"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That dependes a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where -" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Evangelion: Nigeru
Epilogue - The Life We Make
02.18.2006
The sun was dipping low in the horizon and the shadows were growing longer. Ikari Shinji hurried through the deepening glow of the streetlamps. He undid the first few buttons of his starched shirt and wiped dripping sweat from around his collar. Dressing in this fashion on a muggy day that presaged the stifling heat of the summer months to come was stupidly uncomfortable.
Life goes on.
He absently mulled the simple truth of that oft-used cliché. It was hard to overlook. Stupid clods. After five years one would think they'd trust him more. Bureaucrats – every one of them. He hoped the Major could sort it out. He had more important things to do.
Shinji stopped short and blinked at the sudden appearance of the brightly lit, antiseptically cheerful, automated glass doors in front of him. He was late. He should have been here hours ago. His heart pounded at the ramifications of that statement. Queasily aware of the hard knot of fear in his stomach and thankful that he had been too nervous to eat lunch, Shinji walked quickly through the double doors, which opened hospitably at his first step.
A quick word with the lobby guard and he was in an elevator dinging at each floor on its way to the top.
Eighth Floor. Labor and Delivery. The sign said. Shinji gulped.
"Anou, I'm looking for…"
"You're Ikari Shinji? Thank goodness you're here!""
He nodded dumbly, not at all surprised.
He emerged from the changing room minus his street clothes barely a minute later, wound up by all the screaming he could hear from way down the hall.
"Follow me please. She started pushing twenty minutes ago." The woman smiled at Shinji's expression and led him in the direction of the cursing.
"Dummkopf! It's about bloody time! What took you so long? Did those miserable excuses for pilots give you a hard time? I called you hours ago! But did you see fit to rush to my side? Noooo… you had to take your pretty time getting your ass over here."
"Thanks, Hikari." Shinji took the redhead's hand from her and grasped it firmly.
"No problem, Shinji-kun," she winked at him. "She's all yours."
"Dammit, Shinji! I told you it wasn't safe at the time. Now look at where it's landed me? Pervert!"
"Ssshhh, tone it down a bit!" Shinji blushed a bright tomato red as the three other women in the room turned to regard him curiously. "Fuyutski and the rest of the old farts wouldn't let me leave right away."
"You should have just headed straight here."
"I almost did. But Misato-san would have killed me if I parked the thing out front, more paperwork for her. She's coming over as soon as she's done over there."
"It's coming… damn… another one's coming…!" The redhead huffed, took a deep breath, and started to bear down as she was told. The contraction lasted for a good minute, and she slumped tiredly on the bed when it passed, snorting at their words of 'good work' and 'almost there.'
"Does it hurt so much?" Baka-Shinji had the gall to ask. She raised a tired head and glared daggers at the stupid idiot. Then she hissed at him promising slow death after her ordeal. "I mean, don't you have anesthesia?" Shinji hastily amended.
"Epidural." The redhead puffed, inhaling deeply and then blowing out air through her mouth. "It helped, but it's worn off. It's too close, they can't give me another one now but it doesn't matter, I'm getting this done or my name isn't Asuka. Langley. Sohryu. Ikari." Asuka bit out, bearing down hard as another intense and uncontrollable clutch of uterine muscles fought to eject its cargo.
The pain was excruciating. But Asuka gritted her teeth and bore down with all her might, breath held, spots dancing before her eyes. It was like straining against an immovable wall. Pushing… running out of air… but still pushing… just a little more… pushing… and pushing… working with the pain… pushing… then… without warning… a sudden give… and something large sliding smoothly out.
It was over.
The sound of the suction pump and clinking instruments reached Shinji's ears as he stared at Asuka's limp and raggedly breathing form. Her lips were turned up slightly in the corners and she was holding tiredly on to his hand. She looked spent but mildly triumphant.
It was just beginning.
Shinji's head snapped around and with eyes still closed Asuka beamed; something new had filled the room – the wail of a newborn child taking her first breath of air.
"Shinji, I want to see…"
Shinji tried to stand but his knees wouldn't hold him. They were trembling too badly.
"Baka… go get her…" Asuka shook his hand impatiently.
He was saved from having to wobble his way to the warmer when one of the women walked over to him and thrust a bundle gently into his arms. Shinji carefully shifted it to one arm and peeked into the blankets.
Pink rosebud mouth and a shock of red hair.
She felt delicate in his awkward hands.
Small and soft. Fragile and so easily broken.
She pursed her lips, tiny chin dimpling, and looked at him with calm and alert eyes.
Shinji broke into a grin.
Life goes on.
Yes indeed.
A/N: When I talked about an epilogue I had no idea it would be like this. I hope you like it just the same. A tad sappy perhaps but it ends everything quite nicely, I believe.
I'm still working on the omakes so expect more waff from those. They're set way before the epilogue though.
Arigato!
Ja!