Safety And Sanctuary
This is a new Eric imagine from A Quiet Place, requested by the lovely @bib200 I hope you like how it turned out.
Any feedback is always lovely.
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Main Masterlist
Summary: On their way to leave the city and find somewhere safer to hide, (Y/n) and Eric run into problems when she goes into labour. And they have to try and find a way to keep their baby quiet in a world of silence.
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Was it pointless? Was this perilous journey they were taking too far fetched for their newfound reality? Was this worth it, or should they just give up now?
So many questions bombarded (Y/n)'s mind as the couple trudged down the seemingly empty street.
Walking had never been so dangerous. (Y/n) never would have thought that something as simple as walking, a task every parent praised their child for acomplishing, would become so frightening in the space of one day. But then again, who ever would have thought that uttering a single sound could cause the end of their life?
The spitting of rain was getting more pronounced and prominent and something about the rain was soothing, as if the world was crying along with them and mourning what was lost.
(Y/n)'s arms bound tighter around her chest and a defiant look crossed her face as she tilted her head back until her neck ached and she was staring up at the weeping sky. Droplets of rain cascaded down onto her face, mixing in with the long since dried tears and the heat consuming her skin from so much panic and confusion.
The bustling streets had never been (Y/n)'s cup of tea. So many people crowding together, pushing, shoving and making crude remarks as each tried to go their own way and move in a hurry. But something about seeing the streets of New York looking so desolate and empty was horrifying.
They didn't know where they were going, not really.
They would probably walk until the sun started to set and they needed to find somewhere to rest their heads and cower in fear for the night and see if they lasted until morning.
Twisting her head to the left, (Y/n) snook a glance over at Eric. It was almost funny how one day could change things so much.
Only yesterday (Y/n) had dragged her fingers through Eric's hair and pulled him down by his tie to give him a kiss of luck as he headed to the office where he worked. He was going to be a lawyer. Not anymore. Now the world had descended into madness and despair, there was no need for lawyers, survival didn't include that role in this new world.
Eric looked like he had been through the wars. His curly hair was disshevelled and array with curls in ever direction, some crimped up, some stood on end and others flattened down near his forehead. His hands were lathered in dust and dirt that was clogged beneath his nails. His face was painted with smoke and grime and those chocolate brown eyes were practically drowning in sorrow.
He hadn't taken off his tie, (Y/n) wasn't quite sure why considering she knew her husband hated to have to wear one. Maybe he thought it would come in handy in an emergency for something. Maybe he wanted to cling to that essence of himself that he was before the world broke out into chaos.
His white and brown striped shirt was now permanently dark beige with dust and patches of dirt smudged into the material. The only part of him that didn't look raggedy was his trousers.
And when (Y/n) glanced down, she found herself smiling despite their situation. Eric wasn't wearing his shoes. He had taken them off before they left the apartment because the heels made a noise and clicked against the pavement when he walked. The city had once been so full of noise that it hadn't dawned on Eric that he made such little, insignificant noises such as the clicking of his shoes or heavy breathing or little sighs now and then. All of which he couldn't do anymore, lest he wanted his life to be cut dramatically short.
So Eric was simply wearing his socks, padding along the pavement like he had lost each and every one of his senses.
When Eric's head angled down in her direction and he caught her staring, a small blush crept up the side of his neck despite the grime layering his skin and he smiled.
(Y/n) was the only consolation Eric had.
If his wife hadn't made it through this ordeal, then Eric wouldn't be standing here right now. He would have thrown himself in the river or stood on the side street and screamed until a creature came and took him. He wouldn't be able to survive in a world like this on his own. He couldn't get through this uncertainty and turmoil if (Y/n) wasn't stood by his side, guiding him and calming him down.
'Okay?'
It was hard to mouth the word and not use his voice or make the tiniest whisper, but it was something they were going to have to get used to now.
When she nodded, Eric wa as careful as he could be, adjusting the bag on his shoulder so it stayed where it was and didn't risk sliding down his arm. Allowing him to reach his right arm out and curve it around (Y/n)'s waist so he could reel her into his side.
His lips and nose meshed into the top of her head against her hair and he tried to take slow, calming breaths as the pair of them slowly weaved onto the road. They both had the same idea, walking on the other side of the desolate road to be under shelter of building scaffolding.
Eric couldn't stop from darting his eyes down to (Y/n) again once they were under shelter and the rain was no longer clinging to his lashes and clogging his eyes. His gaze drifted down to her hands, a sense of nostalgia and paranoia washing over him all at once when (Y/n) started absentmindedly gliding her hand over her stomach while her other arm was wrapped tightly around Eric's waist.
When (Y/n) saw where Eric was staring, she felt shivers coursing down her spine and she came to a slow stop. She leaned to peek towards the road, listening to how loud the rain was battering down against the scaffolding and the pavement. They might just have a tiny bit of leeway here to whisper under the protection of rain, without alerting any creatures that might be lurking nearby.
"Do you think we can do this?" (Y/n) kept her voice as quiet as possible and motioned to the rain when Eric's bewildered eyes widened like he assumed she was trying to get them killed. The rain would cover their voices; it would give them protection.
