"Really," Omega snorts. "What are you going to tell them? Are you going to mention that what was broken is my brother's only way of hearing, say, a storm siren?"

He glares at the parents. "Bet none of you realized that," he says. "That now Theta is, essentially, under house arrest until he has new hearing aids. These are custom electronics. I can't just go down to the store and pick up even a temporary pair!"