Ok, really sorry for the slow updates. Been struggling with Uni, work and writers block. But here it is…and Merry Christmas xxx
Bumps in the Night: Chapter 2
"Daddy, Proctom's not well. He's really, really poorly. There's blue in his head" Peter insisted once more, a look of pure distress on his face which Yondu tried to temper.
"Yes it's the scar he got when he was saving you", explained Yondu as gently as he could.
"Not there's lots of blue and it's getting bigger. Please, daddy, Proctom's really poorly". There was a desperate urgency in the child's eyes, which Yondu couldn't shake off, as Kraglin moved past his mate to give his own son a kiss.
For Peter, it seemed that now his message had been delivered, seemed to relax, as, amidst his fresh bedding, and clutching Fang, he drifted off to sleep almost instantly as if the last few minutes had never happened.
Aside from the two Xandarian's currently standing in his living/bed space, since neither of them have been dismissed and wouldn't leave until they were ordered too, as they re-entered the room and Kraglin was the first to speak.
"Cheers for doing that, God knows why he was so spooked" the skinny first mate shrugged, as Iztel only smiled.
"No problem, good kid. Been a rough few weeks", naturally trying to play down the reason for Peter's nightmares with Proctom present in the room, and since the lad was so silent, Yondu took a moment to look at him, and thought, what the hell.
"Proctom, hold out your hands for me". Yondu ordered, as a look of confusion crossed his face, but an order was an order. He noticed the slight trembling in his hands, it wasn't much. But it was something, as he narrowed his own red eyes into Proctom's own.
Yondu never made a habit of mentioning his extra senses, that had served him so well in his lifetime, but looking into the eyes of the Xandarian. Who was very nervous in the presence of his Captain.
There was something there, one glazed and the other slightly bloodshot, as he noticed his grey his face was. It wasn't that he was pale, most Ravagers were, but there was something else, as he made up his mind quickly.
"Get down to the Med-bay, and get yourself checked out", he ordered briskly, and the Xandarian just frowned. "I'm fine Yondu. It's just a headache", as everyone noticed how his voice was still slightly slurred.
Yondu wasn't used to being contradicted and was too tired to drag the kid down there himself, as he turned to Iztel.
"Take him and make sure he gets his shit sorted out" he yawned while ordering the older man, who just nodded and took the young scarred faced Ravager by the arm.
Proctom didn't look like he was in a mood to protest, as with a nod they left the room together, and finally, all was silence in the Udonta household.
Even though Yondu and Kraglin were up, and could have had some fun, they were too tired and just collapsed back on the bed, their son settled and everything like it was before, as Kraglin spooned next to Yondu and wrapped a hand around his blue waist.
"God, that was weird". Kralgin uttered as Yondu dropped the lights, as Kraglin snuggled in closer.
"Yeah, let's worry about it tomorrow".
As Peter slept silently, safe and content in his bed, with Fang and all his other toys, Yondu was hoping that Peter would give them a few more moments before their silence was shattered.
Alas, that was wishful thinking as there were woken from their slumber by the soft pads of their toddlers' feet, who with expert ease crawled onto the bed, and demanded in a loud enough voice to rouse them.
"I want breakfast, please".
Yondu just stirred at his son, sitting on the end of the bed with no trace of hysterics a few hours before as he just grinned. Yondu rubbed the sleep from his red eyes, and nudging past Kraglin got up and sorted out their son. Washing and dressing him, even if there wasn't much point while Kraglin was getting sorted out, he managed to dive in the bathroom and wash and dress quickly.
They had a well-timed routine; nothing was out of the ordinary. As Peter emerged from his bedroom after putting his shoes on, dressed in soft trousers and a blue jumper, in direct contrast to the rest of the Ravagers clad in their red leather coats.
His hair as always was sticking up in all directions which Kraglin tried to combat with a comb, which was pointless since five minutes later it was back up again like there was an electrical charge running through his body.
It was the moment the three left for the Mess hall for breakfast, when Yondu received a discrete summons on his communicator, summoning him to the Med-bay.
Letting his mate and son to get on their way, he entered the most sterile room with a hiss of the door, to see Proctom lying on the main bed for the most serious injuries. A bandage wrapped around his head, and a ventilation tube down his throat, moving in unison with his chest. Drips and lines were threading into his arms, but one hand was free which had Iztel's own hand, wrapped around it, as Yondu stepped into the chair next to Iztel and just waited for the older Ravager to speak.
The moment he did betrayed how exhausted he truly was, having clearly caught no sleep at all.
"He had a blood clot on the brain, caused from that sodding mutiny. An artery inside the brain burst and caused all this. He passed out the moment he told them he had a headache, and he told me that he hadn't gone before because he didn't want to bother anyone".
