Meanwhile, at the bar the men were sitting around the table, discussing their future lives with fatherhood. This would be one of the last times it would be just the four of them grabbing a drink together, for a long time. They had started out as lonely nerds who were basically married to their work. Then Howard, unexpectedly let the charge in to the real, grown up, world by getting married, and Leonard only furthered this discovery with the birth of Peter. They were no longer boys who played card games and went to conventions, they were men with careers, wives, and families, who still played card games and went to conventions, but it was more acceptable now because they could blame their children. The four reminisced about the good times and the bad, wondering where had all the time had gone, before returning to the most poignant subject at hand, parenting.
"So what's it like Leonard?" Howard asked sheepishly, being the newest member of the daddy club.
"Oh babies, well they don't do much, they eat, sleep, cry, and poop. I know it sounds really boring but seriously when your kid does it, it is the…" he began.
"No, no," Howard interrupted, "The umm…birth…"
"Oh that," Leonard laughed uneasily, "Ya, that's pretty awful."
"How awful?" Raj asked reluctantly as Howard and Sheldon listened intently waiting Leonard's response about their impending deliveries.
"Well, there's lot of screaming for drugs, blood, and other gross stuff that comes out. Don't watch, you'll never be able to unsee it! But afterwards you have so much respect for your wife because you know that there is no way in hell that you'd be able to do that." Leonard then proceeded to tell them of all the potential issues that could arise during the delivery, such as, a caesarian section, the cord being wrapped around the baby's neck, their wives' lady bits tearing, thus causing her to bleed out. Horror washed over the faces of the future fathers. However, Sheldon sat, quizzically thinking of how to prevent all of the unplanned events that could go wrong.
"Well, Amy will be perfectly adequate to take on any, if not all forms, of child bearing. She has excellent wide birthing hips, also she has a high tolerance for pain, especially in surgical state. Layla and Penny have both experienced the act of giving birth to a child, and it is said that each subsequent birth is easier and faster to the ones previous, so they should have no issues." He sighed, "Well Howard, it looks as if Bernadette is going to be our wild card!"
"What are you talking about Sheldon?" Howard replied, sipping his drink.
"The way I see it she's going to be a mess," Sheldon stated, "Especially if she has a fat head Wolowitz baby like yourself!"
"I was not a fat head baby!" Howard retorted.
"Dude! You were like ten pounds!" Raj exclaimed.
"And my mother was perfectly fine after she had me," Howard shrugged.
"Your mother is also the size of a baby hippopotamus," Leonard replied with a slight chuckle.
Howard rolled his eyes and ignored his friends comment and they all continued with the evening. However, on the way home he couldn't help but let those negative thoughts slip back into his mind.
"Dude, you ok?" Raj asked aloud being the only passenger in his car.
"I don't know…I mean…I…I guess I'm just worried" Howard sighed.
"Why are you worried? You are finally getting what you want!" Raj laughed.
"I know, I know, I just thought we wouldn't have to worry after we reached this point. I never thought of the possibility of something going wrong during the delivery. What if something bad happens to the baby, or Bernie?" Howard stopped at the light and nervously gripped the steering wheel.
"Howard, don't listen to Sheldon he's being a smart ass and dude you know Leonard and I just have to give you crap!" Raj smiled.
"But what if he's right! I pushed her to do this, to have this baby, to give up nine months of what makes her happy, to make me happy, and for might result in nothing, or even worse, death!" Howard scolded his friend for not taking his fears seriously.
Raj shook his head and turned to look Howard in the eyes, "But what if he's wrong. What if everything goes right and you get everything you've ever wanted. What's the use of worrying then?"
Howard sat and stared at the light for a good minute before it changed and they drove off. Howard didn't want anything big or crazy in life, just the little family he never had while growing up. He wanted to teach his kid to ride a bike, attempt to play catch, kiss boo boos, and sit in bed with his baby at night and read stories until he or she fell asleep in his arms. Howard wanted to watch his wife's belly grow, be by her side the entire time in the delivery room, and watch as his Bernie as she held their beautiful baby, the perfect combination of the two of them. Howard hadn't realized they had been driving in silence until they reached the building's parking lot.
"I'm sorry," Howard sighed as he parked the car, "I'm just trying to stay strong for Bernadette, so she doesn't worry."
"Dude, it's not a problem, everything will be fine," Raj gave Howard a friendly punch in the arm, "I promise."