This fic is rated PG for mature themes.
Disclaimer: Marc Brown owns the Arthur characters, and we wants them, my precious!
----
Her nose in the latest issue of Fashion Review, Muffy sat quietly in the waiting room of the Elwood City Hospital's maternity ward. To her right sat her father, Ed Crosswire, owner of the Crosswire chain of used car lots. In the other chairs sat several anxious-looking men, all waiting and hoping for news of a successful delivery.
To the left of Muffy sat a bald, middle-aged rabbit man wearing a gray sweater. As he watched the girl absorb herself in the magazine, he asked, "Isn't that a little above your reading level?"
Muffy turned to him. "I like the pictures," she replied.
At that moment a female nurse stepped through one of the entrances to the room. "Mr. Rabbit?" she called out. "Come on in. It's a girl."
The rabbit man jumped to his feet. "A girl! I knew it! A beautiful little girl! I'll name her Bunny."
As he hastened after the nurse, Ed Crosswire said to him, "When she's old enough to drive, you know where to come."
Muffy lowered her magazine. "Oh, Daddy, this is so exciting," she gushed. "After eight long years I'll finally have a sibling. Someone who will look up to me and admire my beauty and charm every day."
"I'm excited too, Muffin," said her father with a smile.
A sheep man two seats away leaned over to Mr. Crosswire and inquired, "What is it, a boy or a girl?"
"I don't know," answered Crosswire. "We wanted this one to be a surprise."
"I hope it's a boy," said Muffy. "The last thing I need is another girl trying to steal the limelight from me."
Then the nurse poked her head through the door again. "Mr. Crosswire?" The used car dealer almost choked from the surprise. "Come in. It's a boy."
"A boy! A boy!" cried Muffy with glee as she and her father eagerly followed the nurse into the baby viewing room.
Walking on her tiptoes, Muffy could barely see the rows of babies wrapped in pink or blue blankets. Cat person babies, dog person babies, rat person babies...babies from every anthropomorphic species she knew of.
Then the nurse stopped and waved her hand at one of the cradles. "This is your son, Mr. Crosswire. Congratulations."
Muffy stretched herself as high as she could. In the cradle lay the most angelic creature she had ever seen--her new little brother.
Her father, on the other hand, was scowling with dissatisfaction. "There must be some mistake," he said to the nurse.
"I'll double-check for you," offered the nurse, and she disappeared down the hallway.
The baby boy, his eyes tightly closed, wriggled about and put his fist in his mouth. Mr. Crosswire clenched his fists and began to swear under his breath. Muffy had never seen him so angry before, even when disgrunted customers had threatened him with lawsuits.
She looked again at the new addition to her family. For the most part he resembled them--the red hair, the brown eyes, the monkey-like nose. True, he unexpectedly had aardvark-like ears on the top of his head, but was that such a terrible thing?
Disclaimer: Marc Brown owns the Arthur characters, and we wants them, my precious!
----
Her nose in the latest issue of Fashion Review, Muffy sat quietly in the waiting room of the Elwood City Hospital's maternity ward. To her right sat her father, Ed Crosswire, owner of the Crosswire chain of used car lots. In the other chairs sat several anxious-looking men, all waiting and hoping for news of a successful delivery.
To the left of Muffy sat a bald, middle-aged rabbit man wearing a gray sweater. As he watched the girl absorb herself in the magazine, he asked, "Isn't that a little above your reading level?"
Muffy turned to him. "I like the pictures," she replied.
At that moment a female nurse stepped through one of the entrances to the room. "Mr. Rabbit?" she called out. "Come on in. It's a girl."
The rabbit man jumped to his feet. "A girl! I knew it! A beautiful little girl! I'll name her Bunny."
As he hastened after the nurse, Ed Crosswire said to him, "When she's old enough to drive, you know where to come."
Muffy lowered her magazine. "Oh, Daddy, this is so exciting," she gushed. "After eight long years I'll finally have a sibling. Someone who will look up to me and admire my beauty and charm every day."
"I'm excited too, Muffin," said her father with a smile.
A sheep man two seats away leaned over to Mr. Crosswire and inquired, "What is it, a boy or a girl?"
"I don't know," answered Crosswire. "We wanted this one to be a surprise."
"I hope it's a boy," said Muffy. "The last thing I need is another girl trying to steal the limelight from me."
Then the nurse poked her head through the door again. "Mr. Crosswire?" The used car dealer almost choked from the surprise. "Come in. It's a boy."
"A boy! A boy!" cried Muffy with glee as she and her father eagerly followed the nurse into the baby viewing room.
Walking on her tiptoes, Muffy could barely see the rows of babies wrapped in pink or blue blankets. Cat person babies, dog person babies, rat person babies...babies from every anthropomorphic species she knew of.
Then the nurse stopped and waved her hand at one of the cradles. "This is your son, Mr. Crosswire. Congratulations."
Muffy stretched herself as high as she could. In the cradle lay the most angelic creature she had ever seen--her new little brother.
Her father, on the other hand, was scowling with dissatisfaction. "There must be some mistake," he said to the nurse.
"I'll double-check for you," offered the nurse, and she disappeared down the hallway.
The baby boy, his eyes tightly closed, wriggled about and put his fist in his mouth. Mr. Crosswire clenched his fists and began to swear under his breath. Muffy had never seen him so angry before, even when disgrunted customers had threatened him with lawsuits.
She looked again at the new addition to her family. For the most part he resembled them--the red hair, the brown eyes, the monkey-like nose. True, he unexpectedly had aardvark-like ears on the top of his head, but was that such a terrible thing?