***January 26, 1986***
Ah, the snow's falling again.
Annette watched the white snowflakes lazily descend past her window, her hands stilling on the wooden tray set before her on the bed. The sun was just starting to set as the snow started to drift in again. It soothed her troubled mind to watch upon the quiet scenery. She was thankful to have moments like this right now. Stress had wrecked enough havoc to cause her to be in the hospital this time.
The first time she passed out at her desk, it was due to being unable to sleep regular hours due to lower back pain. The whole situation had been blown out of proportion, but it was a good way to see what would happen in that kind of emergency. After receiving a clean bill of health from the good doctors in the medical ward, she had tried to take it easier due to their advice. She learned to delegate out her more straining responsibilities and take on a supervisory role for the time being.
Despite her best efforts, her health failed her a second time. It was about two weeks ago that she entered the elevator to return to her living quarters and she started to feel faint on the upwards ascent. By the time she reached the right floor, she had started to slide downwards as the darkness started to take her. Thankfully, William had been waiting at that very floor, catching her before she had totally collapsed.
Now Annette occupied a room on the maternity ward in Raccoon General Hospital. She was silently thankful that she was transferred here instead of being stuck underground in the medical ward in Arklay. William had been against her leaving the Arklay medical facility along with the resident doctors. Was there a change of heart? I doubt Shen would've been able to sway him. Albert easily could have, but there's little reason why he would. Whoever is responsible, I'm much happier with this view than the sterile cold gray of Arklay's medical ward.
As the clouds blanketed the sunset from view, she glanced down at the project her hands were currently resting on. In an effort to keep her overactive mind busy, she had Shen bring her all kinds of things she had put off due to being absorbed in her laboratory duties. The assignment she had at her hands was to finish putting this photo album of all the pictures she had taken during her time in Arklay and Raccoon City up to this point. So many fond memories...
Her fingers flipped through the neatly-stacked photos carefully, re-experiencing each memory with every photo she took in: her final university days and graduation, her first excursion into Arklay forest amongst a couple of random pictures taken on the spur of the moment. The ones she truly cherished she would save for last as she carefully slid each photo under the cellophane in three by three rows. With half of the album full, Annette picked up the final stack she wanted to save for last.
The first was the one she took of William by surprise on the snowy hill. That nice smile won my heart. The snowflakes in his hair are a nice touch.
The second had been secret shot of Albert during their time by the lake. For such a rushed shot, it came out perfectly. I'm sure he would say 'Naturally' or take it away from me. Probably both.
The third and the remainder of the snapshots were taken of the small wedding held for her and William after she recovered with her first bout of fatigue on November 15th. The very first photo was her favorite as it had everyone who came in the shot: William and her, Albert, Shen, John, Sandra, Greg, Steve and a few others that the names escaped her. Both William and Albert are wearing matching tuxedos. It's a very odd sight indeed.
That day had been especially cold, a new layer of snow covered the waking city. When the car had pulled to the curb of the city hall, she had needed the assistance of both William and Shen to emerge from the sedan without stepping in an icy puddle. Once they had shed themselves of winter outerwear, she assisted William with straightening his bowtie, noticing Shen running a quick hand over his dark blue school uniform while Albert stood off to the side, adjusting his own cuffs. When noon had arrived, they stepped into the appointed room with the judge. The room itself had been little more than a stately-adorned conference room, yet the wood trim and burgundy coloring gave the room a warm and welcoming feel. An extra five minutes were required due to waiting for the photographer to set up his equipment. After that small delay, the kind, bushy-bearded judge started the ceremony with Albert standing off to William's left and Shen to her right.
Once her blue eyes locked with William's, everything seemed to fade in the background. The warmth of his hands holding hers, the jovial twinkle held evident in his own blue eyes, that hint of a smile playing on his lips - nothing could break that contact until the judge motioned twice for William to speak his vows. He had fumbled out a slightly-crumpled piece of paper from his lapel pocket to speak the words his mind had gone blank on the moment before.
