Chapter Text
I’ll Remember
Chapter 1
That Night
The sky was red, fading into a soft purple. He couldn’t remember if it was going to be night soon, or day. Moreover he couldn’t remember anything before that either. He couldn’t see out of one eye, and he couldn’t speak either. Breathing was becoming increasingly a problem as well. But that was okay, the view was nice. He planned to lay there for a little while longer, and then probably nap. He was tired…very tired. Bright flashing red lights ruined it though. He closed his eyes for a moment.
He felt someone touch his shoulder and he jumped awake. Darn these paramedics and ruining his nap. The sky was more purple now then red. That was okay it meant it was night time and this nap could be extended to a bed time.
OW…
He looked at the closest one who was talking to him. He couldn’t hear anything at all. Actually he couldn’t feel much either. He was being picked up and put onto a red board. Something was around his neck and…oh he felt dizzy…his body lurched and he expelled the contents of his stomach all over the ground before him. This wasn’t cool…what happened.
He looked up at the older paramedic who looked to be in his mid 40s. Or at least he thought it was a paramedic…he was there in the back of the EMT wouldn’t that mean he was one? The man had brown hair, and a mustache. Yup totally a paramedic.
The man leaned over and spoke into his ear.
“It's okay John, you’ll be okay…” It was all he could remember hearing before a sudden wave of unconsciousness snagged at his coat tail and pulled him in.
Oh he had one hell of a headache. He couldn’t move again, everything on him seemed to be anchored to the bed…or at least that's what he assumed. The room was empty, and the lights were dimmed. The sunlight was barely peeking over the building across the way.
He heard people talking as they went down the hallway. At least he could hear again. He looked up at the door as it slowly opened and a man walked in.
“Ah you're awake…no no don’t try to talk. You were beat up really bad. There's a tube in your throat.” Okay that would explain why he couldn’t speak.
The man walked over and sat down leaning over the bed so he could see him over the many machines giving off different readings for different parts of his body.
“I’m sure you have many questions so I’ll answer them for you. You and your family were in a car wreck. No one is to blame, it was ruled an accident. Rain and a washed out road caused it. You had a lot of trees before the car ejected you. Your sister I’m afraid died, her husband too. Their baby will be brought to you when youre better right now she’s with my wife. We’ll take care of her till you can be together.”
Wait…what…what did that mean? His sister was gone? Wasn’t she right next to him a second ago? No wait…baby?
He felt overwhelmed, his eyes seemed to close on their own.
Oh he felt heavy, heavy as hell. He opened his eyes seeing no less than six people in white standing over him talking quickly. He couldn’t keep up, his mind felt like it was full of cotton balls. He felt a soft pressure on his head and his eyes closed once again.
He felt sore and still heavy. At least the tube was taken from his mouth. He felt something was amiss with his body but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He still felt very tired and…the door opened, a woman walked into the room and looked down at him. Her scrubs hat little puppies along the folds. Within her arms was a soft blanket that wiggled a little and a soft cry.
“Hey there Mr. Brown.” She smiled as she reached over, pushing the button to raise the bed. “This is your niece.” Wasn’t his sister pregnant when she died? Didn’t he lose them? How is this…
He looked at the little girl in the woman's arms. The small tuft of blond hair curled out from under the tiny pink and blue striped hat. Obviously provided by the hospital. Would this baby have any clothing there? Oh she would need things, something he’d have to do when he got out of there.
“When?” It was the first words he had said in close to well…
“Three months.” Three months! Three whole months! He had things to do! He had cases to solve. Where was…He was stopped by the nurse. ALthough he didn’t have to go far before he realized the infant was in his arms. His eyes fell onto the soft blue eyes of the little girl who had just been woken up rudely by this man.
John stopped and looked down at the little girl in his arms. She was so small in his arms, a sudden sense of longing struck his heart like a ten ton semi.
“Officer Brown…” He looked up and noticed the small cloth within the nurse's hand. A handkerchief? Oh…he was crying. He ran his fingers over his cheek and then looked down at the little baby.
“What's her name?” He asked. Realizing just how small she was as the blanket fell away.
