Chapter 3
Rimmer didn't know why he was here, or how he could have been brought to agree to such a thing. The nearly empty shuttle took off from the massive lobster shaped ship down to the small silvery moon. She had eventually invited him to come and see his son, most likely just to avoid further phone conversation, so he had agreed to a weekend of planet leave.
The shuttle made an abrupt halt on the surface or the moon on the landing platform. Rimmer and the few other occupants of the shuttle made their way down the metal stairway onto the flat concrete. Rimmer observed his surroundings. An icy breeze whooshed past Rimmer sending a shiver down his spine. He slowly walked across the landing platform.
~
Rimmer took the small crumpled piece of paper from his pocket with the address to her small sleazy apartment. According to it, it was a small worn down brick building that was just down the street. The building seemed to only be held together by sheer luck. Windows were broken. Graffiti occupied the walls and fire escapes. Rimmer cautiously walked through the door which was covered in duct tape because the glass had been broken. The ceiling had a number of leaks. Buckets collecting the water were scattered throughout the room. Rimmer opened the door to the stairs and began to make his way up as a distinct creaking sound accompanied his footsteps. He exited the staircase and onto her floor. The carpets were a nauseating shade of green. The echoes of a couple arguing filled the dimly lit hallway. He reached her door and knocked, still wondering why he was here. No answer. He knocked again, a bit louder this time. Still no answer. He took a moment to think. She had invited him down here to see his son. He had made it all the way down here and no she wasn't here? For smeg's sake! Rimmer banged over and over on the door. The rusted metal hinges threatened to break in half. Finally a small woman answered. She looked almost nothing like Yvonne. Her hair was shorter and messier. Her bosom seemed to sag. In her arms she held a tiny screaming baby boy. The room was small. Clothes were scattered everywhere. A small crib sat in the corner of the room. The couch had been folded out into a bed. The sheets of which had not been made. The room smelled of mold and diapers.
"Sorry for keeping you." She said softly, inviting him in. Rimmer took a seat on the metal chair she had offered which was currently being used as a towel rack. Why had he been convinced to come here? Rimmer handed her the money he had been keeping in his pocket. 500 dollarpounds.
Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "Thank you" She said softly. She dropped Matthew in his crib and exited into the small bathroom for a moment. Rimmer gazed over at his son dressed in nothing but a puffy white diaper. Brown food refuge covered his tiny little cheeks. For the briefest of moments his heart was warmed by the innocent infant. Matthew ceased his crying and screaming, The bathroom door slowly opened again and Rimmer snapped out of it, remembering where he was and why he was here.
"Can I offer you anything?" She asked.
What exactly did she have to offer him? "No thanks." He said.
Yvonne noticed him staring at Mathew's crib. "Would you life to hold him?" She asked.
Rimmer hesitated. He had never held a baby before. "S-sure."
Yvonne lifted him out of the crib and into Rimmer's lap. He began to squirm. Rimmer watched, expecting him to burst into tears and go into a screaming fit life any other baby he got within 10 feet of. Instead, he began to play Rimmer's beige uniform tie. Mathew yanked on it, causing Rimmer's head to thrust forward. He heard Yvonne start to giggle. Instead of being angry, Rimmer began to feel a fatherly vibe. It was nothing like he had ever felt before. He had expected to feel miserable in this little hell hole with a baby boy nearly choking him, but instead he seemed almost happy. He was holding a fragile small child, letting it play with his own belongings, Belongings that happen to be attached to his body, and didn't seem to mind.
"He likes you." Said Yvonne.
The words rang in his head. 'he likes you.' A simple phrase that she had been used to saying to just about anyone who her baby was fold of, but it had a different meaning to Rimmer. For the first time someone, a human being, liked him. And that human being was his own son. The enormity of it was only beginning to sink in.
After a few moments Mathew began to cry. Rimmer was suddenly alert, he quickly scooped him up and handed him back to Yvonne.
"He wants to be rocked." She said, refusing to take him. Rimmer slowly pulled him back and looked at him from arms length. Tears streamed down his eyes as he continued to wale. Rimmer slowly took him close and rocked him back and forth. His crying slowed down and eventually stopped and he was asleep.