"The day grew brighter the moment you shook my hand, our names exchanged and our eyes met for the very first of many times. That warm glow grew as I saw your first smile, felt your hand in mine, your gentle embrace around me with your soft voice, soothing tensions I never realized that were there. Every day I want to spend with you; whether in your good graces or deep ire, nothing will stop me from being by your side. Now and..." He had paused, squinting briefly to discern his own handwriting. "Forever."
Her vows were forgotten within the two tears that escaped across her cheeks, her smile bright. Her version paled in comparison, trying to piece together the jumble that she had spent the last few days trying to memorize. When her words had been spoken, the rings were brought forth. William had slid the ring onto her finger...
Annette's gaze lingered over the two rings on her wedding finger; the silver engagement and the white-gold marriage bands together, both with the same engraved leaves along the surface. The moon to match the sun.
"Mrs. Birkin?" Her doctor, Dr. Matheson, stood at the side of her bed, clipboard tucked under his arm. A nurse worked behind him on a cart, likely getting ready to give her the mixture of medicine prescribed to her since she had arrived.
She placed the rest of the photos within the incomplete album, closing it to give her full attention to the doctor. "Have the results come back?" She tried to keep the anxiety from reaching her voice. "Is my baby alright?"
"Currently, your baby is in good health." The middle-aged doctor paused, bringing forth the chart as he continued. "The problem lies within the pregnancy being able to go full-term. The symptoms you've experienced before collapsing point to signs of pre-eclampsia. The swelling in your limbs and the hypertension were indications that brought me to this initial diagnosis. While your baby continues to remain strong, it would be best to induce delivery as soon as possible."
Annette stared straight at the doctor, trying to keep herself together. Her medical knowledge was not exceptionally strong when it came to more specialized branches. "Could you explain this a bit further? What risks am I looking at?"
The doctor leaned against the side of the bed, turning enough so he could show her the chart while he gave further explanation. When she had collapsed a second time, she had gone into a mild seizure before she could be stabilized. The many tests taken had only come back recently with clearer results; the pregnancy itself could no longer be supported by Annette's body without running into more permanent complications. The text is starting to blur...
As the doctor came to a close, she tugged on the end of her loose braid out of nervous habit. "Was it due to me not taking better care of myself? Was there anything I could've done that I hadn't been?"
Dr. Matheson shook his head slowly. "It's still unclear what exactly triggers this condition. There isn't one clear answer as to how and why. Only the close eye of the physician and constant pre-natal doctor appointments are the best ways to keep up-to-date on the state your body is in..."
As the doctor's low-baritone voice continued to fill her in, she leaned back against the bed, closing her eyes as it felt like everything was starting to spin. Her hand lifted to touch the doctor's white sleeve. "I... feel like... sinking..."
The last thing she could remember is the cool touch of the doctor's fingers to her jugular while the sound of his voice barked out some orders she couldn't piece together.
The first section of the laboratory hummed softly with the many surrounding tanks alive with new specimens for the next line of tests. It was during these quiet times that Shen could really work at his own pace without having to worry about others around him. He volunteered to work these later shifts on the nightly skeleton crew that kept an eye on the machinery and continuing on with whatever work needed to be taken care of. It had been an odd turn of events that had led to him being here on his own. Regardless of his age, he was still in a probationary period for being a new hire. He shouldn't be left alone, but with Annette in the hospital, he didn't have anyone to be his supervisor so he could continue working into the late hours like he had before. However, Dr. Wesker had vouched for him much to his surprise; Shen had barely spoken a few words to the man yet he offered to be his temporary supervisor for the foreseeable future.
Shen placed the two clipboards with updated results on Annette's desk. He glanced down at his digital watch: 10:05PM. His deep-brown eyes surveyed the area, taking note that he was the only one in this section at that moment. His hand opened the left desk drawer, sliding out a thick green book labeled '1000 Crosswords!' from under a few empty manila folders. Sticking the book under his arm, he replaced the drawer, double-checking everything on the desk before he strode towards the head researcher's offices.
