Ian made his way down the hall, trying hard to look 'doctor-like'. He glanced down at the clipboard, and then up to room. Room 512. This was it. He brushed past the guards without them saying one word to him.
Ian stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Dinah was asleep in the bed, her face still showing bruises from her last session with Damian and her hair still matted to her head from sweat and strain of giving birth. Despite this, she was angelic.
He made his way to the bed, pulling up a chair. He brushed away stray wisps of hair from her face. Her blue eyes opened and went wide.
"Shhhhhh .... I'm not supposed to be here," Ian whispered to her. "Ariel helped me change and gave me this stuff so I could get past the guards. I needed to see..." His voice choked up with emotion. "I needed to see that you and the baby were alright."
Dinah turned her head to a cart on the other side of the bed. A swaddled baby slept comfortably there.
"You can hold her if you want to ..."
Ian got up and crept around to the little bundle, and unwrapped his daughter. His daughter. He'd never thought of the little pink things in such an intimate way before. He looked her over, counted her fingers and toes. She began to squirm and he lifted her to his shoulder and began the instinctive rocking motion that only a true parent understands.
"Here, give her to me, Ian. I'm sure she's hungry ..."
Ian handed the baby to Dinah and helped her expose her breast to the rooting little mouth. When the baby latched, Dinah sighed.
"Does that feel good?" Ian asked, watching in wonder at her feeding her infant.
"Yeah ... it does. Makes me feel all warm and tingly."
He watched for a bit longer, then hesitantly asked, "Can I?"
Dinah smiled up at him. It had been so long since she had felt his mouth suckle at her breast. He used to love that before ....
"Sure. I'd love that!" Ian swaddled the baby's feet so he didn't get kicked in the head, then latched his own mouth to Dinah's other nipple. He suckled mouthfuls of sweet, warm mother's milk, nursing along with his daughter until they both were satisfied. He took the baby from Dinah and changed her diaper, swaddled her, and put her back down for a nap. Then he turned his attention back to Dinah.
"I am so sorry for everything, Di ..." he began, taking her hand in his.
"Ian, it wasn't only your fault."
"Yes, it was. I fell in love with you, and it scared me. I wanted things with you that I've never thought about before. I always thought I'd work here, be responsible for other people's happiness, and that would be that. I never planned ...."
Dinah shifted and stroked Ian's face. He looked deep into her eyes as he continued:
"When Dr. Pritchett offered me extra money to father her child, offered me a raise in my regular Breeder pay and offered a better apartment – more perks that I've had in my whole life, I took it. I didn't even think of the consequences. So many of you girls come through here, have one baby, and you're gone. Just GONE. And I couldn't let myself love you because I knew you'd be gone, too."
By now, tears slipped down Ian's cheeks. Dinah brushed them away with her thumbs.
"Dinah, when I found out what Damian did to you, I wanted him gone. I wanted to be the one to put my hands around his neck and squeeze the life right out of him, but I couldn't do it. I want us to leave here. I want us to be a family. I want you, if you'll have me. I swear to you that I will never abandon you and ... and ... y'know maybe we should name our daughter ..."
"I was thinking Arielle. It means "lion of God", and your friend, Ariel, was instrumental in getting her here and in getting you to me."
Ian leaned down and kissed Dinah softly on the forehead. "It's perfect, love."
Just at that moment, the door burst open.
