as a priest does, in any case."

Guppy nods, appreciating. Then reaches into his pocket and gets out a picture of a small person in a hat.

"This is my youngest son, Gil. I have four kids." he says. "Gil was premature, he's six months old now but he only looks about three months. He has a heart condition which he had surgery for, and I thought he was doing okay but... I took him for his routine follow-up and I found out he hadn't been growing anywhere near as well as he should have, so much so that they admitted him for an urgent second operation."

He sighs. "They say he's going to be okay but I worry that I was so wrapped up with the older three, being noisier, that I missed something."

Cadfael takes the picture with care, studying it.

"Whether or not you noticed it, it has been noticed, and that in time. It must be hard balancing your attention evenly between the four, when one is sick."

"I'm a doctor, I should know when they're sick."

He nods. "My oldest son Fry has Asperger Syndrome, so he takes up a lot of attention. Brooke, my younger daughter, just started at a new school. Coral and Gil sometimes don't get as much attention because they're quieter, and that makes me feel guilty, even though I make sure I read with Coral every night and have Gil on me in a sling as much as I can."

"The only thing it seems to me you missed", Cadfael says calmly, "is this failure to grow. Anything more dramatic, you surely would have seen."

Guppy nods.

"I mean... he was feeding okay, I thought, and he was already small... Coral is small too and he was premature."

He looks back at Cadfael. "Fry and Coral were premature as well, but they've not had much in the way of physical complications. I guess we were just lucky in that respect."

"Remember that the other doctors have said he will be all right." He reaches to pat Guppy's hand. "Your children will need you at your best."

"He's in intensive care on a ventilator." Guppy says. "It's... it's scary seeing him so tiny."

He's trembling slightly but doesn't resist the pat.

"I have problems with anxiety, I'll probably spend a few hours in here calming down before I go home to the kids."

"That might well be a good thing. Eat what the rat has brought you, sleep if you can, and return when you feel better."

"Yeah. I don't like the kids to see me panicking." Guppy says.

He picks up the sandwiches and tentatively nibbles one.

"It's stability they need", he agrees. "Do keep telling yourself that your boy will be all right when he's had this - surgery. Far advanced from my own time."

"So long as he pulls through the next few days, he should make a full recovery and be able to lead a pretty much normal life." Guppy says. "With a small possibility of one further operation later."

"Then you see. And if he's never quite as big as others, what of it if he's healthy?"

"Oh yes, I've accepted he's not going to be tall." Guppy smiles slightly. "Fry can reach the tall shelves."

"I hope his brother won't mind it too much, when he's older, that Fry is taller than him."

"Gil's growing up with three very bright siblings. We'll be making sure he doesn't worry about competing."

Cadfael nods.

"And he may himself be very bright. Much too early to tell."

"That too." Guppy nods. "But we'll be happy with alive and well."

"Of course." He smiles. "Now, on another note - I wonder if I could be of service in the infirmary."

"Hm?"

Guppy looks up. "Doing what?"

"I'm a herbalist", he explains. "And occasionally, in a limited way, a surgeon."

"Providing you ensure that what you do is safe in light of modern research." Guppy says. "I don't see a problem with that. Though I think you might get more trade being a good listener."

"That I can also do." Cadfael nods. "And I'd never endanger a patient. I know some plants can be poisons, but I also know how much and in which ways they're quite safe. Also I can set bones and bind wounds as well as the next man."

"I'm sure that would be fine." Guppy nods. "Make sure you operate within your depth and you'll be fine."

"Then it will be a pleasure working with you."

"Likewise. I think I'll go upstairs now." Guppy says, taking his sandwich. "But thank you."

Edited 2015-03-11 21:53 (UTC)

"You're welcome. Rest well, and the best of luck for your boy's recovery."

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