Eric paced the hallway of the hospital. He turned and stopped when a doctor walked down the hall. He went back to pacing when he saw that it wasn't Sawyer's doctor. He had managed to get her to the hospital but had worried the whole thirty minute drive. She had been unconscious and unresponsive. He looked up when he heard Jessica walking towards him. He had put her in charge of watching over the care of the twins. The two tiny babies were receiving medical care and Eric needed both of them to survive. He couldn't bear it if he lost one or both of his children.
"What is wrong?" he demanded when Jessica reached him.
"The doctor needs to talk to someone who is in charge of their care," Jessica stated, "to make decisions about it and stuff."
"I cannot leave. The doctor may come out and speak to me about Sawyer."
"Eric, the babies need you. I think the doctor has good news to tell you about them."
"How do you know?"
Jessica shrugged, "The look of shock and awe on his face might have been a dead giveaway."
Eric turned and looked at Sawyer's room where the door was still closed. He didn't want to leave her but he knew that she would want him to check on their children. He raked a hand through his hair and looked at Jessica. He stepped close to her so that no one would be able to hear them.
"If she wakes up, you come and get me. Do you understand?" he demanded.
"Yes, I understand. Hoyt is waiting for you at the NICU. The doctor was a little surprised when Hoyt said he wasn't the daddy."
Jessica saw Eric just nod and then he turned and left. She turned and looked at the door to Sawyer's room. She knew why Eric was worried. They had brought Sawyer in the hospital and the doctors had rushed her off to check her over. She knew that Eric was worried there could be permanent damage to Sawyer. Jessica stood there and hoped that that wasn't the case. She knew that Sawyer and Eric didn't need that on top of worrying about their babies. Jessica found herself smiling when she thought about the babies. She was an aunty; it made her happy thinking that now Sawyer and Eric had a family together. There was hope for her and Hoyt; that was if she could figure out how they would have their own baby one day.
Eric walked down the hall dreading the news he was going to hear. He knew that Jessica thought it was good news but he wasn't so sure. He had been alive for two millennia. Doctors rarely gave bad news to strangers but they always told everyone good news. Eric looked up and saw Hoyt standing outside the NICU. Alcide had gone back to the house in Bon Temps to get things that Sawyer and the twins would need. Eric prayed to his Old Norse gods that the twins would still need those things. He hadn't prayed to Odin, Freyja, Baldr, Nanna and the rest of them for years but he found himself reciting the old prayers in his head. He found himself especially praying to Tree, the goddess of life and Hlin, the goddess of consolation and protection. He needed his children to be alright. Hoyt saw him and gave him a soft smile.
"The doctor is examining them again. I don't think anything is wrong," Hoyt said.
"I hope you are right. Can I go in?" Eric asked.
"After you put one of these on," Hoyt pulled out a hospital gown and mask, "It's to protect the babies from germs. You also need to wash your hands."
Eric nodded and began the process of pulling on the garment and the mask. He then walked over to the sink by the door and washed his hands. He stood there was able to look into the NICU by a window. He could see the dozen or so babies there laying surround by tubes. He rinsed the soap off of his hands and dried them. He then looked at the door and walked in. He winced as the smell of disinfectant and alcohol hit his nose. He looked when a nurse walked over to him.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"I am with Sawyer Hampton's twins. I am their father," Eric said realizing that he liked the sound of those words. He liked being able to claim the twins as his own.
"Dr. Foster is with them. Follow me," the nurse said giving him a soft smile.
Eric followed her and wondered how his children were holding up. The nurse led him over to a small area and Eric saw one of the twins laying in an enclosed crib tubes and sensors hooked up to various machines. He felt his heart ache from the tiny baby and he hoped that his child would be alright. He saw the doctor examining the other baby. He looked at the twins and felt something inside of him shift. He felt his heart swell with love for those two small babies that he would help Sawyer raise. He looked at the doctor when he turned and saw Eric.
"I cannot explain it," he said.
"Explain what?" Eric asked.
"Their lungs are developed at the stage of a child born at almost full term. It does not make sense."
"Does that mean they will be alright?" Eric demanded.
"They will be fine. They will need to stay in the hospital until I run more tests and they gain weight but..." the doctor shook his head again, "it appears as if they are two healthy babies."
Eric stood there relieved. His children were going to be alright. He had given them vampire blood and it had worked. He looked down at them and was glad that when Sawyer woke up he would have some good news to tell her.
Sawyer blinked her eyes and moaned. She felt someone grab her hand and she turned towards the warmth of the hand. She knew it wasn't Eric but she was glad that someone was there with her. Her eyes focused and she smiled slightly when she saw Hoyt sitting by her bed. She saw him give her a large smile and she knew deep down that everything was alright. Her babies were fine and they had made it; Hoyt wouldn't be smiling at her if they hadn't.
"Eric had to go and sleep but he told me to stay and watch over you," Hoyt said.
"He ordered you to, didn't he?" Sawyer asked smiling.
"Well... I prefer to think that he didn't have time to ask nicely."
"And that Hoyt is why you are such a good person; you always see the good in everyone. Even Eric."
"So do you."
