Sunshine or a Sunburn? {Final Spinoff~Nolan/Vy}

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

Vy Pryce

To this day there's never been anyone capable of controlling Brooklyn more then Vy. Poor Kyanite and Jeran have been stuck with the responsibility of the toddler while she's been hospitalized, but today she's determined to give them a break. Watching the little one from bed shouldn't be too hard. And plus this room doesn't provide any other form of entertainment. Great thing about having kids, it's hard to ever be bored around them. The tiny Blonde never fails to bring around a ray of sunshine with her to, making this setup all to perfect...at first.

Usually Vy never has a problem with keeping her daughter Brooklyn busy, though that's also when she's upon her feet to. Sounded reasonable enough with a baby-bag filled with toys. In no time she's proven very wrong though. A two-year old doesn't have sympathy or understanding for a wound, and after two days of not seeing her mommy, she's only desperate to play.

"Calm down Brookie, I don't have much energy today." Vy attempts to relax the youngster with a few forced soothing words...doesn't work. Brooklyn's far from content to playing a quiet game on the bed. No, she wants to jump instead. And when her mom tries to settle her down, she only climbs off and begins running around the tiled floor. "If you hurt yourself..." The older one cuts herself off with a sigh, that sounds more like a grunt. This was a terrible idea. "Brooklyn, come here please."

"No, you play." The Rascal protests and shakes her tiny head back and forth.

"I can't sweetie. Please just come and relax with mommy." Vy practically begs from her stuck position on the bed.

Another rough shake of the Rugrat's head informs this is going to be far from easy. "Come get mes." Brooklyn giggles as she dashes out of the room, willing to do anything to try and get her mother out of bed.

"Brooklyn!" Vy screams after and halfway gets out of bed, before realizing that's an even worse idea. "Come back!" With no other option she begins pressing the button for a nurse, extremely worried over how far those little legs can go.

[Artemis]

Nolan was trying his best to keep from going crazy, and he was pretty sure he was failing at it.

He and his wife McKenna had been taking turns sitting for hours at Brody's bedside, painfully aware of the fact that no matter how much they talked to him, it was going to be several days before the doctors would even consider tapering him off the drugs keeping him sedated.

And, possibly, in one piece.

The last thing Nolan wanted to think about was a worst-case scenario when his son woke up; would his mind still be intact? His intelligence, his memories, his personality? McKenna was the expert between the two of them, and even she had been helplessly short for the answers her husband desperately sought.

She had been making him get up, walk around, take care of himself the best degree that he could while they waited for these three long days to be over.

Admittedly, he was feeling somewhat better being up on his feet. He'd spent a while talking with Kyanite Ruze, the pregnant girl his son had taken that fateful bullet to protect (to which he was still sad, but so very proud of how brave his boy was); it would seem the gunman had taken more than one victim, though this Jins fellow (Nolan frowned even thinking his name) had been the only one who had met death at the door.

Nolan couldn't help himself but want to see how the others involved in this debacle were faring.

"Brooklyn! Come back!"

He was very nearly at Cadet Pryce's room when a woman's voice --a very young one-- yelled after what he could only guess was the golden-haired toddler giggling and running down the hallway as fast as her little legs could take her. Nolan didn't think twice, intercepting the child and scooping her up into his arms. She shrieked, obviously believing he was playing with her; Nolan adjusted her in his grip, making an exaggerated thoughtful face at her.

"Now where are you off to in such a hurry, little one?" He asked, gently poking her side to elicit a laugh, "Running from momma, are you?"

Nolan started walking back in the direction the child, evidently Brooklyn, had been running from; he stood in the doorway of a room with the door cracked, and the resemblance between the cooing child in his arms and the blond on the bed was unmistakable.

"I believe this one is yours."

eaa8ff - Brooklyn Pryce
bb7d00 - Nolan O'Rourke
570091 - Vy Pryce

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

All Vy wanted was the precious company of her daughter for a couple of hours. Her friends have been helping far too much, and certainly they need a break from the toddler mayhem. Especially now that she's learning Brooklyn's finally hitting her terrible twos, a couple months away from turning three. Hopefully that means it's only a short phase? Perhaps it'll even end somewhere around currently, because Vy's condition is no where near qualified to deal with it. Such as not being able to get out of bed while the Rugrat runs off for instances.

In the past Vy probably would of just disconnected the silly needles from her arms, and waddled after the Tyke. For some reason though, at this stage in her life she realizes calling a nurse will be a lot faster and less painful. And sure enough the door is sliding open in no time, and a familiar giggle reveals whom it is before Vy's eyes get around to adjusting on the entrance.

For a second it looks like O'Rourke's standing in the frame with Brooklyn in his arms. But Vy knows fully well that's not possible. He's still in ICU for extreme recovery. There's no way he's already walking about and lifting two year olds. The man's voice gives it away clear as day, and soon enough her vision focuses properly to realize it has to be a relative of his. His father most likely? Either way he's returning her daughter back, and with a kind greeting despite not even knowing her.

"Yeah, thank you." Vy expresses her gratitude through a calmed voice and slight grin. Maneuvering herself to get her legs back on the bed since it was a stupid idea to begin with. "Are you, Corporal O'Rourke's father?" She wastes no time to ask the thing that's most prevalent in her mind. None of her friends have been able to give more then a he's stable, which quite frankly isn't good enough. He's the only one that got it worse then her, and she has to find out if he'll make it out of this all okay.

