A/N - Hello all, next chapter for you! I know that chapters have been coming out quite quickly lately, but there will be a delay on the next one. I have a project I have to get done by Thursday which will give me little free time to write, unfortunately. I am hoping to have the next one up by next Monday, as usual though, but bear with me if I'm a bit late. Enjoy and thak you for all the reviews!
The house seemed deathly quiet when Oliver entered. Drake greeted him at the door, Punjab returning to the hospital to stand watch over Grace. Oliver had told the man to get some sleep, ensuring him that Grace and the babies were perfectly safe at the hospital, but Punjab refused. Oliver knew that he was very fond of Grace and realized he must feel almost as guilty as Oliver did himself, for not being there when she was abducted.
He made his way upstairs, Drake having informed him that Annie refused to sleep in her room and had not settled down until Mary had offered to let Annie sleep with her. Oliver walked down the quiet hallway until he reached the room Mary was staying in. He opened the door and smiled as he looked at the two sleeping girls in the bed. Annie looked so small and peaceful lying asleep next to her cousin. He had intended to leave Annie where she was until he had showered and changed, but something pulled him towards her and he realized that he needed her with him.
He carefully picked her up from the bed and she snuggled herself against his chest, not waking. He turned to leave the room when Mary stirred.
"Uncle Oliver?" she mumbled, yawning widely.
"Shh, go back to sleep sweetheart, I'm sorry that I woke you," Oliver whispered. Mary looked at him for a moment, blinking sleepily, then yawned again and turned on her side, closing her eyes once more. Oliver smiled as he left the room, pulling the door shut with one hand. He carried Annie to his own room and lay her down on the bed, pulling the covers up over her. He took off his shoes and climbed in himself.
He sat next to Annie and reclined against the headboard, watching her sleep. He was exhausted and he knew he should sleep himself, but too much worry swirled in his head to allow him to drop off. He leaned back and closed his eyes, thoughts skipping from Grace to David to Maggie to Annie. He grew restless and felt the need to pace, so he eased himself from the bed and began to walk back and forth in front of the fireplace in the sitting room.
Eventually, he wandered into the nursery that Grace and Annie had so lovingly prepared. He picked up the sweater and cap that Grace had knitted and smiled at the memory of her sitting on the terrace, yarn and needles thrown down in frustration at having to rip out another row of stitches yet again. But she had persevered and finished the little set. He would take it back with him when he returned to the hospital. He chuckled as he thought that she would need to make another set now and then pictured the look on her face when she realized it. He set the sweater down and ran a hand along the top rail of the crib. They'd need another, perhaps he should order one today, so all was ready when the babies came home.
And then his thoughts darkened as he realized that there was a very good chance that Grace would not need to make another sweater or he buy another crib. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on the rail of the crib, clasping his hands together and putting his forehead on his hands. Dear god, they might not need anything extra at all, for his little Maggie might never come home.
He heard a noise behind him and Oliver turned to see Annie standing in the doorway of the nursery. She was rubbing one eye with a fist and still seemed half-asleep, for she didn't say anything or run to him at first. Oliver waited until she woke herself up a bit and watched as her eyes lit up at the sight of him.
"Daddy, you're home!" she exclaimed and ran and jumped into his arms. He pulled her close and hugged her fiercely, kissing the top of her head. Annie pulled back and looked at him expectantly. "Is Mom coming home now?" Oliver looked at her and then walked back into the sitting room, closing the nursery door behind him. He couldn't look at it while he told Annie what had happened. He carried her to the sofa and sat down with her on his lap.
"Annie, your mother is still in the hospital," Oliver began. "She won't be coming home for a while yet."
"How come?" Annie asked, her voice shaking a little.
"Well, it's very hard work having two babies all in one day," Oliver said smiling. Annie nodded sagely, as if she completely understood this and Oliver couldn't help but chuckle. Then her eyes lit up.
"Mrs. Pugh said I have a brother and a sister," she said excitedly.
"That's right, you do," Oliver replied, smiling at her.
"She told me their names too, but I think I was so excited that I forgot," Annie's brow furrowed as she tried to remember.
