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First a tiny nonapology to anyone who was waiting for an update to another story. As of this writing none of them have been abandoned. The plot bunnies ambushed me as I woke up this morning and before they could finish stripping me to the bone I wrote this. Enjoy.
Z-Day plus 598
Kencho pulled Akira into a cafeteria line. From the decor it was clear they were aboard a large ship.
“Mrs. Risk Analyst, is tough. She didn’t survive all this to be stopped now.”
Akira remembered running past the dozen corpses wrapped in sheets awaiting burial at sea in the improvised hangar of the high speed ferry Suzuran rechristened the hospital ship Kanzeon Maru.
“I’m sure the people they dump over the side every day thought the same thing.”
“Well you not eating isn’t going to change a single damn thing will it?”
“No.”
“That’s right and I’m not going to face her wrath if she finds out I wasn’t taking care of you.”
The big man shuddered. On the medevac flight Shizuka had been quite clear that Kencho was not to let Akira out of his sight.
“Fine, I’ll eat something.”
“Good idea, the chow smells great.”
Kencho did the talking and got them both trays of curry-rice with spam, miso soup, coffee, and a large fresh roll. He took his sleepwalking friend over to a half empty table.
“Oh, ma gawd, fresh bread!” He broke the still warm from the oven roll in half and inhaled the scent. “Take a whiff.” He shoved the bread into Akaira’s face. The smell caused a small involuntary smile to cross his face.
“Newcomers?” asked the man sitting next to Kencho.
“Easy to tell isn’t it.” responded Kencho.
“Maybe, but I’ve worked here for months and my eyes still get a little wet every time I pull open the bread.”
“It’s something. One of those little things you didn’t realize you missed until it slaps you in the face.
“The ship has ovens and it’s a slam dunk for morale.”
“It’s certainly doing wonders for mine.”
“I’m Hoshi. I work here. What brings you two to our little floating bakery?”
“I’m Kencho and this is Tendou. We're here because this dork’s wife is having a baby.”
“No shit. Is she doin alright?”
“Nurse said she was doing real good when they shooed us down here.”
Hoshi stood up on the bench and whistled through his teeth. “Everyone! Tendou here is about to be a father!” Cheers of “Congratulations!” washed across the room first in Japanese and then a dozen other languages.
“Are you a father, Hoshi?” whispered Akira.
“I am, just like more than half the swinging dicks on board.”
“I’m happy your kids survived.”
“No, they’re gone. I almost died a dozen times trying to find them on Z-day, but being a father is a life sentence, not theirs, yours.” Akira tried to process what he was saying. “Your wife? Did you meet before or after Z-day?”
“Shizuka? I met her ON Z-day! She didn’t think an idiot like me would make it and went her own way. Then we met again days later. Then again as we were leaving Tokyo. Then we had a bunch of wild and crazy adventures together. On one of them I almost lost her. First to the zombies and then to the handsome doctor who’s vaccine saved her. That’s when I knew I had to figure out a way to be with her forever.”
“Hold on, you've met Dr. Tsurumi? The, Dr. Tsurumi?”
“Shizuka was the first person ever saved by his vaccine.”
Hoshi looked at Kencho to see if Akira was making the story up. Kencho swallowed his mouthful of spam.
“All true and a dozen crazier things, too. He forgot to mention that we went and visited his mom and dad who both survived, first.”
“You’re a crazy lucky son of a bitch you know that, Tendou?”
“Am I?”
“Fuck yes you are. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
A man in a white officers uniform came and sat next to Akira.
“I’m First Officer Abe. I hear some congratulations are in order, Tendou-san.”
“How did you know?”
“The only thing that travels faster than light is skuttlebutt.” He poured some Yamazaki 34 into a crystal tumbler and pushed Akira’s untouched food to the side. “Enjoy it. I heard Surtory’s aging warehouses burned down.”
“They did. We were there when it happened. People were falling down drunk just from the smoke.” Kencho told him. “We were all wasted, but the zombies were on fire so everyone got out. Go on Akira, take a sip, buddy.”
He took a sip. “It’s good.” He drained the glass. “Ahhh! Thanks.” He grabbed his tray back and started shoveling down the curry. Abe reached for the glass, but Akira got it first and gestured for more while his spoon never stopped moving. The officer poured half as much this time.
“Hoshi, Kencho, do you know how many babies used to be born everyday before Z-Day?” The two men shook their heads. “385 thousand, a million new babies every three days.”
“What’s the number now?” Kencho asked him.
“About a thousand, and most of them have a sad story instead of two parents. That’s a very lucky baby to have their father waiting for them. We’re a lucky ship to have them aboard.”
“Is Tendou Akira in here?” Asked a woman in pink scrubs.
Everyone pointed towards his table.
“Tendou Akira?” he nodded. “Congratulations, your wife and little girl are both doing great. I’ll take you to her. When you’re ready.”
Akira went to knock back the glass. “Let Uncle Kencho finish that for you. Drink your coffee instead.”
He tried to savor the whiskey. “She’d tear us both a new one if you showed up drunk. Then she’d hand whatever scraps that were left over to Mom to finish killing me.”
“Wait, your Mom is alive, too?” Said Hoshi.
“She sure is.”
Shizuka was waiting for him in the recovery ward. The nurse escorted him behind a curtain where she was propped up in a bed and left them. Kencho waved, but stayed outside the curtain.
“You look beautiful.”
“You’ve always been a terrible liar.” She held out her hand. “Come over here, Dad, and hold my hand.
“That’s me, I’m a Dad! Being a father. I was told it’s a life sentence. The best life sentence in the world.” He put both of his hands around her left one making their rings clink together.
“No, that’s being married to me you idiot.”
“Huh?”
“Fool, just try and run away and you’ll find out your luck won’t be enough to protect you from me.”
“Everyone is always telling me how lucky I am.”
“You’d be the luckiest man alive even if you had never met me. I hope it’s a dominant gene, because she’s going to need it.”
“With a Mom as brave, smart, and tough as you it won’t matter.”
“Dear, are we doing the right thing? Bring a baby into this world…”
He squeezed her hand. “Full of people who are going to love her. We’re doing a good thing. A great thing, everyone on the whole ship is happy she’s here.”
From the sudden buzz in the room something exciting was happening outside the curtain. A nurse pulled open the curtain revealing a cart holding a newborn.
“Ok, who wants to hold her first?”
“I do.” shouted the patient next to them who had a flat sheet where his legs should be.
“Don’t mind Ono-san. We missed his sense of humor when we amputated his legs.”
“Better luck next time, Doc.”
“Mom?”
“No, let Akira hold her first. Then Uncle Kencho and we can try nursing after that.”
The nurse cooed over the baby as she handed off the little bundle to him. He cradled her like he had been taught. He stood there a giant smile on his face. The little girl peeked up at him through sandalwood brown eyes.
“I know we just met but…” He stood up straighter and cleared his throat. “Tendou Saori, I am head over heels in love with you!”
And they all lived happily ever after…. As always, thanks for reading ^_^
There we go a little bit of Zom 100 domestic fluff in time for Father’s Day. I even got Akira to say “the line”. Begging is unseemly, but if reading this makes your day a little brighter. Please hit the ♥️ below.
Authors get a daily notification of kudos and it’s a great way to start the day.