#mcreadies

— @mcreadies​  //  I LOVE MINDy.. ty for bday things!!

it’s only for a minute that ludwig  turns away from his work. Or at least that’s what it feels like — as it turns out, that’s all the time that a child needs to wreak their havoc, be it benign or malicious. Long gone are the days that he’s been as young as the girl he recently took into his care, but he recalls that much at least. It’s good to see that she is, at times, still childishly wily as those others her age are. It’s a shame to see youthfulness spirited away by a unfortunate and unforgiving childhood, too deeply twisted and warped by the whims of a cruel father. At least he is gone  ( and good riddance ).

There are things that Mindy won’t be getting back. Small hints of a young girl inside the near-dead patient he took under his wing that night, however, are mildly reassuring.

He notices the foreign object nestled inside his latest cadaver’s gaping chest cavity once he’s finished wheeling in the supplies that he stepped out of his homemade lab to fetch. A practical joke?  he wonders, the idea quirking the corner of his lip. Upon closer inspection, however, it’s more than that — it’s gingerly that he picks off the delicately folded, albeit slightly crumpled, origami dove that sits atop the box. Mindy is good with her hands for her age …  perhaps investing in more supplies for arts and crafts is a good idea.

In his admiration, he comes across familiar penmanship. There’s writing inside. Mindy’s, it seems like, and eventually  ( despite the passing guilt of picking apart something she’s clearly worked hard on )  Ludwig musters the courage to pull apart the note.

And, ah —  a surprise even to him !  To forget about one’s own birthday …  not a rare occasion for Ludwig, who has even more to do now that his solitary travels have been adjusted for a pair of two. He doesn’t question how she knew; he must have told her once in an exchange of information, or perhaps she might have even dug his letters out from somewhere.  ( Hidden as he may have kept them from the rest of his team in the past, there is not he tries to keep from Mindy. Not much that he can, if he hopes to build some truly mutual foundation of trust. )

He pulls off the lid of the box, and the sight of what’s inside is enough to still his movements. There’s something like elation in his chest as he peels off a glove, reaching inside to fit a clay bird in the palm of his hand. It’s not shaped with stunning accuracy — one wing seems a little bit misshapen — but it’s a more than perfect gift. Mindy has plenty of potential, and it’s far more than he expected for a birthday present.

The bird goes back into the box with the utmost care, nestled among its friends. Ludwig will put most of these on display in his office shelves, perhaps a couple on his desk; some will make their home throughout their current residence, and one or two on the reception counter for patients to see when they enter. Maybe he’ll enlist Mindy’s help in manufacturing a little decorative sign to set next to the birds on the counter: a proud declaration of MADE BY MINDY, or something of the sort. Credit where credit is due, after all !

❛   i  have  a  sense  of  humor,   mindy,  but  you  can’t  just  –    ❜    dave  remains  careful  with  his  words  .    if  he  tells  her  no,   he  has  every  reason  to  believe  she’ll  persist  .    it’s  never  stopped  her  before  (  some  could  say  the  same  about  him   )   .    the  frustration  only  builds,   why  do  they  keep  having  these  conversations  ?    ❛    you  can’t  go  around  saying  stuff  like  that  !   and  especially  not  at  school  where  people  can  hear  you  .  i  mean –    fuck  .    that’s  not  a  sense  of  humor,   that’s  seriously  messed  up  .   ❜    a  beat  .   a  brief  moment  of  thought  before  –    ❛   did  you  really  use  a  meat  grinder  ?      ❜