rackofbadcds | Alternate title: Three Men and a Baby

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rochelle

Alternate title: Three Men and a Baby

Holy hell of a morning.

After Coach had gotten shot, the motherfucking mountain man, the one the other called Marshall, didn't waste time. The other woman quickly introduced herself as Jean, a nurse and Marshall's wife, and had barely started trying to stop Coach's bleeding when Marshall brought up the bunker. It was less of a reccomendation and more like a demand. With Coach bleeding as bad as he was coupled with Rochelle's condition, which he would bring up later, the faster they got out the better.

And it was just in time, because as soon as the four of them got out of the hospital and made their quick introductions. Well, introductions coupled with arguing, especially when it was brought up who had shot Coach. Jean was about to shut them up with the roar of a horde did it for her. It didn't take more than a second for them to decide what to do. They abandoned the van (temporarily, they hoped), carried Coach and Rochelle into Marshall and Jean's pickup truck, piled in, and drove the fuck out.

Coach managed to stay conscious, even with all the blood he was losing. Rochelle, though, was out hot (pun intended) in her feverish condition. Jean did her best with the both of them. She said there was a doctor at the bunker, a co-worker she escaped with before she found Marshall again, who could give them a lot better help. Otherwise, between driving and trying to stablize the others, Jean and Marshall didn't have much focus to explain themselves and the bunker. As soon as they were out of the woods, that story was being saved.

The horde finally caught up when they got to the bunker. The slow opening door didn't help. But ~~a crescendo later and~~ the door opened enough for them to crawl under, and all that's left was to shoot the zombies trying to do the same until the door slid closed, just as slowly.

It finally did, and Coach leaned against the wall. He panted, hard.

"God DAMN..."

Jean moved over to him and offered an arm. Marshall was already carrying the unconscious Rochelle in both arms of his own arms, seeing as he wasn't sure how good of an idea it was to haul a pregnant woman over his shoulders.

"Gotta agree with that shit." He grunted. "Doc better still be here."

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"But hey, we got a nice little place here," he starts, even if he knows it won't last forever. It can't and Nick's not getting his hopes up that it will.

But it's here now and not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

"We'll make sure she gets to see plenty of good too." Nick wasn't exactly an optimistic guy, but he didn't want his kid to have a crap life either... not now that the reality had really sunk in.

"And she's got plenty of people to teach her to take care of herself."

Rochelle huffed out a tired laugh.

"Like 'Uncle' Ellis."

"Are you insane? Overalls isn't teaching her any damn thing." He made a face. "He's going to get his hillbilly germs all over the poor kid soon."

"You know, whether you like it or not Ellis is family."

Dammit, Rochelle.

Let him keep being annoyed by the kid and his hillbilly germs. "Yeah, well, if he gets her a trucker hat, all bets are off, you know."

"I dunno. I think she'd look cute in a trucker hat," Yeah, so at this point Rochelle is just teasing Nick and yanking his chain. She's supposed to be his ball-and-chain at this point anyway now that they have a kid, right? "Selena, what do you think?"

Selena had no opinion. But her eyes were open now, a pretty brown like Mommy's.

"She's got eyes like mine and my mom's..." Ro smiled, but now it seemed a little sad. "I wish my family could see her."

Her biological family, obviously. Other family. Nick, Ellis, and Coach were her family too, but Nick could figure out what she meant.

A few seconds later, the door opens again. It's Travis and Jean. The good doctor grins.

"How're you three doing?"

Rochelle looked up and tried to wipe the bittersweet off of her expression. Not that she wasn't happy. She was. It was just... hard, remembering that her own mother wasn't anymore. She forces an easier smile.

"We're good, we're good."

"Better than good, then." Travis stepped to the other side of the bed. "Let's get the afterbirth out and check up on you, and we won't bug you anymore."

"What--oh." Rochelle blinked. Right. With Selena in her arms, it was easy to forget that she wasn't done. "... Is this gonna hurt too?"

"Not really," Jean winked at Rochelle. "You already did the hardest part."

There's a pause, then Rochelle nods. She turns to Nick, and holds Selena out. She offers him a tired, lopsided smile and nods towards the door. "Wanna go show her off?"

He glared at the trucker hat comment because seriously, there was no way that Nick was letting any kid of his dress like Howdy out there, "uncle" or not.

But Rochelle's other comment got him to soften a little bit. "I know," he murmured and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Not that Nick had much of a family to speak of, not before meeting these guys anyway.

He wished Rochelle hadn't lost hers though, for what it was worth.

Man, he was suddenly exhausted. Tonight hadn't been an easy one like he thought, but on the plus side... they did know they had a healthy, normal baby. That was worth a sleepless night, for sure. He took her when Rochelle held her out and smiled a little bit. "Yeah, alright. I'll let her go see the other guys out there."

He looked back towards Jean and flashed a short smile. "Take care of her, alright?"

Not that he was worried. He knew Rochelle was in good hands now as he stepped towards the door and out into the other area where he figured there had to be plenty of people waiting after all the commotion.

"Don't worry," Jean nodded with the same wide smile she had before. "Now go show her off."

You never know, Nick. Coach might be waking up up Ellis so your kid can meet the rest of the family.

(SPOILERS: HE IS.
RIGHT NOW.)

Nick headed outside and grinned a little bit at the random faces waiting outside...

And then Overalls had to come rushing in, looking like he really did just get out of bed. Goddammit, Coach, why...

"Jesus, Nick, that really her?" Ellis was wearing this stupid, big grin on his face to top it all off.