The constant ringing of the phone in Dr. Birkin's cracked office door could be heard for the last thirty minutes. It wasn't unusual for it to ring unattended as Dr. Birkin would likely be off in one of the other labs connected to this one. However, it never rang like this at this late hour. Despite Dr. Birkin's constant avoidance, I'll take a quick look. It's good to try to check in every now and again.
Shen knocked lightly on the door frame, easing open the door with the other hand. "Dr. Birkin?"
The highly-disorganized office returned nothing except the continuous ring of the phone resting atop of a pile of folders and papers on the desk. Shen glanced over his shoulder, debating inwardly whether he should answer the phone or not. It might be important and that sound is starting to wear on my patience.
The phone stopped as Shen stepped further into the office, his free hand hovering over the receiver when it silenced. He inhaled deeply, deciding to give it a few seconds before he retreated. His patience was rewarded as the phone started to ring again.
After the second chime, Shen pulled the phone up to his ear. "Hello. This is Dr. Zhang speaking. Can I help you?"
"Is..." There was a fraction of a pause. "William Birkin available?"
Shen furrowed his brow. This was a direct call from the outside when everything usually went through security above first before transferring down to the appropriate line. It's probably best to proceed cautiously.
"He's currently unavailable. Would it be possible for me to take a message?" He offered.
The female voice seemed hesitant. "It would be best if I spoke with him directly."
"Can I ask who is calling?"
"This is Raccoon General Hospital. This call is in regards to his wife. We've been trying to call for the past 45 minutes with no avail."
"Annette?" Shen blurted out, grimacing a second later at his own outburst.
"That's correct."
He gritted his teeth. "I don't want to sound impolite, but could you tell me what the point of this call is about?" This can't be good... Where in the world is Dr. Birkin?
"You've not..."
Shen cut the women off. "I can tell there's no time to waste from your tone... Look, I'm sorry, Ann.. Mrs. Birkin is my boss and friend. Would it be possible to tell me what is wrong with her? Did she go into labor?" His mind calculated how close to term she was. About eight months?
The woman relented after that point. "Mrs. Birkin has been taken into emergency surgery to perform a Cesarean section. Her vitals plummeted earlier this evening and without being able to reach Mr. Birkin, the doctor deemed that both her and the baby's health would be at risk if they delayed any further. So far, there haven't been any surgical complications."
He stood in a daze as the nurse explained. "I greatly apologize that you haven't been able to reach Mr. Birkin. I'll see what I can do and I'll call back with the results. Your name was...?" He jotted the information on the back cover of his crosswords book. "Alright, Mrs. Cadderly. Thank you for informing me."
Shen placed the phone down, staring at his handwriting on the book cover. Where the hell would he be...?
Shen dashed from the office, closing the door behind him with little care. His black dress shoes skidded to a halt before the intercom. He stared at the mechanism, clearing his throat before pressing the green button. "Attention. Dr. Birkin is needed within Lab-1 immediately." He repeated twice before stepping away, awaiting to see if Dr. Birkin would approach.
Instead of Dr. Birkin entering the lab, it was Dr. Wesker without his lab coat, sleeves rolled up and his hands noticably covered in black grease. It had slipped his mind that Dr. Wesker had been working on the Lab-2's tank systems.
"What's the urgent matter, Dr. Zhang?" Dr. Wesker cut to the chase, stepping in the direction of his office. He quickly punched the code to open his door with his knuckles instead of using his keys.
Shen stepped quickly after Dr. Wesker, stopping by the doorframe. "I-it was a call from the hospital. It's about Ann... Mrs. Birkin. Do you have any idea where Dr. Birkin could be?"
Dr. Wesker started to wash his hands, pausing in mid-lather to turn his bespectacled gaze at the young scientist. "Is she stable?"
