Author's Note: No, not like the Muppet. Thanks to ToonedIn for the chapter title idea! Disclaimer from chapter one still applies. More commentary and responses to reviews at the end of the chapter.
It was well after dawn when the Dursleys returned home to 4 Privet Drive, dazed and exhausted. Dudley had been properly re-hydrated and was walking on his own. Well, nearly on his own. Petunia had one of his pudgy arms tucked under her long, bony one, and refused to let him go. Vernon held a sheaf of doctor's notes and prescriptions in one hand. He had already called Grunnings and left his secretary a voice mail message, informing her that he would be out all day. He was planning on going to the 24-hour pharmacy as soon as Dudley was settled.
In retrospect, Vernon Dursley should have suspected the nature of his son's ailment. His mother Euphemia, god rest her saintly soul, had suffered from diabetes late in life. Marge had, in fact, been showing signs of it for years but had ignored her doctor's orders to curb her appetite for sweets and alcohol. Vernon had a fear of diabetes developing in himself, but it had never once occurred to him that Dudley could get it. The boy was only fifteen, after all, and had never been anything but robust and hearty, if not particularly active. He regarded his son out of the corner of his eye, suspiciously, as if expecting to see the sturdy, ruddy-faced youth dissolve into a pale, skinny weakling right before his eyes. Dudley looked pallid, indeed, and very tired, but he was still anything but skinny.
Vernon unlocked the door and went into the living room first, then stopped so suddenly Dudley and Petunia bumped into him from behind. "What the devil are you doing out of your room!" He sputtered, turning red.
Harry was sitting calmly on the sofa, fully dressed, but barefoot. There was a long leather glove on one hand, and a familiar owl was perched on it. Harry looked up with wary green eyes, but said nothing, stroking his pet's snowy breast. Behind Vernon, Petunia slipped her arms around Dudley protectively, but no one else spoke or moved for the space of several heartbeats. "Is he okay?" Harry asked quietly at last.
"No thanks to you," shrilled Petunia.
"Now, Mrs. Dursley, you know it wasn't Harry's fault," said a quiet male voice. The Dursleys jumped and turned in unison to find a lanky, red-haired man in a brown robe striding casually down the hallway, a tea tray hovering gracefully over his left shoulder. He was smiling pleasantly, but there was a glint in his eyes and a muscle in his jaw was slightly clenched. "I'm sure you're all exhausted, having been up all night, but I think perhaps you should sit down a moment and talk this over."
"Who--how--what are you doing in my house?!" Vernon thundered.
"This is Mr. Weasley, Uncle Vernon," Harry volunteered, "You should remember him, he came to pick me up last summer."
"He fixed my tongue," Dudley added in a tiny, timid voice.
"Bloody right, I remember him, he blew apart half the living room!" Mr. Dursley roared, "But that doesn't explain what he's doing here now!"
"Harry sent me a message by owl last night," Mr. Weasley slipped past him and plucked the tea tray out of the air, setting it neatly on the table, then sat next to Harry protectively. His gaze as he looked up at Vernon was penetrating, commanding the outraged muggle's attention. "There is no possible way the sweets he gave your son could have poisoned him or injured him in any way. The enchantments on wizards' food are heavily tested and regulated by the Ministry to be safe for all humans, wizards and Muggles alike, to eat. Digestive enzymes negate all enchantments permitted on edibles upon contact. Period."
Dudley shuffled into the room to sit down in his favorite overstuffed recliner. Harry was looking him over with an intent expression, as if trying to reassure himself that his cousin was all right. Dudley avoided his eyes.
"You came all this way to tell us this?" Vernon scowled, still furious but wary of the abilities Weasley had demonstrated on his last visit.
"The postscript on Harry's note concerned me. It suggested that he expected to be blamed for Dudley's illness and after the state my boys found him in the summer he turned twelve…" he trailed off, giving the two adult Dursleys a harsh look.
"He never got anything he didn't deserve," Vernon snapped.
"We've never *beaten* him," Petunia protested, "nothing like that!"
"He was locked in his room when I arrived," Mr. Weasley appeared to be making an effort to keep his voice down. "I'm sure you don't lock your own son in his room when you go out…"
Dudley looked up at Harry quickly. That was why he hadn't come to the hospital with them. He'd been locked in. He knew this shouldn't make him feel better, but it did, and he flashed Harry a weak smile. Harry looked taken aback, not sure if the expression had been mocking or sympathetic, but after a moment, he gave his cousin a jerky nod in response.
