The birth. Didn't go into too many gory details as much as possible. Just basics. And also watched an education video on an epidural, how it was given. Breastfeeding topic again.
The next day, Winston went to the zoo and talked to his medical team.
"It's been nine long months waiting for the moment to deliver Brooklyn's baby. Are we ready?" he asked his team. "He's more than ready for her to come."
"She?" one asked.
"Found out it's a girl last night." Winston said.
"That's great! Another female in the clan for the other one to interact with. Could also mean more babies sooner too." the man said.
"Gargoyles age at rather slow rates compared to humans. They age only half as fast as we do." Winston explained. "So, it'll be a long time before she's ready to be part of any breeding program."
"So, do we want to do it tonight, or tomorrow night?" Winston asked.
"We have a banquet tonight, Winston. Don't tell me you forgot?" Gloria asked.
"Oh, I did. I'm sorry. That's fine. Two more nights won't hurt him none." he replied. "I'll let him know, and he can read some more to get prepared for what we have to do. And to prepare ourselves for it as well."
Later that night, before going to the veterinary banquet, Winston called the Eyrie building and told Owen that the surgery would take place in a couple nights' time for Brooklyn.
Owen said he would let him know.
….
That night, after Brooklyn and the clan awoke, though he was in his room again, just as Owen came in nightly to clean up the stone sleep mess, he came in with an announcement this time.
"Brooklyn, your friend, Winston called today, and said that he and his team will be over tomorrow night for the delivery. They were busy tonight." Owen explained.
"That's okay. Thanks, Owen. At least I know they accepted his offer to do it for me. I wouldn't have a way of having my daughter otherwise." Brooklyn replied.
"They should be here before sunset to get things set up for you, and they'll get you set up. Did you read what they would have you do to get ready?" the man asked.
"Yes. I'm nervous, yes. But I am more than ready for this." the gargoyle said.
After that, Brooklyn went to tell Goliath and the others. They would have their breakfast and the clan would head out on patrol. Tomorrow there likely wouldn't be one.
He told them during breakfast and they were thrilled for him, as well as nervous for him as well. Hopefully, nothing would go wrong tomorrow night.
…
The next day, just prior to sunset, Winston and his medical team arrived at the Eyrie building to get set up for Brooklyn's c-section tonight.
David watched them get set up. He was just making sure that nothing funny was going down. After all, one of Winston's team had kidnapped Brooklyn for his own gain before. But they all worked diligently to get it all set up.
And a short bit later, they were done as the sun went down and there were roars from all over the castle.
The clan and Brooklyn came to the medical ward shortly after. The clan would wait out in the waiting area. Elisa was also here. She had said she wanted to be here to support him too. It was her night off as well, luckily.
Brooklyn had his hands cupped to his belly, looking down at it.
"Are you alright, Brooklyn?" Elisa asked.
"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I just can't help but think how far I've come in this pregnancy to get to this moment. I thought it would never get here. I'm so ready to see the face of my daughter, but can't help but be nervous about the surgery." Brooklyn explained.
"I'm sure you'll do fine." the dark haired woman said.
"You'll going to be a father tonight." Broadway declared proudly. "And we get to be uncles." he smiled.
"We'll be happy to babysit anytime you need us to." Lex stated.
"Thanks, guys, for being here for me." Brooklyn replied.
"Brooklyn, we're ready for you now." a blonde woman came out and said.
The red gargoyle took a deep breath and let it out. He walked over to where she was. He took one last look at his clan and friends and they all smiled and gave thumbs up to him. It was a silent way of saying good luck. Then the door closed. This was it.
The clan could only sit down and wait to hear from someone of the outcome.
…
Brooklyn was taken into the surgical room where his vitals were all taken first. Then he was asked to take the loincloth off. It was just part of surgical protocol.
"Brooklyn, we're going to have you remain awake through the surgery." Gloria started.
"That's going to hurt." Brooklyn was startled.
"No, no. You won't feel it at all. We're going to give you an epidural. We just feel it's safer this way. And you'll get to see your baby sooner." she explained.
"Al- right." he agreed hesitantly. "But, what's that?"
"You'll get an injection into your spine. Your lower body will be numb to pain." Winston spoke up.
"I've been shot in the back with a dart needle before and I didn't like it too well." Brook said.
