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"D-do you have to keep it?" Randy VIII looked over at Susan. "What'd they say?"

"He won't always have to wear it but we need to keep it and give it to him when he has an attack," said Susan, "It's got medicated air in it,"

Randy VIII nodded and reached up to brush a hand through Seven's hair. It was better than nothing...

Seven smiled and gave him a careful hug, "I'm OK Baby boy," he said.

"Stop scaring me like that," Randy VIII sighed, leaning the unbandaged side of his head against him and knowing there was nothing either of them could really do about that.

Seven did his best to comfort his brother while their mother took them inside, Susan didn't tell either of them what the medic had shared with her and when the children were safely inside and Seven was well enough to remove the mask she went to find Randy...

"What did they tell you?" asked Randy.

"They say he's gotten worse....they think he might be defective, they don't want to sterilize him just yet, they aren't sure it will affect his offspring, but they believe his human genetics aren't blending well with his schikelgruber genes. Schickelgruber genes are dominant and usually take over but in his case the human genetics were resistant and it's messed up his immune system, they said that one day his system might shut down completely and kill him....he's like a time bomb waiting to go off and even with his medication, every attack could be his last one," she was sobbing by the time she finished talking.

Randy's ears drooped and he held her close, kissing her head with a soft sigh. It had not been a good day for receiving news...

"It's not fair!" Susan cried, "Why did this have to happen to my baby? Seven is such a good boy...it's not fair!"

Randy stroked her hair and shushed her. "Life is not about fairness," he said. "We must take it as it comes."

"What if we lose him tomorrow? The day after? Maybe we'll get lucky and it will stay away for years but one day it's going to kill him...what do we tell Seven?" Susan asked.

Randy took a deep breath. "We will have to tell him the truth, exactly as it is," he stated.

"I...I don't know if I can," Susan confessed.

Randy looked at her, holding her face in his hands and brushing away a tear with his thumb. She was so beautiful, and she seemed so fragile in that moment. He kissed her. "I will talk to him," he said softly.

Susan kissed him back, "Thank you," she said blinking back more tears.

In the living room sat Seven, his mask off and his customary smile back in place as he quietly worked on a model of a human bi-plane as he did when he was feeling well enough to do something but too weak to run about.