Wardrobes and wonders will never cease (Khaat)

"Yes, thank you. Don't forget to get some lunch yourself," Brian said. "Thanks for the help, Jess. Khaat's going to be fine. She just needs a bit of time to put the pieces back together. Oh, and Jess, we may want to get Robert to start kicking things in motion now for us to go home to England. Khaat wants to be home for Abbey's first birthday. Its coming up in the next couple of days. And I think she'll be better home where is more familiar to her. Can we see if we can orchestrate that? Soon?"

Khaat looked down into her lap. Brian wanted her home. He'd had enough of this. He didn't have it in him to stress her any further. This wasn't home. She had talked to him repeatedly over the last months about just wanting a quiet dinner at home for Abbey's first birthday, with just the closest friends and family. He had remembered. She didn't want a big fuss. It needed to all about Abbey. But this felt like it was about her instead. About getting her brain to work again.

"Hey," Brian nudged her, "Where'd you go? Come back. This is good news. We're going home."

He sighed with relief. "Much better," he smiled. "Thank you. I'm usually pretty good at handling pain, but I've decided muggle bullets really stink. I much prefer Robert's wand. I recover from that faster. Most of the time, anyway." Khaat looked at Brian. A bullet?

She racked her brain trying to remember, but it just wasn't there. She saw the large dressing across the left side of his chest when Jess checked it. At least it wasn't seeping. That was a good sign. And hadn't Jess said her father had tended it? Well, if that was true, that was a good thing. She had never seen a wizarding healer that was more meticulous when it came to surgery and bonesetting.

"Thank you, Jess," Brian said. "I want Abbey' birthday to be really special. And you do remember that next month was have to do it all again for Dakota, right?"

Robert finished his lunch and had fed Abbey while he was at it. He had had to take a little extra time with her because she had had no interest in taking a nap. She was getting a little more stubborn at it. but he had found the secret to soothing her to sleep, and he had let her lay in the playpen where Kate had already put a sleeping Dakota. Max was already at work, curled up between the two of the girls, ever on guard.

From there, he made his way upstairs and was glad to find Khaat and Brian both awake. "You're both looking worlds better, "Robert said. "NIce job, Jess. Khaat ate better than I expected her to. That sometimes is not an easy job. So, shall we check our incision? Come look, Jess." He motioned for him to follow her as he went over to check beneath Brian's dressings.

"Its just seepage from the wound," Robert said. "Perfectly normal. Actually, I expected far more seepage than there is. He isn't much of a bleeder. Contrary to what we saw last night. Once I put the spells in place, it usually quits. It looks excellent. Brian, I think you're going to survive again. Yes, Jess. go ahead and remove that dressing and put a fresh one on. I'll check it tonight before he goes to sleep, but he probably won't need a new dressing until morning.

"Brian," Robert said, "I've been asked a request during the night. I must admit, I am a bit surprised. Its your call entirely. But...Kieran would like to return home to England when we go. He would like to perhaps stay in the guest house. He knows he would not be welcome in the main house....but I think he would like to try to get to know you. And you scared him last night. So did she." Robert nodded in Khaat's direction.

Brian frowned deeply for a moment, trying to take that little bit of news in. Kieran wanted to get to know him?

"Actually, I was just telling Jess that contrary to what it looks like, to a surgeon that is the sign of success," Robert said. "That shade of pink colored drainage is a sign of healthy healing. The profuse dark colored stuff is what I dont' want to see. That actually is not blood. Its just fluid. Its extremely normal and healthy. Its a sign you have to put up with your trainer for a few more decades. He'll be working you out in a week or two."

Brian looked at Khaat, "Well, what do you think, Babe? Should we let Kieran come back with us?" Khaat looked at Brian, thought for a moment and nodded slowly. She felt he had earned it. Gelding's American operation was, for the moment, out of business. They hadn't come here for that, but it had been a wonderful bonus. As for him staying in the guest house, Khaat was willing to give him a try in the main house, so long as he kept sober and continued to work on his recovery. She wasn't sure how Jess and Jack and Steven would feel about that, but she believed that Kieran had earned a trip to see England again. Really see it, not a five minute tour of the house.