"You have NO right WHATsoever to tell ME how to run MY household!" Vernon began to lose his temper again.
"Where this boy is concerned--" Mr. Weasley began, stiffening in his seat, but Harry interrupted in a mild voice that would have made Dumbledore himself proud, "The tea's getting cold. Wouldn't anybody like some?"
"I would," said Dudley brightly, then his face fell. "No…wait…nevermind. I can't."
Petunia's eyes watered and she crossed the room to squash her son into a hug. "My poor Duddykins…"
"Why can't you?" Harry asked softly.
"Well, I can, but not with sugar. I don't like my tea black." Dudley sulked, allowing his mother to hug him.
The two grown men in the room continued to look daggers at one another, but the argument seemed to have been defused for the moment.
"I don't understand," Harry studied his cousin.
"I've got diabetes. The doctors said so. I can't have sweets anymore." At the last statement, Dudley looked as if all the light had gone out of his world.
Arthur Weasley broke his gaze away from Vernon's to look at the boy. "I'm sorry to hear that, Dudley…that's what sent you to the hospital last night, then?" He relaxed a bit, sympathy filling his eyes.
Dudley nodded unhappily. "They're making me take pills. And then if the pills don't help, I'll have to have shots."
"Insulin shots." The red-haired wizard nodded. "Well, look here…" He poured a cupful of tea, then drew his wand and gestured at it lightly, murmuring, "Saccarum." A couple white sparks fell into the liquid.
The Dursleys jumped.
"It doesn't taste quite like sugar, but it'll do for now. I suspect there's some sort of Muggle fake sweetener you can buy somewhere." He offered the cup to Dudley, who reached for it hesitantly.
Petunia made a small, anxious sound, and Vernon scowled, "Don't drink that, Dudley…"
Arthur looked mildly offended, taking a sip of the drink himself, then offering it to Harry, who did the same. "Whatever you may think of wizards, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, if I wanted to harm any of you, I could do it more easily by casting a spell directly on *you*, rather than on your breakfast."
Dudley leaned forward and reached for the cup more eagerly. Harry handed it over with a faint grin, watching as he took a sip. "It's not bad…" he said after a moment. "Can you do that to éclairs, too?"
Harry noted the look of dawning horror on Vernon's face and sought to short-circuit the coming explosion, "How do you know all this, Mr. Weasley?"
"Bill's diabetic," he replied quietly. "Didn't you know?"
"*Bill* is?" Harry stared, trying to reconcile the image of the tall, thin, ponytailed young wizard with the pasty, overweight muggle boy before him.
"Well, yes…it's a rather complex illness, and while magic can keep him healthy despite it, it can't quite cure it. Not yet."
Dudley's expression had grown very interested during this exchange, but now it fell into despair once more. "Even *magic* can't fix it?"
"I'm afraid not…but I know rather a lot about it, so if you've questions, Dudley…or I could have Bill owl you…"
"Just a minute!" Vernon shouted suddenly, "It's bad enough there's two of you sitting in my living room! I will *not* have my son corresponding with a--with a--"
Arthur's eyebrows rose slowly toward his hairline. "With a what, Mr. Dursley? That is *my* son you're referring to, mind. I'm going out on a limb by even suggesting it. Wizards really are not supposed to correspond with Muggles, but since you *are* Harry's family…"
Vernon subsided, but Petunia muttered resentfully, "Please…don't do us any favors."
The wizard's brows knit. "Very well, then. I won't." He started to stand, "Harry, will you--"
"Wait a moment!" Dudley started up shrilly, "Don't I get a say in this?" His round face reddened as he glared at his parents. "I'm the one who's sick, aren't I?"
Harry winced, recognizing a tantrum coming on.
"Of course you are, sweetums," Petunia patted his arm, "But the doctor gave us all sorts of pamphlets to read, and…I really don't think…"
"What about what *I* think?!"
"And what's that?" Vernon growled at him, "What do you think? You think you'd like to buy yourself an owl and start firing off scrolls of parchment? Or maybe leave Smeltings and go to that ruddy--that---Harry's school, instead?"
"Magical abilities aren't an infectious disease, Mr. Dursley. Your son won't catch them from corresponding with mine," Mr. Weasley said coldly.
"That's not the point! The point is we've been trying our damnedest to keep *his* abnormality quiet for the past five years," he jabbed a finger at Harry, who scooted back and held Hedwig out of the way, "only to be undermined now by our own son turning against us!"
