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“Precious Cargo” by Herr Wozzeck (part 2 of 2)

Roderick Cranston’s sister has come to visit him with an offer that would change his life.

Today’s story is the second and final part of “Precious Cargo” by Herr Wozzeck, who is a writer and musician, author of Whip and Boot and a member of Trio Menagerie. You can find more of his stories on Furaffinity and SoFurry. You can find even more on his Patreon, where he also produces music.

Last time, Roderick went about his normal day at the bakery and at the gym, when he was interrupted by his estranged sister Greta, who came to him desperately hoping to talk to him.

Read for you by Rob MacWolf — werewolf hitchhiker.

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https://thevoice.dog/episode/precious-cargo-by-herr-wozzeck-part-2-of-2

Transcript
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You’re listening to The Voice of Dog.

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This is Rob MacWolf, your fellow traveler, and Today’s story is the second and final part of “Precious Cargo”

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by Herr Wozzeck,

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who is a writer and musician,

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author of Whip and Boot

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and a member of Trio Menagerie.

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You can find more of his stories on Furaffinity and SoFurry.

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You can find even more on his Patreon, where he also produces music.

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Last time, Roderick went about his normal day at the bakery and at the gym, when he was interrupted by his estranged sister Greta,

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who came to him desperately hoping to talk to him.

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Please enjoy “Precious Cargo”

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by Herr Wozzeck, Part 2

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of 2 The two of them sauntered off,

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Anton watching nervously as he went to pick up his water.

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It was a short walk to the locker room,

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and as soon as Roderick closed the door he made sure

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to lock it behind him.

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“Alright, what do you want?”

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asked Roderick. Greta gingerly placed the duffel bag on a nearby bench, almost as if making sure that whatever was inside was perched there safely.

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Probably some kind of payment

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for one last job, Roderick was sure of it.

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He felt his tail stiffen as his hands clenched into a fist.

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“Greta, why do you think I’d go back to the Kaiser for a job?”

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he said. “He knows I don’t want back in this life, he wouldn’t force me to—”

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And then, Greta opened the bag. In the

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light, there were no ingots of gold or platinum that sparkled,

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or even much of anything else in there.

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What it was full of, however, was straw,

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enough straw to fill a farm, and he

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could faintly see a heating pad underneath.

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But framed in the straw was a white, ovular object,

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one that remained unmoving in the light:

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Roderick would know that shape anywhere,

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and indeed he had seen it in many photos of his youth from his parents.

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And as he looked back at the heating pad and then at the straw that held it in place, everything came together.

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Roderick paused, his eyes widening in shock.

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“Greta…?” Greta took a deep breath,

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finally pulling her sunglasses off.

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In the light, Roderick could see how red her eyes were.

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“His name was Michael,”

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Greta replied. “We’d delivered some cocaine successfully that night,

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almost got killed by authorities.

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We got on so well, and we were just so relieved that one thing led to another, and…”

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She then gestured to the egg

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in the bag. Roderick nodded, looking up at Greta.

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His heart tightened as he thought to how he had addressed her earlier.

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In hindsight, he should have known something was unusual

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just from how she had carried herself.

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And with the tears now running down her cheeks,

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he felt a small pang of guilt take place in his heart.

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Still, he breathed in, looking at her.

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“I see,” he said. “And you don’t want it to grow up in that life?”

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“No,” Greta replied.

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“Lately, things have been

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hard. I don’t want that for this one. He’s…”

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She exhaled. “I can’t do that to him.”

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She then paused, before turning to him.

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“And I don’t feel comfortable putting him up for adoption either,

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you know no human couple would be willing to take in a baby crocodile.”

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Roderick blinked, his limbs stiffening at what Greta was implying.

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Indeed, she stepped forward,

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grasping his wrists in her claws as she looked up at him.

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“Please, Roderick,” she said.

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“You’re the only one I trust with him.

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Please.” Roderick paused at this, his gaze turning back to the egg.

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Fatherhood was not something he had ever seriously considered,

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and now that it was in front of him,

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he could not help but think about it.

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He had not dealt with a child in ages,

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would he be good with one?

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How would he know what to do?

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Most of all, he knew how estranged from his sister he generally was, but the fact she came to him

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over an actual adoption agency…

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He knew how much this meant to her.

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He could not fail her on this,

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or he knew even if she was not around he would have to answer to her.

