A/N: Thank you to everyone who is following and reviewing this story. You guys are the greatest.
Special thanks to my beta, It'sHardIKnow.
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.
Chapter 19
Tris and I are lying together in our marital bed, with Rose cooing from in between us. It is a lazy afternoon, and it's raining outside. Today, my daughter is three weeks old. I can't believe how quickly time flies. I watch as my sweet baby girl laughs at her mother, and Tris bending down to raspberry her tummy.
It is still difficult at times, especially since Rose still wakes up a lot during the night. Tris and I are taking it in turns to care for her, but it still takes a toll on the both of us. Max and the other leaders were very helpful when they allowed me to have a paternity leave, despite me being a leader for far less time than any of them.
All four came to visit us the week Rose was born. We were already home, and Tris had just finished nursing our daughter, when a knock was heard on our front door. I was doing the dishes in the kitchen, and hurried over to see who came to visit. George laughed at me, when he saw the spit and vomit stains on my shirt, but I didn't mind. I'd let my baby cover me in drool and vomit if it meant she was healthy and happy. The four leaders each came with gifts, ranging from stuffed animals to baby clothes, and Harrison brought a generous amount of diapers. I thanked them profusely, feeling the need to tell them that they didn't have to.
"Shut up, and stop being such a Stiff. These are for the little princess over there," George teased, and went past me to get a better look at the baby.
I haven't met anyone so far who didn't fall in love with Rose as soon as they saw her. My little girl is the most precious thing around here, and I am a proud daddy because of it.
The girls in our group all switched into mommy mode the moment they saw the baby, even Lynn, who is always reserved, and as far away from acting like a girl as you can get. The guys, well, they might not be in mommy mode but they are definitely in uncle mode. My daughter has way more uncles and aunts than any kid here, for sure, and they all shower her with attention and gifts, spoiling her already. Thinking of how our lives would have looked like in Abnegation, even if Marcus didn't exist, she wouldn't have had this. People would have loved her, but she would have grown up thinking she didn't deserve it. I always felt that way, but blamed it on Marcus. But Tris told me she felt equally undeserving. I realized that that was because Abnegation was too strict to allow us to express our love - which I find very absurd.
Looking down at this little miracle, I am glad I listened to Tris. Choosing Dauntless gave us a live we both longed for and would have never had if we stayed in our birth-faction.
The baby suddenly starts crying very loudly, and both Tris and I look at each other flabbergasted. A moment ago, she smiled, and was happy, and the next she starts crying. Her shrieks are louder than I've ever heard her before, and so high-pitched it irritates my ears. I look at Tris who seems just as startled as I am, and we both sit up abruptly. For a moment, both of us stare at our little baby, not understanding what has justhappened. Tris is the first to react, and picks Rose up. She tries to rock her gently to calm her down, but Rose cries even harder. Her face becomes flushed, her fists clench angrily, her back arches, and all I can do is watch her helplessly. What is wrong with my daughter?
Tris checks her diaper, but it's dry. We just changed her. And she just ate not even twenty minutes ago. She isn't cold, because the apartment is extra warm for her. Nothing has happened to startle her, so I know she isn't scared. Or at least I hope she is not. But what is it? My wife looks just as helpless as I feel, and, as she looks down at our baby, she starts crying.
"What is it, baby? Why are you crying?" Tris asks softly, but the baby can't answer her. I've heard enough. My daughter is in distress, and I will find the source.
I get Tris's warm jacket, and find Rose's extra warm blanket in her crib. I tell Tris to go put her shoes on, because we're going to the infirmary.
Within minutes, we are out the door, and rush toward the Dauntless infirmary. Everyone who sees us pass ask if Rose is alright, but I have neither the time nor the patience to answer their questions. My baby is crying her lungs out, and all I can do is grit my teeth in worry.
We arrive at the infirmary, and a bored nurse asks what the problem is. I go to ask if she is deaf or is just ignoring my child's wails, but Tris is already at her throat.
"Get me Dr. Ramirez; she is my daughter's pediatrician," Tris demands, forgoing the 'please'.
"Is it an emergency?" the nurse asks, monotonously, without even lifting her eyes, while continuing doing her nails. Tris hands me the baby, launches herself over the counter, grabbing the small nail polish bottle, and flunks it at the wall shattering the glass container. The nurse, suddenly aware of our presence, glares at my wife. "What the hell?"