"For the time being, but they've had to take her into surgery." Shen rushed on, not taking a moment to think who he was talking to. "I really need to go track down Dr. Birkin, unless you know where he would be?"
Dr. Wesker stood in silence at the sink, the only sound permeating from his direction were the paper towels he rubbed his hands dry on. Pressing his foot on the bottom lever of the garbage can, he tossed damp paper into the bin.
"Look, I..." Shen's low voice cut through the white noise. Oh no. I believe Annette warned me about this kind of situation and I fell in hook, liner and sinker.
Wesker turned on heel, facing him in the blink of the eye. Shen felt like his entire self was being assessed and scrutinized like a new specimen under the reflective glasses of his current supervisor.
"Watch your tone, Dr. Zhang. Have I misplaced my judgment by giving you the permission to further your studies into the night?" Dr. Wesker stated pointedly.
Shen shook his head, straightening in that instant. "Not at all, sir."
"That's what I want to hear." Dr. Wesker returned to his desk, jotting down into a graph lying open on top. "Be more mindful in the future. I might be more forgiving than Birkin, but your connections will not protect you if you fall further into Birkin's..." He paused, the corner of his mouth turning upward. "...ill graces."
That statement alone made Shen push back any kind of argument his mind screamed at him to start. Those connections were mainly the influence his family held in politics due to his father's position as the advisor to the Minister of Science and Technology. His position here was won with his intelligence, but it had been secured due to Umbrella wanting good relations with the Chinese government. This connection had been kept a secret. How did Wesker know about this at all? It's not in my personnel file. I wonder how well he's truly connected... Perhaps I can trace it back to its source? What am I saying? How would I even go about doing that?
In his inward reverie, Shen failed to notice that Dr. Wesker stared over at him from his desk, observing his reaction. Much to Shen's dismay, he probably appeared paler than usual along the light sheen of sweat from being in a rush. His voice sounded higher when he found his voice again. "What about an answer to my question, sir?"
Dr. Wesker straightened from his position by his desk, approaching Shen with so much silent menace in each step. He was taller than Shen by a few inches, looming over the addled young man. "Did you not hear him leave well over an hour ago when he clearly stated that he was on his way into Raccoon City? I presume that he's well on his way to the hospital regardless if he knew prior of her condition or not." His attention went to the book under Shen's arm. "Or were you too busy finishing connecting the dots?"
When he realized that Dr. Wesker was baiting him again, Shen reddened, managing to drum up enough courage to manage a weak frown at his current supervisor. "Connect the dots, no. Crosswords, yes." He started to backpedal, wanting to leave as soon as he could. "That's all I needed to know. Thank you for your time, sir."
"Let me see the book. I've always had a good eye for crosswords."
Shen flinched noticeably, his back turned as he was about to retreat in the labs. "I'm pretty good myself. Most of the pages are done already."
"Is that how it is? It wouldn't hurt for me to learn from your technique." Dr. Wesker mentioned, holding out his right hand.
Without another word, Shen handed over the slightly-crumpled paperback. He only hoped that handing it over without argument, that Dr. Wesker would only idly flip through it before returning it. That clearly wasn't the case as a minute passed and he was clearly focused on one of the back pages.
"I'll be borrowing this for a while. I forgot how much I appreciated crosswords when I was younger. I hope you don't mind, Dr. Zhang?" Dr. Wesker offered, that slight half-smirk visible again.
"Nn-no. You can hold on to it as long as you need it." Shen spoke under his breath, feeling very much the child in this moment. Annette's going to kill me for handing that over. Hopefully, her faith in Dr. Wesker isn't misplaced.
"Good. I'll return it to Annette whenever I manage to see her next." Dr. Wesker tapped the book on his shoulder as he returned to his office, his voice trailed off. "Finish your current duties. Report back and you can run off to the hospital if you wish." With that, the door closed with a light click.
