Sarah: oooo I bet you all missed us...

Eric: please try to be serious.

Sarah: well actually i missed reviewing.

Eric: humm well.. so did I but luckily My computer is now fixed.

Sarah: you mean replaced right?

Eric: well yeah.

Sarah: so its back to attempting to write and stuff like that.

Eric: is it just me or does this new keyboard make an awful loud sound
when you hit the spacebar

Sarah: *shrug*

-----Original Message-----
From: Phillip Masters <PhilMasters@webtv.net>
To: fanfic@fanfic.com <fanfic@fanfic.com>
Date: Sunday, November 16, 1997 1:03 PM
Subject: [FFML] [Fanfic][Ranma] Father

PM Productions Presents
A Phillip Masters Fanfic
Father

Sarah: oo oo! i wonder whose the father.

Eric: well i'm sure whichever one it is will be a real bastard.

    It was a stormy midsummer's day.  I was coming home from a visit

to

Sarah: as any day is in a good dramatic fiction.

my friend's house.  I was eager to return to my wife, as she seemed to

be ready at any moment.  She looked like a whale, but of course I would

Sarah: nah... we'll just mention it behind her back.

Eric: oh she's pregnant... humm whose the father whose the mother?

Sarah: since its secret we can rule out the obvious couple.

never say that to her directly.  As large as she was, she was radiant
and dignified.  She also glowed.  Yes, glowed, illuminating all she was

Eric: definitely not Akane.

close to.  Sharing the light she was holding within her, giving it to
all those who needed it.

Sarah: sorta like the energizer bunny.

    I came into the house dripping wet.  The storm had taken its toll
on me, but I was just tipsy enough not to care.  As usual with a trip

to

Eric: no matter how drunk i get... i always manage to care about the
rain.

my friend's house there was sake.  Lots of sake.  However, I had the

Sarah: and headaches the next morning.

good sense not to overdo it.  Thankfully so.

Sarah: unlike some drunken boys who call wouldbe ex-girlfriends in the
middle of the night.

Eric: Quiet you!

    The moment I entered my home it struck me.  The feeling that

Sarah: if its a mallet i'm going for Akane!

something profound was about to happen.  Something that would forever

Eric: humm lemme look up my maslow.. is this one of those Self
Actualizations things?

change my life.  Something I would never forget for the rest of my
days.
    "It's time."

Sarah: if shes pregnant that definitely will put the fear of creation in
any man.

Eric: we are not wimps.

    I looked to the top of the stair case, where she stood.  My
beautiful wife, clad in only a light kimono.  For some reason she

always

liked to wear a kimono, everywhere she possibly could.

Sarah: calm and serene... humm this sorta could be the fathers then.

Eric: you mean Soun or Genma?

Sarah: thats my guess.

    "Time?"  It took a while for it to sink in.  Time for what?  Then,
it clicked.

Eric: did he pass out at this point or will it be later?

    Let me tell you, nothing, absolutely nothing, will sober you up
faster than the declaration that you are about to have a child.  Her

Sarah: except for the sound of sirens.

Eric: quiet you!

contractions had shrunk to the appropriate level, and her water was due
to break at any moment.  She need to be taken to the hospital.

Sarah: wow its down to such a science that you can figure out down to
that level of detail?

Eric: I had no idea.

    Took me all of ten seconds to make those realizations, and to get

Sarah: slow thinker

her into the car.  I'd thrown a coat over her shoulders and damn near
carried her out to the vehicle.  I threw my own jacket over her once
there so as to keep her as warm as possible.  Fortunately, the car was

Sarah: acting all nice.. cant be Genma. he's usually an idiot.

nice and ready, and it was warm out, though the rain was freezing.
    For the first time in five years I squealed the tires.  I whipped
out of the driveway, praying that no one would be in the way.  The Gods

Eric: and except for the neighbors cat... no one was hurt.

smiled upon me this dreary night and cleared the path for me and my
pained wife.  The contractions were getting even shorter.  According to
her it wouldn't be long now.
    I tended to believe her, so my foot tended to push the gas a bit
much.  I almost flipped the car into the hospital parking lot.  My wife

Sarah: in a scene reminiscent of Ace Ventura II the mystery husband
parks the car.

just repimanded me and warned me about inducing labor.  Well, I for one
wasn't really listening.  I, for one, had a goal in mind, and wasn't

Eric: well you for one are the only one around who would listen.

stopping until I achieved it.  No matter what it took.
    Once I pulled up to the Emergancy Drop-off entrance, I screeched

to

a halt.  Obviously that was interpreted as the "Hey!  I've got a
pregnant woman in here, get your ass moving!" screech, for a couple of
nurses instantly appeared outside the door with a wheelchair.  How had

Sarah: well psi ability is said...