"This will be done slowly and with way more care than that was, Brooklyn. Rest assured." His friend stated.
"We also need to get a needle into a vein in one of your hands to administer medicine." John, another part of team, said.
"Okay." Brooklyn replied.
A vein was located and the needle put into it on his right hand. Then he was taken to where he sat on the table and the sight of the big six inch needle almost made Brooklyn faint. That was going to be injected into his spine!
"Don't look at it." Winston said. "Come here, just lean this way." He took Brooklyn's hands and pulled him over just lightly. "Just breathe."
Brooklyn was a little tense. He felt a cold, wet cloth rubbed on his back, and his hair pushed out of the way. Then, he felt pressing on his spine to find the spot. When it was found, he tried to just breathe through it as he winced when he felt the needle pierce his skin.
"It'll be over shortly." Winston said. He saw the gargoyle had his eyes shut tight as he was feeling it going into his back.
The needle was pulled out shortly after the drug was administered. A catheter tube was still in his back. Then, Brooklyn was helped to lay down onto his back, exposing his stomach to the vets. Sterile sheets were put over his body, just leaving his belly exposed.
Brooklyn began to feel his lower body growing numb. He couldn't even feel his legs. He watched the medical team get the rest of their bearings. One of the team ran a brush on his belly. "Do you feel that?" she asked.
"What?" he asked.
"That." she pointed to the brush.
Brooklyn shook his head.
"Well, the drugs seem to be working."
Everyone was all in sterile garb now. They had washed up and had gloves on. A sheet was raised in front of his face. Gloria stayed up by Brooklyn's head to keep him calm and talk to him.
David had witnessed his own son's birth back at the time. He was still in the room to just make things ran smooth, but he stayed out of the way. He would let the doctors do their jobs.
Brooklyn's arms were laid out to the sides of his chest. He just tried to breathe.
"Relax, think about the baby." Gloria coaxed. Brooklyn nodded.
Brooklyn's stomach was sterilized and the surgery began.
…..
In the waiting room, the clan was concerned greatly for Brooklyn and his baby.
Broadway had taken to pacing. Hudson was sitting down. Bronx started whining. Even he knew there was something going on. "It's alright, boy. Brooklyn will be fine." the old gargoyle rubbed behind his pet's ears.
Goliath was standing and just waiting patiently.
Angela and Lex were nervous and anxious. Fox was in there too. Owen was babysitting Alex. The little boy knew the baby was going to be born tonight. He was just too young to be in here. It was just time for him to be in bed.
Elisa just watched the clock. It had been a half hour since they took Brooklyn back.
….
The docs worked as quickly, but sincerely as possible. They went in and cut into the artificial womb. They got the baby out. Brooklyn just tried to concentrate on breathing.
It wasn't long before Brooklyn could hear baby cries. He could still raise and move his head. "How is she?" he asked anxiously.
"She's good and big, Brooklyn. She has your color! Your looks! Even a patch of white on her head behind her horns." Winston exclaimed excitedly.
"I want to see her." he declared.
"They're getting her wrapped up and cleaned up first." Gloria declared.
One team took care of the baby while others kept on working to get the womb out of Brooklyn and clean up the blood lost.
He had felt pressure and such while in surgery, but he hadn't had to do anything. He had left the surgery to the doctors.
Soon, the baby had been weighed, cleaned, and wrapped up in a blanket. A pink one. She had stopped crying by now.
Winston took the baby over to the table where Brooklyn could see his daughter for the first time. "Here's your beautiful daughter, Brooklyn." the man was smiling behind the face mask.
"So, what's her name going to be?" Gloria asked.
"Hi, Kathryn. I'm your dad." Brooklyn smiled, raising his left hand to touch her for the first time. "When can I hold her?" he asked.
"Right after we get you into a bed to rest." Winston replied. He took Kathryn back to the bassinet.
"Where are you taking her?" Brooklyn asked, suddenly anxious.
"She's just in her bassinet, Brooklyn. She's fine." Gloria said. "The team is finishing up with patching you up first."
….
The patching up was finally finished and Brooklyn was wheeled to a room. The feeling in his lower body was starting to return. But he was pulled across from the medical bed onto the resting bed. It was a fun ride there.
Brooklyn was tucked into his bed. "Now, when can I hold my daughter?" he asked.
