HOME | DD

Description
Johnny Toast pulled out his gun and shot frantically at the entity in front of him. Every weapon he had tried had failed and he was beginning to worry. He’d never seen anything like this before. It was unkillable. He shot it with a rocket and it hissed and flew backwards. Toast ran down the hallway and yelled out for his partner and best friend.
“Sir!” he called. “Sir, where are you? I can’t beat this alone!”
He heard a very faint reply. It was not words, no. It was just… a laugh. A very high-pitched laugh that sent chills down Johnny’s spine. He recognized the laugh, though he had not heard it in a very long time.
“I thought you were dead,” Johnny said very quietly. He sounded almost as if he would cry.
The man laughed louder. Johnny could not find where he was. He almost didn’t want to find him. The laugh grew louder and louder until Johnny’s head was pounding. The room was shaking. Johnny closed his eyes and shook his head.
“No! You’re gone! Leave him alone! You can’t come back! Not now!” Johnny Toast yelled.
The room shook harder, his head pounded worse, the laugh grew louder.
Then Johnny sat straight up in his bed and looked around. His wife slept soundly at his side and to the other side, his phone vibrated on the table. He picked it up and answered with a very groggy, “Hello?”
“JOHNNY!” Toast’s best friend, Johnny Ghost, yelled into the phone. Toast’s wife sat up then and looked at him with a worried expression.
“Sir? What’s wrong?” Toast asked.
“Johnny! I’m not ready for this! It’s happening so quickly! How am I supposed to do this?!” Johnny Ghost yelled.
“Sir, calm down!” Toast said quickly before Ghost could go on. “What’s going on?”
“The baby, Johnny!”
Johnny Toast and his wife hurriedly got ready to go to the hospital where Ghost was waiting with his wife. It didn’t take them long to be ready and to be in the car.
“So,” Johnny’s wife, Kat said, “Johnny’s going to be a father now.”
“Kat, I don’t want to have this talk with you again. Johnny and I are going to continue ghost hunting. We have to. No one else will.” Johnny Toast ran a hand through his hair stressfully.
“I get that, Johnny, I always have. It’s just… Being a father is a lot of work, you know. He might be busier. He might want to be with his family.” Kat tapped her fingers on her leg. This was her nervous tick and Johnny knew.
“What’s going on? You keep bringing this up. Ghost will be fine, he always is. Caroline can take care of herself and a baby for a few hours while Ghost is working a job.”
“But what if he gets hurt on the job? Then his child will be fatherless.”
“Why are you so worried about this?” Johnny sighed.
“Well what would you do if you had a baby, Johnny? Would you keep doing this dangerous work or get a normal job to be able to support your family?” Kat bit her lip, another nervous habit.
“When that happens… I guess… We’ll figure it out. I can’t stop my job. I have to keep going. For right now let’s just think about Ghost. He’s going to need our support right now,” Johnny said and Kat knew his word was final. She just stared out the window at the dark rain and tried to keep herself calm.
They waited several hours in the waiting room of the hospital. Light was shining through the windows and Toast was leaning against the wall, almost completely asleep.
“Johnny,” Kat said quietly.
“Yes, Kat?” Johnny replied, not bothering to open his eyes.
“What do you think Johnny’s gonna do about all this?” she asked.
“Kat, I told you. We’re continuing as normal. When we get a call, we answer, no matter what. We’re professionals,” Johnny said a bit irritably. He was sick of this argument. Kat had been talking about it for weeks now.
“But what if I were? What if you got hurt and our baby didn’t have a father for their entire life? Don’t you understand how scary this is?” Kat hadn’t noticed that she was no longer whispering.
“I’m going to get something to eat,” Johnny said. “Stay here in case Ghost comes back with an update. Then he left before she could argue.
Kat leaned back against the wall and held back tears. How could he say these things? His own child, fatherless because he is too careless.
“So how far along are you?” a girl asked, sitting down next to Kat.
“How did you-”
“I had the same argument with my husband when I was pregnant with my first,” the lady said. “Kevin’s a detective. He’s always been reckless with his work, you know. Never thought through anything.” The lady saw the confused look on Kat’s face. “You should just tell him,” she said finally. “When he gets back. Kevin got super careful as soon as I told him.”
“Thank you,” Kat said. She was still concerned about telling Johnny.
“So what is it your man does?” asked the lady.
“Oh, uh, firefighter. Reckless firefighter,” Kat replied. What sane person would believe her if she said her husband was a paranormal investigator extraordinaire?
“Oh, don’t you worry. I’m sure everything will work out for you. You have a good day.” The lady stood up and smiled at Kat.
“You too,” Kat said, smiling. She was very confused by the whole situation. Just tell him… How, though?
Johnny Toast walked back into the room soon enough and sat down next to Kat. He had a coffee in one hand and a chocolate bar in the other. He offered them to Kat. She looked at the coffee warily. You’re not supposed to drink caffeine when you’re pregnant, Kat knew that much.
