Forbidden Access

"Then what is this torture about?"



Hal looked at him. "It's about the well being of the baby. I don't want it growing up in a place where it doesn't feel like it belongs..or appreciated."



"Why did you think that was going to happen?" Snake asked, truly curious. He wasn't physically capable of forsaking his own child.



Hal sighed painfully and ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know..."



"Just keep calm." Snake said when he heard the sigh and followed Hal's hand with his own. "We'll get to this some other time, for now you really need this rest. The doctor said he wanted you off your feet too."



Hal nodded slowly. "I-I know..It just stresses me out because I just felt l-like I was alone..."



"You're not alone, Hal." By now Snake really just wanted to help him and he had to keep him calm. "Don't you need sleep?" What about those meds? Snake wondered.



Hal shook his head. "It feels like I've been asleep for days... But he said I'd still have to take them just in case..."



"In case?" Snake noticed that in his urgency to follow directions he never asked what could happen otherwise.



"In case we get into another bad fight like this..." Hal replied.



"Ah." Great, now Otacon needed a medicine to protect him against Dave. This was precisely what Snake needed for his lovely day to be complete.



Hal nodded slowly and sat up a little, rubbing his back. "Did you eat anything?" he asked picking at the medical tape keeping his IV in.



"Not really. Are you hungry?"



"A little.." Hal replied.



"Gonna get something to eat. Want anything in particular?"



"Something cold." Hal replied.



"Alright. Will you be alright if I leave to find that? I won't be long."



Hal nodded and smiled a little. "The cafe's downstairs to the left of the elevator."



"Alright." He said, however on his way out he got a strange feeling. Nothing too instinctively compelling that he had to act on but just, strange. He'd felt it once, in Shadow Moses and already knew the answer but he still had to ask. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? No pain?"



Hal nodded. "I'm alright." he said. "The baby's kicking me in the ribs but that doesn't hurt that bad. You don't have to worry..."



"Alright" Snake said before leaving out the door and in search of the cafe. He wasn't about to admit himself that punching the elevator button more than a few times stopped being efficiency and borderlines to desperate hurry. The last time he did something like that he was being chased down by armed infantry men.



Hal waited patiently for Snake to get back with the food and did some thinking about Snake's responses.



It didn't take Snake long to get back with a meal for both of them, mostly salad, and apparently looking a little bit sick in the process. However he kept witting it off as nothing.



Hal looked up as he came in. "You find it ok?"





"Yeah, I did." Snake replied with a smile at seeing Hal there, just as he left him, safe and sound.



"What took you so long?" Hal asked looking at him. "Lines long?"



"Everyone wants a bite to eat at this hour, apparently." He said before showing Hal what he got and getting him the things to the table next to the bed. He then moved the table and carefully adjusted it so it didn't bother him but it was still at his reach. Hal wouldn't have to get up if Snake had any say in this, specially since he didn't have experience with pregnancy side-effects or complications and it seemed like a dangerously uncharted territory to him.



"The doctor came in and did a check up ultrasound. He took pictures since you missed it.." Hal replied nodding to a small pile of new pictures as he started to eat.



"Ah." Snake said, glad to be able to see this and at the same time quashing the doubt that comes at the idea that someone can come near Hal when he isn't here. "I'd like to see that."



Hal looked at him. "They're on the table to your right."



Snake nodded and smiled a bit before leaving the food alone to check on the pictures. He proceeded to look them over a few times, identifying what was once studied biological data to him and now seems like a lot more than that.



"It's a boy.." Hal said taking a drink. He watched Snake as he looked through the pictures.



"He's..." At this he held back, still not sure why. "He looks very healthy, doesn't he?" He asked, unable to mask his glee in voice tone as much as he masked it in the words.



Hal smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah.."



"How much longer is it?" Snake asked, already wanting the kid with him to hold himself. Hell, Hal got to have him all the time...



"The doctor said sometime in late December or early January.." Hal answered. "So 2 1/2 more months give or take."



"I can wait two and a half months..." Snake considered before looking at the man's belly and then at the pictures. He then reconsidered a little. "Are you sure it'll be that long?"



