first day of my life, [Bear & others]

[Rebecca Chastain]

Becca's dorm room

My bed was pretty much my best friend these past couple of months. Having another human inside your body definitely adds to the weight on your feet every day and just laying on my back was such a relief to my whole body. I closed my eyes and lifted my hand to my stomach as I felt little Charlie kicked. A smile crept on my face. Though this baby was definitely unexpected, he would not be unwanted. I was scared beyond belief of course, but I loved him more than anything. There was something about having something that you and the person you love made, growing inside of you that was weird, but changed you. I just loved seeing the little ultrasound of him with his tiny fingers and toes. Feeling his leg kick against me just made me smile.

A sudden pain struck my abdomen and I clenched my fist. Okay, that was weird. I took a deep breath, the pain still kinda there. Then, more weird sensations. Why do my legs feel wet? I lifted up my blankets not quite sure what I would find. I knew at that moment my water had broke, but there was blood too and that wasn't normal I don't think. I had no idea. I wasn't prepared for any of this. All the blood in my body seemed to drain down to my feet and I quickly picked up my phone and dialed. "Pick up...Bear, pick up..." Maybe I should have been calling 911 but my first instinct was to get Bear here. I couldn't do any of this without him.

Note: Sorry if the end sounds rushed! Dx

[Bear Keeni]

Mittens has a bad habit of biting my finger. I'd hold up my hand to her and she'd sniff my finger, then chew on it. Usually it didn't hurt, but when her long needle-like canines got a hold of my skin, it hurt, obviously. I'd jerk my hand away, pause a moment, then pet her head, poking her ears playfully as she purred like a chainsaw.

That was when the phone rang. I reached over and picked it up, reading the caller ID and then holding it to my ear. "Heya Becca," I said, smiling, but as soon as I heard what she had to tell me, that smile quickly faded. "Your what broke?"

Oh shit.

"Hang tight, Rebecca, I'll be right over." Before I heard her say anything else, I hung up and quickly got Mittens off of me, dialing 911 as I pulled on jeans and a shirt, falling around as I tried telling the emergency operator that Becca was in labor and where she was. I told the lady that I was going to go to her, and despite the protests she was giving me, I hung up, dropped the phone, pulled on my boots faster than I ever thought I could, and took off running.

I crossed the campus in record time, shoving anyone and everyone out of my way as I barreled to the human dorms, shoving the door open and plowing down the hall to Becca's dorm, not even bothering to knock. Pft, really, who would knock at such a time like this? "Are you alright?" I asked, but that was such a stupid question. Of course she wasn't alright!

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[Rebecca Chastain]

Becca's dorm room

Bear definitely sounded extremely freaked out, but I was glad that he was rushing over here. Ever since Zeus visited during prom, he had been on edge and I didn't blame him. There was a part of me that was nervous. The king of gods did in fact say he was going to punish Bear by affecting this pregnancy but I didn't think he would be so..cold. Bear had been freaking out and I wanted to comfort him, but now, now I was scared. I was attached now. I rubbed my enlarged torso. I couldn't lose Charlie..I just couldn't. I loved him too much already.

Suddenly, my dorm room door busted open and there was Bear in record time. I extended my hand wanting to hold him. I was scared shitless and I didn't know what to do. "Bear...it's too early! He isn't supposed to come until three more months.." My voice quivered and I bit down on my lip as another contraction pained my body. I could hear the sirens in the distance. I wanted to pray that everything would be okay, but my new knowledge of gods and goddesses would make praying pointless and I sure as hell wasn't going to pray to Zeus for help.

[Bear Keeni]

As soon as she extended her hand to me, I quickly took it and pulled her into a tight hug, not wanting to let go of her for fear of Zeus doing something to her. Just the thought of Zeus made my lightning scars tingle and I absentmindedly held onto her tighter, rubbing her back in the best comforting manner I could muster up.

I honestly didn't know what to tell her. Charlie wasn't due for another three months... what the hell was happening? Was she miscarrying? I didn't want to think of little Charlie already being dead. Shutting my eyes tightly, I buried half my face in her soft hair. "I don't know, Rebecca. I don't know." I said, the panic obvious in my voice. I didn't want to lose either of them -- I couldn't. Becca was the only one that loved me for who I was, and I didn't want to lose that. I wanted to change for Charlie, but if he were gone, I would go crazy. Charlie was just about the center of my whole world right now, and to lose them would leave me to go back to my old ways and end up on death row. "It'll be alright, though. Nothing's gonna happen." Really, I had no idea what I was saying, but better to stay positive, yeah?

