"Hey, I got you a coffee, Clay."
"Shhhhh!" He puts his finger against this lips indicating for Sonny to quieten down "We'll go in the corridor." he hushes his voice "She's still sleeping"
Clay's carrying the tiny bundle of baby in his arms. He's curled up tight against his chest wearing a massively oversized light blue all in one. Little white mittens on his hands, and a matching cotton hat.
Clay protectively wraps his large strong hands around him, supporting his head, the way the nurse showed him, last night.
Sonny and Trent smile, watching how expert Clay's suddenly become in handling him, and how peacefully the baby is sleeping.
"Wow! He's tiny, I'm sure he looked much larger last night when he was coming out!" Sonny smiles "How's he doin ?"
"Yeah, they said he's doing great, considering he's a little early. He's in really good shape, a real little fighter. He sure as hell has some lungs on him for something so small. Nearly screamed the place down when Kelsey was trying to feed him in the night"
"How's she doing?" Trent smiles rubbing the baby's cheek with his large finger.
"She's okay. She hasn't said much to be honest, but I think she's tired. She's been asleep since she fed him about four am "
"I don't blame her" Sonny smiles " I'd need to sleep after what she went through"
"Here... you wanna hold him?" Clay turns the baby around watching as he blinks his eyes, opening them only for seconds then closing them tight as Clay holds him in Sonny's direction.
"Oh um... I don't know. I don't think I can, I mean he's kinda small. I don't wanna hurt him, right!"
"Here just hold him, while I drink this coffee. You won't hurt him" he passes him to the crook of Sonny's arm "Just make sure you hold his head, and he'll be fine"
Trent smiles "You can certainly see you in him."
"You think?"
"Oh yeah! " Trent pauses hearing footsteps he turns around "Oh, here's Jason."
"Hey, how's it going?" Jason smiles watching Sonny awkwardly frozen to the spot the tiniest of humans nestled in his huge arms, holding him nervously like he's made of glass "How you doin?"
"Yeah we're good!" Clay sits down and drinks the takeaway that Sonny brought, watching as Sonny now gladly passes him to to Trent.
"Hey little man, you remember me? " Trent smiles
"Yeah like a nightmare" Jason laughs "Imagine that face being the first thing you saw when you enter the world! Traumatize him for life I'd say!" they all laugh "So you thought of any names for him yet? God I remember how hard that was, finding the right names, that we could both agree on. In the end we didn't, agree I mean, Alana just told me what they were gonna be!"
"No! I've been racking my brain all night. Not come up with anything I like yet. To be honest, its not something I'd thought about, I mean I'd considered a couple of girls names but boys, no! I have a couple I think I like, but I just can't decide"
"What's Kelsey suggest?"
"Oh um.. I haven't really spoken to her about it yet. I guess she chose girls names too. But, she's been asleep most of the night she only woke up a couple of times to feed him and that was it. We didn't have time to talk. I was hoping to have some ideas before she woke up."
Trent smiles "I'd imagine she's still in shock. I mean it wasn't exactly what she was expecting, happening like that. It'll probably take her a while to adjust to everything "
"Yeah guess so ..but I mean its not like she didn't know he was gonna come soon, she only had three weeks left" He finishes the coffee, dropping the cup into the trash can. He takes the baby back into his arms "You know I can't believe he's mine? It just doesn't feel real"
"Mr Spenser!..." Clay turns around,looking down the end of the corridor as a nurse calls his name "Mr Spenser!" She hurries down the hallway towards where they're sitting at the end. "Clay... S-Spenser?" She asks smiling "You're with Kelsey, Roberts?"
"Um.. yeah. Is she alright?"
"Oh yeah, yeah. Nothing to worry about, she's still asleep but um.. we were looking for you. We just wondered where baby went that's all. Look um... can we get him back, to the room?"
She smiles rubbing the baby's cheek while he's tucked safely against Clay chest. He opens his eyes wide and looks at her "Hey, your Mommy will be waking up soon, yes she will!" She looks up at Clay "I'd just rather he be there when she does"
"Why is there something wrong?" Clay frowns
"No, no nothing's wrong . We just don't wanna separate them too much. We need to make sure they have some bonding time at this early stage. If she wakes and he's not there she might, well she might feel a little anxious. I'd just rather he was there where she can see him. It's better for them both. Yes it is" she makes this cooing voice "We don't want you to miss your Mommy do we!"