Eric: ?

they known I was coming?  I hadn't called... dang.  One thing I
forgot... notify the doctor.  Well, there was no time to mull over that
right then.  Wife was ready to give birth.

Sarah: have a little faith in your wife.

    Wife was ready to give birth... wife... ready to give... I

suddenly

realized I wasn't ready for this.  I was only twenty two, what in the

Sarah: oooh!  twenty two.. wow.... humm... lets do some quick math on
this one.

hell was I doing?!  I pleaded temporary insanity, no, it was a crime of
passion.

Eric: heheh... well... arent they all...

Sarah: you know *donning serious voice* not all condoms are 100% safe.

    I looked to my right to see what my wife was thinking of... and

Eric: prolly thinking... why am i still in the car?

found no one there.  For a moment I panicked, just about stopped my
heart.  That was before I remembered where I was and the attendants who
had come out a minute ago.  While I had been lost in my own
self-searching, my wife was being carted off by strangers.  Some

husband

Eric: perhaps soul searching would be more apropos here or something.

I was.

Sarah: it always starts with the little things.

    I got out of the car, removing the key from the ignition quickly.

Eric: damn i was hoping for him leaving the keys in the car.

I ran into the hospital, looking about for someone who could direct me
to the maternity ward.  Of course, I was too lost to just look at the

Sarah: this could be a highly amusing image if you expounded on it, but
i realize you may just want to keep the fic short.

signs.  Never even occured to me.

Eric: it never does.

    After running about like a chicken with its head removed for about

Sarah: oh removed eh?  too cultured for cut off.... maybe..

Eric: perhaps we're overlooking the children.. who'd be the most serene?

Sarah: well she hasnt talked... as if that might give it away..
perhaps.. Shampoo?

Eric: nah she'd be more excitable.

three minutes, someone finally made themselves apparent.  I later found

Eric: umm grammer isnt it here? someone and themselves dont go together.

Sarah: oh like your a grammar king..

Eric: just trying to be helpful.

out it was the front receptionist, located where I had come in.  I'd
probably run by it four or five times before the woman got completely

Sarah: heh... silly boy.

fed up and stopped me.  She gave me the instructions I required and

sent

Eric: she might be used to it.

me on my way.
    I finally made it to the proper place, exactly where I was

supposed

to be.  At least, I thought so at first.  As it ends up, I was in

X-Ray.

Sarah: well we all make those mistakes.. xray.. maternity... perfectly
understandable.

Ugh.
    Thirty seconds later, I was truly in the right ward.  Then, I

checked in with the nurse, who said my wife was in labor and I should

Eric: at least he had the presence of mind to do this.

wait in the Expecting Room.

Sarah: WAIT? what about hopping in with the mother while giving birth.

    Expecting Room?  More like Hell's Vestibule.  There were two other

Eric: a perfect name for it.

men in there with me.  Both had wives in labor at that moment, and all
three of us were nervous wrecks.  Yes, we were all first timers.  At

first we ignored one another, then we just began to feel insecure.
Next, we tried making small talk, which ultimately led to our wives and
the current source of our misery.  Lastly, we decided to silently draw

Sarah: i wondered how long this is all taking.

Eric: labors can last an awfully long time.  perhaps a message on the
passage of time.

on each other's strength.  We soon discovered how futile it was to
attempt to draw on something that wasn't there.  We ended up sharing

our

Eric: ouch.. poor guys..

frustration and anxiety, which dulled them only slightly.
    Five minutes later a nurse came in to announe the arrival of the
Ichiko baby.  The father immediately lightened up, a bright
contradiction to the broken man he was a moment ago.  He followed the

decidedly English tradition of passing out cigars.  He was so happy and
joyous.
    Outwardly, we were too, but inwardly we wanted to stick the cigars
where they'd fit most nicely, but most uncomfortably.  And light them.

