Thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter. I love reading your feedback.
This prompt is a follow up to Not Part Of The Plan requested by thatAwkwardPotato. Thank you so much for requesting, I hope this is what you were after, enjoy!
It felt like time had gone by so slowly before Amy was finally told that she could go and visit her daughter, her tiny little baby that so far she hadn't even been able to say hello to. She did take great comfort in the fact that Sheldon was down there with her however, it wasn't quite the same, he wasn't her.
"You know, it's incredibly cute. I don't think your husband has taken his eyes off of her since they met" the nurse from the NICU explained as she helped Amy lower herself into the awaiting wheelchair. Being fiercely independent, Amy would have argued that she was more than okay but she was still in pain from the birth and the idea of being wheeled somewhere instead of walking actually sounded like heaven.
"Is she doing okay?" Amy asked, this was probably now the tenth time she had asked that question in the space of just a few minutes.
"She is. She's doing really well. You'll be able to see for yourself in a minute" the nurse smiled as she wheeled Amy out of the room and began the journey down the corridors. Passing by expectant mothers and fathers to be, Amy couldn't quite believe what she and Sheldon had gone through, it hadn't even been twenty four hours yet and already their world had changed, a very different world to what they had envisaged when they woke up this morning.
What her body had gone through, what her mind had gone through, what Sheldon must have gone through watching her in pain and contending with his own emotions about their daughters health, she was incredibly proud of him, she wanted to make sure she told him that a million times over. She knew that she couldn't have got through it, any of it, without him by her side. In her time of need, he was the one she needed, the only person that could keep her grounded and focused, the only one that could make things okay.
She felt her eyes start to sting with tears as it suddenly hit her just how much she loved him, she loved him so much it hurt. Now that love had been turned into a tiny little person, a tiny person that had decided to arrive in the world far too early and even though they hadn't even met yet, Amy loved her more than she ever thought it was possible to love another human being. She was desperate to see them now, both of them.
Sensing Amy's quietness, the nurse didn't speak for the rest of the journey down the hallway. Sometimes it was best like that, she understood that's sometimes mother's needed time to reflect, to process what had happened and what was about to happen. She was simply there to reassure them as much as possible and answer any questions.
"I feel really nervous" Amy spoke as they approached the NICU. "Is it normal to feel like that?" her hand was against her chest, feeling her heart that was beating rapidly. She was about to meet her child for the first time, her daughter, a moment she really had been waiting her whole life for.
"It's okay to be nervous" the nurse reassured her, she had seen this many times, it was a natural reaction. "It's a big moment" she smiled as they stopped outside the doors to the NICU, Amy taking it upon herself to thoroughly wash her hands before entering. "Now, it may all seem a little overwhelming at first, there's a lot of machinery and it can all look a little daunting, please know everything in there is to help" she explained gently, it was a similar speech that they gave to every parent entering this room. The prospect of what was on the other side was naturally concerning.
"Okay" it was all she could she say, despite having a millions questions whirling through her mind, she just needed to see her now. More than anything she wanted to lay her eyes on her baby girl, she knew that when she saw her, she would just know, know that she was okay.
As she was slowly wheeled through the double doors, the surroundings weren't quite what she expected. The room was warm, calm and soothing, there was something about the atmosphere of the place that eased her. She saw him stood at the far end of the room before the nurse had time to point him out to her, his tall frame towering over the incubator and their fragile daughter almost as if he was guarding her, protecting her from the world.
From a far, Amy admired him. Even from a distance and in the dimly lit room, she could see the look of love in his eyes as he not once tore them away from her, not even glancing up to see who had entered the room. He was already a father, something Amy knew he was incredibly nervous about, he instantly and effortlessly fell into that role. Amy could see his lips moving, although she was listening carefully she couldn't quite here was he was saying but her heart was just exploding at the sight.
As Amy was pushed closer, Sheldon eventually looked up, his eyes catching his wife's as he smiled brightly. Although his eyes were shining, Amy could tell he was exhausted, the last few hours had been so emotional and draining, it was only natural to be tired.
"Hello" he smiled, keeping his voice quiet, mindful of the babies around him. Carefully, he moved to the side, allowing Amy more space and the chance to finally see their daughter.
"Oh" it was more of a squeak that left Amy's lips as she met her little girl for the first time, the tubes and machines surrounding her didn't bother Amy in the slightest, this was her daughter and she instantly loved her more than anything in the world.
Unlike Sheldon, Amy didn't need to be told what to do, it was all natural, mother's intuition. Immediately, she placed her hand through the holes in the side of incubator. Gingerly, she placed her finger in her daughters hand, very gently stroking the skin back and forth, every single thing about her was so tiny and delicate, she was worried about hurting her. "Hello, hi darling" her voice was quiet as she whispered, worried that the slightest abrupt sound would startle her. "Do you recognise my voice? I'm here, I'm your mummy" it was clear to anyone with ears that she on the verge of tears.
Every single inch of her was perfect, Amy couldn't quite believe she was here and all theirs, completely and utterly theirs. Completely lost in the moment, Amy jumped when she felt Sheldon place his hand on her shoulder, she had almost forgotten he was here too.
"She's quite perfect isn't she" he spoke gently. Just in the moments they had been apart, Amy had missed his voice, missed his presence and how he made her feel. He made her feel so safe, the pillar of support already in their little family unit.
"She is" she really was the most perfect little thing she had ever seen. "I can't believe how small she is" although, Amy was desperate to hold her in her arms, the thought of holding something so tiny and fragile terrified her. "She looks so much like you" as Amy gently moved her hand up to stroke her face, cautious of the wires attached to her tiny body, she traced every delicate feature, running her finger along her soft skin as she realised just how much looked like her daddy.
"Do you think?" he sounded in awe by the notion that they looked alike. A feeling that warmed his heart more than he could have ever known. Amy nodded. "You know the nurse said she's doing really well, exactly how they would imagine a baby born at this stage to be"
"You have to keep fighting little one" Amy whispered as she gently stroked her cheek. "You need to get big and strong so we can finally hold you and take you home. We're going to do so many things together" she thought about all the people that she needed to meet, their families and friends, every single person would absolutely adore her. She thought about all the little games they would play together (Amy already had a stash of toys and materials that helped aid various stages of development), all the books they would read together, the places they would go, she couldn't wait for it all. "I love you so much"
Their circumstance was by no means ideal and so unbelievably far away from all that Amy had planned but oddly in its own little way, this moment was rather perfect. They were finally a family, Sheldon and Amy had their longed for baby and they loved her so much.
Thank you so much for reading. As always reviews are always welcome and so appreciated!
Lots of love.