Warning: Child abuse in this chapter
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Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story
A Double Twisted Nightmare Chapter 19
September 3rd 1999 Unknown Island 2:26 am
Claire was lying down on a hospital bed, she has been in labor for the last fourteen hours.
'When you read about it, you truly underestimate how the reality of it works.' Claire has been breathing deeply for the last few hours, trying to keep the pain under control.
She feels a wet cloth on her face, removing sweat from what she is going through. "Your doing well Dearheart." Albert said, putting the cloth back into the water to refresh it.
Yesterday, Claire had been going on a walk with Chris, they were talking about their day, when the contractions hit her. Claire fell to her knees, crying out in pain and Chris went down to help her.
"Claire?! Is it time?!" he asks franticly. He then feels wet where his knees are and looks down to see liquid.
He looks back at Claire, who was trying to stay calm, said, "Does that answer your question?"
Chris brings out his radio and quickly informs Stuart on what is happening. He had come with doctors who helped Claire get into the room she was now and he immediately contacted Albert, who had been working in the lab.
Upon hearing that his wife was in labor, he stopped what he was doing and rushed to her side. By this point Claire was in a hospital gown with the doctor, who has credentials to help birth children, checks her vitals. He's been here ever since.
Alex and Chris were waiting outside the room, so that Claire doesn't feel overwhelmed.
The doctor checks Claire again, "Your eight centimeters dilated, a couple more hours Mrs. Wesker, then your body should be ready." he said.
The doctor told Claire that once she was ready, they would move her to a hands and knees position. This had surprised the family, but the doctor told them that this was the best position to give birth.
"It wasn't a recent discovery, but women started laying down to give birth, most likely because they had enough being on their legs. There was a report about a village, who actually kept up the practice, of being on their hands and knees while giving birth. Compared with women laying down, this position is better for the body and helps push the baby out." he told them.
"Just a little longer Claire." Albert said as he brings the damp cloth to her face again.
It takes another three hours, until finally the doctor said Claire was ready.
She is then helped up by the doctor and nurse, who helped keep an eye on her and brought over to a pair of handles with cushions for her knees at the bottom.
Claire puts one hand on each handle and her knees on the cushions. She then asks the doctor, "How long do I have to be in the position?"
She wanted to lay back down already. "Until the baby is born at least. You can lay back down for placenta to come out, but I recommend, you wait until that comes out too." he tells her.
"Great." Claire said unhappily.
Albert was by her side, "I'll be here, Claire... Here." he said, holding out his hand.
Claire removes her hand from the bar and takes it. She knows that she won't hurt him, no matter how hard she squeezes his hand.
Another three hours pass until Claire finally feels something different, "Ugh! I-I think the b-baby is c-coming!" Claire grates out through her teeth as the contractions start getting more painful.
"Albert, you are never touching me again!" Claire shouts at him. He only chuckles, he knows she's just saying that to let out steam.
"All right Mrs. Wesker, when the contractions are hitting you, you must push." the doctor tells her.
It takes about an hour and a half but after Claire gives one final cry as she pushes, there was another cry. "We have the baby, nurse, place help Mrs. Wesker with the remainder." the doctor said, taking the baby to get cleaned.
It took another forty-five minutes but the placenta came out and the nurse takes it to be cataloged and checked.
Albert and another nurse were able to get Claire back to the hospital bed, so she can relax. "My baby. Where is my baby?" Claire asks, panting in exhaustion.
"Our child should be with us in a moment." Albert tells her, sitting next to her.
The doctor comes back to them after a few minutes have passed, holding the baby which as been swaddled in a blanket. "Congratulations, Dr. Wesker, Mrs. Wesker. You have a beautiful daughter." the doctor said, giving Claire her baby.
Claire holds her little girl, "She's so beautiful." she coos at seeing her baby's face. She was sleeping.
"Yes, she is." Albert said, he actually smiled at seeing their daughter.
"Your not disappointed?" Claire asks.
"Why would I be?" Albert asks, puzzled.
"Never mind." Claire said.
Alex and Chris came into the room, "I hear we have a niece." Chris said, excitedly.
"Yes." Claire said.
"Congratulations you two." Alex said, she was rubbing her baby bump. Two months after Rockfort, Alex started throwing up, so she had herself checked and discovered she was pregnant with her and Chris' first child.
"Have you decided what to call her?" Chris asks.
"I was thinking Ashlyn would be a good name." Claire said, looking to her husband.
"That sounds like it would fit her. Ashlyn Wesker." Albert said, holding out his arms.
Claire places their daughter into his arms and Albert looks at his daughter in wonder.
"How are you feeling, Claire?" Alex asks her.
"Exhausted, never take word for word about labor from a pregnancy book." Claire tells her.
"So.. the birthing experience was painful?" Alex asks, with a note of uncertainly.
