sorry this took forever... I'm just taking a mental break LOL. This is where I'm ending this... I'm not sure if I need to elaborate anymore.


Mamma's Boy

"Aren't they just incredible?" Kate said taking her husbands hand.

"Yes they are. Look at Horace, he seems to be regaining some color."

"I hope he survives Michael. I hate for Mac to have to go through the pain I endured." Kate reached in to touch Horace's little head with a gloved hand. The baby started at the touch, a slight tremble his only response. "They are so tiny... At least Mac and Malcolm were near term."

Just then Rod walked inside the nursery, his face only slightly less concerned than it had been before.

Kate smiled at him.

"Hi..." he told them, "Mac is awake if you want to go see her. I just had to come and see the twins before I brought her down."

"I'll get her," said Kate. "Stay with your children, Dad… they need to hear your voice. And Rod, congratulations. They're beautiful."

"Thanks Kate," Rod said with a grateful smile and a hug for his mother in law. Kate left the room, and he was left alone with Michael. "How are you, sir?" He asked coming closer to the incubator that held his children.

Michael watched as Rod approached, recognizing that his own well-being was the last thing his son-in-law was concerned about at the moment. He just wanted to see his children. Nevertheless, Michael appreciated the gesture. "I should ask you that."

Rod reached into the gloves on the side of the incubator and took hold of Rebecca's hand. He was delighted when she gave his finger a squeeze and rooted around for it with her mouth. "I don't know... scared mostly."

"When Mac was born, I felt the same way. I also felt guilty for not having been there enough. Then Malcolm died three days later. I never got to see him… I wasn't there," Michael said softly. "You're here Rod, that's what counts."

Rod smiled gratefully at his father-in-law. "It wasn't as if you had much of a choice, sir."

"And you couldn't have stopped her from having a stroke," Michael said. "No one can blame you for wanting only what any natural man would want with his wife."

Rod looked down at his son and stroked his head softly he held his little hand, only he didn't do the same as his sister. He just lay there limply, his struggle to breathe readily apparent. "Thank you."

"Here comes Mom!" Kate said pushing Mac's wheelchair towards the twins.

"Hi Baby," Michael said kissing his daughter on her cheek then stroking it.

"Ah...da." Mac said raising both her hands to show him she was not paralyzed.

Michael smiled a concerned smiled and kissed her cheek again, "We'll leave you and your husband to your children. We'll visit later."

She nodded as both her mother and father walked out of the room.

Rod came to her and pushed her wheel chair up to the incubator. She saw all of the machines before her babies. There was a huge ventilator sitting on the side, bigger than the bed where her children lay, making little puffs of air blow into Horace's lungs. There was another machine next to the ventilator labeled C-pap. It was smaller and made a soft whirring noise and it was connected to a nasal cannula. Which reminded Becca to breathe.

To the other side of the incubator, was an IV pump, with small bags of fluid dripping into soft transparent tubing. One of the tubes was moving a bit vigorously, the other was not. Mac was a bit apprehensive. She didn't want to look. She didn't want to see her children at the other end of the machines. She didn't want to see them and not be able to hold them to comfort them.

Once they got as close to the twins as possible, Rod helped Mac stand up and sit at a stool near the incubator. Mac followed the IV tubing that had constant movement and saw Rebecca, rosy and red yet so tiny. She kept kicking her foot which moved her entire body, including her splinted arm with the IV. With her free hand the baby reached for the nasal cannula that was taped to her face. She didn't like those things in her nose and she was letting everyone know. Well I can see we're going to have some battles you and me, Mac thought letting out a breath as she reached into the glove to hold her hand. As Becca did the same with her hand as she had done with Rod's, Mac let a tear of relief fall down her cheek.

She turned her head to her son, and saw how he struggled even with the tube placed down his airway and his chest rising and falling along with the puffs of air emanating from the ventilator. She reached out to him and he started at the touch, his entire body trembling. It's okay, Horace... mamma's here, she thought. Mamma's here.