Just Another Day in the Life of Peter Parker

Sight and Sound

Hellooooooo this one is a bit different :) based on real life experiences from yours truly, and yeah :)
Enjoy some bittersweet fluffs

AU where the spider bite doesn't give Peter enhanced senses.

Mary adjusted the baby in her lap, trying to comprehend the words the audiologist had just told her. Richard squeezed her hand, obviously stumbling over the thought of reality just as much as she was. "He's... deaf?"

"Hearing impaired, yes." The audiologist, Kristy, gave the young couple a sad smile. "You're very lucky to have picked up on it at such a young age. Things will definitely be a bit tricky as he gets older, but knowing when he's still 8 weeks old means that you can get all the preparation you need for him now, such as early intervention, signing classes if you need or want, etcetera."

Richard nodded, squeezing Mary's hand gently. Peter watched in her arms, oblivious to the conversation as he watched the world with his big, blueish-brown eyes. Mary stroked his head. Her precious little sunbeam of joy couldn't hear. He couldn't hear the sounds of birds, or the wind in the trees, he couldn't hear cars or the bustling streets of New York, he couldn't enjoy the melodies and harmonies of music, or even hear his own mother's voice. It was a harsh reality to realise, but it was true.

That night, the couple had a long discussion on what to do. He was still so little, so they had a lot of room to work with.

"So do we try to teach him to talk and listen? Or sign? Will he want hearing aids? There are too many questions," Mary sighed flopping down on the couch.

Richard nodded, agreeing. He paused, thinking. "I'm gonna call May," he said, grabbing the phone. May Parker, his sister-in-law, was a teacher's aid in special needs classes and often worked with deaf kids. He picked up the phone, tapping his foot as the dial rang.

"Hellooo."

"Hey May, it's Richard. We... well, we took Peter to the audiologist today, and... He's hearing impaired."

"... oh wow. That's unexpected."

"Yeah."

Mary walked up behind Richard, massaging his shoulders and listening in. "We're trying to decide whether we take him to early intervention and teach him to talk and listen or if we teach him to sign."

May was quick to answer. "What kind of hearing loss does he have?"

"Moderate-moderately severe neurosensory hearing loss. No idea what that means."

May laughed. "On a scale to mild to profound, profound being completely deaf, he's in the moderate to moderately severe range, so he can't hear a lot. Neurosensory hearing loss has to do with the little hair cells inside the cochlear being bent over, which are the hairs that pick up the vibrations and send them to the brain. So when they're bent over, they don't pick up much." She paused, filling her silence with the sound of rustling pages. "I'd say teach him to talk. He still has some hearing, and hearing aids will do the trick, and it will be easier for him later in life when he applies for jobs, goes to school, etc. And he can always learn sign- in fact, it'll probably be easier to learn if he can talk."

The couple nodded, agreeing. "Thank you so much, May," Mary said.

"Anytime. I'll leave you to it, but if you ever have questions just let me know. I have some books that might help."