Sawyer nodded. She slowly pushed herself up wincing at the slight pain that went through her body. She sat in the bed and turned and saw the sun shining outside. She took a moment and closed her eyes. She thought about everything that had happened the night before. She owed Hoyt, Jessica and Alcide everything for what they had done. They hadn't needed to come with Eric to help him but they had and she would always be grateful to them for that. She opened her eyes and looked at Hoyt tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Thank you so much for helping Eric, Hoyt," she said softly.
"You don't have to thank me, Sawyer. You are part of my family now. Mama would probably hate it but," Hoyt shrugged, "You never judge me and Jess and you are our friend and that is all that matters."
"You really are a good boy, Hoyt."
"So I have been told. Now, I need to go get the doctor, he said to get him the minute you wake up."
"I want to see the babies."
"And you will after the doctor sees you."
Sawyer watched as Hoyt left the room. She sat there and began to think of her two children; her son and daughter. She felt more tears come to her eyes. She was suddenly terrified of what kind of mother she would turn out to be. She prayed she was a better mother than hers had been but she wasn't so sure anymore.
Eric walked into Sawyer's room and saw her sitting in the bed flipping thru a baby name book. He let himself sigh a little in relief that she was alright. The doctor had explained she had lost a lot of blood but she was fine. Her body would heal itself in time and there should be no long lasting side effects. He walked into the room and smiled when she looked up and met his eyes. He watched as she smiled as well. He walked over and sat on the side of the bed and grabbed her hand in his.
"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
"Better now that you are here. Have you seen the babies?" Sawyer asked smiling at Eric thinking about their children.
"I have. They are beautiful."
"Yes, they are. I was just trying to decide what to name them and none of the names seem right."
"How so?"
Sawyer closed the baby name book and looked at Eric. She pulled on his arm and he climbed in bed beside her and wrapped his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. She felt better now that she was in Eric's arms. She had missed him holding her. She opened her eyes and looked down at his hand in hers. She reminded herself again to get him a gold band to wear so that the world would know that he was hers.
"Vacker?" Eric questioned reminding her that he had asked her a question.
"None of the names sound right with Northman," she answered.
"What?"
Eric turned and looked at Sawyer confused. He watched as she grabbed the form from the table beside the bed and showed them to him. He looked down and saw in the section of father his name was written. She had lied about his date of birth but everything else seemed right. He looked at her and saw the tears in her eyes.
"They are yours, Eric. From this moment on according to the law, you are their father. Do you still want this?" she asked softly letting her eyes meet and hold his. She didn't think she could walk away from him and she didn't want to but she knew she would for her children. If Eric didn't want them, she would have to leave to give her children a good, safe life. Eric didn't disappoint her however, and he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips running his fingers along her cheek.
"I still want this, Vacker. I will always want this," he told her softly.
"I just needed to make sure. I have never had anything as good as you in my life before."
"I can say the same thing."
Sawyer smiled and kissed Eric again, "Do you have any names that you like?" she asked softly.
"Actually I do. They are old Norse names."
"Tell me."
Eric took Sawyer's hand and thought about the names. The names Ardith and Aleryck were not popular names but they meant something to him. Ardith had been the name of one of his siblings. She had lived only two years before the fever had taken her but she had been a joy those two years. Aleryck had been the name of his childhood friend. Aleryck meant noble, regal ruler and that was what Aleryck's father had wanted his son to be; no matter that it was supposed to be Eric who was the heir. A fight began and it ended with Aleryck's family being exiled from the land. Eric looked at Sawyer and wondered if she would like the names or if she would sigh away from them because of the memories they held for Eric.
"Ardith for our daughter. It means spiritual prosperity," he said.
"Ardith," Sawyer said trying it out, "it's beautiful."
"My parents thought so. They named one of my sisters that. She... She died at two due to fever. I was six at the time."
"I'm sorry, Eric."
"Do not be sorry. I believe that she would be honoured to share her name with our daughter."
Sawyer kissed Eric on the cheek, "I am sure our Ardith will grow up honoured to be named after her aunt."
"You like it that much?"
"I do. Our little girl will be Ardith Jessica Northman."
"Jessica?" Eric asked making a face.
"Eric, she helped deliver the twins."
"Fine, if we must. Pam is going to be jealous."
"When isn't she jealous?"
Eric smiled, "You do have a point."
Sawyer smiled and nodded. She took the pen and filled out Ardith's name on the forms. She smiled thinking that her little girl now had a name; she was officially a little person. She turned and looked at Eric. He was smiling at her as well and she knew that he was just as happy as she was. She took the form for their son and looked at Eric again. She waited for him to suggest the name he had thought for their son.
"When I was a boy, I had this friend, Aleryck. We were close and I always wondered what happened to him," Eric whispered.
"He probably lived a good life," Sawyer said.
"I hope he did. I hope that he lived a good life and died a good death."
"Aleryck. What does it mean?"
"Noble, regal ruler."
"Hmmm, maybe that should have been your name instead," Sawyer answered seeing Eric smile at her.
"I am not a ruler."
"Tell that to all the vampires who live in Area 5. I believe they would disagree. I like it. Aleryck Hoyt Alcide Northman."
"Alcide? The name of a mutt?"
"Eric, their names are there for the same reason as Jessica's. They helped us."
Eric sighed but didn't say anything. He watched as Sawyer wrote down Aleryck's name and filled out the rest of the form. He sat beside her and knew that he had finally gotten his family. He held Sawyer closer to him and promised her and himself that he wasn't going to lose them. Nothing was going to take his family away from him again.