"Oh um ... yeah, of course. I'll come back now. I didn't think."
"Look, Clay... why don't we lay him down for a while, I mean the nurse from last nights shift said you'd been here all night. You need to rest as well and you can't do that with him in your arms, can you"
She smiles taking the baby from him "Why don't I take him back to the room, and you can go home, get some rest and sort some things out that they'll need later when you pick them up to come home."
"Home, they're coming home? Today!"
"Yeah, I can't see any reason they would need to stay any longer. I mean obviously the doctor will check later this morning, but they both seem to be in very good health, so I don't see any obvious reason to delay"
"Oh wow, today! Wow! Um... yeah I...I suppose I could.. I mean...oh wow!" he gasps and looks at the guys "Yeah, I do need to do somethings then"
"Well you've been with him all night. We can give your Mommy some time, help her get a feeding routine started. You can go back, get the car seat, maybe some clothes, diapers that kinda thing."
"Um.. .okay" he reluctantly hands the baby over, kissing his head "Um.. tell Kelsey I'll see her in while then"
" I will, they'll be fine don't worry. Say, bye daddy!"
The nurse turns and walks away and Clay rubs his head anxiously "Shit! What am I gonna do now?"
Jason frowns looking at him "What do you mean what are you gonna do now? Why what do you have to do? "
"Well I mean, we... we don't have anything. Not a single thing, for the baby. I mean we were...well we were actually planning on going back to the UK, before all this. Her baby things are there. I mean I don't have anything to take him home in, no crib, no clothes, no nothing. What the hell am I gonna do now?"
"Well okay, calm down!" Sonny looks at him patting him on the shoulder "Don't worry Clay, we got this. We're a team, right? So we go buy our new recruit some gear. We just go shopping!"
"Shopping?!"
"Well yeah, why not? I mean how hard can it be to shop for a baby? I mean they don't do much yet, sleep, eat and poop so what can they need?"
"Sleep eat and poop. You sure this is not you we talking about here Sonny!" Jason laughs "Though I have to say I think you're over simplifying this. But yeah that sounds like a plan. We're gonna need some help though" he takes out his cell phone
Clay frowns "Who you callin'?"
"Well if we're going baby shopping, then we need to call in some expertise in this field!"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Okay then!" Clay takes a sharp intake of breath, looking around the store. It's floor to ceiling filled with an array of baby items "Oh wow! I you know I didn't realise there was so much stuff. Where the hell do we start?"
"Well sure as hell, don't ask me." Sonny frowns "This is your specialist area now!"
Shit! Clay takes another breath looking at the rough list he made on his phone, and he looks anxiously at Jason and Trent as they join them "Okay, so um... yeah I'm not exactly sure what we need. Jason you've done this before, where do we start?"
"Hey don't look at me. When we had Emma and Mikey, Alana and her Mom covered all this. I was on deployment both times. I mean sure, I bought some clothes and cuddly toy back with me but... don't ask me what they need for essentials. Anyway, don't worry the expert is here now "
They turn around as Ray and Naima walk through the door of the store towards them.
"Hey Naima!" Clay smiles relieved "thanks so much for coming along. I guess we don't have a clue where to start or what I need!"
"Well..." Ray smiles " first thing important thing, do you have your credit card?"
"Yeah, sure why?"
"Cos um...you're about to find out, babies don't come cheap!" he smiles "C'mon we'll start with a crib."
o-o-o-o-o-o
The have three full carts of various essentials and they're loading it all into the back of Clay's truck .
"How the hell can something that small need this much gear?" Sonny frowns loading the final box onto the back "I mean we don't take this much stuff on deployment!"
Naima kisses Ray on the cheek " Okay well I have to go. I start my shift soon. Clay, congratulations." She kisses his cheek "You did check if Kelsey needs anything?"
Clay frowns "Such as what ?"
