The Perfect Partner

21

Chris' p.o.v

Breathe Chris, breathe. Focus on the little girl whimpering in your arms. Focus on the fact that the woman you love is alive. Don't think about what you lost. Don't think about that sinking feeling you have in the pit of your stomach right now. Don't think about that loud beep and the sound of frantic doctors. Don't think about those words...

"Mr. Evans? She's asking for you." I looked up at the nurse in a daze, my mind still fuzzy from the whiplash of emotions I'd went through  in the past two hours. She was here, alive, awake, asking for me. She'd said she loved me... and yet those were not the words I dwelt on. Those were not the words that continued to play on repeat in my head despite my pleas for it to stop. 'Time of death, 3:13 p.m.' "Mr. Evans?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm coming." I readjusted Jay in my arms and walked toward the room I'd practically lived in this last week. The sight before me was one I'd only dreamed of seeing again. Her mesmerizing blue eyes open and looking around the room, her long nimble fingers twirling a strand of her wavy (but knotted) auburn hair. Her gaze glued me to my spot, preventing me from getting any closer. You're right, you can only dream this. There is no way this isn't a dream, it has to be.

"Chris?" That voice... it was raspy from not being used, but her's nonetheless. The small, close-lipped smile that she gave me next was enough to have me running over to her and sobbing in her arms, her gentle shushes calming me only slightly. "Shh, it's okay boss. I'm here now, I'm not going anywhere. It's okay. I love you."

"I-I love you too, so much." I'd completely forgotten that Jaylee was in my arms until she began to squirm.

"Daddy, you squish me!" Kitty giggled, and the sound was pure ecstasy. My family...'Time of death, 3:13 p.m.'  Shut up! She's here, she loves me, I love her. We lost one of our babies, but we still have one, we still have each other.

"Are you okay Chris? You've seemed a little off since you got in here." With a deep breath, and another quick run through in my head that everything would be fine, I gave her a crooked smile.

"It's just been a long week. Do you- are they going to put you back under?" I wasn't sure what I was going to do if she said yes, but I needed to know.

"No, they aren't, I told them not to. They said the reason they were keeping me under was that they didn't want me accidentally straining myself and making the head injury worse, because that would've meant putting the baby at risk. Now though, since I apparently gave everyone quite the scare while under, they said they're going to keep me awake. They think the wound should be healed before too long seeing as it's already made a lot of progress." Of that whole explanation one word stood out to me. Not the progress part, or the awake part, the baby part. Baby, singular.

"Did they, um, did they not tell you?" She looked at me in confusion, her hands busying themselves by playing with Jay's curls.

"Not tell me what?" Oh God, I don't want to be the one to have to tell her. What if she freaks out and strains her injury? What if she hates me? Will she hate me more if I don't tell her?

"I, well, um, you know what, never mind, it can wait. Let's just be happy you're here and awake and healing. Speaking of which, I should probably tell everybody. They'll be happy to hear you're on the mend." I got up to grab my phone when I felt a hand grip my wrist.

"Are you sure you're okay?" No, I wasn't sure in the slightest. Hell, I wasn't sure if I'd ever be okay, but she didn't need to know that either.

"I'm fine."

~~~~~~~

*1 and a half weeks later*

"I can't believe I'm finally a free woman, and the first thing I get to do is meet Sebastian Stan!" Kitty squealed as we walked out of the room I hoped I'd never have to see again and towards the elevator. The doctors were finally going to release her on the conditions that she come back for regular check-ups, our babie- no baby be monitored closely, and she wouldn't lift anything over ten pounds for the next month. She protested on that last one since Lee is well over ten pounds, but when they threatened to keep her there she reluctantly agreed.