Paying for his Mistake
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4 Hours.
It's only been 4 hours??
It was about the 100th time he'd glanced at that clock since he'd gotten to the hospital. His mind was racing.
Would if something's wrong.
Is she okay?
Are they both okay?
Should I be in there?
He was frantic with worry. He had just been in there, but even after a moment's absence, he felt something could happen…
God, is it going to feel like this all the time?
He glanced up at the wall again. Barely a minute had gone by.
With a heavy sigh he retreated from the waiting room. It was too…bright. Not to mention that hospitals always freaked him out. How they could be impeccably clean and yet totally unsanitary really irked him in a way he couldn't really describe…
He quickly made his way out the double glass doors and fumbled through his jacket pockets as he stepped out into the twilight. Pulling out a carton of cigarettes, he hurriedly stuck one in his mouth and lit it. He took a long drag before letting out a contented sigh.
Whoever invented these things had to be a genius, he thought to himself. It was times like these that he was actually glad he'd picked up the disgusting habit from Ryan.
Although Summer was definitely not a fan.
"Hey!" He turned his head back and noticed someone leaning against the opposite side of the wall in the shadows.
"Can I bum a smoke?"
With a slight nod, Seth made his way over to the stranger and offered the carton.
"Thanks," the guy said slowly, taking two and sticking one behind his ear. He slid the other one in his mouth as he pulled out his own lighter. "What're you here for?"
Seth looked at the guy curiously. He could barely see his face because his hat was pulled so far down.
"Uh, my wife…she's pregnant."
He heard snickering from beneath the oversized hat. "First time father?" He watched Seth nod and continued to cackle underneath his breath.
Seth went back to the edge of the sidewalk and put the cigarette to his lips. He wasn't really in the mood to talk…especially not with a complete stranger at 3am.
"Boy or girl?" the stranger asked suddenly. Seth looked back and shrugged slightly.
"Uh, Boy."
"Aw, that's too bad," he lamented. "Personally, I think little girls are better…a little girl would be better helping you than a boy would…" He stared at the ground quietly as he said this and Seth eyed him curiously, wondering why the birth of his son would even be sympathized.
"A little girl would be better helping with what?"
"Dealing with the pain," he replied gravely. Seth didn't like his tone.
"That's why I say it's too bad," he repeated. Eying the sad expression on his face, Seth wondered what was wrong with this guy. Something was clearly wrong with him.
"What…pain?"
"It's everywhere." He said suddenly, giving him the notion that this was his reply. It didn't make much sense to Seth.
It was quiet for a moment or two as Seth threw his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. It was about time he got back inside…
"You got a name picked out?"
Great, we're still talking.
"We liked Dominic," he replied, hoping that would be the end of this idle chitchat.
"Dominic Cohen," the guy stated loudly. "It's got a certain ring to it, I guess…"
Seth shrugged as he walked over to the doors and pulled on the handle. It took him a moment for the words to sink in.
"Wait," he stopped. "How do you know my last name?"
Turning abruptly, he looked back towards the wall, but the stranger was gone.
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Seth gently knocked on the door and slowly twisted the knob. Stepping inside he gazed at his wife. She was fast asleep. Smiling, he made his way to her side and gently stroked her sweat soaked hair.
"Hey," he whispered. She slowly opened her eyes. Peering up at him, she returned his smile.
"Hey you." He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to her lips before pulling away to look at her again. How after 5 hours of labor she still managed to look gorgeous, he didn't know. Then again, he always thought she was beautiful.
"You smell like smoke," she complained wrinkling her nose. Sighing, Seth got up and headed for the sink to wash his hands.
"I know, I was nervous." She watched him scrub vigorously at himself while she let out an exhausted groan.
"I really wish you'd quit." He grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and returned to her side.
"I'll try," he promised. Looking around the room, he asked with an uncontained excitement, "So…where is he?"
"I don't know. I fell asleep…" she grabbed his hand as she turned on her side. "He looks like you."
He smiled. Just then a nurse came in with a bundle in her arms.