She watched the way he dragged his hand through his damp hair and he nodded instinctively. Maybe he wasn't sure if he believed they could do this, but he wanted to hope that they could. Eric would delude himself if necessary, but he wouldn't go around thinking the worst and assuming that they couldn't do this.
Or what was the point?
"We have to try." Eric kept his hand on (Y/n)'s waist, trying hard not to dig his fingers too tightly into her flesh and leave indents or bruises but if he wasn't holding her tight he felt like he was going to lose her.
All they could do was try. If they went ahead in this world thinking that nothing was possible and their death was imminent then it most likely would be. But if they tried, if they pushed and did whatever they could to keep their little family alive and find some kind of sanctuary and their own sense of normality back in this world, then that was enough. They had to try and survive.
And Eric couldn't bear the thought of thinking about what would go wrong. He had to delude himself or he would descend into panic.
Why couldn't this strange type of apocalypse have happened years from now or even just a few months from now? Why did it have to happen right in this moment, when (Y/n) was pregnant? Why did the world have to come to a halt when (Y/n) was so close to giving birth? Fate seemed to be against them.
(Y/n) let her cheek rest on Eric's arm as she switched from having her arm around his torso to curl her hand around his arm instead.
"Babies cry, Eric. We can't tell them to cry only when it rains." (Y/n) didn't want to be thinking like this, she didn't want to be the cynical one who looked only on the dark side, but she couldn't help it.
Her due date was next week. If they made it past this week it would only get harder when (Y/n) eventually went into labour and had their baby.
They had been so happy when they found out, they had been so eager to start a family and have a baby together, and now, just as that dream had become visible on the horizon, it was taken away from them.
Bringing up a baby in a world of forced silence and contemplation like this wasn't natural, it wasn't ideal or even likely to happen.
(Y/n) couldn't fathom how they were going to stop their baby from crying once they were born- provided that the birth went well and there was nothing wrong with their baby. She couldn't constantly feed the baby to try and keep them quiet, she couldn't force them to sleep all the time or drug them into a comatose state to keep them alive. Babies cried, it was a natural fact and if they had a fussy baby or their baby developed coelic or some other disorder or illness, they were going to cry and wriggle and make a fuss.
If they had their baby a year or two ago, this would be different. They could teach and learn their child to be quiet, they could make up their own form of sign language and implement it into their child to be silent. They could teach them the dangers and try to bring them up in this silent world. But a baby, that was near impossible in this situation.
"How do we keep a baby quiet without smothering them?"
(Y/n) could feel tears welling up in her eyes when she looked up at Eric and saw how her words had cut through him like a knife. His expression had fallen and his features were changing between blushing rouge and turning a pasty shade of grey.
"Don't say that." Despite the low whisper, there was a snappy tone to his voice that he couldn't hide.
He was in tears just thinking about it. Did (Y/n) think Eric hadn't considered those kind of situations? Did she think he hadn't contemplated the fact that in a dire situation, if a creature was imminent, they could quite possibly smother their baby to death trying to keep them quiet and unheard.
But Eric didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to lose himself to those kind of thoughts because they were harrowing and frightening and he couldn't think about their baby like that.
This was their child, this was the baby they had waited so long to have and meet and hold. And Eric was going to do whatever he had to to keep them and (Y/n) safe. He knew (Y/n) felt the same, he knew she was willing to do whatever they had to in order to protect their baby and try to keep one another alive. But it wasn't going to be easy, thousands of things could happen or go wrong.
"If we get on a boat or near the water, we might not be able to make any noise."
(Y/n) had heard the announcements, the tanoids telling people to get to the water, that boats were sailing and taking people out into the water where these creatures wouldn't venture. But something might happen. These things might evolve or manage to get out onto the water and that was a terrifying thought. They might not be safe even in water.
If they got on a boat or found somewhere to stay near the sea, they might still have to be silent and that posed the same question. How were they going to keep their baby quiet?
"We will, something will happen, somehow we'll do this. We live on a boat in the middle of nowhere, or- or we live under a waterfall, I don't know. But we do this. There have to be other people on those boats and out there with newborns and toddlers, it's not just us."
Eric hoped he was right. He hoped they weren't the only ones who survived this ordeal with children imminent. He was sure that there would be a number of people out there trying to protect their kids, people with babies, mothers leaving the hospital with newborns, trying to keep them safe and alive.
There would be parents and young children on those boats sailing out into the sea. There had to be. And Eric and (Y/n) would soon be one of those couples, going out to sea or hiding somewhere near gushing water, protecting their baby.
"Okay." (Y/n) didn't want to argue and they had already tried to take provisions and talk about what they would do.
If they could get on a boat, then that's what they would do. If they couldn't, they would aim for any desolate place that seemed safe enough to hide in which was near water. They would wait to find other people to evacuate with and escape to somewhere more enclosed and safe. There had to be areas and aspects of the country- the world, even, that would be safe enough for them to live and bring up their child and just survive.
She nuzzled her cheek into Eric's sleeve while he kissed the top of her head and they slowly started to trudge ahead again.
It wasn't like them to walk this slow, even with (Y/n) being nine months pregnant and feeling like her back was aching and her stomach was weighing her forward. They didn't usually walk like they were both crippled, but they had to be quiet.
Eric was trying not to shake the bag on his shoulder or make any kind of sound.