Shen stood there, rubbing a hand over his mouth, contemplating the situation as he returned to Annette's desk. He took hold of the small spray bottle, spritzing the blue roses left in his care. He completely shook me down. Annette had said to be careful around Dr. Wesker, but even I was unprepared. How did he know to return it to Annette?
As he watered the small bush, Shen would definitely use the rare chance to have a word with his father about many things. Including a man named Albert Wesker.
Flowers? No, she'd chide me for always bringing flowers. I wonder what I could get her that I haven't already from the gift shop? William chuckled, his breath visible on the chill night air as his brisk pace brought him into Raccoon General Hospital.
After making a quick stop, he purchased a blue plastic back scratcher on his way up to the maternity ward. He hummed a random tune on his elevator up, tapping the scratcher against his shoulder as he watched the floor number change till it hit 'three' and the doors slid open.
William was used to the dim halls and the quiet atmosphere due to his late-night visits he had arranged with the staff. Umbrella would arrange anything he needed if there had been any complications. It was one of the few perks being in Spencer's favor and he rarely had any reason to pull such strings. He would've preferred for her to stay within Arklay, but Wesker did have a point that this facility could offer more specialized care. He had relented, granting Annette's wish with a window view and a private room.
He tried to make it a habit to visit as often as possible. The current research was running through the usual variation tests, affording William enough time to be able to keep things running on schedule while he took time for these nightly visits.
As he approached the desk, he noticed the usual staff were oddly missing from the reception desk. He waited a moment, glancing from left to right in hopes that someone would walk along to give him a guest pass. He had gotten chewed out once for not checking in before, but now the lack of any personnel started to worry him.
William started to turn to the left, in the direction where Annette's room was down at the end of the hall. The elevator caught his attention, ringing open and two nurses he recognized also recognized him. Their pale countenances did little to make him feel better, his growing dread becoming a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Mr. Birkin! Thank goodness. It appears Dr. Zhang managed to find you." The blonde nurse looked very relieved until William shook his head.
"I haven't talked to him since early this afternoon." William stepped closer to the blonde nurse, noticing her nametag. "Nurse Cadderly, what has happened?"
Nurse Cadderly nodded to the other nurse beside her, moving past them to resume her post in reception. Her attention focused back to William, moving to press the 'down' button on the elevator pad. "Mrs. Birkin had to be taken into emergency surgery. Her vitals dropped so quickly that the doctor thought it would be best for her to undergo a Cesarean section. We tried to get in touch with you for about 40 minutes until we managed to get a hold of Dr. Zhang 20 minutes ago."
William blinked twice, feeling the air leave his lungs as he leaned his weight heavily on the wall next to the elevator doors. The back scratcher fell to the floor, forgotten. "Is she... they... are they fine?"
Nurse Cadderly bit her lower lip, placing a gentle hand on William's shoulder. "Your baby girl is beautiful and healthy. She was born about ten minutes ago, so she's still down in surgery undergoing a few tests."
"Annette?" He croaked, his disheveled hair sliding into his eyes as they focused downward. He felt elation and absolute dread in that brief second; for both his girls.
The nurse shook her head. "I don't know her status. She's still in surgery as we speak." The elevator opened at that point. She squeezed his shoulder once supportively before stepping aside. "I do know that she's stable. Doctor Matheson will be able to give you a complete assessment. They'll be on the second floor."
William licked his dry lips, nodding weakly. "Thank you." He managed before sliding into the elevator, hitting the second floor button. The doors slid closed. He didn't move again until he reached the second floor. No. No. No! Please be alright, Annette. Our daughter needs you. I need you. We need you.
His feet carried him briskly to the reception desk, his hands hitting the counter hard to steady himself. William hardly noticed the startled expression on the elderly nurse's face. "I'm Mrs. Birkin's husband. I was directed here from the maternity ward."
"Mr. Birkin." A familiar voice caught William's attention, turning to face Dr. Matheson. Still in scrubs and the white mask still around his neck, it appeared the doctor had just exited surgery.
