ROOM 7
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Birth
---
The call came at 3 AM.
Jay was asleep when her phone buzzed. Then buzzed again. Then started ringing. She fumbled for it, half-conscious, the shark falling off her pillow.
"Hello?"
"JAY." Grace's voice. Breathless. High. "IT'S TIME."
Jay sat up. "It's time?"
"THE BABY. IT'S TIME. I'M AT THE HOSPITAL. GET HERE NOW."
"I'm coming. I'm coming. Where's Denzel?"
"HE'S HERE. HE'S FREAKING OUT. HE KEEPS ASKING ME IF I'M OKAY AND I'M IN LABOR, JAY, I'M NOT OKAY, I'M PUSHING A HUMAN OUT OF MY—"
"I'm on my way."
She hung up. Threw the blanket off. Grabbed her jacket. Her shoes. Her keys.
Keifer was awake. He was always awake when she moved in the dark. "What's wrong?"
"Grace. The baby. She's in labor."
He was out of bed before she finished the sentence. "I'm coming."
"You don't have to—"
"She's my friend too. And Denzel's there. I know him."
She didn't argue. She didn't have time.
---
Part One: The Hospital
The hospital was bright. Too bright. White walls. White floors. The smell of antiseptic and coffee and something else. Something new.
Jay ran through the corridors. Keifer behind her. Grace's room was at the end of the hall. She could hear her before she saw her.
"I SWEAR TO GOD, DENZEL, IF YOU ASK ME IF I'M OKAY ONE MORE TIME—"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just—"
"I'M PUSHING A HUMAN OUT OF MY BODY. I'M NOT OKAY."
"You're doing great, baby. You're doing amazing."
"I'M DOING HORRIBLE. THIS IS HORRIBLE. I'M NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN."
"You said that last time."
"THERE IS NO LAST TIME. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME. I'M CLOSING THE FACTORY. PERMANENTLY."
Jay pushed the door open.
Grace was in the bed. Hair everywhere. Face red. Sweating. Denzel was beside her, holding her hand, looking like he was about to pass out.
"You made it," Grace said. "Good. Now tell him to stop asking me if I'm okay."
Jay walked to the bed. Took Grace's other hand. "Stop asking her if she's okay."
"Thank you."
Denzel looked at Keifer. "She's been like this for three hours."
Keifer patted his shoulder. "It gets worse before it gets better."
"THAT'S NOT HELPING."
"She's right. That's not helping."
The nurse walked in. Checked the monitors. "It's almost time. Push on the next contraction."
Grace squeezed Jay's hand. "Stay."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Grace nodded. Took a breath. The monitor beeped. She pushed.
---
Part Two: The Arrival
The baby came at 4:47 AM.
Grazel. Small. Red. Screaming. The most beautiful thing Jay had ever seen.
The nurse placed her in Grace's arms. Grace was crying. Denzel was crying. Jay was crying. Keifer was pretending not to cry.
"She's perfect," Grace whispered. "Look at her. She's perfect."
Denzel touched the baby's cheek. "She looks like you."
"She looks like a potato."
"She's a beautiful potato."
Grace laughed. Cried. Kissed the baby's forehead. "Grazel. Welcome to the world."
Jay stared at the tiny face. The tiny fingers. The tiny nose. Something shifted in her chest. Something she didn't have words for.
Keifer was beside her. His hand found hers. Squeezed.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded. Didn't trust her voice.
---
Part Three: The Room
Word spread fast.
By morning, the hospital room was full. Lyra arrived with flowers. Alex carried them. Ash came with balloons. Care brought a book on infant development. Cole brought coffee. Mica and Calix brought food. Yuri brought a stuffed animal. Freya brought her camera. Erdix brought extra batteries. David brought snacks.
Grace looked at the crowd. "You didn't have to come."
"We wanted to," Lyra said. "We're family."
Grace's eyes filled with tears. "I'm going to cry again."
"Cry," Lyra said. "I cried for an hour when I heard."
"You cried?"
"I'm crying now." Lyra pointed at her face. "Look. Tears."
Grace laughed. Cried. Held the baby tighter.
Denzel was in the corner, talking to Keifer. "You know him?" Jay heard Grace ask.
"Keifer? Yeah. We went to school together. Good guy."
"He's with Jay?"
Denzel looked at Keifer. At the way he was standing beside Jay. At the way she leaned into him without noticing.
"Yeah," Denzel said. "He's with Jay."
