Four Brothers
Title: In the Beginning
Author: veiledndarkness
Rating: PG-13 for language
Pairing: None
Summary: Everybody’s got a story. Every story has a beginning.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made, no harm intended.
XX
It wasn’t right, but then, nothing ever really was. Maggie held up her half smoked cigarette, eyeing the burning tip. She pinched it with her fingers, knocking the ash loose.
A car drove past her, the man in the driver’s seat taking a long look. She scowled at him and cocked a hip out as she walked. “See somethin’ you wish you had?” she snapped as she walked past the car.
“Ain’t no class in a broad like you,” the heavyset man spat at her.
Maggie held her middle finger up as she stomped up the stairs to the doctor’s office, her sandals clomping loudly. She exhaled and pushed the door open, grim resignation on her face.
She’d known, oh Christ, had she ever as soon as she started each morning with a visit to the toilet. And now…what was the point of this? Confirming what she knew and what the fuck was she supposed to do now?
Maggie touched one hand to her stomach, a hardly there bump that made her want to just fucking scream.
“Shit,” she muttered as the door closed behind her.
XX
Maggie watched the sun set outside the window, watched it slip below the cracked glass. She turned her head, shuddering at the pang that rippled through her. “Stop squirmin’ in there kid,” she poked at her stomach. “It ain’t much better out here, so don’t be in no hurry.”
The baby kicked back. She winced. God, the kid sure could kick.
XX
“You really need to consider your options, Maggie. It won’t be much longer now.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “No shit, Doc.” She glared down at her swollen stomach. “I dunno…I mean, yeah I oughta give it up an’ all. I ain’t prepared to take care of no kid.”
“You could put the child up for adoption,” the doctor nodded, his bushy white eyebrows moving up and down as he spoke. Maggie smiled thinly. They looked like white caterpillars, kind of like the type that had crawled all over Grandma Tessy’s plants on the farm.
Her smile faded. The farm…She missed those days sometimes. She sighed and kicked her scuffed boots over the beige carpet. “Yeah…I think I oughta.”
“Maggie, have you contacted the father?”
“No.”
“You might want to consider…”
“I said no!” she snapped. She crossed her arms, fidgeting. God, she wanted a cigarette. “Not like he’d give a shit anyway.”
The doctor nodded. “I see. Well, I can give you the number of an agency.”
“Thanks,” she muttered.
XX
The card sat in her purse for several days. She took it out every so often, running her fingers over the thin cardboard. The hesitation, she just didn’t get it. She knew damned well what she needed to do and yet…yet she couldn’t shake the image of handing over her baby to some stranger.
She touched a hand to her stomach. “I dunno, kid. I ain’t much of a mom.”
For once, the baby didn’t kick back. She frowned. Normally the kid kicked up a storm, especially when she wanted to sleep.
Maggie sighed. “If I do this, I want ya to know…I do love you. I…fuck; I’m no good at this sorta thing. But what if someone fucks you up worse than I could? I mean…how much worse could it get? At least with me…it’s family, yeah?”
There was a gentle nudge. She smiled sadly and rubbed her fingers over the spot.
“You’re all I got, kiddo. We need to stick together.”
The baby kicked again. Maggie rubbed her fingers slowly along her stomach. “Yeah, we’ll stick together. You an’ me, baby.”
XX
A shrill scream floated into the hallway. Maggie lay on the bed, one hand on each rail. She screamed again, pushing as hard as she could. The doctor nodded, guiding the baby’s head.
“One more push, Maggie, one more oughta do it,” he coaxed.
Maggie sobbed out a breath as she pushed down, the baby slipping out finally. There was a silent pause, a heartbeat before the baby let out a fierce shriek. Maggie wiped at the tears that leaked from her eyes with one palm.
“Congratulations, Maggie. It’s a boy.”
She looked up, dazed and tired as the baby was placed on her chest, his face scrunched up in anger. “Shh, kiddo,” she whispered. “You made it.”
The nurse at her side wrapped a blue blanket around him. “Such a strong little guy,” she remarked.
“He’s perfect,” Maggie mumbled sleepily, “My little Bobby.”