"The father," she said motioning towards Seth. "Here he is. Meet your son."
Seth carefully took the baby into his arms and stared at the tiny person looking up at him.
"Wow," was all he could manage. He really did look like Seth. He had an unusual amount of hair and Seth could see little ringlets at the ends.
Summer watched them happily as Seth continued to marvel at their son.
"Is he...this is mine," he realized walking over to Summer's side and sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. Pulling herself up, she smiled as she leaned her chin on Seth's shoulder.
"Yes he is."
His eyes were barely open as the two proud parents continued to stare in awe at their creation.
"He's ours," Seth whispered. She grinned.
"I love you," he said to the tiny person fast asleep in his arms. "Yes I do." Turning to face a smiling Summer, he repeated. "And I love you." He kissed her, and after pulling away, immediately had the urge t kiss her again. So he did.
He felt totally giddy.
Summer wrapped an arm around his other shoulder and whispered into the back of his neck.
"You're gonna be such a good dad…"
Seth looked from Summer to the child in his arms and couldn't have felt happier. There were some moments in life where time seems to just stop…and it's only you in the moment, right then and there. That's something you remember all your life.
He knew he wouldn't forget this. He couldn't.
And he was right…
He'd never forget..
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Seth ran down the corridor practically skipping. He didn't want to go home. He had stayed as long as he could with Summer and Dominic, but the nurse had to shoo him out when visiting hours were over.
He made his way out the door, uttering friendly greetings at every stranger who happened to pass as he headed for his car. He looked up towards the room his wife had been in and saw her standing in the window with their child in her arms. Smiling, he gave an exaggerated wave before opening his car door and getting inside.
He was way too excited to drive. He sat there for a moment smiling like an idiot, before finally sticking the keys into the ignition and pulling out of the parking lot.
He was even too excited to notice a pair of eyes watching his every move. They followed him as he flipped his turn signal on and waited for traffic to pass.
They watched him until he was almost out of sight.
Then they looked up at the same window Seth looked at earlier, their lips curving into a sinister smile.
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4 Hours.
It's only been 4 hours??
It was about the 100th time he'd glanced at that clock since he'd gotten to the hospital. His mind was racing.
Would if something's wrong.
Is she okay?
Are they both okay?
Should I be in there?
He was frantic with worry. He had just been in there, but even after a moment's absence, he felt something could happen…
God, is it going to feel like this all the time?
He glanced up at the wall again. Barely a minute had gone by.
With a heavy sigh he retreated from the waiting room. It was too…bright. Not to mention that hospitals always freaked him out. How they could be impeccably clean and yet totally unsanitary really irked him in a way he couldn't really describe…
He quickly made his way out the double glass doors and fumbled through his jacket pockets as he stepped out into the twilight. Pulling out a carton of cigarettes, he hurriedly stuck one in his mouth and lit it. He took a long drag before letting out a contented sigh.
Whoever invented these things had to be a genius, he thought to himself. It was times like these that he was actually glad he'd picked up the disgusting habit from Ryan.
Although Summer was definitely not a fan.
"Hey!" He turned his head back and noticed someone leaning against the opposite side of the wall in the shadows.
"Can I bum a smoke?"
With a slight nod, Seth made his way over to the stranger and offered the carton.
"Thanks," the guy said slowly, taking two and sticking one behind his ear. He slid the other one in his mouth as he pulled out his own lighter. "What're you here for?"
Seth looked at the guy curiously. He could barely see his face because his hat was pulled so far down.
"Uh, my wife…she's pregnant."
He heard snickering from beneath the oversized hat. "First time father?" He watched Seth nod and continued to cackle underneath his breath.
Seth went back to the edge of the sidewalk and put the cigarette to his lips. He wasn't really in the mood to talk…especially not with a complete stranger at 3am.
"Boy or girl?" the stranger asked suddenly. Seth looked back and shrugged slightly.
"Uh, Boy."
"Aw, that's too bad," he lamented. "Personally, I think little girls are better…a little girl would be better helping you than a boy would…" He stared at the ground quietly as he said this and Seth eyed him curiously, wondering why the birth of his son would even be sympathized.
