Dutch sits in the hospital lobby, fingers knotted in the soft pink and white polka dot blanket folded in his lap. His little girl, his little alpha girl, has been picked up by her new parents. Papers have been signed, everything is squared away for the moment. In six months, they'll have an official court hearing, but for now, they've parted ways. Dutch only saw the baby once after delivery. The nurse came in with her to visit him. Even that was too much.
He wants to keep her so badly—reasons that it's only natural for him to feel that way. He carried her for nine months. Regardless of whether the intention was there or not, she is his. His and Zodiac's. But the life he wants for her isn't one they can give.
So, there he sits, clinging to the blanket like a lifeline because it's all he might ever have of her. All he has of himself and Zodiac.
Heels clack clack clack across the linoleum and Dutch doesn't pay it much mind until a pair of black boots step into view and stop in front of him. He hesitantly peeks up to meet the terminally bored expression of Noir Deces and his heart drops to his knees. Things must be really bad if Novikov is sending his prized hunting dog to collect him from the hospital.
"I-I could've called someone," Dutch blurts before Noir can say anything. "Jeongguk or Misha or..." Well. There isn't really anyone else, is there? "...an uber."
Noir ignores him and points a black, manicured nail at the blanket in Dutch's arms. "Is that all you have?"
Emptiness throbs in Dutch's belly. The past few days have been so crushingly lonely. "Yeah," he whispers. "This is all."
"Let's go, then."
Dutch gets up and follows Noir out of the lobby as quickly as his stitches will allow him to move. Sympathy isn't something he expects, despite the fact that he's literally just had a baby, but he's grateful when Noir pauses in between the pair of sliding doors to let him catch up. A shiny black coupe is waiting for them in the circle drive. Noir opens the passenger door and slides in, so Dutch assumes his spot is in the back.
Jung Hoseok meets eyes with him in the rear view mirror and offers a wave. Out of everyone Dutch has met within Novikov's circle, Hoseok has always been the friendliest. Kindness doesn't mean much from a mobster, but it's better than Noir's rather oppressively chilly demeanor.
"Well," Hoseok says brightly, "you missed a little bit of excitement."
The night Dutch went into labor is a little bit of a blur. A lot of pain, but he clearly remembers sending Jimin off to the Lake St house on a premonition. It seems like that instinct had been correct. "Jeongguk's mate visited me the day after, so I know he survived whatever happened," Dutch says, "but I don't know anything else."
Hoseok starts the car and pulls out of the driveway, carefully navigating to the parking lot exit. "It sounds to me like Zodiac was planning a little slaughtering party. He turned Jeongguk and that kid, Taehyung, on each other and dumped them in the woods, but told his other two to kill whichever one wins that fight anyway. I dunno what he was planning after that—killing the other two, or what."
Nausea swims in Dutch's stomach at the thought of Zodiac killing all of them. Clearing his game board for some new players.
Jimin, without a shadow of a doubt, was going to be one.
"I'm... guessing that didn't happen," Dutch forces out.
"Nah. Kalkaska decided not to do his job and shot Dragunov instead of Jeongguk or Taehyung, and Jimin showed up rather unexpectedly," Hoseok replies. "Zodiac says Jimin stabbed him."
The corner of Dutch's lip twitches. "Good. He deserves it."
Hoseok barks out a laugh. "You know, sometimes I catch myself feeling really bad for you cos of the shit Zodiac puts you through, and then I remember that you're a sadist, too."
