John had always wanted a child. Someone to love, someone to hold and cherish. He had gone over all the options, but they were all too.. Expensive. He wasn’t made of money, captains didn’t make all that much in comparison to a mainstream job.

He’d been wracking his brain for weeks upon weeks, driving himself crazy with the ideation of a child. His thoughts had become more desperate, more longing, he needed a child. Traditional methods were out of the window, considering he was single and not looking for a quick fling.

One night it came to him, he would create a child, a life. He had some experience with human anatomy, he mostly knew where everything needed to be, it was just gathering the parts he needed. Of course he wasn’t a monster, he wouldn’t use any children’s limbs but rather, those of deceased enemy soldiers. He tinkered with them, using a saw to make the limbs smaller, more childlike.

It took months of labor to finish his creation, all that was left was to sew them together. He was careful with the stitches, making them uniform in hopes the scars would be seamless when they healed. He took a moment to embrace the sight before him, a child, his child. Something he thought he would never see. With a heavy heart and a steady hand, he placed the final piece into the limp body, their heart.

The child came to life before his eyes, breathing and looking around frantically, trying to figure out where they were. John placed his hands on the child’s shoulders, whispering in that smooth, almost caramelly voice he often used to soothe his soldiers.

“It’s okay, I’m here poppet, breathe.”

He used one of his hands to gesture a smooth breathing motion, hoping the child would copy his breathing and calm down a little.