Fortune Hunters

Chapter 1: Delivery

The rain pounds on the glass that reveals a darkening horizon out of the medical center public hospital where a woman yells in pain while her husband stands beside her with his hand clenched tightly in her fist. A doctor kneels at the end of the bed, waiting expectantly and relaying words of encouragement. A clap of thunder shakes the window slightly, and moments after a flash of light marks the moment that Joseph Prosp was born.

The young baby screams in pain and confusion as the doctor hands the bloody child to the mother. Martha takes her child and smiles between her heavy breaths. Exhaustion fights to take her but she fights back harder. The sight of her new born child filling her with joy and excitement. It wasn't until Clark, her faithful husband, placed a hand on her shoulder did she realize that she was still in the hospital. She smiles up at him and then back down at Joseph. The doctor makes some comment about how beautiful the child is, but Martha is not listening.

The doctor comes to the side Martha, beside Clark, and reaches out for the baby slowly, "May I?" Martha considered for a moment and, with some encouraging gestures from her husband, hands the baby back to the doctor, who goes to get the baby cleaned up and calmed down.

Clark looks down at his wife, the exhaustion clawing at her features. She was fighting a war that she was not going to win. Clark bends down and kisses her gently. Before he straightens his back, she has fallen asleep.

The doctor walks back in, noticing Martha's state. He smiles at Clark and says he can go to the nursery to see his new son. Clark thanks him and sits down next to his wife for a moment longer before exiting the room.

. . .

Three hundred miles away another mother lays in much less pain than the first. The father kneels excitedly beside her as their son is brought into the world. The doctor with them smiles as he lifts the child up so they can see. Howard stands with a large grin, watching as the doctor cuts the umbilical cord and cleans off the baby. Howard extends his arms and holds the baby in his arms. He cradles it, swaying slowly and gently side to side, until Maria calls to him.

"Let me hold him, honey" she almost whispers through her smile. He puts one knee on the ground beside her, not letting go of their son, but also allowing the mother to put her arms around him as well. They laugh slightly, staring happily at the child, and then at each other.

The doctor excuses himself from the room and the parents start whispering to their son.

"You're going to do great things some day"

"Welcome to the world"

"I love you so much"

It was a while before Maria fell asleep, but Howard stayed wide awake. He continued holding the baby softly, yet firmly, against his chest. He kept talking to him for hours after Maria fell asleep, hours after the doctor came back to check on them, and hours after his newborn son fell asleep in his arms.

Howard talked about the future. About how he was going to do great things not only for the people around him, but for the world. About how his mother and himself would always be there for him. About how he was going to give everything to keep his son happy.

"We will always love you, no matter what" Howard said as he lowered himself into a chair beside the window, the moon shinning brightly down on them. "You're our little Zachary, and you always will be"

. . .

Everyone in the hospital was asleep. The time was one in the morning. Richard Telethesia lay asleep in an uncomfortable chair while a game show played on the tiny television in the corner of the room. Richard's wife, Mary, was very awake at the time. The pain overwhelming her, like pushing a small rock through your kidneys towards your exit. Her screams didn't wake Richard up, it was a nurse coming up behind him.

She placed a hand on his shoulder and nervously shook him a little. He woke with a start, dropping an open magazine on the floor as he gathered his surroundings. "Um, Mr. Telethesia?"

Richard turned towards the nurse, taking a few quick breaths and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"You're about to be a father..."

Richard jumped over the chair, running towards the room he had been in only hours before when his wife had fallen asleep. He bursts through the door to hear screaming. A tiny voice screamed from the end of the hospital bed. A tiny child screamed from the doctors arms.

Richard's disappointment in missing his son's birth was immediately over taken by the happiness that came from having a son. He looked down at his son, amazement and wonder in his face. He smiled at his screaming son for only a moment before making his way to the head of the bed where his wife waited for him.

He gave her as much of a hug as he could with her laying down and half smiled, half frowned, down at her. "I'm..."

"Don't" she struggled to say through raspy breaths. She looked at him with a smile, a shine of sweat on her forehead. "I'm just glad you're here now" Richard leaned down and kissed her.

At that moment the doctor handed over a clean, slowly calming, baby. "Any idea what you're going to name him yet?"

The stared at him for a moment and then looked at each other. "Peter" Mary said with a smile. Richard smiled back, "Peter" he agreed.