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[Rebecca Chastain]

Becca's dorm room

Though it was a simple gesture and small comforting words, it really did make me feel better. I had to calm down. I couldn't put the baby in more stress than it already was and I would not think of the worst possible situation. I clung to Bear and his words hoping with every fiber of my being that Charlie would be okay. Even, even if I didn't make it I needed Charlie to. He wasn't even alive yet and I already loved him more than myself. I also knew that with Charlie in Bear's life, I would feel okay leaving the word if it meant that they would stay alive.

The paramedics entered the room which distracted me from thoughts of death which was good. I held on to Bear afraid to be separated from him. "Don't leave me.." I was so terrified that they would take me away from Bear and I wouldn't be able to handle that right now. He was my strength and I needed him by me no matter what. The paramedics continued to strap me onto a stretch as the pain surged. They asked me questions such how many weeks in I was in and other questions that got lost in my mind. There were too many people and I just wanted to have Charlie in my arms with Bear in a room by ourselves...

Note: Should the next scene be in the hospital?

[Bear Keeni]

I honestly didn't know what would happen. Zeus had never specified anything. All he had said was that Becca would suffer and Charlie's fate would be left up to the Fates. Ripred dammit, what was I supposed to do? All I could manage was to just be there and hold her and tell her that everything would be alright even if they weren't. What if she was dying and I didn't even know it? I wouldn't be able to handle myself. If she or Charlie didn't make it through this -- God forbid both of them don't make it -- I wouldn't be able to live. Not in a sarcastic or light way, I mean I really wouldn't be able to live. They were my everything.

"I won't leave you." I said quietly, but as the paramedics came in, they took her away from me. I was just a bystander then, panicking and trying to see what they were doing to her. 'They're only helping her,' I tried reassuring myself, but that didn't help. I wasn't there for her like I said I would.

I followed them out, but before I knew it, they were in the ambulance and were gone. And I didn't have a car or bike to get to the hospital.

So I ran.

Normally I would never do this much exercise, but I was running on such an adrenaline high that tiredness was a foreign concept to me. Even though I was huffing and wheezing along, I forced myself to go as fast as I could down the sidewalks and across streets, taking the shortest possible route to the hospital, where I burst through the doors and went straight up to the front desk, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. The clerk looked at me weird and as soon as I could manage a syllable, I wheezed and tried telling her that I wanted to see Rebecca Chastain, but she didn't understand me. At that point I was ready to just about strangle her so I yelled that I wanted to see Rebecca, and the lady quickly looked up her name and told me that she was currently in the emergency section of the hospital and that I couldn't go see her. "Fucking dammit." I swore quietly, still out of breath.

I wanted to just run back there, but I didn't want to get into trouble, so I trudged over to the lobby and sank heavily into one of the chairs, feeling my heart rate slowly start coming down.

And I waited.

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[Rebecca Chastain]

The ride in the ambulance to the hospital seemed like forever. Maybe it was because I didn't have Bear there to hold my hand tell me it was all okay. Instead I had all these strange people sticking needles in me and hooking me up to machines. They asked me questions but then shoved a mask in my face. Somehow they already managed to get me out of my clothes and into one of those ugly hospital gowns that were a pea green and never covered anyone completely. Everything was happening so fast my brain just couldn't register everything. People were yelling at each other and grabbing my arms to take my pulse or pressing my swollen stomach. I wanted to slap their arm away and tell them not to touch my baby, but I knew they were just trying to help.

My mind wandered to Bear and I instantly became worried. He didn't have a car of any sort and he didn't exactly have a best friend he could call and ask for a ride. I wondered if he would make it to the hospital at all. What if...what if I lost the baby and he wasn't there. I shook my head and tried to think of something else. Charlie would come out alive I was sure of that. I just wanted to make sure Bear would be there to see his baby boy.

A pain rippled through my lower abdomen and I moaned out in pain. Fortunately we were nearing the hospital. The medics got me out of that ambulance so fast and rushed me down the hall so quickly it reminded me of one of those typical doctor shows. However, I couldn't help but notice I was being rushed into the emergency section of the hospital. In a moment of desperation, I let a little prayer slip through my lips just barely. I didn't know who I was praying to, but if it meant that Charlie would be saved I didn't care.

The contractions were coming quickly now and I couldn't help but scream and moan in pain. It was a pain I have never ever felt before. The doctor came to me and told me that I was going to have to start pushing already and that the baby needed to come out or he wouldn't have enough air in underdeveloped lungs to survive. A surge of panic came through me at those words, but I knew I had to move past that if I wanted Charlie to survive. I went with my instincts since I never got the chance to take a baby class. I was so unprepared for all of this. The doctors and the nurses were murmuring to each other. I was holding on to some random nurse's hand that I think I probably could have broke. The doctor told me when to push and I did so, desperately wanting to get Charlie out quick so they could have him breathe.

