Kitten

In which Cheung, Jin, and Hu have an argument with the Kaidanovskys, get kicked out of Medical, and think they’ve found a kitten.

.

"The books all say I'm supposed to talk to you," says Xiong, smoothing Fei Yen's downy hair with her thumb. "But I'm not sure what to say to someone who won't understand me."

Fei Yen looks up at her.

"Though you are listening. I suppose that's the important part."

Fei Yen keeps watching.

"Well, you won't have any siblings from me—I was almost too old for you—but you have lots of cousins..." Xiong sighs but smiles at the several dozen bouquets of flowers. "And I expect you'll pick up quite a bit more family by virtue of living here—"

From out in the hall—

A string of angry Cantonese.

Fei Yen glances away.

A deep rumble of Russian.

Fei Yen nurses with earnest—

Xiong winces. "Everything's fine, my dear—"

Fei Yen looks back at her.

"—I'm not going anywhere."

Another, angrier string of Cantonese—

Fei Yen glances away, nurses more intently—

Xiong stifles her wince, presses the call button. "My love—"

Fei Yen's eyes focus on Xiong—

A sharp slash of Russian.

—for barely a moment.

Nurse Miyahira (18;3.3, Ryukyujin (black hair), 5’6”) knocks, slips inside, and bows. "Marshal."

"Would you—"

Fei Yen attends.

"—be so kind as to ask the argument to remove itself from the vicinity?"

Miyahira cringes. "Which argument?"

"The—" Xiong stifles a wince. "Chinese-Russian squabble?"

Miyahira frowns, but: "Consider it—"

Fei Yen's eyes flick away.

"—done." She bows—

More arguing.

Fei Yen nurses more eagerly.

Miyahira lights up. "It's that high-amplitude—"

Xiong winces.

"—sucking thing in action!" Sobers. "Though it's probably really uncomfortable for you. I'll take care of that argument now." Bows again, closes the door softly. listens.

She can hear /Ukrainian...

Miyahira shrugs off her doubt, strides from the Long Term wing into Receiving, and follows the shouting the second door of Short Term & Exams.

-Kaidanovskaya, Alexandra, 24 years old, 5'10" ... Kaidanvosky, Alexander, 18 years old, 7' ... Russian.- says the chart.

Okay, then.

She pushes open the door, says loudly, “Cadets, Rangers.” Inclines her head.

The combatants back off.

“You’ll be pleased to know your appointments have been rescheduled.”

Jin (17;0.13, Chinese (black buzzcut), 5’11) huffs.

Kaidanovskaya (24;10.28, bleach blonde, 5’10”) raises an eyebrow.

“When?” asks Kaidanovsky (18;11.6, bleach blond, 7’).

“I’ll let your handlers know. Bye, now!”

They communicate; Kaidanovsky rumbles in Ukrainian, Kaidanovskaya slides off the bed, they grab their shoes, and they saunter out. (del Toro, 2013 Featurette)

Miyahira turns to the triplets expectantly.

“What?” asks Cheung  (17;0.13, Chinese (black buzzcut), 5’11).

“I’m kicking the lot of you out.”

Cheung, Jin, and Hu wince.

“Right,” says Hu (17;0.13, Chinese (black buzzcut), 5’11).

“We’ll see ourselves out,” adds Cheung.

“Awesome.” Miyahira sorta bows. “Later!”

They follow her out, return to their exam room.

A high, reedy wail.

"A kitten!" beams Jin, grabbing his trousers.

"What would a kitten be doing in a Shatterdome?" wonders Cheung, pulling on his shirt.

"Shouldn’t we be leaving?” reminds Hu.

But Jin's out the door.

Cheung, now dressed, shrugs and follows.

Hu wanders towards the exit for exactly three steps, then turns on his heel and dashes after them.

He finds their brothers easily enough, glued at the hip and with lowered guard at the Marshal’s bedside.

Also Jin's broadcasting ‘——omg! cute thing! come look!' vibes.

“Cadet,” greets the Marshal.

Hu bows.

Jin subtly motions him over.

“This is Fei Yen, my daughter.” Shifts her arms, inclines her head.

Cheung, Jin, and Hu shuffle closer, peers around the Marshal’s shoulder.

“Fei Yen, these are Cadets Wei Cheung, Wei Jin, and Wei Hu, he-him-his. I expect you’ll be seeing a lot of them.”

Fei Yen doesn’t look at them.

“Hi,” whispers Jin.

Puffy, squinting dark eyes flick his way.

Jin swallows most of a squee, clutches Cheung’s arm.

For all appearances, Cheung seems to be his usual, always-watching big brother but he's hugging Jin's arm just as tightly and his mouth's gone kinda dopey.

Fei Yen does a... wiggly thing and scrunches her face.

"All done?" the Marshal asks softly.

Apparently so, as Fei Yen doesn't protest when the Marshal eases her—and there's Miyahira with a towel over her shoulder, scooping up Fei Yen in her blanket, and there goes Miyahira and Fei Yen.

"Did you see the little nose!" bursts Jin. "And the little feets!"

The Marshal smiles in spite of herself, adjusting her gown. "Can I help you three with something?"

"We heard a kitten," explains Cheung.

"Guessing you don't have a kitten," adds Jin.

“But we’re not sure what you have, either,” finishes Hu.

"A baby," says Marshal Xiong, eyes softening. “A brand new baby.”

A gurgly sound.

"A human baby?" asks Jin.

"Yes."

Miyahira comes back—

Marshal Xiong doesn't quite smile but she kinda glows.

—and returns a loosely-swaddled Fei Yen to the Marshal's arms.

"She's very, uh...." Hu schools a frown. How does one compliment newborns?

"Are you sure she's human?" asks Jin.

"Absolutely," says the Marshal, easing Fei Yen against her chest. "I'm still frozen from the surgery."

Now that the Marshal mentions it, Hu does see some features resembling those of a human, but—

"She's kinda... purple," Hu points out.

“And icky,” adds Jin.

"That's because she was born four hours ago," explains the Marshal. "The tint will fade as she gets used to breathing on her own."

Oooooh.

“May we hold her?” asks Jin.

“Not until tomorrow,” replies Xiong, draping the tiny blanket over Fei Yen.

Jin pouts—

"That’s not going to work, Cadet.”