"Your brother's name is David and your sister's is Margaret, but we're going to call her Maggie," Oliver said.
"Those are good names," Annie said, nodding her head seriously.
"I'm glad you approve," Oliver replied in amusement. His daughter's infectious excitement certainly was a balm for his spirit.
"When can the babies come home, when can I see Mom, when is she coming home, when," Annie broke off as Oliver held up a hand to stave off her flurry of questions. He leaned forward and took Annie's hands in his.
"Annie, there's something I need to tell you," Oliver began and Annie bit her bottom lip, worry crossing her face.
"Your mother," Oliver's voice cracked and he cleared his throat before he continued. "Your mother had to have an operation after she had the babies. Something happened inside while she was having them and the doctors had to go in and fix it. She needs to rest and get better and the doctor isn't sure how long it's going to take."
"But she will get better, right?" Annie asked her voice low and frightened.
"Yes, I believe that she will," Oliver said, trying to convince himself as much as his daughter. "As to the babies, David is doing very well, I'm sure he'll be able to come home in a day or two."
"What about Maggie?" Annie asked when Oliver didn't continue.
"Maggie is," Oliver paused, trying to decide how to phrase his words. "She's having a hard time right now. She's very small and she has to stay in a special bed that keeps her warm. The doctor wants her to stay there until she gets a little bigger and she learns how to eat better."
"She's going to be okay though, isn't she?" Annie asked quietly. Oliver felt his emotions getting the better of him and pulled Annie into a hug before she could see the tears in his eyes.
"I hope so, sweetheart, I truly hope so."
Annie stayed curled on the sofa while Oliver went to shower and shave. He felt a bit better when he was finished, although the exhaustion was slowly creeping up on him. He took Annie to her room and sat on her bed to wait while she dressed in her bathroom. Once she was finished, the two walked down to breakfast meeting Mary on the way.
"I'm sorry that your mother didn't come home with me," Oliver said to his niece as they descended the stairs. "She's sitting with your Aunt Grace until I go back to the hospital."
"It's all right Uncle Oliver," Mary said, giving him a smile. "I understand."
"Daddy, can I go back to the hospital with you to see Mom?" Annie asked as the trio entered the dining room.
"Not just yet, Annie," Oliver replied. "I need to check with the doctor and make sure it's okay if you visit first." Annie pouted, but said nothing as the three took their seats at the table. Almost immediately, Mrs. Pugh entered with platters of hot food. Oliver looked at her and as their eyes met, he could tell that she had been crying. He knew that Mrs. Pugh considered Grace a daughter and made a mental note to speak with her before he returned to the hospital.
Although Oliver had not eaten since lunch the previous day, he couldn't force himself to eat much. A piece of toast and a glass of juice were all he could stomach. He sat and watched Annie and Mary as they ate and joked with each other and realized just how much happiness Grace had brought into his life. It was Grace who had brought Annie into their home. Grace who put up with his indecision and idiocy when he was trying to push her away instead of admitting that he loved her. Grace who had searched Elizabeth out and then gotten her to forgive him. Grace who had spoken to his father and convinced Oliver to at least consider giving the man another chance. Grace who had just given him two more beautiful children. Everything good in his life was due to her in some way.
"Daddy, what's wrong?" Annie asked, pulling Oliver from his reverie. It was only then that he realized that tears were making their way down his cheeks. He hastily wiped them away, but Annie was already out of her chair and climbing into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. Mary rose and stood next to him, her hand on his shoulder and looked so much like her mother that Oliver's breath caught. He put an arm around Mary's waist and hugged Annie to him with the other and the three of them stayed that way for quite some time.
When he had recovered, Oliver looked at both girls and smiled, giving Mary a squeeze and kissing Annie on the forehead.
"Thank you," he said softly. "For helping me feel better." Mary nodded and went back to her chair, sitting down and finishing her breakfast. Annie stayed where she was, looking at her father as if making sure that he was truly all right. He hugged her once more, then stood, setting her down on the floor.
"I need to talk to Mrs. Pugh for a minute and then I've got to get back to the hospital," he said. "I'll come back and say goodbye before I leave though." Annie nodded and sat back down in her chair.