Hal nodded. "Yeah." he laughed softly. "Why?"



"No, nothing, just looking forward to it."



Hal smiled and nodded.



"You are, right?" Snake asked, smirk on his face as he leaned and kissed Hal's belly, evidently he wasn't asking Hal. Alright so he was probably traumatizing the fetus but for now he simply wanted to tease him some.



Hal smiled and watched him. "Yeah..Why wouldn't I?" he replied. He ran his fingers through Snake's hair and continued to smile.



"How about him?" Snake asked once more, caressing the area with his fingertips as if looking for something, or rather someone. "Should get thinking on the name too." he said before mumbling to the kid. "What name do you want, kid?" he asked.



Hal shrugged. "I like Hunter... What about you?" he asked as he watched Snake in his uncharacteristic moves.



"Hmm... any reason in particular?" Snake asked, slowly pulling away and looking at Otacon with a LOT of curiosity.



Hal shook his head. "I don't know it was the first thing that came to mind."



"Is anything wrong with Henry?"



Hal looked at him. "I donno..."



"I would say Delvin but there's something intimidating about that name."



Hal laughed. "Why does his name have to be intimidating?" he asked.



"Well the name's not intimidating. However it means brave and that kind of worries me."



"Why?" Hal asked. He thought a few moments and visions of their son, a daredevil, came to mind. "Ok nevermind I get what you mean.."





"How about William? Seems calm enough and safe but not exactly submissive either..." He said, wondering why the name came up.





Hal shrugged. "I was hoping we could figure out a less common name." he replied. "We have a few months to think. We don't have to decide now."





"Alright." He replied, content with that.





Hal nodded and finished his food. "Did he say when I could go home?" he asked.





"We have to ask him."





"I hope it's not going to be too much longer.." Hal answered.





"That's true."





Hal nodded and layed back against the pillows on the bed. "You staying the night or no?" he asked





"I'm staying here."





Hal nodded and reached out to touch Snake's face. "I'm sorry.."





"Uh?" Snake muttered, placing a hand on Hal's instinctively.





"For getting angry at you.." Hal replied softly.





"That's not a mistake." Snake said, looking a little confused and a little self-depreciating.





Hal looked at him. "I over reacted.."





"You did?" And now Snake was starting to wonder.





Hal nodded. "You were protecting me and I was too stubborn to see it..."





At this Snake thought he had to excuse that too. "You realize I know you're capable of defending yourself, right? It's that right now you have these... limits... if the word's not too strong."





"I know..." Hal sighed. "I feel so isolated."





"From?"





"Just everything..." Hal replied.





"Then we have to talk to that doctor and see you out."





Hal nodded slightly.





"Still you need to rest"





Hal nodded. "I know..I haven't been doing enough of it lately..."





Snake gave him a bit of a look at this.





Hal nodded and gave him a sheepish look.





The next couple of months went by with little to no issues. Hal was ordered to stay in bed for the rest of the time. He would occasionally break the rules and get up to walk around the room if his back was hurting.





It didn't take Snake long to get used to seeing Hal walk about like this when he had to. However he would keep a close and silent eye on the man. He wondered sometime about what would happen after this all, if everything would be alright and how he could see that happen.



Hal sat on the bed and sighed before laying back down. He looked at Snake. "You tired at all?" he asked. He was starting to get really restless yet he was exhausted at the same time.





Snake shook his head. Mostly he kept watch over Hal and liked to stay focused to do so properly.





Hal sat up as best as he could and rubbed Snake's shoulders. "Dave get some sleep..."





"Hmm... Maybe I should be doing that." He murred.





Hal smiled. "I just want you to relax.." he said. "You should be catching up on your sleep."





"But I already slept my three hours..." He started before leaning more comfortably and starting to give in.





Hal looked at him. "You're going to need more than that.." he said kissing Snake's neck.





"Hmm... That's great..." He muttered absently as he felt the relaxation set in and soon enough he'd fallen asleep where he lay.





