Chapter 23

Dave followed the nurses and his son in the NICU and watched as the doctors began hooking him up to monitors and sticking him with needles. Slowly he peered inside the clear incubator and saw his son, he was so tiny and his skin was almost see through he could see the tiny lungs slightly move and his heart beating. The blue veins were visible through his skin and he couldn't have weighed anymore then a pound he could fit in the palm of Dave's hand he was sure of it. The doctor's worked constantly checking him over deciding on what to do and how to care for the tiny baby in front of them. A half hour later one nurse turn to Dave and motioned for him to come closer, Dave stepped up and saw they had gaze over his eyes and a breathing tube down his throat, he had little tubes going into his arms and legs he looked so helpless and Dave wished there was something that he could do. If there was any way that he could change spots with his son would have done it in a heartbeat.

"Sir, your son is a little less than one pound and is nine inches long. As you can see his skin is transparent because of this we had to put gauze over his eyes because of the bright lights. We are giving him fluids through the IV and we are monitoring his heart rate which so far is staying in the range that we like to see it. Now he is having trouble breathing on his own which isn't uncommon with premature birth, so we had to put a tube down his throat to help him breath better. All in all he is doing well. Now he has to stay in the incubator to help him finish developing but you can touch him through here." The nurse pointed to the hand sized holes in the side of the clear box that held his son. "You and your wife can come in here anytime and see your son if there is any one else that you want to see him they can come to window and look in but because germs we like to keep company limited to just parents in the room. We will keep you updated on his progress every time we check him, we check babies every hour and there is always a doctor and nurses in here in case of any problems." Dave nodded his head. "Have you decided on a name for him yet?"

"No not yet we thought we thought we still had time to pick one out." Dave answered softly.

"That's okay; we'll just put his last name on his crib card until you guys decided on one." The nurse wrote his last name on the card and stuck it on the side. "I'll be at the desk if you need anything else."

"Umm I need to check on his mother if she's ready to come see him can she? Also her boyfriend is going to want to come back and be with her I hope that's okay"

"Of course."

Dave looked at his son one more time then walked out of the room and back to Rae's room. She was lying in bed with her eyes closed with Randy sitting on one side of the bed holding her hand, and IV had been removed along with the other monitors and was wearing a pair a yoga pants and tee shirt. Dave walked over and sat on the edge of the bed Rae opened her eyes and looked at Dave. She was tired and worried about their son.

"Is he okay?" She asked her voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah he's as good as they expect right now, they have him an incubator hooked up to monitors and IV's. He's lungs aren't completely developed yet so they have a tube down his throat helping him to breath and his heart rate is pretty good. He's so tiny the nurse said he is a little less than one pound and nine inches long." Rae smiled at the news. At least he's alive. "We need to pick out a name for him."

"I haven't even thought of a name yet." Rae ran a hand over her face.

"Do you want to go see him baby girl? Maybe once you see him you can pick out a name" Rae nodded her head. Dave and Randy stood and took her hands helping her to stand, once she was up off the bed Randy slide his arm around her waist and they walked down the hallway together.

Once inside the room Rae looked around at the other parents hovering over their babies enclosed in the clear boxes some had their eyes closed preying that their baby would get better, some were crying and some were just watching for any sign that there baby was getting better. Dave walked Rae up to the box that held their son; Rae peered inside and saw her son for the first time. She laid her hand onto of the incubator and watched as his tiny chest rose and fell with every breath that the machine pumped into him. She laid her head against Randy's chest and let tears fall; Randy held her close to him and ran a hand over her back.

"He's going to pull through Rae, he's a fighter just like you." he whispered and kissed the top of her head.

"He's so tiny and fragile." She cried.

"I know baby but at least he is alive. The doctors and nurse are doing everything can to help him finish developing so he'll be healthy."

An elder looking nurse with thick glasses walked over with a rocking chair. "Here sweetie why don't you sit here and take it easy." Rae smiled through her tear stained cheeks and sat in the chair looking at her son. The walked to the other side of the incubator and checking his vitals and the IV drip wrote a few things down on a chart in her hand then looked back up at Dave, Randy and Rae. "There's no change so far but we normally don't see a change until they've been here for a few weeks, so don't worry. Now if you guys need anything including food or anything like that just let me or one of the other nurses know and we can get it for you." Rae nodded not taking her eyes off her baby and the nurse walked off to check on the next baby.

"Have you talked to Mel yet?" Rae asked a few seconds later.

"No, I was wanting until I found out this little guy first."

"Why don't you go call her now? If you don't you know you never will. If you want why don't you have her bring the girls here I want them to him before something happens, and that way you can tell her face to face instead of over the phone." Rae's voice was shaky.

"Nothing is going to happen to him expect that he is going to be better and go home." Dave kissed her forehead. "I'll be right back."

After Dave left the room Rae leaned forward in her chair and slowly reached her hand through one of the holes and lightly brushed her fingers over the top of his head.

"Hey little guy it's me your mommy. Your daddy went to go get your big sisters so they could see you." Rae wiped a tear away from her eye. "Today's been a though day hasn't it for you and me both. But I promise it's only going to get better from here on out, you just have to finish developing those lungs so you can breath on your own them mommy will take you home." Rae laid her finger inside his hand. "You're a strong little guy aren't you and very determined, you wanted to come into this world today and you weren't going to let anyone stop you. You know that pig headed thing won't get you very far so you need to listen to mommy, Randy and daddy and the nurses." Rae looked up at the crib card seeing his last name wrote on the card. "You need a name don't you, I guess I'm going to have to sit down and come up with a name for you aren't I." Rae moved her finger from his hand and his little arm moved Rae put her finger back in his hand. "Don't worry little guy mommy's not leaving you, no one could ever make me leave you." Randy laid his hand of Rae's should and wiped the tears from his eyes as he watched her cry over her son.