After our nights apart, and the fear that had come with them, waking up beside Ana in our own bed was beyond wonderful. Teddy had woken twice overnight, so we hadn't enjoyed unbroken sleep, but getting up with Ana to see to our son brought nothing but joy! I couldn't do much to help Ana feed him, so every time Teddy woke, I'd bring him to her, fetch a glass of water for Ana to drink, then we'd cuddle together in front of the TV as she nursed.
There was a series Ana said all the girls at SIP followed. True Blood. She'd never checked it out, so last night as she nurtured our boy, we'd started the series together. A lot more out there than I'd expected, Ana seemed to enjoy the first episode, and it gave us something to do as Teddy fed.
After each feed, as soon as Ana burped him, I'd take Teddy over to the change table and put a fresh diaper on him. I explained I wanted to play my part, and since I couldn't feed Teddy, I was on diaper duty. With helpful advice from Ana, it only took me a couple of goes to get the diaper on correctly. We'd only had wet nappies, last night, but Ana had assured me that would change, and I should prepare for my first soiled diaper. I wasn't worried. Our son was what, just over a foot and a half long. How bad could it be?!
I rolled onto my side, grinning at Ana curled on her side facing me. Her dark hair running across the pillows like spilled ink, her long eyelashes resting on her cheeks, even with dark circles under her eyes, my wife was still the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
"I can feel you staring, Christian," Ana murmured, her eyes still closed.
"Aren't I allowed to look at my wife?" I asked, my voice husky. "I missed you, baby. So so much."
Ana opened her eyes to show me those beautiful baby blues. The same ones that had ensnared me not so very long ago.
"I missed you too, Christian. But I knew you'd find us."
"So confident Mrs. Grey?" I meant to tease, but it came out sounding forced. In the dark of night there'd been times when I'd wondered if I'd see my wife or child again.
"I know you love Teddy and me, and wouldn't stop until we were safe."
"I do love you," I replied, moving closer to Ana on the bed, draping my arm around her. "More than anything in the world."
"I know," she responded with a smile. "Because I feel the same way."
We lay in bed beside each other, Ana's hand stroking my bare chest, my arm draped around her waist. It was the perfect moment; a snapshot where we were together and perfectly happy. However, it was soon interrupted by the loudest imaginable wet fart sound followed by a noxious smell emanating from the side of the room.
"Oh my God! What is that?" I gagged, sitting up and staring at our son's bassinet. Ana giggled taking in my horrified expression.
"That sounds and smells like a dirty diaper!"
I climbed out of bed and gingerly walked closer to where our son lay. His small face was contorted, and while I watched he managed another loud noise, accompanied by a truly revolting odor.
"Um, Ana? It's not all in the diaper… His sleep suit is soiled, and so are the sheets!"
My son, our beautiful Theodore, was lying there liberally covered in mustard colored shit.
"I think that's what they call a number three." Ana's voice lilted with amusement.
"Number three?" I asked, confused.
"Yes. A pee is a number one, a poo is a number two, and when you need a firehose to clean it up, that's a number three."
I took a deep breath, approaching the bassinet.
"We can do this," I said to Teddy. "Ana? I'm going to lift him out and take him straight through to the shower. Can you lay out a fresh diaper and outfit on the change table?"
Trying to minimize the spread of horror as much as possible, I shucked off my sleep pants, unhooking the elasticized sides of Teddy's soiled base sheet and carried him, sheet and all, through to the bathroom. Once in there I ditched the sheet and Teddy's sleep suit into a new plastic hamper Gail must have put there, peeling off his ineffective diaper. I looked around, wondering where to put it when Ana appeared at my side holding open a plastic bag.
Teddy and I both now naked, I turned the shower on, conscious to set the water to lukewarm and on its most gentle setting. Stepping into the spray I carefully rinsed Teddy off, noting the shit had shot right up the back of his sleep suit, coating the hair at his nape.
"That wasn't a bowel motion," I said to Teddy, smiling despite the fact his shit was running down my body and into the drain. "That was a poonami!"
On the shower shelf in front of me was a new bottle of organic baby wash. Squirting a small amount onto Teddy, I held him against my chest, working the soap through his hair, over his back, bum and boy bits. After a quick rinse I turned him around repeating the process with his front. Once he was squeaky clean, I bought him back to my chest, leaning down to kiss his copper curls.
I heard clicks and turned around to see Ana standing at the opening to our walk-in shower taking photos.
"You're not going to show anyone those, are you?" I asked feeling bashful.
"No. Well perhaps your Mom. And Mia. Plus Gail… and the girls at work… And I'm sure Ros and Gwen would like a look… Oh – and Andrea…"
"Ana!" I growled.
"Ok, ok. Just me then." She put the camera down on the counter, fetching a fresh towel from the warmer. "Come on Teddy. Now you're all clean, let's get a diaper on you!"
