Daddy Duo

Chapter 19

Unexpected

Wufei came out of the double doors of the surgical suite, and slowly pulled the ridiculous looking plastic cap off of his head.

His friends stood up, looking towards him with expectant looks on their faces.

"They're both fine," Wufei said tiredly, and sat down on a chair in the waiting room.

There was a communal exhalation of relief at the words.

"I'm so glad," said Relena, the first to speak. "We had some anxious moments out here, I want you to know."

"Yeah," said Duo, "I, for one, was scared shitless."

Hilde just nodded and leaned her head on Duo's shoulder.

"So, Sally is conscious?" asked Quatre, who was stuffing a handkerchief back into his pocket.

"They were able to do the emergency Caesarean with an anesthetic that allowed her to be awake, but she is asleep now because of the pain medication."

"She got to see the baby, then," said Hilde. "I'm so glad."

"Would you all like to see her?" asked Wufei. "She's in the nursery until Sally recovers a bit more."

"We'd love to," said Quatre, linking his arm with Trowa's as they followed Wufei down the hall.

"She's the one right in front," he said, pointing to a bundle with dark wisps of hair wrapped in a pink blanket. A card on the bassinet said "Baby Girl Chang Mei".

"I'll go inside and hold her up so you can see her better," said Wufei. He knocked on the nursery door and a nurse opened it for him.

Gingerly, he lifted the newborn up to the viewing window for his friends to see.

The baby raised a fisted hand in the air and stretched, her face reddening slightly then tried to open her eyes. Blinking once, she turned her face towards the face above her, then closed her eyes again.

" Aw, cute," was Duo's instant appraisal.

"All babies are cute," said Quatre.

"I dunno," said Duo doubtfully. "I saw one on the grocery store the other day that looked just like an ugly monkey."

"Of course," he amended. "All of our kids are gorgeous."

"Of course," agreed Quatre.

Wufei was still inside holding the baby.

"I don't think he wants to put her down," said Hilde. "Let's go back to the waiting area."

Heero took Relena's arm. "We need to be going. We can come back tomorrow when Sally can have visitors, Relena."

Relena agreed. "I'm feeling really tired, I have to admit. Give our excuses to Wufei, would you, Quatre?"

"Of course," Quatre said graciously. Relena did look tired. Her blond complexion was paler than usual and she had dark circles under her blue eyes.

"Are you feeling all right?" Trowa asked soliticiously, looking at Relena.

"Just a little virus or something I picked up on that last trip," she said, "I'm sure I'll be better in a few days."

"She needs to rest," repeated Heero. "You were dizzy this morning," he said to her, frowning.

"I'm sure it's nothing," she said with feigned lightness. But she took Heero's arm as they turned to leave and he slipped it around her waist as she leaned against him.

"We all need to go home, now that we know everything is fine," said Trowa.

"Thanks for letting us leave Solo at your place," said Duo to Quatre and Trowa. "I sure didn't want to bring him here."

"Rashid loves being a babysitter again," said Quatre. "After all, he took care of me for years."

"I hate late night phone calls, its always bad news," said Duo.

"Sally is fine now, that's what matters," said Hilde. "We'll be able to see her tomorrow."

"We'll say goodbye to Wufei and then we'll go," said Duo.

"It's late," said Quatre, looking at his watch. "I bet Rashid put the boys to bed hours ago. You can just stay at our place, if you want."

"Okay," said Duo. "Thanks."

Wufei came out. "You look whipped," said Duo. "Gonna go home or stay here?"

"I should stay until Sally wakes up," he said.

"I'm really sorry for all you've gone through," said Hilde. "If there's anything we can do to help."

"There probably will be," said Wufei. "I'll let you know."

He closed his eyes and lay back on the sofa in the waiting room.

"You should get some rest," said Quatre.

"I will, later."

"Stubborn," said Trowa.

"She sat with me plenty of nights when I was injured," he said. "Now I can return the favor."

"You know the Wu-man," said Duo. "Once he gets a notion in his noggin."

"I'll be fine," said Wufei. "Go home and I'll see you all tomorrow."

"By the way," said Duo. "Congratulations, Ba."(Daddy)

He went over and sat down next to Wufei and slung his arm around him.

"Just in case no one said it before."

"Xie xie," Wufei said quietly. "Bu gan dang*." (*Thank you, I don't deserve it.)

"Now I know you're wrecked," said Duo. "You're talkin to me in Chinese."

"Shi yu yuan wei" said Duo. (*Things don't always turn out the way you want.)

Wufei looked at him in faint amazement.

"See, I'm not so dumb," said Duo.

"No, you're not," said Wufei.

"No problem," said Duo. "You need a hug" he whispered, grabbing his friend up in a huge bear hug.

"Ai ya, mei hao!" said Wufei, resisting a little against the sudden Duo onslaught. (Ack! I'm fine!)

"Now you are," said Duo smugly.

"Go home Maxwell, before you subject me to more public indignities."

Duo laughed. "You know you can't get rid of me that easily."

