Post by Reiji Neko Mitsukai on May 16, 2007 3:19:41 GMT -5
For Eva's project. I haven't gotten a direct answer from Fierano yet, but judging by his initial reaction, I think he was fine with it. Although I think I went over the 1,500 mark a bit...
Anywho- enjoy.
With the sound of birds chirping outside her window, the forest green Pontiac slowly opened her eyes. Gradually coming to full awareness, she blinked repeatedly until they adjusted to the light coming in. They were blue this morning, but Anastasia Kuramoto didn’t even bother looking in a mirror as she slowly- carefully- raised herself up onto her tires. It wasn’t an easy task; then again, nothing these days had been. Not just because of her swollen back end, but because of the constant ache in her engine.
It had been seven months since that day. She had spent the two and half before then in term and blissfully happy, despite the bouts of morning sickness. Every morning she woke up with him beside her and her eyes set towards their future as a family. Now she woke up to an empty pad beside her, and only found herself looking back at what used to be; what she had lost…
She rolled forward, making her way to a calendar on the wall and marked off the day. Seven months, two days.
She didn’t know how much longer she would have to wait for the baby to be born. The doctors weren’t sure how long the development of a Toyota/Pontiac would take. At her last checkup a week ago, the doctor had said it could have been at any day and she had best be prepared. Of course, she never would be ready; not since she had seen those dark eyes close forever…
It felt like her wiper ducts had run dry long ago, but she still found herself welling up whenever she looked at their wedding photos she had set up in the bedroom, or when she added to the scrapbook she had started after his untimely end. Many probably thought she should have gotten over it by now, but her husband’s death coupled with her fluctuating hormones made it almost too much for her to bear. It was only through the support of family and friends that she and the baby survived.
Now that the baby was due any day, her in-laws were staying nearby, having left the company in a trusted associate’s care while they were gone. They kept in touch with the staff in Kentucky, Mr. Kuramoto practically running the business over the phone. They had been equally devastated by their son’s death as much as she had but eagerly awaited the arrival of the child- it was still their grandchild, after all; regardless of whether or not their son was dead. She herself was planning on making many trips to Kentucky after the birth; both as she traveled between races and whenever a race was held nearby.
She hadn’t been on a track for so long- ever since she found out she was going to have a baby- nor would she be for a while. Her maternity leave, the officials had decided, would last for two seasons- one while she was in term, another afterwards while the infant would need her the most. There were times where she wished she could get on a racetrack and just drive; go 190 down the front stretch while pretending there were others on the track with her, to let her consciousness shrink down to the here-and-now so she could forget, even if only for a few minutes…
Backing up a little, she turned and headed towards a cupboard in the room. She didn’t know what hurt her more- the fact that he was gone forever, or the fact that he would never meet his son.
She had found out their baby was a boy a few months after her mate had died, but with the state she was still in she didn’t react well to it. She knew he would have been proud to know he was going to have a son, and it ate away at her for weeks. She hadn’t given much thought to names, since there was only one she wanted to give him.
Opening the cupboard, she pulled out a scrapbook. It had no title, but once one opened it a title wasn’t necessary. Inside, she had placed everything pertaining to her husband she could find- newspaper and magazine clippings, website articles and photo printoffs, pictures she had in her own collection- anything. She had copies made of all the photographs she had of him and put them in there. She tried to organize it chronologically, starting with his minor league racing days to the numerous copies of his obituary she had found in several different newspapers and magazines. She had no pictures of his childhood- she reserved information on his younger years to her in-laws, for obvious reasons. She had copies of their wedding photos in there, as well as various mementos from his funeral- pressed petals of the flowers they had used, a copy of the program that had been handed out, a photo that had been taken by a gusty tabloid reporter before he was forcefully removed from the premises…
She felt her wiper ducts grow hot. She had built the scrapbook in anticipation for the day their child would look up at her and ask what his daddy was like. She was doubtful she would have been able to remain coherent to accurately describe him, so she compiled the collection of images and articles so it would all be in one place.
