Chapter Text
The silence of the bedroom is disrupted by unusual and strange sounds for the room. From behind the closed bathroom door, muffled vomiting, quiet coughing and dissatisfied grumbling can be heard, clearly indicating that the person is not very happy with his condition. The sound of flushing water in the toilet is heard, followed by the turn of the faucet.
Athena looks with mild disgust at the swirling funnel in the porcelain bowl and slowly rises, until the sight of the whirlpool and the barely perceptible smell of an overcooked former sandwich with peanut butter and jam caused a second wave of nausea.
She rubs her knees, reddened and stiff from being on the tile floor in one position for a long time, through the woolen fabric of her uniform and hates it even more now. She seemed to be sweating profusely, and she couldn't say for sure.
From the 95 degree heat, which even in the morning makes the road surface melt? Because she worked a long shift and the air conditioner broke down at the station? Or from stomach cramps that make her bring her breakfast back outside and get goosebumps?
Standing at the sink, Athena turns on the cool water and quickly rinses her mouth, first just like that, and then with a dental mint rinse, hoping that this will help remove the unpleasant odor. Wetting the tip of the towel, she slowly wipes her face, moving on to her neck and the partially exposed part of her chest.
- Phew, - she leans on the edge of the sink with her free hand, examining her pale skin, parched lips, but sparkling eyes in the mirror.
Athena huffs slightly, fiddles with the tool belt pressing against her hips, and finally unbuckles it and places it on the nearest accessible surface. It's a good thing that the gun and badge are already hidden in the safe.
- Bobby, can you bring me your T-shirt? - she speaks through the closed door, turning her head to the side at the same time.
A short-sleeve work shirt with the proud chevron of a sergeant falls to the floor. Athena slips out of her trousers and casually kicks it aside, hoping to wash it tonight.
- I don't want to wear any of my own... In this heat, silk sticks uncomfortably and does not allow air to pass through, and your cotton T-shirts are just perfect... - she still doesn't notice that no one is answering her from the other side and the bedroom is silent. - Bobby? Have you left already?
Lowering her shoulders from fatigue, Athena clicks the handle and leaves the bathroom, surprised to find her husband in the same position in which she left him 10 minutes ago. She frowns and strides towards him in her underwear. Tilting her head slightly, she tries to catch his eye and distract him from his deep thoughts.
Bobby is sitting on the edge of the bed in pants with a dangling belt and an incorrectly buttoned shirt. He lifted his right foot, placing it on the mattress, and froze with a black sock at his toes. His distant, unfocused gaze is focused on a single point right in front of him, there is a deep wrinkle between his eyebrows, and his lips are slightly parted.
- Baby? - Athena stands in front of him and raises her hand, running it through her short brown hair. - Bobby, are you okay?
In an instant, the man freezes, blinks in confusion and directs all his attention to his wife. He smiles awkwardly and shakes his head, trying to clear the confusion of thoughts swarming in his head. In one motion, Athena runs her palm over the fair skin of her cheek and gently strokes her cheekbone with her thumb.
- Thena... I'm sorry, I was thinking, - he examines her from head to toe, noticing that she came out of the bathroom in her underwear and inevitably responds with a slight tremor and pallor. - God, baby, is everything okay? I didn't hear what you were saying.
- That's what I understood, - Bobby quickly pulls on a sock, lowers his foot to the floor and spreads his knees a little. His big hands rest on her bare back and pull her towards him. A nervous, ragged sigh escapes from his lungs and warm air enters her stomach.
Without hesitation, Athena wraps both arms around his head, allowing him to nuzzle her breasts. With his fingers spread wide, Bobby moves his palms steadily over her back, pressing lightly when they hit the lower back area, which causes her to have a relaxed and grateful smile on her lips.
- What kind of thoughts occupy your whole restless head? - Athena almost whispers, stroking and lightly scratching his head with her fingertips as he places a few kisses on her stomach.
- You. It's always you, - Bobby turns his head, pressing his ear against her body, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist. - I'm confused, Thena... I don't really understand what we really need to do... This "Yolk" is already here and is already making itself felt.
