Chapter Four: The Birth of Liberty

Author's Note: Likely I'll be going on hiatus for a while, though depending on how much free-time I have I might be able to crank one more chapter out. Lately I have had a lot of work to do and I have 5 more weeks until graduation, prom is coming up this week, and I'm flying out for a graduation celebration for about 2 or so weeks (it's a big deal so we are doing lots of stuff to celebrate), so yeah, a lot going on. I'm going to try to write whenever I'm available, I'll probably have some time while I'm on the plane. I really want to have some form of consistency for when I upload so it pains me to do this, ack! I promise I am not abandoning this story and I'm really looking forward to continuing it.

"Let's get you to a hospital -Lincoln." Said Dr. Norrington as Papierwaite began to lead her back to his museum. Papierwaite hoped Sybil would be able to fit in his comically small car, it was only a two seater and the chairs could only adjust so far.

"Ugh! It's Lincoln-Pandemik." Sybil corrected him.

The museum wasn't too far of a walk from there, well, maybe for Papierwaite. "Are we almost there?" Papierwaite whined. He was not, himself, the one giving birth. But of course being his oblivious self, he didn't even consider that.

"You know the way there better than I do." Sybil reminded him.

"Do you really think he knows his way around town? He hardly ever leaves his office. The man practically lives there." Interjected Dr. Norrington.
"I do not!" The curator insisted.

"Yes you do now quit your griping. You're the one who had the brilliant idea of demanding the freelance police drive you over."

"Carpooling saves on gas money!"

"Would you two stop fighting already? I am literally about to pop a child out of me and you two are arguing over utter crap!" Sybil shouted. She couldn't wait for this to all be over. Usually Sybil was a much more tolerant person, but with the added factor that she was in labor, who could blame her? Those two certainly weren't helping.

Papierwaite stiffened a bit at Sybil's outburst, as understandable as it was. Dr. Norrington was more or less unfazed, he felt sympathy for the poor woman; something Papierwaite could learn a thing or two about. "My apologies Madam. We understand that-"

The elder god was cut off by the hollar of a certain sorcerer, "Look!" They had reached the Museum District, and there stood the Museum of Mostly Natural History. "My car is behind my museum. Honestly I wish there were a better place to park i-"

"Oh for the love of me, would you stop prattling on and take her to it!" Dr. Norrington wished Papierwaite wouldn't ramble so often, he swore that man never shut up. Well, unless of course he got nervous in a conversation, but that was a whole other problem.

"Yes, shutting up my master."

Papierwaite ushered the soon to be mother to his car and opened the passenger door for her. He made sure the seat was far back enough for her to fit. After he helped situate her, he jogged to the other side and got in. The sorcerer turned the key to start the ignition. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. "Uhhh, there seems to be a bit of a problem with the key or something." Papierwaite didn't really know how cars work.

"It's not the key blithering fool! Something is wrong with the car. Let me try-"

"No. I've got it!" The curator continued fiddling with the keys.

"Stop messing with it you're going to break something!"

The two fought for awhile until the car's engine emitted a starting noise, then just as suddenly, it stopped. "What in the name of H. P. Lovecraft is wrong with this thing!?" Papierwaite demanded. "I just bought it and already it stopped working!"

Why on today of all days Sybil may never know, all she could do was try to hold on for as long as she needed. Satan will be ice skating in hell before she was going to have a child inside of this ridiculously tiny vehicle.

And just like that, the engine started. Interesting timing.

Zoom went the car at 80 mph down the streets of Manhattan, Papierwaite avoided as many vehicles as possible.

"Papierwaite watch out for that old lady!" Dr. Norrington shouted.

The sorcerer swerved past the pedestrian on the crosswalk, she shook her fist at them menacingly. Sybil was breathing heavily as Dr. Norrington was trying to keep her calm. "We are almost there -Pandemik, don't fret." He said soothingly. Papierwaite on the other hand could barely keep it together, he was screeching cuss words in French everytime he almost hit someone. And that happened often. "Watch where you're driving hooligan!"

"You need to drive more carefully." Insisted the his master. "Maybe I should take the-"

"You will take nothing, don't distract me!" Talk about road rage.

The ride to the hospital mainly consisted of copious amounts of screaming, from both Sybil and Papierwaite, and too many close calls. Papierwaite wasn't necessarily the best driver in the world, especially in this case. The car screeched to a halt at one of the parking spaces. It wasn't the closest to the hospital entrance, but Papierwaite would be damned if he had to parallel park.

The sorcerer needed to conceal Dr. Norrington, he couldn't have any of the staff or Yog Soggoth forbid any of the patients going insane on top of Sybil's situation. When the elder god retreated back into his chest, he buttoned his shirt back up and adjusted his tie.

"Excuse me." Sybil interrupted. "But while you're making sure your outfit is all nice and neat I'M GOING THROUGH LABOR!"

"Ah! Right sorry!" Papierwaite lept out of the vehicle and made his way over to the passenger side. He assisted the pregnant woman out of the car and walked her over to the hospital door. They were met with a nurse who intuitively knew what was going on. "Here let's get you to a room dear." The nurse guided her to a room nearby as Papierwaite followed closely behind. His eyes darted around the area, it was quite busy. But he supposed that made sense for a hospital. He heard mumbling and phones ringing from all over. As they approached the door the nurse took Papierwaite aside. "Lay down on the bed there dear, a doctor is coming!" He hollered to Sybil, he then turned his attention to the curator. "Sir, do you wish to be in there with your wife or remain out here?" He asked.