She tried to swallow away the lump that suddenly grew in her throat, but to no avail- she instead closed the scrapbook, inhaling a shaky breath as she tried to calm herself down. Putting the book down, she moved towards the phone; perhaps a distraction was what she needed…
The phone was located on the wall towards her husband’s side of the pad, and so she parked beside it; slowly and carefully, of course, as her enlarged back end only allowed her to move so fast. But before she could pull the panel out, a picture on the nightstand caught her attention.
It was one of their wedding photos. It was one that had been taken shortly after they had signed the papers that legally wed them; they were standing in front of the judge, facing the small gathering of friends and family that witnessed the event. They both looked so happy- nervous as well, but that was to be expected. They were newlyweds, and the “happiness haze” had fully set in by then, leaving them pretty much oblivious to anything else but each other. She remembered their wedding day like it was yesterday. It hadn’t been a huge, fancy wedding, but it was enough- discreet enough to avoid media attention, but still special. She’d give anything to go back to that day…
Her blurred eyesight only got worse as she felt her engine break all over again. A stifled sob escaped her as she tore her eyes from the picture- calling someone would be useless now; she would be incoherent and they wouldn’t be able to understand a word she was saying. Fluid ran down her hood as she collapsed on the nearest soft object- the sleeping pad- and buried her front into it. Even after all these months, it still smelled like him, and the familiarity of it only made her sob even harder. Her sides heaved as her erratic breaths struggled to keep up. She just missed him so much…
She didn’t know how long she stayed like that- five minutes? An hour?- as time seemed to stand still in her sorrow. It wasn’t until she felt something in her back end that her sobs suddenly subsided, her front lifting as she blinked away the moisture in her eyes. It had felt like a kick, but at the same time it hadn’t…
She suddenly gasped as a sharp pain in her back end made her tense. Her eyes widened, feeling previously unused muscles contract and a sudden movement of the baby.
Oh no…
Her breathing quickened as she fumbled to get off the pad. She had to get to the phone… She couldn’t call Rafey- the last thing he needed was another engine fire- Dani was off visiting her family in Texas for the off-season, and she didn’t know where David was… That left only one logical choice. She struggled to dial the number, another stab of pain making her cringe. It rang three times before it was answered with a professional tone.
“Richard Carson.”
“Ricki…” she gasped. “The baby…”
There was a moment of silence before he responded, the tone now gone. “You mean… I-is it time? The baby’s ready?”
“Ricki… I can’t-” Something between a sob and a gasp escaped her as she trembled. “- I can’t do this…”
She heard his tires squealing on the other end. He was already on his way. “Just give me five minutes, okay? I’m coming!” Judging by the sound of his voice, she wasn’t the only one beginning to panic.
“Please hurry…”
* * * *
Many hours later found her in the delivery room, her back end propped up with the doctor waiting to catch the newborn. The women of her immediate family- including through marriage- were in the room with her, while the men were all out in the waiting room. David had arrived a few hours ago, she had been told, although she didn’t react to it other than by pushing, as she was directed by the doctor. The baby was now nearly born, but she was exhausted and one vital source of support and comfort was long since missing. His absence was like a void, and with everything that was happening, she didn’t think she could take it anymore. She sobbed between breaths, the absence of tears due to the sheer amount of pain she was in. She abruptly gave up pushing, letting herself go limp.
“I can’t!” she cried as her sides heaved. “I can’t do this… Not without him…!”
“You have to keep pushing, Annie!” came the doctor’s voice. “Your baby’s life depends on it!”
Seeing her daughter didn’t respond to the doctor’s words, Anastasia’s mother gently nuzzled her distraught daughter. “You’re so close to having this baby, sweetie,” she encouraged. “I’ve had two of my own, and I know that once you see him, you’ll forget the labor and all you’ll see is this beautiful boy… I know you miss Eddie, but don’t let this part of him die…”
Annie’s mother-in-law rolled closer. “If you cannot do this for yourself, do it for my son,” she entreated, not wanting to see her grandson die anymore than the older Pontiac in the room did. “Do it for him.”
