Maternal
"Father didn't seem to like that I had to stay behind."
"Yes. Well." It's hard to say just where Ienzo is looking; there is no white or black in the gold of his eyes. Nonetheless, Glen sees how he tilts his head to the man skipping ahead of them. "I'm dreadfully afraid that your father doesn't have the highest opinion of Voxden. Their first meeting was... far from pleasant." Before much more can be said of this, Ienzo quickly changes the subject. "You know, it may be best if the Circuits were the ones to watch you while your father, Jackie, and Miss Naminé are away. The rest of us will be somewhat busy."
"Doing what?"
"Something of an... ongoing project."
"To do what?"
"Things I don't believe someone as young as yourself needs to see."
"Why?"
"I'm afraid it's just a little bit gory."
"Are you gonna kill someone?"
"No."
"Is Voxden gonna eat a person like Jackie's things eat people?"
"Voxden, despite how much I am positive the idea may amuse him, is not a cannibal."
"So what is it? Huh?" As they step onto the tram car which awaits them, Glen tugs at Ienzo's hand. Miraculously, the Heartless doesn't seem aggravated at all by the slew of questsions. He looks more nervous about the answers.
"It involves some surgery."
Glen brightens. "I've seen surgeries! On some of the old vids. Jackie and me once watched 'Supersize Me' and Mom made me watch a thing on birth." At the end fo the car, Voxden bursts into hysterical laughter. Ienzo can only sigh.
"Why did she do that?"
"I asked where babies usually come from." Somehow, Ienzo doesn't seem surprised at this. Rubbing his temples, Ienzo relents.
"We'll have to ask Xandra about this."
To the surprise of no one, her response is a simple "Sure, whatever." Perched upon a metal table, she raises one eyebrow coolly. "With all the s**t we do, he'll probably end up seeing something at some point. Might as well start now." Pointint a finger at Glen, she adds, "No screaming or crying. I get enough of that from listening to Secondhand Smoke deal with Lobotomy over there." Recognizing the tone she uses with the latter name, Voxden looks up from some drawers and grins. Glen just nods, curious.
After all, it's a strange event for his mom to be in the medical wing of the ship. It's the territory of the Nurses, for one thing, and where Voxden occasionally whittles away his time. (Oten with Ienzo, from what Glen understands. ) Mom seems to prefer shooting him than hanging out with him. Still, there she is, sitting on the end of a metal table and without her white jacket. As Ienzo begins to fiddl about the compelx machinery, Xandra looks to Voxden. "Aren't you ready yet?"
"Patience, my darling," Voxden drawls. "Just get rid of all that excess. Then we'll gas you up."
"What's going on?" Glen finally has to speak up. "Mom, what're they doing? Why are you getting surgery? Did you get hurt on a task?" A habit he's picked up from Ienzo- they're never 'missions' or 'jobs'. Just 'little tasks'. "Does Father know? Is that why he got sent away? Is he gonna freak when he finds out Voxden's been doing surgery on you? Is he gonna-"
"Bastasi, you did not get the babble b***h gene from me." Mom pinches the bridge of her nose. "But yeah, we sent him off because he'd whine."
"I thought touching is-"
"Super crazy baaaad!" Voxden suddenly sings. "Seizure bad. You just got cancer bad. All soooorts o' bad." As he places down a shiny set of scalpels, Voxden gives a particularly dirty sneer. Ignoring her glare, he grabs her by her ribs and places his head closer to hers. "See, now she can't punch or elbow my face because-"
There's a sudden whirlwind of movement and color. When it settles, Voxden is flat on the grounad and Mom is wiping spots of red from her boots. Finally, she gives an unladylike grunt and just tugs them off. "To the hell with it." Following them quickly are her patns then her shirt- Glen covers his eyes. "What the hell are you doing that for?"
"Xandra... He's only a child."
"So?"
By the time Glen opens his eyes again, Voxden is wiping away a bloody nose with a smirk and one hand. Te other is palcing a small mask over his mom's mouth and nose as she lies stomach down on the table. Aware of someone by his side, Glen looks over. Ienzo gives a shaky smile.
"They're just some minor touch ups. To help control her passive abilities so that they're not a complete hindrance, we have some minor technology within her. I suppose the closest you could call her is a 'cyborg', although that's not quite right. Only wires and little devices. Voxden and I work on her from time to time to make sure everything's in order. Despite your father's dislike of him, Voxden is quite the skilled surgeon. It helps that we have a gas which manages to neutralize Xandra's abilities so long as she's unconscious." He glances over to her. "Which should be occuring in a few minutes..."
Voxden suddenly calls Ienzo's name and the Heartless leaves Glen's side. The child is left standing against a wall, fiddling with his sleeves. Like usual, his mom doesn't seem too bothered by what's happening. She's completely cool. At least, until her eyes move from looking at the wall to looking at him. For whatever reason, she frowns. Glen tries to stay still; he knows she doesn't like it when people twitch. While he tries to do that, her gaze switches from him to 'Zo and back again. At last, with her eyelids drooping, she points at him. "Second drawer. Over there."
Glen blinks. "Huh?"
"Rubber gloves. Get one." Still confused, Glen nevertheless does as he's told. When he's slipped on a glove, he trots back over to his mom. "Good." Her words are slowing, slurring. "Give it." Without another word, she takes his hand in hers. Then her head falls to rest on her crossed arm and her eyes shut.
Glen doesn't say anything. He only looks over to 'Zo and Voxden, but they're still talking. It's only when the redhead merges his fingers with the scalpels does Glen look down in a hurry. It seems so different when it's on a screen. Despite the wet sound of flesh being slit open, his mom has a peaceful expression on her face. That's when he gets the idea. Carefully, Glen removes his hand from hers and peels the glove off. He hesitates after that. Something twists in his stomach. Slowly, he laces his fingers through hers and curls them in.
All throughout the surgery, Glen stays silent and holds his mother's hand.
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