"You better do your fucking job, right now," Tris yells so loud, so loud that she even drowns out the baby, "or I'll swipe the Pit floor with you right now, and toss you into the Chasm."
"If you don't calm down, I'll have to call security," the nurse sniffs, glaring. I want to yell at her to stop being such a brat, and call the doctor already, but Tris doesn't give a shit about anything other than what our daughter needs. She has already grabbed the nurse by her collar when I see two guards coming toward us.
"Ma'am, please let go of the nurse," one of the guards says. He isn't harsh or disrespectful, and I don't think he has recognized me yet, since he didn't even look at me.
"You will do your fucking job, and get my daughter the medical attention she needs, or I swear to God I will star in your nightmares from now on," Tris threatens. Damn, my girl can be scary. But I am on board with her.
"Ma'am, please, calm down," the guard begins, trying to persuade my wife to let go with his positioned to pry Tris off the flailing nurse.
"What are you waiting for? Arrest this lunatic!" the nurse shouts, and, at that, I cannot stay quiet anymore.
"You will respect my wife, and do your job," I growl, and, for the first time, they all look at me with wide eyes. Realizing who I am, the nurse starts stuttering, and looks from me to my wife, and back to me.
"I didn't know you knew the girl," she starts, glancing at Tris.
"That's my wife," I say firmly, nodding my head in her direction, "and this is our daughter, who, if you haven't noticed yet, is screaming at the top of her lungs, because something is wrong. Now, I have the authority to make you factionless, but my wife has the ability to actually turn your life into a living nightmare if you don't get our daughter the help she needs."
Hearing me, her eyes widen, and then she goes to make a phone call. I ask the guards to leave us, and they nod in understanding. One of them, the one who kept trying to calm Tris down, lingers. He looks from Tris to me, and then the baby. He smiles a little, seeing Rose, and I pull her closer to me.
"I guess this is your first," he says, and I give him a questioning look. "Your first child," he clarifies. I nod. "How old?"
"Three weeks," I answer, while Tris gets Rose back into her arms. I think it's for the best. As long as Tris has Rose, she won't kill that nurse. I know she is stressed out because we don't know what is wrong with our child, and that nurse didn't help her to calm down either with her snotty attitude, but I don't want Tris to go around killing people.
"Oh," the guard says. "What's the little princess' name?" he asks. I smile a little, and kiss my daughter's head before answering.
"Rose," I inform him, proudly.
"Beautiful. I think she might be colicky. Dylan, he is three months old now, but he got super cranky when he was two weeks old. We already knew the drill from Paul, our firstborn, so we knew what to expect. Don't worry, it'll pass," he assures us. I thank him, and a moment later, Dr. Ramirez appears.
I usher my wife into the examination room, and the doctor looks over Rose as quick as possible. The guard, whom I forgot to ask what his name was, was right. She has colic, and the doctor explains that there isn't much you can do about it. Rose doesn't understand what is happening, and therefore gets scared. The doctor also explains that she could be gassy, and sometimes she will calm down after releasing some of that gas or have a bowel movement to ease the tension inside her tummy.
We are being told that this will usually happen in the afternoons and evenings, and, other than trying to soothe the baby, there isn't much we can do. If her condition worsens, however, we should call her. She is kind to give us her personal phone number, and assures us that the nurse at the front desk will be replaced. She mentions that she has actually received several complaints for the nurse's poor behavior, and even brought it up during the monthly meeting with leadership. I've been on leave since Rose was born, so I am not up to date with what is going on here.
We thank her for her help, and she gives us a moment to gather our things. I watch as Tris desperately tries to calm the baby, but instead starts crying. It breaks my heart seeing my girls sad, and I realize tears of my own start to spill. Tris and I are hovering over our child, and, as we both let the frustration leave our system, Rose stops crying and starts smiling at us.
"Our kid is laughing at us," Tris says with a hiccup, as she tries to calm down. I kiss her temple, and lightly chuckle.
"We are such messes," I joke, and we both burst out we finally leave the infirmary, Rose has calmed down, and is slowly dozing off in her mother's arms. I hold my arm protectively around them both as we head home. What a day!
A/N: Don't mess with Momma Bear!