Okay. Very short wait for this next chapter but i couldn't resist. I am very excited about where i'm bringing the story and i hope you are too! Any suggestions would be great!

Chapter 26

Brooke was now back in her hospital room, medicated and recovering from the surgery. It was the wee early hours of the morning and the sun was coming up. She was weak and tired, but was determined to stay awake to see her babies. She was worried about them and hadn't heard whether they were healthy or not. She tried not to think about it, but in that back of her mind, the ideas were killing her. Jeremy didn't cry; Bentley wasn't moving his legs or arms; Sienna was a little blue. She was a wreck. Julian had gone to see them and promised to bring back a report and pictures on his phone and camera really, really soon. Haley, Nathan, Jamie, Jocelyn & Mark, Mouth & Rachel, and everyone else were coming to visit a weary Brooke today sometime. One guest was already here and had been all night.

"Hey new mommy! How are you feeling?"

Brooke saw Peyton and the tears started flowing.

"Hey what's wrong honey…" Peyton was quick to take Brooke in her arms gently.

"I'm just so happy and scared all at the same time."

"Welcome to life with babies…" Peyton said with a laugh, "You'll be okay B. Davis-Baker."

"Thanks P. Sawyer Scott." :)

"Would you like to hold your baby girl?"

Brooke lifted her head out of Peyton's shoulder and saw her husband standing at the door with a bundle of pink blanket. He gave her his illegal grin and walked over to her, not even waiting for the obvious response. Julian placed the blanket-covered newborn into Brooke's arms. Peyton left the room to give the Bakers a moment alone.

"She's really okay? They're okay?"

"The pediatric specialist said she is doing just fine…she doesn't even need oxygen."

"Hi baby girl…Hi Sienna…I'm your mommy…do you remember me? Do you recognize your mommy's voice? I can't believe you were inside me! Can you?!" The baby cooed. Brooke directed the next statement to Julian.

"And the boys? Why didn't you bring them too?"

Julian stayed silent for a few seconds, trying to gather his thoughts. Brooke knew this wasn't good news.

"They're okay babe. But they're not doing as well as Sienna here…"

He didn't want to tell her that Jeremy couldn't breathe on his own or that Bentley was also covered in wired and monitors. She wasn't emotionally ready for any of that.

"I want to see them. You brought pictures right?"

Brooke's eyes never left her new baby girl. Sienna looked just like Brooke, Julian thought.

"Umm…are you sure you don't want to wait to see them for yourself. I can take you down to the nursery a little later. But you should really get some sleep Brooke. Doctors orders…"

Julian lied, but he assumed the doctors wanted Brooke to rest, and even if they didn't, HE certainly did.

"Stop avoiding… I want to see pictures of my boys." Brooke persisted.

Julian gave her a serious look: one that said 'You need to rest!'

"Okay…okay, I'll rest after I see my boys."

Julian held out the camera to his wife, who held up her free hand.

"No! You just promised to take me down to see them. Plus Sea would like to meet her big brothers, wouldn't you baby girl..."

;

The nursery was quiet and dark at this time of the morning. It was only about 6:30 A.M. now. Brooke (in a wheelchair) and Julian were led to matching incubators on the back left side of the NICU, the neonatal intensive care unit, where the sickest of babies and premies are cared for. One sign said Baby Boy Baker (A) while the other said Baby Boy Baker (B).

"Now I know it looks scary, but most of the wires are just monitors so we can watch them closely."

This nurse was so sweet and seemed too young to be an RN, never mind out of college. But she seemed reassuring.

Brooke peered in at one of her newest additions: Baby A, Jeremy. Wires and tubes extended from his mouth, small foot, chest, and a million other places. His eyes were covered with a light, blocking pads and his chest rose and fell sharply. She started drying immediately.

"Jeremy, here, is having the most trouble breathing right now and he is a little bit Jondus, but he is very brave and strong, Mommy." There's that positive attitude.

Brooke stuck her hand through a hole into the incubator and touched her son's tiny fingers for the first time. They were so frail, skinny, and slightly yellow. It was scary to think about whether he was feeling pain.

"Hey mommy! I want to say hello to you…"

Brooke's head turned and she saw Julian standing over the incubator of Baby B. She wheeled herself over the two feet to get a better look at her other new baby boy, Bentley. She was immediately met with the huge blue eyes she had seen after he was delivered. Bentley was covered with fewer wires and seemed more active than his brother. She touched her hand to his head and felt the tiny whispers of dark hair that she was already certain came from her.

"Mommy's boys are very…very strong."

Tears dripped down from her eyes and onto her hospital gown. Julian could only stand by and watch, leaning his hand on her shoulder for the only support he could give. They were helpless to help their helpless newborns. They wouldn't wish that on their worst enemies.

;;

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Three days later, Brooke had insisted that Julian go home while she slept to straighten things out for the kids and to keep working on the nursery. They had spent the last 72 hours with their babies' sides and were learning how to do their part in caring for them while they remained in the hospital.

Little did Brooke know that Julian had secretly finished the nursery a week ago before the triplets were born and while Brooke was hospital-bound. He had called and specifically asked Peyton to come do the wall artwork to surprise Brooke, with the room AND her best friend. That is what business Peyton was really in town for. But regardless, the babies were not close to ready to come home to occupy it anyways. But Brooke wouldn't hear that right now. She was being optimistic, or in denial.

Brooke was being kept at the hospital a little longer than most new moms because of complications with her stitches and high blood pressure. Nothing to be too worried about, just as precaution.

Julian was completely exhausted and was rushing around doing little things he thought would make himself feel better, rather than just thinking all the time. He was half asleep when the doorbell rang. The kids weren't home since they had been staying with Haley, so he assumed that it was them at the door. Boy was he wrong.

Behind the red door stood a tall, thin blonde girl. She was carrying a large gray duffle bag and looked to be early to mid-high school age.

"Excuse me…um…are you Julian Baker?"

"Uhh…yes…I'm sorry. I'm not in the mood to buy anything right now and I'm kind of in a hurry. So--"

She cut him off. "No, no. I'm not selling anything sir. I'm Eli…uh well…Eliot Evalyn Norris. I…I, uhh… I think you're my brother…"

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DUN DUN DUUUH! Bet you weren't expecting that lol. :)

What do you think?

~Haley