"Vernon…" Petunia whimpered in a half-hearted attempt to calm her husband.
"I'm not a little boy anymore, Dad!" Dudley's voice rose, "You can't make all my decisions for me forever! I haven't even been allowed to pick what to eat for the past two years! I don't care how weird and freakish they are if they can help!"
"All right, then," Mr. Dursley's voice was suddenly quiet. "You want to give it a try, go with him." He jerked his head at Mr. Weasley. "Now. Get your things and go."
Dudley and Harry both stared.
"Vernon! You don't mean that!" Petunia looked close to tears. "He doesn't mean that, Diddy…"
"I'm dead serious!" Vernon's face turned purple again as he resorted to the standby phrase of all frustrated parents of teenagers, "As long as you live under my roof, you'll abide by my rules! If you don't like it, move out!"
Harry exchanged glances with Arthur Weasley. He looked torn between fury and sympathy. Harry wondered if Mr. Weasley would still like Muggles after this experience. Petunia began to cry at last, while Dudley and Vernon tried to stare each other down. Suddenly, Dudley snapped, flinging his half-full teacup at his father's head and shouting, "Fine! I'll just eat grapefruit and take pills and go back to Smeltings and be miserable!"
Vernon tried to dodge the cup, but wasn't quick enough. It glanced off his shoulder, spilling lukewarm tea down his front, then bounced off the arm of the sofa and shattered on the floor. "Dudley!!" He bellowed.
"I hate you!" his son shrieked passionately, rising from his chair, "I hate you I hate you I hate you!!" He turned and waddled from the room as fast as his legs would go.
Vernon took a step after him, then stopped, turned, and kicked the coffee table so hard the tea set almost fell off. Then he stormed toward the front door.
"Vernon?" Petunia stood and hurried after him, sniffling, "Vern, where are you going??"
"Out!" He snapped, "To the bloody pharmacy!"
The door to Dudley's room slammed loudly. As Mr. Dursley departed, the front door slammed in response. Petunia stood in the hall a moment, looking dazed, then turned to look at Harry and Mr. Weasley tearfully for a moment. She started to say something, then shook her head, turned away hurriedly, and ran up the stairs.
Alone in the living room, Harry and Mr. Weasley stood silent for a long moment.
Harry was the first to speak. "I suppose I'd better sweep up that cup…"
"Cup…?" the older wizard looked bemused. "Oh…no…don't bother…reparo!" The teacup reformed, hovering in midair, then levitated gently to join its mates on the coffee table. "Are they…Harry…are they always like this?"
"Err…well…pretty much. Usually they don't yell at *one another*, but otherwise…"
"Right." Mr. Weasley ran a hand through his thinning hair. "I was going to ask if you wanted…and now I really think…Dumbledore had his reasons for wanting you to stay here, of course, and I don't mean to second-guess him, but, Harry, I really think you should come back to the Burrow with me. Right away. I'll help you pack, if you like."
Harry's heart leapt. He had expected to be invited back to stay with Ron's family this summer, but he hadn't expected it so soon. "I'd like that very much, Mr. Weasley," he began, then hesitated. For some reason the image of Dudley alone in his room had entered the young wizard's mind. Alone all summer, with no letters from school friends and at odds with everyone else in the house. Very much like Harry had felt the summer before his second year. And sick, on top of it all. He bit his lip, unwillingly feeling pity for his cousin. He suspected that if their positions were reversed, it would not occur to Dudley to feel the same, and yet…
Harry sighed. "I think I should stay," he said with finality, his shoulders drooping a little. "At least for another couple weeks. Until Dudley…adjusts."
Mr. Weasley looked mildly stunned, "Are you quite sure, Harry? I doubt your relatives will feel very friendly toward you for some time after this incident…"
"I know. But I don't think Dudley has any friends. I don't exactly like him, either, but I think maybe he's trying to change…and he is my cousin, after all…" Harry shrugged helplessly.
The older wizard regarded him a moment, then patted him warmly on the shoulder. Something in his gaze was approving. "If you change your mind, I want you to owl me right away, you hear?"
He nodded, smiling. "I'll be okay. I've lived with them for fourteen years now."
Arthur shook his head and sighed. "I'll keep in touch."
"Yeah. Okay. Tell Ron I said hi, and I'll see him soon."