Iztel signed, as Proctom's eyelids flickered, and he seemed to squeeze his hand in response to his voice.
"They had to operate straight away, and he flat lined twice from the shock, stupid kids been thought shit. And he was too scared to tell anyone about it".
"Why not?" Yondu's face just frowned in confusion, as Iztel just scoffed.
"Because he was given the silent treatment for two years, even by me. And now he's a Ravager again". Iztel sighed more to himself that anyone else, as Yondu, just cast him a curious look. Hell Ravagers had died, more than he could remember. It was strange to see Iztel who once upon a time was one of the most bloodthirsty Ravagers, speaking like a total sap.
"Kid didn't feel like he could tell anyone and now here he is". While Proctom squeezed his hand once more.
"He'll be ok in a few days, but when he gets out if here. I want to move him into my quarters for a bit until he's recovered. Let him get a good night's sleep and all that".
Yondu just raised a curious look at Iztel, "Concern, Iztel. What brought this on", as Iztel, failing eyes and all just raised an eyebrow.
"Because he's been through hell, he needs to recover, and when he's better, I want him to spend more time with me. Let him rest, and I've been asking for an assistant for ages, someone who can take over when I'm teaching Peter, and I can teach him stuff as well. Lads still learning to read, and he's pretty good at it too".
Yondu blinked, sod it. If Iztel was going to be sentimental over a Ravager like Proctom, so be it as the older Xandarian just exhaled.
"Peter said he had "blue in his head", like blood. Like he knew what was going on…like he's done in the past", clearly thinking over the past few years where Peter knew what was being said, it just had an internal hunch, the toys, the flash fire…he just knew.
Yondu knew exactly where this was going, as Iztel reached over and gently stroked the comatose Proctom's face, which to Yondu looked weird, but who cared about that.
"So you know what Peter is, that he's a…"
"I don't give a shit about what he is, apart from the fact that he's your son and that's just that he's special which is the reason why you never give him over. I'm just grateful for it right now". As the older Ravager just sighed.
"There's some breakfast and lunch for Peter premade, and some stew for the rest of the Ravagers, I made it when he was in surgery. Today I'm going to stay here with Protoctm, so Peter's lessons will have to be with you. God knows Kraglin, won't let him be with anyone else…you know how he is", which raised a chucked out of the Captain, as getting to his feet and giving Iztel's shoulder a squeeze, he left the Med Bay.
Stepping back to the deck and making the walk to the Mess, he found Peter and Kraglin sitting at the Captain's table, as their son was devouring a bowl of porridge with fruit, something he loved hot or cold, as Kraglin glanced up at his mate for an explanation, as Peter's suddenly looked up. "So Proctom's not poorly anymore?" he stated, as Kraglin just blinked in confusion.
"He'll be fine…and you're going to be spending the day with us, on the bridge learning how to be a Ravager…how about that?"
These were the words Peter needed to hear, as he almost immediately made a beeline for the door, as Yondu quickly drained his coffee, grabbed the boys pad and followed their son.
Who like most toddlers didn't walk, more hopped and skipped across the deck, his body full of energy, as Yondu filled Kraglin in on what happened, which promoted Kraglin to utter. "Peter how did you now Proctom was sick".
Peter just stopped mid-step, and looked up at Kraglin flashing his green eyes, and looked like he was thinking for a second. "I just thought of Proctom and knew he was poorly…did I do bad?" The look of worry on his face Kraglin had to crush any idea of reprimanding him since he did nothing wrong.
"No, he's going to be fine and we're very pleased with you as Peter just beamed, the bridge insight, as Peter suddenly chimed in. "And now that Iztel is with, Proctom, he'll be good. Since Iztel and Proctom are family now".
There was such certainty in Peter's face that neither of them chooses to question it further, as they arrived on the bridge, and both of them were pleased to see Gunnsen, in his rightful place at the navigation array. Looking suitably chagrined after the events of the night, who just blinked at Peter, who just beamed at everyone feeling very important at his arrival on the bridge, and that he got to spend the day with his dad's.
Taking up their rightful places, instead of sitting on his Kraglin lap at expected. Yondu instead gestured to Gunnsen, "Today I want Peter to learn how to read star charts", indicating the tone in his voice, that no one could disobey. "Get to it".
Almost immediately Peter had scrambled into Gunnsen's lap, as the Ravagers still looking unsettled, did as he was asked, as YOndu watched his son from behind, and seemed to understand each word and felt a familiar stab of pride, trying not to think about what Peter understood or how his senses worked. As from the corner of his eye he seemed to see a moment pass between Gunsen and Peter, the former which hadn't noticed and decided not to question it further, for his own sanity and for Kraglin's…well for now anyway.
The End
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