Oliver made his way into the kitchen to talk to his cook. As he entered, he heard quiet crying, but didn't see her anywhere. Frowning, he followed the sound of the noise and opened the pantry door to see Helen Pugh sitting on the floor, her head in her hands, sobbing. Oliver crouched down in front of her and put a hand to her shoulder. She startled, her head whipping up to look at him, then got quickly to her feet, wiping her eyes on her apron.
"I'm sorry sir," Helen said, pushing past him back into the kitchen. "Was there something you needed? More coffee?" She went to the stove and picked up the coffee pot, put Oliver shook his head.
"Mrs. Pugh," he said, but the woman ignored him, busying herself with what looked like pancake batter.
"I supposed the girls are still hungry, I'll just whip them up some more pancakes," she said, refusing to look at Oliver.
"Mrs. Pugh," Oliver said again, but was still ignored. "Helen," he said gently and this time she turned to look at him. "Please," Oliver said. "I know you're upset about Grace, you don't have to hide it from me. I know the two of you are close." Helen stared at him for a moment and then her chin began to tremble. She turned away, but Oliver approached her and put a hand to her shoulder once again. She braced her hands on the countertop and hung her head as her shoulders began to shake. Oliver put an arm around her and pulled her to his side.
After a few moments she had composed herself and pulled away from him, again wiping her face on her apron.
"I'm sorry sir," she said, trying to avoid his gaze. "I don't know what's gotten into me."
"Helen, it's all right," Oliver said quietly. "I know that you're worried, as we all are." Helen took a deep breath, looking up at her boss.
"Is it really that bad then?" she asked.
"It's very serious, yes," Oliver replied. "She lost so much blood. My god there was so much." Oliver broke off, turning to look unseeing out the window. It was Helen's turn to comfort him now. She took his hand and squeezed it until he looked down at her.
"Grace is strong and she's a fighter," Helen said. "She won't let this take her from us. She wants to see those babies and watch them grow up. She'll be all right." Oliver could do nothing but nod, returning the comforting squeeze of his hand.
"I've got to get back," he said. "Can you please look out for Annie today? I'll send Elizabeth home once I get there, but she will need to sleep."
"Of course, sir, she and Mary can help me in the kitchen," Helen said smiling.
"Thank you," Oliver said, squeezing her hand once more before walking back into the dining room. Annie and Mary had finished their breakfast and were sitting and waiting for him to return.
"Annie, I've got to get back to the hospital," Oliver said. "Your Aunt Elizabeth will come home once I get there, but she's been up all night and she'll need to rest. So let her be for a while, all right? Mrs. Pugh is going to look out for the two of you today."
"Okay, Daddy," Annie said and Mary nodded in agreement.
"Come and give me a hug before I go," he said and Annie jumped into his waiting arms. He hugged her and kissed her, then did the same for his niece.
"Tell Mom that I love her and give her a big hug for me," Annie said as Oliver left the room.
"I will," he said smiling and then walked to the front door where the Asp was already waiting to take him back to the hospital.
Oliver once again sat on the edge of Grace's bed. He had sent Elizabeth home with the Asp and had insisted that Henry go with her. His father had protested at first and it took Oliver telling him that he needed someone to be sure that Elizabeth rested, before the man agreed. Oliver had urged Punjab to go home and rest as well, but the bodyguard had flatly refused.
"I will rest when you do, Sahib," he said knowingly. Oliver had opened his mouth to argue, then shut it as he saw Elizabeth give him a suspicious look. Not wanting her to try and force him home because she found out he hadn't slept at all, Oliver just nodded and returned to Grace's side.
The doctor had been in to speak with him, but there had been no real change in Grace's condition. Oliver asked about Annie visiting her mother, but was told that children were not allowed into patient's rooms. He knew she would be disappointed, but hoped that Grace would return home in a few days and it wouldn't matter. Oliver had fed David again and seen Maggie. He was still not allowed to hold her, but the nurse assured him that the doctor was almost finished with his tests.