Papierwaite's eye twitched and he swallowed hard. "W-wife?" He asked with a slight quiver in his voice.

He tried again. "Sorry, girlfriend?"

"No, I'm not, I m-mean… Do I really look like….?" Papierwaite was completely flustered, he wasn't exactly sure how to respond.

"Uh… yeah. Anyway, are you going to stay out here?"

"Just go in already you complete imbecile!" Spoke a voice only Papierwaite could hear. Papierwaite responded to the ominous sounding echo in his head. "Alright I'll go in!" He hissed, glaring at his own chest. The nurse felt very out of the loop.

For a moment, the sorcerer had almost forgotten about the nurse in front of him. "I'll just.. Go in." He expressed finally. The nurse held the door open for him, muttering something about how odd Papierwaite seemed.

Papierwaite stepped inside only to hear the shrieking sounds of the mother to be. He began to reconsider his choice to enter the room. "Uhh, perhaps this is a bad time?"

"Do not walk out that door Papierwaite!" Dr. Norrington warned him internally.

"Right sorry." He wasn't exactly sure what to do in this type of situation, the curator felt beads of sweat collect on his forehead. He approached the howling woman, nervous that even the smallest attempt to interact would make matters worse. "Do you… need some water..?"

"I need to get this child out of me!" Sybil bellowed.

"Aaaaah! I don't know how to do that!"

"You can't, that's the problem!"

Papierwaite wasn't an expert on childbirth, far from in in fact. He needed to find a doctor. He ran to the door and flung it open. Papierwaite was able to spot the nurse he had previously spoken with. Marching his way over, he interrupted the nurse's conversation with a younger looking man, likely an assistant. "I'd hate to bother your oh so intriguing discussion but there is a pregnant woman in there that needs a doctor. So either seek one immediately or you will be facing a serious lawsuit due to your sheer incompetence!" The sorcerer spat. Shocked, the nurse nodded and hurried over to one of the nearest desks, where he asked around for a doctor. Dr. Norrington was surprised, he didn't expect this sort of boldness out of his host. He almost considered complimenting the curator's bravery, almost.

Papierwaite made his way back to the room and sat next to Sybil. "A doctor will be here soon. Just uh… keep breathing. Everything is going to be fine." He took her hand and gently squeezed it comfortingly. Allowing himself to show her a small smile. "I promise you that."

Suddenly a woman in a white coat burst through the door, a few nurses stood behind her. "My apologies, there was a woman who needed a heart transplant and-"
"What are you doing standing there and blabbing? Do your job Doctor!" Papierwaite demanded.

The doctor nodded and ran over. "Right, we'll need to get you in a robe first." She turned to the curator. "Sir, you will need to step outside and let us professionals handle this." The nurses were setting up the area frantically.

"Forget that I'm not leaving her!" He refrained from adding 'with you'. Papierwaite didn't trust these people, it's like they didn't know how to run a hospital. Leaving a woman actively going through labor without a doctor.. What were they, amateurs?

"Sir, if you don't leave we will have no choice but to force you out. Your wife will be fine."

Sybil tilted her head toward Papierwaite and gave him a little nod, signaling him that she will be fine. The sorcerer gave a reluctant frown and spun on his heel and stomped out of the room. Just before he closed it, he peeked his head through the doorway. "And for the last time, she is not my wife!" He shouted just before slamming the door.

Hours passed. Papierwaite paced back and forth, occasionally jumping a little when Sybil screamed. A few times he yelped along with her, earning some bemused stares. One of the nurses slipped through the door, "Monsieur Papierwaite?"

Papierwaite stopped, turning toward the nurse. "That is me."

She scribbled something on her notepad. "You may come in now, your wi- ….. I mean Sybil has delivered successfully." She opened the door fully and held it for him.

As Papierwaite entered, he saw a smiling Sybil cradling her newborn baby. Anxiously, he walked closer and sat beside her.

"Isn't she precious?" She asked him.

Papierwaite looked at the infant as she wriggled in Sybils arms, her pale grey-ish eyelids were closed, though not fully. Just enough for a small sliver of light to pass through. "I suppose some would think so." He wasn't quite sure what to make of the little tyke.

"She's going to change the world some day, I just know it." Sybil whispered, planting a small kiss on her daughter's forehead.

"What are you planning on naming her?"

Sybil thought for a moment. Then, her eyes lit up. She had something. "Liberty. Her name will be Liberty." She grinned at Papierwaite. "Do you want to hold her?"

"I uh…" The curator wasn't quite sure how to answer. Throughout his whole life, one hundred and fifty years give or take, he had never once come into direct contact with an infant. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Nonsense, here."

Sybil gently placed the baby into Papierwaite's arms. He gazed at the newborn with an expression of mild uncertainty. It took a few minutes, but Liberty slowly began to open her eyes. When she did, a bright bubbly smile swept across her face.

Papierwaite looked down at the infant resting in his arms. She had fallen asleep as Sybil told the story.

"Do you know what that proves?" Sybil asked.

"What?" He inquired, genuinely curious.

"You're a lot more prepared than you think, Anton."