Hal smiled and laid next to him. He fell asleep for a couple of hours before he had to get up and walk around again. He slipped out of bed silently taking great care not to wake Snake. He went to the nearby bathroom and got a drink of water. His lower back was hurting more than usual. He winced a little and went to the bed to lay down for a little while longer.





At this Snake shifted and moved closer to him with a muttered "close" or something unintelligible like that.





Hal smiled a little as the pain subsided. He leaned in and kissed Snake's cheek before falling back asleep.





Snake didn't wake up from that but muttered something again.





Hal woke up again a half an hour later with the same pain. He got up slowly and went to his laptop. The Otaclock he programed as his calender and clock read '2:15AM December 24th' He sat at his desk and took note of the times he felt the pains. He had felt them before but they seemed milder than at the present moment. After a few more he got up and went over to Snake, shaking him slightly. "S-Snake...Wake up...?" he whispered.





"Hmm?" Snake asked, already stretching in case Hal wanted something else to munch on. Hopefully something NORMAL this time.





Hal stood next to him and bit his lip. "Um..Y-You need to get up..."





The doubt lasted until Snake saw Hal's face. "What's wrong?" He asked immediately.





"I-I don't know about you b-but it's almost f-four in the morning and I'm getting really painful contractions..." Hal answered as he went to get a bag packed while he wasn't in pain.





"Alright then." Snake said, getting up and helping him back that.





Hal got some clothes and put them in the bag before sitting on the bed, rubbing his back and breathing slowly.



Snake put his hands where Hal's were trying to reach at once and rubbed him gently. You want me to get you a wheelchair? I mean if this is too much... I'm sure I can get you that." He asked.



Hal shook his head. "I-I can walk but once we get there I might need it.." he replied. "He said this'll take hours.."



Snake kept calm with this and nodded. "We have to move then, don't we?" He said, picking the bag up and looking to see if everything's in order.



Hal nodded. "Help me up.." he said holding out his hands



Snake did as told and pulled Hal to himself, a hand on his arm and the other on his back. He didn't waste time before he helped Hal on his way.



Hal walked with him to the Jeep, only stopping once for a contraction. Once he got in the car he waited for Snake to get in.



Hal was apparently right about the contractions. This worried Snake a little as he sat behind the wheel and drove. He kept an eye on Hal as he moved to his objective too. "How is that?" He asked, apparently unaware that Hal didn't fancy withholding pain like that.



Hal winced. "It hurts.." he replied softly.



"More than it should?" he asked in worry, attempting to keep concentrated in his breathing and not get them killed on the way there but it was little by little becoming more difficult.



"I-I don't know..I've never had a baby before Snake..!" Hal snapped, as his eyes started to water. He held onto the handle above the door.



All calm lost Snake proceeded to panic a little. Hal didn't normally snap for just about anything... hell... he'd heard this tone when he hit his head in that tanker and the man freaked: It sent a message of equal urgency. "We're almost there." He said, for morale's sake as he tried to move it.



Hal whimpered and nodded slowly still gripping the handle.



Soon enough he was leaving the car to pull a wheelchair for Hal and sweating a little. 'Get a grip, Snake.' He thought silently as he helped the man to it. 'You already knew there would be pain in this.'



Hal sat down and looked up at him. "Y-You ok..?" he asked





"Yeah, I'm fine. How are you holding up?" He asked as he pushed him, bag slung over one arm.



"Surviving.." Hal replied as they went in. A couple of Dr. Forrester's nurses took Hal to a room while Snake filled out a few things at the front desk



Snake didn't know who's idea it was to separate Hal from him but it wasn't exactly brilliant. That is, if he hadn't absently taken the papers and followed after Hal as he filled them.



They examined Hal and got him in a room and in a comfortable bed. Once he saw Snake come into the room Hal sat up a little. "I'm sorry.."





The apology confused Snake a little. Why was he apologizing. However, he sat next to Hal in order to silently do this paperwork. "Maybe you can lie down now."





"I am..They gave me some pain meds.." Hal replied as he rested against the pillows.





"Alright. Did they say what the pain was about?" he asked, looking at him when he was done with the papers.





Hal looked at him. "They're contrctions Dave.."





"Hmm"