I passed Teddy to Ana before washing myself liberally with body wash. Who would have thought something so small and cute could make such an unholy smell and mess?
Out of the shower I dried myself, wrapping a towel around my waist and standing in the doorway to our room. Ana had Teddy just in a diaper and was sitting back on the bed with a blanket over them, our son at her breast. Sneaking back into the bathroom, I picked up the camera, returning my wife's attentions.
"Don't you have a bassinet to remake?" she smirked.
"Slave driver," I muttered so she could still hear me. Ana already had a clean waterproof cover, base sheet ready and waffle blanket ready, so it was a matter of replacing everything and putting the dirty linen into the bathroom hamper. "I think I'll take these to the laundry," I complained, the scent still overwhelming.
"Put pants on first," Ana counseled, switching sides and settling back in with Teddy.
My towel discarded in favor of sleep pants, I picked up the plastic hamper, now appreciating while aesthetically displeasing why it was nonetheless a necessity.
"Mr. Grey?" Gail questioned, looking up from her place in the kitchen as I entered the great room. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Teddy did a number three," I said with a small shrug. Gail had seen me shirtless numerous times over the years, but almost always when I was wearing my soft, ripped denim jeans. Me in a pair of sleep pants carrying a hamper filled with shitty linen was a first.
"Oh dear. Well let's get those into the laundry," she said, indicating for me to follow her down the hallway toward the service quarters. "I check your hampers twice a day," she explained as I followed carrying the noxious waste, "but if something is heavily soiled and smelly, it's best to get onto it straight away. You can call me, and I'll take care of it. If I am not around, bring it to the laundry and put it in the machine."
Looking around the laundry room for possibly the first time I noted there were numerous machines.
"Which one?" I asked.
"This one here," Gail said with what was possibly a smirk, pointing to a large silver machine with a glass dome on the front. It looked suspiciously similar to the two other machines beside it. "If it's empty, just pop the items inside. If it's full, leave the hamper here and I'll see to it."
"Anything else?" I asked, thinking I could manage this. Recollections of Gail teaching me how to cook came unbidden, bringing a smile to my face.
"Make sure there're no tissues or diapers mixed in - they'll block the machine. Fabrics only."
"No tissues, no diapers, fabrics only. Got it." I parroted, committing her words to memory. I loaded everything into the machine as Gail showed me before washing my hands in the laundry sink, using the antibacterial hand wash Gail thoughtfully pointed out on the counter. "Do I start it?"
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Grey. I'll take care of all that. And leave the hamper here for me to disinfect."
Deftly adding liquids into funny pop out sections on the machine, Gail pressed some buttons and the next thing I knew the machine was filling with water.
"I bought hypo-allergenic laundry liquid to use on Master Grey's clothing and linen," she explained as she walked out of the laundry toward the great room. "And I have programmed the machine to double rinse all his laundry. It's gentler for his skin," she explained, taking in my vacant expression.
I nodded.
"Now, would you and Mrs. Grey like your breakfast in bed, or should I serve out here?"
Given the scent in our room, any eating would be better done in the great room. Potentially sleeping, too. I suspected that smell might outlast religion!
"Out here, please Mrs. Taylor. I'm not sure what Ana will like. Can you make a selection of her favorites? I'll have whatever she doesn't want."
"Consider it done," Gail chirped happily, busying herself in the kitchen as I returned to the bedroom.
"Hey," Ana greeted when I walked back into the room. "All good?"
"Fine." Ana had Teddy curled up on her chest his back covered with a cuddle blanket. It was a beautiful sight to see. "Gail is making breakfast. It will be ready in fifteen."
"Well, while we're waiting, why don't you come have some skin to skin?" Ana offered, canting her head to indicate the space on the bed beside her.
Skin to skin? Oh baby – I was desperate to have skin on skin, but all the books had suggested at least five to six weeks…
"With Teddy," Ana gently chided, no doubt guessing the direction of my prurient thoughts. "It promotes bonding and helps relax him."
I sat where Ana suggested, leaning back against the pillows and headboard. As soon as I was in position, Ana placed our son on my chest. Teddy still dressed only in a diaper, I held the rest of him against me. My hand automatically rested on his back, preventing him from slipping, Ana covered us with a soft blue bunny rug.
"That's amazing," I whispered, peering down at our red-haired boy. No pain. Not even the fear of it. Just like his mother, Teddy could touch me anywhere and it didn't hurt me. "I love that he can touch me!"
"Of course he can," Ana said, rolling her eyes affectionately. "He's your son, Christian!"
"My son," I agreed, my heart expanding until it all but burst out of my rib cage.
"Ana! How did you sleep?" Gail had set the table up with a smorgasbord of fresh and tasty options.
"Wonderfully. It's good to be home!"
Gail lurched forward, pulling Ana into her arms. The two embraced tearfully until Gail stepped back blushing a little.
