The Cause (Peter, Hospital people)

[father-peter.livejournal.com]

The CT machine wasn't as bad as Peter expected it to be, but the loud thunking noises it made didn't help his claustrophobia. Nor did the fact that Abby couldn't work the machine or be in the room, so it was being run by a tech who was extremely nervous to be working on his boss. He kept saying things like "Whoops, sorry!" over the intercom, which didn't make Peter feel all that comforted. Still, Abby was there to take his hand afterwards, and she gave him a sweet little smile as well. Things between them were fine, which was as much of a relief as this entire situation was a worry.

Abby led Peter in to a little room to wait for the results of the scan. Peter's family was waiting in there too. Tasha and Robert and Thomas and David and Aly. He gave them a brave yet shy smile. He felt weak, somehow, even though he was doing the smart thing. Embarrassed and on the spot. He hated that he was causing them worry yet again. It didn't seem fair to them. Abby released his hand and Peter went over to sit beside Aly so he could give her a kiss. She looked far more distraught than the rest of them. This scene was far too familiar for her liking. Peter sighed into the silence, and they waited.

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[empress-tasha.livejournal.com]

Tasha placed a hand on Peter's head, and held it gently to hers. "It'll be okay," she told him, her voice trembling. "We understand now. We won't... we know you're still you, it's just the thing messing with you... Dad... you'll be okay..." Despite her words, Tasha started crying.

David was unable to remain seated, so he got up, running both hands through his hair. He didn't want to ask the next question. He hated probing into this thing that was so damn terrible. But it was probably important to have the knowledge on hand. "How long do you estimate, before...?"