"... Your actually afraid of something?" Claire asks, surprised.
"Not really.. I'm just being curious." Alex said, but they can see through her.
"So Albert, I assume you and Claire will try again for a son?" Alex then asks changing the subject.
"That would be ideal, but for now, I'm content with my daughter." Albert said.
When Claire was fully along to do ultra sounds, she and Albert decided not to have the gender revealed. Claire had wanted the baby to surprise them when he or she is born and Albert agreed.
Chris had wanted to the same thing and Alex, found that she would like the baby to be a surprise, went along with it.
"You better be. Before we sleep with each other again, I'll be taking birth control." Claire said.
It was agreed that Claire would need time to recover, before she got pregnant again.
"Claire I told you I understand, though is that why you asked if I was disappointed?" Albert asks.
"Yeah. I mean, I would figure most men would want a son." she answers.
"I'll admit, I'm a little sad we didn't have a boy, but a daughter is just as great. I'm not like other fathers, who wish their first born was a son. We'll just try again, when the time is right." Albert said, giving Claire back Ashlyn.
"Let me take a picture." Chris said, holding up the camera he brought with him.
The two parents nod and Chris snaps a couple of photos. When that was done, the doctor came in, "Have you decided on a name?" he asks, holding the remaining paperwork on the clipboard.
"Yes." Albert said, then tells the doctor what he needs to know. The doctor then leaves to finalize the birth certificate. Ashlyn then cries.
"That time already?" Claire asks.
As they check her over, it was discovered she needed her diaper changed. Claire takes care of it right there on the hospital bed, with Albert helping.
"There, there. All better." Claire gently tells her daughter, bring her to her bosom.
Once Ashlyn quieted down, Claire offered her to Chris and Alex. Chris was ecstatic about holding his niece.
"This gets me excited for the day my child will be born." he said, smiling at Ashlyn.
He then gives her to his wife. Alex looks at her niece, as she holds her, imagining the day her child is born.
"She is a quiet one. That may change in the future, but she is a lovely child." Alex said.
After a few minutes, Alex gives Ashlyn to Claire, she and Chris leave so that the new family can have time alone together as well as Alex keeping off her feet.
Past
A small boy looks around the mansion, it was his home or so said that old man.
He checks out a small pond, he kneels by the edge to watch the fish swim.
"Interesting creatures. Wouldn't agree Albert?" a voice said behind him.
The boy turns to see the old man from before, he said to call him Mr. Spencer.
"These fish are one of the most simplistic animals on earth. They have food, protection from predators and like to stay in familiar places." Mr. Spencer tells him.
"However, like every creature, they must evolve and become something greater. These fish will never achieve it, even after a hundred years have passed." he finishes his talk.
"Now Albert, did you like meeting your brothers?" he then asks him.
Albert is hesitant, especially because of what the old man calls him. "... No, I don't like my.. brothers." he tells Mr. Spencer.
Albert didn't know why, but something was telling him, that he didn't have any brothers.
"Too bad, maybe as time goes on, you'll learn to like them." Mr. Spencer said with smile.
Albert shivers at seeing him smile, he gets the feeling that it wasn't real.
"Mr. Spencer.. Can I please live in another room?" he asks, hesitantly.
He didn't like his brothers, especially the one named Hiro. He gave him a hard time after being introduced to them, worse yet they were to share the same room.
"I'm afraid all the other rooms are occupied, by your brothers and sisters." Mr. Spencer tells him.
Albert jerks at hearing the word 'sisters'. He didn't know he had any sisters.
Mr. Spencer takes notice of his actions. "You have sisters, Albert. You'll meet them tomorrow. It's too late in the day, to say hi." he tells him.
Albert hopes his sisters are better than his brothers.
There was one thing bothering him, "Mr. Spencer.. Is Albert my name?" he asks, hesitantly once more.
Immediately Mr. Spencer face changes, he was angry. "Albert is your name. It was the name given to you." he said, upset.
"But I don't feel-" Albert didn't finish his sentence before Mr. Spencer slapped him.
Albert fell to the ground holding his cheek as he stared at the old man in shock.
"Albert is your name, do you understand? There is no other name. You have no other family, but the one in this place. You have eight brothers and four sisters. I am the father, the one who will raise you all. You have no other home but the one here. Are we clear?" Mr. Spencer growled out the last three words.
Albert trembles, but opens his mouth to speak, "I-I understand. Al-Albert is my name. My-My family is here."
"Good, now clean yourself up. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." Mr. Spencer said, before leaving the aera.
Albert slowly gets up, he was still shaken from the slap. He then heads inside to clean up, going back to his room.
As he changes his shirt, Hiro comes into the room. "I knew you were trouble. Mr. Spencer put you in your place." Hiro said with a sneer.
