Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…
The man sitting on the hard, uncomfortable hospital chair looked up at the clock hanging on the sterile white wall. 2:17 AM. Stretching his arms and stifling a yawn, he looked down at the two small boys lying on the wooden bench beside him. They had fallen asleep hours ago; their whining and moans of "I wanna go hoooooome!" had gradually turned into quiet snoring around eleven o'clock. Their father smiled and patted them both gently on the shoulder. He straightened himself up in his chair and folded his hands together. Wondering how disheveled he must look, he leaned over and checked his reflection in the impossibly shiny floor.
Although his dark hair was rather unkempt, it didn't detract from his appearance. His round face, though it now had a few lines here and there, still gave the impression that he was much younger, and even though there were bags under them, his bright blue eyes made him look downright boyish. He ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed, stealing another look at the clock. It had only taken about an hour last time…
As though hearing his thoughts, a small woman poked her head out of the nearest door. His head jerked up, his hand still hovering above his head. The nurse was smiling, even though she looked slightly nervous.
"Sir?" she said softly, glancing down at the sleeping boys. "You may come in now."
He jumped swiftly out of his chair. The nurse seemed a bit startled now that he suddenly towered over her; he was at least six feet tall. He shook both of his children gently, but still with urgency. Both of their eyes slowly began to open.
"Muh…?" one of the identical boys groaned.
"It's time, Brett!" his father said excitedly. "Wake up, Chet, you have a new sibling!"
The other boy sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "S'it buy er garl?" he mumbled incoherently.
His father looked up expectantly at the nurse. She smiled.
"Boy," she said.
This seemed to perk them up immensely. They jumped down from the bench and followed their father into the delivery room. The twins gazed in awe at the bed containing their mother, who looked exhausted and irritated. She looked up when her family entered, but didn't smile. Her husband, on the other hand, was clearly thrilled.
"So another boy?" he asked excitedly, gesturing at the blanketed lump in her arms. He took her noncommittal shrug as a sign that he could come over and look. His long legs got him across the room in three strides, and the first thing he did was plant kisses on his wife's head, forehead, and cheek. This seemed to please her, and she smiled serenely.
"You're amazing, you know that," he whispered in her ear. She beamed.
"Well I couldn't have done it without you, dear!" she drawled. He chuckled and once again kissed her blonde head. He finally looked down at the bundle in her arms and his breath hitched in his throat.
"Well I'll be…" he breathed. "He…he looks-"
"Just like you!" his wife finished. "I told that doctor right there, and now here's your proof!" She looked pointedly at the man in the corner, searching through a drawer for his tools. Whether he hadn't heard her or chose to ignore her was a mystery. She turned back to her husband.
"You wanna hold him?"
He continued to nod as he picked up his son. The baby was already sleeping peacefully, very unlike his older brothers, who had cried and screamed for four days straight. However, as his father began to cradle him in his arms, his eyes flew open, though he remained silent. For what seemed like hours, they stared at each other, his father grinning stupidly while the baby simply stared.
"Now what should we call you?" his father said gently. Almost instantly, his wife answered.
"Once-ler."
He briefly stopped rocking the baby in his arms to look down at her. Brett and Chet scrunched up their faces. The doctor and the nurse both looked at her with raised eyebrows. It seemed that everyone in the room was afraid to speak. The silence was eventually broken by the doctor.
"'Once-ler', ma'am? That's… I mean… Well that's not really a-"
"I told this man three years ago that I was only gonna do this once." The mother suddenly looked ferocious. The nurse backed away fearfully. "And look what happened!"
Her husband burst out laughing. The baby in his arms instantly began to smile and laugh along with him.
"Well that's it, then," his father said gleefully. "Once-ler it is!"