Ivan falls silent again, eyes drifting closed -- it's possible to think he's fallen asleep, except that occasionally he'll crack an eye open to watch Elizabeth or adjust his arm around her shoulders.

He tenses, however, when Tiny Tim is brought up. It's not like Miles at all, Ivan knows that, but at the same time he can't help but substitute his tiny cousin for the kid in his mind's eye. And had his limbs supported by an iron frame; Ivan's helped Miles with his braces before he got the synthetic substitutes often enough he can picture the whole contraption in his mind's eye.

And when it's mentioned that he won't live past a year -- his arm tightens around Elizabeth, eyes open and expression dark. "What?"