Ci N arrived last.
He walked into the room like he owned it. Looked around. Took in the flowers. The balloons. The baby in Grace's arms. The crowd of people.
Then he saw Jay.
His face went through several expressions. Recognition. Calculation. Alarm.
He walked to her. Stopped. Looked at the baby. Looked at Jay. Looked at Keifer.
Then he shouted.
"JAY GAVE BIRTH."
The room went silent.
Everyone turned.
Ci N pointed at the baby. "She gave birth. That's her baby. I'm not her child anymore. She has a new child. I've been replaced."
Jay stared at him. "Ci N—"
He was already talking to Keifer. "You're the father. You're the father of her new child. I'm the old child. The one she doesn't need anymore. The one she's replaced with a smaller, cuter model."
Keifer opened his mouth. Closed it.
Ci N looked at the baby again. "It has more hair than me. I've been replaced by something with more hair."
Yuri lost it. He was laughing so hard he had to grab the wall. Lyra was crying again, but this time from laughter. Ash had her hand over her mouth. Care was trying to explain something to Ci N. Cole was laughing at her attempt.
Mica was holding Calix for support. Freya was taking photos through tears. Erdix was filming. David was eating chips, calm as always.
Grace looked at Jay. "Who is this?"
Jay put her face in her hands. "Ci N. He's our new roommate."
"Your roommate thinks you gave birth?"
"He's eighteen. His brain works at one hundred sixty percent. He sees patterns."
"What pattern?"
"He thinks I'm his mother."
Grace looked at Ci N. He was still staring at the baby with an expression of deep betrayal.
"You're not her child," Grace said.
Ci N turned. "I'm not?"
"You're her roommate. Her friend. Not her child."
He considered this. "Then who is the father?"
Grace pointed at Denzel. "That's the father."
Ci N looked at Denzel. Then at Keifer. Then back at Denzel. "You're not Keifer."
"I'm Denzel."
"You're the father?"
"I'm the father."
Ci N looked at Jay. "You didn't give birth?"
"No."
"You're not the mother?"
"I'm not the mother."
He was quiet for a moment. Then: "Then why are you holding her hand?"
Jay looked down. She was holding Grace's hand. She hadn't let go since she walked in.
"Because she's my friend," Jay said. "And she just had a baby. And I'm here for her."
Ci N absorbed this. His face cleared. The alarm faded. The betrayal disappeared.
"That's acceptable," he said.
He walked to the bed. Looked at the baby. "Grazel."
Grace blinked. "How do you know her name?"
"I heard. My brain works at one hundred sixty percent. I hear everything."
He studied the baby's face. "She's very small. Her brain is still developing. In approximately three hundred days, she will begin to form coherent thoughts. In approximately five hundred days, she will speak her first word. In approximately—"
"Ci N," Jay said.
He looked at her.
"Breathe."
"I'm breathing."
"Talk less."
He considered this. "I can do that."
He stepped back. Looked at the baby one more time. "She's acceptable."
He walked to the corner. Sat down. Pulled out his notebook. Started writing.
Yuri was still laughing. "He thought Jay gave birth."
"He thought Jay gave birth," Lyra said.
"To Keifer's baby."
"To Keifer's baby."
"And he was jealous."
"He was jealous."
Yuri wiped his eyes. "This is the best day of my life."
"You say that every week."
"This week it's true."
---
Part Four: The Name
Ci N emerged from the corner twenty minutes later.
He walked to Grace's bed. Stopped. Looked at the baby.
"I have a question."
Grace braced herself. "What?"
Ci N pointed at Grazel. "Why did you name her Grazel?"
Grace looked at Denzel. Denzel looked at Grace.
"It's a combination," Grace said. "Grace and Denzel. Grazel."
Ci N considered this. "That's efficient. Combining names to create new names. Jay and Keifer would be—" He stopped. Did the calculation in his head. "Jayfer. Or Keiay. Neither is optimal. Jayke? Keijay? The combinations are limited. Perhaps they should choose a different naming strategy. Perhaps—"
"Ci N," Jay said.
He looked at her.
"The baby is sleeping."
He looked at Grazel. She was, in fact, sleeping. Tiny fists curled. Cheeks round. Lips parted.
"I'll be quiet," he said.
He walked back to the corner. Sat down. Wrote in his notebook.
Keifer leaned toward Jay. "He's going to keep doing this."
"I know."
"For the rest of his life."