Mr. Weasley nodded and gave a slightly strained smile, then waved his wand, muttering a short series of words, and vanished, having Apparated back to the Burrow. Harry stroked Hedwig pensively for a moment, already unhappy with his decision, then set her aside and began putting the tea things away. First he was going to take a long nap and catch up on the sleep he'd missed. Then he would go see how Dudley was managing.
I'm sorry this one took so long! I hope I haven't lost any readers to the delay. I had a touch of writers' block, unfortunately, but I think I like the way this one turned out, particularly the image of Dudley throwing a teacup at his father. Another problem I have is I have my finger in every creative pie I can think of. I do writing, drawing, sewing, and jewelry, and things just kept coming up the past two months. First I had an artistic commission, then a craft show to prepare for, then a contest. Anyway, I hope to get a couple more chapters done before the holiday rush gets me down. Wish me luck. ^_^;;;
Of course, once I finish this story I've got a Ron-fic in mind.
Next chapter, in which Bridgie fights against the dangers of obvious exposition, should be mostly Dudley-Harry dialogue. It's already begun, but I can make no promises as to the date of completion, except that it will be before Christmas if I have anything to say about it.
Thanks to those who reviewed! Extra thanks to repeat reviewers and those who've put me on their favorites list. I consider that an *extremely* high compliment, and I hope I can continue to live up it.
Also thanks to anyone who's read more than one of my fics. I've got the prequel to the Snape-Hermione thing about 3/4 of the way done, so it should be up before Christmas as well, but I'm having trouble with the other, and I might put it on sabbatical. Anyway, on to the individual reviews (Warning! Some of my responses are ridiculously long):
ToonedIn: Usually I go chronologically, but you get first response since you managed to pinpoint exactly what was bothering me about the last chapter. I wasn't satisfied with the tone of the end. It felt bland to me, too, and when all the rest of the story is done, I may go back and try to brush it up a bit. Till then, thank you for the constructive criticism. I'm a real wuss when it comes to that sort of thing, so I admire people who can do it tactfully. Please do keep reading and sending me your comments, positive and negative.
Tyde: Heeheehee! I knew Dudley could be a person, that's why I wrote this. ;-) I'm sure Rowling doesn't intend for her readers to like Dudley any more than she intends for them to like Voldemort (or Draco Malfoy, or Professor Snape, for that matter), but these are all characters we see filtered through Harry's perspective, and therefore we get a biased picture of them. The Dursleys are drawn with broader (no pun intended, heh) strokes than most of the characters in the wizarding world (the exceptions being Rita Skeeter and Gilderoy Lockhart), and therefore they come off as a bit cartoon-y. However, the fact that they're recurring characters suggests a chance for some kind of development and depth to me, a chance that I don't expect to see for, say, Crabbe and Goyle. Um…yeah…now that I've babbled at you, thanks for adding me to your list. ;-D
Skullfarmer: The hospital scene was based on my own admittedly blurry memories of a trip to the emergency room, the cause of which I'd rather not discuss. Gods, I hated the needles, though; you're right. *shudder* I'm fortunate enough for that one trip to have been my only firsthand hospital experience, aside from a couple diabetic teaching classes. I hope you're recovering well, and thank you for the compliments.
Astarii Amaranth: Yay, someone appreciates my humor! Thanks for adding me to your list.
Jelsemium: I feel like I have a hard time with Harry's character, so I'm glad you like the way I'm playing him. That's how I'd eat Every-Flavor Beans if I had any (Actually, I've tried the ones made by Jelly Belly. They're not bad. I kind of like the Grass flavored ones. But I hear they're actually manufacturing Vomit flavored ones now, so I'm afraid to buy them again.) I knew a few female bullies in middle and high school. I'm generalizing of course, but I feel they tend to be more intellectual than male bullies, and they go for mental anguish and humiliation rather than physical intimidation. That way if whoever they're picking on fights back physically, the bully who provoked them in the first place has the moral high ground. It wouldn't be an easy situation for a boy like Dudley to deal with. I do plan on having more about his school situation sometime in the next couple chapters. Glad you like the idea!