The backpack on (Y/n)'s shoulders was packed with clothes and essentials they would need, anything that might rattle had been wrapped up in their shirts and bottoms to smother any noise. The bag Eric carried wasn't harbouring clothes; it held essentials.
When they decided to take the risk and try to find one of those boats, to get down to the river, they had to pack. They needed clothes, bandages, the first aid box from their apartment, the little things they would have to take with them. And Eric's bag contained just a few of the things they had bought ready for their baby.
He packed nappies, onesies, pacifiers, bottles- they would have to raid any shops they could find for powdered milk if (Y/n) didn't want to breastfeed. And when they left the apartment, they had gone into a desolated chemist a block from what was once their home.
Eric had been as quiet and stealth as possible, raiding the shelves for a pair of sterilised, packaged scissors and a pack of needles and thread for when the baby was born and they would have to cut the cord. He found antiseptic wipes, lots of gauze, bandages, sterilising fluid, and of course he raided the back of the chemist for a variety of strong pain meds. Both for (Y/n) during and after the birth and as a stash in case either of them got injured and needed some pain relief.
They found what they would most likely need, and now they were on their way. Hoping to find any safe space to rest for the night before they continued in the morning to get to the boats or somewhere they could stay which would be safe.
(Y/n) began to glide her thumb up and down the back of Eric's arm while she leaned into his side. It was a relief that silence was something of a comfort to them both. Neither of them were the kind of people who had to fill the silence or felt awkward when no one was speaking; they wouldn't have lasted this long in this new world if that was the case.
The rain cascaded down on them like it was pouring its own sense of sorrow onto them as they headed down the deserted street.
Part of (Y/n) felt like they were being selfish. She knew they weren't, after all, this whole change in the world happened after (Y/n) got pregnant. It wasn't as if they had chosen to have a baby and bring a child into this terror. But it wasn't the world they thought they were bringing their child into.
This wasn't safe anymore. The world had never been perfect, but at least the threats hadn't been creatures from another place. Threats in their old world had been strange people or busy traffic or dark corners. Not predators that could hunt dozens of people at once and kill anything in its path.
But there was nothing they could do about this now except for survive. All they could do was try to survive, try to have this baby and give them a chance.
(Y/n) came out of her dwelling thoughts when she felt Eric's hand shift from her waist to suddenly latch around her upper arm. His grip was fierce and (Y/n) could feel his fingertips digging into her skin harsh enough to leave imprints in his wake.
Her eyes darted up to look at him, wondering why he had stopped walking and grabbed her like that. But Eric's free hand ever so slowly let go of the bag resting on his shoulder and his finger pressed against his lips. The movement would have been heartstopping if it hadn't been for the panic dwelling in Eric's eyes and the movement (Y/n) saw out the corner of her eye.
A creature.
There were creatures- more than one- hovering on the buildings across the road. They were scouring the streets, patrolling for victims, for anything that moved with sound which they could devour.
A subtle trembling set in (Y/n)'s system as she slithered her hand up to remove Eric's hand from her arm so she could tangle their fingers together. Their clammy palms pressed together like suction and when Eric started to move, (Y/n) carefully followed alongside him.
It was clear with each tentative step that Eric took that he wanted to run, he wanted to be fast and stealth, but he couldn't. He couldn't risk making a single sound and risking his family.
Neither of them had any idea where they were heading. They didn't know which direction to go, where would be safe and if there were any other creatures lurking around any corners.
(Y/n) wasn't sure what made her look, but as the pair of them did their strange little speed walk down the street, (Y/n) noticed something.
A church.
It looked like a beacon of hope to (Y/n)'s watering eyes. It was large, the building itself wasn't crumbling or broken or had a caved in roof or busted windows. It was structurally safe, unlike the other buildings in this area; most of the buildings in all of New York will have been destroyed by now. Maybe in the entire country, possibly even the whole world.
A church would be safe. It was a large space with multiple rooms and crevaces for them to stay. It was getting dark out, the daylight was starting to fade and they had to find somewhere safe to stay.
Shifting her free hand, (Y/n) pressed her palm against Eric's shoulder and nudged until he was aiming towards the left rather than straight ahead.
Confusion blared out in his eyes until he realised where she was trying to aim him and a flicker of relief swelled across his face.
A church; that would do as a safe space for now.
***
(Y/n) could feel a headache forming behind her eyes as she slowly trudged up and down in a small line that was beginning to wear a pattern into the stone floor.
She didn't know what to do with herself.
Before this, before all the chaos, whenever (Y/n) felt uncomfortable she would go and lie in the bath. Sometimes she would lie in bed with an old movie or tv show on in the background and a stack of pillows on the bed with her. She couldn't do that anymore. God, was she ever likely to have a bath again? The water would make too much of a noise, and it was near impossible to be silent getting in or out the tub. Bathing in whatever river or stream was nearby was going to be their future now.
Her fingers carded through her hair, brushing the strands out of her eyes as her other hand pressed against her lower back.
She took a moment to look around the church that had long since turned dark and was lit with whatever candles they could find in the basement and in the vacant storage room at the back. There were quite a few people seeking refuge here.
A few elderly people off in one corner. A young family huddled in the corner, fast asleep together despite the terror that awaited them outside. There were a few people dotted about in the pews, catching some sleep, praying, sitting and deliberating what to do. Overall there was less than twenty of them in here altogether but (Y/n) barely noticed their presence with how quiet everyone was becoming.
