Another Baltimore, Sunday afternoon

[sharp_as_knives]

The portal dropped them off in a nicely inconspicuous place in a Baltimore that was nearly indistinguishable from the one Hannibal had been living in for years. Except for the part where nobody in this one wanted to hunt him down; that would have made this a touch more awkward.

As it was, his credentials were legitimate enough that he had managed to book time in a private clinic with an ultrasound and MRI without more than the usual questions. And if Warren got any looks in this place, it would only be because among the aliens here, brightly colored wing dye was apparently in fashion.


[OOC: For those mentioned, NFB due to distance!]

Comments

[wwiii]

"It's been a long time since people have side-eyed me for not standing out enough," Warren mused, glancing around at a few of the locals wandering down the street. "I'm not in any hurry to run out and get another dye job, though."

You knew he was nervous. Warren only rambled about inconsequential nonsense when he was nervous.

[glacial_queen]

"I feel positively dowdy," Karla said, her nervousness showing only in the strain at the edges of her smile and the tightness of her grasp on his hand. "I don't even have wings to dye."

Her eyes darted around, trying not to stare. "At least we don't have to be worried about what will happen if the ultrasound shows the beginnings of wings. I was a little worried about that, I'll admit. Huh. I wonder how long it took Hannibal to find this world."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Not as long as you might think," Hannibal answered. "I was actually searching for worlds similar to my own when I found this one; apart from the other races, it's nearly identical, so it seemed a good one to use for field trips and such."

He smiled at Karla. "We're still in the majority overall, but this particular neighborhood has quite a few businesses that cater to those with wings. It should mean a bit less ducking to get through the doorways."

[wwiii]

"And maybe even some chairs that I can actually sit in," Warren laughed. "If we're feeling up to it afterward, I might have to see if I can find a tailor around here who specializes in wings."

Nothing against the ones in Kaeleer, of course, but sometimes Warren wanted to wear modern clothing that didn't require a pair of scissors being taken to the back, first.

"We're on time for our appointment so far, right?"

Still nervous, for the record.

[glacial_queen]

"Of course we are," Karla soothed. "Hannibal wouldn't let us be late."

Though she was glancing over at him to double-check. It wasn't that she didn't have faith, exactly, it was just easier to have faith when it was easily backed up by proof.

"I'm a bit more concerned about being early. If I have to sit in a waiting room for very long, I'm not responsible for what happens."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Perfectly on time," Hannibal agreed. "And we've got a large enough block of time that there shouldn't be waiting. And," he added, grinning at Warren and pointing down the street, "One block that way and two to the east is a tailor. And a cafe," he promised Karla.

[wwiii]

"You're spoiling us, Doctor Lecter," Warren laughed, giving Karla's hand a squeeze. "And we're almost at the clinic, now? Is there any... um... protocol to this sort of thing, once we get in?"

His dad might have owned the largest pharmaceuticals company in America, and sure, he spent most of his life being tested on and poked at by doctors, but he hadn't once in his life ever found himself sitting in a waiting room, either.

[glacial_queen]

It was also a new experience for Karla. She'd never spent much (read: any) time in doctors' offices before.

"Is there going to be paperwork? Because I don't have numbers and stuff. You know, for my identity."

Or medical records. Or vaccination records. Or a legal identity at all...

[sharp_as_knives]

"Not at all," Hannibal assured them. "I have merely, as an independent physician, booked time with the machines. And a nurse, if you'd prefer," he said to Karla. "The only name on the paperwork is mine."

[wwiii]

Warren couldn't help but loose a little breathy exhale of relief. Nurses, he was okay with. Hannibal, he was okay with. Some doctor he didn't know, poking at Karla and scrutinizing their baby, he wasn't completely certain he was ready to deal with yet.

He would have, of course, for Karla. But it wouldn't have been a comfortable experience.

"It's your call," he murmured sidelong to Karla. "Just the three of us, or get somebody else in there to help out."

With... whatever they helped out with, for these things.

[glacial_queen]

Unless the nurse was there to bring Karla snacks and tea, she wasn't sure what purpose he or she would serve.

"Why would I want a nurse?" Karla asked. "What would they do?"

If it really was 'bring snacks and tea', Karla would like to request two.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Primarily?" Hannibal chuckled. "Ensure that I, as a male doctor, am not doing anything that you might feel uncomfortable with. I believe they're obliged to offer."

Because Warren wasn't enough of a deterrent, apparently.

