The week comes and goes. Friday evening Vivian arrives at Gianna's hotel with a smile and a small bouquet. The evening is, in Vivian's not at all unbiased opinion, a great success. They spend the night at a sushi place she likes, giggling at the drunk couple in the back of the restaurant and talking about their lives.

Vivian's 'big reveal' of a daughter at home elicits an "Awww, how come you decided to adopt a baby?" from Gianna, which is significantly better than some of Vivian's past experiences. She trots out her usual excuse, a somewhat rambling speech about how she shouldn't have to wait to get married if she wants a child, traditionalism has its place (she is the one who brought the flowers) but it's not like women can't have it all if they want to. Which has the benefit of being entirely true, if only distantly related to her actual reasons for 'adopting'. Pictures and stories are brought out, motherly cooing ensues, and Isabella is tentatively established as precocious but adorable.

Gianna eventually admits rather haltingly that she has no connections to the critter community at all; she's neither a critter nor magical, and essentially tricked her way into the Avalon. Vivian finds this both hilarious and enterprising of her, and promptly confesses to being similarly human and at least previously unmagical. This turns into an impromptu quiz from Gianna, curious about all things critter and Vivian laughingly attempting to satisfy her curiosity without sounding too insane.

It's eventually a good three hours into their conversation before Vivian realizes how late it's getting. (She could listen to that accent forever.) She reluctantly returns Gianna to her hotel. She grumpily reminds herself that kissing Gianna should wait until after attempting to heal her sick brother, but when she hugs Gianna goodbye she gets a smile and a blush that make up for it in sheer adorableness.

She reminds Gianna to call her once she has news about Illario or she's back in town, and returns home to her daughter. They have magic to research!

And maybe a little bit of excited gossiping on the phone with her best friend. Carefully censored, of course, but just a little.

(That accent!)

"Sleeping," says Gianna, gesturing at her brother. He has a very classical cancer patient appearance to him.

Isabella steps closer to Gianna's brother and then abruptly collapses. Wings fluff out of her back as she falls; her hands become paws.

Gianna rushes to the door and shuts it.

Isabella remains breathing, winged, clawed, and unconscious.

Gianna's brother opens his eyes and squints, and Gianna makes a squeaking noise.

Vivian is not interested in squeaking or squinting right now. She fetches a glass of water and a paper towel from the bathroom and starts dabbing water on her daughter's face. "Isabella...?"

If she can't wake Isabella up what does she do, she can't medallion things for her, she'd have to get her out somehow...

Isabella does not react to being dabbed.

"Oh my god," whimpers Gianna, "what happened, is she - Ilario -"

Ilario says something in Italian, frowning at Isabella; Gianna replies likewise.

Ilario sits up. He says something else in Italian.

"She did something," breathes Gianna.

If Isabella put herself in a coma to heal someone she just met Vivian is going to have a nervous breakdown at her when she wakes up.

(When when when when not if. She'll be okay she has to be.)

She glances at Ilario. She's glad he's better. She supposes. She'll be a lot gladder when her daughter is awake. "I thought maybe- I'm not a critter! I knew, maybe she'd have healing, that's it. Not- this. I don't know what this is, I don't know what to do, I can't even ask the doctors!"

"If we can smuggle her out - wrap her in a blanket," says Gianna, "take her to the Avalon, can you ask someone there, they must have doctors -?"

(Another flurry of Italian.)

Vivian looks around. They're in the middle of a hospital with a miraculously healed cancer patient surrounded by uninformed humans. It's definitely past time to get her unconscious midform daughter out.

"Smuggling her out is a good idea," she agrees immediately. "I might have something- I can't go invisible, but I can be unobtrusive for a bit, and if she looks normal wrapped up-" she wraps Isabella in her jacket as best she can and then layers it with the nearest blanket. She'll... send the hospital its price later. Or something. She doesn't care right now.

Doctor... maybe. She can get Isabella home, cast some spells, make sure everything's functioning properly, wait for her to wake up- but if it takes too long, if the spells say anything's wrong, if Isabella does anything but seem unconscious she'll face down whatever horde of angry dragons she has to if it means she gets her daughter back.

Isabella does not resist swaddling.

"I'm so sorry," breathes Gianna, now sitting on her brother's bed and holding his hand.

"It's not your fault," Vivian sighs, finishing her wrapping. "We knew something might happen. Just- not what." She manages a weak smile at the sight of the siblings on the bed. "At least it was a success, right?"

She loses the smile looking back at Isabella. "I can't talk once I cast this," she warns Gianna, "it'll break the aura. I'll call you once she's awake, okay?" She's going to wake up. "Good night, Gianna. I'm glad your brother's better." She murmurs something in Cantonese and scoops up her daughter.

And then an entirely commonplace, boring figure is headed out to the lobby.

Nobody has any reason to stop her.

Isabella breathes.