"IN PULLUS VERITAS"

(IN CHICKEN, TRUTH)

Author: Gillian Slater

E-mail: [email protected]

Rating: PG -13

Disclaimer: As always, these characters do not belong to me, they are the property of the show's creators, and I'm borrowing them for my own sinister purposes...

PART TEN

FOURTEEN WEEKS LATER

Morris paced the corridor outside the delivery room like a caged wildcat, repeatedly cursing his enforced exclusion from the event. "I'm a doctor... it's not like I'd be fainting in there... something could go wrong and they might need an extra pair of qualified hands..."

"Please shut up!" Heather implored, covering her ears to Morris' rantings. "The doctors said 'family only', so if anyone should be allowed in it's me! But Dad told us to wait here and be patient, and that's exactly what we're going to do, got it?"

"You know, you take a very superior tone with your elders, young lady," Morris growled, "You must get it from your father. He has the habit of thinking he can give me orders when it's actually the other way around."

"Excuse me, but isn't Dad like five years older than you anyway?"

"He's twenty-six." The doctor pointed out.

"Forty-five!" Heather argued emphatically.

The sound of Lisa's intermittent loud moaning which had been almost obliterated by their heated disagreement was abruptly replaced by the wail of a new-born. Their dispute was dismissed in an instant, as the two stood to attention outside the door, listening intently as the baby's cries continued.

After several minutes of unbearable tension, the door swung open then, and Michael appeared looking almost as exhausted as Lisa must have been, but his face bore the stamp of irrepressible joy. He cradled in his arms a gigantic blue blanket which contained a tiny squalling infant snuggled within. Despite his excitement, Dr. Morris stepped back a little in order to let Heather rush forward.

"Look Heather," Michael said, leaning down to his daughter's level, "It's your brother."

"Gosh, he's so small! Is he meant to be that small? And he will get, y'know, normal-coloured in a while, right?" Her father smiled gently.

"He's new-born, Heather. Trust me, he'll get less pink in a couple of hours. And he's small because he's early, same as you. Seems my kids just can't wait to get out into the world, huh?"

"Wow!" The wonder in Heather's tone matched Michael's own as he held the tiny boy out for her inspection. "How's mom? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, sweetheart, just tired. You can go in and see her now if you like." Heather promptly rushed through the doors into the delivery room.

Michael rose and turned to Morris, who was standing politely out of the way. The look on his face told Michael that the scientist was clearly out of his depth on this occasion. He'd never been in the position of welcoming a new-born child on an emotional level. On a sudden impulse, Michael placed the bundled infant gently into Morris' arms.

"Doc'," Michael spoke softly, and a note of the most intense pride underlaid his voice, "Meet Theodore Wiseman."

"Th-Theodore? You named him...?"

"Yeah. Because... I never thanked you before for saving my life... because without you this little guy wouldn't be here now. We also named him for you because, well, since you made me, that kinda makes you his grandfather, doesn't it?" Morris made no reply, but stared down at the tiny child in mute amazement.

After several minutes of silence he spoke up, softly, "He looks like you. I guess Mother Nature admires my handiwork."

"Well, I suppose you can have some of the credit for his looks, but if he turns out to be a genius, it's down to me, right?"

The two men laughed lightly, sharing the humour of the moment, and for once both accepting their roles in each other's lives. Both knew that neither would standing there holding this baby if it weren't for the doctor's resolute devotion to his precious science project, and Michael's constantly wayward disobedience where Morris' rules were concerned. As much as they grated against each other's nature and approaches to their situation, they both realised and were grateful that events had conspired to bring this reward into their reluctant friendship.

FIN