^-^: Harry talked. Dudley just didn't respond. ^_~ More Harry-Dudley character interaction next chapter, just for you, and because I think Dudley's just managed to alienate both his parents temporarily. I'm working on a way to describe the mechanics of diabetes as I understand them in the next chapter. There wasn't much information this chapter, but I'm thinking I may have Dudley and Harry exchange a few letters with Bill Weasley after all. I know I'm going out on a limb giving Bill diabetes, too. I hope no one thinks it's too much. I think when they go back to school will be the end of the story, unless I decide to do a short epilogue of them exchanging letters. I think Mr. Weasley has probably scolded Harry a little for giving Dudley wizard's candy, but I also can't imagine that the wizarding world expects wizards with Muggle guardians or families to keep everything secret from them. That would require at least weekly memory charms. It just wouldn't be practical. Which, if you think about it, may be an actual *logical* reason for pureblood wizards to view part or all-Muggle wizards with suspicion, not out of pure prejudice but out of fear of their world being betrayed by an ignorant family member. What will Ron and Hermione think of Dudley's personality change? You know, I hadn't thought of that. I'm not sure yet. Something to think about in the next chapter, I guess. I'm also not sure how long the fic will end up being, but I think it will take at least two more chapters to get where I want to go. I'm flattered to be the recipient of the longest review you've ever submitted. ;-D
Faith McKay: I feel bad for Dudley, too. I hope his tantrum this chapter didn't kill the sympathy. ;-)
rabbit and -v-Jinx-v: Heheheh, thank you! It took me at least half an hour to come up with all the jellybean flavors, so I'm glad you like 'em. I think I'd actually like a Rose Petal flavored jellybean. I've had rosepetal jelly. But I digress.
I think Harry would have gotten locked in a closet if the Dursleys hadn't been more focused on Dudley. His luck may or may not hold out, though.
I read 'The Truth About Stacy' a long time ago, but I haven't heard of the other one. I do know Stacy had type 1 diabetes, and Dudley's got type 2. I'm afraid I'm relying mostly on my own experiences for his situation.
Cherry Stain: I'm about…two months late now. ^_^;;;; I feel really bad about it, too. Don't you hate it when real life gets in the way of pursuing your hobbies?
Indigo Ziona: I think by the end of this, Harry and Dudley will have developed some kind of rapport, if not friendship exactly. I think I'll confine outside contact to letters for now, but I may change my mind later.
Otaku freak: Eep. Sorry the update took so long!
Carrierk818: Umm…I didn't understand most of that, but I can say 'bellybutton' in fourteen languages.
I'm American too. I wonder if it's glaringly obvious? I'm trying to keep the language fairly neutral and avoid American slang, but I just know sooner or later I'll use some word that means something different on the other side of the ocean than it does here.
Katriana: Diabetes runs in my family. I haven't got it yet, but I have about an 85% chance of developing it sooner or later, so I'm fairly well-informed. Glad you like the twist. I'll email you as soon as I get this posted. ^_^
rabbit and -v-Jinx: Ooh, again! I'm flattered that you liked it enough not only to read it more than once but review more than once. I haven't quite decided how Aunt Marge will react. I've implied here that she has diabetes as well, but that doesn't necessarily mean she won't behave exactly as you've suggested. I may or may not throw her into the mix. We'll see. Vernon, I think, is having trouble with his son being 'sickly' at the moment, although he's angry more about Dudley's sudden interest in magic. I'm not sure how (or if) he'll adjust. But you're dead-on with my ideas about Petunia's reaction. I have to confess, I don't have many concrete plot ideas from here on, but I'm working on it.
Thanks for the reassurance. I'm relatively new to posting on fanfic.net, and I'm not sure how people will react to that sort of thing just yet. I'd hate to get flamed for plagiarism I didn't commit. _; Hope you enjoyed 'Family'.
GeEtErZ: Thank you! There's more to come.
WolfMoon: Yeah, me too. ;-) This was conceived of as a one-shot, but it just keeps growing. Gods only know where it'll go from here.
carrierk818: * blinkblink* Hello again. We're keeping you away from caffeine and sugar from now on, kiddo. ;-)
Camel Socks: I'm glad you like the idea. I'm even gladder that it seems to be fairly unique. I don't think the Weasleys will be coming to visit again, at least not for several chapters. If they did, I don't think I could handle a scene with all of them at once, not with the way I write dialogue. But I think a couple letters from Ron and/or Hermione could be interesting.
Ariqua: Ahh. I've noticed that, myself. I do try to keep grammar and punctuation accurate, although I throw in sentence fragments here and there (deliberately, for the most part) and occasionally I have trouble punctuating dialogue. I don't know, I just feel like putting something up on the net is the next best thing to publishing, and if hundreds of people are going to see it, it had better be readable. I think some people consider a posting here to be simply a rough draft, though. And I suppose some just can't be bothered. To each his own, I guess. *shrug*
If Dudley keeps fighting with Vernon, Harry may have to take him to Hogwarts. ;-) Just joking; that's not a plot twist I plan on, although I hesitate to rule anything out yet.