Eric: ooookay... well some much for comraderie amongst men.

   I was surprised when the nurse next came to say my child was born.

Sarah: so are we...

Eric: certainly, its usually like that.

I figured the other guy would go first.  However, it wasn't to be, so I
just gave the poor sap a look of pity and followed the nurse to the
viewing area.

Sarah: so much for male bonding.

   I asked when I would be allowed to see my wife.  She said as soon
as she regained consciousness.  I then asked if everything was okay and

Eric: to bad you didnt see the needle into the back.

went smoothly.  She said it had, very well as a matter of fact.
    We came upon the glassed in room that housed all the newborns.

Row

after row of hospital cribs filled the sterile sanctuary.  However,

only

a couple of them were filled.  Two, to be precise.  Mine, and the other
guy who had just been called not more than ten minutes ago.

Eric: what a coincidence.

    I scanned the name tags latched on the baby cribs.  My eyes fell

on

mine first, which instantly drew my gaze upward.  I looked upon

Sarah: oh come on how long can you keep us in suspense.

perfection at that moment.  There's that instant where the whole world
vanishes, and all that remains is you and your child.  A baby boy.  So
innocent looking, yet quiet and determined, like his old man.  A

Sarah: must be Ranma

Eric: Yeah this certainly doesnt describe any of the other males...

Sarah: that leaves.. umm Kasumi?

Eric: or Ukyou.

powerful wash of pride the likes of which I had never felt transcended
my being.  Every fibre that made what was me became electrified.  I
inhaled deeply, suddenly loving the anticeptic odor of the hospital.  I
blinked back the few tears that threatened to escape my eyes.  This was
the greatest moment of my life, absolute and unchallanged.

   I turned to the other guy, who was in a similar state as I.  Don't
blame the fellow.  I know exactly how he feels.  He is an
extraordinarily proud looking man, standing straight as an arrow.  Only
his eyes, like mine, betrayed the unparalelled joy he was feeling at
that moment.  Only a slight quirk in his chin at regular intervals
showed the fact that he wanted to take me and dance about the room like
an idiot.  He was a mirror of myself in fact.

Sarah: which might have been very amusing if it had been done.

   I looked over to the nametag of his child.  I was curious to find
out what the name of this lucky child was to have such a strong father.
    It was a little girl, as beautiful as a sunrise and just as
cheerful.  On her head already grew a small tuft of chestnut hair.  I
had a fleeting notion to get to know the father better, perhaps join

our

Sarah: oh oh...

Eric: i have a feeling i know where this might be going.. you dont
think..

Sarah: Soun and Genma...

families if he had no previous engagements already.  However, I

Sarah: wow so young if our suspicions are true.

squelched that thought, figuring I would want to give my son all the
freedoms I lacked as a youth myself.

Sarah and Eric: whew!

   Anyway, I didn't want to do it to the young girl either.

Sarah: hummm....

    Such a pretty name she has too.
    Tendo Kasumi.

Sarah and Eric: ?

    I feel she will make her father just as proud in life as he feels
at this very moment.
END...
Don't know where in the heck this came from, so don't ask.  Comments
graciously accepted, and thanks for reading...
PMasters

Sarah: well I'm at a loss for words.

Eric: an rare and very wonderful state for you to be in.

Sarah: grrrr

Eric: now on to the review part.  The first thought when reading your
story is that its been done.  So i wanted to see how you played with the
cliches and stuff in it.  The fear of the husband and stuff.

Sarah: while you didnt stray to far from the path of how things usually
go in these kind of tales. it was made far more interesting by the
mystery of who the parents were.

Eric: on the otherhand you didnt really answer the question as to who
the parents were. which was kind of frustrating. you left it to our own
imagination.  IF it was Genma then you open up a whole can of worms with
the last bit about not having his freedom when he was young.

Sarah: otherwise the story was a decent sort.  Not a grand story worthy
of awards but an enjoyable read nontheless.  Which brings me to another
sort of question.  You gave the impression throughout of having been
through this experience.  The story had a personal feel.  Either way
that gave it a very nice touch and made it more believable.

Eric: until next time... unless my computer blows up again.










"I'm only holding back the rain.  So many raindrops, so many pains.  I
want to find my train someday.  As seasons go past the station." - Tokyo
Babylon OVA 1
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