A yell escaped my lips, and at that moment I heard a small cry. The doctors encouraged me to keep going so I did and next thing I knew, Charlie was out but he had stopped crying and I swear so did my heart. Did I take too long? Did he not have enough air? The nurse cut the umbilical cord and suddenly Charlie was rushed into another room without me. Words of ICU floated around but all I wanted was to see my baby boy and hold him in my arms, but I couldn't so I just sat there lost in my own thoughts..waiting.

[Bear Keeni]

I began absentmindedly bouncing my leg up and down rapidly to try to ease a bit of my anxiety. It wasn't working, though. I was still tense all over and my palms were clammy and my heart was racing. What was I supposed to do? Just wait here and not do anything while Rebecca was in there suffering from Zeus's shitty wrath? What if she was dying? What if Charlie -- my own son -- was dying? What if he was already dead and Becca was just hanging by a thread?

I jerked out of my thoughts when I heard someone calling me by my last name. "You may go see Rebecca now," the clerk said, and faster than I could ever have imagined, I was out of the chair and charging down the hall, catching just the tail end of what room number I needed to go to.

The starch white walls rushed by me in a blur until I found the number I was looking for. Coming to a stop, I paused a moment before turning the doorknob to enter. "Becca...?" I called out, hoping that this was the right room. I peered around the corner, seeing her lying in the bed. "Becca!" I quickly went over, leaning over and pulling her into a tight hug. "Where's Charlie? Are you alright?"



((My brain is fried. x.x ))

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[Rebecca Chastain]

The nurses finished cleaning me up and left the room. I just sat there. The machines let out a quite hum and the steady beat of my heart was verbalized through a beep of a machine. I scanned the room and caught my reflection in a metal tray. My hair was sticking out every which way, there were dark circles under my eyes, and my eyes were bloodshot. I could feel tears brimming when I thought of Charlie. He was currently in the intensive care unit and I didn't even know if he was alive. The doctors could have been waiting outside my door right now trying to find the right words to tell him that Charlie didn't make it. If that was the case, there would be no right words.

At that moment, the door squeaked open just barely and I swear all the air left my body and I almost started crying right then and there. However, no man in a white coat walked through. Instead, Bear called out my name and I went on the fastest roller coaster of emotions in the seconds that took him to cross the room. I felt happy, sad, relief, disappointment, and fear. "Bear..." I just started crying and weeping when he asked me where Charlie was. "I'm so sorry!" I spoke the words in between sobs. I honestly had no idea how Charlie was, but I felt like I had just disappointed Bear. What if Charlie didn't make it...I couldn't even imagine how Bear would take it. "I don't know how he is. They rushed him to ICU right after he came out. He started crying but then stopped and I don't know if his lungs are developed enough for him to breathe and I don't know if he's alive or anything." I was now in that state of hiccuping because the tears would no longer come. I held on to Bear desperately waing for the doctor to come and bring my baby.

[Bear Keeni]

I sat down on the bed beside Becca, holding her tightly against me, rubbing her back gently and trying to comfort her. So Charlie had been born, but things were really complicated. I hadn't expected anything less, really. Charlie wasn't supposed to be due for what, another four or so months? So basically he was in very intensive care and.... and still had a good chance of dying. I pulled back from her slightly, raising my hand to her face and gently wiping away her tears. "You have no reason to be sorry," I told her quietly, trying to soothe her. "Charlie's gonna be alright. Nothing is going to happen to him. He cried, right? So he's a fighter. He's gonna make it, you'll see." I looked into her bloodshot blue eyes for a moment before placing my forehead against hers, caressing her face with my hands and gently stroking her cheeks with my thumbs.

I had had enough of this already. I learned my lesson. Zeus won, I was defeated. Did he really need to be taking this out on Charlie? He was just a baby... a newborn one, at that. The Fates needed to stop fucking around with lives, especially ones as delicate as Charlie's. I could feel my throat closing up and the back of my eyes stinging with hot tears. I had to be strong for Becca, but how could I? Zeus had reduced me to nothing, absolutely nothing, and now he was about to claim the one thing that Rebecca and I held so near and dear to our hearts. This was all my fault... all my fault...

I shut my eyes quickly and tightly, feeling warm tears running down my face. "H-he'll be alright..." I murmured, my voice choked and forced. My lower lip began quivering, giving a trembling effect to my voice. "He'll be alright... he'll m-make it..."

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