Tough Little Boy
Disclaimer: I do not own them. Though, I wish I did, then I could put them back on the air! The story was inspired by the song "Tough Little Boys" by Gary Allan.
Remain calm. That was all he had to do, just remain calm. That was easier said than done. His wife had just told him her water had broke. His baby was on the way, he wasn't ready, no way in hell was he ready. He had to remain calm though for Jennifer's sake. 'Okay Ezra breathe!' he told himself. Just get her out to the car and drive to the hospital and after that everything will be okay.
"Okay, sweetheart let's get out to car and get to hospital. Everything will be alright." He said more calmly than he actually was.
He had to call Chris, he would meet him at the hospital, and everything would be okay. Chris would make everything all right; he would glare it into being all right. He finally got Jennifer in the car and dialed Chris' number.
"Larabee"
"Good afternoon Mr. Larabee how is everything in your neck of the woods?" Ezra stated slowly.
"Ezra? Is that you? What's wrong? You sound strange." Chris said as he got up from the couch he was sitting on with Mary.
"Yes actually everything is grand! It seems that Jennifer is going into labor and we are en route to the local hospital."
"She's in labor? All right, I'll call everyone else and we'll meet you up there. Don't worry Ez she'll be fine." Chris stated.
"Thank you, Chris."
Now he just had to get her to the hospital and get ready to become a father, because God knows he wasn't ready.
Where were they? They should have all been there by now. Or at the very least Nathan, considering he lived the closest to the hospital. He really needed their support right now. It was strange really Jennifer was in there with the nurse getting everything ready and she was as calm as ever. He should be calm, he was Ezra P. Standish he had been shot before, he had faced down many men with guns aimed at his heart and here he was terrified to death over something as simple as this. God, how he did wish the others would get here. He didn't know how, but over the course of five years these men had become his family, his first real family. His mother never treated him like her son, except when it was needed for a con, but these men had wormed their way past his walls and taught him to trust and accept help and support.
Now, though, when he needed them most they were no where to be found. If they didn't get here soon he was going to pull out all of his hair and wear a hole straight through the floor. What was taking them so long? The doctor and his family. What if something had happened while they had asked him to wait? Now he really needed someone or at least a strong drink. Just then the elevator dinged and six men poured out of it looking as happy as he should have felt. But he couldn't feel happy not until the was all over. Sure he was excited and thrilled about being a father, but he was terrified of being one at the same time. What if he screwed up just once and terminally damaged his child forever?
"How's it going, Ez?" Vin asked casually.
"Not very well, Mr. Tanner. I'm not sure what to do and within the next few hours I'm going to be a father, which by the way, I don't think I'm quite ready for!" Ezra said rather harshly.
"C'mon Ezra let's go talk." Chris stated softly.
"What if they come out to get me?" Ezra asked looking at the door his wife disappeared through ten minutes earlier.
"We wont go far," he said, "Now what's wrong Ezra?"
"I don't think I can do this, Chris. I'm not ready to be a father. Im not good in situations like this." Ezra whined.
"Not good in situations like this? Hell, Ezra you do stressful things like this everyday at work!" Chris laughed.
"I know that but that is my life and if I screw up my life then I can handle that, but if I screw up this little life then what? Staring down the barrel of a gun is easier than this." Ezra said pacing again.
"Ez, stop pacing. You're gonna do fine, I was the exact same way when Adam was born. I was worse probably, hell ask Buck he thought he was gonna have to be the one in the delivery room if he didn't calm me down." Chris said with a smile on his face.
"I highly doubt that, Chris. From what I heard and what I've seen you are an excellent father and had role models for it. I however did not."
"You're gonna be fine. You can call me for anything you need and Im sure Jennifer knows a lot having two younger siblings, not to mention her three nieces. I've seen you with kids Ezra they love you, you'll do great. There's no point in worrying yourself over that now, you've got a wife in there that needs you. If you want I can have Vin go in there and point his gun at you if that would help." Chris said, then letting out a small chuckle.
Ezra smiled with him, "No thank you I should be fine. I'm still terrified. If my mother saw me now, she would be utterly ashamed."
"Everything will be fine. If you weren't scared, then I'd be worried."
"Yes, well…" he started but was interrupted by the nurse.
"Mr. Standish we're ready to head to the delivery room."
"Go on, we'll all be here when you get out." Chris said patting Ezra on the back and pushing him towards the door.
"It's a girl!" the doctor said happily.