When her eyes danced across to her husband, a softness dwelled in her eyes and (Y/n) managed a smile.
Eric was laid on one of the pews, arms crossed over his chest and his jacket rolled up beneath his head to serve as a pillow. One leg was hanging off the bench with his foot pressing into the floor to stabilise himself and his other leg was laid out across the pew. He still looked tense, even in his sleep. Frown lines were woven into his temple and his lips were curved into a splintered grimace.
But at least he was getting some rest.
Once this baby was born, neither of them were going to be getting anymore sleep. They would have to take it in turns, one of them constantly watching over the baby to stop any cries before they happened. They were going to be exhausted and panicked and frightened and worn down, and (Y/n) had no idea how they were going to do any of this. If only this mayhem had happened a few months or years down the line instead of right now.
Turning her head, (Y/n) continued to walk up and down the small space she had acquired of about six feet that she kept pacing to give her something to do when sitting down didn't feel comfortable or possible anymore.
The one good thing about this silent situation was that no one was bothering to go near one another. If someone was ill or looked in need of help, then sure, people would filter round and try to do what they could. But without talking, people were simply staying in their acquired bubbles of space.
No one was trying to strike up a conversation with (Y/n), they weren't trying to talk using sign or writing on paper or charades. No one was bothering with her or Eric and that was a relief.
The headache raging behind (Y/n)'s eyes amplified ten fold and she fought back the urge to groan as her fingers pressed deeper into her temple in a vain attempt to fight off the uneasy feeling. But she could feel shockwaves coursing through her body when her stomach tightened.
Her head angled down as if in slow motion and her jaw hung loose when she felt a dampness between her thighs and trickling down her leggings.
Oh no.
This is what (Y/n) had been constantly panicking about since this whole event shook the world. She had been hoping that she would go into labour sometime next week on or after her due date. By then they might have found somewhere to stay, somewhere safe or even find themselves on a boat where they would at least be a bit more protected and shielded from these creatures.
Having a baby here, still in the centre of New York city, huddled in a church, wasn't (Y/n)'s ideal plan. But it looked like she didn't have much of a choice.
Her lips rolled together and her arms coiled around her waist, resting on her bump as she shuffled over towards the pew where Eric was laid asleep, unaware of the turmoil (Y/n) was about to unleash on him.
It took some effort for (Y/n) to manage to go down on her knees and she held her breath to try and regulate her system and control the rising panic that was coursing through her in waves. Once she was knelt on the stone floor that felt as cold as sitting on a frozen lake, (Y/n) moved one arm to rest on the bench and gently glided her other hand up and down Eric's chest.
She nudged the buttons on his shirt and moved his tie that was becoming looser and looser as the hours passed. She didn't want to frighten him awake and cause him to make any noise.
His body jolted and his head shot up, but he stayed as silent as the dead and his wide brown eyes darted to the right to look over at her.
One hand clamped down on the back of the pew and Eric moved his other hand to rummage up and down his face to try and brighten himself up and bring him back to his senses. He forced a gentle smile as he looked at his wife, but it didn't last long when he saw that she was biting down on her lower lip so harshly that she was drawing blood beneath her teeth.
His eyes narrowed and he leaned closer to (Y/n) until their noses were almost touching. His lips pursed and he shook his head to try and get her to mime something or move and point out what was wrong. He couldn't see anyone else in the church panicking so he figured no creatures were lurking to try and devour them. Yet.
Confusion stayed plastered across Eric's face, mingling with the worry lines still present but he stayed compliant when (Y/n) reached out for his hand. She moved his hand near her stomach before she seemed to realise that it wasn't going to give Eric much insight. So she pressed his palm down against her damp thigh instead.
Horror was the only thing (Y/n) could see swirling in her husband's eyes which expanded twice their usual size and his jaw dropped, parting those plump pink lips. Eric tried to shake his head but the look in (Y/n)'s eyes told him this wasn't a false alarm or a joke.
Her water had broken. She was going into labour.
She watched with panicked eyes as Eric carefully sat up and swung his legs over so he was sitting upright. But (Y/n) was taken by surprise when Eric leaned forward. One hand cupped the back of her head while the other held her arm, but it was the feeling of his lips merging with her temple which made (Y/n)'s heart race.
She could feel each shaky breath Eric took and how he tried his very best not to make a single sound, despite the very overwhelming need to cry or scream or do both at once.
They stayed like that for a while, with Eric hunched forward to curl around her and (Y/n)'s hands clutching his hips, holding him just as tightly as he was holding her. (Y/n) could feel Eric shifting his weight from his heels to his toes, clearly trying to concentrate on something so he didn't fall into a state of panicked despair.
And she stayed clinging to him when he changed stance so his left hand was cupping the back of her neck but his right hand was reaching out for something beside him on the bench. His cheek meshed against the top of her head, nuzzling into her hair while he found the notebook and pencil they had brought and began to scrawl a note.
'It's okay, we're safe here. I'll look after you.'
His words were comforting when he turned the page round so (Y/n) could see, and she nodded against him and clung to him that little bit tighter.