"Well you know, toiletries and things?"
Clay looks at Sonny and they both shrug "Such as what do you mean?"
"Clay .." she sighs ".. she just had a baby. There's things... you know what, I'll get the things that she might need and then I'll check in on her before I start my shift "
"Oh, okay. That would be great, thanks. Tell her, I'll be there as soon as I can. We just need to get this stuff unloaded. If she needs anything else she'll have to call me"
Ray smiles at his wife "Thanks, I'm gonna go back with them for a while. Help put this crib together. Keep him organized!" He laughs
"Hmm!" Naima frowns "Well I hope he has better luck with yours, than he did with ours, cos it took him five days to get it together!"
"Yeah we'll I still say there was a part missing."
"Oh c'mon Ray seriously?" Sonny laughs "I mean how hard can putting a crib together be? "
o-o-o-o-o-o
"Okay, so I have screw A ! Where the hell did you say that goes?" Sonny rubs his head "How the hell can this be so hard? "
"I still say we're missing a piece." Ray frowns
"Um.. I don't know, but that must go in this piece right?"
The boys stand looking at all the pieces they have laid on the floor. Scratching their heads confused.
"Jeez I need a other beer. I mean, Clay can he not just sleep in the box or somethin ? "
Ray and Trent smile. Jason picks up another large part "Okay lets think about this. We're SEALS we can get in anywhere so we can't be defeated by a crib, right?"
Clay looks at the instructions again as Sonny stands at the refrigerator taking out beers. "Ray you want one?
"No, no I'm okay thanks. I need to get off soon away. Sort the kids before Naima gets back from her shift"
Sonny closes the refrigerator door "Hey Clay, this your cell phone? He holds it up, cos it ringing?"
"No, it's um .. oh shit I forgot that was there, it's Kelsey's! Brock dropped it early on the way to take Cerb to an appointment. She left it in the bar with her purse yesterday" Clay picks it up and looks at it, as he takes a sip of his beer. He sighs out loud.
"You okay?" Sonny frowns as he watches him
"Um.. yeah. Yeah sure, it's nothing"
"Don't look like nothing." Sonny frowns concerned watching the look on this face " Something wrong?"
"Oh, I don't know... probably nothing"
He turns the phone screen to face Sonny "Alex?" Sonny shrugs "So who the hell's Alex?"
"He's a friend of Kelsey's"
"Hmm! So, when you say friend, do you mean friend or ... friend?"
"She says friend. But she also said she'd tell him to stop calling. So what guy keeps calling, eight times, after he's told not to. So does that say friend or more than friends to you?" he sighs. Taking another sip of his beer.
"So what do you know about him, this friend?"
"Some guy. He's British. He's a marine! " he laughs " She says he was just a friend helping while she was pregnant. Took her out a few times, dinner.. that sort of thing. She said it was nothing and that nothing happened more than that."
"A bullet catcher! Oh wow! Well I doubt you got anything to worry about there then. She tell him what you do? Seriously Clay you don't have nothing to worry about, but what? You don't believe her."
"Oh c'mon Sonny what guy keeps trying to call a woman like Kelsey if he s not interested"
"You know she might be tellin' the truth. And you're reading too much into it?" Ray looks up and frowns "I mean she was having a baby, she was on her own. What would he have to gain? C'mon Clay give her the benefit of the doubt here. If she said nothing happened then maybe it didn't"
"Hmmm! Yeah ... yeah you're probably right. I'm probably just being over protective"
"Anyway he say what he wants? I mean to call eight times, must be important right?"
"No,I don't know" Clay shrugs "I mean, he doesn't actually know she's here, in the US. She didn't tell him that"
"Well maybe he's just worried then. I mean, he knows she's pregnant, right. So maybe he's just calling to find out if she's okay, concerned. If he didn't get a reply."
"I guess. I mean he won't know she's had the baby yet either, her phone being here"
"So you gonna tell him?"
"No. Well I hadn't planned to. Why do you think I should?"
"Well..." Sonny shrugs and smiles " I mean, it would be an excuse, you know, to find out what he wants, his intentions and...um.. maybe make it clear, to not to call again? Explain a few things about you and her. That kinda thing. All I'm saying is no one would find it odd if you answered, just to tell him she had the baby, right?"