Albert ignores him, he moves to the door once he was ready but Hiro grabs him by the back of his shirt.
"Look here, I am the favorite. You will give me respect." he tells him.
"I don't care." Albert said.
Hiro turns him around and punches him in the face. "You need to understand your place. I'm off for dinner." Hiro said, leaving the room.
Albert rubs his face, he promises to make Hiro pay.
Albert wakes up with a start, he looks around to see himself in his and Claire's bedroom.
'It was a dream.. Why now?' Albert hadn't had a dream about his childhood in years.
'Hiro is gone and so are the others. Alex and I survived, that is what it would always come down to.' Albert doesn't need as much sleep as he once did, but Claire still needs it often. Thus he works to make sure, unless it was something big, that he gets in bed with her when she is ready to sleep.
'Dearheart will be here with Ashlyn in a couple of days.' the doctor reminded Albert that birthing a child can take a lot on a body, so he wanted Claire to stay until everything checks out.
Albert knew he couldn't go back to sleep, even if he tried. He gets up and gets dressed for the day.
September 6th 1999 Unknown Island
Claire and Ashlyn were finally released from the hospital area of the island. Claire takes her daughter to her new room, where Albert was waiting for them.
"This is your crib." Claire said, showing her daughter around as she holds her in her arms.
Albert watches the actions in amusement. "I still find it odd that you are telling her this yet she doesn't understand." he said.
"It's called talking. Aren't you excited that our little girl is home?" Claire asks.
"Yes, but I still don't understand. She doesn't understand what we are saying at this age." Albert said.
"It's so she knows I'm her mother. You should too, so she knows her daddy's voice." Claire said.
"Go on, try it." she said, giving Ashlyn to him.
Albert looks around at what he can talk to Ashlyn about. ".. There is a view over here." he tells her, taking her over to the window.
".. This window can show you the sea and surrounding aera." he tells his daughter.
"See, it's easy." Claire said encouragingly to him.
"Just.. make sure it is child appropriate." Claire said, reminding him to tone it down on the science and projects.
"True, but again she's far too young to understand." Albert said.
They show their daughter her room before placing her in the crib. Claire makes sure the baby monitor is working, before they leave her, heading down to the dining aera.
They had a bit of remodeling done, in perpetration for their child. They had part of the wall knocked down and had a door put there, so that Claire or Albert can reach their daughter more easily at night.
As they approach the dining room, Chris said he would take care of dinner, Claire asks, "Do you think that we may have to make places for Ashlyn down here? You know when were away from our room?"
"Possible. It would be difficult for you to run up and down the stairs that often and Ashlyn needs constant caring right now." Albert tells her.
"However, let us try to have dinner together tonight. That will tells us for sure." he said.
They arrive at the dining room to find Chris putting the finishing touches, he made: Pork Tenderloin with Peaches with Potato Soup and Cinnamon Roll Blondies
"Looks good, Chris." Claire said.
"Yes, I'm quite famished." Alex said, she was already sitting at the table.
As they eat, a cry is heard on the baby monitor. "I better get back there." Claire said, getting ready to leave.
"Let me help, DearHeart." Albert said. He picks up Claire and they leave the room at unreal speeds.
Chris and Alex just continue to eat, they knew that Albert and Claire needed to take care of Ashlyn.
"I must say it will be rather funny, if I had to pick you up like that." Alex said, as they were eating.
"True, but we'll know more about what to do by watching them." Chris said.
After fifteen minutes, Claire and Albert came back with Ashlyn. She was in Claire's arms, as Albert had brought the carrier, so she can stay with them.
"Want me to heat up the food?" Chris asks them. He and Alex were about done with dinner.
"It's fine. We knew there was a chance that Ashlyn may need us." Albert said.
Claire puts Ashlyn in the carrier, "Yes and I rather not leave her up there alone anymore. She'll either be with me or Albert. Depending what we're doing." she said. She finishes securing her daughter.
"Don't forget about us," Alex says, "Neither me or Beloved will object to watching her. It will give us experience, besides I can't work in the lab right now."
The doctor recommended that Alex leave the dangerous stuff of the lab alone during her pregnancy. He said while she can't get anything now, they can't take the risk that something won't happen to the baby.
The Wesker siblings didn't think anything would but it made Chris quite concerned. Alex decided to stop going to the lab, for his sake as well as their child.
"Sounds good, that way, Albert and I can have an evening to ourselves." Claire said.
Chris takes his and Alex's plates, as Claire and Albert sit back at the table and finish their dinner. Alex was gently rocking Ashlyn in her carrier, with her foot.
Once dinner was done, Chris takes their plates, and the new parents take their daughter for a walk outside.
They tour the garden with the baby in a stroller, showing Ashlyn what the world had to offer. ".. here's this flower. It's called a carnation." Claire tells her.
