Dance with Death!

Fair - Prologue [2]

Crashes, yells and stern voices could be heard from outside of the hospital room. Although three o'clock in the morning, the hospital of O'Donnell Texas was overflowing with loud and desperate patients. The overwhelming bustling of the stampede of emergencies left Nadine Oakley wailing in overwhelmed agitation and fatigue, she had just given birth after all.
"God, Simon, can you at least shut the door?" She groaned with urgent anguish. However her husband, Simon Oakley, was not paying attention. He was grinning with delight at the face of his new daughter who appeared to be mirroring his expression with a curious, brand new, involuntary muscle reflex. Surprisingly, neither seemed to notice the extreme noise coming in from the halls.
"Simon, shut the damn door!" Nadine repeated, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. Simon shot up in surprise and frantically closed the door, remorse in his eyes.
"Sorry, darlin'. But look! She's smilin', I don't even think she knows what smilin' is or how she's doin' it but she's doin' it! She's such a fast learner!" He gawked, holding her up like a trophy with both hands in the direction of his weak wife. Nadine smiled with one side of her mouth, curling her brows.
"Yes, well look at you." She exhaled breathlessly, taking her daughter in her arms. "Aren't you a looker."
"It's a wonder she hasn't reacted to all this ruckus." Simon beamed. Nadine raised an unimpressed eyebrow as she looked up to meet his gaze.
"It's a wonder her father hadn't reacted either." She stated, eliciting an embarrassed chuckle from him. He sank down beside her on the hospital bed and ran his hand gently across his daughter's head. She turned her head and stared, amazed, at her father with a blank look on her face.
"Hi there!" He cooed.
Nadine rested her head against Simon's shoulder and composed herself, allowing a moment to relax. He rested his head against hers.
"We still haven't got a name." She whispered, her voice fading mid sentence.
"Do we really need one right now?"
"What, do you want her birth certificate to say blank Oakley?"
Simon scoffed playfully at his wife's banter before he continued.
"Well I think we should name her something which means beautiful, so she never forgets how pretty she is." Simon proclaimed with wholesome pride. Nadine furrowed her brow momentarily with a blink, slightly taken aback.
"Sort of cheesy, don't you think?"
Simon shrugged. "It'd be nice for her to know her value, even as a kid."
She paused for a moment as she softened herself to his suggestion, looking at her bewildered offspring and gently caressing her cheek. Her daughter made a strange noise of confusion and approval as she squinted at her mother.
"Yeah, okay."