"A little girl would be better helping with what?"
"Dealing with the pain," he replied gravely. Seth didn't like his tone.
"That's why I say it's too bad," he repeated. Eying the sad expression on his face, Seth wondered what was wrong with this guy. Something was clearly wrong with him.
"What…pain?"
"It's everywhere." He said suddenly, giving him the notion that this was his reply. It didn't make much sense to Seth.
It was quiet for a moment or two as Seth threw his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. It was about time he got back inside…
"You got a name picked out?"
Great, we're still talking.
"We liked Dominic," he replied, hoping that would be the end of this idle chitchat.
"Dominic Cohen," the guy stated loudly. "It's got a certain ring to it, I guess…"
Seth shrugged as he walked over to the doors and pulled on the handle. It took him a moment for the words to sink in.
"Wait," he stopped. "How do you know my last name?"
Turning abruptly, he looked back towards the wall, but the stranger was gone.
--------------------------------------------------
Seth gently knocked on the door and slowly twisted the knob. Stepping inside he gazed at his wife. She was fast asleep. Smiling, he made his way to her side and gently stroked her sweat soaked hair.
"Hey," he whispered. She slowly opened her eyes. Peering up at him, she returned his smile.
"Hey you." He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to her lips before pulling away to look at her again. How after 5 hours of labor she still managed to look gorgeous, he didn't know. Then again, he always thought she was beautiful.
"You smell like smoke," she complained wrinkling her nose. Sighing, Seth got up and headed for the sink to wash his hands.
"I know, I was nervous." She watched him scrub vigorously at himself while she let out an exhausted groan.
"I really wish you'd quit." He grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and returned to her side.
"I'll try," he promised. Looking around the room, he asked with an uncontained excitement, "So…where is he?"
"I don't know. I fell asleep…" she grabbed his hand as she turned on her side. "He looks like you."
He smiled. Just then a nurse came in with a bundle in her arms.
"The father," she said motioning towards Seth. "Here he is. Meet your son."
Seth carefully took the baby into his arms and stared at the tiny person looking up at him.
"Wow," was all he could manage. He really did look like Seth. He had an unusual amount of hair and Seth could see little ringlets at the ends.
Summer watched them happily as Seth continued to marvel at their son.
"Is he...this is mine," he realized walking over to Summer's side and sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. Pulling herself up, she smiled as she leaned her chin on Seth's shoulder.
"Yes he is."
His eyes were barely open as the two proud parents continued to stare in awe at their creation.
"He's ours," Seth whispered. She grinned.
"I love you," he said to the tiny person fast asleep in his arms. "Yes I do." Turning to face a smiling Summer, he repeated. "And I love you." He kissed her, and after pulling away, immediately had the urge t kiss her again. So he did.
He felt totally giddy.
Summer wrapped an arm around his other shoulder and whispered into the back of his neck.
"You're gonna be such a good dad…"
Seth looked from Summer to the child in his arms and couldn't have felt happier. There were some moments in life where time seems to just stop…and it's only you in the moment, right then and there. That's something you remember all your life.
He knew he wouldn't forget this. He couldn't.
And he was right…
He'd never forget..
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Seth ran down the corridor practically skipping. He didn't want to go home. He had stayed as long as he could with Summer and Dominic, but the nurse had to shoo him out when visiting hours were over.
He made his way out the door, uttering friendly greetings at every stranger who happened to pass as he headed for his car. He looked up towards the room his wife had been in and saw her standing in the window with their child in her arms. Smiling, he gave an exaggerated wave before opening his car door and getting inside.
He was way too excited to drive. He sat there for a moment smiling like an idiot, before finally sticking the keys into the ignition and pulling out of the parking lot.
He was even too excited to notice a pair of eyes watching his every move. They followed him as he flipped his turn signal on and waited for traffic to pass.
They watched him until he was almost out of sight.
Then they looked up at the same window Seth looked at earlier, their lips curving into a sinister smile.