"I know."
She looked at Ci N. Small. Intense. Writing in his notebook. His fox was on the chair beside him. He'd brought it. For comfort. For the new baby.
"He called me mother," she said.
"He did."
"He thought I gave birth."
"He did."
"He was jealous of a newborn."
Keifer smiled. "He was jealous of a newborn."
She watched Ci N write. His pen moved fast. His forehead was wrinkled. His lips were moving silently.
"He's something else," she said.
"He's something else."
She looked at Keifer. "You're repeating everything I say."
"I'm agreeing with everything you say."
"That's annoying."
"You like it."
She didn't answer. She watched the baby sleep.
---
Part Five: The Gift
An hour later, the room had quieted.
Grace was asleep. The baby was asleep. Denzel was in the chair beside them, eyes closed, hand on Grace's.
Everyone else was scattered around the room. Yuri was on the floor. Lyra and Ash on the couch. Alex standing by the window. Care and Cole in the corner, not arguing for once. Mica and Calix sharing a chair. Freya and Erdix organizing photos. David passing snacks.
Ci N was still in the corner. His notebook was closed. His fox was in his lap.
He stood up. Walked to the bed. Looked at Grazel.
He reached into his pocket. Pulled something out. A small thing. Blue. Soft.
A tiny shark.
He placed it beside the baby's head. Tucked it against her cheek.
"For her," he said quietly. "To keep her safe. Sharks are very protective. They guard what's theirs."
He stepped back. Looked at the baby one more time. Then he walked back to his corner. Sat down. Picked up his fox.
The room was quiet.
Yuri wiped his eyes. "I'm not crying."
"You're crying," Lyra said.
"I'm not crying. My eyes are sweating."
"That's not a thing."
"It's my thing."
---
Part Six: The Name Debate
Ci N came back an hour later. He'd been thinking. His face was serious. His notebook was open.
"I've solved it," he announced.
Everyone looked at him.
"Jay and Keifer," he said. "The name combination. I've found the optimal solution."
Jay put her face in her hands. Keifer looked at the ceiling.
"If they have a child," Ci N continued, "they should name it Marison. Mariano-Watson. Marison. It's efficient. It honors both families. It's gender-neutral. It's—"
"Ci N," Jay said.
"—better than Jayfer. Which sounds like a type of bird. Or Keiay. Which sounds like a keyboard. Marison is—"
"Ci N."
He stopped. Looked at her.
"We're not having a child."
"Not yet."
"We're not having a child ever."
He tilted his head. "You don't know that. The future is uncertain. My brain works at one hundred sixty percent. I can calculate probabilities. The probability of you and Keifer having a child within the next five years is—"
"CI N."
He stopped. Looked at her.
She was holding a pillow. Her face was red. Her hands were shaking.
"I'm going to throw this at you."
"You won't. You need it for sitting."
She threw it. He caught it.
"Your aim is improving," he said.
"Your face is improving."
"My face is the same."
"It's improving at being annoying."
He smiled. "You like it."
She didn't answer. She grabbed another pillow. Held it up.
He sat down. Opened his notebook. "Marison Mariano-Watson. It has a good rhythm. Marison. Marison. Marison."
Jay threw the pillow. He caught it without looking.
---
Part Seven: The Departure
They left the hospital in the afternoon.
Grace was awake. The baby was awake. Denzel was awake, barely. They were a family. Three people. A beginning.
Jay stood at the door. Looked back.
Grazel was in Grace's arms. Tiny. Perfect. The small shark tucked beside her.
"Thank you," Grace said. "For coming."
"I wouldn't miss it."
Grace looked at the room. At the flowers. The balloons. The people. "You brought an army."
"They wanted to come. They're family."
Grace smiled. "They're something."
"They're something."
Grace looked at Ci N. He was in the corner, writing in his notebook. His fox was in his lap.
"He's something else," Grace said.
"He's something else."
"He called you mother."
"He calls me mother."
"He was jealous of my baby."
Jay laughed. "He was jealous of your baby."
Grace looked at her for a long moment. "You're going to be okay, Jay."
"I know."
"You've got people. People who show up at 3 AM. People who bring flowers and balloons and stuffed sharks."
Jay looked at the room. At Lyra and Ash. At Care and Cole. At Mica and Calix. At Freya and Erdix. At David. At Yuri. At Alex. At Keifer.
"Yeah," she said. "I do."