Do it for Eddie…
With a grimace Anastasia tensed, her eyes shutting tight as she pushed for all she was worth. This baby was all she had of him…
“Good; good…” came the doctor’s voice behind her. “I can see the front! Almost there! Keep pushing!”
Taking in another quick breath she pushed more, her tires drawing in with the effort. She had to keep going…
The two women in the room continued to encourage her. All that was needed was a few more pushes…
“Alright; last one!” the doctor said finally. “One more breath… and push!”
Her grimace turned into a long cry as she put all her strength into the last push. It was overwhelming, being assaulted with all the pain of childbirth, the grief of not having her husband there to help her through it, and knowing that giving birth to this child was her only chance at continuing his legacy.
The sudden release of pressure came with the instantaneous relief of pain, and she let herself completely relax as she heard the doctor’s announcement of the baby boy’s arrival. Trying to pace her breathing, she heard the two new grandmothers move to see their new grandson. The doctor chuckled as she lowered Annie’s back end to the floor after cleaning away the plastic sheeting set there to catch the inescapable mess.
“My, my- what a handsome little guy he is!”
“Gets it from his father,” she murmured, although no one else heard her.
“Oh Annie… He’s beautiful…” awed her mother.
“Now, now, ladies; let’s let mommy be the first to hold the baby,” the doctor chuckled as the Chevy pulled around to set the bundle beside her.
Opening her now vibrant green eyes, they quickly began to sting with the buildup of fluid. Beneath the streaks of oil left from the birth, the newborn was a pale green- a mix between the father’s natural vanilla and her forest green. His front was undoubtedly a Toyota, while his side panels- what she could see of them- were unmistakably of the Pontiac line. The tiny spoiler, however, was a little bit of both; not sharp-edged like his fathers, but not entirely rounded like hers, either. With a slight nudge from one of his grandmothers, the baby emitted a tiny noise and stirred, his eyeshields opening just enough for her to see the dark eyes peering up at her. He had Eddie’s eyes…
She had done it. And she had done it for him.
Fluid flowed down her hood, but this time for an altogether different reason. Gently she nuzzled her son, speaking to him quietly through her tears. “Welcome to the world… My little Edward…”
Anywho- enjoy.
For Him
With the sound of birds chirping outside her window, the forest green Pontiac slowly opened her eyes. Gradually coming to full awareness, she blinked repeatedly until they adjusted to the light coming in. They were blue this morning, but Anastasia Kuramoto didn’t even bother looking in a mirror as she slowly- carefully- raised herself up onto her tires. It wasn’t an easy task; then again, nothing these days had been. Not just because of her swollen back end, but because of the constant ache in her engine.
It had been seven months since that day. She had spent the two and half before then in term and blissfully happy, despite the bouts of morning sickness. Every morning she woke up with him beside her and her eyes set towards their future as a family. Now she woke up to an empty pad beside her, and only found herself looking back at what used to be; what she had lost…
She rolled forward, making her way to a calendar on the wall and marked off the day. Seven months, two days.
She didn’t know how much longer she would have to wait for the baby to be born. The doctors weren’t sure how long the development of a Toyota/Pontiac would take. At her last checkup a week ago, the doctor had said it could have been at any day and she had best be prepared. Of course, she never would be ready; not since she had seen those dark eyes close forever…
It felt like her wiper ducts had run dry long ago, but she still found herself welling up whenever she looked at their wedding photos she had set up in the bedroom, or when she added to the scrapbook she had started after his untimely end. Many probably thought she should have gotten over it by now, but her husband’s death coupled with her fluctuating hormones made it almost too much for her to bear. It was only through the support of family and friends that she and the baby survived.
Now that the baby was due any day, her in-laws were staying nearby, having left the company in a trusted associate’s care while they were gone. They kept in touch with the staff in Kentucky, Mr. Kuramoto practically running the business over the phone. They had been equally devastated by their son’s death as much as she had but eagerly awaited the arrival of the child- it was still their grandchild, after all; regardless of whether or not their son was dead. She herself was planning on making many trips to Kentucky after the birth; both as she traveled between races and whenever a race was held nearby.
