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Vanilla glanced up as she heard movement on the hospital bed next to her chair. With a smile, she placed her bookmark in the book she had been reading and turned her full attention to the patient as Vector stirred beneath the covers.
“Vector?” she called gently. “How are you feeling?”
The crocodile blinked blearily and glanced around the room before settling on her. “Hmmm…wazzit…..wahappin…?”
“Can you hear me?” the rabbit asked softly, leaning forward to put her hand on his chest. “You’re in the hospital. It was just a routine procedure and the doctor says you came out fine.”
Vector seemed to just let what she said pass over him and she thought he might still be pretty out of it. The crocodile blinked several times, glancing down at her hand on his chest. Vanilla let him process; the only sound in the room was the beeping of the heart monitor.
His voice sounded a little froggy as he spoke. “My wife migh’ not like you puttin’ your hand on my chest like that,” he slurred.
Vanilla smiled, pinching her lips together to keep from laughing. “Darling, I am your wife.”
His half-closed eyes opened wider and the beeping of the monitor accelerated slightly. His jaw parted slightly, his mouth turning upward at the corners. “Reeelly?”
Vanilla nodded. “Yes.”
His mouth moved and the barest whisper of the word ‘wow’ came out in his drug-addled astonishment. “An’ yer my nurse, too?”
This time Vanilla did laugh. “No, I’m not a nurse. I work in a bakery.You and the boys help when-”
“We have boyz?!” he exclaimed, rising slightly, then falling back against the pillows with wide eyes.
“Be careful, dear,” she gently admonished him. Her fingers moved to settle the blankets more comfortably on him. “Yes, two of them, and a girl.”
“A girl…” He stared up at the ceiling, completely in awe, like the secrets of the universe had just been laid bare to him. Again the word ‘wow’ fell from him in a whisper and then he glanced back at Vanilla. “S’ she as pretty as her ma?”
Vanilla blushed, wishing for all the world that she had brought her camera. “Yes, I’ve heard you say so.”
“An’ th’boys…d’they look like me’er you?”
The rabbit smiled warmly. “They’re like you; brave and clever and wonderfully kind.”
The crocodile blinked rapidly, his eyes becoming moist. “Wooow,” he breathed.
He lifted his hand, then glanced disapprovingly at the IV taped to the back of it. He gave his hand a shake as if to get the thing off, but Vanilla reached and calmly took his hand into her own, resting them both on the bed.
Vector sniffled. “I gotta pretty wife an’ two boys an’ a lil girl…”
Vanilla nodded. “Yes, and they all love you very much.”
“Yeah?”
When she nodded, the gathering wetness in his eyes spilled over. “Wooooooooow.”
There was a knock on the door and Charmy came hovering in, followed by Espio.
“Vector!”
“Good to see you’re awake,” the chameleon said.
“Izzat my doctor?” Vector asked, excitedly pointing at Espio. “Hey doc, guess what? I got boys! Two’a ‘em! An’ a girl too!”
Charmy burst into laughter, wobbling in his hover over the bed.
“Indeed,” came Espio’s reply, glancing quizzically at Vanilla.
The rabbit sent him an indulging smile that she hoped communicated her husband’s loopy state without needing to use the hand gesture.
“Vector,” Charmy admonished between giggles, “we’re your boys!”
The crocodile’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. His hands slowly lifted to gather Charmy up between them, holding the bee in front of him.
“Holy shit, my boy can fly.”
He glanced at Espio, pointing with both hands still grasping Charmy
“An’ the other boy’s a doctor!”
“No, I’m-”
“Vecterrr,” Charmy giggled, his cheeks pressed between Vector’s palms. “He’za ninja.”
“Whoa, that’s badass!”
Vanilla’s withheld laughter burst from her.
By the time the actual doctor came around, the crocodile’s drug-addled mind had been blown several more times as Charmy kept telling him about the cool things they all did and laughing hysterically at his reactions.