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And what of Allison?

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As she came to mind, Roderick realized she probably had no idea how to handle a crocodile baby. Would

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she even want that, and how would she take to it?

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Roderick did not know, and even if he wanted to he could not

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drag an egg into the house without that. Roderick inhaled. “I… don’t know,” he said. “Let me ask Allison.” Immediately, Greta scoffed:

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Roderick saw the frown come onto her face almost instantly, and Greta backed away.

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“Her again?” she asked.

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“Why does it matter what she thinks?”

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“Because I’m not going to force her into this

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level of responsibility,” Roderick replied, his voice remaining at its usual volume.

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He looked down at the egg, exhaling.

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“You know better than anyone a young crocodile is a lot to handle,

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it wouldn’t be fair of me to foist that on her if she didn’t want it.”

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He shook his head.

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“Just… I’ll need time to think about it, even without her input.”

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Greta nodded slowly,

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pulling away. “I see,”

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she said. She nodded, walking back to the duffel bag.

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“Honestly, I expected you’d need to think about it first.”

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She exhaled, splaying her fingers

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out. “I told the Kaiser I would be off in Mexico City early to talk to a mob enforcer,

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but I made a detour here first.

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I should be good for a little bit.”

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She then went to her suit jacket,

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pulling out a small slip of paper and handing it to Roderick.

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Roderick took it, immediately opening it up and seeing a phone number

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written on it just above where a coffee stain was.

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He looked at it, before turning his attention back to Greta.

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“This isn’t your usual number,”

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he said. “It’s too risky,”

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she said. “It’s the hotel’s number.

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I’ll be here for three days, and then

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it’s off to Mexico City for me.”

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She closed the duffel bag, giving a staggered exhale as she turned to Roderick.

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“I’ll be waiting for your call,”

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she said. She then turned, exhaling nervously.

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“Please don’t make me have come out here for nothing.”

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With this, she pulled her sunglasses back on.

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As fast as she had crept up on him, she was out,

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leaving Roderick with a thousand thoughts scattered around him.

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The silence in the room in the wake of her departure was almost deafening, and he was left to try to gather them.

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And after about a minute, he exhaled.

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He would have to go on a grocery run after he finished with Anton,

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there was only one way he could think to break the question to Allison. ----**----

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“Oh goodness, you shouldn’t have! First the

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scallop starter, then the steak, and now this?

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Roderick, dear, you really went all out!” “I know…” Allison smiled at this, waving her spoon and looking down at what he had put in front of them:

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he was not much for being compared to other bakers in New York,

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but he did not mind replicating some of their recipes at home.

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Thus, he’d decided that would be a perfect time to replicate Christina Tosi’s cereal milk panna cotta,

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complete with chocolate-hazelnut bark

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and sweetened avocado puree and everything.

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That, combined with the full English roast

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and a small starter of scallop ceviche

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had rounded the night off,

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and it had been a pressure cooker in his kitchen while he’d made it.

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At least it kept his mind off of Greta’s visit to the gym.

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Still, now that Allison’s spoon was sinking into the strip of panna cotta he’d set on the plate,

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he felt that conversation starting to creep its way in.

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Even the fact that the avocado puree actually turned out delicious this time was no small comfort,

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and as Allison smiled upon taking a bite, Roderick felt the coming storm looming overhead. “Mm!”

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Allison finished her bite.

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“I guess that reminds me we should

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swing by Momofuku sometime, right?

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Which one are you thinking?”

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“Maybe…” Roderick glanced to the side.

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“I was thinking I’d be more of a Red Rooster person myself.”

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“Marcus does strike me as a character, I guess,”

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Allison commented.

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“Alright, I’ll bite with that.”

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Roderick nodded. “Good.”

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He exhaled, his shoulders visibly shifting

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as he dug his spoon into his own avocado puree.

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Finally, though, Allison nodded, brushing some hair out of her face.

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“Alright, out with it,”

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she said. “What’s on your mind, big guy?”

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Roderick closed his eyes,

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setting his spoon down.

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“I got visited by Greta

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at the gym today.”

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Allison’s smile instantly vanished, and her head tilted to the side.

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“Not to pull you back into your old life, I hope,”

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she said. “That’s what I thought at first,

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but no,” said Roderick.

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He then exhaled, turning from Allison and placing his head in his hands.

