okey dokey, here is chp 4! please enjoy....
Chapter 4: Finbar Wrong
Finbar is walking round his flat. He's forgotten what he's looking for, but he doesn't mind. He fiddles with one of his rings, wondering what is going on. Then his phone rings.
"'Sup?" This is his customary reply.
"Finbar, it's me, Sharon!"
"Hey babe, wassup?"
"The baby's born!"
"Dude, when?"
"A week ago! When you gonna come visit?"
"Aw, Sharon, I totally forgot. I swear you only left yesterday."
"Naw, I didn't. It was a week ago. So you coming or what?"
"Be right over. I love you, gorgeous."
"Love you too!"
Finbar hangs up his phone. He catches sight of a CD he's been meaning to play for weeks and thinks: It'll only take a couple of secs...
A week later, Finbar is standing next to Sharon's bed, holding her hand. The baby has become ill and is in intensive care.
"I'm sure the baby will be fine," says the nurse. "It's just a small infection. He's a fighter; he'll pull though. Would you like to visit him?"
"Yes please," they say, still holding onto each other.
They enter a children's ward and there is their baby, hooked up to a machine. He is breathing, but looks so fragile.
"I still can't believe it took you two weeks to get here," Sharon said, frowning.
"He's like a small wrinkly man," Finbar muses.
"He's like my Granddad," Sharon says.
The baby is skinny; you can see his bones stretching his skin. His eyes are shut and set in deep sockets which are purplish in colour.
"Wait. Sharon, I think I know this little dude."
"You met my Granddad before, remember? He looked, well, like the baby."
"No, someone else..."
Finbar continues to hold the baby's hand, struggling to once remember something. Then the pieces click.
"Skulduggery!" he exclaims
"Where?" says Sharon, craning her neck to try and see. "I swear he disappeared."
"No, he did." Finbar says, stroking the baby's hand. "The baby looks a little like him, that's all." The nurse's words echo through his head: He's a fighter; he'll pull through.
"Hey Sharon."
"Yeah?" They stand and stare at the baby.
"Can we call the baby Duggery? You know, after Skulduggery? I mean, we can't just take his name. It was, like, his."
"Duggery Wrong? Duggery Wrong..." she rolls the name around her mouth. "Yeah, yeah, that'd be cool. Duggery Wrong; I like it."
"Cool."
Suddenly, the baby opens his eyes. They are big and black, laced with mischief.
"Hey, little dude. You're Duggery. You're gonna be special, kid." He continues to stroke the baby's hand. Then with a playful smile, Duggery grabs Finbar's hand and laughs.
He's gonna be one hell of a kid, Finbar thinks. One hell of a kid. Now, where did I put my phone...? He meanders out the room absently, leaving Sharon sighing and playing with the baby.
