Orlando had it in mind to call Viggo when he got back to Megan’s apartment.
But he didn’t need to as he found Viggo already there, sitting with his face
in his hands. “Vig, who called you?” Orlando asked.
“Megan did. Why didn’t you bring her back?” Viggo asked, somewhat irately.
“Hey, she told me the best thing for her to do was work.” He said
defensively. “It was her idea, you can yell at her.”
Viggo shook his head. “Sorry Orlando, you know, I just can’t get over my
aunt and uncle…”
There was an awkward silence until Orlando cleared his throat. “Do you know
when Melissa’s supposed to be here?”
Viggo shrugged and sighed. “Is Megan taking her in?”
“I suppose.” Orlando replied. “She’s the next of kin and she’s old enough to
be her guardian, isn’t she?” Viggo nodded and reclined himself on the sofa
while Orlando went to sit in Megan’s kitchen, trying to pass the time by
looking through some photo albums.
~*~
“Dr. Hartl, Isabella and Connor are waiting for you.” A nurse said, poking
her head in her office. Megan was getting through some paperwork from an
earlier patient. She heaved a sigh and looked at herself in the mirror.
“Great…I get to go in front of Nicole Kidman and look like shit.” She said,
searching for some kind of face cream she had in her desk drawers. “Screw
it.”
Being Viggo’s cousin and accompanying him on premiers made it easy to
advertise. She met Nicole and then-husband Tom at a movie premiere in Sydney
and once Nicole learned she was a Sydney-sider, she immediately switched her
children from the old male doctor that they had to Megan.
Megan took a deep breath and put a smile on her face as she entered the
examining room. “Isabella! Connor! What are we up for today?” Megan asked.
“A few shots? Or…maybe even a blood draw?”
Nicole laughed. “Actually it’s a nice routine check-up.”
“No needles involved.” Connor added.
“But candy, there has to be candy.” Isabella chirped. Megan grinned at them
and began to wash her hands.
“Ladies first.” Megan said putting on a pair of latex gloves. She began to
examine Isabella, while Nicole and Connor watched on.
“So, how are you Megan, have you watched Viggo’s movie?” Nicole asked.
“Twice actually. Viggo took me to the Sydney premiere, and then Orlando
Bloom, you know, the blonde one with the bow, he took me to the Wellington
premiere.” Megan replied.
“Blonde one with the bow?” Nicole asked.
“Legolas.” Connor explained.
“Oh, right, he’s a looker, that one.” Nicole said with a small smile. Megan
smiled back and let Isabella off the examining bed. “She alright then?”
“Yes, clean bill of health.” Megan grinned. “You sir, up on the bed.” Connor
faked a grumble and sat on the bed.
“How is your cousin Viggo?” Nicole asked.
Megan didn’t look up from her work, but replied “He’s good actually. We had
the Wellington premiere last night and I didn’t get much sleep.” Megan
stopped to point at the bags under her eyes. “Lots of drinking and karaoke.”
Nicole laughed. “I’m in the middle of filming Moulin Rouge. Do you want to
be in it?”
“No that’s alright.” Megan laughed. “I never fancied corsets. Off you go,
Connor. And for not crying because my stethoscope was too cold, here you go.
Just make sure to brush your teeth. I don’t want dentists on my back.”
Nicole herded her children out of the exam room and Megan sighed. Only two
more hours before she’d go home. “Paperwork” She muttered. “Dammit.”
With a mountain of paperwork, the two hours till she was signed out went
surprisingly fast. Several medical students went up to her asking for help.
“I’m not on anymore.” Megan said. Some were persistent to which she replied
“Did you not hear me? I’m not ON anymore!”
~*~
Orlando was holding a cookie in his hand seated on a couch to the right of
Viggo. Melissa, now two, was sitting on the floor watching the both of them.
“This is so depressing.” Orlando said, studying his cookie. “I have no milk
to go with this.”
“Try to be sensitive, Bloom.” Viggo said, rolling his eyes at him.
Orlando looked startled. “What?” He asked, sitting up. “What did I say? Was
I thinking out loud again?” Viggo nodded.
“Hey Mel…come on to your Uncle Viggo.” He said, trying to coax the pale
blonde girl. “Come on…”
“Give it up Vig, she’s not going to go to you. You’re a dirty dirty human.”
Orlando said, grinning at him. “Come on Mel, love. Let’s watch some telly.”
Melissa looked at Orlando and then at Viggo and then back at Orlando when
the door opened and Melissa stood up and ran to Megan with a face the read
“Save me from these two weirdos.”
Viggo immediately got up and began rattling off in Danish to her. Megan, to
Orlando’s surprise answered him back. Orlando watched with great interest as
she and Viggo talked. She was getting emotional and her voice started to
rise. Never before has Orlando felt out of place. Megan was now sobbing very
hard into Viggo’s shirt. “I’ll just make myself useful.” He said to himself
and went into the kitchen to start on dinner.
Megan had calmed and sniffled every now and then while holding Melissa. “Go
tend to Orlando, Meg. I think he’s feeling left out.” Viggo said to her.
Orlando who had been calmly chopping tomatoes was pleasantly surprised when
he felt Megan rest her head on his back. “How are you, love?”
“I feel terrible. Cook something with a lot of butter.” Megan replied. “Cuz
after I’m through with that I’m going to have an ice cream party.”
Orlando smiled to himself. “With who?”
“Myself. There’s a gallon of vanilla chocolate swirl calling my name.” Megan
replied. “You can join me, but I’m not guaranteeing you get a single
spoonful of ice cream.”
“That’s my girl.” Orlando said.
~*~
Orlando and Megan lay in bed that night, and in the wee hours of the morning
Melissa began crying. She roused Orlando. He looked at Megan who, after
eating the entire gallon of ice cream and watching Stand By Me, went to bed
at midnight. Kissing Megan’s forehead gently, Orlando went into Melissa’s
room.
“Mel…Melissa…” Orlando cooed, trying to calm her down. He picked her up and
just as Orlando was amazed that she stopped crying she threw up. All. Over.
Him. “Well this is a pleasant surprise. Do it again Melissa.” He said with
sarcasm. Wiping her up first, he put her back to bed before going into the
bathroom.
Viggo got out of the bathroom looking bleary eyed. He saw Orlando and
laughed, sleepily. “What happened to you?” He asked.
“Oh shut up.” Orlando said.
“Well you’re not a morning person.” Viggo replied. “Silly elf.”
“I can hear you.” Orlando said from the bathroom. “And…god, why is puke so
disgusting?”
“That’s why married men usually make their wives get the baby.” Viggo
answered.

«Chapter 9

»Chapter 11