The Occupied Crib
(Warning: Spoilers for Burial at Sea)
Dark.
She thought heard someone singing.
Memories washed over her. She couldn't resist, didn't know how to resist.
A huge funny looking bird. Her Friend? Her enemy? Books. Alone. Need. To. Get. OUT! A big Man with green eyes, important, so so important, the only one… Falling. Man with a white beard, hate him! Red, blood, all over. She did it. Two strange people with red hair, man and woman, but the same. The man playing a guitar. Strange machines. Pain. Can see it all, see so much! Her fault, her fault the Man is gone. Her fault. So much, so much to remember, other hers. Remember them all.
The man she hates. Hiding in a dark place. The Last one. Kill Him! Deserved it. He looks like the Man, but he isn't. A girl with yellow eyes. What has she done? It was wrong. Have to fix it, save them, pay the debt. Given them a chance. More pain. The false man hurting her.
The pain fades, the girl with yellow eyes, she's the one singing.
Dark.
She doesn't understand. The memories wash past, go far away. She can't hold on to them. Doesn't want to hold on to them. Debt payed.
Can she rest now? Forget?
She hears something. Hear?
Soft Bells. Musical.
She opened her eyes. She has eyes? Light!
White sheets. Gray above. Bright left.
"Anna?"
That Voice. She knew it. It made her feel better. Something struggled up from far away. The Man. That Voice, it was his!
"Anna!"
The Man sounded worried. Anna? Who was Anna? She wasn't Anna, was she? She had been called a different name, but she couldn't remember what it was. Wasn't important. Anna sounded right to her now.
A door opens.
The Man's Voice spoke softer now. "Anna, is that you?"
A large dark figure moved into view. She could see face, knew the face. Dark hair, green eyes, it was the Man! Seeing him made her feel good. Never thought to see him again. Didn't care how. So good, Happy.
"Anna. You're here. Thank God. I was so.. I thought…. Thank God."
The figure moved away from the bright light and stood over in the dark for some time.
"I'm sorry Anna. I...I don't know if I'm going to be the father you deserve."
"I've made so many mistakes, done so much wrong."
"Done the most wrong to you."
"But, you already know that already, don't you? Know it better than anyone. I hope you don't hate me for it. Got every right to."
She knows what he saying, understands, but it slips away as he speaks.
"I'm going to make mistakes Anna. I'm going to fail sometime. I know that. I hope, I hope you can forgive me when I do. I hope you can someday forgive me for what I already did to you.
The man leans on the edge of the crib and looks down to her.
"But I'm not going to stop trying Anna. I'm going to do better. Not like him. Guess that's the most we can do, isn't it? To keep trying?"
"Hope I'll be able to teach you not to make the same mistakes I did."
He reached down and touches her face gently, sad smile, eye's glistening.
"Going to be hard for awhile. Might always be hard, but we'll make it."
"Ghuhg!" she burbled happily.
"Huh, look to me, waking you up like this to talk. You need your sleep. And I, I need to start cleaning."
The Man moves away.
"Good night Anna."
Door closes.
She used to call the Man something. Couldn't remember it now. What to call him?
Something… different.
Some little memory came to her from far away. A word. What was it?
D..Da…
Daddy.
That was it. Daddy.
Somehow she knew it was going to be alright. She was with daddy. She had wanted that for so long. So very long.
It was going to be alright now. Be all right.
Anna DeWitt fell asleep and dreamed the simple bright dreams of a child.
Authors Note: This is the counterpoint to the story "The Empty Crib" and a sort of prequel to Bioshock Infinite: Union. Revision posted 05/13/2016
