(Slightly Unrealistic) Adoption AU Daydream in which Marigold is called away on an emergency. She gets someone she trusts to watch Astor and even means to leave him a note – but has to go quickly. So when Astor wakes up, it’s to Marigold gone and a stranger in the house. He panics, thrashes around, destroys a bunch of things, basically freaks because she would never leave without telling him!!! It gets so bad that Marigold has to return home to get him to calm down. Astor is hurt that she didn’t leave him a note or a goodbye and pouts in bed, and she tearfully apologizes for frightening him.

Alternately it could happen while he is still in the hospital. She has to take a day off and it throws his whole shift schedule out of whack, no new book to read, no yummy warm blood, no time with looser restraints. He hurts himself trying to loosen them himself. When she returns she carefully treats his wounds and apologizes, all the while Astor is unable to process the feeling of fear and loss he had when he thought she’d left him after all.