His eyes were heavy. His head was aching. His hands were shaking. Shaking with worry. It had been 4 hours now, but it had seemed to last a lifetime. All he could think about was what was going on behind those doors leading to the operating room. What was happening to his wife? What was happening to his baby? Her baby? Their baby? His head was crowded with too many awful thoughts. All he could do was pace up and down the endless corridor. Hoping, that everything would be okay.
His headache was only getting worse. He could feel the tears trickling down his cheeks. His eyes giving way as if they were rainclouds. He felt claustrophobic. He felt as if his tie was tightening around his neck. He felt pointless. After everything they managed to overcome, it was now where he couldn't help. Something was telling him to burst into the operating room and help his wife himself. But he knew he couldn't. He couldn't do anything but hope. Hope and pray.
Another hour passed. His head was pressed against the wall. He was hungry, but the last thing he could do was eat. He turned and sank down against the wall to the floor. His head faced down to look at the cold floor. The floor that seemed to be swallowing him up by the minute. Then, he heard the door open.
"Mr Noakes?" He lifted his head to see a rather tall, grey-haired man staring at him. His sight was rather blinded by his tears.
"Mr Noakes? Do you want to meet your new arrival?" the doctor said, sounding quite chirpy. Peter Noakes spun the words around his head. Had he heard right? Had he really just become a father?
"Um…okay." Peter replied. As he stood up, another thought came swimming into his head. "My wife? Is she okay?" he asked.
"Mrs Noakes is asleep. She is having blood pumped into her body. But she will be okay soon." the doctor said. A breath of relief came out of Peter.
The doctor led him to a room, where he got a gown on. Peter looked rather silly, but he really couldn't care. He just needed to see his wife. Then, Peter was taken into a small but comfortable room. The first thing he saw was his wife, lying there, motionless. He knew she was okay though. He could feel her life swimming around the room. Then, he looked to his right, to see a little baby sleeping in a hospital cot. Peter knew straight away that it was the most beautiful baby in the world. The doctor lifted the fragile little angel and handed it to the rather weary new daddy.
"A little boy. You have a son Mr Noakes." the doctor said. As soon as that child was placed in his arms, Peter realised that he had just been given one of the most amazing gifts of all. Fatherhood. He sat down and just stared at his baby. Peter couldn't help but let out a little smile, when his son held his fathers thumb. Peter could see Camilla in their child. And that was the most amazing thing.