"Yeah. Healthy as can be too."

HEY MAN WHO DOESN'T WANNA SEE A BABY

Coach was trailing behind Ellis with the biggest grin on this face.

"Shit, lemme see her!" He catches up and peers down at the little face swaddled tight in those blankets. Selena squirms as much as she can and whimpers at the new attention. She was just getting comfortable in her mama's arms before this happened "I'll be damned. Look at that face. She's got her daddy's looks and her mama's eyes."

He couldn't help a laugh that was half amazed, half bewildered. Because man, when all this shit started he didn't think he'd ever see another child again, much less a newborn baby.

"What's her name?"

Ellis could have totally waited until morning to see her, dammit.

But he had to admit, the grins fixated on his kid was something that got him to smile too. "Right? Can't believe it."

No denying she was theirs, with a face like that. It was just so weird, seeing someone who was a miniature of both of you though.

"We decided on Selena," he answered, not even bothering to bitch when Ellis stepped up to get a closer look, one hand reaching out to gently, carefully tug just a corner of those blankets back to get a good look.

"Shit, Dean... can't believe it, man. You're a daddy!" And he was holding a baby... you know, without tossing it or dropping it or nothing.

Selena kept half-squirming, but the new faces seemed to get her attention. She stared at Ellis and whimpered and cooed again as if she wanted to say Dad, who are these people.

Coach couldn't help that laugh.

"Ahhhw, Selena. Think I'm gonna call her... 'Lina. How 'bout that? Lil' 'Leena." Because of course Coach would designated a nickname for her.

"So... what's the verdict?" Coach glanced up at Nick. Did they decide they were gonna keep her or not?

He grinned a little at the cooing noises she made. "Hey, c'mon, these guys are part of the reason you're here, kid."

They were the closest family she'd get too, all things considered. Even overalls. Goddammit, the idea of Ellis playing uncle to his kid should irritate the hell out of him, but he was too relieved.

"Coach, you're really gonna give her a nickname before she even knows her full name?" But there wasn't much irritation to his tone. Coach was gonna do it, he knew it, and at least it wasn't too bad.

"C'mon, Nick, it's a cute name," Ellis protested, but even he sobered up at the question coach asked, apparently catching on that it was important.

Nick shrugged as he adjusted the blankets back around Selena, rocking her lightly whenever she squirmed. "Guess me and Rochelle are gonna try our hand with her."

"What? A pretty name like that needs a pretty nickname too. 'Lena' or somethin' like that." Coach smirk, and looked back down at Selena with a joking wink. You know, like she would catch that. She was looking back up at Nick, seeing as he was talking to her and rocking her and all. Okay, that was a little nicer.

As for his second question, Coach nodded. He didn't mind Ellis in on the conversation. He figured he might know. Nick and Rochelle had made it clear day one that they didn't want this kid. But Coach was glad they changed their minds.

"Good."

"Hope so." He hoped it was the best idea. Nick wasn't all that confident in his parenting skills, but Rochelle seemed to have a handle and well... he kind of didn't want to let her go now that he had her.

"Aw, c'mon, Nick. Y'all got this." Nick looked surprisingly at ease holding the kid after all and the baby seemed really at ease in his arms despite a little bit of fussing being surrounded by so much stuff.

"Yeah. You got this." Coach clapped a hand on Nick's shoulder--gently. More for Selena's sake than Nick's. "You look like you're doing the Dad thing pretty good already. Most babies fuss and cry at the tiniest thing."

"Maybe we just lucked out and got a quiet one?" Nick sure as hell didn't want to take that bet though. God, they were in for a lot of sleepless nights, if the stories everyone always told were anything to go by.

"Maybe. But with you being her Dad, I doubt it."

"Very funny, big guy." He glimpsed back down to the kid in his arms and let out a sigh, well...

"Wonder if I should head back in now... They were gonna finish up, so I thought I'd show her off a little. Show she came out alright, even with all the crap." That was a miracle by itself really.

Coach smirked.

"Let them do their thing. Show her off as much as you wanna. It's like you said, for all the shit we've been through--that kid's a miracle."

"She is." He shakes his head and lets out a sigh, looking down at her again. She's alive and healthy. It's a freaking miracle really and Nick's never believed in those before.

"Considering we weren't even sure the kid was gonna make it when we got here, it's kinda unreal to think she's healthy and normal. Immune too."

"Oh shit, yeah. She would be immune, wouldn't she?"

"I think so... hope so anyway." He was, Rochelle was... that had to be a good chance for her, right?

[ooc: ... quick blood test.]

"I dunno how immunity to zombies works by a genetic standpoint, but I'd say your chances are pretty good," Coach says with a smile, looking back down at Selena. He holds a finger out at wiggles it in front of her.

She doesn't seem impressed.

The first night with the baby had been exhausting. Everyone had wanted to see her and he hadn't been given the okay to go back in with Rochelle for awhile. The next day was strange, trying to get used to being parents, but all things considered... he thought they did alright.

They checked on her off and on during the day, both her and Selena, but it wasn't until the next night when they were both settling in to get some sleep, baby in a bed close by just in case she needed something during the night, that Travis had decided he wanted to give her a blood test. He said it was routine, especially now and all things considered.

"How long will it take?"

And goddammit, he was gonna make her wail again, most likely...

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wanna skip to another part soon? maybe him finding out she's a carrier

Sure! I can skip ahead unless you'd rather, but how long should it be?

EHHH maybe to the next night or something. Maybe they're going to bed and Travis wants to run a ...

Hope this is okay!