At 7 months pregnant, Addison was going through the normal symptoms. Swollen feet, lack of sleep, anxiousness about the house being clean enough while 'nesting.' Zed did his best to help her when he could. Not letting her lift anything heavy, helping with dishes or house chores where needed, giving foot rubs every night. It seemed as though everything was going by the book, until...
"Zed! Zed! Wake up!" She shook him awake.
"W-what? What's wrong?!" He asked groggily, trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes as he sat up beside his wife, turning on his bedside lamp. She has the cover pulled back and blood is soaking the sheets between her legs.
His heart stops. She was staring, stunned. It hit him. He needed to get her help. For the baby's sake. He leapt out of the bed and ran for the phone. After calling the hospital and them telling him to get her there, like now, he rushed back into the room. Addison hadn't moved an inch, staring at the blood.
He ran to her side and skidded on his knees across the floor till he hit the bed lightly.
"Addy, Baby, we gotta go!" He was trying to stay calm but failing as his panicked voice cracked. Addison slowly looked at him with terrified eyes. She was clearly in shock.
He gently grabbed her arm and helped her off the bed. Ignoring the fact that neither of them had shoes or the fact that they were still in pajamas. He couldn't care less. He made sure she was in her seat and quickly threw her seatbelt over her before clumsily sprinting around the car to the driver's side.
"Ok, you ready?" He asks turning to look at her for a second. She has her hand on her swollen stomach just staring down at the floor. "Addy!" He said a little louder, he gently grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. "You gotta tell me you're ok!" She blinked a few times before actually looking him in the eyes with tears brimming the edges.
"Zed." She said before breaking down sobbing. "I don't feel him moving. What if he's not ok! Oh god!" She sobbed. Zed quickly hugged her as best as he could in the car then sat her back to turn on the car and threw it into gear as he sped them to the hospital.
"Everything's going to be fine baby! We'll be at the hospital in a few minutes and they will take care of you and little man!" He assured her, even though he was being eaten up with worry on the inside.
Addison had called her parents on the way there, not able to say much that was coherent through her crying. But they understood something was very wrong and headed to meet them at the hospital.
Zed whipped the car into the drop-off area of the ER and ran as fast as he could to yell inside for help, returning to Addison's side moments later to start helping her out of the car. A handful of nurses came to their aid. Putting Addy in a wheelchair to prevent her from walking too much, checking pulse for her, listening with a stethoscope to the baby.
They swiftly rolled her off and Zed was left staring since he had to move his car. After snapping out of his daze again, he moved the car to a parking spot before running back into the building as fast as he could. He urgently asked the lady at the desk where she was and the lady told him the directions and he took off sprinting down the halls to get to her side.
He got to the room they were prepping her in, they were going to do an emergency C-section to get the baby out. Someone said he wasn't getting any oxygen and might die if to don't do something now. His heart sank to his feet. Addison wasn't hysterical anymore, they had given her something to calm her down. She locked eyes with him and reached a shaky hand his ways. He didn't hesitate to take it into his own and kiss her knuckles.
"Zed." She said, tears spilling over the edge of her lids again.
"I know baby." He just replied, hugging her head to his chest and kissing the top of her head. They only had a moment together like that before a nurse took Zed to get scrubbed in and suited up from head to toe in the sterile scrubs.
They were leading him into the operating room where Addison was laying with a screen between her chest and stomach. He came to her side and took hold of her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He focused on talking calmly to Addison as the doctor and nurses worked behind the screen.
"Just wait until our little guy is here! All of this will be completely worth it! He'll be perfect, just like you!" Zed cooed to Addison. She smiled up at him.
"You really think he'll be ok?" She asked hopefully. Then suddenly they hear crying and relief floods their systems.
The nurse brings the baby around the screen for them to see. Both of them smiled so wide at seeing him.
"You can hold him after we make sure his vitals are all good." The nurse told them with a smile, then hurried off to the baby station to do her checks.
"I-I don't feel so good." Addison whispered to Zed, suddenly bringing his attention back to her, her face was pale and her eyes were drooping. He cupped her cheek softly.
"Addy? Are you ok?" He asked. Suddenly he could hear the doctor ordering nurses around urgently. A nurse came up to Zed.
"You have to leave." The nurse said.
"What? No! I'm not leaving Addison!" He refused.
"I'm sorry sir. But you have to leave so the doctor can work. We have to put her under." She said. Addison's heart rate accelerated, Zed could hear it with his enhanced senses.
"Zed, what's going on?" She asked in a panic. He turned back to her. Something was very wrong. He kissed her head then pressed his forehead to hers.
"Everything's going to be ok." He said, tears welling up in his eyes and she had them too. Was this their last moment together? "I love you Addison. So much." He whispered, letting the streams of liquid fall down his cheeks.
"I love you too Zed." She cried. The nurse urged Zed to come with her. He kissed Addison's lips softly and reluctantly followed the nurse out as they put the mask over Addison's face and she drifted out of consciousness.
He was lead out of the OR to the waiting room. Where a group of their close family and friends were all sitting with worried looks. As soon as he walked in the room, everyone stood. Addison's Mom and Dad were the first to rush towards him.
"Zed! What's happening? Is the baby ok?" Missy asked frantically from his own worried expression.
"They're checking him, but he seemed fine." His tone made everyone's stomachs sink with worry. "But Addy, she's having complications." Missy and a few other people in the room gasped.