XX
Author: veiledndarkness
Rating: PG-13 for language
Pairing: None
Summary: Everybody’s got a story. Every story has a beginning.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made, no harm intended.
XX
It wasn’t right, but then, nothing ever really was. Maggie held up her half smoked cigarette, eyeing the burning tip. She pinched it with her fingers, knocking the ash loose.
A car drove past her, the man in the driver’s seat taking a long look. She scowled at him and cocked a hip out as she walked. “See somethin’ you wish you had?” she snapped as she walked past the car.
“Ain’t no class in a broad like you,” the heavyset man spat at her.
Maggie held her middle finger up as she stomped up the stairs to the doctor’s office, her sandals clomping loudly. She exhaled and pushed the door open, grim resignation on her face.
She’d known, oh Christ, had she ever as soon as she started each morning with a visit to the toilet. And now…what was the point of this? Confirming what she knew and what the fuck was she supposed to do now?
Maggie touched one hand to her stomach, a hardly there bump that made her want to just fucking scream.
“Shit,” she muttered as the door closed behind her.
XX
Maggie watched the sun set outside the window, watched it slip below the cracked glass. She turned her head, shuddering at the pang that rippled through her. “Stop squirmin’ in there kid,” she poked at her stomach. “It ain’t much better out here, so don’t be in no hurry.”
The baby kicked back. She winced. God, the kid sure could kick.
XX
“You really need to consider your options, Maggie. It won’t be much longer now.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “No shit, Doc.” She glared down at her swollen stomach. “I dunno…I mean, yeah I oughta give it up an’ all. I ain’t prepared to take care of no kid.”
“You could put the child up for adoption,” the doctor nodded, his bushy white eyebrows moving up and down as he spoke. Maggie smiled thinly. They looked like white caterpillars, kind of like the type that had crawled all over Grandma Tessy’s plants on the farm.
Her smile faded. The farm…She missed those days sometimes. She sighed and kicked her scuffed boots over the beige carpet. “Yeah…I think I oughta.”
“Maggie, have you contacted the father?”
“No.”
“You might want to consider…”
“I said no!” she snapped. She crossed her arms, fidgeting. God, she wanted a cigarette. “Not like he’d give a shit anyway.”
The doctor nodded. “I see. Well, I can give you the number of an agency.”
“Thanks,” she muttered.
XX
The card sat in her purse for several days. She took it out every so often, running her fingers over the thin cardboard. The hesitation, she just didn’t get it. She knew damned well what she needed to do and yet…yet she couldn’t shake the image of handing over her baby to some stranger.
She touched a hand to her stomach. “I dunno, kid. I ain’t much of a mom.”
For once, the baby didn’t kick back. She frowned. Normally the kid kicked up a storm, especially when she wanted to sleep.
Maggie sighed. “If I do this, I want ya to know…I do love you. I…fuck; I’m no good at this sorta thing. But what if someone fucks you up worse than I could? I mean…how much worse could it get? At least with me…it’s family, yeah?”
There was a gentle nudge. She smiled sadly and rubbed her fingers over the spot.
“You’re all I got, kiddo. We need to stick together.”
The baby kicked again. Maggie rubbed her fingers slowly along her stomach. “Yeah, we’ll stick together. You an’ me, baby.”
XX
A shrill scream floated into the hallway. Maggie lay on the bed, one hand on each rail. She screamed again, pushing as hard as she could. The doctor nodded, guiding the baby’s head.
“One more push, Maggie, one more oughta do it,” he coaxed.
Maggie sobbed out a breath as she pushed down, the baby slipping out finally. There was a silent pause, a heartbeat before the baby let out a fierce shriek. Maggie wiped at the tears that leaked from her eyes with one palm.
“Congratulations, Maggie. It’s a boy.”
She looked up, dazed and tired as the baby was placed on her chest, his face scrunched up in anger. “Shh, kiddo,” she whispered. “You made it.”
The nurse at her side wrapped a blue blanket around him. “Such a strong little guy,” she remarked.
“He’s perfect,” Maggie mumbled sleepily, “My little Bobby.”
XX