Tad sat on the floor outside Dixie's room, his back against the wall,
asleep. His head bobbed forwards and he caught himself, rubbing his eyes
and yawning. He pushed himself up off of the floor, stretching.
"Did somebody order a baby?" Joe Martin said as he came down the hall.
"Extra sweet?" Tad said. "That was me." Joe stopped and Tad took hold of the little girl. "Hi, sweetheart. You ready to go see your Mommy?"
"I'll come by in an hour or two to see how you're doing," Joe said.
"Alright. Thanks, Pop." Tad looked back down at the baby. "Okey dokey. Let's get going."
Tad turned and walked into Dixie's room. He approached the bed and took a seat in the chair, cradling the baby in his arms. "Here she is, Dix." Tad said. "The answer to all our prayers." The baby cooed. "She's precious and... perfect. She's perfect, Dixie. How about opening up those beautiful eyes of yours and giving her a gander." Tad looked over at Dixie. She was still. "Come on, sweetheart." Tad gently lifted his hand and wiped his eyes. "I know you want to go home... And I want to take you home. You and our little girl. We're all just waiting for you to wake up so we can sign you out of here." Tad paused. "Oh and I mean all of us, Dix. Jake, Jamie, JR, Brooke... Pop is here. Even Maria and Edmund." He ran his hand over his face. "I swore to you that we'd get through this without David Hayward. Didn't I? Don't turn me into a liar, honey. Please don't do that."
Tad felt the baby squirm in his arms. "Shh. Shh," he said. "Please don't start crying. Your daddy's got the singing voice of a screech owl." The child let out a tiny moan. "Shh," Tad gently rocked her in his arms. "Go easy on your old man, this stuff is new to me. I've only had a tiny bit of practice with your brother. Shh." Tad kissed the little girl's head. "Your brothers are gonna take real good care of you. JR and Jamie are... They're great kids and they're gonna... you're gonna have a lot of fun with them. We all love you so much... 'Baby Girl' Martin." Tad's eyes shut as he cradled the baby.
"She can't go her whole life like that you know."
Tad opened his eyes slowly. "Dix?"
Dixie's eyes were still shut. "We need to find her a name." she said softly. Her eyes easing open. She smiled weakly at him.
"Dixie," Tad moved from his chair and sat on the edge of her bed. "Sweetheart," he kissed her head. "You gave us a scare."
"Like I could ever leave you." Dixie said. "What would you do without me?"
"You weren't going anywhere. You've got too much to live for now.
"I always did." she said. "Always." Dixie paused. "Are you gonna hog that little baby, or are you gonna let me hold her?"
Tad smiled. "You think you have the energy?" Dixie pushed herself up slightly in bed, nodding. Tad handed the baby to her. "Don't let her grab at your oxygen."
"Hi," Dixie cooed at the baby. "Hi there, sweetheart. You're a little miracle you know that. You are." Dixie tilted her head to the side and rested it against Tad's arm. He ran his fingers through her hair. "I can't wait to get you home, you precious little angel."
"Well as soon as Jake takes a look at you, we'll see when we can get you two out of here." Tad paused. "Until then, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you or our little girl."
"Who still doesn't have a name," Dixie said, gazing down at the baby.
"Such a sweet, perfect little girl should have a name that fits her really well." Tad said.
Dixie paused, looking down at the child in her arms. "Well," she said. "How about Kate. Many a time have I heard the stories of Grandma Kate offering you all types of sensible advice, Tad."
Tad smiled slightly. "I think I like it," he said. "Katie Martin. It has that ring to it." He paused, running his fingers gently over the baby. "Hi there, Katie."
"Now if this isn't a Kodak moment," she said. "I don't know what is." Dixie's eyes began to tear as she looked at Tad. "I love you so much." Tad gently thumbed the tears from her eyes, Dixie smiling softly at him. He slowly tilted his head downward and her eyes fluttered shut as their lips met.
"Did somebody order a baby?" Joe Martin said as he came down the hall.
"Extra sweet?" Tad said. "That was me." Joe stopped and Tad took hold of the little girl. "Hi, sweetheart. You ready to go see your Mommy?"
"I'll come by in an hour or two to see how you're doing," Joe said.
"Alright. Thanks, Pop." Tad looked back down at the baby. "Okey dokey. Let's get going."
Tad turned and walked into Dixie's room. He approached the bed and took a seat in the chair, cradling the baby in his arms. "Here she is, Dix." Tad said. "The answer to all our prayers." The baby cooed. "She's precious and... perfect. She's perfect, Dixie. How about opening up those beautiful eyes of yours and giving her a gander." Tad looked over at Dixie. She was still. "Come on, sweetheart." Tad gently lifted his hand and wiped his eyes. "I know you want to go home... And I want to take you home. You and our little girl. We're all just waiting for you to wake up so we can sign you out of here." Tad paused. "Oh and I mean all of us, Dix. Jake, Jamie, JR, Brooke... Pop is here. Even Maria and Edmund." He ran his hand over his face. "I swore to you that we'd get through this without David Hayward. Didn't I? Don't turn me into a liar, honey. Please don't do that."
Tad felt the baby squirm in his arms. "Shh. Shh," he said. "Please don't start crying. Your daddy's got the singing voice of a screech owl." The child let out a tiny moan. "Shh," Tad gently rocked her in his arms. "Go easy on your old man, this stuff is new to me. I've only had a tiny bit of practice with your brother. Shh." Tad kissed the little girl's head. "Your brothers are gonna take real good care of you. JR and Jamie are... They're great kids and they're gonna... you're gonna have a lot of fun with them. We all love you so much... 'Baby Girl' Martin." Tad's eyes shut as he cradled the baby.
"She can't go her whole life like that you know."
Tad opened his eyes slowly. "Dix?"
Dixie's eyes were still shut. "We need to find her a name." she said softly. Her eyes easing open. She smiled weakly at him.
"Dixie," Tad moved from his chair and sat on the edge of her bed. "Sweetheart," he kissed her head. "You gave us a scare."
"Like I could ever leave you." Dixie said. "What would you do without me?"
"You weren't going anywhere. You've got too much to live for now.
"I always did." she said. "Always." Dixie paused. "Are you gonna hog that little baby, or are you gonna let me hold her?"
Tad smiled. "You think you have the energy?" Dixie pushed herself up slightly in bed, nodding. Tad handed the baby to her. "Don't let her grab at your oxygen."
"Hi," Dixie cooed at the baby. "Hi there, sweetheart. You're a little miracle you know that. You are." Dixie tilted her head to the side and rested it against Tad's arm. He ran his fingers through her hair. "I can't wait to get you home, you precious little angel."
"Well as soon as Jake takes a look at you, we'll see when we can get you two out of here." Tad paused. "Until then, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you or our little girl."
"Who still doesn't have a name," Dixie said, gazing down at the baby.
"Such a sweet, perfect little girl should have a name that fits her really well." Tad said.
Dixie paused, looking down at the child in her arms. "Well," she said. "How about Kate. Many a time have I heard the stories of Grandma Kate offering you all types of sensible advice, Tad."
Tad smiled slightly. "I think I like it," he said. "Katie Martin. It has that ring to it." He paused, running his fingers gently over the baby. "Hi there, Katie."
"Now if this isn't a Kodak moment," she said. "I don't know what is." Dixie's eyes began to tear as she looked at Tad. "I love you so much." Tad gently thumbed the tears from her eyes, Dixie smiling softly at him. He slowly tilted his head downward and her eyes fluttered shut as their lips met.
