Dizgaia ~ The Dreamfinder's Daughter

Chapter 1 ~ The Birth of a Spark

Disclaimer: This story is a Disney-inspired fan fiction. Most of these characters  (with the exception of Mia and Beverly and a few side characters) belong to Disney, Hans Christian Andersen, and The Brothers Grimm (and so on and so forth).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dirigible made a sloppy landing atop the hospital. Sparks flew from the brass-plated steel as the bottom of the basket dragged across the roof. An orderly, who was taking his lunch break at what was usually a quiet and peaceful spot, gaped as the vehicle came to a screeching halt. A man with long, auburn hair and a closely-shaved beard jumped out. He lifted his goggles off his eyes and set them upon his top hat.

"P-Professor Mercurial!" the orderly exclaimed. "You can't park here!"

"I'm terribly sorry, but there simply wasn't room in the expectant fathers' parking," said the windswept man as he rushed by.

"But Professor!"

"Sorry, sorry! I'm in a hurry!"

He took the door to the interior and raced down the hallway, searching the signs for directions to the maternity ward. It was three floors down. He bypassed the elevator. He didn't have time to wait for it to ascend from the first floor. Instead, he took to the stairwell, leaping nimbly over the banisters, his long blue coattails fluttering behind him.

Second floor. The maternity ward. He hurried down the hallway, turning a corner so fast he ended up tilting sideways on one foot and skidded a few inches before righting himself.

"No running!" a nurse admonished as he nearly ran her over.

"Terribly sorry," he said, lifting his hat in an apology but not slowing. "Room 218... Room 218... Blast it, where is Room 218?"

He turned another corner and ran into a Baymax unit. He bounced off the inflatable body and very nearly went sprawling before catching himself.

"I do beg your pardon," he said.

"Please do not run in the halls," the Baymax said in its slow, pleasant voice. It carefully crafted each word, in no particular hurry to finish the sentence before Mercurial was out of earshot. "Running can lead to accidents. Accidents may result in injury such as bumps... bruises... abrasions... lacerations... or even..."

"Yes, yes, you overblown air mattress," the professor muttered as he rounded the next corner. Normally he was not so rude to the Baymax units. Although he found their obese, air-filled design a little silly, he nonetheless thought them a marvelous craftsmanship of both science and imagination. But at the moment, he was in a great deal of haste.

He heard a baby's cry, and although there were many infants on the maternity ward, he instinctively knew this was the one he was searching for. He followed the cries to Room 218 and flew into the room like a whirlwind. He could almost hear the Baymax unit admonishing him as he nearly tripped himself up over the maternity equipment.

"Am I too late?" he asked, panting and wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Just in time," said the doctor. She stepped aside and allowed him to approach the bed. Beverly Mercurial lay propped upon the pillows. Her brown hair was slick with sweat, but she was no less beautiful for it. In fact, she had never been more radiant.

"Beverly... Dear heart, I'm sorry. I wanted to be here sooner but—"

His wife silenced him with her warm, beautiful smile. "Would you like to hold your daughter?" she asked.

Professor Mercurial gulped nervously as his wife proffered the crying, fussy pink bundle.

"Uh..."