Morty and Little Morty narrative, aka The Narrative that Refused to be Written
Little Morty was in his room racing toy cars across a small table when Mortimer went to look for him. The door was halfway open, but Mortimer knocked anyway. He figured the best way to teach the kid manners was to use them around him. Little Morty looked up from his cars and made a questioning sound.
“May I come in?”
Morty nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
Mortimer came into the room and sat on his heels near Little Morty. “Remember when we talked about going to a park and me helping you learn to use your tongue?” Little Morty nodded. “I found a good park in the Nexus; do you want to go now?”
Little Morty nodded and hopped to his feet. “Lyn?”
“No, I think it would be better if you had fewer distractions. But we’ll do something fun with Lyn some other time.” The boy nodded again, a little reluctantly this time. “Ok, shoes and coat. I’ll be waiting for by the door in the basement.”
He stopped and picked up some snacks and bottled water in the kitchen, and a canvas bag full of balls and outdoor toys from the garage. Little Morty was as efficient at finding and putting on his shoes as any six year old, and Mortimer had a couple minutes to review his plans for the afternoon before the boy found him by the Nexus door.
“All set?” Mortimer held out his hand and little Morty took it wordlessly. Mortimer led the boy out into the Nexus. It was odd, feeling the texture of the adhesive skin on Morty’s hands and being reminded that his hands felt that way too. He shortened his stride to match the boy’s pace, then slowed down further to let him gawk at some of the weirder Nexus sights.
Eventually they reached the small park and Mortimer let the boy run around for a bit as he dumped out the toy bag and set up a line of toys on a picnic table. Then Mortimer called Morty over and had him point to things, pick them up, and move them down the line with only his tongue. He was hesitant at first, as if he was expecting to be scolded at any moment, but soon got comfortable with it.
When Morty seemed to be getting bored with it all Mortimer called a break and they climbed a nearby tree to eat snacks. Morty practically inhaled his sandwich, then tore into his orange before Mortimer could offer to peel it for him. Mortimer wasn’t surprised at his apatite, it seemed like the kid had gown at least an inch since Christmas. They would probably have to get him new clothes soon.
Morty stopped suddenly in the middle of sucking orange juice off his fingers and asked “Will Ali go t’ hospital?”*
“You mean when Alured is born? No, she’s going to be at home. A midwife is going to come and help her.” At the boy’s confused look he added “A midwife is someone who knows a lot about pregnant women and babies and how babies are born. Like a doctor, but nicer.”
This seemed to satisfy Morty, and to Mortimer’s infinite relief, he did not segway into more questions in the ‘how are babies born’ vein. He just nodded and climbed down the tree to throw his trash in the bin. Mortimer jumped down after him and began to gather all the toys back into the canvas bag.
“Do we hafta go already?” Morty looked prepared to deploy a full-strength pout.
“Not yet, but soon. You can play for a little bit longer.”
“Will you push me on the swing?”
“Ok kid.” He waited until Morty had climbed into a swing and gotten a good grip on the chains before giving him first a little push, and then sending him higher and higher into the air until he was crowing with excitement.
*Little Morty has developed the practice of calling Ali and Sasha 'Mum' when he is speaking to them, and by their names when he is talking about them to other people. It seems to him to be the most sensible way to go about it. He is much more hesitant about calling Mortimer 'Dad', though Mortimer is careful to respond positively whenever he does so.
“May I come in?”
Morty nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
Mortimer came into the room and sat on his heels near Little Morty. “Remember when we talked about going to a park and me helping you learn to use your tongue?” Little Morty nodded. “I found a good park in the Nexus; do you want to go now?”
Little Morty nodded and hopped to his feet. “Lyn?”
“No, I think it would be better if you had fewer distractions. But we’ll do something fun with Lyn some other time.” The boy nodded again, a little reluctantly this time. “Ok, shoes and coat. I’ll be waiting for by the door in the basement.”
He stopped and picked up some snacks and bottled water in the kitchen, and a canvas bag full of balls and outdoor toys from the garage. Little Morty was as efficient at finding and putting on his shoes as any six year old, and Mortimer had a couple minutes to review his plans for the afternoon before the boy found him by the Nexus door.
“All set?” Mortimer held out his hand and little Morty took it wordlessly. Mortimer led the boy out into the Nexus. It was odd, feeling the texture of the adhesive skin on Morty’s hands and being reminded that his hands felt that way too. He shortened his stride to match the boy’s pace, then slowed down further to let him gawk at some of the weirder Nexus sights.
Eventually they reached the small park and Mortimer let the boy run around for a bit as he dumped out the toy bag and set up a line of toys on a picnic table. Then Mortimer called Morty over and had him point to things, pick them up, and move them down the line with only his tongue. He was hesitant at first, as if he was expecting to be scolded at any moment, but soon got comfortable with it.
When Morty seemed to be getting bored with it all Mortimer called a break and they climbed a nearby tree to eat snacks. Morty practically inhaled his sandwich, then tore into his orange before Mortimer could offer to peel it for him. Mortimer wasn’t surprised at his apatite, it seemed like the kid had gown at least an inch since Christmas. They would probably have to get him new clothes soon.
Morty stopped suddenly in the middle of sucking orange juice off his fingers and asked “Will Ali go t’ hospital?”*
“You mean when Alured is born? No, she’s going to be at home. A midwife is going to come and help her.” At the boy’s confused look he added “A midwife is someone who knows a lot about pregnant women and babies and how babies are born. Like a doctor, but nicer.”
This seemed to satisfy Morty, and to Mortimer’s infinite relief, he did not segway into more questions in the ‘how are babies born’ vein. He just nodded and climbed down the tree to throw his trash in the bin. Mortimer jumped down after him and began to gather all the toys back into the canvas bag.
“Do we hafta go already?” Morty looked prepared to deploy a full-strength pout.
“Not yet, but soon. You can play for a little bit longer.”
“Will you push me on the swing?”
“Ok kid.” He waited until Morty had climbed into a swing and gotten a good grip on the chains before giving him first a little push, and then sending him higher and higher into the air until he was crowing with excitement.
*Little Morty has developed the practice of calling Ali and Sasha 'Mum' when he is speaking to them, and by their names when he is talking about them to other people. It seems to him to be the most sensible way to go about it. He is much more hesitant about calling Mortimer 'Dad', though Mortimer is careful to respond positively whenever he does so.