So now he sat, watching his wife for any change, no matter how small. His mind drifted through memories as he sat there and he realized that none of them were even a year old. Far too short a time for him to lose her now. And so he sat and watched and waited. Elizabeth came again late in the afternoon and tried to convince him to go home, but he refused. She sat with him for a while until the nurse came in to tell them that visiting hours were over. Elizabeth stood to leave and looked at Oliver expectantly, but he remained seated on the bed.
"Mr. Warbucks, your wife needs her rest," the nurse said. "You'll have to leave now."
"My wife is comatose, I'm sure my being here isn't keeping her from resting," Oliver snapped. The nurse looked to be at a loss for words for a moment, but recovered quickly.
"Be that as it may, sir, these are the hospital rules," the nurse said.
"I don't give a damn about your rules," Oliver retorted. "I'm not leaving my wife." Elizabeth look apologetically at the nurse, who glared at Oliver for a moment, then left the room.
"Oliver," Elizabeth said gently. "Please, come home with me and get some rest."
"No," Oliver said stubbornly. "She needs me."
"She needs you to be strong for her," Elizabeth continued. "You can't do that if you're exhausted."
"Leave it alone, Elizabeth," Oliver growled. Elizabeth huffed and opened her mouth to say something else when the door to the room opened and the doctor entered, followed by the nurse. The nurse stood with her arms crossed and looked at Oliver triumphantly. Elizabeth, having remembered Punjab was still standing in the hall, slipped out of the room.
"I understand we're having a hard time getting rid of you, Mr. Warbucks," the doctor said with a smile. Oliver scowled at him and turned back to Grace. "I'm sure your wife would be very upset with you if you made yourself ill."
"I'm not leaving her," Oliver stated again and looked up to see Elizabeth and Punjab come into the room.
"Sahib, if I might have a word," Punjab said. Elizabeth whispered something to the doctor and everyone else left the room.
"You can have your 'word', Punjab, but it's not going to change my mind," Oliver said, scrubbing a hand down his face.
"Indeed," Punjab said. "But perhaps you would be interested to know that the hospital can remove you bodily from the room if you refuse to go. They can also bar you from returning." Oliver stared at Punjab in shock, but recovered quickly.
"They can't keep me from seeing my wife," Oliver scoffed. He would simply call the mayor or the chief of police or even the governor if he had to. Oliver's influence ran deep, no one could keep him from the hospital.
"Sahib, Mrs. would not want you to run yourself down like this," Punjab said, coming to stand next to Oliver. "You need to be strong for her and Annie and the babies, do you not?" Oliver sat in silence, refusing to acknowledge what he very well knew to be true.
"I can't leave her," Oliver said quietly. "What if she wakes up and I'm not here?"
"The doctor will be here and I will stand guard outside the door, in order to let you know the moment she awakes," Punjab replied. Oliver shook his head, the man hadn't slept for almost two days.
"You need your rest just as much as I do," Oliver argued.
"No Sahib, I do not," Punjab said. "It is simply mind over matter, I will be fine for another night." Oliver continued to look at Grace and then finally nodded. He rose from the bed after kissing Grace lightly on the forehead and followed Punjab from the room. Elizabeth looked relieved when she saw him and the doctor simply smiled and nodded.
"I would like my bodyguard to remain outside my wife's room," Oliver said to the doctor. "Just as a precaution given the fact that she was recently kidnapped." The nurse opened her mouth to argue, but the doctor held up a hand to silence her.
"I believe that would be an agreeable compromise," the doctor replied, smiling. He turned to the nurse. "Alice, if you could bring a chair for Mr. Warbucks bodyguard."
"That will not be necessary," Punjab said. "I will stand." The doctor looked surprised, but nodded.
"I will see you tomorrow then, Mr. Warbucks," the doctor said and turned and walked down the corridor.
"Thank you Punjab," Elizabeth said to the man, who inclined his head to her. "Come on, Oliver, let's go home." Elizabeth took her brother's arm and the two made their way down the hall.
The next morning Oliver returned to the hospital after breakfast and insisted that Punjab return home to sleep. Oliver spent the day sitting with Grace and feeding David his bottles. After every feeding, he would go and visit Maggie. So far the doctors had not found anything alarming in the tests that they had run, for which Oliver was grateful. However, Maggie's condition had not improved much and Oliver was beginning to worry even more. His daughter looked even smaller than she had been the night of her birth. The nurse assured him that all babies lost a bit of weight right after they were born, but Oliver knew that it was weight Maggie could ill-afford to lose. He sighed as he kissed his fingertips and pressed them to the glass door of the incubator before making his way back to Grace's room.