(Y/n) had never been worried about the pain. It didn't do well to worry about the excruciating pain she was going to be feeling in a matter of hours. She would do anything she had to in order to stay quiet, the pain wasn't the main issue. It was what would happen afterwards, how they would silence their baby without hurting or smothering them. It was how they would move forward with a newborn who needed to be silent which was worrying (Y/n) the most.
She turned to rest her cheek against Eric's thigh, nuzzling into him as she curved her arms tighter around his torso until her hands were splayed out on his back. Clinging to him and being close like this was comforting. It would help for now.
They had a long night ahead of them.
***
This was not how Eric imagined this wonderous, magical moment in his life playing out.
Not for one moment since (Y/n) became pregnant did Eric imagine it would be happening in this way. In a damp church that no one dared sigh in because churches were known to echo with high ceilings and little to no curtains. He didn't imagine to be his wife's birth partner, coach and midwife rolled into one.
He didn't think they would be doing this alone with no help and no way of even calling a midwife for assistance. Eric didn't even have his phone, he couldn't Google articles that might coach him through how to do this. They were completely and utterly alone with nowhere else to go.
Eric dreamt of this moment. He dreamt of going to hospital, of holding (Y/n)'s hand and crying and how it would feel to sit beside her and finally be able to hold their child in his arms. He dreamed of calling his parents in London and telling them the good news and whether he had a son or a daughter.
He didn't dare think about his parents; Eric had no way of knowing if the rest of his family back home were dead or alive, whether they were fighting to survive or if they had already been killed. And he wasn't likely to ever find out or go back home again. Home was going to have an entirely new meaning now.
Tilting his head down, Eric smothered his lips against the top of (Y/n)'s head, inhaling the very faint scent of her raspberry shampoo which Eric guessed neither of them would be using very often anymore.
His elbows were pinned into (Y/n)'s waist, their hands were interlocked together in front of them and Eric had his chest moulded over (Y/n)'s back like he was a coat or a second layer of skin, trying to protect and shield her form the rest of the world.
Every now and then he brushed his thumbs across the back of her hands but he was trying hard to concentrate on being quiet and not humming. Whenever they would hug or dance in their apartment, Eric was usually the one to start humming and giving them their very own background music. Humming was something that he used to do all the time, it calmed him down and gave him a sense of focus. He couldn't do that anymore.
They had been pacing for a while now, Eric wasn't sure how long, he would roughly guess at about an hour because both of them had gone stiff sitting down for so long. And there wasn't much they could do to idle away the time.
Everyone else was trying to sleep or be on watch at the windows in case any creatures roamed the streets at night. Everyone inside the church had calmed down and fooled themselves into a false sense of security in here.
But Eric was on red alert. There was a countdown happening in the back of his mind to the moment when this whole situation would turn South and they would have to get to water, to safety, fast to ensure they and their baby survived.
When (Y/n)'s hands tightened around his and she stopped walking, Eric paused behind her, curving himself around her as he figured she was experiencing another contraction.
He watched as she moved their entwined hands to grab the tie that Eric had taken off earlier and draped around her own neck like some kind of slim scarf or strange piece of jewellery. He watched (Y/n) pull on the tie until it was between her teeth and she chomped down so hard he was sure she would fray and split the fabric.
That was why he had given it to her. He knew that being silent in such an ordeal with such pain was going to be incredibly hard for his wife, and Eric hated that there was very little he could do about that. So he gave her his tie to bite down on and clench between her teeth in the vain hope that it might give her some small sense of relief.
And whenever (Y/n) told him the pain was too much, Eric would give her some of the medication he had tucked away in his bag from raiding the chemist earlier in the day. He had found some powerful drugs in that chemist for this exact situation.
As carefully as he could, Eric moved their entwined hands so his left arm was bound around (Y/n)'s waist and his right hand moved to cup her chin. He tilted her head towards the right so he could lean around and pepper a few tender kisses to her cheek.
When the contraction wore off, Eric moved to hover his lips over (Y/n)'s ear which caused shivers to jolt through her system and vibrate into him.
"Are you doing okay?" Eric spoke at the lowest possible decimal he could until his words were nothing but a breath of air that could hardly be heard by (Y/n), let alone anyone else in the church or out in the world.
He watched the way (Y/n) released the tie so it hung limp around her neck again and rolled her lips together. Her eyes closed and her head tilted back against his shoulder after she managed to nod. She was doing as well as she could in this situation.
Their conjoined hands moved so (Y/n) could point to the pews and Eric nodded into her shoulder and neck.
She wanted to sit down now, lest Eric wanted to stand and hold her weight up for her. They had been standing for long enough and (Y/n) wasn't sure she held the energy to stay upright any longer.
She felt much better when Eric helped ease her back down on the bench and when he sat beside her, he curved his right arm around her waist and kept their left hands tangled together on her lap. Eric was relieved to sit down too. He was drained and he needed to stock up on his energy and hope adrenaline would see him through for when the baby was born.
For a few moments, Eric tilted his head down and attached his lips to (Y/n)'s shoulder. They stayed like that until Eric lifted his head when (Y/n) bowed hers. Her chin tucked down into her neck and Eric took to kissing the back of her head to try and help keep her calm.