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“God, how do I even start to phrase this…”

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Allison immediately stood up,

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before walking just behind Roderick

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and delicately placing her hands on his broad shoulders.

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“Take your time,” she said.

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“We don’t have anywhere else to be tonight, just take your time…”

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Roderick nodded, exhaling and shaking out some tension in his hands.

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He then sat up, centering himself on the way Allison’s hands pressed into his shoulders gently.

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His worries started melting away, although by

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the time he breathed in again he still felt his throat stopping.

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That last exhale would do it, he figured, and he

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closed his eyes as he exhaled.

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“She… laid an egg recently,”

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Roderick replied.

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“Wasn’t close to the father.

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And…” He inhaled again,

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feeling his heart rate increase a hair.

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“She doesn’t want to raise him.

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Not in that world.

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So she asked me to take care of him.”

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Allison blinked. “Really?”

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Roderick nodded. “Yes,” he said.

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“I’m ready!” Roderick opened his mouth to say something, but as soon as Allison’s words registered in his mind, his eyes widened.

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His jaw went slack, and he turned to her,

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finding Allison absolutely

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beaming when she looked at him.

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“W-what, really?” he asked.

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“Yeah!” Allison smiled at Roderick,

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pulling her hands off his shoulders and sitting down next to him.

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“Why not? I don’t think your sister would come to you if she didn’t trust your judgment on this, Rod.”

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“But are you really OK with it, or are you saying it for my sake?”

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Roderick asked. Allison chuckled good-naturedly. “Roderick Cranston, you should know by now I don’t just say things for your sake.”

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She stood up, leaving a gentle kiss on his snout.

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“I’ve been thinking about it for a little bit, honestly.”

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“Really?” Roderick’s eyes widened more than even Roderick thought was possible.

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“Yeah, I’d been meaning to ask you about it,”

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she said. “I’ve always wanted to be a mother, but I figured the question would be

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more complicated with two parents of different species,

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so I wanted to talk to you,

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explore our options.”

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Roderick blinked:

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of course she would have thought about it before he did.

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He wondered what kind of sense of humor the world had that it dropped this right when Greta had asked,

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and he was not about to look it too hard in the mouth.

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But there were still his own doubts,

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and he looked down.

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“Do you think I’d make a good father?”

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he asked. “Oh absolutely,”

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said Allison, reaching for his hand and squeezing it.

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“You’ve got a kind,

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forgiving nature to you, and honestly I think you keep proving it in ways you don’t even anticipate.”

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She shrugged. “Hell, think about that horse who asked for a job today that you mentioned when I got home!”

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“Gerald?” Roderick glanced away,

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thinking about how easy it had been to give the kid a chance. The more

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he thought about it,

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he realized that actually, she had a really good point.

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And if that translated to child rearing…

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“Yeah, I guess so,” said Roderick.

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He then looked to Allison.

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“And you don’t mind the staring of a reptilian child?”

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And here, Allison smirked,

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squeezing his hand a little harder.

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“I married the best reptile in the world,”

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she said. “What’s one more kid into the mix?”

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Roderick nodded, all tension gone from his body

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as he leaned forward,

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gently licking Allison’s cheek.

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“I guess you do bring up a compelling point,”

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he said. He nodded.

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“Alright, then we’re

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taking him in?” “Yeah,”

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said Allison. She stood up, walking back to the opposite end of the table.

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“But first, we’ve got this cereal milk panna cotta to eat.

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We don’t want it getting warmer, do we?”

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Roderick chuckled,

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turning back to the plate

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and realizing how much more inviting it looked.

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“No,” he said. “Let’s not insult Christina like that.”

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Allison shook her head as she sat back down and picked up her spoon again.

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“Would she really be insulted by that, though?”

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she asked. And here, the alligator chuckled, shaking his head.

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“No, she wouldn’t,” he admitted.

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“She is all about being as unpretentious as possible.”

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“There you go,” Allison replied. She dug her spoon back into the panna cotta.

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“We’ll call your sister afterwards.”

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Roderick nodded. “Of course,”

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he said. With this, he too finally dug into the dessert in earnest,

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taking a bite and savoring the way the cereal flavor

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just peeked through. ----**----

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Greta’s hotel room was rather dirty,

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but then again that was what was expected out of a roach motel in the middle of the city.