Elizabeth arrived after lunch and spent a few hours, returning home once Henry arrived. The two men stayed until visiting hours were over and then Punjab returned to his post outside Grace's door once more. Just before Oliver left for the evening, David's doctor informed him he could take the baby home the next day. Oliver was overjoyed at this news, but knew that there were things that he needed to discuss with Elizabeth before bringing his son home.
"Wonderful news about David," Henry said smiling, as he and Oliver drove back to the house. Henry had been having a wonderful time getting to know two of his granddaughters. Annie was a bundle of energy and Mary, more soft spoken, reminded him very much of Elizabeth as a child. He knew that he didn't deserve the forgiveness his children had given him, but he was very grateful for it all the same. He was very much looking forward to spending time with his newest grandson and hoped that he would soon get a chance to meet the rest of Elizabeth's children.
"Yes, it is," Oliver agreed. "I just wish his sister was coming home with him." Henry nodded, as Oliver paused. "And his mother," Oliver finished, quietly. Henry put his hand on his son's shoulder.
"She'll be all right Oliver," Henry said with conviction. "She'll find her way back to you." Oliver looked at his father and gave him a sad smile, hoping that his father was right.
The two reached home and entered the dining room just as the food was being brought out of the kitchen. They were greeted by the three women at the table and sat down, filling their plates. Oliver waited until they were all finished eating before deciding to share the news from the day.
"Well, I got some good news today," he said, smiling at Annie.
"Mom's awake!" she exclaimed and Oliver's heart clenched a bit.
"No, sweetheart, I'm sorry," Oliver said and Annie's face fell. "But, the doctor did tell me that your brother can come home tomorrow." Annie's face lit up in excitement and she started bouncing in her chair.
"Oh Oliver, that's wonderful," Elizabeth said, reaching across the table and squeezing his hand.
"Yes, I thought so too," he said smiling. Annie and Mary finished their dessert and then left the table, chattering excitedly about David's imminent arrival. Oliver smiled after them as they left, then turned back to his sister.
"I think I'll need to hire a nanny," Oliver said. "I still need to be at the hospital with Grace and I'll need someone to care for David while I'm there. Do you think you could handle the interviews for me tomorrow?" He turned to his sister who, to his surprise, looked murderous.
"A nanny!" she exclaimed, anger in her voice. "Well, I suppose if you don't think I've been doing a good job with Annie." She sniffed.
"Elizabeth?" Oliver asked, taken completely by surprise. "What on earth?" He looked to his father for support or an explanation, but Henry simply sat biting his lip, holding back a laugh from the looks of it. Oliver scowled at him.
"Honestly, Oliver, I've raised four children of my own. You don't think I could care for an infant?" she asked in indignation.
"Of course I do!" Oliver replied. "It's just that I don't know how much longer it's going to be until Grace can come home and I know you probably need to be getting back to Boston, it's been nearly a week." Elizabeth's anger cooled immediately.
"Oliver I can stay as long as you need me to," Elizabeth assured him. "I will have to send Mary home though, she needs to get back to school. Frank is coming in on the train on Saturday to pick her up and take her home. He's arranged for the other children to stay with the neighbors that day. He'll be back by the time they need to go to bed."
"But your family needs you," Oliver protested.
"Oliver, you're my family too and right now, you need me more," she insisted. "Frank and the children will be fine." Oliver sighed, but nodded all the same. He knew there was no way to change her mind now that she had decided. "Now, let's drop all this nanny nonsense," Elizabeth said. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of my nephew and I daresay I'll have more help than I could ever need in this house." Oliver chuckled knowing that between Annie, Mrs. Pugh and Cecile alone, Elizabeth would have more than enough help, not to mention the rest of the staff.
"All right then," Oliver agreed. "But if you feel that you need to go back home, I want you to tell me."
"I promise," Elizabeth said, smiling at him. "Besides, I'm sure that Grace will be home in a few days as well and you won't need me anymore anyway."