Clay scratches his head as the cell stops vibrating "Yeah um.. yeah, you could be right. I mean I guess I'll see if he calls back first"
He sighs and looks at his watch "Jeez is that the time! This is taking forever and I need to think about getting back to the hospital . Are we gonna get this finished"
Sonny rolls his eyes "I still say can't he sleep in a box!"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Hey!" Clay puts his head around the door and smiles, looking at Kelsey as she sits up in the bed "You okay?"
"Hey you!" She smiles "Yeah, I'm good thanks"
Clay brushes her hair back, kissing her forehead "So how you feelin now?"
"Tired. Sore, like I've been in a fight. But I managed a shower so that's a start"
"You look great! All kinda glowy and Mom like"
"Oh thanks!" she frowns "Hey, did you bring me some clothes. Only I don't have any trousers or knickers only these paper things the hospital gave me. I could do with getting dressed"
"Oh..um... shit! You know I kinda forgot." he looks at the canvas bag in his hand "I mean I um.. brought stuff, clothes, diapers for him. It never errm... crossed my mind. I forgot you didn't have anything. Sorry. You want me to go back and get somethin ?"
"Oh Clay!" she sighs "Shit! Well you're gonna have to, I can't go home in this gown"
"Okay well, I'll speak to the nurse. Maybe they'll have something, rather than go back then come back again. I just wanna get you both home"
She sighs watching as Clay makes a move to pick up the baby "Clay can you just leave him. I only just settled him down. It took ages to get him to sleep. He didn't feed very well and, well he's been a bit well you know grumpy"
"Awww. Listen to your Mommy calling you grumpy. You're not grumpy, you're probably just hungry, right." he turns around holding him to his chest "You wanna try feeding him again, while I'm here?"
"No not right now. He was fine. Anyway how are you gonna help with feeding him? That's just stupid there's nothing you can do!" She snaps at him "Sorry, sorry Clay, I'm just tired. I didn't mean that. I just wanna get out of here."
"I know." he kisses her "We'll find you some clothes, and then we'll go. Hey there's the nurse."
"So how are we all doing? Ready to take baby home then?" She smiles but she can feel a slightly abrasive atmosphere "You alright Kelsey?"
"Um.. yeah..." She nods "I'm okay, just that ... well he didn't bring me any clothes to home in. You don't have anything here do you ?"
"Um... you know I might be able to find you a pair of scrubs would they do ?"
Kelsey's face drops but she nods her head "Yeah I suppose. I mean I guess they'll have to" she sighs
"So how did he feed this time?"
Kelsey shrugs "I don't know. He seemed to not wanna do it. Just kept crying. Maybe it's me. It just feels really uncomfortable. Maybe I should try the bottles, perhaps he'd be better with those? And at least he'd get something to eat, right?"
"Hey give yourself time. He's not even a day old yet, not many people get it first go. Give it a few days see how you're both coping and then decide, is my advice"
"So, what's the problem?" Clay frowns turning to look at them both " There a reason he won't feed, is there something wrong?"
The nurse frowns "No, there's nothing wrong, they both just need a little time to adjust. Nothing that can't be over come"
"But you're gonna carry on right. I mean you're not gonna stop? It's better for him, right. I mean its the best for him"
"Yeah I suppose" Kelsey shrugs for some unexplained reason she can stupidly feel tears well in her eyes "I just ...I don't know,it's just not as easy as I thought it would be. You know it kinda hurts"
"Hey, c'mon it'll be fine. At the end of the day, you have to do the best thing for him. Am I right" he looks around at the nurse "I mean that's what they tell you, that its best for baby. I mean I read up on it and that's best"
Kelsey bites her lip, she can really feel the unwanted tears filling her eyes and she looks awkwardly up at the nurse "Yeah, yeah I guess he's right. I'll keep trying"
The nurse takes her hand and squeezes it "Just give yourself a day and think about it. We can show you some different techniques. " She smiles "So, I' ll get you those scrubs and you're ready to go!"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-