Child of War-Prologue
A child is born into a world of sabotage.
I wasn't going to write this chapter initially. However, as I was writing, I heard the song "Lightning Crashes" by Live, and it inspired this little prologue.
Thanks to Abracadebra for the beta!
Rated T for a somewhat-graphic depiction of childbirth. Just a warning in case that kind of thing makes you squeamish.
"It's too soon!" Tiger panted. She was two weeks early. Dubois immediately took her to a safe room underground and called Dr. LaSalle, who said he was on his way. He helped her onto the bed and got some clean, warm water and towels. But there was still something that didn't sit well with him.
"Did you tell him?" Dubois asked, referring to Hogan, the baby's father, stroking her hair.
Tiger shook her head vehemently. She didn't want to talk about it at that moment. Right now, all she wanted to do was give birth to her baby. Hers and Hogan's baby. The dull ache of her contractions was becoming steadier, more insistent. By the time the doctor arrived, her water had broken and the pain was building.
Dr. LaSalle got right to work. He pulled Dubois around to the front, alongside him, and instructed him to brace Tiger so that her knees were against her chest.
"Take a deep breath, Tiger! Push!" Dr. LaSalle urged, then counted to twenty. She screamed in pain as she pressed down. The doctor coaxed her along, saying he could see the baby's head. "Another breath! Push again!" he said. The process was repeated two or three more times until all they could hear was a baby crying.
"It's a boy!" Dr. LaSalle shouted with a grin. The infant was healthy, strong, and squalling. His father had no idea. Tiger didn't tell him because she didn't know how he would react.
Dubois cut the umbilical cord, and Dr. LaSalle cleaned and swaddled little Robbie in a blue blanket. The French doctor handed the baby to his mother, who smiled at her son through a haze of tears and sweat and kissed his cheeks. He had a thatch of brown hair, big brown eyes, and she swore he was going to have the same mischievous grin as his father.
"He looks so much like his father," Tiger mumbled, exhausted but thrilled that her baby was finally here. Suddenly she couldn't wait to tell Hogan.
Dubois eased her onto another bed and put the bloody sheets and towels into a bag to be washed or burned, and helped her change into a clean nightgown. Dr. LaSalle held the baby and asked her what his name was.
"Robert Edward Hogan, Jr,. I'm calling him Robbie," she proudly announced.
Dubois and nodded. Papa Bear's cub was crying lustily and looked like a sturdy little fellow.
200 miles away, Hogan was meeting with a member of the Underground. He had no idea how much his life was about to change, or how important his work was about to become.
