Chapter 35

His vision blurry, Jack tried to figure out where he currently was.

"-old on!" Natsuki's voice echoed, slightly distorted. "Hold on, Jack!"

Looking up, Jack saw trees and buildings fly by in a haze through the car window.

"Don't -ove!" Natsuki shouted. "Try to -ay awake!"

Jack groaned as the car hit a bump.

"What... where..." Jack tried to sit up but a roaring pain in his side forced him back down. Looking over, he saw an alarming amount of his own blood had drenched the back seat. Seeing how much blood he had lost, Jack's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he lost consciousness.

Coming to inside a hospital room, Jack sat upright and took a glance around.

"Oh." A woman's voice said from his right. Turning to it, a young doctor stared at Jack while holding a clip board. "You're awake."

Jack rubbed his forehead as he looked around the room, seemingly lost.

"Where... what..?"

"You're in a hospital." The doctor informed him. "You were shot in a robbery gone wrong. Had us worried for a minute there Mr..." the doctor looked at her clipboard. "Mr. Zeliska."

"Worried..? What?"

Jack tried to get up, but the doctor quickly pushed him back into bed.

"Sorry, but you aren't allowed to get up, yet. You might tear your sutures." She told him.

Jack winced as his wound flared.

"Here." The doctor grabbed a syringe off the table by the bed. "This'll help you sleep."

Injecting it into his IV, Jack almost instantaneously felt the affects.

His eyelids felt like boulders were tied to them.

Slowly, Jack fell back asleep.

The following day

Waking up again, Jack took a glance around the room, however, instead of seeing the doctor, this time, it was Natsuki, Yuri, Monika, and Sayori beside him. Sayori was behind the other three, staring down at the floor.

"Jack!" Natsuki sprung over as soon as she had noticed he was awake. "You had us all worried, jerk!"

Struggling to sit up, Jack winced as he held his side.

"I doubt that's what he wanted to hear as soon as he gained consciousness." Yuri said, crossing her arms over her chest.

The others moved closer with Monika sitting at the foot of the bed, Yuri leaning beside him, and Natsuki practically on top of him. Sayori, however, stood a few feet away, blocked from view by the others.

"I can't believe you actually got shot." Monika said softly. "I'm glad you're okay, though."

"Thanks." Jack saud whilst attempting a smile. "How long have you guys been here?"

"Almost every day for the past week." Monika replied.

Jack nearly choked when he heard that.

"A week?! I've been out for a whole-"

"It's fine." Monika quickly calmed him. "You only missed... quite a bit."

"'Quite a bit'?" Jack repeated. "What'd I-?

Jack was cut off by a gentle coo.

Looking directly to Sayori, she looked up to meet Jack's gaze. Stepping out from behind Monika, Jack was left speechless at the sight before him.

Held in her arms, wrapped in a pink blanket, was a baby.

His mouth immediately dried up as his breath was caught in his throat.

"I-is that-" he could hardly speak as his eyes began to water.

Sayori smiled at Jack's reaction.

"Hey, Val." Sayori said to the baby. "Meet your daddy."

Approaching Jack, Sayori gently handed the baby over to him. Craddling his child in his arms, Jack made sure to be extra careful with her.

"Val?" Jack said softly. "So, Valencia?"

"Valery, actually." Sayori replied. "I hope you don't mind the slight tweak to her name."

"Not at all." Jack said as he stared down at Valery. "Hey, Valery." Jack said to the baby. "I'm your dad."

Valery stared up at Jack, her purple eyes piercing Jack's.

Staring at her, Jack could see the traits Valery had inherited from both of her parents. Jack's eyes. Sayori's strawberry blonde hair, as well as her nose. Etc.

As Jack stared at his daughter, she suddenly began to cry.

"Oh. Here, let-" Sayori was about to take Valery when she stopped. Jack began to slowly sway her in his arms while letting out soft hushes.

Within just a few short moments, Valery ceased her crying and went back to staring at her father.

Sayori was stunned.

"Wow."

"What?" Jack asked, taking just a glance at Sayori before looking back to Valery.

"It's just- it takes us hours to calm her down when she gets fussy." Sayori explained.

"It's natural talent." Jack joked.

"Sure, it is." Sayori rolled her eyes.

Letting out gentle, quiet coos, Valery reached up and tried to grab one of Jack's bangs. Chuckling, they were suddenly interrupted by the door opening.

"Alright." The nurse said as she entered. "Would you ladies kindly leave the room." The nurse requested.

"Sure thing."

Monika and Sayori both left, with Monika still carrying Valery.

"Alright." The nurse said, looking at her clipboard. "We're gonna keep you here for about a week, make sure your wound is nice and healed before you head on home." Heading over to his IV, the nurse attatched a new morphine drip before turning to the door. "If you need anything, press the red button and a nurse'll be with you."

"Thanks, doc." Jack told the woman before she left.

Now alone, Jack could only think of one thing: his daughter.

End of chapter 35