William extended his hand, shaking the doctor's with a shaky grip. It gave him some strength which William was grateful. "Doctor Matheson. What's the situation?"
Dr. Matheson nodded to the empty waiting area. "Everything is stable for the time being. Can we have a word?"
"Of course." William assured, moving in the direction indicated. Once they both had a seat in the corner, the doctor ran a hand through his short black hair wearily.
Dr. Matheson continued after briefly collecting his thoughts. "Your daughter is in excellent condition, though her body temperature was a bit low. We placed her in an incubator and she should be going down to the maternity ward soon."
"How's my wife?" William asked the million-dollar question, trying to appear strong in the face of an unknown crisis.
Dr. Matheson had a good poker face, blank of any indication of his thoughts. "Her condition is stable as well. The trouble lies with what caused the sudden collapse. Due to pregnancy complications, her kidneys started to fail, causing her to feel faint before her vitals started to sink. We had hoped after the baby was born, she would begin to stabilize on her own. Everything else is clear for the moment, but she has been placed on dialysis. We'll watch her carefully over the next few days. If they fail to initialize on their own, she will need a kidney transplant."
William combed his fingers through his hair, taking in the words in his sleep-deprived mindset. The words took no time reaching his lips. "Is it possible for me to donate her one of my kidney, if the need arises?"
The doctor managed a faint smile. "We can have you tested, yes. If it's needed, the sooner the operation is done, the sooner she'll be ready to return home."
Home... The little apartment we share has never sounded so good. William nodded absently, his eyes catching sight of two nurses rolling the incubator carefully to the elevator.
"How soon can we arrange testing, Mr. Birkin?"
William continued to stare at the waiting nurses, one glancing at him oddly in return. "Immediately." He added. "Is it possible for me to look at my daughter?"
Dr. Matheson nodded, smiling a bit further. "Yes, yes, of course."
William shot up, rushing over before the elevator arrived. The two nurses gave him a worried stare before looking at each other. Dr. Matheson raised a hand in reassurance, walking up behind the new father. "It's alright. Let him see his daughter through the glass."
Once the misunderstanding was cleared, the two nurses smiled, gesturing to William to step to the right side.
William saw his daughter for the very first time. The sonograms did very little to prepare him for this moment. His work had been his first love, yet it almost felt insignificant in front of the small baby quietly resting in front of him. So perfect. Annette - you did great! You'll be so proud. I... don't think I've ever been moved this much in my entire life.
He didn't even feel the single tears rolling down his cheeks until the doors slid open. Hurriedly, he rubbed the moisture away, managing to smile down. "Sweet dreams..." His mind blanked; they hadn't settled on a name yet. He chuckled, using the nickname his nanny had used so long ago. "Sweetpea."
The nurses manned both sides of the machine, gently guiding it onto the elevator. William managed a wave, his eyes never leaving the baby until the doors closed.
He was surprised to find the doctor still standing close by. A new determination had risen from ashes of his fears. "Lets go arrange those tests now, Doctor Matheson."
Sinking...
The little light she had carried had reached the surface. It made her glad, happy, elated.
She was tired now...
How long had she been floating here? Did it matter?
She felt at peace... sinking felt no different than rising.
The light above started to recede. It didn't bother her.
She could rest in this darkness a while. Noone would mind...
What about her little light?
She had tried to reach the surface once, yet it never got any closer. This time she saw a hand reaching out, beckoning.
That seashell bracelet... Mom? It can't be.
Another hand slid below the surface, welcoming.
That engraved ring... William?
Those loving, familiar hands... warmth and compassion.
She felt the need to try one more time, reaching desperately.
Both hands wrapped around her hand and wrist, pulling her upward.
She would miss that eternal silence. This warmth felt just as good.
Just as she almost reached the surface, a small hand of a child grabbed onto her index finger...
"Sherry."
The name felt right upon Annette's dry lips, barely a whisper.
She felt a slight squeeze on her left hand, turning her head felt so slow. Her eyes crawled open, blurred from being in a deep sleep. "William..."