"We can only hope," Oliver replied.
The next morning, Elizabeth went with Oliver to the hospital, leaving Henry in charge of the girls. Oliver was a bit dubious about this arrangement, certain that Annie and Henry could get into all kinds of trouble together. But the look of pride on his father's face when asked to mind his grandchildren, convinced Oliver to let them have their fun.
When the two arrived, they made their way to Grace's room in order to relieve Punjab. Then Oliver left Elizabeth to sit with Grace while he went to the nursery to retrieve his son. The nurse met him at the door and ushered him inside to the room where he fed David. Once the baby was fed, Oliver carried him back to Grace's room.
Elizabeth, who had only seen the little boy through the nursery window, reached her hands out for him the moment Oliver entered the room. He chuckled and handed his son over.
"Oh, Oliver," Elizabeth exclaimed. "He's even more beautiful up close." She cradled the baby to her and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. Oliver watched them, smiling and then Elizabeth carried David over to Grace.
"Grace, you've got to wake up and take a look at this gorgeous boy," Elizabeth said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "He's absolutely perfect, but I know he'd rather have his mum holding him than his aunt." Elizabeth carefully pulled Grace's arm away from her body and laid David in the space she had created. She kept a hand on him, but wrapped Grace's arm up and around him as well. Oliver watched her, tears glistening in his eyes and hoped that his wife would respond to the weight of their son on her arm. But Grace did not move, not even a flinch. She just lay perfectly still as she had before, the only movement the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. After a minute or two, Elizabeth picked the baby back up, tears in her own eyes now.
"That's all right," she said, moving Grace's arm back beside her and giving it a small pat. "You still need your rest. I'll take good care of this little one until you're ready." She then stood and walked back to Oliver, smiling up at him through her tears. "She'll wake up soon, don't worry." Oliver simply nodded, unable to speak. He picked up the sweater and hat that he had brought from home and handed it to Elizabeth.
"Will you put that on him, before you go?" Oliver asked. "And make sure to take a picture of him in it when you get home."
"Of course," Elizabeth said and lay David down on the end of Grace's bed, unwrapping him from the blanket he was in and putting the sweater and hat on. She then rewrapped him in his blanket and handed him to Oliver. "Say goodbye to your Daddy." Oliver snuggled his son close to him, trailing his nose over the boy's forehead and breathing in his baby scent. He kissed him on the cheek, then handing him back to Elizabeth.
"You be good for your auntie now," Oliver said, running a finger down the baby's cheek. "I'll be home to tuck you in later." Oliver turned to Elizabeth and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her to him. "Thank you," he said. Elizabeth nodded and patted his cheek. "The Asp should be waiting for you outside," Oliver continued. "Be sure to tell Annie I'll be back for dinner."
"Don't worry about us," Elizabeth said. "We'll be fine." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek and then left with his son.
Oliver sighed and went and sat back down on Grace's bed, taking her hand in his. He brought it up and rubbed the back of it against his cheek, then kissed her knuckles, one by one. Setting her hand in his lap, he gently massaged her fingers and palm, while telling her all about Annie's excitement about her brother coming home. No matter what he said or did, Grace still continued to lie still in the bed, not even a twitch to give Oliver any kind of hope. He wasn't going to give up on her though, that was certain. She just needed more time.
Later that afternoon, Henry knocked lightly on Grace's door. When there was no answer, he opened it and looked in. Oliver was sitting in a chair, his head resting on the bed, asleep, Grace's hand clutched tightly in his. His daughter-in-law didn't seem to have moved at all and by the pained expression on Oliver's face in his sleep, Henry concluded that there hadn't been any change in her condition. He sighed. He was unsure how long Oliver could keep this up. Henry knew that Oliver wasn't sleeping much at night, he could tell just by looking at him at the breakfast table every morning. And now with a newborn at home, who would no doubt be up multiple times at night, Henry worried very much for Oliver's well-being. The last thing anyone needed was for Oliver to end up in a bed beside Grace.
