A Step Further
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
They were led into the foyer and Boris took their things upstairs. A woman emerged from one of the side rooms.
"You must be Dr. Kovac" she said in Croatian, "Luka, isn't it?" she asked. Luka nodded.
"May I present my wife, Ria, and our daughter Ailleen" He replied.
"You're married?" Surprise was obvious on her face. He felt Ria tug on his shirt, wanting to know what was being said, but he just squeezed her elbow, telling her to paitient.
"Yes." he answered simply. There was no need to tell this woman anything more than what she asked. He didn't even know who she was yet.
"This changes everything. I doubt there will be any opposition, now" she almost looke elated, "I'm sorry, I've failed to introduce myself. I am Hilda Gorsogof, I'm in Child Services" She smiled and shook Luka's hand. Luka quickly translated for Ria who smiled then too.
"What do you mean, there won't be any opposition. Was there any before?" Luka asked, mildly alarmed.
"A man named Vel Vovishkina. He was a close friend of Mr. Kovac's. He knew of Mr. Kovac's....animosity towards you and was convinced he would never want his children living with you, despite the fact that you were specifically named in his will." Ms. Gorsogof told him, leading them into one of the sitting rooms. It was rather large, full of impressionism, Dominic's favorite. Luka explained everything to Ria.
"Do you know this Vovishkina?" she asked, a small worry line creasing her brow.
"No" he smiled at her, "I wish you spoke Coratian" She just rolled her eyes amusingly. Gorsogof was waiting paitently for them to finish.
"He wanted the children himself, I suppose" Luka addressed her again. She nodded.
"His main claim against you was that you had no wife, no family and that these were not viable living conditions for children. He was building a rather good case, but" she gestured with her hands, "it's irrelevent now. You have a wife and a child already. Certainly your home may not be, eh, the right size for a larger family, but that can be arranged later."
"Do you see any other problems with the adoption process?" Luka asked.
"The only thing he might come up with is debasing the children after such a traumatic experience, but I think we can get around that. You might want to tell your wife" Gorsogof nodded toward Ria, who had a look of deep concentration on her face, trying to pick something up from the rapid exchange in Croatian. Luka would have laughed, but he knew it would only make her upset. He told her everything that had been said.
"Tell her I'm a licensed psychologist and pyschiatrist." Ria told him.
"Why would it matter?"
"Well, I don't know about here, but if we were in the States that would pretty much compensate for the 'debasing' because I'm a 'proffesional' and should be well equipped to help the children through the mourning process. Not that that holds true in every case but..." Ria shrugged her shoulders in indeferance. Luka told Gorsogof and she agreed.
"Ask her about the children" Ria prodded. Luka was getting somewhat tired of playing the translator, but he obliged his over tired wife, lest she become irritated. So far, it had only happened a few times, but those experiences were plenty enough to make Luka know he should oblige her when he could.
"Caroline is 14, she's been a little rebellious since her parent's death. She seems to lord over Frederic, whose nearly 13, his birthday is next week, but really they're very close I think. They both speak a little English, or so I'm told, which should make the transition for them easier." Luka told Ria.
"Ask if she knows anything about their personal likes and dislikes, or any kind of strong behavoir patterns they may have" Ria asked him, her voice edged with proffesional curiosity. Luka gave her a strange look.
"Just do it" she snapped and he did so quickly, hoping he hadn't upset her too much. The jet lag must've been setting in, because Ailleen was starting to fuss also. Her emotions usually ran about the same as her mother's, and if Ria's voice was any indication, they would probably be asailed with a very vocal objection to her current positon very soon.
"I haven't spent much time with the children, I'm afraid. However, I can show your wife where their rooms are, perhaps she can get the information she wants from that" Gorsogof answered sympatheticly, "I think she's right that her being a psychologist will help in the courts. But you look tired, should I have Boris show you to your room?"
"Where are Caroline and Frederic?" Luka asked, surprised.
"They were staying with Vovishkina until you arrived. I could have them called back tonight if you'd like"
"No. We can meet them in the morning" Luka replied and thanked her for her trouble and help. She promised to be back with the children at 10 the next morning and left. Boris showed them to a room on the second floor, just down the hall from Frederic's. He offered them some dinner, but one look at Ria and Luka said that wouldn't be necissary.
"Here, let me have her" he said quietly, taking Ailleen from Ria's arms and puting her softly into the cradle that Boris had found on the third floor in the old nursery. She looked like she might have protested, but then changed her mind and fell asleep. Luka turned around to find her mother had had the same notion and was fast asleep on the bed.
