Fracking Apocalypse - a ZNation 10K/Tommy Fanfiction

S6E07

He looked closer at the titles of the stacks on one of the tables, one was nothing but history on Rome, another pile was classics like Steinbeck and Shakespeare. One sat off by itself, the edges of the pages were black from the bombing but it looked like it had held together well. He grabbed it and sat down propping up his leg to rest the book against his thigh while his one hand flipped through the pages. The people working on sorting the collection didn't seem to mind him being there and one of them caught a glimpse of the cover as they shelved books near him.

"Oh congratulations man." He said with a smile as Tommy turned to him knowing he'd been caught reading one of those, 'What to Expect' books.

"Thanks." He replied warily, not used to that reaction yet.

"First one?" the Talker asked judging from the book.

"Yeah."

"Just a tip, don't let your wife see the pictures in there until she's keeping down food." he advised and 10K gave a short chuckle.

"Thanks." He said as the guy left to get more books to put away and 10K looked back at chapter one while that word bounced around in his head: wife.

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A little later 10K returned to Bailey's room to find the bed empty but he could hear yacking. He found Bailey in the connected bathroom on the floor with her hand resting on her forehead. He knelt beside her and she jumped a bit having been in too much discomfort to notice him come in. He brushed all her hair over one shoulder then grabbed all of it in his hand before twisting his wrist a few times and wrapping it all around his fingers in a bun holding it out of her face. When he looked at her she had an expression of shock.

"You just did that with one hand. I can't even pull my own hair up with one hand."

"I do everything with one hand." He pointed out making her chuckle but it soon died as her face changed to dread just before she leaned over the bowl again and heaved. He used his stump and forearm to rub her back soothingly until it stopped. It didn't last long, her stomach was mostly empty now and had nothing more to give.

"I wish there was more I could do." He said feeling useless. And the guilt of not being able to do more for her hit him hard, "I wish I could suffer for you somehow."

"I know." she said leaning into him as she caught her breath, "You're sweet."

He waited a moment, rubbing her back before he asked, "Think you're ready to go back to bed?"

She sighed, "I don't think I'll make it. I just. . . have a feeling it's not over yet. I'll probably just sleep here on the floor."

"Can I get you anything? Water, or. . . "

"Just a pillow and a blanket would be good."

He made sure she was steady enough to stay upright on her own before he left her there. When he came back he had two pillows in his hand and several blankets thrown over the crook of his right elbow.

"What's all that?" she asked knowing it was too much for just her.

"Well I'm not going to let the mother of my child sleep on the bathroom floor by herself." he said setting the pillows down as he got on his knees and started laying out the blankets.

"Tommy you don't have to –" she began, still resting her head in her hand as her elbow sat on the toilet seat.

"I want to." He said, "We're in this together."

She couldn't help but smile as he finished putting their makeshift bed together. When he was done she laid with her back to his chest while he rubbed her stomach as she dozed off to sleep.