FicWad

I saw this show once about women in different stages of pregnancy, finally ending with them actually having the baby. It was one of those weird, daytime TV shows, laced with bouts of mindless drama to keep the viewer from slipping into their routine mid-afternoon coma. I watched it religiously while I was in nursing school, the naive side of me convinced it was going to aid my slipping study habits, but truly it was white noise to keep me from going crazy and throwing myself from my dorm window. I remember one episode where this overly-religious woman demanded no medical help because "she only needed Jesus's loving embrace". She just had her husband and a very mousy midwife. And that got me thinking.

How is Gee gonna pull this off?

I mean, he has all of the organs and muscle structure, and a very primitive "baby hole" as Geoff likes to call it. But I don't know if he can handle everything. The pain and pressure and stress. Just sitting in agony on a tiny, stiff bed half-crippled by labor pains isn't exactly how most women picture their weekends. I'm just hoping I'll be there to make it all seem less horrible.

I never used to be this corny before.

The officer chair screeches in protest as Gee stands up and puts his hand onto his lower back, supporting his spine as he toddles toward the bed. I can hear Houdini scuttle around on the desk, sniffing for a scrap of fruit or maybe a warm place to sleep. I sit beside Gee on the unkempt bedsheets, peering out the frosted window and out into the snow. He makes another loud whimper and holds onto his stomach, his face torn between pain and jubilee. I reach out to him, taking a gentle hold on his left wrist, "Can I?"

He nods and lifts his shirt a little, guiding and ghosting my hand over his stomach. I press reluctant fingers to the warm skin, smiling at the soft flesh kissing my fingertips. I tuck my hand near his hip, scooting towards him and staring into his wide eyes, "Can you feel it? It's spinning and kicking..."

I furrow my brow and press my hand a bit harder into his skin, feeling the squirm and squish of his organs being pushed aside. But I don't feel any tiny feet or hands pressing back. I grunt in frustration and look up at him, "I can't feel shit."

Gee huffs softly and moans a little, "I fucking feel something."

I sigh and move my hand away, making him cry out and look at me wildly, "Don't stop! It was going crazy when you were touching me. It felt amazing." he explains, taking a hold on my hand and pushing against his swollen belly.

I just grin and bend down, pressing the side of my face against him, hearing him giggling as my lame excuse for a beard floats across his stomach. I nuzzle him gently, trying to feel something. Anything.

But all I can hear is his heartbeat and maybe his disgusting breakfast swirling around in his stomach. I kiss him softly before picking my head up, "Sorry, babe. Maybe I'm defective."

Gee shakes his head wildly, "No... no, it felt wonderful. For me at least, it was spinning and kicking."

A frown tugs at my lips, "Wish I coulda felt it."

Gee curls his hand under my chin, kissing my nose softly, "You've got your whole life to feel it."

I open my mouth to retort with some equally adorable cliche, when Gee's phone begins to screech from the bedside table. He scrambles to grab it, looking at the display screen with a bit of apprehension. I cock my head to one side, "Who is it?" I whisper, leaning close to him.

"I dunno..."

He flips the phone open and answers with a very shaky "Hello", fumbling with the speaker button so I can listen as well.

"-- with the municipal court system. we've settled on a date."

Gee swallows deeply, glancing towards me, "What does that mean?"

I sigh softly, "We have a court date. For the baby."

He puts the phone to his lips, "Umm... okay. What day is it."

There's a soft crackle on the other end, before the woman answers, "It will be the 5th of next month."

"That's only in a week!" Gee hisses, cupping his hand over the phone, "We don't even have a lawyer!"

I shrug and he clears his voice, "Okay. What about a lawyer and the evidence?"

"You're responsible for you're own lawyer, and the evidence will be collected sometime before the case is presented in court."

His face goes completely pale. Neither of us no anyone close to a lawyer, and I highly doubt we could afford one that could let us keep the baby. I mean, this whole case is so fucked up no one knows which side to argue for. Gee holds up the phone to his mouth again, "Is there anything else we need to know?"

"The hearing is at 10, you need to show up promptly."

"O-okay... thank you."

The woman hung up and a heavy silence settled around us. Gee put a hand on his stomach, looking down at it with tears in his eyes, "I'm 5 months next week... it's been 5 months s-since..."

I put my hand to his cheek, hushing him, "Baby, don't try to think about it that way."

Tears start to creep out of the corners of his eyes, "What if the baby looks like him? What if every time I see my child I'm looking into the eyes of my rapist?!" he shrieks, his cheeks flushing a violent coral.

I wrap my arms around him, squeezing gently, "Gee, hush. Even if it looks like Frank, it's still your baby. You'll love it no matter what."

His lips tremble slightly, "What if Frankie gets the baby?" he whispers, his hands falling off himself and limply to the side.

"That fucker isn't getting anything of yours, believe me. And even if he does... I'll give you a baby." I end with a mutter, casting myself away from him.

"Y-you'll what?"

I lock eyes with him, burrowing deep into the verdant pools as my hands intertwine with his, "I will give you a baby."

A fractured smile crosses his face, and his tears cease their descent. I look at his face in the early morning light, seeping in through the torn curtains hung lopsidedly across his window. His eyes are wide and bloodshot, but the brilliant green still triumphs against the stark white backdrop. His hair frames his face, still wet and clinging to his cheeks and forehead, looking like black stripes against his waxy skin.

There's a soft knock at the door, and Geoff's voice busts through the thin wood, "I'm going to work now, lovebirds. Don't die while I'm gone."

"Bye fucker!" Gee calls out, giggling slightly.

I can almost hear Geoff flipping off the door before he heads down stairs, the car roaring to life in the driveway and taking off towards the restaurant. Gee shifts on the bed before standing up, pulling his shirt over his stomach, "I kinda wanna go outside... play in the snow or something."

I laugh and roll my eyes at them, "Oh, so now you're 5?"

"24, thank you. And I still have some bottled up youth left in me." he snaps back, smirking softly and pulling on a heavy wool coat.

"Lemme get dressed and we'll walk down to the shops," I offer, but receive a slightly dirty look in return, "And we can play in the snow." I finish, trying to hold in my laughter.

Gee grins widely and wraps a scarf around his neck, "It's all I ever asked."

I kiss his cheek and walk out, humming softly to myself as I wander into my room.