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Chapter 24 - Small & Fragile

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AN: This chapter isn't super heavy or anything, but there is a premature birth and some complications (by this I mean it's talked about). I debated on a "trigger warning", but I'm giving a heads up.
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I had woken up around six in the morning. It wasn't unusual for me to wake up that early on a weekday, but not on a Saturday morning. I woke up to pain and wet shorts.

I sat up and started shaking Leah awake. She grumbled and rolled over onto her back. "What?"

"My water broke." Her eyes opened and she sat up. "It's too early. I'm only thirty weeks—"

"Hey, hey. We're going to be fine. We're going to go to the hospital. Let's get you to the car and I'll get the bag." I nodded. Leah wiped my tears and kissed my forehead. "We're having a baby." She smiled.

"We're having a baby." I leaned in and kissed her. "Help me into comfier pants."

I was frantic and I knew that, but Leah was everywhere. She was mumbling to herself and asking herself a million questions. As she helped me into a pair of pants, I began to laugh a little.

Leah helped me into the car before running back inside to grab the hospital bag we had packed. She held my hand the entire drive over. She called our families to tell them we were on our way but also tell them it'd be awhile before he would be here.

Or so we thought.

We were checked into a room soon after we got there. Leah was sat holding my hand and if we were honest, we were smiling and laughing...genuinely enjoying the fact our boy would be here soon. Even if it were early. But then our doctor came in to check on us.

"We're going to have to preform a c-section." She said. "It'll be best for his survival since he's decided to show up early."

Our smiles faded. His survival.

"When would you have to do it?" Leah asked.

"Now."

"Will he be okay?" Leah squeezed my hand as I shook.

"I don't know yet. We'll have to see him. Emily, I wouldn't be advising this if I didn't believe it were the best option for the both of you."

I only nodded. "Can I go with?" Leah's voice shook. "Am I allowed to?"

"Of course. I'll get someone in here to take you back." Our doctor smiled. Then she left.

"I'm scared, Le."

She kissed my head. "I am too. He'll be okay. I know it."

Before we knew it, we were in another room with dozens of nurses moving around and chattering among themselves. Leah was right next to me, holding my hand.

"Everyone on my count."

There was a cry and his cry got farther away.

"Le, where's he going?" Whatever pain I was meant to be feeling, I wasn't. "Le—"

"They're getting a look at him." She squeezed my hand again and brought it to her lips.

"Emily, we're going to take him to the NICU and have our doctors take a closer look at him." Our doctor hurried out her words.

"Le, go with him." My lip was quivering as I spoke.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you."

"Please."

"Okay," She leaned down and kissed me. "I love you." She kissed me again. "I'm so proud of you."

"The nurses will take you. As for you," the doctor's attention was on me. "Let's get you stitched up, so you can see your little boy."

"He'll be okay?"

"He appeared healthy, but he was born prematurely, so we have to get him into a NICU. He'll be alright, Emily. I'll make sure of it."

Before I knew it, I was being wheeled into another room. One where our things were, but it was obvious someone had brought them here for us.

Leah wasn't in here yet. Nurses helped get me situated as I shook. I needed my wife. I needed Leah right next to me. I wanted to see my son. I needed to see him. Minutes passed but they felt like hours. In reality, it was really only a half hour before Leah came walking in.

"Is he okay? Leah tell me he's okay."

She kissed the top of my head and wrapped her arms around me. "He's so perfect, Em." I let out a deep breath. "They're going to bring him in here in a minute. He's got some tubes and such to help him out until he's a little bigger. But he's so perfect." I started to cry, and Leah kissed my head again.

"I love you."

"I'm proud of us—of you."

Our doctor came in and had a small smile on her face. "Medically, he's not perfect. He's two pounds under where we'd like him, but we're not shocked since he's a preemie. His lungs are underdeveloped, so he's hooked up to some devices to assist him with breathing and don't be surprised if he develops some apnea."

"What does that mean?" Leah got out before me.

"It only means he'll have some pauses in his breathing, but I'm not too worried about it. We're going to keep him in that incubator for a week or two. Depends on how much he progresses. He'll be fed through a feeding tube until we get him feeding on his own and I have no doubt that will be soon."

"How long do you think it will be until we can hold him?" Leah squeezed my hand, reassuring my question.

"I don't know. Once he's strong enough, you both will be able to hold him." We both nodded. "Listen, he'll pull through. He's actually relatively healthy minus these things. And these things—as major as they seem—aren't a huge problem at the moment. Now, I'm sure you both are ready to finally be with him and hold his hand, yeah?"

"So ready." I let out a laugh.

Leah helped me over to the sink where we washed our hands. Then she helped me get comfortable on this hospital bed again.

The door to the room opened and a few nurses came in with him. With him. "He's so perfect, Em."

"He is." I wiped my tears. They brought him over closer to us. "He's so small."

"Fragile, but he'll get stronger." Leah kissed my head again.

"Do you have a name for him yet?" A nurse asked.

Leah looked at me. "You want to tell them?"

Her smile was pure joy. "Archie Alexander."

Archie Alexander Williamson...our perfect boy.

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AN: So, I know I said "90 votes" blah blah...well 1) I didn't think you'd all show up for that 💀 2) I sort of struggled to figure out how to write this chapter. 3) When I got an idea, it was mine and my girlfriend's two month, so...Yeah.
But anyway,
He's here 🥳

I'm working on the final touches for Worlds Apart, so make sure you check that out! Also, I've sort of mapped out that these two books may end roughly at the same time. So, me and my friend/co-writer may be able to give you guys a snippet of what's to come 👀

As always, vote ⭐️

🫶🏼