Eric glanced his eyes around the open space while his right hand began to feather up and down (Y/n)'s waist. He tried to take in the sight of the other people seeking refuge here, wondering what their lives had been like before this mess ensnared them all in here together. Wondering if they were missing family members, if they were looking for people or if they were simply on an aimless mission like them.
He stopped pondering those kind of thoughts when he noticed an older gentleman sat on the opposite bench from them on the other side of the aisle was staring at them.
He looked to be in his fifties if Eric had to guess. Salt and pepper hair, a beard that was all fading to grey, but it was his piercing eyes that set Eric on edge.
The man was glaring at them with a look that Eric couldn't decipher, those beady eyes set upon the couple while the man's lips and nose were scrunched up into a confused sort of frown.
Eric stared over at him, keeping his gaze as he waited for the man to make some kind of action or mouth something to signal why he was staring at them so intently. Did he want something? Was something wrong? Did he think he recognised them from somewhere?
Suddenly, the man broke their gaze and hunched forward to reach for a scrap of paper and a bit of chalk.
'In labour?'
Unease set in Eric's features which hardened to stone, but he nodded all the same. There was no point denying it. There was a couple at the back of the church near the hymn board who kept looking at them and the woman had such a sympathetic smile that made Eric want to cry. She could see that (Y/n) was in labour and Eric guessed that if they could speak without fear of being detected, she would have tried to strike up a conversation with them or even sat with them to help.
He watched the gentleman start scribbling again, but when he held the page up for Eric to see, his chest hardened and anger seethed through every vessel in his body.
'Get out!'
(Y/n) glanced from Eric to the man sitting across from them, suddenly wondering what had caused her husband to start to breathe like he was stopping himself from turning into the Hulk. His chest was tense and practically heaving and his nostrils were flaring, but there was a maddening look in his eyes that (Y/n) had never seen before. And his eyes were locked on the man across from them.
The words on the page made (Y/n)'s heart seize up and caused her chest to convulse.
Her head turned to look behind her towards Eric, eyes wide and body shaking as a bewildered expression flooded her face. Now she was frightened- no, she was petrified.
If that man was telling them to leave, then what would stop everyone else in here from doing the same?
What if they started a silent uproar? What if all of the couples and families and desolate strangers in here tried to get them to leave? They could combine into one big gang, they could crowd and push and shove until Eric and (Y/n) were ushered out onto the street. And what would the couple do then?
(Y/n) couldn't have this baby in the street, they had to be somewhere safe, somewhere enclosed and indoors and with a bit of protection.
But no one else had seemed disgruntled. They had all seen that (Y/n) was pregnant, there was no missing that little piece of information and although the couple gained sympathetic looks, no one seemed to object. They couldn't help that they were having a baby while this apocalypse had occurred. It was fate. They needed help, not to be shunned out.
Moving his arm from resting on the back of the bench, Eric brushed his fingers against (Y/n)'s cheek and tilted her head so she was looking at him rather than that silly old fool. He attached his lips to her cheek and inched closer to her, huddling her close into his chest.
They didn't have to look and see that fool try to argue with them. They had every right to be in here and Eric wouldn't let that man upset (Y/n) when she was clearly distressed enough as it was.
For a few minutes, (Y/n) closed her eyes and leaned her cheek against Eric's chest. She let go of his hand in favour of holding his thigh and she felt each breath he took fanning against her hair. They both did their best to stay tangled together and resist the urge to look across at the man that Eric felt a great deal of distain for even though he had barely interacted with him and knew nothing about him.
But if he was willing to try and sacrifice a pregnant woman out on the street for his own survival, then Eric didn't want to know him. No one would be able to survive in this world on their own, people needed a community, help, they would need others to help get them through this. He wasn't going to last very long out there on his own.
Eric tried, he really tried not to look, but when the man began to wave his arms and flap his hands out to get his attention, he gave in. Eric gave in and turned to see what he wanted now. He was holding up another page.
'You're putting us all in danger. Babies make noise, that thing will kill us all.'
Outrage roared to life in Eric's chest that began to heave and blunder again. He had a sickening feeling that the man across from them was referring to the baby, not one of the creatures outside and that thought was riling up every one of Eric's otherwise passive nerves in his body.
If that man didn't like his odds being around a baby then he could go and find somewhere else to stay. There were kids in here, older people, young people. Any one of them could cough or belch or fall or sneeze and make a noise, no one was exempt. Yes, a baby was more of a risk than everyone else but that didn't mean that it was fair to cast them out.
Shakes rattled through Eric and his hands clenched into fists as he pushed up from the bench. But before he took one step, he faltered when (Y/n) deadlocked both hands around his arm and yanked his arm towards her chest.
She could see that he wanted to scream and shout and rage but it wasn't going to do them any good. The rage inside Eric started to simmer down and mingle with heartache when he looked down at his wife. She was frightened enough as it was, starting a silent argument or a fight wasn't going to make the situation any better.
With a curt nod of his head, Eric sank back down on the bench and grabbed the notebook and pencil that they had brought along with them. He flipped to a clean page and hastily began to scrawl his response to the vile man who he now hated with vengeance.
'You were coughing earlier, that could kill us all.'
The menacing tone inside Eric's head might just have been projected into the man's mind, for he shrank back in his seat as if he had been slapped. And Eric triumphed inwardly while he began to write another message while he had the chance and the words rattling around in his head.