- Definitely so... Don't call him "Yolk". I don't want to associate him with an egg, - Athena bends down a little, lowering her chin onto his head, which is quite easy due to her small stature. - It weighs 0.35 ounces and has grown to 1.4 inches... At this time, he's like... A small plum.
- Oh, I like plums more than scrambled eggs, - Bobby remarks casually. With a smile relieved by casual conversation, he lifts his head and meets her gaze. - This plum has a beating heart...
***
- Bobby, will you stop doing this? Please sit down and calm down, - Athena grabs her husband by the hand and sits him down on a bench near the wall under the interested gazes of the couples.
For the last half hour, he had been pacing back and forth along the corridor, now speeding up, now pausing thoughtfully. He would focus his attention on medical posters, then suddenly swallow noisily and slap his thighs with his palms. And Bobby couldn't remember the last time he'd been so nervous.
It seems that even when he became a father for the first two times, he was rather in a state of elation and anticipation. A man who was going to become a father for the first time in his life was incredibly ready and eager to see a fetus that would develop into a baby on a monitor screen in just a few months.
Now, everything was different. Those memories were too long ago, it's been a long time since he took care of someone who was a biological extension of himself...
For a moment, the man calms down, but before he knows it, his foot starts tapping rhythmically on the floor. There's a muffled chuckle from the side, and her hand falls on his knee and squeezes in a supportive gesture.
- How can you be so calm, Athena?
- Why should I be nervous? Your nimble swimmers have probably already done their job. The doctor will only confirm or deny the pregnancy. If that's the case, then... - he sighed noisily and held out her hand to him, wanting to interlace her fingers. - Then we can find out the date, find out if everything is in order, find out a professional opinion on whether it is worth saving this pregnancy at all. Bobby, you do realize that if there's a risk, I'm going to have to have an abortion, right?..
- God, of course, understanding, - his head falls back against the wall, and he nervously bites his lip. - This is your body, and no matter how much I help you, you will have to bear the brunt of this condition, and it's up to you to decide... I fell in love with this child, I loved the thought of this child even the first time I thought about it... But I will never risk you and your health for anything.
- On the other hand, - Athena nodded slowly. - Everything can be fine. I was sure that we had both finished this chapter, closed the book and put it on the top shelf, but if I have a child... With your eyes, with your smile, with your pure heart, how could I not want this?
His eyes sparkled with pure pleasure and joy at her words. His beloved woman told him directly that she loved him, that she trusted him so much that she wanted to have a child with him. A manifestation of recognition to the highest degree. She saw him as a reliable, stable person. He was like a foundation, like the solid concrete foundation of their whole family. He was already a partner, husband, and stepfather to two wonderful adults. And he will become an equally wonderful father for another child.
- Mrs. Nash? - the nurse looked out of the door and invited the couple inside.
After a standard extensive survey, measurements of blood pressure, height, weight and temperature, Athena submitted her blood and urine for analysis, and the doctor suggested that they do an ultrasound to avoid waiting for results and confirm a possible pregnancy.
- A blood test will show the HCG level. Can you guess how old you are now? - the doctor smiled gently, laying out a disposable diaper on the couch and offering to lie down.
- I think it's been more than two months, to be honest, I haven't even noticed the absence of menstruation or other signs... Actually my husband... - Bobby sat down next to Athena on a chair and took her hand, squeezing it slightly with excitement. - My husband brought me a pregnancy test.
- Oh, you're an attentive man, that's great. Unbutton your trousers, please, and lower them down to your underwear, - Athena quickly pulled the zipper down, and the doctor tucked a cloth napkin behind the edges of her jeans so as not to stain them with gel. - It might be a little chilly.
Athena returned her hand to Bobby, interlacing her fingers with his. The screen of the ultrasound machine lit up, the doctor squeezed out a little slippery gel on the dark skin of the lower abdomen and finally applied the sensor, slightly pressing.
- Okay, I'm checking the fallopian tubes, - the doctor takes the sensor in two different directions. - The older a woman's age, the greater the risks associated with ectopic pregnancy.
They spend a few minutes in silent silence and Athena crosses her feet, trying to calm the nervous trembling in her legs. Bobby tilts his head slightly and looks at the blurred black-and-white image. Technology had advanced a lot since he'd seen Bobby Jr.'s last ultrasound.
