#Felix Magnusson is the Big Friendly Giant

[trivialqueen]

Rather than actually write anything on any of my projects I spent all last night doing this, for my Original story. Sofia Grace was easy to render in 9 photos, Felix, less so. 

[trivialqueen]

Shy

Here’s the next section of that original story. Still currently, and creatively called, Hospital Romance Drama. As always, I’m neither a doctor, nor British.  I’m just a girl who fancies herself a writer and likes slow burns, smart women, and tall men.

Tiny, sparkly boots caught his eye, pink glitter a marked contrast from the dull grey laminate tile of the hall. A small girl sat between the corner and a stretcher, back against the wall, short legs kicked out before her, stuffed animal in her lap. “Excuse me, young lady,” He crouched slowly, not wanting to give her a fright. She was not one of the junior doctors or a patient that needed to sit down and shut up for their own health. She was at best four years old. “Which ward are you a part of?” The little girl hid her face in the stuffed bunny she was holding, eyes peering up at him and then darting away only to look up at him again. They were striking eyes, for one so young, intelligent and the color of Baltic amber.

“Mummy says I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

“Ah, well your mother is entirely correct. My name is Felix Magnusson and I am the Director of Surgery here. It’s my job to make people feel better.” He handed her his ID card, which she took, giving him a weary look. His name seemed to mean something to her. She stared at his ID for a long moment before handing it back to him.

“Mummy makes people better.” Which probably meant this was not the child of a patient, which helped narrow down things considerably.

“You must be very proud of her. Is she a doctor or a nurse?” He had a fair idea of how many members of staff had families now, although he had not yet organized them in his mind based on age of their child. There were, however, only so many Black doctors or nurses on staff and of them about a handful were women.

“She’s a nurse. She had to work today.”

“Did you escape from the crèche?” In that case someone would be looking for her and it would be easy enough to contact them, he had all the extensions for the departments saved in his phone.

“Matilda and I were playing hide and seek, but she hasn’t found me yet and I’ve been hide-ed for ages.” It didn’t answer his question, but he sincerely doubted the child care center would permit their charges to play hide and seek on the wards. There was only one Matilda on staff as far as he knew, and she was not employed as a childminder, she was a nurse on Irene.

“What’s your name, Sötnos?”

“Adelaide. Mummy calls me Addie.” She was slowly warming to him, no longer hiding behind the stuffed bunny in her lap.

“I think I might know where your mother is.” If his hunch was right about Matilda, and Adelaide’s mother was her same race there was only one Black woman who was a nurse alongside Matilda who would have a daughter roughly the same age as this little girl. Phillipa Gardiner, ward manager on AAU.

“Really?”

“Yes, we’re on the right floor. The nursing station is just down the way. Would you like to walk with me or stay here?” She stared at him for a long moment, almost a full minute, he could see the wheels turning in her eyes.

“Will you carry me?” She asked it so sweetly, complete with doe eyes. There was no way he could say no. None.

“If you like.” She carefully stood up, bunny dangling from her hand.

She was a light little thing, only about three stone and she fit easily in his arms and on his hip. Like riding a bike there were some things muscle memory never forgot, carrying a child was one of them. Her curly pigtails brushed his cheek as she looked around.

“You’re so tall. You’re probably the tallest person in the world!” He couldn’t help but chuckle at that pronouncement. It was perhaps the first positive comment he’d gotten about his height in years. Usually people found his height intimidating, even adults.

“Far from it, my dear.”

“I’m the tallest I’ve ever been.” She said brightly. Then, more quietly, “I can see everyone’s flaws.” He felt himself choke on air.

“What?”

“Matilda says you eat children, is that true?” Ah. There it was. An unoriginal slander, it ranked up there with the rumors that he was a vampire (despite the fact he was actually quite fond of sitting beside a sunny window if given the chance).

“Is that a baby?” It was such a non-sequitur that Sofia Grace looked up from the file on Mr. Jacobi.  Marcus Xavier had asked her to consult on a patient. Although Gareth Morris was technically the lead consultant on the Acute Admissions Ward, he was by training a General Surgeon, and in general more invested in spending time in the private care ward rather than providing leadership on AAU. Marcus had really stepped into the void, but he was only a registrar, and a young one at that. His instincts were good, however, Mr. Jacobi had something very wrong with his lungs.  Marcus was pointing down the hall at Magnusson, impeccably dressed as always, but with a new accessory. She almost did a double take. Magnusson was carrying a child. Not only that, but he was carrying the child as easily as anything else. Like he was made to. A natural. It was unnerving. Björn the Slasher was good with kids.