“Listen, Johnny. If I were pregnant-”
“Kat, I swear, if this is about my job… Why are you so obsessed with this? Why do you keep asking about this?” Johnny asked irritably.
“Because I am!” she said loudly. Not loud enough to disturb the others or to be disrespectful in the pregnancy ward. Just louder than usual.
Johnny turned very pale. “You are what?”
“Pregnant, Jonathan. I’m pregnant.” Kat stood up and walked over to the vending machine. She put a dollar in and got a water bottle. She closed her eyes and leaned against the machine. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and felt two strong arms wrap around her in a comforting way.
“Kat…” Johnny said quietly. “How long?”
“Nine weeks,” she whispered.
“I’ll talk to Johnny,” he hugged her tight. “We’re going to make this work. We’re going to be a family.”
Kat turned around and wrapped her arms around him, resting her face in his shoulder and letting silent tears slip out. “I don’t want my child to grow up without a father. Not like me.”
“Shh, I know, Kat. I’ll get some money from Mum. I’ll take some time off. I’ll be extra careful.” Johnny hugged her tight and then led her back to her seat. “Can I get you anything? Water? Something to eat?”
“I’m fine, Johnny,” Kat mumbled.
Johnny sat next to her quietly. He had one arm around her and the other constantly checking his phone for a text from Johnny Ghost.
“Johnny!” the door swung open and a very exasperated Johnny Ghost ran into the room and over to the Toasts. “It’s a boy! It’s a little baby boy! I have a son, Johnny! A son, Kat!”
Toast and Kat smiled and hugged him. “Can we see them? Did everything go okay?”
“Everything’s fine. Everyone’s okay. I have a son!” Johnny hugged Kat again and then covered his mouth. “You’re pregnant?”
“What? How did you know that?” Toast asked.
“Oh come on, I mean, why else would Kat not have a coffee? Also she asked Caroline for advice about it,” Ghost said.
“She told you that?” Kat asked.
“Caroline’s my wife. We don’t hide things from each other. I’m so happy for you guys!”
“So what’s the name, Sir?” Toast asked excitedly.
“Christopher. Christopher Jonathan. After my best friend,” Ghost elbowed Toast and he blushed.
“Aw, you two make such a cute couple. When do we get to see the baby?” Kat was almost jumping.
“Patience, Kat. The doctor thinks it’d be best to wait a little bit. He kinda sent me out because I was cheering a lot… Oops…” Ghost chuckled.

Description
Johnny Toast pulled out his gun and shot frantically at the entity in front of him. Every weapon he had tried had failed and he was beginning to worry. He’d never seen anything like this before. It was unkillable. He shot it with a rocket and it hissed and flew backwards. Toast ran down the hallway and yelled out for his partner and best friend.
“Sir!” he called. “Sir, where are you? I can’t beat this alone!”
He heard a very faint reply. It was not words, no. It was just… a laugh. A very high-pitched laugh that sent chills down Johnny’s spine. He recognized the laugh, though he had not heard it in a very long time.
“I thought you were dead,” Johnny said very quietly. He sounded almost as if he would cry.
The man laughed louder. Johnny could not find where he was. He almost didn’t want to find him. The laugh grew louder and louder until Johnny’s head was pounding. The room was shaking. Johnny closed his eyes and shook his head.
“No! You’re gone! Leave him alone! You can’t come back! Not now!” Johnny Toast yelled.
The room shook harder, his head pounded worse, the laugh grew louder.
Then Johnny sat straight up in his bed and looked around. His wife slept soundly at his side and to the other side, his phone vibrated on the table. He picked it up and answered with a very groggy, “Hello?”
“JOHNNY!” Toast’s best friend, Johnny Ghost, yelled into the phone. Toast’s wife sat up then and looked at him with a worried expression.
“Sir? What’s wrong?” Toast asked.
“Johnny! I’m not ready for this! It’s happening so quickly! How am I supposed to do this?!” Johnny Ghost yelled.
“Sir, calm down!” Toast said quickly before Ghost could go on. “What’s going on?”
“The baby, Johnny!”
Johnny Toast and his wife hurriedly got ready to go to the hospital where Ghost was waiting with his wife. It didn’t take them long to be ready and to be in the car.
“So,” Johnny’s wife, Kat said, “Johnny’s going to be a father now.”
“Kat, I don’t want to have this talk with you again. Johnny and I are going to continue ghost hunting. We have to. No one else will.” Johnny Toast ran a hand through his hair stressfully.
“I get that, Johnny, I always have. It’s just… Being a father is a lot of work, you know. He might be busier. He might want to be with his family.” Kat tapped her fingers on her leg. This was her nervous tick and Johnny knew.
“What’s going on? You keep bringing this up. Ghost will be fine, he always is. Caroline can take care of herself and a baby for a few hours while Ghost is working a job.”
“But what if he gets hurt on the job? Then his child will be fatherless.”
