doomsday. [ yellowjackets ]

quarante-deux.

xxx.

chapter quarante-deux.
chapter forty two.

1996.

xxx.

Tara was an only child, and she had no cousins, not even distant ones, so she had only ever been around babies a few times, at least for long periods of time; she had also never seen a freshly newborn baby until now. She helped Misty pull Shauna's baby out as the mother passed out, presumedly either from the pain, exhaustion, or blood loss.

But it had been several, several minutes past the baby coming out, and it had been in dead silence. The blonde's hands were shaking as she held him, Misty and Akilah having helped quickly wrap the infant with the blanket Lottie made, but she could still see the glimpses of her blood stained skin as she clutched on to it. The group remained in relative quietness after the initial shock and denial, but they had no choice but to accept that Shauna's baby didn't make it.

Misty had checked for a heartbeat, but he hadn't even opened his eyes or his mouth, not a single breath had been taken into his little lungs when he entered the world, and there would be no gentle cries to signify new life.

Instead, the group sat, their heads hung low and darkened looks on their tear-streaked faces, some of them still weeping softly. Tara stood in the same place she had been since they came to the unfortunate, heartbreaking conclusion. The others tried to wake both Shauna and Alex up countless times, but it appeared that it would have to happen on its own, so they were left still sit and wait while sadness and desperation depleted the room.

       However, while the rest of them were sniffling or wiping their tears because of a lack of baby wailing, Tara was still frozen in place because of the opposite. She could hear him crying, screaming so loudly, blood curdling, far more intense than she thought a baby could cry. She knew it wasn't real, he wasn't moving, he was dead, but that didn't make what she heard any less real.

       The crying was echoing in her ears, she felt the vibrations against her chest as she cradled him, closing her eyes as she lowered her head, whispering quietly, " Please, stop, stop, I'm sorry, "

       Travis raised his head from where he sat near the fireplace, stains of his own tears reflected on his face as he heard her pleas. He could only see the back of Tara's head, so he habitually glanced at Natalie, who sat across from her on the other side of Shauna. She held her hands in front of herself, clasped together and near her face as she stared at no place in particular, though she seemed to sense Travis's gaze on her.

        She met his concerned look, and though Travis was upset and betrayed by both of the girls, Natalie still understood and gave him a short nod. She wiped her face of any tears herself before she slowly got up and walked to the other side of the cot, gently sitting a hand on Tara's shoulder as she looked from the child in her grasp to the blonde.

       " Hey, T..you can..you can put him down, it's okay, " She quietly assured her, her brows knitting together, squeezing her arm. When Tara didn't respond, she just kept whispering her apologies, shaking her head, Natalie tried again, " Tara, come on, it's okay, "

" I-I hear him..I hear him crying, Nat, it's so loud, how do I hear that-how can I hear him if he's dead? " Tara's voice trembled and threatened to crack as she slowly turned her head to look at Natalie, tears welled in her eyes, ready to spill with the slightest nudge. Her lips parted again after she sniffled, trying to hold it back, but she was at a loss for words.