Kalih: Thanks! I hope you find this chapter up to snuff.
Camel Socks: Hi again. ;-) Sorry for making you wait. I hope you haven't given up on me yet.
Fleur: I think the last thing sufferers of any chronic illness want is pity. Understanding, yes, but not pity. Which is one reason I'm not making this a 'poor Dudley' fic, but I also don't want to test anyone's patience. Asking people to accept Dudley as a multidimensional character is one thing; asking readers to empathize with him completely is another. I think it could be pulled off, but I'm interested in keeping this a bit light and focusing on character interaction.
How about if I reverse your idea and have Harry explain the disease to Dudley? ;-) I think the medical abilities of the wizarding world are somewhat limited due to the complexity of the human body and the side effects that almost certainly would occur when said human body is subjected to high levels of magic. I have opinions on the nature of magic that aren't exactly expressed in the series. One; that a sorcerer/ess can't do something magically that they cannot conceive of in a certain amount of detail. Two; that something cannot come from nothing, even using magic, by which I mean magic converts energy into matter and vice versa, but it does not actually *create* matter. Three; that magic use requires energy from the user and from the external world. I have arguments for the validity of all these opinions, but I'm afraid I'm already testing peoples' patience with my babbling already. ^_^;; Anyway, what I'm saying is that diabetes is a complex illness, the cause of which has not been worked out with any real certainty. The pancreas is involved. So is the liver. A certain amount of genetics is behind it. There are all sorts of root causes that work together. So a medi-wizard can't just wave a wand and say a few words, because s/he couldn't be sure what to alter to cure the diabetes: pancreas, liver, chromosomes, body composition…there's too many options. If it could be traced to a specific problem, say the pancreas, the organ in question could be removed, but it would have to be replaced. This, I think, is within the realm of possibility for the wizards of Rowling's world; after all they have Skele-Gro. But a potion or spell would require energy to recreate an organ of such complexity. That poses some problems. My theory with the Skele-Gro is that it either contains an energy source or feeds off the energy in the body of whoever swallows it. Either case would cause it to have limitations. If it contained a powerful source of energy, taking too much of it would be like swallowing something radioactive. If it fed off body energy, taking too much of it could cause bones to grow while muscles, skin, and nerve tissue atrophied. So the same sort of problems could occur in trying to regrow a lost organ. All of which, I think, is why Mad-Eye Moody was still missing a leg.
Anyway, sorry for the mini-dissertation there…I'm going to shut up now. I like your suggestion about one boy explaining it to the other, though. It makes it more accessible. And that way if I make any mistakes in explaining it, I can just blame it on the character. ;-D
Ikazo: Awww…you don't hate my version of Dudley, do you? Don't make him cry, now. ;-) I'm glad you're enjoying my story.
Shadowycat: I agree. Like I said in my response to Tyde, I think the Dursleys come off as a bit cartoonish. I'm going to get smacked or flamed or something for this, but I think this is a problem with several of the characters in the series. When Rowling really works at defining a character, they come off as well-rounded, very human, very realistic. When she does not, as with less important characters like Crabbe and Goyle (They're like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. You can't talk about one without mentioning the other. Crabbeandgoyle.), they come off as sort of plastic. So that's my armchair-critic opinion. To me, the Dursleys are just the people next door confronting a situation that they were completely unprepared for, and reacting to it with less nobility than one hopes one would under similar circumstances. They're not pleasant, creative, or positive, but they're human.
Anonymous: Okay. ^_^
Harema: Well, I wouldn't want it to be too realistic, or it wouldn't be any fun at all. ;-)
Ariana Deralte: Thank you for reviewing all three chapters! And I believe you also reviewed 'An Unexpected Regret', so thank you again. ^_^ I'll be sure to check out Summertime Blues. Someone reading from a medical text at the beginning of the chapter could work. I'm considering it. Please keep reading, and thanks for the compliments.
Night Shade: Thank you.
Aeryn Alexander: Uhoh, there's people reading this who are actually diabetic? Now I'm in trouble; that means I have to be accurate. ;-)
Erk…almost half of the length of this is responses to reviews…is this normal or am I long-winded? *hides*