"Now – I've got some chia seed muffins, prunes, fresh pear juice, sliced apples, kiwi fruit and figs if any of those are of interest? Otherwise there's poached eggs, omelets, bacon, pancakes and waffles."
Ana blushed and looked at the overfull table. "Thank you. That's very thoughtful. It all looks delicious, Gail."
Mrs. Taylor smiled at me as I stood holding Teddy. "Would you like me to take Master Grey while you eat?" she asked, unashamedly excited at the prospect. "He might like to try out his bouncer seat?" Gail gestured to a multicolored contraption to the side of one sofa. A mechanized lay back carrier with straps to hold Teddy in, it had dangling toys, music and a gentle rocking motion. The salespeople had assured me it was the safest and the very best money could buy.
"That would be wonderful, Mrs. Taylor."
Grinning like the cat that ate the cream, Gail carefully lifted Teddy from my arms, cooing as she took him across to the swing. He was close to sleeping, anyway.
"What's with the different foods? You rarely eat any of that. Is it for breastfeeding?" I asked Ana as I held her chair for her.
She blushed even more. "Something like that."
"Baby…?" I knew when my wife wasn't telling me something.
"They're natural laxatives," Ana hissed. "After childbirth things can get a bit backed up. Chia seeds and certain fruits help."
"Is that an issue for you?" I asked delicately. Not something we usually discussed, if Ana had a problem, I wanted to know.
"Maybe? I haven't been since I had Teddy," she admitted her face scarlet.
"Ok. Well make sure to mention it to Dr. Greene."
"Dr. Greene?"
"She'll be stopping by before lunch to check on you. Speaking of which, you need to take your tablets." Ana would be on a course of antibiotics for a few days yet, but Mom had been right – twelve hours on the intravenous antibiotics in Davison had done wonders. Nonetheless, I stood and went to the medicine cabinet pulling out Ana's tablets bringing them over for her.
After washing down her pills with a glassful of pear juice, Ana started in on a chia seed muffin. Figuring it couldn't hurt to try one I found that, like everything else Gail made, it was delicious. Taking our time over breakfast we watched Gail play with Teddy until he fell asleep.
"Well, Mrs. Grey, now you're fed what do you want to do with your morning?" Taylor would need to brief me on the media circus outside, and it hadn't escaped my attention that despite the uncharacteristically lovely Seattle day outside, Gail had all the sheer curtains closed, ensuring our privacy even from the air.
"I have all the thank-you notes for gifts for Teddy I intended to send out when he arrived. I'll go through them and add a little extra note for those who helped or got in touch while I was away."
"Are you sure you're up to that?" I checked. "If you want to go back to bed to sleep that's ok."
"I'm sure. I'm back home where I want to be, and I want to go back to my normal life."
"You've just had a baby, been abducted and had an infection. Please don't overdo it," I insisted.
"I won't move anything except my hand," Ana promised. "In fact, you can even get the box of notecards from the library for me."
Once Ana was settled on the sofa beside Teddy's swing with a lap-table and a large box of thank-you notes, I went through to the security office to see Taylor.
"How bad?" I asked. Gail had diverted the house phone through to the security office so it would not disturb us, and I hadn't switched my cell on at all yet.
"The phone has not stopped ringing, sir. Mostly social calls wishing Mrs. Grey and Teddy all the best, there have also been several news outlets wanting a tell-all interview. Barney and Welch have each called through – they have additional information about Jack Hyde they want to discuss with you before they send it through to the FBI – and Andrea is going to email through a list of the callers to GEH."
"And outside?"
"The media are piled three-deep at the entrance to the building and the underground garage. I have the rest of the security team downstairs assisting Escala security. Both teams will assist Dr. Greene in and out of the garage."
"Nothing else to report?"
"No sir. Everyone seems thrilled that Mrs. and Master Grey are home safely."
"Not as happy as I am," I admitted, giving Taylor a tired smile. I am sure the last few weeks had aged him. Once everything calmed down, I'd send him and Gail on a weeks' vacation somewhere warm.
"So, Mrs. Grey, it seems you have a clean bill of health," I said with a grin once I'd shown Dr. Greene to the elevator after Ana's checkup. The doctor had taken her time examining Ana before assuring us her healing looked spot on and there should not be any long-term effects from the infection.
"It seems so," Ana said with a grin. Not long before Dr. Greene arrived, Ana used the bathroom and showered to freshen up. Her blush was gorgeous when she told me Gail's chia muffins had done the job, sparing her an embarrassing discussion with the doctor.
"Lunch will be ready soon. Any ideas what you'd like to do after?"
Ana looked at me apprehensively.
"If we could, I'd like to visit Luke at the hospital."
Those not familiar with a 'Number 3' you might want to check out the video provided on my writer's page. It's certainly educative ;)
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