She walked out. Keifer followed. Ci N followed Keifer.
"Marison," Ci N said in the hallway.
"Ci N."
"It's a good name. Marison. You should consider it."
"Ci N."
"For future reference. For when you and Keifer—"
"Ci N."
He looked at her.
She was holding a napkin from the hospital cafeteria. "I'm going to throw this."
"You won't. You need it."
She threw it. He caught it.
"Your aim is improving," he said.
"Your face is improving."
"My face is the same."
"It's improving at being annoying."
He smiled. Walked ahead. His fox was under his arm. His notebook was in his pocket.
Keifer fell into step beside her. "Marison?"
"Don't."
"It's not a terrible name."
"Keifer."
"Marison Mariano-Watson. It has a ring to it."
She stopped walking. Looked at him.
He was smiling. That smile. The one that made her forget why she was supposed to be annoyed.
"I'm going to throw something at you," she said.
"You don't have anything to throw."
She looked around. The hallway was empty. Nothing on the walls. Nothing on the floor.
She grabbed his hand. Squeezed it. Hard.
"That's not throwing," he said.
"That's improvising."
"That's not how improvising works."
"That's how our improvising works."
He laughed. She tried not to smile. She failed.
They walked out of the hospital together.
Ci N was waiting by the car. His notebook was open. He was writing.
"Marison," he said as they approached. "I've decided. It's the optimal choice."
"Ci N."
"For when you and Keifer—"
"Ci N."
He looked up.
She was holding nothing. Her hands were empty. She had nothing to throw.
"I'm going to remember this," she said.
"I'm going to write it down. For future reference."
He got in the car.
Jay looked at Keifer. Keifer looked at Jay.
"Marison," she said.
"Marison."
"It's terrible."
"It's terrible."
They got in the car.
Ci N was already writing in his notebook. The fox was on his lap. The shark was with the baby. The baby was safe. The room was waiting.
---
Part Eight: The Night
They got back to the dorm at dusk.
The room was empty. Everyone else was still at the hospital. Just Jay. Keifer. Ci N.
Ci N went straight to his bed. Put his fox on the pillow. Sat down. Opened his notebook.
"You're writing more?" Jay asked.
"Documenting. For future reference. Today was significant."
"Significant?"
He looked up. "A baby was born. You held your friend's hand. Keifer stood beside you. I gave a shark. These are significant events. They should be recorded."
He went back to his notebook.
Jay sat on her bed. The shark was on her pillow. Blue. Soft. Stupid.
She picked it up. Looked at it.
Ci N appeared beside her. She hadn't heard him move.
"Jay."
She looked up. "Ci N."
He looked at the shark. "That's the one Keifer gave you."
"Yes."
"You keep it on your pillow."
"Yes."
"You sleep with it every night."
She didn't answer.
He nodded slowly. "That's significant too."
He walked back to his bed. Lay down. Pulled the blanket up. His fox was under his arm.
"Goodnight, Mother."
"I'm not your mother."
"You're something."
He closed his eyes.
Keifer sat on her bed. The mattress dipped. His shoulder touched hers.
"Marison," he said.
"Don't."
"Marison."
"Keifer."
He smiled. She tried not to smile. She failed.
They sat there, in the empty room, the shark between them, the notebook beside Ci N's bed, the fox under his arm.
"Jay."
"Yeah."
"I'm glad we went."
She looked at the window. At the dusk. At the lights coming on in the city.
"Me too."
He took her hand. She let him.
Ci N's voice from across the room: "That's significant."
"Ci N."
"I'm sleeping."
"You're talking."
"I'm sleeping and talking. My brain works at one hundred sixty percent. I can do both."
"Ci N."
"Goodnight, Mother. Goodnight, Father."
Keifer choked. Jay's face went red.
"We're not—" she started.
"We're not—" Keifer started.
Ci N opened one eye. "Not yet."
He closed it. Smiled.
The room was quiet.
Jay lay back on her bed. Keifer lay beside her. The shark was between them. Ci N was across the room. The others would be home soon. The room would be full again.
But for now, it was just them. The shark. The fox. The quiet.
She closed her eyes.
"Marison," Keifer whispered.
She hit him with the shark.
He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have a Keifer problem."
"The worst kind."
She smiled. He smiled. The room was quiet.
Ci N's voice, soft and sleepy: "Significant."
"Ci N."
"Goodnight."
The room went quiet.
She slept.
---
End of Chapter Twenty-Three