No snacks and tea until later, Karla. On the upside, at least there was no horrendous dye to drink!

[wwiii]

Warren made a little noise that might have been a huff of a laugh, or it might have been an aborted growl. Really, it was anyone's best guess. But he did look amused, at least.

"I think we've got that much under control," he mused.

Because good luck doing anything unwelcome toward Karla with a pointy attack-Warren in the room. Really, now.

[glacial_queen]

Karla snorted, amused at the idea of needing a nurse for any such thing (an insult to both Warren and Hannibal), and yet also disgusted that such a policy needed to be put into place at all.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," she drawled. "As tempting a prospect as I am right now at eight months pregnant, I'm have nothing but faith in Hannibal's iron control over himself."

Call it a hunch.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Thank you for your faith," Hannibal answered, giving them both an amused bow. "Here." He turned into the clinic's entrance and held the door, which was extra tall as promised.

[wwiii]

Warren gave a little smile and a nod of his head in thanks before stepping through the door first-- It wasn't that chivalry was dead, so much as it was habit, these days, to enter a room before Karla to make damn sure that there were no threats within.

... Nobody in the clinic so much as glanced up at them. They clearly had more important things to worry about.

He shrugged, and then glanced back and nodded Karla in.

[glacial_queen]

Karla, attuned to his body language after years working together as partners, was already stepping forward by the time he looked back to nod. His wings were lowering, feathers settling and that alone told her it was safe--not that they'd really had reason to assume otherwise, here.

But they'd both been attacked in too many 'safe places' for her to complain about his caution. Not when it was the baby's safety at risk.

She entered the clinic and looked around; it was very different from a Kaeleeran institution of the same type. At the same time, it felt similarly. And it woke in her a nostalgia that bordered on yearning. She loved Healing, loved being a Healer. But even when she wasn't Craftless, the simple duties of a clinic witch weren't ever to be hers. Those days, from Haven, from her apprenticeship, were long over.

Shaking her head to clear those thoughts, she once more took Warren's hand and turned to Hannibal. "Is it worth the effort of sitting?"

[sharp_as_knives]

"For you I suspect not," Hannibal answered, amused. "Let me see if they're ready for us." He headed for the desk to ask the receptionist about their room and equipment.

[wwiii]

Warren watched Hannibal go to the desk, and then looked back at Karla with that twitchy little half-smile of his toying on his lips.

"Nervous?"

He was. He was nervous a lot.

Still. That hadn't actually changed since they woke up this morning.

[glacial_queen]

"Of course not," Karla said, all false bravado. "What's the worst that could happen? I mean, other than this not working at all, or discovering something's horribly wrong that we missed this whole time, or I go into early labor while hooked up to all the machines, or there's some kind of attack, or..."

Karla trailed off, shaking her head. "Okay, maybe I'm a little nervous."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal came back and waved to the inner door. "This way. Unless you've changed your mind?" You were allowed to do that.

You were also allowed to see that as a challenge to your bravery and buck up in response.

[wwiii]

Well, that was what Warren was going to do. If Karla was that nervous, he was going to square his shoulders and offer her a cocky little grin.

"I haven't," he shared, once again reaching to squeeze Karla's hand. "Not if you haven't. If it doesn't work, absolutely nothing will be different. And if there was something the matter, Raven or Jaenelle would have told us by now."

... And he had no idea what to make of that last one. Because, really, labor induced by an ultrasound machine?

... At least they'd get a spectacular view...?

[glacial_queen]

No one had ever said worries had to be rational, dammit!

At Hannibal's words--and that tone, don't even think she'd missed that tone, Hannibal, all polite and undemanding, and she knew very well what it meant!--Karla's chin snapped up. "Changed my mind?" she asked. "Don't be ridiculous. There's a reason I wanted to do this, rather than just asking Jono or Raven or any of the other million people who probably know already. I want to see my child on the screen when I find out and I want a picture to bring home."

She folded her arms, all stubborn truculence. "We're not leaving till I have my pictures."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal was far too well-mannered to laugh. "Of course." He led them through to an examination room and set the exam table to rights. "You may pull your skirt up or off, whichever you prefer. Out of respect for your dignity and our friendship, I won't ask you to wear a paper gown."

[wwiii]

"I'm pretty sure somebody wouldn't be leaving this room alive if we tried to get Karla into a paper gown," Warren mused, the corner of his mouth twitching a little bit. "Good call, Doctor."