She hadn’t been on a track for so long- ever since she found out she was going to have a baby- nor would she be for a while. Her maternity leave, the officials had decided, would last for two seasons- one while she was in term, another afterwards while the infant would need her the most. There were times where she wished she could get on a racetrack and just drive; go 190 down the front stretch while pretending there were others on the track with her, to let her consciousness shrink down to the here-and-now so she could forget, even if only for a few minutes…
Backing up a little, she turned and headed towards a cupboard in the room. She didn’t know what hurt her more- the fact that he was gone forever, or the fact that he would never meet his son.
She had found out their baby was a boy a few months after her mate had died, but with the state she was still in she didn’t react well to it. She knew he would have been proud to know he was going to have a son, and it ate away at her for weeks. She hadn’t given much thought to names, since there was only one she wanted to give him.
Opening the cupboard, she pulled out a scrapbook. It had no title, but once one opened it a title wasn’t necessary. Inside, she had placed everything pertaining to her husband she could find- newspaper and magazine clippings, website articles and photo printoffs, pictures she had in her own collection- anything. She had copies made of all the photographs she had of him and put them in there. She tried to organize it chronologically, starting with his minor league racing days to the numerous copies of his obituary she had found in several different newspapers and magazines. She had no pictures of his childhood- she reserved information on his younger years to her in-laws, for obvious reasons. She had copies of their wedding photos in there, as well as various mementos from his funeral- pressed petals of the flowers they had used, a copy of the program that had been handed out, a photo that had been taken by a gusty tabloid reporter before he was forcefully removed from the premises…
She felt her wiper ducts grow hot. She had built the scrapbook in anticipation for the day their child would look up at her and ask what his daddy was like. She was doubtful she would have been able to remain coherent to accurately describe him, so she compiled the collection of images and articles so it would all be in one place.
She tried to swallow away the lump that suddenly grew in her throat, but to no avail- she instead closed the scrapbook, inhaling a shaky breath as she tried to calm herself down. Putting the book down, she moved towards the phone; perhaps a distraction was what she needed…
The phone was located on the wall towards her husband’s side of the pad, and so she parked beside it; slowly and carefully, of course, as her enlarged back end only allowed her to move so fast. But before she could pull the panel out, a picture on the nightstand caught her attention.
It was one of their wedding photos. It was one that had been taken shortly after they had signed the papers that legally wed them; they were standing in front of the judge, facing the small gathering of friends and family that witnessed the event. They both looked so happy- nervous as well, but that was to be expected. They were newlyweds, and the “happiness haze” had fully set in by then, leaving them pretty much oblivious to anything else but each other. She remembered their wedding day like it was yesterday. It hadn’t been a huge, fancy wedding, but it was enough- discreet enough to avoid media attention, but still special. She’d give anything to go back to that day…
Her blurred eyesight only got worse as she felt her engine break all over again. A stifled sob escaped her as she tore her eyes from the picture- calling someone would be useless now; she would be incoherent and they wouldn’t be able to understand a word she was saying. Fluid ran down her hood as she collapsed on the nearest soft object- the sleeping pad- and buried her front into it. Even after all these months, it still smelled like him, and the familiarity of it only made her sob even harder. Her sides heaved as her erratic breaths struggled to keep up. She just missed him so much…
She didn’t know how long she stayed like that- five minutes? An hour?- as time seemed to stand still in her sorrow. It wasn’t until she felt something in her back end that her sobs suddenly subsided, her front lifting as she blinked away the moisture in her eyes. It had felt like a kick, but at the same time it hadn’t…
She suddenly gasped as a sharp pain in her back end made her tense. Her eyes widened, feeling previously unused muscles contract and a sudden movement of the baby.
Oh no…
Her breathing quickened as she fumbled to get off the pad. She had to get to the phone… She couldn’t call Rafey- the last thing he needed was another engine fire- Dani was off visiting her family in Texas for the off-season, and she didn’t know where David was… That left only one logical choice. She struggled to dial the number, another stab of pain making her cringe. It rang three times before it was answered with a professional tone.