"Is she ok? What kind of complications?" Missy pushed for answers. Zed's shoulders slumped forward.
"I-I don't know. They kicked me out and haven't told me anything." Zed admitted. Missy hugged him for comfort. He squeezed his eyes shut as he returned the gesture.
Then a nurse came through the doors.
"Zed Necrodopolous?" She asked. Zed stepped forward.
"Yes that's me!" He exclaimed. She gave him an apologetic smile.
"Would you please come with me?" She motioned for him to follow back through the door, he didn't hesitate to do so. She led him down a few halls until he realized he wasn't going to Addison, but they were passing nursery windows. She was taking him to see his son.
A couple of nurses were tending to him in a more private room than the main nursery. He was crying as they tried to settle him from when they had poked and prodded at him for vitals. The tiny Z-band firmly against his wrist. Zed felt his heart swell just seeing him at a glimpse. They saw him enter and smiled at him, the one nurse holding his son walked up to him.
"We recommend giving him skin-to-skin with the parents within the first 2 hours. Would you like to do something like that?" She asked. Zed looked at her with sad eyes as he realized what she was implying. Addison wouldn't be able to do the skin-to-skin with him. He nodded his head, eager to hold his son.
"Great! You can take your shirt off and have a seat over here." The nurse instructed. Zed did so and the baby continued to cry.
The nurse walked up with his son and gently handed him over, Zed was amazed by how small and perfect he was. He pulled him against his chest and his son immediately calmed down as he looked around. The nurse laid a blanket over them and smiled.
"Have you decided on a name for the little guy?" She asked. Zed smiled down at his son lovingly.
"Ezekiel." He said, reciting the name Addison had chosen even if they hadn't agreed officially. It suited him. Their little Zek. The nurse smiled.
"That's a lovely name." She said, processing towards the door to give them some time to bond alone.
XxX
After a long while, Zed felt completely connected to his son. He loved him so much already and he was only about and hour or so old. He had fallen asleep against his father's chest and Zed absently stroked the silky soft green hair, that he noticed had a few spots of pure white like his mother. It made Zed smile. The nurse from before knocked lightly on the door as she entered.
"Mr. Necrodopolous, the doctor would like to speak to you about your wife." She didn't have the same smile as before, in fact it was void of any kind of happy features. His gut dropped. The nurse offered to take Zek and Zed let her so he could find out about Addison. The nurse took his son out of the room as he put his shirt back on and the doctor entered.
"Hello Mr. Necrodopolous, the good news is the your son is fine. All his blood work and tests came back good." The doctor paused.
"That's great! How's Addison?" Zed asked anxiously.
"Do you want to have a seat?" The doctor offered. Zed's heart sank.
"No. Tell me now. What's happening with my wife?" Zed asked as calmly as he could.
"I'm sorry. She's fading fast. She's not going to make it." He said. Zed stumbled back ever so slightly.
"Where is she. I want to be with her." He demanded quietly.
"Of course." The doctor agreed, motioning for the nurse to come back. She had Zek in a rolling bassinet.
"Let's go see your wife." The nurse said with a sad smile. They walked quickly to her room. Zed burst in the door and rushed to Addison's bedside. She was so pale.
"Addy, baby? Can you hear me?" He begged, she opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him.
"Zed." She rasped. He gripped her hand tightly.
"Yeah baby. I'm here." He had tears filling his eyes. She lifted her free hand to stroke his cheek.
"Don't cry Zed. You'll still have our little man to be with you." He choked back a sob.
"Zek." He said. She smiled.
"You gave him the name I liked?" He nodded in response.
"Do you want to meet him?" Zed asked, looking back toward the nurse at the door. Addison's face lit up as much as it could in her weakened state. The nurse rolled the bassinet beside the bed and Zed stood to pick him up.
"Let me know if you need anything." The nurse told the couple. Zed thanked her then turned back to his wife with their baby in his arms.
"You look great as a father Zed." Addison said. He looked down at her and gave her a sad smile. He gently laid Zek down against her chest like he had held him before leaning in to kiss her forehead. She smiled warmly down at the tiny person she had created. "He's so beautiful." She commented. Hugging him close to her heart, and looking up at her husband who returned to kneeling beside her.
"As beautiful as his mother." He choked on the words. She giggled but then her face scrunched in pain. Zed sucked in a breath. She took in a shake breath herself and smiled at Zed. Then she turned back to her baby.
"My sweet little Zek, I'm so sorry I won't be here for you when yo my grow up. But your Daddy is going to do a great job taking care of you every step of the way." Zed shut his eyes tight, not wanting to imagine being a father without her. "If you ever feel lost or scared, just look to the sky and you'll find me smiling down at you. Watching you grow and thrive." Then she turned her eyes to Zed who was sobbing. "And Zed, you're going to do fine without me." She said, reaching a hand out to cup his cheek again. He placed a hand over her small fragile one.
"I don't want to do this without you." He admitted.
"I know. I'm so sorry I have to leave you." She said softly. "Zek needs you to be strong. I want the both of you to be happy." Zed smiled sadly.
"I'll try. For you." He whispered. She smiled as bright as she could manage. He leaned in and planted his lips to hers. Tears streaming down both of their faces as they spent their last moments together as a family before her soul peacefully left her body.
Zed held his son against his broken heart as he mourned the lose of the love of his life. The only thing keeping him going is the little helpless baby in his arms. His baby. His and Addison's baby.