Rimmer didn't know why he was here, or how he could have been brought to agree to such a thing. The nearly empty shuttle took off from the massive lobster shaped ship down to the small silvery moon. She had eventually invited him to come and see his son, most likely just to avoid further phone conversation, so he had agreed to a weekend of planet leave.
The shuttle made an abrupt halt on the surface or the moon on the landing platform. Rimmer and the few other occupants of the shuttle made their way down the metal stairway onto the flat concrete. Rimmer observed his surroundings. An icy breeze whooshed past Rimmer sending a shiver down his spine. He slowly walked across the landing platform.
~
Rimmer took the small crumpled piece of paper from his pocket with the address to her small sleazy apartment. According to it, it was a small worn down brick building that was just down the street. The building seemed to only be held together by sheer luck. Windows were broken. Graffiti occupied the walls and fire escapes. Rimmer cautiously walked through the door which was covered in duct tape because the glass had been broken. The ceiling had a number of leaks. Buckets collecting the water were scattered throughout the room. Rimmer opened the door to the stairs and began to make his way up as a distinct creaking sound accompanied his footsteps. He exited the staircase and onto her floor. The carpets were a nauseating shade of green. The echoes of a couple arguing filled the dimly lit hallway. He reached her door and knocked, still wondering why he was here. No answer. He knocked again, a bit louder this time. Still no answer. He took a moment to think. She had invited him down here to see his son. He had made it all the way down here and no she wasn't here? For smeg's sake! Rimmer banged over and over on the door. The rusted metal hinges threatened to break in half. Finally a small woman answered. She looked almost nothing like Yvonne. Her hair was shorter and messier. Her bosom seemed to sag. In her arms she held a tiny screaming baby boy. The room was small. Clothes were scattered everywhere. A small crib sat in the corner of the room. The couch had been folded out into a bed. The sheets of which had not been made. The room smelled of mold and diapers.
"Sorry for keeping you." She said softly, inviting him in. Rimmer took a seat on the metal chair she had offered which was currently being used as a towel rack. Why had he been convinced to come here? Rimmer handed her the money he had been keeping in his pocket. 500 dollarpounds.
Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "Thank you" She said softly. She dropped Matthew in his crib and exited into the small bathroom for a moment. Rimmer gazed over at his son dressed in nothing but a puffy white diaper. Brown food refuge covered his tiny little cheeks. For the briefest of moments his heart was warmed by the innocent infant. Matthew ceased his crying and screaming, The bathroom door slowly opened again and Rimmer snapped out of it, remembering where he was and why he was here.
"Can I offer you anything?" She asked.
What exactly did she have to offer him? "No thanks." He said.
Yvonne noticed him staring at Mathew's crib. "Would you life to hold him?" She asked.
Rimmer hesitated. He had never held a baby before. "S-sure."
Yvonne lifted him out of the crib and into Rimmer's lap. He began to squirm. Rimmer watched, expecting him to burst into tears and go into a screaming fit life any other baby he got within 10 feet of. Instead, he began to play Rimmer's beige uniform tie. Mathew yanked on it, causing Rimmer's head to thrust forward. He heard Yvonne start to giggle. Instead of being angry, Rimmer began to feel a fatherly vibe. It was nothing like he had ever felt before. He had expected to feel miserable in this little hell hole with a baby boy nearly choking him, but instead he seemed almost happy. He was holding a fragile small child, letting it play with his own belongings, Belongings that happen to be attached to his body, and didn't seem to mind.
"He likes you." Said Yvonne.
The words rang in his head. 'he likes you.' A simple phrase that she had been used to saying to just about anyone who her baby was fold of, but it had a different meaning to Rimmer. For the first time someone, a human being, liked him. And that human being was his own son. The enormity of it was only beginning to sink in.
After a few moments Mathew began to cry. Rimmer was suddenly alert, he quickly scooped him up and handed him back to Yvonne.
"He wants to be rocked." She said, refusing to take him. Rimmer slowly pulled him back and looked at him from arms length. Tears streamed down his eyes as he continued to wale. Rimmer slowly took him close and rocked him back and forth. His crying slowed down and eventually stopped and he was asleep.