Annette barely recognized the shadow of the man before her. He was never the most forthright about personal upkeep, but his appearance looked completely haggard. Along with an oddly new beard and deeper rings under his eyes, he had been hooked up to an IV.
"William? What...? Why...?" Her groggy mind started to kick into action, her hands shifting to her abdomen. A cold fear started to rise. "Where's...?"
"She's fine, Ann. She's healthy and has a great smile." William smiled, obscured by his patchy facial hair. His eyes held a thin sheen of tears when hers met his, the tension slid from her almost instantly.
Annette relaxed back, feeling a bout of weakness wash over her. "Have you held her?"
"Yes. As much as the nurses will allow. They had to keep her in an incubator close to two days after she was born."
She furrowed her brow, her head shifting on the thin pillow to gaze at William again. "How long have I been unconscious?"
William grimaced slightly, moving from the chair to the open bed closest to the window. She noticed that he wore a medical gown, watching him carefully slide back under the covers while making sure to not disturb the IV too much.
As her mind finally started to put the pieces together, Annette rubbed at her nose, barely feeling the touch at all. "Will, how long?"
"About two weeks." William exhaled once he was comfortably back in the bed. "You came to briefly a couple of times, but never more than a minute at most."
She glanced in the window's direction, noting that it was snowing once again. She watched the flakes fall gently, staring probably a moment too long. "Why are you in the hospital?"
"Long story. The short version is that I believe I saved your life. You needed a kidney and I had one to spare. I'm still recovering a bit from the surgery a few days ago." William allowed himself a little pride, letting a broad smile settle on his features.
Annette didn't know what to say. She would do the same for him, no questions asked. "Thank you, William. Words do so little to express my emotions."
"In sickness and in health, as it goes." William noted, his eyes never leaving her. "It's a part of the job description."
They shared a brief chuckle, interrupted as Dr. Matheson made his way into the room. He took a step back, focusing on Annette then William then back again. "Good evening, Mrs. Birkin. It makes my day that you're awake. How are you feeling?"
She nodded once, turning her head to watch as Dr. Matheson approach the end of her bed, pulling up her medical chart. "I just woke up a little while ago... I suppose I should've rang the bell, but William kept an eye on me. To answer your question, I do feel pretty weak and my abdomen is starting to bother me a bit." At mention of his discomfort, the doctor gave her a brief examination, prodding here and there along her abdomen and noting her reaction on the chart.
The doctor nodded, making a few more notes on the record. "You're due for your next round of medication. I'll see that the nurse does this right away."
"Can I see my daughter?"
Again, Dr. Matheson nodded, giving her a brief smile. "Of course. It can only be a brief visit, however."
"I won't argue. I know she's in good hands here."
The doctor checked William's chart at the same time, replacing it quickly. "I've got a few patients I need to check up on, but I'll get the ball rolling." With that, the doctor was gone in a white flash.
Annette took the opportunity to glance over at her nightstand, noticing the cards, back scratcher, flowers and other 'Get Well!' paraphernalia overflowing. In the middle of it all, there was a stout vase with a few of her blue roses surrounded by baby's breath. Underneath it, she noticed the gaudy crossword book that Shen used as a ruse to hide their antigen research within. That's odd... Why is that sitting out in the open? Why didn't Shen keep it?
She checked over to William. He was rolling out of bed again, grabbing a hold of the IV stand. "I won't be too long. It takes at least ten minutes for them to bring her. Until then, nature calls." He shuffled into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Annette knew she really should look at all the cards and relax until she had her strength back. Her active mind would give her hell without looking at the crossword book. With care, she managed to free it. She started to thumb through the pages, nothing looking out of sorts until she reached the back where most of the formula had been written, edited and reedited. Along with the blue ink she used and the black Shen used, there was a familiar scrawl in red, filling in the gaps with useful information in the same code they had been using. This handwriting... How did Albert manage to get a hold of this? He likely cornered Shen. Damn it.