There's a spark in the eyes of the one carrying Brooklyn. That look of continuous fear and worry without any rest. How all parents should be, yet rarely any of them are. "How's he doing?" Vy questions out of pure concern and sympathy.

[Artemis]

Nolan only had to glance at the paper name tag on the door to figure he was in the place he'd been looking for before intercepting the devious little toddler, who was pouting at having been caught and brought back from the room she'd been trying to escape to start with. The frown was quickly dispelled with another poke in her side, earning him a delighted squeal; no doubt that in spite of the toys scattered around the room, this little one was craving entertainment in some form.

"Yeah, thank you." Cadet Pryce says with an audible tone of relief that the child hadn't gotten far.

While she maneuvered her heavily bandaged leg back onto the bed, Nolan shut the door behind him without putting Brooklyn down; the toddler's hands patted his cheeks, curious at Nolan's red stubble and looking absolutely baffled to find that his face was rough and scratchy rather than smooth.

The look she shot at her mother was absolutely priceless, all wide eyes as if to say, 'Are you seeing this?'

Nolan smiled, rubbing his cheek against Brooklyn's and earning a startled, happy little shriek.

"Mama! Itchy!"

He distinctly remembered a very similar reaction when Brody had first discovered his father's beard, and the knot relentlessly holding his breath hostage loosened slightly at the nostalgia.

"Are you, Corporal O'Rourke's father?"

Putting Brooklyn down, freeing her up to toddle to her mother's bedside, Nolan sat beside Cadet Pryce with a sigh.

"Yeah, Brody's my boy." He replied for what felt like the umpteenth time; Brody kept his professional and personal lives very separate, so few people probably knew anything about his parents beyond that they existed. "I'm Nolan."

"How's he doing?"

What he hadn't expected, though, was the number of people waiting with baited breath to find out how his son was doing; not that he'd ever known Brody to be antisocial, so much as it struck him how many other Peacekeepers (normally so stoic) seemed genuinely concerned for his well-being.

"He's been out of surgery for a few hours." Nolan sighed, feeling very old and very tired having to recount the facts yet again, "But the docs are keeping him sedated in ICU for a few more days."

But he hadn't come here to dwell on Brody's condition; he had to believe his own instincts and the words of comfort Brody's friends had been giving them since word got out that, at the very least, he'd held onto life long enough to get through surgery. That he was tough, that he would get through this, that he would be okay.

"What about you?" He asked, "Kyanite mentioned you took some of the brunt of this mess."

eaa8ff - Brooklyn Pryce
bb7d00 - Nolan O'Rourke
570091 - Vy Pryce

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

With every child comes great cost, like Brooklyn's mischievous ways and inability to listen half the time. But there's also rewards that make them well worth it. For instances, this little one's trick to winning over just about anyone. Or the light she brings to any and every bad situation. Yeah, youngsters certainly come with their perks. And maybe all parents think this way, but Vy's convinced hers is especially helpful...maybe even more then any other kid, though she'd never say that out loud. The rascal just always finds a way to save her, and she couldn't appreciate her more.

Like now as the tiny Blonde giggles hysterically over the new feeling of a beard. To not admit to that laughter being contagious is impossible, let alone resisting the urge to chuckle along with her. Perhaps Vy should really have her around other male role models, though that could jeopardize moments like this one. "It's facial hair, baby girl." She points out the obvious to get the vocabulary across to the two year old. Might as well have a little fun before switching over to the serious topics.

Seems his running into Brooklyn has turned into more then just a coincidence, with both Brody and Vy falling from the same enemy that is. Now his father's here, and Brooklyn was just kind enough to provide a warm introduction for them. Possibly this should become professional, knowing that a Corporal's father is present, but honestly Vy just doesn't find the strength to fake it. And by the looks of it, he's probably heard plenty of the bull crap responses already.

All Vy does is listen to the few words given to her. She didn't know O'Rourke for more then a higher rank who proved to be unlike the rest. For some reason now though, his condition means everything. If she had kept Jins in the woods, his life wouldn't be at risk currently.

His involvement and good heart is enough for why she'd care. By the sounds of it he should be okay though...that's half of a relief. Vy knows she's supposed to pull out one of those, 'your son's a tough cookie, he'll be fine,' but she doesn't have that in her either. It's stupid, stereotypical words, and even now she wouldn't resort to them. She tends to with a joke instead. "Lucky him, he gets to sleep through this pain." Perhaps she should of made this time an exception, and not used the sarcasm that no one understand.

"I'm sorry, please ignore my bad humor." Vy attempts to save herself by being as straightforward as she always it...maybe another thing she should try avoiding? "I'm Vy, and this is Brooklyn." She introduces while she scoops the little one onto the bed with her. It's far from how easy it was before this all started. Feels like her muscles have been drained, along with all the physical work she's done over the years. Guess she can ask O'Rourke to be her new gym partner since they're in the most similar condition. Hopefully he'll be as eager to build everything back as Vy already is.

A question is directed back to Vy, and though she should of assumed it was coming, she didn't. Talking about things that landed her here is not really one of her hot topics, but it's the least she can for Brody's father. "Just the usual." But of course she plays it off at first, as she often does. Her expression dims down before her explanation goes any further, on completely changing the topic. Yeah, talking about failure isn't on her todo list. "I heard your son jumped in front of a bullet for Kyanite. I didn't do anything like that. You must be really proud of him." Because that's what matters.