Chapter 12: Mercy

Late in the evening, Vincent was drawn out of his study by Tanaka, who had received a phone call from Angelina. The doctor insisted on speaking with him or Rachel. Rachel was in bed, at the time, so he gladly took the phone.

"Hello?"

"Vincent!" he could hear Anne say in an urgent tone.

"What's wrong?"

"Sebastian's gone into premature labor. I'm not sure if the child will survive, so . . ."

"Say no more, Anne. We're on our way. Just tell Sebastian to hang in there."

Vincent hung up the phone and raced to his bedchambers where Rachel slept. They all knew that Sebastian wasn't due for another month and he was further away from the London hospital than they were. The child might not make it, but it was still important for them to be there.

"Rachel!" he called out as he gently shook the lady from her sleep, "Rachel, wake up!"

Rachel sat up in bed at the eagerness of Vincent's voice, "What is it?"

"It's Sebastian! Anne just called saying he had gone into premature labor."

Rachel went wide-eyed at the news and instantly jumped out of bed, "Let's go!"

They saddled up a horse and galloped swiftly to Arachnophile. Every house in the town was dark; all but the cottage that sat atop a hill, which was full of candlelight. They knocked rapidly on the door and Angelina quickly answered.

"How is he?" Rachel instantly asked.

"He's in a lot of pain and has quite a few complications." Angelina replied.

"How many is 'quite a few'?" Vincent asked.

"His body wasn't made for this. His pelvis a bit too small, so he's going to have to put some more effort into it, and I've just discovered that the child is in a breech position, which makes things even harder for him."

"Can't you just perform a caesarian section on him?"

"With him being as weak as he is, a caesarian could kill him."

"And what are the odds of him surviving a natural birth?" Rachel asked.

"They're definitely higher than that of a caesarian section!" they all hear a scream from upstairs, "Now, I have to get back to him."

They watched as Anne vanished back up the steps, leaving them in the grip of their own fear.

For hours, it seemed, they waited. Vincent paced anxiously in the hallway in the small living room as Rachel sat quietly in a chair. She eventually moved to a couch and fell asleep, as it was well past midnight and she was tired. It left Vincent to stew in his own thoughts for a time.

He thought about Sebastian and how much he meant to him, and then he thought about Rachel and did the same thing. Looking closely, he suddenly realized why Sebastian was okay with him choosing Rachel over him. When Vincent and Rachel began seeing each other, it was like Sebastian was only a third wheel. Vincent only used him as a substitute for when Rachel wasn't there. Vincent preferred Rachel over Sebastian, and the demon could see that. But Vincent wondered how unhappy he really would have been if he had chosen Sebastian; even if having a future with him had been just a silly fantasy.

A door opening from upstairs caught his attention and he stood still as Angelina came down the steps.

"Well?" Vincent asked, rushing towards her, "Is Sebastian alright? What about the baby?"

"Slow down, Vincent." Anne said, "Sebastian is doing fine. He's exhausted, but that just comes with childbirth. I think he's going to be okay. The baby is alive, but it's small and sickly. I'll be around to keep an eye on them both."

Vincent nodded, "Can I see them?"

"Of course."

Vincent followed Anne up the steps and into a bedroom where Sebastian lay in bed cradling a tiny, tiny infant in his arms. They both looked weak and sickly, especially Sebastian, whose sunken eyes made him look almost like a corpse. The infant was rooted against his chest, suckling on whatever nourishment its parent's breast provided.

Sebastian's tired, heavy eyes glanced up at Vincent and weakly smiled. Vincent returned the smile and settled himself in a chair at Sebastian's side.

"Goodness . . ." he commented, "That little babe sure is tiny."

The comment earned a small laugh from Sebastian that made his bone-thin body jerk erratically and his throat wheeze, "Yes she is."

"Does she have a name?"

"Mercy, because it's something we don't have a lot of. Mercy Hope Michaelis."