The proceeding pages all had these notes in red, adding and revising their formulaic theories quite a number of times. She flipped to the last page, the white back cover had a small phrase in red: 'ars est celare artem'. It took her a moment to recall her latin studies. It is art to conceal art.
Annette chuckled, shaking her head. I suppose this is his form of a greeting card. How am I not surprised?
As the bathroom door started to creak open, she froze, closing the book and sliding it under her pillow without a second thought. William walked along, looking quite odd in his gown and IV getup now that she had a chance to see him fully. She was about to make a light joke when a knock was heard on the door.
Nurse Cadderly wore a motherly smile to Annette. "I'm so very glad that you're awake, dear! I'm sure that she'll be happy to see you." With that said, Cadderly and a younger nurse slowly rolled the baby cradle into the room. Once at their destination, the younger nurse excused herself to bring the necessary medication.
Annette held her breath, her eyes catching sight of two tiny fists that pumped in the air just over the edge of the cradle. She didn't notice when William had sat in the chair next to her again, plaid robe now over his gown. Her eyes were glued to Nurse Cadderly as she adjusted a pink blanket around her daughter before lifting her into her experienced hands.
"Here we are. My my, aren't you excited today? Maybe you knew your mama was awake." Cadderly cooed to the baby, holding her with care as she approached Annette. "Are you ready?"
Annette smiled as wide as her face would allow. "I am, it's been a while since I've held a baby."
The nurse nodded. "Support the neck and head." Without further delay, the small girl was slowly placed into Annette's awaiting arms. Nurse Cadderly stepped back once Annette held her daughter fully. "I'll assist with bringing your medication. I should only be a few minutes. I'm sure Mr. Birkin is eager to hold her again."
"You betcha." William wore that proud smile again, his eyes turning back to his wife and daughter.
Annette was lost in her new daughter: her smell, her touch, her warmth, her small eyes, her small tuft of blond hair. Everything. She rocked back and forth with her child slowly.
"I want to name her Sherry."
William raised his eyebrows. "I think I heard you speak that name before when you were unconscious. If I remember correctly, wasn't that your mother's name?"
She smoothed a finger over her little girl's cheek. "Yeah. I think she would be proud to share her name with her. I wish I could remember her better and this name feels right to me."
"Sherry it is. I'm not really good with names or I would've called her something like Sample A."
Annette leveled a cool stare at William. "Our daughter is not a test sample, my dear." She couldn't keep up the charade, losing that cool demeanor as Sherry burbled in her arms. "Your mother's name is Audrey. Why don't we use that as her middle name? It would seem fair."
"Sherry Audrey Birkin. It's decided." William announced a bit too loudly.
"What's all the commotion?" Nurse Cadderly kindly chided, returning with the young nurse from before with their medication.
William beamed. "We've decided on her name. Sherry Audrey Birkin."
As the nurses and William chatted jovially, Annette turned her focus down to Sherry. The baby's small eyes focused on hers, her small hand wrapping around her index finger.
Annette felt the tears rise to her eyes. "Thank you, Sherry."
Author's Note: I'll continue to put my note down here so I can talk about my chapters from now on. Thank you for all the reviews! They really put a smile on my face. :D
I can't believe I haven't updated in so long; life has a way making a month and a half pass feel like a minute. It didn't help this chapter caused me a great deal of writer's block. I wanted to do the marriage, the birth and the complications as separate chapters, but they didn't flow well and felt redundant in the face of the others I've already done. It felt much better to have it flow this way, giving the chapter a lot more momentum and getting a lot done in the process.
Now I have a question for those who read Manipulated Variables: Would you like me to continue to flesh out slowly or start pushing ahead to the Marcus incident? I'm on the fence as I'm afraid of getting lost in my own love of build-up, but it could be starting to become too much and again, redundant. I'm undecided and this would be a good spot to make that choice. It's probably time to start adding some more conflict into this situation. Muhaha. ;)