Hellsing: Walter/Seras, Theme set B, Doctor's Office
Title: Rachel Fails at Titling
Character: Walter/Seras (Hellsing)
Author: SystemAurora
Rating: PG
Theme: B The Doctor's Office
Warnings: none
Summary: A visit to the paediatrician goes less than well.
"There, there. It's likely not as severe as you remember from your childhood." Walter rubbed a sobbing Seras's back one-handedly. Lucy's baby carrier occupied his other hand. "She's still our child, you know. No diagnosis, especially a tentative one, will change that."
She nodded into his shoulder as the doors closed. Frankly, considering that the paediatrician had completely disparaged her mothering abilities, threatened to report them for neglect, and diagnosed their daughter with a condition Seras associated with severe levels of handicap, Walter was surprised she'd made it back to the waiting room before falling apart.
"She won't get any worse," he pointed out. "He did say she had a good chance of walking with assistance with physical therapy."
"He said, he said, I deserved to have her taken away!" Seras sobbed. "He said I was a terrible mother."
"I know." He tightened his hold on her. "And he's a bloody arrogant fool who wouldn't know a good mother from his own arse even if he could pull his head out long enough to spare a glance at either."
Seras laughed through her tears, but it was short-lived. "I didn't know she was so bad off," she wept. "They wouldn't let us bring her in without her paperwork, even though we tried to get her help. I just don't know very much about babies!"
The doors to the lift slid open, revealing a small crowd waiting to board. Seras swiped at her eyes and pushed past them, her tear-stained face lowered. Walter shoved his way after her, only catching up to her at the car.
"Stop for a moment," he said sternly, setting the seat on the pavement and unbuckling Lucy from it. He held the baby out towards Seras, her legs tense and her tiny toes pointed stiffly downward, as usual. "Hold her for a moment."
"I can't! I'm a terrible mum!" Seras wailed.
"Ama!" Lucy reached out for Seras. When the vampire didn't immediately reach out to take her, she grew impatient. "Ama! Ama! Ama!"
"Lucy doesn't think so," Walter reminded her gently. "Go on, take her."
Seras hesitated for a moment, then snatched Lucy into her arms and cradled her possessively. "I'm sorry!" Her voice was muffled by Lucy's shoulder. "I just want to be a good mum to you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Lucy giggled. "Ama, Ama." She hit Seras's face with one little hand.
"This is hardly the end of the world." Walter took out his handkerchief and dried Seras's face. "Given what we deal with on a daily basis protecting the nation, I have full confidence in our ability to handle this situation. Don't you agree?"
Seras nodded and opened her eyes, starting to show a bit of her usual resilience. "We're doing alright so far. That bloody doctor even admitted she was a good weight for her age!"
"There you are," Walter kissed her cheek. "We'll simply find a new paediatrician and see what we can do to get her as independent as possible." He pulled the two of them into a careful embrace. "And for the record, I think you make wonderful mum."
"Thanks." She rested her forehead on his chest for a moment, then straightened. "Well, let's get going, shall we? I'm tired from being out in the sun, and I have loads of research to do, not to mention that I'm supposed to be working tonight!"
They strapped Lucy into her carrier in the backseat, and Seras climbed in next to her as usual. The baby fell asleep halfway through her bottle, and Seras unbuckled and leaned up towards the front seat to talk to Walter in a whisper.
"I know I said I didn't want to know much about her past, but I've changed my mind," she said.
"Very well." He cleared his throat. "According to her records at the orphanage, she was born prematurely to a fifteen-year-old Jane Doe who died just before the delivery. She spent the first four weeks of her life in the hospital and was transferred to the orphanage when she was stable. And that's everything we know about her."
"That's it?" Seras sighed. "Well, it's better than nothing." She rested her head on his shoulder. "We're both going to need a lot of energy to deal with this, Walter."
"I'd rather not get into this right now," he warned, reaching back to touch her cheek without taking his eyes off the road.
"I know, but if not now then when?" She bit her lip. "Unexpected things can happen. Unexpectedly. You could die instantly, or I could be far away when something happens. I mean, I know you're healthy now, but accidents happen!"
"We'll talk about it later," Walter said firmly. He turned on her new Imogen Heap CD, and that was the end of their discussion.
"Sorry," Seras muttered after a few moments of silence except for the music.
"It's quite alright." He smiled at her in the rearview mirror. "It just seems we have more than enough to fret over at present without adding another thing to the pile."
She nodded quietly and leaned back in her seat, watching Lucy sleep. "Can we stop at the library before we go home?" she spoke up suddenly.
"What for?"
"Books," she answered. "Parenting books, medical books, those sorts of books."
