FicWad

I woke up to the cold, acrid smell of cleaning fluid, and found myself slumped over in the same torn, tweed chair as before. I blink the sleep and confusion from my eyes and scan my surroundings, a bit shocked and disoriented to see a dark and vacant hospital room was my current state of incarceration. I run a hand over my sore neck and sit forward in the chair, trying to process everything going through my slaked mind. Gee was pregnant. Like, actually pregnant. I wonder where he is now; he'd been sleeping not even two hours ago, me curled up in this disgusting chair holding his hand. They told him he might not survive, and an abortion was his best choice.

He broke down crying and called all of them 'fuckers'.

But now the room he'd been occupying is empty, and the sheets of the bed had been folded rather sloppily on top of the pillow. I stand up and stare around the room, cursing out loud when I realize I was the only person in the room. Where the hell had Gee gone?

I stumble from the room, scanning the hallways feverishly for anyone that looked remotely like him. The halls were vacant, the only noises coming from further down the hall, and the low murmur of voices flowing steadily from the other rooms. I rub the side of my face, and continue my mindless journey down the cold and desolate corridor, my eyes flicking back and forth between the white-washed walls. A pair of doctors give me strange looks and I just glare at them, too tired and upset to fight them off, but I’m not going to let my guard down. Yawning rather loudly, I find myself in the maternity ward, the overwhelming smell of baby powder invading my nose as I stagger into its pastel hallways. Most of the doors are closed, but the ones that aren’t, I see several young couple cooing and coddling their infant, faces flushed with jubilee. I hear a kind of broken whimper, like a child who’d just found their favorite toy chewed up by the dog. I turn and see Gee standing in front of the nursery, his hand laid peacefully across the glass as hot, heavy tears course down his plump cheeks. Another whimper falls past his lips like little drops of crystalline hemlock, dropping to the floor and shattering the warm happiness around him.

Something in me dies a little at the sight.

I stuff my hands into my pockets, trying to keep myself as collected and nonchalant as possible. I approach him quietly, clearing my throat once I’m in ear shot. He looks up in a blind panic, his features completely deflated and pale. “B-Bert?” he stutters, and I can tell he’s taking every ounce of energy he has to keep from breaking down in front of me.

I nod quietly and go over to him, wrapping my arms around him, “You need to get back to bed. You’re still sick.”

He shakes his head wildly, tears flinging off his face and onto the rosy walls, “It’s not fair…” he mumbles, his face wrenching back to the glass.

I stand awkwardly behind him and stare into the large, galvanized room, lined with at least 50 little beds, all filled with crying squirmy babies. His eyes are focused on a little girl in the front, and he closes his eyes slowly, solemnly, and places a hand around his flat belly. He starts to sink to the floor, his lips quivering as a series of raspy, broken sobs burst from his throat. His mouth and brow contorts into this twisted, pathetic frown, the look of a slaughtered animal.

"I'm going to die because of this baby... " he screams, throwing his fists into the tiles.

I kneel beside him and pull him into my chest, "Gee, you need to calm down. You're going to hurt yourself getting so stressed."

He glares at me through bloodshot eyes and pushes away my comforting arms, "You don't get it! I have no home! No money! I can't..."

He trails off as his body rebels against the onslaught of emotions and beings to shake quite violently. He weeps and screams during the whole episode, while I do everything in my power to hold him still and quiet his frantic cries. I bring my hand up to his cheek, and using the bed of my thumb, I gently wipe away the tears from his lids.

"Shhhh... You're going to be okay. We'll find a place for you to live with you're baby. I promise." I whisper, a small smile breaking through on my face.

Gee just sighs and bites on his lip, more tears springing from his emerald eyes, "Where will I live Bert? I have nowhere to stay."

I just keep mopping up his cheek, thinking quietly to myself. It's true. He can't stay at the clinic much longer before they start charging rent. He can't stay in a women's home either... there's a few parts of him that are male enough to get him evicted before he files the mortgage papers. I look around the ward, and find that several people had been startled by the commotion and decided to come out of their rooms and see the strange man sobbing on the floor in the middle of the maternity ward. I kiss his forehead lightly, and pull his chin up so he can look into my eyes, "What if you lived with me and my flat mate?"

He sniffles heavily, "What?"

A tiny smirk plays on my cheeks, "We have a duplex, it's on a pretty good side of town, and we've got a spare room we mostly keep junk in. You can move in until you get back on your feet."

He lets out a broken laugh, "R-really... you'll let me live with you?"

I nod slowly, "Of course."

He yelps out of joy and throws his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly, "Oh Bert! Thank you so much! I promise I'll be a good flatmate!"

I smile gently and pull him to the feet, steadying him as vertigo takes control of his body. I support him on his left side and guide him slowly back into his room, talking in length about Geoff and the neighborhood. He grins tiredly at me, grabbing my hand and putting it over his stomach, " You saved our lives..."

My whole face flushes a hot crimson, and I push him away bashfully, "Hush you."

He bites down on his lip cutely, and looks up at me with this perfect innocent face, "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

I pull myself closer to him, wrapping my hands into his knotted hair, "I can stay for as long as you need me."

Gee looks down, shifts nervously, "Don't ever go."

Before my mind can register what's happening, I feel his soft, wet lips collide into mine, the cold hospital hallway melting away into a blissful nirvana. His hand creeps around to my back, sliding up my spine and finally resting at the base of my head. I feel my own hands to the same, as if our bodies have fallen into this choreographed unison. He pulls away and burrows into the nape of my neck, and I can feel his soft breathing as his laughs and whimpers into my skin.

"Gee?" I whisper, my fingers tracing the little bumps on his vertebrae.

"Yes Bert?" he responds, his voice muffled by my tanned, grubby flesh.

"I'm going to get you through this even if it kills me."

And with that, we kiss again, our bodies bathed in a vermillion light from the windows.