“No.” the surgeon answered dryly, a little girl was secure on his hip, face tucked into his collar under the stares of strangers. She had pink, glittery Ugg’s on, they cast dancing sparkles of light across the tile. Her natural hair was drawn up in curly pigtails that reminded Sofia Grace of Cindy Lou Who. She was the most adorable little thing she’d seen in ages. And she clung to Magnusson like he was her father.

“Ummm…” Marcus stared at the girl.

“Miss Adelaide here is three years old, which I believe makes her a toddler, not a baby.” The little girl pulled back slightly to whisper something in his ear. He chuckled warmly.

“Excuse me. Her birthday was last week, she is now four years old.” Adelaide settled back against his shoulder, one hand reaching out to trace the pattern on his tie.

“If one of you would please page Sister Gardiner?” Marcus started immediately, still staring at the child and the surgeon.

Since his arrival Magnusson had made two nurses and an F1 cry. Yet Adelaide wouldn’t even look at anyone else. He kept her close on his hip and was admittedly, very good with her. Moreover, it was the most relaxed she’d ever seen his posture.

“Addie!” Pippa Gardiner went immediately to the girl, who allowed herself to be transferred to her mother without complaint. She smiled up at Magnusson, who visibly softened and smiled back.

“You were supposed to stay with Matilda!”

“This is still a hospital Sister Gardiner,” His tone was still soft and kind, but his words and eyes were thunderous. “Why didn’t you take Miss Adelaide to the crèche?” Marcus quietly slipped away, avoiding the confrontation. Sofia, however, couldn’t bring herself to abandon Pip to the Jötunn, even if he wasn’t half as fierce as usual in the presence of a toddler.

“They wouldn’t take her short notice. Addie’s pre-school closed this morning. Their watermain broke.” Magnusson’s jaw clinched.

“And so you asked one of your subordinates to become childminder in addition to her other duties?”

“I didn’t know what else to do,” Pip sounded like she might cry. He was up to three nurses now. “My mum lives too far away and can’t drop everything to come help. It was this or call in sick at the last second.”

“You could have come to me.” Of all the things she expected him to say, that was not what she expected.

“You?” Sofia Grace didn’t mean to butt in but when she was surprised, she had a habit of just blurting out her thoughts as she had them.

“Yes.”   He looked a bit insulted. “I have a fair bit of authority here and a fondness for children.” He shot a glance at the little girl in her mother’s arms, his smile soft and amused, “And no, Miss Adelaide, not on toast.” The girl giggled. Giggled! “Now, let’s see what we can do about finding you a place in the crèche so that we may all get back to our jobs.”

It was a kind gesture and yet he still managed to make it sound terrifying. Sofia Grace watched as he headed down the hall, Pippa and Addie rushing in his wake. She did not envy the crèche today.

Back in his office Felix sat down heavily in his desk chair. Fleur Gerald, the daycare manager was a canny old bitch. He was surprised she worked with children. She’d refused, again, to take Addie because they didn’t accept walk-ins. Not even for employees. It took him promising funding for another two minders and formal revision of hospital policy for her to agree to let Adelaide join in the story hour going on behind them. How the hell did this hospital not have proper childcare? It made him wonder after the maternity/paternity leave policy if they were so unaccommodating. He rubbed his temples before opening his eyes and gazing at the photo on his desk. He was not a picture person, as a general rule, nor was he interested in much clutter on his desk. This photo was an exception. Magnus was five, his Byronic curls spilling out from under his colorful earflap hat his Mormor had knit him. It was his first time on ice skates without assistance and he was positively radiant. Beaming. Glowing. Ice skating was his favorite hobby since Felix had first brought him to a rink. It was something he and his son still had in common, fifteen years later.

He would not have survived as a divorced father without the help of the hospital crèche. He’d taken for granted, it seemed, how blessed he’d been at his first hospital. They’d had some of the finest child care providers, even a pediatric nurse on call in case something happened. He never had to worry when he went into surgery or was otherwise unavailable, if something happened to Magnus there were structures in place until he could get to him again. Saint Sebastian’s had none of that. The budget needed to be trimmed, considerably, he couldn’t afford to be rearranging and expanding departments, but the crèche, as it was couldn’t continue.

“You?” Most people were unaware he had a son, since Magnus had been old enough to not have to stay at the crèche when he visited. But she seemed incredulous at even the thought of him liking children or be willing to assist a parent. He was fine with his reputation as a hard ass, after all, he was. But perhaps he should at least appear less anti-family.

“Matilda says you eat children, is that true?”