Consequently, Henry decided to let his son rest and left Grace's room as quietly as he had entered. He strolled down the hall toward the nursery, wondering if the nurse would let him take a peek at Maggie. He hadn't seen her yet, Oliver always stopping in to visit her after feeding David. He stopped in front of the nursery window and when the nurse stepped into the room, he motioned her outside.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Yes, I was wondering if I could see my granddaughter," Henry replied.
"Of course sir, which one is she?" the nurse asked smiling. "I'll bring her to the window for you."
"Oh, she's not in the regular nursery," Henry said. "My son said she was in a room by herself, Maggie Warbucks." The nurse pursed her lips, as if unsure if she should grant his request. "I know I can't pick her up or anything like that, I just haven't been able to have a look at her yet. My son is resting in his wife's room or I would have brought him with me." He gave the nurse his most charming smile and eventually she nodded.
"All right," she said. "But just for a moment, it's almost time for us to try and feed her again."
"Try and feed her?" Henry asked, as he followed the nurse.
"Yes, your granddaughter is having trouble eating," the nurse replied, not explaining further. They reached the room and she opened the door, showing him in. He walked to the incubator attached to the wall and looked in through the glass. His breath caught as he looked at Maggie. She was tiny, just as small as Davey had been and her face lacked the roundness of a bigger newborn. One hand poked out of the blanket and her fingers were narrow, each fingernail no bigger than 1/8 of an inch across. She was asleep so he couldn't tell what color her eyes were. Probably blue he supposed, as both Grace's and Oliver's were. As the thought passed through his mind, Maggie moved and her fingers spread apart as if she were stretching. She blinked, once, twice, then three times before her eyes opened. As if she sensed him standing there, she turned her head towards him and he saw that her eyes were not, in fact, blue, but the lightest of greens.
"Ellen," he whispered, as he stared at his granddaughter. She had his Ellen's eyes.
Henry was ushered from the room a few minutes later and he made his way back to Grace's room. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Oliver was now awake when he reentered the room.
"Dad!" Oliver said sharply.
"Huh?" Henry asked looking up.
"I've called your name three times," Oliver said, looking puzzled. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, sorry, no, no nothing's wrong," Henry said. "I've just come from seeing Maggie."
"They let you in?" Oliver asked, his eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Oh, you know me, I can charm just about anyone," Henry replied cheekily and Oliver rolled his eyes.
"How was she?" he asked.
"She's so sweet, but so very small," Henry replied. "Have you seen her eyes yet?"
"No, she's always been asleep when I've been in there and it was too dark in the car after she was born," Oliver said shaking his head.
"Well, she woke up when I was in there," Henry said, his voice quiet. "Her eyes, they're your mother's." Oliver sat in silence, simply staring at his father. "That lightest shade of green, like the buds of leaves on the trees in the spring or the skin of an apple," Henry continued, gazing off into the distance as he spoke. "Clear and sparkling, like the sun when it shines on the water, just like my Ellen." Henry's eyes brightened as he spoke and Oliver could feel the love radiating from him. He rose and put his hand on his father's shoulder.
"Then let's hope that means she had a guardian angel watching over her," Oliver said and Henry nodded. The two sat in companionable silence for most of the afternoon, both lost in their own thoughts of the women that they loved. One hoping for her swift return and the other mourning the one that he had already lost. And as the sun slowly began its descent from the sky, they rose without speaking and turned toward home and the family that awaited them there.
They entered the house and Oliver was immediately assaulted by his 11 year-old daughter. She ran and grabbed him around the waist, squeezing so hard she nearly knocked the wind out of him.
"Hello, sweetheart," he said, hugging her back while loosening her arms from around his middle.
"Daddy, I love my new brother!" Annie exclaimed, large grin on her face.
"I'm very glad about that. I just hope you feel the same way when he starts walking and stealing all your toys," Oliver said smiling, as Henry chuckled beside him. "Where is your brother at the moment?"
"Aunt Elizabeth is putting him down for another nap," Annie said. "He sure does sleep a lot."
"Yes, well, let's just hope that holds true for the night as well, shall we?" Oliver smiled at Annie who looked at him in confusion. He laughed and ruffled her hair. "I'll explain later."
