Don't Let Go
Chapter 13
It had been nearly two days since Peyton had regained consciousness. She was in good spirits most of the time but Lucas knew what a hard time she was having when it came to being away from the daughter she had yet to meet. While she slept in the morning Lucas had gone down the ward where Emily was and spent some time with her and before leaving he took a few pictures to share with Peyton.
Peyton could feel his presence before she opened her eyes. He didn't notice that she was awake and Peyton couldn't help but smile as she caught him flipping through the Glamour magazine Haley had brought by the night before.
"Find any good articles in there?" she asked startling her husband.
"Oh yeah, did you know pink is the new green?" Lucas joked as he tossed the magazine onto the bedside table.
"I did not know that." Peyton smiled as Lucas leaned forward to kiss her.
"I know you're probably tired of being asked this but how are you feeling?"
"I just can't believe how tired I am still, you'd think that after sleeping for two days straight I'd be ready to get up and go."
"You just have to take your time Peyton, I don't want you to rush things." Peyton nodded stubbornly. "Hey I brought you something." He grabbed the digital camera and showed Peyton the pictures of her daughter.
"She's beautiful." Peyton admired as she scanned the images. "What do all these tubes do?"
"That tube in her stomach is for fluids, that's also how she gets her medication. Her lungs weren't fully developed so she's being given steroids to encourage growth. And the tube in her mouth is to help make breathing easier. The last tube is the one in her hand and that's how she's getting the vitamins she needs since she can't coordinate sucking and swallowing yet." He explained everything as gently as he could but Lucas could see the pain on his wife's face.
"I don't understand what went wrong Lucas. I took all the right precautions, I did everything the doctor told me too. I started taking vitamins the minute I found out I was pregnant, I got regular checkups, I ate the right food and I quit drinking caffeine."
"Peyton don't do this to yourself, the doctor said that no matter what precautions are taken these things still happen."
"That doesn't make seeing my little girl covered in tubes any easier."
"I know." He said softly grabbing hold of her hand.
" I still feel like this is partly my fault. I was stressed the last few months." She confided in him.
"About what?"
"I was worried about not being a good mom. I didn't grow up with one, what if I have no maternal instincts?" Peyton knew the argument was silly, she'd practically helped raise Jenny Jygielski when she was still in high school.
"Why didn't you tell me any of this Peyton?"
"I don't know, I didn't want to worry you too."
"Well I hate to break it to you but I've been worried too, about not having any fatherly instincts I mean. I didn't grow up with a father. I've never really been around babies aside from when Jenny was younger. I don't even know how to change a diaper." He admitted.
"I guess we should have talked about all this before Emily was born." Peyton smiled.
"That probably would have been the best idea. But we'll figure this all out Peyton, I mean there are millions of first time parents who don't have a lot of experience with kids. Plus the nurses aren't going to just send us home without showing us how to do things like changing diapers and making bottles."
"Well actually I know how to change a diaper." She smirked.
"Fine then you'll have to teach me how."
"When are you going to get rid of all that stubble?" Peyton asked deciding that she needed to lighten things up.
"You don't like it?" Lucas rubbed a satisfying hand over the week's worth of beard growth on his normally clean-shaven face.
"I'm not liking the idea of getting a rash on my face every time I kiss you."
"But don't you think it makes me look older." He turned to the side giving her a profile view.
"I don't want you to look older, I like my baby faced husband." Nathan had always given Lucas a brotherly ribbing about the fact that most people believed Nathan was the older brother because he actually looked his own age, while Lucas looked years younger.
"Fine the beard is gone, but maybe I can just shave it into a goatee." Peyton shook her head.
They shared a few more minutes together before Peyton's doctor walked into the room.
"Hello Peyton, Lucas you look like someone finally convinced you to get a good night's sleep." The doctor smiled knowing how much the man's spirits had lifted once his wife was out of the woods.
"I just figured that Peyton was getting enough sleep for the both of us." Lucas said half-joking.
"Well thank goodness she's awake now." The doctor turned his attention to his patient. "How are you feeling today Peyton?"
Peyton wanted to roll her eyes at what had become the routine question for anyone who entered her hospital room. But she figured that as a doctor it was his job to ask those kinds of questions. "I feel fine Dr. Cooper honestly."
"How does the area around you sutures feel? It might still be a little red and swollen."
"They're a little sore but they feel better today than they have the last few days." Peyton assured him truthfully.
"I'll need to take a look at them a little later. I hear you've already been up trying to walk?"
"I was just trying to walk to the bathroom on my own, but Lucas caught me and practically had a heart attack in the doorway."
"I don't want you rushing your recovery Peyton. The most important thing you need right now is time to heal." she ignored the look she was getting from her husband who had issued those same words to her earlier."But if you're feeling well enough to walk a little on your own I think you're more than ready to make the journey downstairs."
Peyton's eyes grew wide at what she thought the doctor was saying. "Are you saying I can go see Emily?"
"I think it would be good for all of you of you got to spend some time together. So when you're ready Lucas can take you down there. But I want you in the wheelchair Peyton, no walking down to the elevator just yet." The doctor was firm in his demands but he was excited for the young mother to finally get to see her daughter.
"I'm ready to go now Dr. Cooper."
"I'll have the nurse bring in a wheelchair." Dr. Cooper exited the room quietly as the two anxious parents began to excitedly chatter about the good news he had just given them.