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Greta’s tastes usually aimed much more high-class, but she did not think it was worth pursuing that

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considering she was there undercover:

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she had to cover her tracks,

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and paying for the cheapest thing she could find in cash

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was the best way she had to do that.

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This was not why she was losing sleep, of course.

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The reason for that was laying on the ground next to the space heater:

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her mind was racing after her conversation with Roderick. She had always felt there was the possibility he would have refused to have anything to do with the child,

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and it was a huge gamble to make her way to New York City with that in mind.

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The fact Roderick was considering it to begin with was good news at least,

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but she still worried about it.

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Thus, she exhaled, looking down at the duffel bag.

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She opened it again,

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looking down at the egg.

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How delicate it was, but how precious it was as well.

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It was the most precious kind of cargo there was,

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and while she hoped Roderick would ultimately say yes

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she felt a pang of sadness come to her:

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it was ultimately still her baby,

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and here she was putting herself in a position that she might never see him grow up.

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While she was sure Roderick could provide a better home

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now that he was out of the criminal underworld, a part of her still wished to see him grow.

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And as the phone rang,

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the possibility she might be denied that mercy rang ever so louder.

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She turned back to the phone mounted on the night stand,

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picking it up and leaning forward.

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“Hello?” “Greta.” Roderick’s voice was as gruff as she remembered, but there was a distinct soft edge to it. “How are

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you doing?” Greta exhaled,

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her limbs relaxing somewhat as she sat on the bed.

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“As good as I can be,” she said.

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“What is it?” “I talked with Allison about your egg,”

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he said. “And we’ve both agreed to take him in,

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on one condition.”

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Greta’s eyes widened somewhat.

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“And that is?” “You can’t see him

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while you are still part of the criminal underworld.”

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Greta felt her throat tighten, leaning back in shock.

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She blinked, looking at the egg again.

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She had expected it, of course, but even hearing the words out of her brother’s mouth took her breath away.

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She took a second,

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closing her eyes as the first of the tears spilled down her cheeks. “Not even in pictures?”

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“You and I both know people in the underworld would track that,

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and then all this would be for nothing,”

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Roderick replied. “This is for his safety, you know.”

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Greta nodded, sniffling rather loudly. “Y

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-yes, I guess,” she said.

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She inhaled sharply.

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“It’s just… it’s my baby…”

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“I know,” said Roderick,

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his voice just the slightest bit breathier.

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“But if you can get out of this life, I will be more than happy to let you two meet. That’s a promise.”

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Greta inhaled sharply,

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nodding gently.

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“Okay,” she said. She took a few more seconds to let this thought sink in.

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“Okay.” She then turned to the nightstand,

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grabbing her planner. “When

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would be a good time to come around?”

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“After I’m done at the bakery,”

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Roderick replied.

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“You know where to go,

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I hope?” “Yeah, I do,”

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Greta said. “Thank you.”

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“I will see you tomorrow,” Roderick replied. “Take care of yourself, Greta.”

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“Of course.” With this, the call ended.

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Greta inhaled, looking down at the egg that was still exposed to the air.

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She wondered briefly what it would have been like to see his first birthday in person,

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what that would look like in the busiest city in the world.

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How wonderful it would have been to see it…

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She sighed, petting the egg gently.

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She closed her eyes, wondering where to even begin trying to get out of her life.

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She nodded, though, and wiping the remains of the tears away,

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she looked at the egg intently.

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“Someday, I’ll come back to you, baby,”

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she said. “I’ll see you someday.” ----**----

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One Month Later… Roderick pulled the rolling pin away from the mound of dough, exhaling as he looked at it.

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There was another lamination in the puff pastry,

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another layer of buttery Italian goodness.

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He figured Claire would be proud about that,

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even if he was not necessarily making a Hot Pocket out of it.

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He exhaled, the sound of Allison’s cello practice

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wafting over the kitchen as he glanced over to the incubator.

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They had set it up close to the bedroom

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so they could keep an eye on it:

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the light glow of the lamps inside

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had proved almost comforting to the two of them as well as to the egg it carried,

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and it was a comfort that they could come back to quite incessantly. It had

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not hatched just yet,

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although they had a feeling it would come

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any time. Thus, they had made it a point to spend as much time at home as they could:

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they did not want the baby alone when it hatched.