'Our baby deserves a chance. Church is sanctuary. You can't play God in here, don't like it, move to new haven.'
This church wasn't a forever solution for any of them. None of them were likely to stay here and live out their days in this church. They would all move on, they would find somewhere safer, somewhere better where they could live. Or they would each keep moving from place to place, hopelessly wandering for the rest of their (probably short) lives.
Everyone in this church would venture out into the streets, into the world, sooner or later. They would need to go for supplies, for food and water and clothing and bandages and medicines and to try and find somewhere to wash and get clean. No one was hybernating in here for the rest of their lives.
Eric and (Y/n) being here wasn't making much of a difference and if this man didn't like them being here then he could go and find a new place for himself. Why should they be the ones to leave when right now they hadn't done anything to put anyone in jeopardy?
'Baby is a big risk.'
The man had a deep frown engraved into his features, but his anger began to dwindle little by little when he looked from Eric to (Y/n). Agony was displayed on her face and she was mouthing 'please'. Whether she was asking him to relent in arguing or to let them stay, he couldn't be sure.
But he seemed to wince and visibly cringe, his expression turning hollow when he watched (Y/n) motion to her stomach before she tried to point towards the doors.
She couldn't give birth outside. It would be suicide.
Was he really going to try and evict them when he didn't have that right? Did he truly want them to find some deserted building with no source of heat or light or supplies and face giving birth in those conditions? Or did he want (Y/n) to sit out on the street to have her baby and become a beacon for these creatures to come and snatch them up?
The man wouldn't meet (Y/n)'s gaze, but he looked towards Eric when he waved another piece of paper towards him.
'Creature comes, I'll scream and distract to protect them.'
Eric would sacrifice himself if necessary. He would make a noise and divert the creatures to him if it would give (Y/n) and their baby a chance at getting away and being alive. Eric would make a noise and give everyone in this church the time to escape. He would do anything he had to for his family.
And those words seemed to silence the elder man because he nodded. For how could he argue with that?
Tears welled up in (Y/n)'s eyes when she watched Eric slide the notepad down next to him on the bench and she caught sight of what he had written. It wouldn't come to that. She wouldn't allow it. (Y/n) wouldn't be able to get through this world without Eric, she couldn't try and keep their baby alive without him.
Eric's arms went right back to cocooning around (Y/n) when another contraction hit and they moulded together like they were both trying to smother their cries. He began to sway them from side to side, wishing and praying that he could take the pain and endure it for her, but there was nothing he could do.
His arms went rigid around (Y/n)'s frame and his chest tensed and tightened when he watched a woman walk towards them. She had smiled kindly at them earlier and kept giving them sympathetic looks, but Eric didn't trust anyone in here. Not after the strange, infuriating conversation he'd just had with that man.
This woman could be coming over to gently try and coax them to leave, to tell them that staying wouldn't be in their best interests and for everyone's sake, they should go. But something about the softness in her eyes told Eric that she wasn't going to do that.
Her eyes softened as she gazed upon them and she crouched down beside them, gently patting (Y/n)'s knee in the process.
The couple watched her with uncertainty and intrigue and Eric nodded when she motioned to the pencil and notepad, politely asking if she could write them a message.
'Basement/ catacombs, go down. Thick walls underground, safer for baby.'
Once she laid the notepad on (Y/n)'s lap, she twisted to point behind her towards the small doorway in the left hand corner at the back of the church.
There was a basement beneath them down the stairs behind that door. The walls were made of old, thick stone and if all the doors were closed, the couple would effectively be sectioned off down there. It would be safer for them. The baby might just be able to make whimpers and little cries without drawing the attention of the creatures. And in the very least, they would be hidden away and in private without anyone around to leer or stare or try and intervene.
It was their best chance.
Relief swarmed through Eric's body which almost flagged against (Y/n) who wavered and couldn't stop the tears from trickling down her face. This lady was giving them a chance. She was trying to help them, she wasn't going to have a go at them or argue or try and usher them out onto the street.
When the woman stood up again and held her hands out in front of her, (Y/n) took the hint. She shakily took the elder woman's hands while she felt Eric holding onto her waist as he stood up with her, moving to be behind her with his chest curved around her back just in case she stumbled or a contraction hit and she needed some support.
Eric took his time putting both their backpacks on each shoulder, not wanting to rattle any of the medication or scissors in case he made a sound. And the three of them walked in tandem, the stranger leading the way with a clear understanding of the church that she must have frequented a lot before today to know the layout like she did.
She walked backwards, ushering the couple along with her and started to guide them down the winding stone steps that were frozen cold against all of their feet. Considering none of them were wearing shoes and were only in their socks.
They took it slow, trying their best not to slip or trip or get too far ahead of themselves. Once they were back on solid ground, the lady opened an old wooden door with precision, but she didn't open it all the way which Eric guessed was in case the hinges creaked.
(Y/n) wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but this was far better. A large expansive room rather like a cellar with boxes upon boxes of relics, books, donation boxes no longer in use. And candles. A whole bunch of candles. Just what they needed when the room was basked in darkness, with the only slither of light coming from the stairway out in the hall.
