Ophelia Mikaelson (Poly Mikaelsons)

Chapter 26 - Radiotherapy

My wife and I haven't spent much alone time recently. I made a mistake and doubted her, doubted us, when I suggested she find someone else to have a child with. I should have known it was a terrible idea from the start, I just didn't want to hold her back or take away that opportunity.

Luckily she's still attending the hospital with me today, it's a check up for both me and Hope. There is a lot I need to discuss with my new doctor, from treating my cancer to Hope's missing hand. I can only hope that with my whole family beside me, they keep their cool and leave this doctor alive unlike the others. We're going through them far too quick.

"Good morning Mrs Mikaelson," the charming doctor smiles at me and my heart sinks when I see my husbands tense up in jealousy. They are children, honestly.

I simply offer a small smile back and Elijah's arm around my waist tightens protectively.

"Do you have any concerns you would like to raise before we review your most recent scans?" He asks, looking at us and connecting the dots. Understanding crosses his features when he realises I am with them all and I'm glad. It's far less awkward when they know.

"I am worried about Hope," I pipe up nervously and my family freeze, not having had a prior discussion about this. "I am worried I'm not feeding her right, I don't know what I'm doing."

The kind doctor nods as he listens to me before putting me at ease. He asks many questions to get an understanding of how often and how much she feeds and concludes Hope is doing well after her weigh in. She is a happy, giggling baby who seems to love all the attention.

"She is doing remarkably well," the doctor reassures me while examining her absent hand. "It may be a little early to discuss a prosthetic, however for many parents it is a long and difficult decision to make. Have you had any thoughts?"

"I'm not really sure yet," I answer truthfully since I haven't had much time to.

My family stare at him blankly before glancing around at each other. Kol and Klaus are unaware of what the doctor is talking about, although Elijah and Beks seem a little more familiar. The doctor explains the concept before going through the pros and cons.

"They can be fitted as young as 6 months however there are many considerations before we decide. It will be easier for Hope to adapt the younger we fit one, however they can be costly and irritate the surrounding skin somewhat."

"Cost isn't an issue," Klaus shakes his head firmly. "We will do whatever is best for our little girl."

The doctor nods before continuing, "it is often easier for children to fit in with their peers. Our prosthetics can be very life-like and most people will initially be unable to tell any difference."

His reasoning makes sense to me and to us all, I think.

"There is an increased risk of infection where we attach the prosthetic due to some overlap of the material and skin. Irritation is common and dirt may get trapped so you must be quite careful."

"There are enough of us to keep a good eye on her," Beks murmurs, supportively positive and embracing the idea of a prosthetic most out of all of us.

"Why does she need one?" Kol interjects, taking Hope out of Bekah's arms and gazing down at her little face and missing hand. He strokes her cheek before holding out a finger for her right hand to clutch onto. "She is beautiful as she is, why do we need to?"

"You don't," the doctor says in response. "It's up to you. However I must inform you of the risk of muscle imbalances and weaknesses as she will favour her right side while she grows. In some children this is negligible however for others it can be a real problem. We don't know how it will affect her until she grows and it can be hard to fix. A prosthetic will allow more balance as she will be able to use both arms more efficiently."