Albert stares out at the horizon, lost in thought. 'I still don't understand. Why did I dream about my earliest memoires of the original Spencer estate?'
"Albert?" Claire's voice cut in to his thoughts.
He turns to look at Claire, who was looking at him in concern. "It's nothing Dearheart." he assures her.
He then reaches into the stroller and brings Ashlyn into his arms. "She is a wonderous creature. You and I will raise her well." he said, cradling their daughter.
"I know.. Just promise me no matter, you'll be there for her and me." Claire said, sounding uncertain.
Albert sees how much she needs an answer. "I will be there for you two. No matter what I'm working on. I have no interest in doing what Will did with his family." he tells her honestly.
He never approved of a lot of things in the Birkin family. While he could understand if it was just Will and Annette, Sherry was another matter. He couldn't count how many times they called him to watch her, it was at least a good portion of the year.
Will practically gave Sherry no attention, his love was his work. There were a few instances, when he was ahead of schedule, he would give Sherry all the love he could. He even attended a couple of school plays that she was in.
Annette was also married to her work, she supported her husband in all his endeavors. She did stay home for awhile, when Sherry was baby, but once Sherry was four, Annette hired a nanny and went to back to work.
Eventually they let the nanny go, there were schedule problems and money issues, Sherry had been seven. Annette took some time off to teach Sherry how to cook and take care of herself.
Annette did have her moments, she would check up on Sherry when she had a moment in the lab. She was home little more often then Will, making sure the house was cleaned and Sherry had everything she needed.
However they would get so engrossed in their work that they forget about Sherry or when they do, they called him to take care her, when he moved back to Raccoon City after the army.
He went over when he could, between his work at STARS and being apart of the Tyrant project.
He knew it was not enough, due to her parents not being around, Sherry was shy and withdrawn from her peers. This led to at least one bullying incident, that he knew of. Sherry was always happy to have him over.
He tried talking to them about Sherry needing companionship, but neither of them took him seriously. 'Your not a parent.' they told him, what did he know what a child needs?
So, he eventually gave up on that, but he continued to help out Sherry, when he could.
"I'm glad to hear that." Claire said, coming to his side.
They stare at their child with a smile as the sun hits the horizon.
October 1st 1999 Unknown Island
Chris and Claire were in a solemn mood today and were staring out at the ocean on a stone wall, leaning against it. It had been one year since Raccoon City was destroyed.
Chris still felt guilty due to the fact he left everyone to face the horrors Umbrella made, between the mansion and the city.
Claire feels like they could have done something more to help the city with the t-virus outbreak.
"Are you two reminiscing?" Alex asks, from behind.
They turn to see her holding Ashlyn, who was almost a month old. Albert was currently in the lab.
".. Yeah, just thinking about... Raccoon City." Claire said.
"There was nothing you two could've done to change the outcome. While you were there Little Dove, you did your mission, with nearly losing your life in the process, and Beloved, even if we had you go for the vaccine in the Spencer Memorial hospital, there wouldn't have been enough time to make the cure before the virus consumed the populace. Which we can say now, with what Nicholai gave us, told us that it was a failure." Alex tells them.
Nicholai had stopped at an unknown place, before starting his new life, and gave what he collected of the vaccine in Bard's office to the Wesker siblings, who sent someone there to get it.
The cure at the R & D center turned out to be the real thing, and there were enough vaccines to cure a group of fourteen people and a couple of extras, that were given to the government, once the group escaped.
".. I just feel like there could've been something done." Chris said.
"I afraid I don't agree, one of the benefits of having Raccoon City flooded with the t-virus and it being destroyed was that Umbrella has started to crumble." Alex said.
Hearing that made the Redfield siblings upset, but they knew by this point how their spouses felt about human life. And sadly, Alex was right about Umbrella crumbling, it took that incident to let the world know about inhumane Umbrella was.
'At least we're important to them.' brother and sister think. Their spouses gave them respect and care, keeping their word that they would not be given any virus or otherwise, without their consent.
"Little Dove." Alex said, she was tired of holding Ashlyn. Claire takes her daughter into her arms.
"This past month has been an interesting one. Learning how to take care of a baby." Alex said, rubbing her swollen belly.
"Yeah, but now we know more about what we can do." Chris said. He goes over to Alex's side and places his hand on her belly. He smiles as he feels their baby kick, which Alex smiles as well.
"Soon, Beloved." she said.
"I know." he said.
Claire then checks her watch, "Hey, we better get to the kitchen. We should be making lunch, Albert said he would take a break to join us." she reminds them.
"Let's go." Alex said. They head off for the kitchen and dining room.
Claire and Albert's daughter is born.
Albert is remembering the past.
Raccoon City's first anniversary.
We know who's child is next.
Feedback please.