Ezra was amazed. There she was a life that he had helped create being handed to him in a pink blanket. She was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. She had a good amount of hair on her head, blonde just like her mothers. Then she opened her eyes and looked at him with eyes the same emerald color as his. Funny, he thought all babies had blue eyes. She looked just like Jennifer, though. She was so tiny though, he couldn't believe he had ever been that tiny. He handed her over to Jennifer and bent down to her level.
"She's so beautiful, Ezra." Jennifer said with tears in her eyes.
"I know. She's the most beautiful baby I've ever laid eyes on." He said stroking her head.
"I love you, you know."
"Yes, I do and I love you very much. Thank you for giving her to me." He said softly kissing Jennifer's forehead.
"We haven't even thought of names, yet!" Jennifer said suddenly.
"How about Alexis Christine?" He said looking at her.
"Where did you come up with that?" She asked touching her daughters' fingers.
"It just came to me when I saw her." He said as a tear rolled down his cheek.
"I like it." She said smiling.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Standish we need to take the baby to the nursery to weigh her and clean her up some more." The nurse said holding out her arms.
"Okay." She kissed her babies cheek before giving her over.
"I'm going to tell everyone and then I'll be back." Ezra said before kissing Jennifer on the lips softly.
"Okay, I'll see you in a few." She said as she laid her head back.
He walked through the double doors towards the waiting room. He walked in while taking off his green scrub mask. He looked at them, his family. JD was sitting in one chair playing his Gameboy. Buck was looking through a magazine tapping his foot. Nathan had his elbows resting on his knees looking down at the floor. Josiah was stretched out with his head back and his eyes closed. Vin was refilling his coffee cup at the little coffee maker on a side table. Chris was standing up against a wall with his arms crossed staring off into space. Vin was the first to notice him and walked up, the others then followed.
"Well?" JD asked.
Ezra looked at Chris and said, "It's a little girl! I have a daughter."
Everyone started talking at once, patting him on the back, congratulating him and Buck of course hugged him. Chris, though held back until everyone backed off and then walked straight up too Ezra and hugged him and slapped his back a couple of times. Ezra returned in kind. Happy for something steady, because he was ready to fall to the floor.
"You're gonna do great." Chris whispered in his ear.
"Thank you." Ezra said with tears in his eyes.
"So where is she, I wanna see her." JD said practically jumping up and down with excitement.
"Calm down JD!" Buck said smacking him in the back of the head.
Ezra smiled and simply said, "Follow me."
Ezra walked into the nursery while the others waited outside the glass window trying to fit all their heads in the small space. Ezra then whispered something into the nurse's ear and she nodded her head and handed him his daughter wrapped tightly in a pink blanket. Ezra carefully placed his arm underneath her head, steadied her with his other arm, and walked to the door leading to the hallway.
He walked up to his friends with his daughter, "Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Alexis Christine Standish. My daughter."
"Wow! Ez, she's beautiful!" JD said.
"That she is brother Ezra. Truly a gift from God." Josiah stated.
"Mr. Larabee would you like to be the first of her uncles to hold her."
"Me? Uh…sure." Chris said taking the tiny figure into his arms.
"Well, Ez you did pretty good." Vin said before turning to look over Chris' shoulder.
"Hey there Alexis. You are a pretty baby, yes you are. Thank goodness you came along, now you can help me control these little boys. Yes you can. You'll be more mature than them by the time you're three." Chris said laughing.
"Laugh it up, Pard. You just remember who watches your back during those busts." Buck said smiling.
"You all know its true, especially you Buck. Poor kid isn't gonna know what hit her when she meets you. A six foot tall two year old." JD said ducking out of the way in time.
Everyone joined in laughing at that.
Later that night after everyone had gone home Ezra sat by the window holding his daughter. Jennifer was asleep completely exhausted from today, he couldn't blame her. Poor woman, he'd buy her some chocolate tomorrow. The moon was very bright tonight, so all of the lights were off. He sat there staring at her. This little human being he helped create. He'd never been much of a religious man, but tonight he had thanked God for this little angel and prayed that he would make a good father.
"I'll make a good father. You'll make it easy for me, wont you?" He asked her.
She looked up at him and smiled a small smile. Then she reached up, grabbed Ezra's finger, and held on for dear life. Ezra's heart nearly burst right then, with the love he felt for this child. A tear slowly made its way down his cheek as Ezra gently kissed his baby girl on the forehead. He would make a good father; he wouldn't let this precious thing down.
The End? or the begining?