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
They were led into the foyer and Boris took their things upstairs. A woman emerged from one of the side rooms.
"You must be Dr. Kovac" she said in Croatian, "Luka, isn't it?" she asked. Luka nodded.
"May I present my wife, Ria, and our daughter Ailleen" He replied.
"You're married?" Surprise was obvious on her face. He felt Ria tug on his shirt, wanting to know what was being said, but he just squeezed her elbow, telling her to paitient.
"Yes." he answered simply. There was no need to tell this woman anything more than what she asked. He didn't even know who she was yet.
"This changes everything. I doubt there will be any opposition, now" she almost looke elated, "I'm sorry, I've failed to introduce myself. I am Hilda Gorsogof, I'm in Child Services" She smiled and shook Luka's hand. Luka quickly translated for Ria who smiled then too.
"What do you mean, there won't be any opposition. Was there any before?" Luka asked, mildly alarmed.
"A man named Vel Vovishkina. He was a close friend of Mr. Kovac's. He knew of Mr. Kovac's....animosity towards you and was convinced he would never want his children living with you, despite the fact that you were specifically named in his will." Ms. Gorsogof told him, leading them into one of the sitting rooms. It was rather large, full of impressionism, Dominic's favorite. Luka explained everything to Ria.
"Do you know this Vovishkina?" she asked, a small worry line creasing her brow.
"No" he smiled at her, "I wish you spoke Coratian" She just rolled her eyes amusingly. Gorsogof was waiting paitently for them to finish.
"He wanted the children himself, I suppose" Luka addressed her again. She nodded.
"His main claim against you was that you had no wife, no family and that these were not viable living conditions for children. He was building a rather good case, but" she gestured with her hands, "it's irrelevent now. You have a wife and a child already. Certainly your home may not be, eh, the right size for a larger family, but that can be arranged later."
"Do you see any other problems with the adoption process?" Luka asked.
"The only thing he might come up with is debasing the children after such a traumatic experience, but I think we can get around that. You might want to tell your wife" Gorsogof nodded toward Ria, who had a look of deep concentration on her face, trying to pick something up from the rapid exchange in Croatian. Luka would have laughed, but he knew it would only make her upset. He told her everything that had been said.
"Tell her I'm a licensed psychologist and pyschiatrist." Ria told him.
"Why would it matter?"
"Well, I don't know about here, but if we were in the States that would pretty much compensate for the 'debasing' because I'm a 'proffesional' and should be well equipped to help the children through the mourning process. Not that that holds true in every case but..." Ria shrugged her shoulders in indeferance. Luka told Gorsogof and she agreed.
"Ask her about the children" Ria prodded. Luka was getting somewhat tired of playing the translator, but he obliged his over tired wife, lest she become irritated. So far, it had only happened a few times, but those experiences were plenty enough to make Luka know he should oblige her when he could.
"Caroline is 14, she's been a little rebellious since her parent's death. She seems to lord over Frederic, whose nearly 13, his birthday is next week, but really they're very close I think. They both speak a little English, or so I'm told, which should make the transition for them easier." Luka told Ria.
"Ask if she knows anything about their personal likes and dislikes, or any kind of strong behavoir patterns they may have" Ria asked him, her voice edged with proffesional curiosity. Luka gave her a strange look.
"Just do it" she snapped and he did so quickly, hoping he hadn't upset her too much. The jet lag must've been setting in, because Ailleen was starting to fuss also. Her emotions usually ran about the same as her mother's, and if Ria's voice was any indication, they would probably be asailed with a very vocal objection to her current positon very soon.
"I haven't spent much time with the children, I'm afraid. However, I can show your wife where their rooms are, perhaps she can get the information she wants from that" Gorsogof answered sympatheticly, "I think she's right that her being a psychologist will help in the courts. But you look tired, should I have Boris show you to your room?"
"Where are Caroline and Frederic?" Luka asked, surprised.
"They were staying with Vovishkina until you arrived. I could have them called back tonight if you'd like"
"No. We can meet them in the morning" Luka replied and thanked her for her trouble and help. She promised to be back with the children at 10 the next morning and left. Boris showed them to a room on the second floor, just down the hall from Frederic's. He offered them some dinner, but one look at Ria and Luka said that wouldn't be necissary.
"Here, let me have her" he said quietly, taking Ailleen from Ria's arms and puting her softly into the cradle that Boris had found on the third floor in the old nursery. She looked like she might have protested, but then changed her mind and fell asleep. Luka turned around to find her mother had had the same notion and was fast asleep on the bed.