However, even now, many years later, a man has to strain his eyes and all his imagination to imagine the location of the pelvic organs on the screen. What seems to him to be a suspicious bright spot turns out to be just a vessel in the end.
- Everything is fine, the tubes, cervix, ovaries and abdominal cavity are clean, - the doctor smiles quite and a little cunningly. - Actually, I see a fetus attached in the uterus.
Bobby can't help but let out a loud, relieved sigh. He leans back in his chair and runs his icy palms over his face. One less fear is a reason for joy. Athena only closed her eyes for a moment. Somewhere inside her, the voice of reason, which whispered about her age, about having grown-up children, about building a stable life, abruptly went out and gave way to the voice of demand. The requirement to save and preserve this child. The demand to give birth and bring him into the world, even if she has to leave work, and others will be shocked.
- This is a uterine pregnancy. The uterus has acquired a more rounded shape and slightly enlarged. Now its length is 2.95 inches.
Athena looks down, as if assessing the size of her stomach. She wouldn't say that he had already changed. Maybe, and only maybe, now he looks like she's had a big meal.
- We can also determine the size of the fetus and determine the exact duration of pregnancy. To determine it, the length from the coccyx to the crown is measured. A few clicks of the buttons on the device and numbers appear along with the frozen image. - The size of the fetus is 1.4 inches. This corresponds to the 9th week of pregnancy.
- That's... Wow... Wow, - Bobby's eyebrows shoot up and disappear at the edge of his hairline. - And at such a time, with such a height, does he already have a coccyx and a crown?
- Moreover, this baby can already move, - the woman nods her head, echoing her words. - And not only rotates around its axis, but it can also move its arms and legs. Hmm... 1.4 inches is a rather unusual indicator. This is practically the upper limit of the norm.
- Is it bad? - Athena frowns slightly and bites her lip.
- No, it's just your baby... - the doctor turns to Bobby and examines him with suspicious attention. - Most likely, he will inherit his father's height. It will be high.
- Oh... - while Bobby's chest swells with pride for the little man, Athena slowly lowers her head back to the couch.
And for the first time, the thought of the size difference between her and her husband arises in her head. Damn it, if this man looks like someone who can take out the door with one blow, then how big will their baby grow to by the expected date of birth? Athena exhales loudly. Michael wasn't much taller than her, and May and Harry were born pretty petite, but this baby?.. This is probably the first time she learns what ruptures are during childbirth.
- So, as I said, the fetus is located in the uterine cavity, surrounded by amniotic fluid. He is already moving and looks healthy and proportionally developed for his term. We'll also listen to the heartbeat.
Bobby immediately found Athena's gaze and could have sworn they swallowed at the same time. His free hand rested on her shoulder, and he leaned so close that he rested his cheek against her forehead. They held their breath and closed their eyes together until a rapid rhythmic thud filled the room.
- Fine, just fine. It's a strong, noisy heartbeat without extraneous sounds, - the doctor moved the sensor slightly to the side and zoomed in on the picture. - As far as I can see, the atria and ventricles look great, they work together and without interference. The heart rate is 140 beats per minute, which is an excellent indicator.
Bobby pressed his trembling lips to her forehead, and then gently lifted her chin and left a few more kisses on her lips.
- Athena, at the moment you have a wonderful healthy pregnancy, - the doctor handed her several napkins and returned to the table. - We have already talked with you about the risks, but for now and until the test results are received, I recommend keeping the pregnancy. The fetus looks viable and strong, and your physical condition is fine too. If you have any emotional doubts, I can refer you to a psychologist.
- No, that's not necessary, - Athena got to her feet, tidying herself up. - My husband and I have already talked about this. If everything goes well, we want to go all the way...
***
- I know, baby, our baby is already big enough to have a heartbeat, - Athena gave him a condescending smile. The nausea subsided and she sat next to him on the edge of the bed, clutching the blanket in her hands. - But if we're not ready... Bobby, if you have any doubts, I understand.
- I don't want to let him down, Athena... - Bobby looked down. The pattern on the carpet has never been so interesting. - I'm afraid to stumble and make a mistake. I love you so much already, and I'll never forgive myself if I screw up this time.