“We haven’t named her, her mother died giving birth to her.” So this was his sister's baby…she tried so hard to survive. He knew she did, it was just who she was. This little girl…
Wait…if he remembered right the guy with the mustache told him he was her guardian.
“Please I uh…” he looked at the girl and thought of one thing as he looked over her small form. “Geez…you can’t be any bigger than a penny.” He chuckled, running his fingers over her head. He sat back and yawned. “Penny would be a good name for you. Penny…” His eyes began to drift again. He felt the small form being plucked from his arms. He wanted to reach for her again. Deny them access to her, he wanted to protect her. This was his baby…
His baby…
His…
His eyes snapped open. The rumble off in the distance told him it must have been lightning. A soft cry from the cot by the door told John that the little girl he had just named Penny lay just feet away from him. The IV must have been taken out of his arm over night. He sat up, the familiar heaviness told him that there was definitely something odd with his body.
He slowly pushed himself over to the side of the bed and looked down at the bundle thrashing around. He couldn’t see the baby anymore which meant she kicked the blanket up onto herself.
That wasn’t good. Babies needed to breathe and…
There was another flash and rumble off in the distance. The baby cried out, her little cries caused John to slowly stand up and walk toward the crib.
“It's alright Penny…I’m here…” He slowly reached down pulling the blanket from her little fingers. Reaching down he picked her up, gingerly pulling her to his chest.
Perhaps it would be best to use this time to feed her? What did she eat? He looked at the cot she had been wheeled in on. There were small drawers on it. He knew he shouldn’t go snooping but one said ‘diaper’ ‘wipes’ ‘formula’ ‘bottles’ and another weird looking one said ‘misc.’ He wondered just what was in that one.
“Goodness…you are a talker.” He chuckled as he pulled out the needed items to change her, and feed her. “You know I used to help my mom take care of my sister. Your mama.” He said sitting down on the bed.
It made a heavy creaking noise. He pulled open the bottom part of her small sleeper and changed the diaper.
“There we go, all clean. Now the food, trust me later on in life there will be far tastier things. But for now you get this.” He held up the bottle and shook the formula around with the water that had been placed inside.
“And just how much formula did you put in?” It was the man with the mustache. John shook his head as he held up the premade formula shot that was given. “It says two ounces for a newborn.” He had read the small cylinder.
“Ah things are easier now then when I had my son.” He yawned sitting down watching John put the infant on his crossed legs and put the bottle into her mouth.
To John's delight the young infant drank from the bottle greedily. He chuckled looking up at the man before him.
“The doctor said you had some memory problems.” He practically dropped that on John's lap. He tried to remember things…anything since before the wreck and he couldn’t remember even the color of the car much less what happened. The only reason why he knew about his sister was because someone told him.
Why did he know he was a police officer though…
“I’m sorry I don’t…remember you.” He chuckled as he watched the infant yawn and curl into his arms.
“Oh, don’t forget to burp her or she’ll just throw all of that back up.” the man told him.
“I was just about to do that…” Okay he wasn’t, but here he went anyways. Plucking up the half asleep infant and resting her on his shoulder he patted her back and sighed.
“I’m chief Quimby.” he told the slightly tired cyborg. “I was your boss and very close friend.
“OH…nice to meet you. When can I get back to work? Being cooped up in this hospital bed has made me feel cramped. I feel stiff.”
“Uh John…theirs something you need to know before you consider coming back to the force.” He told the man who put the now sleeping infant on his legs again.
“I see, what is it? I have both arms and legs. What kind of problem could there be?”
“The fact that you don’t have any arms and legs…and actually a lot of other things are gone too.” The man sitting before him sighed and ran his fingers over his chin. “You are more machine than man now…a cyborg.” He sighed as he looked at the infant that was pressed against his friend's chest.
“So I…died?” He looked down at the infant as he pulled the blanket around her.
“Yes…you did. But because of the contracts you signed for the department we were able to revive you…by any means.” The man sat back and shook his head. “You are the soul survivor John…and Penny’s only family left.”
“So I’m…Gadget Man.” He chuckled, obviously pushing aside any feelings he might have about the raw situation. Although there was an internal battle in his might screaming this wasn’t fair.
The man chuckled as he held up a file that read ‘Inspector’ on it. “Inspector Gadget.”