“Richard Carson.”
“Ricki…” she gasped. “The baby…”
There was a moment of silence before he responded, the tone now gone. “You mean… I-is it time? The baby’s ready?”
“Ricki… I can’t-” Something between a sob and a gasp escaped her as she trembled. “- I can’t do this…”
She heard his tires squealing on the other end. He was already on his way. “Just give me five minutes, okay? I’m coming!” Judging by the sound of his voice, she wasn’t the only one beginning to panic.
“Please hurry…”
* * * *
Many hours later found her in the delivery room, her back end propped up with the doctor waiting to catch the newborn. The women of her immediate family- including through marriage- were in the room with her, while the men were all out in the waiting room. David had arrived a few hours ago, she had been told, although she didn’t react to it other than by pushing, as she was directed by the doctor. The baby was now nearly born, but she was exhausted and one vital source of support and comfort was long since missing. His absence was like a void, and with everything that was happening, she didn’t think she could take it anymore. She sobbed between breaths, the absence of tears due to the sheer amount of pain she was in. She abruptly gave up pushing, letting herself go limp.
“I can’t!” she cried as her sides heaved. “I can’t do this… Not without him…!”
“You have to keep pushing, Annie!” came the doctor’s voice. “Your baby’s life depends on it!”
Seeing her daughter didn’t respond to the doctor’s words, Anastasia’s mother gently nuzzled her distraught daughter. “You’re so close to having this baby, sweetie,” she encouraged. “I’ve had two of my own, and I know that once you see him, you’ll forget the labor and all you’ll see is this beautiful boy… I know you miss Eddie, but don’t let this part of him die…”
Annie’s mother-in-law rolled closer. “If you cannot do this for yourself, do it for my son,” she entreated, not wanting to see her grandson die anymore than the older Pontiac in the room did. “Do it for him.”
Do it for Eddie…
With a grimace Anastasia tensed, her eyes shutting tight as she pushed for all she was worth. This baby was all she had of him…
“Good; good…” came the doctor’s voice behind her. “I can see the front! Almost there! Keep pushing!”
Taking in another quick breath she pushed more, her tires drawing in with the effort. She had to keep going…
The two women in the room continued to encourage her. All that was needed was a few more pushes…
“Alright; last one!” the doctor said finally. “One more breath… and push!”
Her grimace turned into a long cry as she put all her strength into the last push. It was overwhelming, being assaulted with all the pain of childbirth, the grief of not having her husband there to help her through it, and knowing that giving birth to this child was her only chance at continuing his legacy.
The sudden release of pressure came with the instantaneous relief of pain, and she let herself completely relax as she heard the doctor’s announcement of the baby boy’s arrival. Trying to pace her breathing, she heard the two new grandmothers move to see their new grandson. The doctor chuckled as she lowered Annie’s back end to the floor after cleaning away the plastic sheeting set there to catch the inescapable mess.
“My, my- what a handsome little guy he is!”
“Gets it from his father,” she murmured, although no one else heard her.
“Oh Annie… He’s beautiful…” awed her mother.
“Now, now, ladies; let’s let mommy be the first to hold the baby,” the doctor chuckled as the Chevy pulled around to set the bundle beside her.
Opening her now vibrant green eyes, they quickly began to sting with the buildup of fluid. Beneath the streaks of oil left from the birth, the newborn was a pale green- a mix between the father’s natural vanilla and her forest green. His front was undoubtedly a Toyota, while his side panels- what she could see of them- were unmistakably of the Pontiac line. The tiny spoiler, however, was a little bit of both; not sharp-edged like his fathers, but not entirely rounded like hers, either. With a slight nudge from one of his grandmothers, the baby emitted a tiny noise and stirred, his eyeshields opening just enough for her to see the dark eyes peering up at her. He had Eddie’s eyes…
She had done it. And she had done it for him.
Fluid flowed down her hood, but this time for an altogether different reason. Gently she nuzzled her son, speaking to him quietly through her tears. “Welcome to the world… My little Edward…”