Walter's hand squeezed her knee lovingly. "Of course."
Character: Walter/Seras (Hellsing)
Author: SystemAurora
Rating: PG
Theme: B The Doctor's Office
Warnings: none
Summary: A visit to the paediatrician goes less than well.
"There, there. It's likely not as severe as you remember from your childhood." Walter rubbed a sobbing Seras's back one-handedly. Lucy's baby carrier occupied his other hand. "She's still our child, you know. No diagnosis, especially a tentative one, will change that."
She nodded into his shoulder as the doors closed. Frankly, considering that the paediatrician had completely disparaged her mothering abilities, threatened to report them for neglect, and diagnosed their daughter with a condition Seras associated with severe levels of handicap, Walter was surprised she'd made it back to the waiting room before falling apart.
"She won't get any worse," he pointed out. "He did say she had a good chance of walking with assistance with physical therapy."
"He said, he said, I deserved to have her taken away!" Seras sobbed. "He said I was a terrible mother."
"I know." He tightened his hold on her. "And he's a bloody arrogant fool who wouldn't know a good mother from his own arse even if he could pull his head out long enough to spare a glance at either."
Seras laughed through her tears, but it was short-lived. "I didn't know she was so bad off," she wept. "They wouldn't let us bring her in without her paperwork, even though we tried to get her help. I just don't know very much about babies!"
The doors to the lift slid open, revealing a small crowd waiting to board. Seras swiped at her eyes and pushed past them, her tear-stained face lowered. Walter shoved his way after her, only catching up to her at the car.
"Stop for a moment," he said sternly, setting the seat on the pavement and unbuckling Lucy from it. He held the baby out towards Seras, her legs tense and her tiny toes pointed stiffly downward, as usual. "Hold her for a moment."
"I can't! I'm a terrible mum!" Seras wailed.
"Ama!" Lucy reached out for Seras. When the vampire didn't immediately reach out to take her, she grew impatient. "Ama! Ama! Ama!"
"Lucy doesn't think so," Walter reminded her gently. "Go on, take her."
Seras hesitated for a moment, then snatched Lucy into her arms and cradled her possessively. "I'm sorry!" Her voice was muffled by Lucy's shoulder. "I just want to be a good mum to you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Lucy giggled. "Ama, Ama." She hit Seras's face with one little hand.
"This is hardly the end of the world." Walter took out his handkerchief and dried Seras's face. "Given what we deal with on a daily basis protecting the nation, I have full confidence in our ability to handle this situation. Don't you agree?"
Seras nodded and opened her eyes, starting to show a bit of her usual resilience. "We're doing alright so far. That bloody doctor even admitted she was a good weight for her age!"
"There you are," Walter kissed her cheek. "We'll simply find a new paediatrician and see what we can do to get her as independent as possible." He pulled the two of them into a careful embrace. "And for the record, I think you make wonderful mum."
"Thanks." She rested her forehead on his chest for a moment, then straightened. "Well, let's get going, shall we? I'm tired from being out in the sun, and I have loads of research to do, not to mention that I'm supposed to be working tonight!"
They strapped Lucy into her carrier in the backseat, and Seras climbed in next to her as usual. The baby fell asleep halfway through her bottle, and Seras unbuckled and leaned up towards the front seat to talk to Walter in a whisper.
"I know I said I didn't want to know much about her past, but I've changed my mind," she said.
"Very well." He cleared his throat. "According to her records at the orphanage, she was born prematurely to a fifteen-year-old Jane Doe who died just before the delivery. She spent the first four weeks of her life in the hospital and was transferred to the orphanage when she was stable. And that's everything we know about her."
"That's it?" Seras sighed. "Well, it's better than nothing." She rested her head on his shoulder. "We're both going to need a lot of energy to deal with this, Walter."
"I'd rather not get into this right now," he warned, reaching back to touch her cheek without taking his eyes off the road.
"I know, but if not now then when?" She bit her lip. "Unexpected things can happen. Unexpectedly. You could die instantly, or I could be far away when something happens. I mean, I know you're healthy now, but accidents happen!"
"We'll talk about it later," Walter said firmly. He turned on her new Imogen Heap CD, and that was the end of their discussion.
"Sorry," Seras muttered after a few moments of silence except for the music.
"It's quite alright." He smiled at her in the rearview mirror. "It just seems we have more than enough to fret over at present without adding another thing to the pile."
She nodded quietly and leaned back in her seat, watching Lucy sleep. "Can we stop at the library before we go home?" she spoke up suddenly.
"What for?"
"Books," she answered. "Parenting books, medical books, those sorts of books."
Walter's hand squeezed her knee lovingly. "Of course."