Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock...
Alister bit his lip, nervously pacing in his friends living room. He had been waiting for an hour. It felt like forever.
Pace, pace, pace, turn, pace, pace, pace...
Periodically, a scream or moan would drift from downstairs, and he would wince. He hated this feeling of uselessness, of utter helplessness. His memory turned, unbidden, to earlier that evening, when Kaden had rushed up to him, face grey with panic under his fur, and begged Alister to run for the midwife. Leaden horror had filled Alister. Mala hadn't been due for a month...
Now he waited, pacing endlessly as he listened to the cries of his friends bondmate.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock...
Pace, pace, pace, pace, turn, pace, pace, pace...
Alister froze in his tracks momentarily as a piercing shriek echoed from upstairs. He resumed pacing, heart thudding painfully in his chest. Everything he knew about the birth process could be written on a postage stamp, and he wasn't sure whether it had been a good sound or not...
There was no screaming now, just a thick, busy silence that seemed to ooze from the walls. His pacing increased in speed as his worry intensified.
Pace-pace-pace-pace-turn-pace-pace-pace...
He looked up as the sound of footsteps reached his ears. The midwife was walking down the stairs, tossing his large black bag over his shoulder. (Midwife is a crude translation of the Lombax word, and the role is not limited to females.)
Alister intercepted him as he went to leave.
"Well? Is everything okay?"
The midwife shrugged, face unreadable as he left.
"Go see for yourself."
Alister took the stairs three at a time. He stopped when he reached the bedroom, suddenly nervous. Taking a deep breath, he slowly pushed the door open.
"Come on in, pal. He won't bite."
Alister relaxed at the sound of Kadens voice. There was no grief or pain in those tones, just pride. Mala smiled weakly at Alister from the bed. She looked exhausted, sweat matting her calico fur, but her green eyes shone with triumph. Then a soft squeak reached his ears, and his attention was dragged to the bundle of white blankets in his friends arms. Kaden smiled and motioned to an empty chair.
"Don't just stand there, take a load off."
Alister sat down gratefully, uncertain his legs would support him any longer.
"Are you alright, Mala?"
She chuckled weakly.
"Tired. Sore." She smiled at Kaden. "But it was worth it."
"Wanna see him?" Kaden asked. Alister could only nod. Kaden moved aside a fold of blankets, and Alister found himself looking at the smallest cub he had ever seen, golden fur fluffing out in all directions. A tiny pink tongue tip showed as he yawned squeakily, eyes sealed shut. Lombax cubs were born helpless, blind and deaf.
"Beautiful, isn't he?" Kaden said softly. Alister nodded, gazing in rapt wonder at the newborn cub, umber eyes wide.
"You want to hold him?"
Alister came back to earth with a bump.
"Huh? I...I don't know, I mean...I don't know how to hold cubs, I could hurt him!"
"It's okay, pal. I trust you."
Alister hesitated, before holding his arms out carefully. Kaden gently handed his new son over.
"Make sure you support his head. He can't hold it up yet."
After a little trial and error, Alister finally had the child securely cradled in his arms. There was hardly any weight to him.
"He's so small!"
"Well, he was early," Mala said. "but the midwife says he'll catch up."
The cub whimpered slightly. Instinctively, Alister held him closer, and the cub quietened down, soothed by his heart beat. Gently, Alister stroked a soft cheek, and the cub reached out and latched on to his finger, gripping remarkably firmly for someone so small. Kaden chuckled. "He likes you."
Alister smiled, not taking his eyes off his tiny bundle.
"He's the spitting image of you."
Kaden nodded, features glowing with pride.
"First thing we both noticed. It's uncanny, isn't it?"
Alister nodded, finger still held in the cubs grip.
"Got a name for him yet?"
Kaden and Mala briefly exchanged glances, and Kaden looked down, sadness temporarily suffusing his features.
"Ryan. After his...after his grandfather..."
There was a moment of silence, Kaden blinking back tears. Alister understood his friends grief. Kaden had always been close to his father, and had hoped he would live to see his grandson. He had hoped in vain. He tactfully broke the silence.
"It's a good name. Suits him."
Kaden shook his head slightly, dislodging the memory.
"Yeah..."He reached out and stroked his sons ears. "Funny, really. I've been all these places, done all these things, and yet this...this is what I'm most proud of..."
Silence fell again, a warm, gentle silence. There was nothing to say, and, in this moment of perfect happiness, nothing that needed to be said.
Ryan started to wail, crying for his mother. Kaden noticed the look of panic that darted across Alisters face, and gently took his son back.
"Looks like the little guys hungry."
Alister got to his feet.
"I should be going. I have things to do, and I'm sure you three are going to want to get to know each other." Kaden got up as well.
"Thanks, pal. I owe you big time for getting the midwife out. I don't like to think what would have happened if he'd been any later." He held out a hand. Alister took it, then on an impulse, pulled his friend into a hug. Kaden blinked in surprise. The two had always been the best of friends, more brothers than anything, but Alister had never hugged him before. He wasn't the type to demonstrate his feelings. Alister let go, coughing slightly to cover his embaresment.
"That doesn't leave this room."
Kaden chuckled.
"Got it."
Alister gave Ryan one last smile, and turned to leave, pausing for a moment.
"Congratulations, Kaden."
His friend nodded, attention turned once more to his new son. Alister closed the door gently behind him, heart swelling. All the tension of the wait had drained out of him. He felt more alive than he had in days. A pang of regret tugged at him. Perhaps he should have tried his hand at father hood? Ah well, too late now...
As he stepped outside, the warm glow of the sunset washed over him. He found it oddly poignant. A new life beginning as the old day ended. Almost poetic, really...
Still smiling, he made his way back home.
I seriously have no idea where this one came from. I crapped it out in like half an hour. Hope I didn't give you diabetes from all the sweetness!