- Bobby, - In one swift movement, she covered his shaking fist with her palm. - You've been sober for years. You take care of your health, you go to meetings, and you're surrounded by people who believe in you and trust you all your life. And that will never change, even if one day you have that one bad day.
Athena leaned her head against his shoulder, and the dark blue fabric was moistened by a stream of tears rolling down her cheeks. Stupid hormones.
- I'll reach out and help you up, even if you stumble. And you will never let our child down. Look what kind of person you've grown out of a Buck, - she nudged him with her forehead and laughed. - It's going to be okay, baby.
- I love you, Thena. Thank you for believing in me, - Bobby lifted her palm, reverently covering her knuckles with kisses. A moment later, he stiffens when he notices her in her underwear. - Why aren't you getting dressed?
- Are you kidding, Bobby? Your child made me hover over the toilet for 10 minutes and now my uniform needs to be washed, - Athena says with a grin, going to the closet on her own and taking out one of the old worn LAFD T-shirts. - Have you really not heard all these picturesque urges?
- Oh, - coughing softly, he lights up with that guilty puppy expression on his face and half-lowers his gaze to the floor. - Do you need anything? Water? Can I make you some toast?
- No, it's fine, - Athena drops her bra to the floor and puts a T-shirt over her head. - Our plum got rid of the peanut butter and jam sandwich that I ate at the end of the shift, and now she feels just fine. By the way, if you have time, will you buy some currant jam? Strawberry, as it turned out, makes me sick...
Athena didn't even bother to make the bed properly. She pulled the bedspread back on the bed, bent back the edge of the blanket and climbed into it, as if into a cozy cocoon. At the same moment, her back and legs sent her grateful prayers. Her tense muscles relaxed slightly as she sprawled across the mattress like the most beautiful starfish.
- I'll buy anything you want, - Bobby looked at himself in the mirror and recoiled in horror from his reflection. - Jesus Christ... - he quickly began to fix the buttons on his shirt. Smoothing the disheveled hairs on his well-coiffed hairstyle, Bobby looked at her through the reflective surface and couldn't help but smile. - What are you going to do?
- I'll sleep, - Athena gathered her loose hair into a small bun and pulled a light pink matte cap over her head and took a matching blindfold. - We're going to sleep... Then we'll order a big burger with a triple portion of pickles and a double patty, and then... - She yawned softly, settling herself more comfortably on the pillow. - Then I'll cook dinner for my beloved husband and the older children who are finally coming from Florida...
- You have Napoleonic plans, baby, - Bobby picked up his work bag, slinging it over his shoulder, and stepped to the window, closing the curtains.
A grateful groan came from the side of the bed, from somewhere under the covers. He approached his wife, who was already half asleep, and his thumb gently slid over her protruding cheekbone and traced the contour of her plump lips. Bobby tickled the tip of his nose lightly and stifled a chuckle when Athena winced. Finally, he bent down, and Athena lifted her head to meet him, accepting the long-awaited kiss.
- Bobby! - She lifted the edge of the blindfold and sharply called out to him when he was already standing at the door of the room. - You're going to pick up May and Harry from the airport, aren't you? I know they'll say they can call an UBER, but I'll feel better if you pick them up and you come home right away for dinner...
- Baby, - something in her pleading tone and for some reason incredibly pitiful look made Bobby shudder and melt like ice cream in the heat. - That's why I switched shifts. I'll only have 8 hours of work, I'll pick up our kids and we'll be home for dinner.
- Home safe?
- Home safe, - Bobby nodded.
He closed the door behind him, leaving the room comfortably dark. Smiling to himself, Bobby got out of the house. The shift was supposed to be quiet and peaceful, although, admittedly, somewhere deep inside he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
His morning reverie, his unexpectedly frank conversation about the fear of letting down his wife and their unborn child, caused him excitement and an inexplicable slight tremor. Maybe he's just worried? They agreed to tell the older children important news, and anticipation, bordering on anxiety, occupied all the free space around.
However, shaking his head, dispelling this unnecessary brain fog, and ignoring that "spider sense" Bobby smiled. The shift must be quiet and peaceful.