While the lady helped (Y/n) to sit down on a blanket she found in the corner, Eric carefully set the bags down and found the lighter he had stuffed in there. He made quick work of lighting as many candles as he could and dotted them around the rather cold room. But the cool air was soothing, both of them were burning up with panic so this temperature would help them both.
It seemed and felt safe enough to whisper down here, so the woman took her chances. "You should be okay to make some small noise down here, I'll make sure all the doors are closed. If you need anything, come find me. Good luck."
"Thank you." Sincerity flooded Eric's voice that was on the verge of breaking from both the tears clogging his eyes and the fact that he was still whispering which made his throat feel strange.
Once the doors were silently closed and the couple were encased in their own sense of privacy, (Y/n) slouched back against the wall and looked across at Eric who was sat cross legged near her feet.
"This is it." There was no turning back now.
***
Everything was laid out ready from the blanket beside Eric's thigh to the scissors, still packaged and sterilised. Needle and thread was laid out in preparation, a packet of painkillers was opened next to a bottle of water and sterilising fluid was set out in the corner.
Everything was ready and prepared, except for them.
(Y/n) had done her best to stay quiet. She had writhed from side to side, bit down on Eric's tie so harshly she had torn through the fabric and left teeth marks woven into the thread. She bit on her tongue, held her breath until she almost passed out, scraped her knuckles against the stone floor until they started to shred and bleed. She did everything in her power to only let out the quietest moans and whimpers possible.
All while watching every emotion possible cross Eric's face in a blunder. He had gone from panicked to excited to turmoil and then unfiltered horror and anxiety, all in a circle that kept going round and around.
But now it was happening. There was no going back, no second guessing themselves or their vague plan and there was nothing they could do anymore but push forward and hope for the best.
She heard Eric's quiet murmur of "Nearly there," and the bewilderment in his voice as he grabbed the blanket and laid it over his hands that were now in between (Y/n)'s legs in preparation.
He inched closer, wide eyes bubbling with tears and excitement and panic as his knees scraped against the floor and his feet fidgeted behind him. Eric pressed his chest down into his knees and leaned in closer until each breath he took made his chest ache and push down against his thighs.
"That's it, push again sweetheart."
Eric found that he himself could barely breathe when his hands started to curve around their baby. God, he hoped they would be okay and he wouldn't have to try and clear their airways or check for a pulse. He hoped they wouldn't start screaming immediately or be too loud.
Please don't be a fussy baby! Please be content and soothed immediately!
"It- it's a girl, s-she's here."
Trembling took over Eric's system almost as bad as how (Y/n) was shaking back and forth against the wall. Their baby was here. He was holding their daughter. Their long-awaited baby was here, in the midst of this changing, horrifying world.
Stars sparkled before (Y/n)'s eyes and she let her head drop back against the wall as her legs shakily moved and her heels slid down against the stone floor until her legs were splayed out on either side of Eric's thighs. Caging him between her legs like he had been caught in a trap.
Her hands pressed down into the floor to try and prop herself up and ragged, heaving breaths left her lips as the acute pain switched to thunderous pulses and shockwaves instead.
(Y/n) couldn't tear her eyes away from Eric, despite how she could barely see him properly. She tried to clear her fuzzy vision and watch her husband who moved with agility and haste.
She wasn't quite sure what he was fumbling around to try and do, not until the moment their daughter began to whimper. As soon as one noise left her lips, Eric moved her and (Y/n) was stunned. He had undone the buttons on his rather dirty, messed up shirt which was now hanging off his shoulders, exposing his chest and abdomen.
He curled the blanket around their daughter before quickly pressing her into his bare chest. His lips smothered the top of her head and he began to hush her, trying to keep her as close as possible without smothering her. And the way he leant forward and curled around her, embracing her fully, made (Y/n)'s heart melt.
He was trying skin contact. He was trying to get their baby to sense him and recognise that she was safe. He wanted her to mellow and settle and this was the quickest way he could think to do it.
His hands cradled the back of her head and her bum and he started rocking ever so slightly while he felt each whimper his daughter mewled into his warm chest. And the moment she stopped, Eric froze like a block of ice and his nose nudged against her head, fearing for a dreaded moment that he may have hurt or even suffocated her.
But the feeling of her hand bashing against his chest and her lips puckering and moving against his chest made Eric's lips curve into a wide, breathless smile.
She had settled. He'd done it. She wasn't crying yet.
(Y/n) slouched her shoulders back against the wall so she could lift her hands from the floor and reach out when Eric shuffled closer to her side. He tried his best not to move too much or too far, knowing the cord was still connected. And when he cautiously lowered their daughter from his chest, (Y/n) moved her own shirt so she could take his place and have their daughter curled up into her own chest this time.
"She's here," Those words seemed to be the only ones Eric could fathom at the moment as his hand enveloped over (Y/n)'s and his other hand cupped the back of her head so he could lean down and kiss her.
He would cut the cord in a little while, that could wait a minute or two. Right now, he needed his heart rate to settle and to have his girls wrapped up in his arms. His lips moved to attach to (Y/n)'s cheek, feeling each deep breath she took fan against his throat as he leaned into and around her like a blanket cocooning around his girls.
They had done it. They had gotten through labour and brought their daughter safely into the world without posing a risk or drawing the creatures towards them.
But the hard part wasn't over yet; it had only just begun.