"Oh Oliver, good you're home." Oliver looked up and saw Elizabeth coming down the stairs, Mary beside her. "I've just put David down, so we should have time to eat dinner before he wakes up again."
"Did everything go all right today?" Oliver asked, as the group made their way into the dining room.
"Perfectly," Elizabeth answered smiling. "He's such a good little boy. Although I will say that your staff probably didn't get much work done. They spent most of the day fawning over him." Oliver chuckled. "That child is going to be spoiled rotten, I'm sure," Elizabeth continued, shaking her head, but she was smiling as well. "How's Grace?"
"The same," Oliver said, shrugging a shoulder. "Oh, but Dad saw Maggie today. She opened her eyes for him. Apparently, she's got Mother's eyes." Elizabeth gasped and looked at her father who nodded.
"Oh, I can't wait to see," Elizabeth said, putting an arm around Oliver's waist.
"Neither can I," Oliver said quietly. "Neither can I."
That night was anything but peaceful for Oliver. Elizabeth had offered to keep David in her room overnight, the cradle Grace had bought could be moved easily, but Oliver refused, wanting to take care of his son himself.
About 2:00 in the morning, however, he began to regret that decision, as David had been fussing and crying for the last half an hour and Oliver had no idea why. He'd fed him and changed him, wrapped him back in a blanket, but the baby didn't seem to want to settle down. Oliver was currently sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery, trying to get his son to go back to sleep. Finally exasperated, Oliver stood up and walked back into his bedroom. He laid the baby on the bed, while he put on his robe and slippers, then picked him back up, holding him against his shoulder.
"Let's go for a little walk," Oliver said. "Just keep in down in the hallway, we don't want to wake anyone." Surprisingly, the baby quieted for a moment, while Oliver made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. He was hungry all of a sudden and decided to see if there was any pie left from dinner.
Once they got into the kitchen, however, David decided he had been quiet long enough and let out a loud wail.
"Shh, shh," Oliver said, bouncing the baby a little trying to quiet him. "You'll wake Mrs. Pugh." But David was not to be consoled and just as Oliver had decided to take the baby back to his room before he woke the entire household, a light snapped on in the hall.
"Mr. Warbucks," Mrs. Pugh said as she came down the hall from her quarters. "Is everything all right?"
"Oh, Mrs. Pugh," Oliver replied, as if he were surprised to see her there. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. David's been a bit fussy and I thought a change of scenery might help. Apparently not." Mrs. Pugh chuckled and made her way into the kitchen.
"You sit down and I'll get you some of that pie from dinner," she said. "And then we'll see what we can do for this little one." She patted the baby's back as she turned and pulled the pie from the refrigerator, cutting Oliver a slice and bringing it to the table.
"Now, hand that sweet boy over and you sit down and eat," she said, waving off Oliver's protests. Oliver watched as Mrs. Pugh put David to her shoulder, patting him on the back and gently bouncing as she walked. The baby continued to protest, however and after a few minutes, Mrs. Pugh came and sat down at the table with Oliver.
"Probably just a stubborn bit of gas," she said and she carefully laid the baby on the table. She unwrapped him from the blanket and then put her hands on the backs of his legs and gently bent them up towards his stomach. She straightened his legs out and then bent them up again, repeating the motion a few more times before picking him back up, Oliver watching in fascination. She then picked the baby back up and put him back to her shoulder. She began to pat his back again and after another minute, the baby let out a rather impressive burp and almost instantly fell asleep.
"How did you know that's what it was?" he asked, looking at her in awe.
"Oh, just years of practice," she said chuckling. Oliver had finished his pie, so Mrs. Pugh handed the baby back to him. "He should sleep for you now," she said smiling.
"Thank you," Oliver said and he carefully positioned David in his arms. "I wish Grace were here. I feel like I don't have any idea what I'm doing."
"You're doing just fine, as far as I can see," Mrs. Pugh assured him. She put a hand to his arm and smiled at him. Oliver simply nodded and stood.
"I guess I should get this little guy back to bed," he said. "Good night."
"Good night sir," Mrs. Pugh replied and she watched the two leave the room. "Oh Grace," she said after Mr. Warbucks had left. "You'd be so proud of your boys."