Sitting on a bench in the gardens, Kalyan bent his head over the book he was reading. The subjects he chose to study demanded his total concentration, and that had always been easiest for him to do outside. He was, in fact, so focused on his current book, a complex study of common diseases, that he barely noticed when someone spoke to him. He jerked his head up, following the sound, and found himself facing an Asha'man called Edris, a Yellow he'd studied with a few times.
Blinking, Kalyan stood and bowed to the Asha'man. It was only when he'd gotten to his feet that he noticed that the Asha'man was accompanied by his toddler son, Rylan. He'd watched the little boy on an evening or two to give his parents a break, and unlike many of the other Dedicated, found it an enjoyable way to spend his time. He smiled at Rylan, who beamed back at him, then turned his attention back to Edris Asha'man.
"Kalyan, would you mind looking after Rylan for a little while? Apparently I'm needed in the infirmary, but since I'm not scheduled there right now, I don't think I'll be long."
Kalyan nodded. "I can watch him," he agreed. "I can study later."
"Just be sure you do," the blonde Asha'man said cheerfully. Letting go of his son's hand, the Yellow knelt down to look at his little boy.
"I have to go to work," he said. "Can you be good and stay here with Dedicated Kalyan while I'm gone?"
"I be good!" Rylan said, and came over to curl his fingers around Kalyan's. The Asha'man left, and Kalyan looked down at the little boy. "What shall we do while your daddy's working?" he asked.
"Wanna hide!" said Rylan. "And you find me."
"We can play that game," said Kalyan, "but we can't play here." With the little boy's hand still in his, Kalyan picked up his book and led the child to a smaller, gated area of the garden that was lined with hedges on all four sides. It wasn't a large space, but had more than enough places for someone Rylan's size to hide. He set the book down by the entrance, and Rylan tugged on his hand. Kalyan smiled down at the toddler. "Remember, we stay inside the gate to hide," he said. He'd brought Rylan here before, and knew the little boy could follow that rule. Closing his eyes, he let go of the small hand.
"Better go hide," he said with a laugh. "I'm coming to find you!" He counted to ten, waited a few more moments, then set out to find Rylan. The little boy had favorite hiding places behind the hedges at the back, and Kalyan checked those first, but Rylan wasn't there this time.
"Oh no," he said so the child could hear him."I wonder where Rylan could be?" That usually got Rylan giggling, but today, Kalyan didn't hear anything. After looking behind each of the hedges, with no sign of Rylan, Kalyan was beginning to get a little worried. He looked around a little longer before giving up and calling, "You can come out now, Rylan! You hid so well I couldn't find you!" He waited, turning his head to look around him, but the child didn't appear. As he was studying his surroundings, Kalyan's attention was caught by the gate at the entrance.
It swung back and forth on its hinges; he had forgotten to close it behind them. Kalyan winced as he realized that the child must have left through the open gate. The rest of the gardens lay beyond it, and that meant Rylan could have gone just about anywhere on the Tower grounds. Wincing, Kalyan hurried from the gated area at a near run, trying not to panic. There were plenty of other people out at this time of day, and his only hope was that someone had noticed the little boy wandering before he could get too far away.
Blinking, Kalyan stood and bowed to the Asha'man. It was only when he'd gotten to his feet that he noticed that the Asha'man was accompanied by his toddler son, Rylan. He'd watched the little boy on an evening or two to give his parents a break, and unlike many of the other Dedicated, found it an enjoyable way to spend his time. He smiled at Rylan, who beamed back at him, then turned his attention back to Edris Asha'man.
"Kalyan, would you mind looking after Rylan for a little while? Apparently I'm needed in the infirmary, but since I'm not scheduled there right now, I don't think I'll be long."
Kalyan nodded. "I can watch him," he agreed. "I can study later."
"Just be sure you do," the blonde Asha'man said cheerfully. Letting go of his son's hand, the Yellow knelt down to look at his little boy.
"I have to go to work," he said. "Can you be good and stay here with Dedicated Kalyan while I'm gone?"
"I be good!" Rylan said, and came over to curl his fingers around Kalyan's. The Asha'man left, and Kalyan looked down at the little boy. "What shall we do while your daddy's working?" he asked.
"Wanna hide!" said Rylan. "And you find me."
"We can play that game," said Kalyan, "but we can't play here." With the little boy's hand still in his, Kalyan picked up his book and led the child to a smaller, gated area of the garden that was lined with hedges on all four sides. It wasn't a large space, but had more than enough places for someone Rylan's size to hide. He set the book down by the entrance, and Rylan tugged on his hand. Kalyan smiled down at the toddler. "Remember, we stay inside the gate to hide," he said. He'd brought Rylan here before, and knew the little boy could follow that rule. Closing his eyes, he let go of the small hand.
"Better go hide," he said with a laugh. "I'm coming to find you!" He counted to ten, waited a few more moments, then set out to find Rylan. The little boy had favorite hiding places behind the hedges at the back, and Kalyan checked those first, but Rylan wasn't there this time.
"Oh no," he said so the child could hear him."I wonder where Rylan could be?" That usually got Rylan giggling, but today, Kalyan didn't hear anything. After looking behind each of the hedges, with no sign of Rylan, Kalyan was beginning to get a little worried. He looked around a little longer before giving up and calling, "You can come out now, Rylan! You hid so well I couldn't find you!" He waited, turning his head to look around him, but the child didn't appear. As he was studying his surroundings, Kalyan's attention was caught by the gate at the entrance.
It swung back and forth on its hinges; he had forgotten to close it behind them. Kalyan winced as he realized that the child must have left through the open gate. The rest of the gardens lay beyond it, and that meant Rylan could have gone just about anywhere on the Tower grounds. Wincing, Kalyan hurried from the gated area at a near run, trying not to panic. There were plenty of other people out at this time of day, and his only hope was that someone had noticed the little boy wandering before he could get too far away.