Wufei nodded warily. "You're tenacious, if nothing else. I give you that."

"Thank you," said Duo, standing up and giving a little bow.

"He loves me," announced Duo to the others, making even Trowa chuckle a little.

"If I weren't so tired, I'd kick your ass," growled Wufei.

"You try it and I'll hug you again," threatened Duo.

"You win," said Wufei, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Well, Hilde my love, shall we go?" asked Duo. "I'm more tired than a one armed man in a knife throwing contest."

"Me too," said Hilde. She went over to Wufei. "We'll be back first thing to- morrow. Try to get some sleep, please?"

"I will, I promise," he told her.

They left, leaving Wufei sitting on the sofa. He closed his eyes and his head was soon nodding against his chest.

"Mr. Chang?" asked a voice behind him.

"Yes?" he answered, turning around.

"Your wife is asking for you," said the nurse, "She's awake."

Wufei nodded at her and followed her.

The nurse opened the door to a private room and Sally was sitting up slightly, looking at him.

"They tell me Mei is fine," she said in a drowsy voice.

"She is, she's beautiful," said Wufei coming over to sit down on a chair beside the bed.

"I wanted to hear you say it," said Sally. "Now I can rest."

"You haven't seen her again?" asked Wufei.

"Not since they took her to the nursery," said Sally. "I'd like to, though."

Sally reached for the call button, but Wufei beat her to it.

In a few minutes, the nurse came in.

"May we see our daughter?" asked Sally. "She's in the nursery."

"Of course, Dr.," said the nurse, who had "Sharon" on her nametag.

She turned to leave.

"See, it pays to have clout here," joked Sally feebly. "But I have to warn you, like most doctors, I intend to be a lousy patient."

"Maybe you'll get to come home sooner that way," said Wufei.

"I know this isn't exactly the way we planned things," said Sally. "I'm going to need your help even more than I had anticipated for a while."

"Merely an opportunity to return a favor," said Wufei quietly.

"I suspected you would say something like that," said Sally.

The nurse opened the door, pushing a small portable bassinet before her.

"Here she is," the nurse said cheerily. "She can stay in here with you for a while, Dr. Po, if your husband is here to help you."

"That'd be wonderful," murmured Sally. "Thank you."

"Well, we can bend the rules a little for staff," smiled Sharon.

"If you need anything, just call." She left.

"Hand her to me," said Sally.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked.

"Yes, get me an extra pillow out of the closet there, and I can rest her on that."

He went to get the pillow and placed it on the bed next to Sally's right arm, and then picked up Mei and placed her gently on the pillow.

"Now we can have a good look at you," said Sally. She pulled down the blanket a little and smiled.

"She looks like you," said Sally, finally.

"Not really," he said, scanning the baby's features.

"It's true," said Sally. "Most babies look like their fathers, male or female, did you know that?"

"No," he said shortly.

"It seems to be in place genetically to reassure insecure males that a child is indeed theirs," she said, trying to wink at him.

"I have no insecurities about that," he said.

"I hope not," she said.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked. "You seem to be rambling."

"It's the pain meds," she said, "I'm a little out of it."

"Ah," he said. "I should have guessed."

The baby stirred and began to fuss a little.

Wufei picked her up and held her against his shoulder and she grew quiet.

"Already a pro," said Sally.

"I've been holding her most of the night," said Wufei, quietly so as not to wake Mei.

Suddenly, Sally burst into tears.

"What's wrong?" asked Wufei anxiously coming to sit down by her again. He took his free hand and put it on Sally's holding it tightly.

"It's not supposed to be this way!" she sobbed.

"Are you in pain?" he asked, letting go of her hand and reaching for the call button.

"NO!" she said. "Well a little," she sniffed, wiping her eyes on the sheet.

"But I'm mostly just sad, I feel like I let you and Mei down somehow."

"Sally, you're both fine, that's all that matters," he said, reaching for her hand again.

"That's all I care about, honestly. Six hours ago, I thought you both might die and I would have gladly died with you. I have nothing without you, nothing!"

He said in a harsh whisper, gripping her hand as he bent over, placing his head against her arm. Mei squeaked a little in protest against him.

"You're squeezing poor Mei a little, my dear," said Sally gently.

He looked up, tears running down his face. "Sorry," he muttered to the infant, and placed her back in the bassinet.

"Wufei, you're crying!" Sally exclaimed.

"I'm just exhausted," he said, turning his head and pulling a handkerchief from his pocket clumsily to wipe his face.

"It's okay," she said, "we've all had a terrible day. But, everything is going to be fine now."

"I know," he said.

"Come, sit down on the bed," said Sally. She looked at his face as he carefully lowered himself onto the bed.

"You are exhausted. Lay down next to me and put your head down right here," she said, patting the pillow that he had gotten earlier.

He complied, curling up next to her side and Sally moved over a little to give him more room.

"Stay here with me for a while," she whispered, putting her hand on his hair.

"Mm," he said. In five minutes, he was asleep.

Sally closed her eyes and followed him there.