Stuck sequel segment
Not polished up, but I'm posting it anyway, just because I've written so little lately. This is from the much thought-of, but mostly unwritten, dark alternate ending epic sequel to Stuck.
"DG?" he paused, one hand poised above her shoulder, tempted to comfort. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, still not meeting his eyes, and pulled away from his hand. "It's finished now." He wanted to blame her emotionless tone on the drugs she had taken to ease the pain, but he knew they had nothing to do with it.
He leaned down, and despite her squirm and wince, gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered, and left her bedside.
He crossed the hallway and paused in the door. As he entered, a couple of nurses smiled and ducked out of the way, slipping out the door behind him. Ignoring them, he crossed the length of the room with some trepidation, until he was standing before the softly padded table.
He raised one hand and let it come to rest just above the sleeping baby. One finger dipped down and traced down the little arm, coming to rest in the fiercely tight grip of a tiny hand.
He leaned closer as blue eyes blinked awake and studied him in return. The baby's nose was smallish, more like his mother's, but his dark hair was already kinking up into familiar curls.
As he dropped his head closer to the newborn, he realized he could smell him, all soft and clean and perfect. He let his nose graze the baby's cheek, then kissed him gently.
"Henry Ambrose Gale," he whispered, and the baby was named. "Prince of the OZ... You aren't going to remember that part, though, maybe not for a long time, but Henry Ambrose Gale you will always be." Henry blinked at his father.
"I hope you don't mind that I gave you my old name... I don't use it much anymore, but it seemed like such a nice name, and I hated for it to just go to waste."
"But anyway, I'm Glitch, now! On account of-" He paused, looking into those wide, innocent eyes. "Oh, well, I'll explain that when you're older, maybe," he said, running his free hand over the zipper self-consciously.
"And actually, I guess I'm Dad, to you. That's a little strange, isn't it? It is to me at least. But don't worry, we'll get used to it. Cause it's just going to be you and me now, after all. Oh, I know, your mom is just in the next room, but... well. She's not going to be around much after today." Henry scrunched his face and whimpered a little.
"Yeah, I already miss her too. But don't you ever think that she doesn't love us! Because I know she does. She's just... not ready for us right now. She will be, one day. I think. But I know she loves us. No matter what she says."
"DG?" he paused, one hand poised above her shoulder, tempted to comfort. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, still not meeting his eyes, and pulled away from his hand. "It's finished now." He wanted to blame her emotionless tone on the drugs she had taken to ease the pain, but he knew they had nothing to do with it.
He leaned down, and despite her squirm and wince, gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered, and left her bedside.
He crossed the hallway and paused in the door. As he entered, a couple of nurses smiled and ducked out of the way, slipping out the door behind him. Ignoring them, he crossed the length of the room with some trepidation, until he was standing before the softly padded table.
He raised one hand and let it come to rest just above the sleeping baby. One finger dipped down and traced down the little arm, coming to rest in the fiercely tight grip of a tiny hand.
He leaned closer as blue eyes blinked awake and studied him in return. The baby's nose was smallish, more like his mother's, but his dark hair was already kinking up into familiar curls.
As he dropped his head closer to the newborn, he realized he could smell him, all soft and clean and perfect. He let his nose graze the baby's cheek, then kissed him gently.
"Henry Ambrose Gale," he whispered, and the baby was named. "Prince of the OZ... You aren't going to remember that part, though, maybe not for a long time, but Henry Ambrose Gale you will always be." Henry blinked at his father.
"I hope you don't mind that I gave you my old name... I don't use it much anymore, but it seemed like such a nice name, and I hated for it to just go to waste."
"But anyway, I'm Glitch, now! On account of-" He paused, looking into those wide, innocent eyes. "Oh, well, I'll explain that when you're older, maybe," he said, running his free hand over the zipper self-consciously.
"And actually, I guess I'm Dad, to you. That's a little strange, isn't it? It is to me at least. But don't worry, we'll get used to it. Cause it's just going to be you and me now, after all. Oh, I know, your mom is just in the next room, but... well. She's not going to be around much after today." Henry scrunched his face and whimpered a little.
"Yeah, I already miss her too. But don't you ever think that she doesn't love us! Because I know she does. She's just... not ready for us right now. She will be, one day. I think. But I know she loves us. No matter what she says."