"Coming right up." Gloria said, smiling.
Winston came wheeling the bassinet into the room. Brooklyn waited with anxiety as he wanted his baby. His friend picked up the cooing baby and brought the pink bundle to him.
Brooklyn happily took her into his arms for the first time. He couldn't believe he was seeing her for the first time in person. It seemed like a dream.
"Hi, Kathryn. I'm your father." Brooklyn smiled. He kissed her immediately. "I've been waiting so long to meet you."
The baby girl did indeed have his looks tremendously. There was still a question of who the mother really was, but it was something to worry about for another day.
…..
David went out and told the clan. "It's a girl. Brooklyn's holding her now."
"How did everything go?" Goliath demanded.
"Everything was fine, Goliath." David replied.
"Can we go in and see them?" Angela asked.
"Yes. Now that they are settled into a bed and bonding." the man replied.
The clan was more than ready to go see Brooklyn and his baby. They were allowed in.
When they got to the room, they found Brooklyn gently rocking his baby, and kissing her. He looked at the clan.
"Awww!" They all were in awe of the sight before them.
"I have my daughter, finally." he smiled at them.
"We see that, lad." Hudson stated.
They came over to get closer looks. Bronx was to stay in the corner. He could see her later.
"She looks just like you, Brooklyn." Lex said.
"So, what's her name?" Elisa asked.
"Everyone, I'd like you meet Kathryn." Brooklyn declared.
"Welcome to the clan, young Kathryn." Goliath greeted with a smile.
"How are you feeling?" Angela asked.
"I don't feel much of anything right now. Just happy. Happy that she's here with me." Brook stated.
"She's beautiful, Brooklyn." Broadway smiled.
"Thank you. Just thanks for everything, everyone." Brook said.
Not long after, Brooklyn let the clan hold his daughter. It was one special night for them all.
When it reached time for Angela to hold her, Brooklyn spoke up, "Angela, I want you to be her god-mother." he said.
"Really?" Angela was shocked.
"Yes. You're like a sister to me. And you'll probably be the biggest influence on Kathryn. And I also named her after your surrogate human mother to honor her as well." Brooklyn explained.
"I'm sure Katherine would feel honored by that as well, Brooklyn. Thank you. I'll be happy to be her god-mother." Angela smiled.
"Now that we have all got to meet Kathryn, let's leave the new father and daughter to bond some more." Goliath urged.
They all waved at each other. It was nothing but happiness this night.
Brooklyn was left to just hold his daughter. He couldn't stop looking at her. He eventually unwrapped the blanket to look her body over. Almost everything in his looks was passed on to her as well.
He also looked down at his stomach too. It had gone down tremendously. But he still had baby fat on him. He would be healed tomorrow night. But it would take time, eating carefully, and exercising again to lose all the fat he had gained during his pregnancy. Hopefully, this was just a one time occurrence in his life.
Later, Winston and Gloria came into the room to put Kat into her bed for a small while for them to put a bandage over Brooklyn's stomach where the stitches were.
"I think it's time for Kathryn to have her first meal." Gloria declared.
"Really?" Brooklyn asked.
"Yes. Even if you decide to feed her formula, she should at least get the first milk from you. To start building a defense against diseases." Winston explained. He could possibly feel some anxiety since this gargoyle was a male, and unaccustomed to the idea of nursing, which always fell on females usually.
"Alright, I'll try it, but not to say that I will the whole while." Brook agreed.
"That's fine. At least just during her first twenty-four hours so that she gets good colostrum." Winston stated. "Every couple of hours."
The first time latching on was a bit of a battle, but eventually, Brooklyn was soon feeding her the way the mothers would. But he thought that it was only going to be just for tonight. Then he would be feeding her formula.
Some of his male ego was just still there. And anyone could respond to feeding her with formula.
Some bottles were already being filled in the kitchen for later to be warmed up. But it wouldn't start until tomorrow night.
Kathryn would be the first baby gargoyle nursed on formula of what was left of the Wyvern Clan. Kat or Katie would become her nickname.
When dawn came for the first time for Brooklyn and his baby girl, Kat also turned to stone too. Her gargoyle inheritance was just about everything.
The medical team left, but Winston stayed to keep an eye on things for the day. He had seen it. The baby was also part human, but clearly more gargoyle, like her father.