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At least this time

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it was relatively later in the day,

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after Allison had been done with rehearsal and Roderick was just preparing the dough for the next day’s croissant sandwiches. Roderick’s eyes

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remained on the egg whenever possible, his eyes widening with a slight twinge of fear and excitement every time he looked over.

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Part of him wished it would hatch already so they could get the pleasantries out of the way.

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But he knew not to rush it,

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and so he grabbed the tray,

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and pulled the refrigerator opened.

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It did need to rest the entire night,

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and it would have plenty of time for that

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that night. Roderick had just the pastry

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into the refrigerator

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when he saw the egg wobble

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in the incubator.

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He paused, his eyes widening for just a second as he looked on at the egg.

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He had to have been seeing things just then, he had to…

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And then, it wobbled again.

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In his scrambling to get over to the incubator,

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Roderick almost smashed the tip of his snout head-first into the refrigerator door.

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Still, he immediately rushed to the incubator.

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“Allison, I think he’s hatching!”

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The cello music immediately stopped,

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and after a couple of seconds Allison was at the incubator next to Roderick, just in time for the egg to wobble more.

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And then, after a second, a crack formed right at the top.

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“Oh, there it is!” Allison leaned towards the egg.

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After a little more effort,

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a tiny snout peeked through the crack.

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It did not take much longer for the rest of the egg to crumble around the little crocodilian baby,

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and soon, there he was,

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eyes still closed and his limbs still moving about.

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He looked so delicate laid out on the straw at the bottom of the incubator,

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and then he opened his mouth to let out a quiet squeal.

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His scales were a little lighter than the Cranston’s scales were, but otherwise

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Roderick remained frozen in place.

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He had been excited about the egg hatching, but now that the baby had actually hatched, he could not move.

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Suddenly everything ran through his head at once:

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how would he handle being a father? Would he be good to the little boy? Would his sister come calling anyway? Would he be too busy to care?

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He felt his muscles freeze in place,

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and no matter how much he willed it he could not move them at all.

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Fortunately, Allison took him into his arms.

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“Ah, look at him!” she said gently.

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She held him far more delicately

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than he could ever have hoped to.

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And that was when the little baby opened his eyes.

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They shone the same green as his mother’s eyes,

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and they contracted slightly as he saw light for the first time.

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He squealed at this, extending his little limbs a little more forward

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towards Allison. She extended a finger out, meeting his grabbing claws halfway and pressing gently. This was

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met with a somewhat quiet series of chirps from the little baby.

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“Oh, you’re adorable!”

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Allison whispered softly,

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just enough that Roderick almost did not hear it.

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She then turned to Roderick,

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smiling. “I think you’ll like this big guy, won’t you, kid?”

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Roderick blinked,

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finally able to move his arms.

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When he did, he leaned forward,

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picking up the little crocodile from Allison’s arms.

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The little baby let out more chirping,

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looking up at Roderick with those wide eyes that seemed to pierce into his soul.

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The little guy felt so delicate and so light in his arms, with those little limbs that reached for him and everything.

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Roderick finally smiled,

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before leaning closer and bringing his other hand towards the little baby.

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He chirped even louder at this,

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Roderick bouncing him slightly in his one arm.

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Allison leaned forward, placing her hand on the edge of the incubator.

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“You’ve thought of a name for him, right?”

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she asked. Roderick nodded.

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“I was thinking of Lucas,”

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he replied. “After our father. I think

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Greta would’ve done the same.”

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Allison nodded, and she leaned in close.

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“Welcome to the world, little Lucas Cranston.”

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With this, she leaned in close to Roderick,

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the whole family engaged in a hug.

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Roderick glanced up at the clock:

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in the back of his mind, he knew they would have to call several people,

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get the legalities out of the way.

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For now, though, there was just the three of them, in that space, together,

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forming one small family.

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Roderick could not remember the last time he felt so at peace with the world,

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and he intended to do his best by his nephew

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as much as he could.

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This was the second and final part of “Precious Cargo” by Herr Wozzeck (part 2 of 2), read for you by Rob MacWolf, fellow traveler.

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As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,

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or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog.

About the Podcast

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The Voice of Dog
Furry stories to warm the ol' cockles, read by Rob MacWolf and guests. If you have a story that would suit the show, you can get in touch with @VoiceOfDog@meow.social on Mastodon, @voiceofdog.bsky.social on Blue Sky, or @Theodwulf on Telegram.

About your host

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Khaki