“Why are you so worried about this?” Johnny sighed.
“Well what would you do if you had a baby, Johnny? Would you keep doing this dangerous work or get a normal job to be able to support your family?” Kat bit her lip, another nervous habit.
“When that happens… I guess… We’ll figure it out. I can’t stop my job. I have to keep going. For right now let’s just think about Ghost. He’s going to need our support right now,” Johnny said and Kat knew his word was final. She just stared out the window at the dark rain and tried to keep herself calm.
They waited several hours in the waiting room of the hospital. Light was shining through the windows and Toast was leaning against the wall, almost completely asleep.
“Johnny,” Kat said quietly.
“Yes, Kat?” Johnny replied, not bothering to open his eyes.
“What do you think Johnny’s gonna do about all this?” she asked.
“Kat, I told you. We’re continuing as normal. When we get a call, we answer, no matter what. We’re professionals,” Johnny said a bit irritably. He was sick of this argument. Kat had been talking about it for weeks now.
“But what if I were? What if you got hurt and our baby didn’t have a father for their entire life? Don’t you understand how scary this is?” Kat hadn’t noticed that she was no longer whispering.
“I’m going to get something to eat,” Johnny said. “Stay here in case Ghost comes back with an update. Then he left before she could argue.
Kat leaned back against the wall and held back tears. How could he say these things? His own child, fatherless because he is too careless.
“So how far along are you?” a girl asked, sitting down next to Kat.
“How did you-”
“I had the same argument with my husband when I was pregnant with my first,” the lady said. “Kevin’s a detective. He’s always been reckless with his work, you know. Never thought through anything.” The lady saw the confused look on Kat’s face. “You should just tell him,” she said finally. “When he gets back. Kevin got super careful as soon as I told him.”
“Thank you,” Kat said. She was still concerned about telling Johnny.
“So what is it your man does?” asked the lady.
“Oh, uh, firefighter. Reckless firefighter,” Kat replied. What sane person would believe her if she said her husband was a paranormal investigator extraordinaire?
“Oh, don’t you worry. I’m sure everything will work out for you. You have a good day.” The lady stood up and smiled at Kat.
“You too,” Kat said, smiling. She was very confused by the whole situation. Just tell him… How, though?
Johnny Toast walked back into the room soon enough and sat down next to Kat. He had a coffee in one hand and a chocolate bar in the other. He offered them to Kat. She looked at the coffee warily. You’re not supposed to drink caffeine when you’re pregnant, Kat knew that much.
“Listen, Johnny. If I were pregnant-”
“Kat, I swear, if this is about my job… Why are you so obsessed with this? Why do you keep asking about this?” Johnny asked irritably.
“Because I am!” she said loudly. Not loud enough to disturb the others or to be disrespectful in the pregnancy ward. Just louder than usual.
Johnny turned very pale. “You are what?”
“Pregnant, Jonathan. I’m pregnant.” Kat stood up and walked over to the vending machine. She put a dollar in and got a water bottle. She closed her eyes and leaned against the machine. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and felt two strong arms wrap around her in a comforting way.
“Kat…” Johnny said quietly. “How long?”
“Nine weeks,” she whispered.
“I’ll talk to Johnny,” he hugged her tight. “We’re going to make this work. We’re going to be a family.”
Kat turned around and wrapped her arms around him, resting her face in his shoulder and letting silent tears slip out. “I don’t want my child to grow up without a father. Not like me.”
“Shh, I know, Kat. I’ll get some money from Mum. I’ll take some time off. I’ll be extra careful.” Johnny hugged her tight and then led her back to her seat. “Can I get you anything? Water? Something to eat?”
“I’m fine, Johnny,” Kat mumbled.
Johnny sat next to her quietly. He had one arm around her and the other constantly checking his phone for a text from Johnny Ghost.
“Johnny!” the door swung open and a very exasperated Johnny Ghost ran into the room and over to the Toasts. “It’s a boy! It’s a little baby boy! I have a son, Johnny! A son, Kat!”
Toast and Kat smiled and hugged him. “Can we see them? Did everything go okay?”
“Everything’s fine. Everyone’s okay. I have a son!” Johnny hugged Kat again and then covered his mouth. “You’re pregnant?”
“What? How did you know that?” Toast asked.
“Oh come on, I mean, why else would Kat not have a coffee? Also she asked Caroline for advice about it,” Ghost said.
“She told you that?” Kat asked.
“Caroline’s my wife. We don’t hide things from each other. I’m so happy for you guys!”
“So what’s the name, Sir?” Toast asked excitedly.
“Christopher. Christopher Jonathan. After my best friend,” Ghost elbowed Toast and he blushed.
“Aw, you two make such a cute couple. When do we get to see the baby?” Kat was almost jumping.
“Patience, Kat. The doctor thinks it’d be best to wait a little bit. He kinda sent me out because I was cheering a lot… Oops…” Ghost chuckled.